The two seemed extremely secretive about the box's contents. After one of them set it down, he apparently had second thoughts. He went back and pushed the box deeper into the tall grass, farther from the shore.
"That should do it, right?"
"Relax, don't scare yourself. Once we get this job done, we won't have to suffer out here by the river. We can go back to the city for wine and women."
"True. But Brother Cao gave us another task to take care of while we're at it."
"Just a few small fry. It won't take much effort. We can deal with them before we head back."
Their voices faded into the distance. Only after they had completely disappeared down the riverbank did Su Yu dare to swim out.
"Sss... It's freezing!"
Su Yu scrambled ashore, shivering uncontrollably. His constitution was too poor. After soaking in the icy water for so long, he felt chilled to the bone.
'But at least it wasn't for nothing. My swimming skill increased!'
[Technique]: Swimming (Skilled 1/200)
Getting in the water this time of year was torture, but the results were immediate. If he had enough Qi and Blood to sustain him, the Skill Level would increase even faster.
'I have to save up and learn Martial Arts as soon as possible!'
After wringing out his soaking wet clothes, Su Yu hesitated for a moment before he found himself irresistibly drawn toward that patch of tall grass.
'What on earth did those two sneakily hide?'
He fumbled around in the grass for a moment until his fingers brushed against something cold: the pitch-black wooden box.
Su Yu took a deep breath, held it, and carefully lifted the lid just a crack.
Inside the box, a fist-sized black stone lay quietly, emitting a sinister, cold aura.
The stone was bizarre. Its surface was covered in a dense network of tiny holes, like a piece of honeycomb coal that had been eaten by insects. It had no luster, but staring at the holes for too long gave one the dizzying sensation that their very soul was being sucked inside.
'It's fine as long as it doesn't touch water...'
Su Yu recalled the two men's conversation, and a chill went down his spine. 'This thing feels malevolent. It's definitely trouble.'
He suppressed the urge to investigate further, quickly shutting the lid. He then restored the grass to how it was and erased any tracks he might have left.
The thought of taking the object or throwing it in the water to see what would happen never even crossed his mind.
Faced with something so unknown and dangerous, he was far too weak. Any further investigation would be courting death.
...
That afternoon, Su Yu returned once again, his nets full.
'By my estimate,' he thought, 'my total catch for the last three days is well over a hundred catties.'
'With these results, I'm set.'
He went home first to change into dry clothes, then leisurely made his way to the market.
It was the busiest time of day at the market, and a crowd was gathered in front of the Qian Family's fish collection point. Su Yu spotted Bai Shun immediately.
Despite the bleak autumn wind, the man was wearing only a sleeveless tunic. His bronze muscles were clearly defined, and beads of water still clung to his skin. He had obviously just gotten out of the water, yet he showed no sign of being cold.
'He's probably started training in Martial Arts,' Su Yu thought with a jolt. 'Bai Shun's Qi and Blood are already far beyond that of an ordinary person.'
After turning in his catch, Su Yu waited until dusk. The Qian Family Steward then cleared his throat and announced in a loud voice:
"The time has come! I will now announce the results!"
The crowd fell silent instantly.
"Fifth place, from Gudu Village, Zhou San, with ninety-seven catties!"
"Fourth place, from Gudu Village, Zhou Da, with ninety-eight catties!"
"Third place, from Qingxi Village, Su Yu, with one hundred and nineteen catties!"
"Second place, from Gaotan Village, Gao Xiaoshuang, with one hundred and thirty catties!"
"First place, from Bailu Village, Bai Shun, with two hundred catties!"
The crowd erupted as the list was announced.
"My god! Two hundred catties? Did that 'Black Loach' dredge the entire riverbed?"
"Is that Gao Xiaoshuang the girl from Gaotan Village? Look at those long legs, tsk tsk. You can tell she's a natural in the water!"
Some in the crowd began to stare at the winners with burning intensity. Not only were they skilled enough to stand out, but they were also joining the Qian Family Fishing Team. Their futures looked very comfortable indeed.
"Hey, Black Loach! How about my daughter for your wife?" a man with a mouth full of yellow teeth hollered.
"Get lost! Your daughter looks just like you. Why would he ever want her?"
"Dad, I like that Su Yu! He's so handsome."
"The Black Loach is more impressive. You should marry him."
"Alright, quiet down! The rest of you, disperse." The Qian Family Steward, face stern, waved the crowd away and summoned Su Yu and the other four forward.
"Tomorrow at 7:00 AM, bring this Token and report to the Qian Family compound at number one Jin Yu Street in the Outer City. We won't wait for latecomers!" After speaking, he gave each of the five a wooden Token and departed with his men.
Bai Shun, still as cold and arrogant as ever, took his Token and left without a single glance at the others.
The tall woman, Gao Xiaoshuang, approached Su Yu with a raised eyebrow and a hint of arrogance. Her eyes swept over his face. "From Qingxi Village? You're quite handsome. How long have you been a fisherman?"
"Since I was a child," Su Yu replied flatly, not wanting to get involved. "Apologies, I have matters to attend to at home. Farewell."
With that, he offered a quick salute and turned to leave.
Gao Xiaoshuang was left standing there, her expression freezing on her face. She clearly hadn't expected him to be so cold.
Anger flared within her. Usually, all those low-life fishermen would be fawning all over her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, until she finally spat in the direction Su Yu had gone. "Pah!"
Behind her, Zhou Da's gaze drifted over Gao Xiaoshuang's long, slender legs. He sidled up with a grin, but just as he was about to speak, she spat in disgust and stormed off.
In the end, only Zhou Da was left standing there.
"Haha, Big Brother. Talk about getting the cold shoulder," Zhou San mocked him with a smirk.
Zhou Da was short and fat, while Zhou San was tall and thin. Despite their appearances and the taunt, they were apparently brothers.
A hint of violence flashed deep in Zhou Da's eyes. He rubbed his face, forcing a simple-minded smile, and turned to Zhou San. "Is something funny?"
Seeing that look, Zhou San's laughter died in his throat as if he were a duck being strangled. He shrank back and didn't dare make another sound.
...
「The next morning.」
Su Yu paid the entrance fee of ten cents and stepped into Black Stone City.
The city had a strict social hierarchy.
The Inner City was where the rich and powerful gathered. It was heavily guarded, and ordinary people couldn't get in at all.
While people could come and go from the Outer City, they weren't permitted to reside there permanently.
To gain permanent residency, one needed a sponsor and had to purchase a house, a cost that amounted to at least a hundred taels of silver.
And that was just for one person. For an entire family to move in, the only way was to pass the Martial Examination and earn the title of Martial Scholar.
This was why Elder Su fully supported his grandson, Su Can, in his Martial Arts studies.
After crossing a bustling avenue, Su Yu arrived at a bluestone courtyard with carved beams, painted pillars, and elegantly upturned eaves.
After a guard verified his Token, Su Yu was led into a small Martial Arts Arena.
"Captain Qian, the new recruit is here to report."
The guard led Su Yu to stand before a man built like an iron tower.
The man was seven feet tall with bulging, knotted muscles, standing there like a human bear. He was Qian Wenhao, captain of C-Team of the Qian Family Fishing Team.
"Su Yu of Qingxi Village, reporting to the Captain," Su Yu said with a cupped-fist salute.
Qian Wenhao looked him up and down, then his massive, fan-like hand slammed down on Su Yu's shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze.
An immense force shot through him, and Su Yu felt as if his shoulder bone would shatter. But he gritted his teeth, his expression never changing, and his body remained perfectly still.
"Oh?" A flicker of surprise crossed Qian Wenhao's eyes. He laughed and released his grip. "Good kid! You look scrawny, but you've got a strong frame! I'm Qian Wenhao. From now on, you're one of my men!"
Before long, Bai Shun and the others arrived as well.
Qian Wenhao's smile vanished. His gaze swept over the five of them like a bolt of lightning as he said in a deep voice:
"From this day forward, you are all probationary members of the Qian Family Fishing Team's C-Team. Your Monthly Allowance will be one tael of silver, paid out after you return from the monthly fishing expedition. Do a good job, and there will be additional rewards."
"The Qian Family's expeditions usually depart at the beginning of each month. You are to report here then. We will inform you of any changes."
"In addition to your Monthly Allowance, I will now teach you a water-based Martial Art: the Bibo Fishbone Skill!"
Hearing this, all five of them felt their breath quicken.
"Watch closely! This Cultivation Technique imitates the creatures of the water!"
"First form: Swimming Fish Tail!"
With a low shout, Qian Wenhao's body suddenly became fluid and nimble. His spine moved like a dragon, power exploding from his waist and hips. It was as if he had transformed into a great fish, "swimming" through the air and stirring up gusts of wind.
"Second form, Parting the Waters..."
Su Yu and the others didn't dare to hesitate, quickly mimicking his movements.
At first, Su Yu found the movements awkward, his body as stiff and clumsy as if his joints were rusted. But as he continued, a sense of familiarity washed over him.
After completing one full set, the awkwardness remained, but it was much better than when he had started!
Just then, text flickered into view before his eyes:
[Martial Arts]: Bibo Fishbone Skill (entry-level 10/100)
[Note]: The Swimming technique has been absorbed by the Martial Art, Bibo Fishbone Skill. Gained 10 Skill Level points.