SWNOVELXO Chapter 134: The White Dragon Carp; A Fish Within a Fish
Chapter 134: The White Dragon Carp; A Fish Within a Fish
“Young Master Xu, didn’t I tell you? This room is filthy—no one could stay here…”
Little Yu’s voice drifted over like a flickering candle in the dark, or the shadowy specters hiding beneath its glow.
You Su stood frozen in place, a chill creeping up his legs like icy lake water. Slowly, he turned his head, his eyes reverting to their ordinary black-and-white clarity.
Over the past few days, while drifting through the sea of clouds aboard the green boat, he had felt the Lotus Immortal Seed stirring faintly, subtly sharpening his senses. Now, he could shift his eyes’ perception at will, glimpsing a faint black-and-white clarity.
“You’re right, Little Yu. It is filthy—utterly uninhabitable.”
Holding the oil lamp aloft, You Su turned away. In the pitch-black darkness of his vision, he couldn’t see the girl’s face.
Little Yu blinked and stepped aside. “Young Master Xu should come up first.”
You Su obliged, climbing back into the cabin. But the cellar door remained open, its damp, fishy breeze wafting up like the wails of restless spirits brushing against him.
He steadied his nerves. He had witnessed far more horrifying scenes—this was nothing that could shatter his composure.
“Little Yu, why aren’t you asleep yet?”
“Do you feel I’ve disturbed you, Young Master Xu?”
Covering her mouth with a light laugh, half her face was bathed in the lamp’s amber glow, the other half shrouded in darkness, making her expression impossible to discern.
“Trespassing into someone else’s room uninvited was my mistake. How could I call you a disturbance? Since it’s uninhabitable, I’ll return to the bow.”
You Su closed the cellar door, sealing the dining table tightly back into place. Setting the lamp down, he prepared to leave.
Little Yu watched his retreating figure with an inscrutable gaze before suddenly speaking:
“Young Master Xu… is that opportunity in the Jade Ring Pool truly so important to you?”
You Su paused but didn’t turn around. After a moment’s hesitation, he replied:
“Yes.”
“But you must understand, Young Master Xu—goods displayed on a merchant’s counter aren’t ‘opportunities.’ The flower hidden on a cliff’s edge is the real opportunity. And once you climb that cliff, turning back won’t be so simple.”
You Su’s hand tightened around Black Pine Sword’s hilt. Sword grips were often rough to prevent slipping, and after countless draws, he knew every ridge and groove by heart. Only with the sword in hand did he feel the courage to scale that cliff.
“I understand what you mean, Little Yu. But I have no choice—I must obtain this opportunity.”
His voice was firm. Then, abruptly, he turned to face the girl who had given him repeated hints and asked:
“Little Yu, you came here seeking an opportunity too, didn’t you?”
“Young Master Xu is perceptive.”
“Then you must also have a reason you can’t turn back.” You Su smiled faintly. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have pretended to be someone else’s granddaughter.”
“Why couldn’t there be two granddaughters from the same family?”
“You may not know this, Little Yu, but my hearing is exceptional. I can even hear a cat stepping on a windowsill at night. Yet, I didn’t hear your door open or your footsteps. That means you used a spell to mask the sound. So, unlike Little Yu, you’re a cultivator—just one concealing your cultivation.”
Little Yu glanced at him, her eyes flickering with faint disdain. Reluctantly, she admitted:
“Young Master Xu is correct.”
“Only those with ties to the Jade Ring Pool may enter. I suspect… you’re impersonating ‘Little Yu’ to obtain Old Yu’s connection to the pool, perhaps to claim an opportunity he’s unknowingly guarded for years.”
“If you’ve figured it out, there’s no need to show off by saying it aloud.”
Finally shedding her earlier guise as a hospitable fishergirl, Little Yu’s voice turned cold and haughty, as if this were her true tone.
“Enough talk. I’ve warned you. If you still insist on entering the Jade Ring Pool, do as you please.” She turned to leave.
But You Su called after her, hesitating:
“Little Yu… what happened to her? Why did she become… like that?”
“Old Yu never told me. He only sells fish for immortal treasures to save up enough for the Jade Ring Pool’s immortals to heal his granddaughter.”
She waved a hand impatiently.
“No more questions. I’m going to rest.”
The door closed softly—still without a sound. You Su had never seen her chant an incantation, yet an invisible sound barrier seemed to follow her everywhere.
Had their entire conversation been inaudible to outsiders? You Su’s heart chilled. Her control over spellcraft was terrifyingly precise.
Gripping his sword hilt tighter, he stood at the bow, letting the lake breeze brush past him. The water was calm, but his mind was anything but.
This trip to the Jade Ring Pool might be far more complicated than he’d imagined.
Yet he couldn’t stand by and watch his master’s wife remain trapped in the Lotus Birth Pool because of him. From the moment he set out, there had been no turning back.
Dawn’s first light had barely faded when the sun peeked over the horizon, its golden rays scattering the autumn morning mist in a dazzling display too bright to behold directly.
A cool mountain wind swept through, parting the clouds to reveal peaks, valleys, and the serene lake below—a scene like an immortal painter’s masterpiece.
You Su set down his bowl, the steaming fish congee already devoured.
Little Yu sat nearby, daintily wiping her lips with a handkerchief of luxurious Liuyun brocade—utterly incongruous for a fishergirl, though You Su couldn’t see it.
Old Yu merely glanced at the out-of-place fabric but paid it no mind. Standing, he said:
“Time to set off.”
“Many thanks, old gentleman.”
Old Yu nodded, stuffing coarse tobacco into his pipe. Then, as an afterthought:
“You haven’t paid your fare yet.”
A hundred spirit stones were no small sum. Retrieving them all would reveal his possession of a storage artifact.
Spirit stones, despite their name, were uniform in size and shape—more like currency than natural formations. Not every rock imbued with spiritual energy qualified; their size and potency had to be verified by the Divine Mountain’s authorities, polished, and minted before circulation.
Old Yu’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he watched You Su pile the stones onto the table, muttering:
“Enough… this should finally be enough!”
You Su held back his questions. If Old Yu hadn’t even told “Little Yu” the truth about his granddaughter, he certainly wouldn’t explain it to him.
One by one, Old Yu slid the stones into a specially crafted black pouch, their glow vanishing beneath the fabric. He had several such pouches—all savings from years of selling fish.
Little Yu had been silent since morning, a far cry from yesterday’s vivacity. You Su guessed her act was no longer necessary—her mission complete.
Then, with visible reluctance, Old Yu handed her something. You Su sensed its extraordinary aura but couldn’t discern its nature. Nor could he hear their brief exchange—Little Yu’s sound barrier was still active, leaving him only the movement of their lips.
Soon, Old Yu hauled up the anchor, and the boat glided forward, ripples spreading across the mirror-like lake.
As they neared the center, the density of spiritual energy in the air grew palpable. You Su marveled inwardly—no wonder the Jade Ring Pool was one of the Eleven Spirit-Born Blessed Lands. Growing up here, even a mortal would surely touch the path of immortality.
The breeze was gentle, the boat slow. You Su couldn’t see their progress, only feel the passage of time.
Assuming Old Yu’s age was to blame, he once offered to row, only to be gruffly refused.
The old man was far stronger than he looked, his rolled-up sleeves revealing corded muscles. The leisurely pace wasn’t from weakness—to these fishermen, the journey to the Jade Ring Pool was a pilgrimage. Haste would be sacrilege.
When the air grew thick with moisture, You Su knew they’d entered the mist-shrouded heart of the lake.
Then, abruptly, the dampness vanished. Warm sunlight bathed his face, and a fresher wind carried the scent of an entirely new expanse.
Old Yu had stopped rowing, yet the boat pressed onward. An underwater current seemed to guide them forward of its own accord.
Humming an old fishing ballad—childish at first glance, yet rich with life upon closer listening—Old Yu puffed contentedly at his pipe.
His mood was clearly buoyant, likely thinking his granddaughter’s salvation was assured after fleecing this rich young master.
But just as the song reached its crescendo, the boat lurched violently. Old Yu staggered, nearly toppling over before You Su caught him.
Little Yu rushed over in alarm, exchanging a bewildered glance with You Su. Neither had been to the lake’s center before—they had no idea what was happening.
There was no time to ask. A series of heavy thuds rocked the boat, tilting it dangerously as lake water sloshed over the sides. All three clung to the rails for dear life.
“Old Yu, what’s going on?!”
You Su gripped the old man with one hand and the boat with the other. Something beneath the surface was ramming them!
Old Yu’s weathered face tensed—then lit up with excitement as he peered over the edge.
“It’s a White Dragon Carp! We’ve hit the jackpot!”
Shaking off You Su’s support, he surged to the cabin with a fisherman’s seasoned agility, emerging with a bloodstained harpoon. In that instant, his entire demeanor transformed.
Like a retired general reclaiming his sword, age no longer mattered—he was a force to be reckoned with.
Before You Su could react, Old Yu stripped off his shirt and dove into the lake, harpoon in hand.
You Su hesitated. Blind since birth, he loathed deep water. Adding suffocation to darkness was a nightmare.
The boat steadied, but the underwater battle raged on. Spray erupted as a massive white carp and the half-naked old man danced a deadly waltz.
Old Yu’s decades of fishing served him well. Seizing an opening, he straddled the carp and drove his harpoon deep into its spine.
Enraged, the White Dragon Carp plunged into the depths, dragging Old Yu with it!
Little Yu gasped. “Blood!”
You Su’s heart lurched. With a metallic shing, Black Pine Sword left its sheath. He couldn’t let their ferryman die here.
He planted a foot on the railing—just as the water below churned violently. Something was surging upward!
The lake’s surface split apart. Amid a geyser of white foam, the colossal carp erupted into the air, its seven-foot body glistening under the sun, scales flashing like mirrors.
Still clinging to his harpoon, Old Yu roared hoarsely:
“Xu boy! Strike!”
You Su’s eyes narrowed. His spiritual sense locked onto the suspended duo. Channeling all his strength into his legs, he leapt skyward, Black Pine Sword raised high.
The inky blade met snowy scales—
A crisp ring of steel.
Black and white clashed—
And erupted in crimson.
The strike was lightning incarnate.
Blood and water rained down like a storm, yet not a drop touched You Su or Little Yu. An invisible barrier hovered overhead, an umbrella woven from magic.
You Su glanced back, nodding his thanks.
As the spray settled, Old Yu hauled the massive carcass toward the boat’s ladder. You Su reached down, pulling him aboard.
Dripping wet but exhilarated, Old Yu clapped You Su’s shoulder.
“Fine swordsmanship, lad! That was perfect! Now help me with the fish!”
You Su smiled and bent to help drag the colossal carp onto the deck.
Though dead, the White Dragon Carp’s body still twitched, its glassy eyes staring blankly as thick blood pooled from its split skull.
You Su’s strike hadn’t just been precise—it had been merciless.
Black Pine Sword could cleave iron, and infused with You Su’s spiritual energy, it had pierced the carp’s brain in one blow.
Exhausted, Old Yu collapsed against the railing, gasping. The boat drifted onward, peaceful once more.
After catching his breath, he dressed and crowed:
“The White Dragon Carp is a rarity! I haven’t seen one in thirty years!”
You Su was equally awed. A freshwater fish this size was unheard of. His spiritual sense confirmed its astonishing energy density—practically a swimming spirit stone.
“Thirty years? How is that possible?” Little Yu circled the carcass, skeptical.
“This isn’t just any fish—it’s from the Jade Ring Pool. It must’ve slipped out through an underground current.”
Old Yu ran a reverent hand along the pearlescent scales, as if caressing a priceless treasure.
“This is the biggest I’ve ever seen! When I was a boy, my father caught one half this size, and immortals fought over it! This one? I’d wager it’s worth double a hundred spirit stones!”
“But… if it’s from the Jade Ring Pool, won’t the immortals be angry you killed it?”
Given the pool’s rumored reclusiveness, they surely wouldn’t take kindly to outsiders poaching their spiritual fauna.
“The Jade Ring Pool belongs to immortals; this lake belongs to mortals. Once this fish entered our waters, it became a predator that could devour every other fish here. Tell me—should I have killed it? Could I have killed it?”
You Su had felt the carp’s strength. In the outer lake, it would’ve been an unstoppable menace. But one question remained:
“Why did it attack the boat?”
Old Yu fetched a gleaming fillet knife, pinning the still-twitching fish.
“Maybe it saw us as invaders! Young Master Xu, you’ve done me a great service. I’ll share half the belly meat with you! Little Yu, come try some too!”
He clearly cared little for further questions, eager to butcher the prize before the Jade Ring Pool’s immortals noticed.
“Now?!” You Su blurted.
“The White Dragon Carp’s belly is legendary. Its flesh is snow-white—best eaten raw, sliced paper-thin. One taste, and you’ll know what a true spirit fish is!”
Old Yu’s excitement was understandable. To a poor fisherman, this carp was a windfall from the heavens.
Finding his mark, he drove the knife into the belly. Blood welled around the blade.
With a practiced motion, he split the carcass open. The stench of organs made Little Yu wrinkle her nose—but You Su, who shouldn’t have been able to see them, frowned just as deeply.
Just like that moment with the Lantern Ghost, his spiritual sense pierced through the haze: Amid the crimson innards… was another Little Fish.