Chương 28: Training in the River, Encountering a Treasure Fish

Su Zhe's answer was clearly beyond Sun Tiexin's understanding. The burly blacksmith stared at him with wide eyes, glaring for a long moment. Eventually, he deflated like a punctured bellows and muttered:"Fair enough... If you're careful in all things, a long life will follow."

"Those who are good at swimming are often the ones who drown. At least you know your limits." Su Zhe's philosophy was completely at odds with a straightforward brute like Sun Tiexin. Still, the old master had lived long enough to understand that caution and prudence were often the keys to longevity.

"Heh. I'm just a blacksmith. I make my living with my brain, not by bleeding on the battlefield." Scratching the back of his head, Su Zhe grinned.

"A steady temperament. Not bad." Sun Tiexin nodded approvingly. Then he retrieved a suit of armor and placed it into Su Zhe's hands. It was called the Demon Scale Inner Armor. Forged from the scales of a fish demon that had cultivated for over a century, its material was exceptionally durable. The armor's surface was covered in tightly layered scales that shimmered with a metallic sheen. Each scale was as thin as a cicada's wing yet astonishingly hard.

Their connections were crafted with exquisite precision, allowing complete freedom of movement. A Third-Rank Mortal Weapon. The Ironscale Inner Armor. When Su Zhe accepted it, he was surprised by how light it felt, almost weightless.

"Although it's only a Third-Rank Mortal Weapon," Sun Tiexin explained, "it possesses a trace of the miraculous qualities found in true treasure weapons."

"The scales retain the power of a water-aligned demon beast. When struck, ripples spread across the armor and disperse much of the impact. Its effect is even stronger underwater." Su Zhe thanked him sincerely. Sun Tiexin had promised him a Third-Rank Mortal Weapon, but even among weapons of the same rank, there were vast differences. An armor like the Demon Scale Inner Armor already possessed a sliver of the power of a genuine treasure weapon. It was among the finest of Third-Rank Mortal Weapons.

Aside from the three leaders of the Blacksmith Guild, who else could hope to receive something this valuable? Master truly treats me well. The thought warmed Su Zhe's heart. After thoroughly explaining the armor's properties, Sun Tiexin produced another item. A martial arts manual. It contained the Savage Bull Killing Technique —the lethal combat art associated with the Savage Bull cultivation path.

Handing it over, he warned:"Your hammer techniques have already reached mastery, and you've tempered them for some time now. It's about time you began studying the Savage Bull killing technique."

"But these martial killing arts are dangerous. You've shown remarkable talent with the Savage Bull Art, but don't get greedy and rush your progress." Su Zhe accepted the manual and nodded. Yet when he examined it, the Creation Immortal Cauldron remained silent. No mysterious text appeared. Clearly, the manual itself was nothing special—just ordinary cured hide with instructions written upon it. Not a treasure.

"Master, I'd like to take a few days off and bring my uncle and aunt to Lu County." After putting away the manual, Su Zhe formally requested leave. Naturally, Sun Tiexin had no objections.

"Go then. Leave early and return early."

"Understood, Master." After receiving permission, Su Zhe bid farewell to his fellow apprentices. Everyone was reluctant to see him go. Once the farewells were over, he packed his belongings, dressed in his finest clothes, and prepared to depart.

"Junior Brother, wait a moment." A deep, booming voice called out. Turning around, Su Zhe saw his senior brother, Guo Ju, striding toward him like a moving iron tower.

"Senior Brother." Su Zhe greeted him respectfully. Without a word, Guo Ju stuffed a silk pouch into Su Zhe's chest and patted him on the shoulder.

"Master said that diligence in the craft is a good thing, but a man must also know when to relax."

"If you're ever short on money, remember that the Hall of Craftsmanship stands behind you." Su Zhe froze. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Squeezing the pouch lightly, he immediately heard the unmistakable sound of metal clinking together. With his current level of skill as a craftsman, he could estimate the contents by sound alone. At least several dozen taels of gold.

"Senior Brother, I can't possibly accept this—""Master's orders." Guo Ju's eyes widened.

"If you insist on acting shy and delicate like a young lady, then Master said you can repay him a hundredfold after you've made something of yourself."

"But if you refuse to take it, then don't call him Master anymore."

"Junior Brother, don't make things difficult for me." Standing over two meters tall and built like an ox, Guo Ju was intimidating when he wanted to be. Su Zhe could only accept. After leaving the Hall of Craftsmanship, he opened the pouch. Inside lay twenty taels of gold.

"Master really is thoughtful beneath that rough exterior..." A warm feeling rose in his chest. It wasn't hard to understand Sun Tiexin's intentions. Seeing Su Zhe work so relentlessly at the forge, he had assumed the young man was desperately short of money. But after already gifting him a precious Third-Rank Inner Armor, Sun Tiexin knew Su Zhe would likely refuse any direct financial assistance. So he had sent Guo Ju instead. Guo Ju. Xiao Xunhuan. Sun Tiexin.

Though Su Zhe had spent only a few weeks in the Hall of Craftsmanship, he could already feel the genuine goodwill these people held toward him.

"A hundredfold repayment?" He chuckled.

"That sounds rather stingy on my part." With a light step, his body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, leaving only an afterimage behind. Given his current wealth, hiring a carriage to the fishing village would cost only two taels of silver. But Su Zhe preferred using his own legs. Some expenses were still worth saving. At present, his assets totaled: 28 taels of gold 100 taels of silver"Opening my fourth Immortal Aperture will cost at least a thousand taels of silver."

"One tael of gold exchanges for ten taels of silver. Even counting my wealth generously, I still need another seven hundred taels of silver." He clicked his tongue. That's quite a sum. Still, if I keep forging, I can earn it within a month or so. Having an official guild position really is wonderful. Blacksmithing was truly a profitable profession. His initial investment had only been one tael of gold for materials.

After that, he simply forged equipment, sold it, used the proceeds to acquire more martial resources, and repeated the cycle. A business with virtually no capital requirements. All skill, no risk. A comfortable life. After traveling for about an hour, Su Zhe stopped on a deserted hillside to eat some dried rations beneath a tree. At the same time, he took out the Demon Scale Inner Armor and inspected it through the Creation Immortal Cauldron.

Name: Demon Scale Inner Armor Grade: Third-Rank Mortal Weapon Description: Forged from the scales of a cultivated fish demon. The scales possess innate supernatural properties, which are enhanced through smithing. Equipment Requirements: Excellent swimming ability; Second-Rank cultivation. Talent Traits Like a Fish in Water (Third Rank) Greatly enhances affinity with water and underwater movement.

Water's Supreme Virtue (Third Rank) When attacked, the wearer's qi and blood flow like water, dispersing and reducing incoming force. Additional Benefits Improves physical aptitude. Enhances natural talent. Accelerates cultivation of water-element techniques. Grants significantly improved efficiency when cultivating water techniques underwater. Su Zhe replaced the Fifty-Forging Hammer in one of his Immortal Aperture slots with the Demon Scale Inner Armor. Immediately, he felt his innate talent improve yet again.

Even his natural aptitude was beginning to approach the coveted A-Grade level.

"The Demon Scale Inner Armor and the Flood Dragon Silk Cloth complement each other perfectly."

"If I fight in water, my strength could increase severalfold." As he examined himself, a realization dawned upon him. Opening more Immortal Apertures remained a long-term goal. But each new aperture demanded exponentially greater resources. Eventually, progress would slow dramatically. Instead of relying solely on additional apertures, he could assemble specialized equipment sets for different situations.

For example: Demon Scale Inner Armor Flood Dragon Sea-Entering Silk Combined with other water-aligned equipment, they could form an entire Water Combat Set. Likewise, he could create: Fire-element sets Smithing sets Killing-aura sets And countless others If quality couldn't keep up— Then quantity would. The more Su Zhe thought about it, the more terrifying his cheat ability seemed. It was the kind of power that only became stronger with time. Su Family Fishing Village Su Zhe had returned.

The moment he entered the village dressed in fine clothes, a commotion erupted. Villagers gathered outside the Su family's humble mud-brick home.

"I heard the Su boy became a martial artist!"

"No kidding! Just look at those clothes. Even Landlord Wang doesn't dress that well!"

"The Su family has truly struck it rich this time!" The villagers crowded around, chattering excitedly. His uncle and aunt were equally delighted, enthusiastically entertaining visitors, slaughtering chickens and sheep, and hosting a feast. The celebration lasted until nightfall. Only then did the family finally enjoy a moment of peace.

"Would you believe it?" Lin Xia said with a grin.

"That Aunt Wang—last year she cursed me out because my grain was drying on part of her land. Today she brought over two baskets of eggs!" Though exhausted from the day's festivities, her cheeks glowed with happiness.

"Our Xiao Zhe has made something of himself. Naturally, everyone around us suddenly becomes nice." Su Yuan laughed.

"Still, the villagers aren't bad people. Rough around the edges, maybe—but not bad."

"If they hadn't helped us all those years ago, how could we ever have gathered enough money to send Xiao Zhe to apprentice at the Blacksmith Guild?" His words were simple but carried the wisdom of a lifetime. Su Zhe nodded. Taking the opportunity, he proposed that his uncle and aunt move to Lu County with him. The house beside the Sun residence already belonged to him. After some polite refusals, they finally agreed. After all, they had spent most of their lives in this village. Leaving wasn't easy.

Especially for Lin Xia, who continued fussing and worrying over every detail. Eventually, Su Zhe escaped before she could lecture him further. The waters of the Su River shimmered beneath the moonlight.

"My Flood Dragon Sea-Entering Art has reached Minor Mastery, but I've never actually trained with it in the river."

"Underwater cultivation offers tremendous resistance. The Flood Dragon technique combines speed and power—perfect for improving both my Savage Bull Art and my pursuit of perfection." Storing his fine clothes inside the Creation Immortal Cauldron, Su Zhe kept only the Demon Scale Inner Armor on his upper body and a pair of shorts below. Then he dove into the river. Splash!

With the Demon Scale Inner Armor equipped, the Flood Dragon Silk active, and his Flood Dragon Art at Minor Mastery, he instantly felt at home in the water. Under the combined effects of multiple traits, he became as agile as a fish. As expected. Practicing the Flood Dragon Art underwater is far more effective. Unfortunately, I still don't possess the later stages of the technique. He darted through the river like a true aquatic creature. At times practicing hammer techniques. At times practicing blade techniques.

Since he was back in the fishing village, he intended to make full use of the Su River to familiarize himself with both his Flood Dragon Art and his newly acquired traits. Then— A flash of silver light caught his eye. Deep beneath the river, something reflected the moonlight with such brilliance that it seemed like a lantern moving through the darkness. His gaze sharpened. A silver fish, about a foot long, glided gracefully through the water like a spirit of the river itself.

Its body was flattened and oval-shaped, covered in fine silver-white scales. More importantly— A faint treasure-like radiance shone from its body. Su Zhe's heart skipped a beat. A treasure fish! A Horned Pomfret! Born and raised in a fishing village, he recognized it instantly. The fish's body gleamed silver, and two horn-like projections extended from its head, giving it its distinctive name. His mind buzzed. A grin spread across his face. He remembered this fish.

Years ago, Old Li from the village had caught a three-pound Horned Pomfret. A martial artist from Lu County had purchased it on the spot— For three hundred taels of silver. A treasure fish. A spiritual creature nurtured by the essence of rivers and lakes. A supreme tonic for martial cultivators.