Chapter 7: Killing Intent!

The next day.

The first light of dawn broke in the east.

Shen Xiuhan pushed open the door and stepped outside.

In the water crock at the corner of the yard, a thin sheet of ice had formed across the surface.

Shen Xiuhan grabbed a wooden stick, cracked the ice open, scooped a ladle of frigid water, and dumped it straight over his head.

The cold bit like needles, and every last trace of drowsiness was scoured away in an instant.

Inside, Shen Momo was still curled up under the blankets, sleeping soundly.

Madam Zheng, however, had risen long ago and was bustling in the kitchen preparing breakfast. The faint crackle of burning firewood drifted across the yard.

Shen Xiuhan exhaled a plume of white breath, turned, and went back inside.

He sat on the edge of the bed and focused his thoughts.

【Today's intelligence has been refreshed!】

"Intelligence," "Deduction," "Prophecy," "Soul Return"...

"Hm?"

Shen Xiuhan's brows furrowed.

Compared to yesterday, the system now displayed four additional golden options.

He tested each one, only to find that apart from "Intelligence," the other three dissolved like reflections in water the moment he touched them.

After a beat, the system returned a hazy response:

"Deduction" required accumulating fifteen days without using "Intelligence" before it could be unlocked.

"Prophecy" required half a year.

"Soul Return"... required a full year.

Well then. What else was there to say?

"Open today's intelligence!"

SWISH!

The view before his eyes shifted abruptly.

Several pale gold markers materialized out of thin air.

【Intelligence ①: Ma Xianyang, third inner-court disciple of Tongbei Martial Hall, has been stuck at Blood Tempering for over two years and seeks to break through his bottleneck using a treasure fish!】

【Yesterday, upon seeing the several silver-striped fish you caught — including specimens with five and six stripes — he concluded that you must know where a silver-backed treasure fish is hiding!】

【His generous purchase and his arrangement for Chen An to escort you home were both calculated to lull you into a false sense of security. In truth, he has already enlisted the Golden Dragon Gang to post lookouts overnight at the inner-city gate, the fish market, and the fish exchange.】

【The moment you appear carrying a treasure fish, he intends to lure you to a secluded spot — to prevent the Bai clan from getting their hands on it — and kill you for the fish!】

BUZZ!

A thunderclap went off inside Shen Xiuhan's skull, and his pupils shrank to pinpricks!

Ma Xianyang...

Wants to kill me?!

That magnanimous front yesterday — it was all an act?

Shen Xiuhan sucked in a sharp breath. An icy chill shot up the length of his spine.

The intelligence made it plain: this man had been stuck at Blood Tempering for a long time and was counting on a treasure fish to force his breakthrough.

It stood to reason he'd have already researched every known treasure fish inside and out. Knowing the silver-back's habits and traits was hardly surprising.

And because I'm a Bai clan tenant...

The Bai family was the apex noble house of Changyun County, controlling industries across both the inner and outer city!

Alongside the county magistrate's office and the Zhendong Martial Hall, they formed the three great powers of Changyun County.

Tongbei Martial Hall might carry a fearsome reputation, but it would never dare butt heads with the Bai family directly!

Ma Xianyang was afraid that if I caught the treasure fish, the Bai family would claim it as a matter of course...

And his shot at a breakthrough would be gone.

So...

The moment he saw those silver-striped fish at the market yesterday, killing intent had already taken root!

Shen Xiuhan's eyes half-closed, his fists slowly clenching.

'Ma Xianyang... well played, Ma Xianyang. I won't forget this.'

After a long pause, Shen Xiuhan opened his eyes. His expression had returned to calm.

【Intelligence ②: Mei Shuangfeng, master of the inner-city Mei Martial Hall, bears a fearsome reputation but also possesses the bearing of the righteous path. She has recently been locked in a fierce struggle with Tongbei Martial Hall over recruiting disciples.】

【Her personal disciple, Jiang Qinghong, was limited by her cultivation and lost to Tongbei Martial Hall's senior disciple Zhao Honggang in an arena sparring match, resulting in a significant loss of students.】

【Mei Shuangfeng is currently seeking to purchase a treasure fish in secret, hoping her disciple can break through and reclaim Mei Martial Hall's honor!】

"Oh?"

Shen Xiuhan's eyes lit up, and a plan began to form.

If he could land the silver-backed fish today, approaching this Mei Shuangfeng might open up a far better path forward.

He tucked the thought away for the moment and continued reading:

【Intelligence ③: Auntie Li learned from Chen An that you made money selling fish and immediately pressured Uncle Chen to demand repayment of the loan. Uncle Chen and his son both refused, insisting the Shen family was in hardship and shouldn't be pushed.】

【Auntie Li threw a screaming fit, jabbing her finger at Uncle Chen's nose and shrieking: "You, surnamed Chen — have you got your eye on that pretty little widow next door?!" Uncle Chen was so livid his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He cornered Auntie Li in the house and gave her a thorough working-over.】

【The ruckus lasted a full two hours. Afterward, the two of them somehow ended up falling asleep in each other's arms, while next door, Chen An lay wide awake through nearly the entire night...】

Shen Xiuhan's mouth twitched.

What in the world... that "working-over" had better mean what I hope it means!

He shook his head and scanned the remaining entries, only to find the last four were the same ones from yesterday — still unclaimed, still hovering on the luminous display.

Since he hadn't collected them yet, they remained suspended on the ethereal screen.

【Intelligence ④: ...At the Xiaojing Bay shallows, a "treasure fish — silver-backed fish" has been spotted.】

【Intelligence ⑤: ...Inside a hole concealed by dry grass atop the largest dead tree in the Withered Woods, the golden-tailed rat has stashed food for winter.】

【Intelligence ⑥: ...In the rear courtyard of Changyun County's inner-city Tongbei Martial Hall, the original copy of the Transforming Strength-grade stance art "Tongbei Stance" is stored.】

【Intelligence ⑦: ...In the depths of Yunshui Lake, the relics and legacy of a true disciple of the "Diaohailou" await...】

Of all the entries, the sixth and seventh currently looked the most perilous.

Tongbei Martial Hall went without saying.

A secret manual hidden in the rear courtyard of a hall surely crawling with experts — a veritable dragon's pool and tiger's den.

And as for these relics and legacy of the Diaohailou's true disciple...

Shen Xiuhan wracked his memory with a frown.

There was no faction called "Diaohailou" anywhere in Changyun County.

It had to belong to another county — or even the commandery capital!

Moreover, that pale gold marker was deep within Yunshui Lake.

His father, Shen Sanhuai, had met his end at the jaws of a water monster in waters only slightly deeper than the shallows.

One could only imagine what horrors lurked in the lake's true depths.

"My strength is far too low right now. Going there would be suicide — I'll plan for it later."

Shen Xiuhan made up his mind.

"Gege..."

Just then, a soft, drowsy murmur came from beside him.

Shen Momo stirred awake on the bed.

Before Shen Xiuhan could even get up, the little girl rolled upright, burrowed into his arms like a kitten, and mumbled in her milky voice:

"Gege, I wanna eat crispy fish bones..."

Shen Xiuhan scooped her up, smoothing down her sleep-tangled hair with a quiet laugh:

"This greedy, first thing in the morning?"

"Mama's in the kitchen fixing breakfast as we speak, and there's meat today. You really still want fish bones?"

Shen Momo's little face immediately scrunched with indecision.

She cocked her head and thought for a moment, then shook it back and forth like a little rattle drum:

"Okay, never mind then — Momo wants meaty-meat! I'll have fish bones at noon instead..."

Shen Xiuhan chuckled.

He found a hair tie on the kang table and, following the hazy instructions in his inherited memories, clumsily gathered her hair into a little sprout braid that stuck straight up from the crown of her head.

The little girl rolled her eyes upward with all her might, straining to see, but couldn't catch a glimpse of the top of her own head.

She reached up and patted around blindly. The instant she felt the tuft standing at attention up there, she dissolved into helpless giggles, toppling over on the bed in a fit of laughter.

"What are you two giggling about so early in the morning?"

Madam Zheng pushed through the straw curtain with a tray.

In an instant, a rich aroma flooded the entire hut.

On the tray sat several bowls of steaming millet porridge, alongside a few palm-sized cornmeal flatbreads.

The flatbreads were fried to a golden crisp, glistening with an inviting sheen of oil — clearly cooked in rendered pork fat.

Better still, a small bowl beside them held a few thin slices of smoked pork, also pan-fried in lard. Perfect for eating with porridge.

"Wow, what a feast!"

Shen Momo's eyes went perfectly round, and her little hand shot toward a flatbread.

SMACK!

Midway there, Madam Zheng's quick hand intercepted, landing a light slap on the back of the little paw.

Madam Zheng stepped forward and scooped the girl out of Shen Xiuhan's arms.

Her gaze caught the sprout braid standing tall atop Momo's head, and the corner of her mouth tugged into a smile she quickly stifled. Carrying the girl, she headed straight for the door:

"No manners! Come on — we're rinsing your mouth and washing your face first!"

"Nooo! Gege, save meee..."

The little girl thrashed wildly in Madam Zheng's arms, wailing in protest:

"Mama scrubs my face sooo hard — Momo's skin is gonna get scrubbed right off..."