https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-181-Severe-Injury-and-Intelligence/13688355/
Chapter 180: Strange Fish Swarm, the Hidden Intruder
"Could it really be a Red Moon Carp?"
Lu Qing stared at the dazzling red silhouette on his fishing hook, stunned.
It was the very first type of Strange Fish he’d ever caught—Red Moon Carp.
And this one was far larger than the first he’d ever reeled in, easily weighing three or four catties.
No wonder he’d felt the pull from this Strange Fish was far stronger than any before. It had to be a massive specimen.
"Ow-ow-ow!"
Xiao Li, perched on the bank, was ecstatic.
Pacing back and forth, its tail swaying excitedly, it looked ready to leap into the air.
If it weren’t so thoroughly disgusted by water, Lu Qing suspected the little beast would’ve already pounced.
"Easy, easy—just wait. I’ll get it off right now."
Lu Qing soothed Xiao Li, then carefully removed the fish and tossed it over.
Swish!
Before the fish even hit the ground, Xiao Li snatched it mid-air and dashed to a patch of grass, devouring it with ravenous joy.
Its ears twitched with every bite, clearly savoring every morsel.
Watching the little creature feast so happily, Lu Qing shook his head with a faint smile.
Then he rehooked his line and cast again.
He, too, had been tempted to taste the Red Moon Carp.
After all, it was one of the Ten Delicacies of the World.
He still remembered the unforgettable flavor of Golden Loach—the other delicacy he’d once devoured.
But Lu Qing knew better than to try stealing food from Xiao Li.
If he did, the little beast would glare at him with those pitifully large, pleading eyes for an entire day.
So he stayed quiet, continuing to fish, hoping for another catch.
Perhaps fate heard his unspoken wish.
Before Xiao Li had even finished half the fish, the line tugged again beneath the surface.
"Could it really be that after half a month away, Strange Fish are suddenly swarming back?"
Lu Qing’s heart leapt at the familiar pull.
Only Strange Fish could generate such power.
And more importantly, the way it pulled… it felt familiar.
After a tense struggle, the fish broke the surface.
Lu Qing’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Another Red Moon Carp? Could it be that a whole school has gathered down below?"
Staring at the slightly smaller Red Moon Carp now dangling from his hook, Lu Qing couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities.
He quickly unhooked it and dropped it into the bucket, then re-baited with two Blood Apricot lures before casting again.
A quarter of an hour passed.
The float sank once more.
"Really? A whole school of Red Moon Carp?"
Lu Qing’s excitement flared—but so did a flicker of unease.
Even after two weeks of absence, it was impossible for so many Strange Fish to appear all at once.
There had to be a reason.
He decided he’d need to look into this properly—when time allowed.
But despite the suspicion stirring in his mind, he couldn’t pass up such a rare chance.
He kept fishing.
Two more Red Moon Carp were pulled from the water before the float finally went still.
Whether the school had been exhausted… or the rest had fled in fear after being repeatedly caught…
he didn’t know.
But Lu Qing was more than satisfied.
This single outing had netted him five Red Moon Carp.
After Xiao Li had eaten one, four remained—enough for him, Xiao Yan, and Master to enjoy a rare feast.
"Xiao Li, you’ve already had the biggest one—enough to fill you up. The rest? Only two more, and only at night."
Seeing the little beast’s greedy eyes, Lu Qing quickly warned.
Xiao Li looked disappointed at first.
But then it patted its belly, realizing it was full.
Leaving the rest for tonight… wasn’t such a bad idea.
After all, it could eat two at once.
The thought brightened its mood instantly.
With a joyful tail flicking, the pair began their walk home.
As for Xiao Yan—she’d been studying hard lately, mastering more characters each day.
Now she spent every morning at Half Mountain Small Courtyard, receiving lessons from Old Doctor.
So if Lu Qing went fishing in the morning, she couldn’t come along.
Perched on Lu Qing’s shoulder, Xiao Li swayed lazily, utterly content.
But as they reached the village gate, the little beast suddenly twitched its ears.
It reached up and tugged sharply at Lu Qing’s hair.
"What’s wrong, Xiao Li?"
Lu Qing asked, calmly.
The little creature gestured with its paw.
Lu Qing’s expression didn’t change—but his heart skipped a beat.
"Nothing. Let’s head home first."
He subtly quickened his pace.
Once inside, he set down his gear and turned to face Xiao Li.
"Xiao Li… you sensed an unfamiliar presence lurking nearby? Not one of our villagers. And the aura… it’s strong?"
Xiao Li nodded firmly.
Lu Qing’s face darkened.
Ever since discovering Xiao Li’s unique sensory ability, he’d trained it to memorize the auras of every villager.
Now, if a stranger approached, Xiao Li would sense it instantly.
And now, a high-level martial artist—possibly a killer—was hiding nearby.
That was no coincidence.
His first thought?
The Qi Sha Lou assassins.
Honestly, ever since learning Qi Sha Lou had issued a Qi Sha Ling targeting him, Lu Qing had been seething.
Being publicly declared a target—worse, being told to feel honored—was an insult that had pushed his hatred to its peak.
"If it is them… then I won’t hold back."
A cold glint flashed across Lu Qing’s face.
"Xiao Li, come. Let’s go meet this little pest."
Following Xiao Li’s instinct, the intruder was hiding on a small hill to the north of the village, watching the flow of life in Jiu Li Village.
Lu Qing moved as instructed, slipping out the back of the house, through the Back Mountain Bamboo Grove, and circling around to avoid detection.
Only then did he dart toward the hill.
With his Spirit Soul Power and the nascent framework of Shen Hun Fu Lu already formed, Lu Qing could conceal himself completely.
Even a Xian Tian Jing cultivator wouldn’t be able to pierce his disguise.
The Unique Treasure—Cloth-Clothed Youth—was equally useless against his stealth.
And Xiao Li?
With its natural invisibility talent, it vanished like mist in the wind.
The hidden man, confident in his concealment, remained utterly unaware.
He stayed perfectly still, crouched high in a tree, observing the village below.
He was certain no one could find him.
He’d once assassinated a regional prince, hiding beneath the man’s bed for a full day and night.
Even with a Wu Dao Zong Shi-level bodyguard, he’d remained undetected.
He’d struck when the moment came, killed the prince, and escaped—without a trace.
How could a boy like Lu Qing—mere Nei Fu Jing, seventeen years old, barely ranked on the Qian Long Bang—possibly sense him?
The Qian Long Bang listed him only because of his potential.
Not his strength.
And potential wasn’t power.
No matter how dazzling the future, a seventeen-year-old Nei Fu Jing was still just a prodigy—unfinished.
He couldn’t possibly possess a Wu Dao Zong Shi’s intuition.
So the man was certain.
He was invisible.
Then—suddenly—his ears caught a voice from below.
"Friend… will you come down yourself… or should I come up and pull you out?"
(End of Chapter)
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