owlsbooks Chapter 106 The Hunt
Chapter 106 The Hunt
Yang Silang sat to one side and had already understood the ins and outs of the matter.
The provincial capital is located in a region surrounded by two rivers that run through the entire province. Locals refer to the river that flows around the city to the north as the North River and the river that flows around the city to the south as the South River.
The route from Gongzhou Prefecture to the provincial capital follows the Nanjiang route.
However, the surface of the other Beijiang River is not so calm.
A great demon appeared from nowhere; it was a monstrous golden spear trout, flat and long with a straight spine and round belly, shaped like a straight knife. Its most formidable feature was a sharp bone growing from its forehead, shaped like a spear.
It is over three zhang long, and is very strong and fast in the river. Then it can use the spear on its head to smash a boat with a single blow.
It made its home on the Beijiang River and wreaked havoc for over a month, destroying boats and eating people, causing quite a commotion.
However, this fish was also very cunning. The provincial government once sent a master of mercury blood to fight it, but it was not afraid and fought it to a draw underwater.
Golden tuna trout can't get ashore, and mercury-blooded masters can't go into the water.
Seeing the power of this demon, the provincial government sent several grandmasters to join forces. However, the demon sensed the immense blood energy and immediately fled into the water. After the grandmasters left, it came out again to stir up trouble.
There was also a time when a master concealed his vital energy and struck suddenly, only to injure the opponent. The opponent escaped by relying on his swimming skills, and then, after recovering, retaliated fiercely, causing great turmoil on the Beijiang River and almost blocking all ships.
Instead, it memorized the essence of several masters through a few encounters, and when the masters tried to strike again, they always returned empty-handed.
There was already a Grandmaster of Golden Marrow in the provincial government, so if such an expert were to take action, victory would be assured.
Unfortunately, a major upheaval occurred in a neighboring province, and this grandmaster was transferred by the imperial court to quell the unrest, so he was not there at the time.
This demon has been causing trouble at the entrance of the provincial government for over a month, causing great harm to the government and the people. So, a reward notice was issued, offering gold, silver and official positions to anyone who can get rid of this demon.
"Brother Bai... I know you were the best swimmer among the graduates of our class!"
"The power of your Fubo Kung Fu is greatly amplified underwater."
"If the imperial examination had been held underwater, you could have been among the top three, and you wouldn't be struggling to become an official today."
Pei Buqi spoke frankly to the scholar named Bai Lang, then turned to Zhuang Sheng and said...
"Zhuangzi, if Brother Bai is a dragon in the water, then you are an iron shield on land!"
"During the imperial examination, you only defended and did not attack. The examiners did not like your martial arts skills and you were given the lowest grade."
"But I know that your iron shield is impenetrable, and if we really go to the battlefield, you will be the most trustworthy comrade."
Both Bai Lang and Zhuang Sheng showed signs of interest, clearly having been persuaded.
They were all martial arts graduates, with the cultivation level of a steel-dirty grand martial arts master, and they had already practiced the Mercury Blood Realm techniques.
Based solely on their status as military graduates, they were qualified to be directly appointed to official positions. Of course, given the current state of the dynasty, they would only be given a sinecure. If they wanted a better position, they would have to pay bribes to pave the way.
The three men desired official positions, but could not afford the corresponding salaries, so they lived at home on a meager allowance for rice and noodles for several years.
Compared to the powerful and wealthy families and the true scions of the elite, their family backgrounds were still insufficient, and they looked down on ordinary positions, so they were stuck in an awkward position.
Pei Buqi's eyes lit up.
"This time, the government has offered the position of Commander-in-Chief, a fourth-rank official."
"If you do not seek an official position, you will receive two thousand taels of gold as a reward."
"The gentry have raised another two thousand taels of gold; that's enough!"
"I'll take care of all the supplies; it will only take a few days to prepare."
"Brother Yang... are you joining?" He turned to look at Yang Silang with a passionate gaze, and Bai Lang and Zhuang Sheng also looked over.
Over time, word naturally spread that Yang Silang had hunted and killed the River Toad.
Actually, the group didn't necessarily need Yang Silang; they were just looking for good luck. He was quite strong, a Steel-Dirty Grand Martial Master who had even killed a water demon. If he could take action, they would surely be able to defeat the Golden Spear Trout.
Martial artists are also very superstitious and seek good omens.
Yang Silang pondered for a moment... What's there to ponder!
I haven't made any money in months. It would be stupid not to make money when it's available!
Official positions held little appeal for him. He was currently slacking off as a temporary instructor at the Martial Arts Academy, enjoying half the year of leisure while earning extra income. With the Martial Arts Tower being such a feng shui treasure, his life couldn't be more comfortable. The bounty for the Golden Spear Trout was so high; not taking the opportunity to earn that money would be a disservice to his ancestors!
He nodded without hesitation.
"Okay! Count me in!"
-
A few days later.
The river waves are vast and boundless.
On the banks of the Beijiang River, Yang Silang, Pei Buqi, and their group of four stood on a high platform made of a huge rock, their faces full of helplessness.
All four were fully armed. Yang Silang wore a toad-shaped armor underneath a fine iron armor, and carried a long spear. This armor was a reward from the last siege of Hong Tatian and Chai Qing.
Although the armor and surrounding plates were torn apart by a powerful attack after being blasted into the sky, they can still be used after some repairs.
Pei Buqi was wearing a set of purple soft leather armor, which looked quite extraordinary. Despite his refined appearance, he was carrying a long serrated halberd. Bai Lang wore a fish-skin short jacket that covered his body completely, showing off his good figure. He was carrying a long-handled water-split fork in his hand.
As for Zhuang Sheng, he was dressed in heavy armor, holding a huge shield the size of a door panel, and carrying a round shield on his back.
In addition, Pei Buqi brought a carriage equipped with specially made steel wire mesh and live bait pigs and sheep used to lure tuna trout, which grunted and bleated incessantly.
It seems that all that effort was in vain.
Pei Buqi cried out in distress, stamping his feet in frustration.
"Ugh...why are they here!"
"Jin Xiangyu should have told me! All my preparations were wasted, and more importantly, I troubled my brothers to make this wasted trip. I'm so embarrassed!"
"Yan Nanxing really went all out for Jin Xiangyu, even mobilizing the third commander of General Hei's personal guard, and borrowing the Yu Teng horse bestowed by His Majesty!"
"What business is this of ours?"
But what I saw was the shore.
Five fine horses galloped across the shallows of the river.
These horses were quite extraordinary. They were bluish-gray all over, with a diamond-shaped scale on their foreheads, as if they had a third eye. Apart from their heads, their bodies were smooth and hairless, but from their bellies down to their four long legs, they were covered with dense fish scales.
Numerous hooves pounded the river, splashing water everywhere, but the horses did not sink. The fine fish scales on their legs shimmered with a bluish light, propelling them forward on the waves, making them three times faster than on land.
At first glance, the five horses resembled water dragons, displaying extraordinary momentum as they charged at high speed amidst the swirling waves.
Several people were sitting upright on the saddles of these strange horses.
In the center are a woman and a man, namely Jin Xiangyu, the apple of Jin Mantang's eye from the Liujin Chamber of Commerce, and Yan Nanxing, the guerrilla general and adopted son of General Hei.
Both men were wearing light armor, while three other strong men in heavy armor rode on three other horses, protecting them on either side.
Each of the five horses was tied with an iron chain to its saddle. The five long iron chains extended backward, eventually leading to a large clump of white silk netting.
A huge object is being dragged through the net.
Its spine was straight and its belly round, shaped like a scimitar. Sharp, long horns pointed forward from its head and connected to its tailbone, resembling a spear. Its entire body was yellow, but the line along its long spine was golden in color. This was none other than the giant demon, the Golden Spear Trout.
The giant monster, somehow caught in the net, was in a state of impotent rage. It possessed immense strength underwater, but these five fish-horses were also extraordinary. They were offspring of a great water monster and horses, and could run faster in the water than on land, and could also take advantage of the power of the river current.
Five horses, with all twenty hooves pulling together, dragged it along unsteadily, unable to exert its full strength.
In addition, the most formidable feature of the golden tuna trout is its spear-like bone on its head. However, the net in front of it is full of holes, and its spear-like bone protrudes long outside the net, so you can only poke at the air.
It also wanted to use its sharp teeth to bite through the silk net, but it was not known for its sharp teeth, and it didn't know what kind of material the white net was made of. When it bit into it, it only felt slippery and soft, but it was not strong enough to withstand the force.
Five horses dragged it from the depths of the river toward the shore. Once ashore, it had less than 30% of its former strength and was left at their mercy.
The golden trout became increasingly frantic, writhing and churning the river water, yet it watched helplessly as it drew ever closer to the shore!
shore.
Bai Lang threw away the water-splitting fork in his hand and slunk away.
"The three commanders of the personal guard battalion are my assistants."
"And lend out the half-demon fish-shaped horse bestowed by His Majesty."
"One of the most prized treasures of the Golden Merchant Guild, the Thousand Spider Web."
"That big tuna trout is no longer our concern!"
Zhuang Sheng slammed the iron shield heavily onto the ground with a bang. His expression was angry, yet helpless. In the end, he could only manage to utter one sentence.
"They don't lack positions or money, why would they steal our opportunities!"
Pei Buqi shook his head bitterly.
"Perhaps they didn't think that much about it at all."
Jin Xiangyu wanted to make a name for herself and let her father see that she was no less capable than a man.
"Yan Nan's journey was solely to win a smile from the beauty."
"We were just unlucky enough to be spectators this time."
The three of them fell silent.
Yang Silang stood aside, not daring to speak.
He thought that Pei Baizhuang and the other two, along with Jin Xiangyu and Yan Nanxing, formed a circle. It seems that the three of them were just outsiders in that circle.
What is his opinion on this matter?
He can only stand by and watch; others are almost catching the golden tuna trout. What else can he do?
Yang Silang was staring at the river when he suddenly shouted, "Oh no!"
Five horses galloped ahead in the shallow water when a giant shadow suddenly appeared underwater. Without warning, it shot out like an arrow, rushing diagonally towards the outermost horse, Yu Teng!
It has a straight spine and round belly, shaped like a straight knife, and is yellow all over. Its head has long spear bones that are as bright as gold. It is more than three zhang long and is clearly another golden spear trout, almost exactly the same as the great demon in the net.
"This demon isn't alone; they're a male and a female pair, but they look very alike. This monster is hiding itself very well!" Bai Lang slapped his thigh, realizing what had happened.
On the river.
On the outermost edge, a fish-shaped horse on a saddle, the commander riding on it saw a flash of golden light before his eyes, and the golden trout had already attacked.
He lived up to his reputation as a master of steel-dirty martial arts; his instinctive reaction was to swerve and dodge, but it was too late.
puff!
The second golden trout charged close, shooting out like an arrow, and the spearhead on its head grew several feet longer!
The long spear tip struck his leg bone squarely, and then pierced through his mount, the Fish-Tempered Horse.
"what……"
The martial arts master screamed in agony as his broken leg fell into the water.
At this moment, the golden trout skull, topped with a string of strange horses, emerged from the water. The horses were not dead and were still struggling helplessly, their blood gushing out, but this did not affect the great demon's actions in the slightest.
It opened its mouth, revealing its teeth.
Click, click!
In a few swift movements, it devoured the broken-legged martial arts master, while simultaneously diving in the opposite direction. Because it was carrying the half-crippled horse's saddle and dragging an iron chain, it pulled the net towards the center of the river.
With the tuna trout in the net also exerting its strength, the two tuna trout ended up dragging the net backwards!
Jin Xiangyu, Yan Nanxing, and the others, along with their horses, were brought to an abrupt halt as they were pulled back into the river, putting them in a very precarious situation!