Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 25 Aquatic Larks, Exotic Silver Fish

'Crash...'

It was as if the Milky Way had poured down, and an immortal had overturned a silver pot.

The clear and surging sound of the river water came from afar.

After Chen Shunan jumped off the mule cart and paid the fare, he looked around.

The canal was filled with the masts of cargo ships, and the docks were bustling with merchants.

The streets and alleys were filled with the sounds of people, and all sorts of signs fluttered in the wind.

Even though he had seen this scene countless times, Chen Shunan was still amazed by the prosperity of Banno Tsutori every time he witnessed it.

Chen Shunan didn't wander around. He carried the package on his chest and casually glanced at the few furtive figures on the street.

Chen Shunan snorted coldly, his aura emanating from him. His fierce energy tore through the air, creating a loud bang.

Instantly, those malicious gazes disappeared.

Upon entering Changchun Hall, there were quite a few people. Chen Shun arranged the queue for a while before it was his turn.

The waiter recognized Chen Shunan, called him "Old Chen," and asked what he wanted.

"Oh, two bottles of Dragon Elephant Bone Tempering Pills and three doses of Muscle Relaxing and Blood Circulation Bath, totaling 27 taels of silver."

The shop assistant skillfully retrieved the medicine pouch and pill bottle from under the counter.

"You should only take a maximum of two bottles per month. Do not exceed this dosage, otherwise you may experience serious side effects and drug resistance. Please remember this."

The waiter dutifully gave further instructions.

Chen Shunan was taken aback, then his face showed displeasure.
"Why has the price gone up? Wasn't the Dragon Elephant Bone Tempering Pill 9 taels of silver before? How come it's 12 taels a bottle now? Are you taking advantage of me, Chen, for being old and senile and unable to remember the price?"

Chen Shunan skillfully employed the tactic of "taking advantage of his age".

Previously, Chen Shunan had always purchased Dragon Elephant Bone Tempering Pills from the Ghost Market.

Since he began to gradually reveal his strength and lay the groundwork for breaking through to the second-rate realm, Chen Shunan no longer needed to worry about his identity being exposed.

Given his current 'strength', it's understandable that he would purchase the Dragon Elephant Bone Tempering Pill in advance.

Upon hearing this, the shop assistant paused in his movement to pick up the medicine bottle, and began to protest his innocence.

"Oh, Mr. Chen, our Changchuntang is a century-old pharmacy. How could we dare to raise prices on our own and ruin our reputation! It's just that everything on the market is going up in price. Mountain products, herbs, and eight-stone medicines are changing their prices every day!"

In business, harmony is of utmost importance, and this fellow was unwilling to argue with Chen Shunan.

It's not that I'm afraid of Chen Shunan, but that it's completely unnecessary!
They are all our providers; how could we speak ill of and make things difficult for customers who are even slightly dissatisfied?

"There are quite a few scoundrels who have bought up and monopolized a few special herbs, causing the price of Dragon Elephant Bone Tempering Pill to skyrocket. Don't complain about the price, Master Chen. In a few days, it might even sell for 20 taels a bottle!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shunan let out a muffled groan, his heart bleeding.

Don't overthink it; it's definitely because of the Qianning delegation's visit to the emperor that some people started to speculate and hoard supplies.

Now even Emperor Chen has to buy expensive pills!
Having no other choice, Chen Shunan had to pay the bill while holding his nose, and then asked the waiter about the whereabouts of Jinzhen Li.

Changchuntang has many doctors who practice there.

But Chen Shunan trusted Jin Zhenli, the renowned surgeon, the most, since they had frequent contact and knew each other well.

I feel more at ease having him identify the medicinal herbs and pills for me.

"Oh, Dr. Li is out on a house call today, visiting a shantytown in Sanchahe. If you're in a hurry, Mr. Chen, you can go there. Here's the location..."

Chen Shunan nodded, thanked him, and turned to leave Changchun Hall.

Fortunately, Changchuntang is not far from the shantytown area, just across the street.

"Buying firewood—hardwood from Nanshan, great for a roaring fire! Ten coins a bundle, fifteen coins for two loads! Cooking won't produce smoke, and it'll keep you warm for three days!"

"Changbai Mountain ginseng, the king of Chinese yam! It makes the master feel refreshed and the wife's face as white as frost!"

"Fresh river fish, caught and sold on the spot! Carp leaping over the dragon gate, crucian carp as precious as silver ingots! Hey Mr. Chen, it's been a long time! How were the anchovies I bought last time? Want to buy some fish today?"

As they passed by the fish market, before they even entered, a sharp-eyed stall owner spotted Chen Shunan and quickly greeted him warmly.

Chen Shunan didn't go in, but cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "I have other matters to attend to today, I'll come back another day to patronize your business."

"Oh……"

Upon hearing this, the vendor's smile vanished instantly. Without even glancing at Chen Shunan, he went on to solicit other buyers.

These fish sellers are mostly members of fishing gangs, braving wind and rain, relying on their swimming skills and ability to wade through water with spears, and they all have a bit of a bandit-like air about them.

They didn't have the same 'professional ethics' as the staff at Changchuntang.

Fortunately, Chen Shunan didn't mind. He took a couple of puffs of his pipe to clear the fishy smell from his nostrils. But as Chen Shunan passed through the fish market, a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

Chen Shunan paused, looking at the fish market with surprise.

The sensation was somewhat hazy, like some kind of cry.

The meaning is confused and unclear, and it is fragmented.

Chen Shunan walked into the fish market with a normal expression.

The fish market was bustling with activity, and you could find all kinds of fish—any kind you could name, if you couldn't afford it.

Those without shops would squat by the roadside with a few fish traps and large sacks, selling dried miscellaneous fish, dried shrimp, and fresh catches.

Occasionally, one or two "treasure fish" might be caught, but they would be sold at a higher price.

Those who owned shops naturally had large ponds where ordinary fish and precious fish were kept separately and kept fresh with ice.

They even hired highly skilled martial artists to continuously exert subtle force to shake the pond water and inject air, ensuring the freshness of the fish catch.

As Chen Shunan entered the fish market, his mind exploded with a buzzing sound, and countless voices, some loud and some indistinct, came at once, making his face turn pale.

After getting used to it a little, he realized that the source of these sounds seemed to be...

At intersections and shops, what about the fish, shrimp, turtles, and crabs in those fish traps and ponds?
Chen Shunan understood the meaning of these voices almost innately—

"grandfather!"

“Grandpa!”

"Grandpa, save me!"

"Which great deity is passing by? Please lend a helping hand, and I will be eternally grateful, erecting a monument and building a shrine to honor you!"

The sounds rose and fell in waves.

Chen Shunan's face turned green upon hearing this.

He doesn't even have a son or daughter yet, so how did so many fish eggs and offspring suddenly appear?

The next moment, Chen Shunan immediately realized what was happening.

This is……

The grass-headed god, possessing a divine affinity with the spirits of the water?!

Chen Shunan was overjoyed.

He came to the fish market a few days ago, but there was nothing unusual about him.

It must be because the incense offerings last night were used to bestow the talisman, which accelerated the progress of the talisman-making process.

So Chen Shun pretended to be a customer selling fish, picking and choosing along the way, asking prices from left to right, and roughly figuring out the efficacy and scope of this divine power.

Only fish and shrimp that have developed some intelligence and are no longer ignorant and shrouded in dust have the ability to communicate and make 'sounds'.

The stronger the intelligence, the more precious the fish; the more flexible its communication, the clearer its logic.

such as……

At this moment, Chen Shunan stood in the "Wanji River Goods Store", with a pool of water built of bluestone in front of him.

With a gurgling sound of bubbles, a strange fish, about the length of a finger, floated to the surface.

This fish is only as thick as a chopstick, and its entire body is pure white like silver, with its bones and blood vessels clearly visible.

The Jade Tree Silver Fish is a medium-grade treasure fish, which is of great benefit to the cultivation of second-rate martial artists. One fish can save ten years of hard training and help them break through bottlenecks and obstacles.

Although it is only worth sixty taels of silver, it is in high demand and short supply, and it is always snapped up every time it appears.

The silver fish sensed Chen Shunan's presence underwater. It hurriedly flapped its tail, its body leaping excitedly, and a hint of human-like surprise appeared in its two needle-like eyes.

"Any geniuses passing by?"

Silverfish's gaze swept over everyone in the shop.

Finally, his gaze settled on the old man in front of him, who had an ordinary aura and a strange smile on his face.

The silver fish suddenly raised its eyes, glared at Chen Shunan, and then plunged into the water and disappeared.

"Where did this charlatan come from? An old man nearing his grave trying to impersonate a water official? Get lost!"

Chen Shunan was stunned.

Am I being discriminated against because of my age by a fish?
Moreover, isn't this silver fish a bit too clever?
(End of this chapter)