https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-51-Toad-Sovereign-s-Letter-River-Demon-Below-Seeking-Readers-/12984576/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-53-Feeding-Demons-and-Enslaving-Humans-Chongming-Appears-/12984578/
Chapter 52: The Mysterious Fishing Village (Seeking Readers)
Chapter 52: The Mysterious Fishing Village (Seeking Readers)
The catfish was enormous, nearly three meters in length. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and its body was adorned with bizarre patterns, making it appear exceptionally frightening.
On the riverbank, several children seemed to be frozen in fear, as if they had been scared witless.
Whoosh!
At this critical moment, a saber light suddenly appeared.
The catfish was instantly sliced in half, cleaved from the middle, and fell apart into two smooth pieces.
They then separated and dropped to the ground.
The catfish continued to twitch and convulse, its blood flowing like a river and pooling on the ground.
The crisis was averted.
The children, who had been frozen in shock, now came to their senses and burst into tears.
Meanwhile, Qin Zheng's gaze swept over the large fish on the ground, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Although the fish was of substantial size and looked eerie, it didn't seem particularly powerful.
Whether it was the fish's skin, flesh, or bones, they were all quite ordinary, not much tougher than regular fish.
He had initially exerted eighty percent of his strength with his first strike, and upon sensing something unusual, he immediately retracted his power.
With just a fraction of his strength, he had sliced the fish in half, dividing it into two pieces.
It seemed to be just a catfish with a larger-than-usual size.
However, this place was only fifty li away from Black Goose City.
How could there be such an enormous catfish here?
Strangely, there had never been any reports of fishermen in Black Goose City catching or hauling in a fish of this magnitude.
Qin Zheng was deep in thought.
The children's cries soon attracted the attention of the villagers from a nearby village.
"Who are you?!"
These villagers, armed with fishing spears, cautiously shouted upon seeing Qin Zheng.
When they spotted the massive fish carcasses lying on both sides, their faces paled in fear, and their expressions toward Qin Zheng turned hostile.
This perplexed Qin Zheng even more, but he remained patient and explained, "These children were playing by the riverbank, and they were almost eaten by this big fish just now."
"I happened to pass by and saved them."
However, his explanation did not alleviate the villagers' suspicions. They maintained their guard, each holding a fishing spear.
As for the crying children, they were quickly taken away by the adults who had arrived.
Their faces were filled with terror and anger.
Anger.
The villagers' behavior seemed increasingly bizarre to Qin Zheng.
Nevertheless, the world was vast, and strange occurrences could be found everywhere.
Since the villagers showed no gratitude and appeared to be angry with him, Qin Zheng didn't bother to say more. He sheathed his Ghost Head Saber and turned to leave.
But at that moment, the villagers shouted again, "You can't leave! You killed the fish of our Riverside Village, so you can't go!"
This statement instantly sparked anger within Qin Zheng.
His expression turned cold.
Qin Zheng turned to look at the villagers surrounding him with fishing spears, gradually closing in.
He gave a cold snort and said, "You truly don't know how to appreciate a favor!"
As he spoke, he gave his shoulder a shake, and the Ghost Head Saber fell back into his hand. A dense malevolent qi instantly emanated from the saber.
This Ghost Head Saber was passed down by Qin Zheng's ancestors and had beheaded countless heads! As Qin Zheng's aura surged, the saber's malevolent qi began to overflow.
"Get out of my way!"
Qin Zheng shouted, gripping the saber tightly and taking a step forward.
Under his oppressive aura, the villagers' faces turned ashen, and their bodies began to tremble slightly.
Yet, they still held their fishing spears firmly, facing Qin Zheng without giving an inch.
Strange!
Indeed strange!
Qin Zheng felt increasingly perplexed.
These villagers were not afraid of him; their expressions and actions all indicated that they had been startled by him just moments ago.
But even so, they dared not move.
Or perhaps, they didn't want him to leave!
Qin Zheng narrowed his eyes, and a chilling light seemed to emanate from his gaze.
"What are you doing?!"
"Stop it immediately!"
At that moment, a deep yet aged voice boomed.
A white-haired old man, supported by a young girl, hurriedly approached Qin Zheng.
Qin Zheng's keen senses noticed that as the voice sounded, the villagers holding fish spears and confronting him seemed to relax.
"What are you doing? Put down those fish spears!"
"You unmannered bumpkins, have you finished your chores? Get out of the way and scram back!"
The old man quickly reached Qin Zheng.
He first scolded the villagers surrounding Qin Zheng.
Then, he put on a smile filled with apology and said to Qin Zheng, "Young Hero, these country bumpkins don't understand manners. Please forgive them."
The old man's attitude was sincere.
The girl supporting him kept her head down, not daring to look at Qin Zheng.
"Since you're aware, I won't pursue this further."
Qin Zheng's eyes flickered slightly, and after glancing at the old man, his gaze rested on the Buddhist beads on his wrist for a moment.
Then, without further ado, he sheathed his Ghost Head Saber and turned to leave.
"Wait, Young Hero, please hold on for a moment."
The old man's voice continued, and he sincerely said, "Young Hero, you killed the big fish and saved the children of our village. It's only right to express our gratitude, otherwise, it would be impolite."
"How about this, the sky is about to darken, and the nearest city is still thirty miles away."
"Why don't you stay in our village for a while, and we'll treat you to a proper meal as a token of our gratitude and apology?"
"What do you think?"
The old man smiled warmly, appearing harmless and full of goodwill.
Qin Zheng looked up at the sky, then nodded and said, "That's fine too. Then, I'll trouble you, old sir."
The smile on the old man's face grew even more radiant.
"Come, come, Young Hero, please follow me."
The girl supported the old man as they walked towards the village.
"May I ask for your esteemed name, Young Hero?"
"Zhang Xiowen."
"Oh, I see. With such impressive martial arts skills at your young age, you must be a wandering hero in the Jianghu."
"Not exactly. I live in a small village in the mountains, twenty miles from Black Goose City."
"Hahaha, then it seems we're not too different from your village."
"I'm the village elder, and this is my granddaughter. Young Hero, rest assured, we'll treat you well tonight."
The old man chatted with Qin Zheng as they walked.
Soon, they arrived at a small village.
With the old man's arrangement, Qin Zheng was led to an empty room.
"Young Hero, please rest here for a while. I'll have someone prepare a meal, and we'll call you when it's ready."
The old man smiled warmly at Qin Zheng.
Qin Zheng nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Elder, that Buddhist bead on your wrist looks rather extraordinary. May I ask where you found it?"
The old man was taken aback, then looked at the bead on his wrist and laughed, "Oh, you mean this?"
"This was given to me by my grandson, who sought it from a temple eight hundred miles away. It's quite precious."
As he spoke, a hint of pride and satisfaction flashed across his face.
Qin Zheng smiled and nodded, then said, "I was an executioner for some time, and my karma suffered."
"So I have a fondness for such items. Elder, please don't mind it."
The old man waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind.
Then, supported by the girl, they slowly left.
Once their figures disappeared, Qin Zheng closed the door, and his expression turned somber.
"Master Chongming," he whispered in the darkness.
(End of Chapter)
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