The slap was neither too heavy nor too light, but just enough to startle the leisurely goldfish into turning and darting away.
He Lingchuan dipped his net into the water right at that moment, slicing in beside the fish and giving it a gentle scoop.
The calico goldfish was flicked out of the water in an instant. He Lingchuan held out the jar to catch it—it went right in!
Of course, the paper net tore as well.
Even so, trading one net for a lively, beautiful goldfish was well worth it.
Sun Fuling clapped softly. "Well done!"
That move had been too swift for onlookers to track, but she had seen it clearly. For one thing, the net was far too flimsy to withstand the momentum of a thrashing fish swimming head-on, so it couldn't be placed directly in the fish's flight path.
In that fleeting instant, He Lingchuan had accurately anticipated the fish's heading, scooping lightly from the flank to disperse the force.
The fish had been bounced up, not truly scooped out.
Catching the fish was a trivial matter; his eyesight and precise anticipation were the real point.
The vendor was somewhat surprised as well. "Impressive!"
Seeing He Lingchuan pick up his last net, he chimed in with a reminder, "No more slapping the vat to scare them, though! My fish can't take that kind of fright."
"Fair enough." He Lingchuan had already gotten the hang of it. Turning to Sun Fuling, he asked, "Which one do you want now?"
"I want that lionhead telescope!" Sun Fuling pointed it out for him. "The pure black one."
"All right." What peculiar taste. The fish was pitch-black, its head was swollen, and its eyes bulged. What was so good-looking about it?
He Lingchuan casually grabbed two grains of cooked rice from the vendor and tossed them into the jar. Once the fish surfaced, he lowered his net again.
This time he entered edge-on, the wooden hoop slicing vertically into the water to spare the paper net any drag.
With a twist and flick of his wrist, the lionhead telescope Sun Fuling wanted was popped into the air.
Airborne alongside it was another white fish that had rushed in to grab the food.
A buy-one-get-one-free, so to speak.
The children standing nearby stared wide-eyed. How could someone's hands be so nimble?
Having hit his stride, He Lingchuan paid another five wen. Wherever Sun Fuling pointed, he scooped, never missing once.
Watching his movements, Sun Fuling clapped with a beaming smile.
In mere dozens of breaths, the water jar held nine trophies, each differing in color and form.
Pedestrians were plentiful at the market entrance, and seeing the spectacle, many stopped to watch. The vendor was sharp; seeing the growing crowd, he began drumming up business, shouting, "Look, look at that! A customer who can actually catch them! Now tell me, is it my nets that are the problem?"
A little girl looked up expectantly, blinking wide, watery eyes as she pleaded with He Lingchuan, "Big Brother, can you help me catch one? Please?"
The vendor pulled a long face. "No, no! No scooping for others!"
This kid had taken nine goldfish for just ten wen, handpicking the best-looking ones. He had already taken a massive loss!
He Lingchuan asked his companion, "Is that enough?"
Sun Fuling smiled warmly at the jar. "Enough for now. We can come back in a few days."
The vendor let out a huge breath of relief. "Care for some fish feed? I have special feed here. Makes the fish vibrant and lively, much better than rice grains! Toss rice in and the water fouls right up!"
His fish truly were more vibrant than those at other stalls, so He Lingchuan saw no harm in it. "Give me a packet."
The vendor stood up, turning around to fetch an oilpaper packet for him.
Only then did He Lingchuan notice the man had a limp, hobbling as he walked. It must have been an ordeal carrying buckets of water all the way to the market.
The little girl who had just failed to get He Lingchuan to scoop for her pointed at the vendor's ankle and asked, "What happened to your leg?"
The vendor's face darkened instantly. "None of your business! Broken by bastards!"
The little girl shrank back, not daring to utter another word. Her mother glared and snapped, "You wicked cripple, scaring my daughter like that!"
"I broke my leg at Rongshan, so what?" The vendor stowed away the copper coins He Lingchuan handed him, then slapped the lid of his fish vat with a sharp smack. "If I hadn't mangled my leg fighting those Xiji dog-bastards, I'd be living the high life right now! Would I need to be here squabbling with a fat sow like you at a market?"
The moment he spoke those words, the woman's bluster seemed to deflate by three notches. Muttering a couple more curses, she dragged her daughter away.
He Lingchuan and Sun Fuling slipped away as soon as the money was paid, distancing themselves from the street brawl.
Still, He Lingchuan had caught a few words of the argument. "Is Rongshan a famous place? It doesn't seem to be on the Panlong Wasteland, does it?"
Sun Fuling's smile faded slightly. "It's within the borders of the Xiji Kingdom."
"The country to the east of the Panlong Wasteland?" The Panlong Wasteland was an enclave. He remembered that further east lay several small nations, Xiji among them, before one reached the borders of the Xiluo Kingdom proper.
"Xiji was originally Xiluo territory as well. Over a decade ago, the Huyan clan took advantage of unrest in their motherland to carve out their own domain and proclaim themselves kings." She shook her head. "All those small countries came into being that way.
"The natives of Xiji were xenophobic to begin with. After the state was founded, many residents from central Xiluo and the Panlong Wasteland were trapped in Xiji, unable to leave, and were exploited and harassed by the locals." Sun Fuling sighed. "Four years ago, during the Rongshan riots, Xiji mobs stormed the fortified settlements our people had built, looting, burning, slaughtering, and violating women and children. Over two thousand were killed or wounded. When word reached Panlong City, everyone was furious—especially since Rongshan isn't far from the Panlong Wasteland, and many victims were relatives or friends of our city's folk."
"To act so brazenly, they must be preying on the weakness of their former motherland." No wonder the fat woman had quieted down once it was brought up; the matter was a thorn in everyone's side.
"Panlong City negotiated multiple times, hoping to bring back some of the wasteland residents, but Xiji flatly refused.
"Xiji frequently stirs up trouble on the border. Trading on the fact that it sits on our vital trade route to the southeast, it unreasonably intimidates and extorts our merchants."
Sun Fuling glanced sideways at his expression. "Were you going to ask why Panlong City hasn't taught Xiji a lesson?"
He Lingchuan made no attempt to hide it. "Mm-hmm, the thought crossed my mind. But on second thought, could someone be backing them?" Without a patron, would a small nation bordering the Panlong Wasteland dare to leap so high and cause such a fuss?
"Calls to punish Xiji have grown louder over the years, but Panlong City has its own difficulties," Sun Fuling said slowly. "Xiji has always been on good terms with Baling, and a few years ago they welcomed envoys from the northern demon kingdom, receiving handsome rewards that made them lose their heads. Yet whenever they harass our border, they choose times when we're clashing with Baling or Xianyou and can't spare the attention. And the border incidents they stir up are neither too big nor too small—never quite crossing the line like the Rongshan riots."
After all, Rongshan was inside Xiji territory, where they could do as they pleased. On the Panlong Wasteland, it was a different matter entirely.
"So they're like a toad landing on your boot?"
Sun Fuling paused. Imagining the sight, she couldn't help shuddering.
"Exactly!"
He Lingchuan caught the deeper implication behind her words as well:
In truth, Panlong City was having a hard time of its own. Over the past decade and more, all of Zhong Shengguang's focus had been poured into holding the Panlong Wasteland. And during the inland relocation four years ago, the Xiluo Kingdom had recalled forty thousand of Panlong City's elite troops back to the interior, severely diminishing Panlong City's strength.
For the past four years, Panlong City had been racing to recuperate and rebuild; they genuinely lacked the bandwidth to meddle in other affairs.
To uphold justice, one first needed fists hard enough to back it up.
Lurking peril remained the ever-present undertone of this land.
"One of these days," He Lingchuan shrugged.
Sun Fuling nodded. "Acting without awe or respect like this, Xiji will meet a terrible end one of these days."
Setting the topic aside, they bought some hot food and hired a donkey cart to head home.
He Lingchuan intended to carry the fish jar over to Sun Fuling's house, but she insisted on pouring the fish into his water vat:
"Your vat is sitting empty anyway. Raising fish is better than breeding mosquitoes."
The ceramic vat in his courtyard took up a lot of space and usually only caught rainwater—quite a waste.
"I'm often away on missions. I'm afraid I'll starve them." In truth, he had noticed that his entries and exits from the dream were erratic; sometimes days passed in between.
Sun Fuling smiled softly. "What's there to worry about? You have me."
Her? He Lingchuan thought to himself that her whereabouts were even more elusive than his own. With meals sporadic at best, these fish would probably be belly-up in no time.
Still, watching her lean eagerly over the vat feeding the goldfish, how could He Lingchuan bring himself to spoil her mood?
At worst, he would just go back to the market in a few days and get her a fresh batch.
The next morning, He Lingchuan took a stroll around Fufeng City first.
The inn chosen by Second Master Shi sat close to the goods market, bustling with life right outside the front door. Having arrived in Fufeng City in the dead of night, only this morning did He Lingchuan witness the prosperity of a major Beijia city.
The streets of the main district could actually be described as spotless, swept twice a day by dedicated demons. Every thoroughfare and alley alike was paved with stone slabs, the only difference being that main streets and avenues used large bluestone slabs while minor streets and alleys used stone pavers or black flagstones. Despite the relentless daily carriage traffic, the roads remained remarkably smooth—a clear sign of diligent maintenance.
Of course, the slums and run-down alleys were an entirely different story. Every city had its seedy underbelly, and Fufeng City made no effort to conceal it.
Having frequently watched his father manage administrative affairs—with He Chunhua and He Yue often discussing governance at home—He Lingchuan knew that streets and paving reflected a city's governance and fiscal health.
Fufeng City was evidently not short on coin.
Naturally, this might also be related to the upcoming birthday of the Jeweled Tree King, requiring the entire city to spruce up its appearance and present a fresh face.
Following the Shimen caravan's wagons outward, he saw thriving markets everywhere, stocked with goods from north and south. Some cities segregated commercial and residential zones, but Fufeng City had no such restrictions; shops in the front with living quarters behind or above were ubiquitous. He Lingchuan frequently caught sight of entire families sitting inside their shops, selling wares when customers arrived and digging into their meals once they left.
Unlike other places, Fufeng City was filled with trees. Ancient specimens two or three centuries old grew casually by the roadside, their trunks so thick they would require two or three people to encircle them.
Blossoms of every variety peeked shyly over walls, bursting into blooms of red, yellow, white, and purple.
May breezes swept through, carrying the scent of green foliage and fragrant blossoms.
A city so clean and beautiful was truly a first for He Lingchuan; even Shihuan fell far short of it.
Strolling along the tree-shaded paths brought an indescribable sense of ease.
Seven or eight artificial lakes were scattered across the city's four quarters, linked by inner waterways and ultimately connecting to rivers outside the walls. Yet He Lingchuan rarely saw any small ditches or surface gutters, which made him curious about how the common folk accessed water.
After all, a city of this expanse couldn't function without a proper water supply and drainage system.
Only after asking did he learn that most of Fufeng City's canals were covered culverts, their lids sealed tightly together to eliminate the hassle of debris and pollutants falling into open channels.
Chapter 373