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

Chapter 26 Golden Needle Li

At this moment, the shopkeeper noticed the commotion and quickly walked over, his face full of surprise.

"That's strange. This exotic silver fish hasn't shown up for ten days or half a month, but it has surfaced today."

Chen Shunan feigned confusion and asked, "Oh, there are also exotic silver fish?"

The shopkeeper explained, "Of course, even a mudfish that digs its burrow in a cesspool can sometimes wear a silk jacket and stand out on a windy day!"
The flying centipede that chases the wind and thunder, the black-armored catfish whose whiskers can trip boats and pull ropes, the seven-colored white deer that can detect treasures by sensing their aura...

These were originally ordinary beasts, but each had its own unique destiny, which transformed them into extraordinary beings, even rarer than the treasure beasts categorized into lower, middle, and upper grades!

Hearing this, Chen Shunan was also surprised and asked,
"Since these exotic silver fish are so rare, shopkeeper, you're not selling them but keeping them in the pond. Are you going to use them as a selling point?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper sighed and said,

"How could that be! It's not that we don't want to sell, it's that we can't get the opportunity!"

That beast has very sharp ears. As soon as it heard you were going to fish in the pond, it hid in the crevices of the rocks at the bottom! Besides, this pond has been passed down from my ancestors, and there are countless hidden channels and cracks at the bottom. It might even lead to the Grand Canal!
Ordinary silverfish are one thing, but these unusual silverfish come and go as they please, as if I'm some kind of inn!

The shopkeeper grew angrier the more he talked, and in a fit of anger, he complained a few more times.

Chen Shunan said, "Then why not take drastic measures and plug up all the cracks and hidden drains in the pool?"

The pool was bubbling and gurgling.

A cursing voice echoed in Chen Shunan's mind.

"You scoundrel, shut your mouth! Stop stirring up trouble here. If you've got the guts, come down into the water and fight me. I'll make you pay!"

Ha, still a grumpy silverfish.

Chen Shun pretended not to hear.

The shopkeeper smiled helplessly.

"There's no way around it. It's a rule passed down from our ancestors that the pools in fish market shops must not be built to be perfectly square, and they must not be plastered with a mixture of clay, sand, and lime."

There must be twists and turns, hidden places... It is said that Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, and one cannot extinguish all vitality; going too far is as bad as not going far enough..."

At this point, the shopkeeper changed his tone, bowed deeply, and smiled ingratiatingly.
"Sir, what kind of fish would you like to buy? I have a good liking for you, so I'll give you a 10% discount..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shunan raised an eyebrow.

After the shopkeeper's extensive introduction, even if Chen Shunan didn't want to buy fish, he felt embarrassed.

"Alright then, I'll choose..."

"Hey! Please, sir!"

While selecting live fish, Chen Shunan pondered.

Currently, the divinity of the grass-headed god, which is close to the spirits in the water, is still very weak.

Aside from vaguely sensing the consciousness of the larks in the water, Chen Shunan had no other abilities.

Even some 'introverted' and 'arrogant' aquatic larks can completely ignore Chen Shunan's authority if they don't actively reveal their intelligence or communicate through telepathy.

Even when Chen Shunan was right in front of them, they didn't notice at all.

It seems somewhat useless.

but……

A glint flashed in Chen Shunan's eyes, and an idea sprouted in his mind.

Chen Shunan discovered that some fish species that were not considered treasure fish, but were just ordinary crucian carp, grass carp, and catfish, also showed a vague sense of intelligence!

Although it cannot be called a 'different species', it has been tainted with some spirituality.

I imagine that such fish roe and offspring would taste even more delicious and sweet, and might even have some other uses?
Thinking of this, Chen Shunan felt a surge of joy.

Very well, very well. I used to be the one who got the 'loose' (meaning wasted money), but now it's finally Chen's turn to pick up the bargain!

……

After a while.

Chen Shunan left carrying six fish.

These are all common fish species, but because they are from a riverside store, they are larger, more delicious, and more expensive.

Among these six fish were two grass carp that kept calling Chen Shunan "Grandpa".

Chen Shunan was excited and stopped trying to buy fish at a bargain price. Instead, he decided to take it slow and visit the fish market regularly.

Chen Shunan was very satisfied and left with a full load.

At Wanji River Goods Store.

After watching Chen Shunan leave with a smile, the shopkeeper quietly walked away and happily took out a live earthworm bait from behind the counter. "Thank you very much, my esteemed ancestor. This is my reward, please accept it."

The shopkeeper spoke softly as he tossed the live earthworm bait into the pool.

Just as the other treasure fish were about to scramble for it, a silver light darted in, swallowed the earthworm whole, and then slapped its tail with lightning speed, delivering a resounding slap to each of the treasure fish vying for the earthworm.

That's when they disappeared.

The shopkeeper watched this scene with a smile, very satisfied, and felt that his income was quite substantial.

……

There is a row of low adobe houses along the riverbank, with walls made of straw and mud.

They don't avoid the heat in summer, and they don't keep warm in winter.

The only possessions of the residents of these adobe houses are perhaps their somewhat dilapidated sampans and covered boats.

bang bang bang...

There was a knock on the slightly ajar door.

"Which one?"

The voice is soft and weak.

After the door was opened, a young woman with some beauty was revealed. Her coarse linen clothes could not hide her tender, juicy flesh.

Upon seeing this woman, a hint of surprise flashed across Chen Shunan's eyes.

He recognized the woman.

That night the boat rocked, and the water rippled.

These were boat prostitutes who had been defiled by Qingpi Ma.

"Sir, who are you?"

Seeing Chen Shunan's finely crafted long gown, the young woman became noticeably wary.

After all, these days, clothes are a status symbol.

Poor people, even a whole family couldn't find a single decent piece of clothing.

It was often passed down from father to son, and from son to brother; a good piece of clothing was shared among everyone.

Therefore, those who can afford to wear this outfit are at least respectable people in Wuqing County, and they generally wouldn't be seen in shantytowns.

Chen Shunan said gently, "My name is Chen Shunan, and I have come here specifically to find you..."

"Oh, it's Old Chen. Wait a moment, I'll give you a few more instructions."

A refined voice slowly and deliberately rang out.

The young woman then opened the door and stepped aside.

Chen Shunan did not go inside; he stood at the door.

The room contained only a few tables and chairs, a bed made of planks and rags, and other fishing nets, fish baskets, and other fishing tools.

Lying on the bed was a dark-skinned, wiry fisherman. Despite the sweltering heat, he was shivering with cold, wrapped in whatever straw or rags he could find to keep warm.

A middle-aged, thin man dressed in an ivory-colored official robe with a purple gauze vest stood in front of the table, mixing a large bowl of ointment and a large bag of face powder.

Jinzhen Li spoke slowly.
"Your husband was submerged in water for an extended period, causing cold and dampness to seep into his body, damaging his heart and lungs. He should take these medicines first. Every day at noon, he should bask in the sun for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"It's nothing serious, and I don't want to use acupuncture anymore; it's too expensive. Give me ten coins."

Upon hearing this, the woman was overjoyed and wept, saying,

"Thank you so much, Dr. Li! Thank you so much, Dr. Li!"

Upon seeing this, Chen Shunan's lips twitched, and he looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

After Jinzhen Li emerged from the mud-brick house carrying the small nanmu box, Chen Shunan said in an annoyed tone,

"You, Golden Needle Li, you treated me three times over, costing me more than ten taels of silver, even though we both fell into the water and both suffered from cold and dampness entering our bodies!"

After hearing this, Jinzhen Li smiled slightly and said...

"Not much, not much. Treatment depends on one's means. If your illness were to fall on a prince or a high-ranking official, let me tell you, it would cost at least three or five hundred taels of silver, and you wouldn't get any better! But if this illness falls on a poor person, hehe, ten coins will definitely cure you!"

"This ill-fated couple, the man fishes with nets during the day and the woman sells herself as a prostitute at night, all to support their son who is studying martial arts at the Liangjiang Martial Arts Academy in the county!"

"Ten coins will suffice."

(End of this chapter)