Chapter 22: Contentment
The golden-backed, red-bellied fish inside the fish basket was released. As expected, this fish was no ordinary creature—it was a demon. The moment it leaped out of the basket, it soared into the air, transforming into a massive form over ten zhang in size. Its scales gleamed like an array of knives, its fins resembled sharp banners, and it spoke in human language, its voice trembling with the pitiful plea of a young woman:
"Senior, I swear I will never again harm human lives. I beg for your mercy!"
The grotesquely large fish head bobbed up and down, as though mimicking a kowtow in midair.
Li Hao caught a nauseating whiff of the fishy stench and instinctively pinched his nose, nearly gagging in disgust.
This fish... It truly stinks!
"Let you go? Then I'd truly be joining the air force!"
Li Muxiu’s remark left the fish demon in utter despair. It trembled in fury but dared not act out.
"Into the pot you go!"
Li Muxiu raised a hand, pointing decisively.
Though the fish demon had begged for mercy, its transformation back to its true form had been a calculated move, preparing to flee at any moment. Seeing that the elder had no intention of sparing it, it immediately twisted its massive body, conjuring a lake from the void as it attempted to escape.
Yet, before it could even turn, it suddenly convulsed as if struck by lightning. Fresh blood burst forth from its gills and mouth. Its monstrous body shattered midair, as if an invisible array of blades had turned the void into a chopping block, dicing it apart.
Miraculously, the blood splattered from its wounds vanished in the wind before it could touch the ground. The same happened to the demon’s mangled remains; only a dark purple demon core, the size of a fist and gleaming like polished jade, and several pieces of snowy white fish flesh were left behind in the void.
Li Muxiu beckoned, and the demon core dropped into a pot of boiling water. The snowy white fish flesh was sliced into paper-thin pieces by unseen blades and, once the water boiled again, gently slid into the pot.
At this moment, the elder retrieved a small jar of salt from an unknown location, lightly scooped two spoonfuls into the pot, and covered it with a lid to simmer.
Li Hao was utterly awestruck by the elder's seamless execution, finally gaining a tangible understanding of the martial prowess of this world.
So this is a demon. And this is the might of a powerful cultivator!
"Elder, that purple meatball is the demon core, right? Shouldn’t it be eaten raw?" Li Hao asked curiously.
"Where did you hear that nonsense?"
Li Muxiu shot him a sidelong glance and replied flatly, "Are you not afraid of choking to death on its stench? Demon cores must be refined with numerous medicinal ingredients to be effective. You can’t just mix them willy-nilly; after all, different types of demons require different treatments. It’s no different from ordinary people hunting a tiger and using its bones to make a nourishing soup—how could you digest it raw?"
"Then what are you doing with it?"
"I'm using it as an ingredient. Though much of its potency will be wasted, it doesn't matter to me. I'm just sampling the flavor. As for you, you can have some broth and a few pieces of fish to fill your stomach. A demon core of this level is far beyond your capacity to handle."
"That makes sense."
Li Hao nodded, feeling no regret or sense of loss.
After all, the Divine General Mansion had an abundance of elixirs and treasures. A raw demon core was nothing compared to their refined products.
However, ever since he failed at Foundation Building, he had come to terms with the peculiar limitations of his troublesome status panel.
Elixirs and treasures, no matter how potent, could only serve as sustenance for him, their medicinal effects isolated and ineffective.
Conversely, if he consumed poisons—such as laxatives or that vile concoction from Liu Yurong—it would work perfectly.
Ridiculous, right? But recalling the mechanics of that game-like setup, Li Hao could only conclude that the absence of a combat system rendered all items meant to enhance combat abilities useless. Whether he took pills, attempted Foundation Building, or practiced combat techniques, none could improve him because the panel couldn’t register them.
But poisons were different. Poisons inflicted damage rather than providing enhancement.
Otherwise, if he were immune to all poisons, life would be too easy.
...
The water in the pot boiled again, and the lid rattled gently.
The elder, with his iron-hard hands, lifted the clay lid without hesitation. Steam billowed out, but a light breeze carried it away, preventing it from staining the beams of the pavilion.
A savory aroma of fish mixed with a faint fishy tang filled the air.
Li Hao frowned slightly. Though he hadn’t tasted it yet, his instincts told him it wouldn’t be delicious.
"Here, try it," Li Muxiu said, pulling out a pair of jet-black chopsticks from somewhere, wiping them on his clothes, and plunging them into the pot to skewer the demon core, which resembled a stewed meatball, before taking a large bite.
At the same time, he waved his hand, and a swaying tree branch outside the pavilion suddenly snapped off and flew into his hand.
Handing it to Li Hao, he said, "Peel off the bark, and you can use it."
Li Hao had no words.
Still, he wasn’t one to stick to rigid formalities. He casually sat cross-legged with the elder at the top of the sacred Tingyu Pavilion, stripped the green bark from the branch, broke it into pieces, and used it to pick up a slice of fish.
To his surprise, the fish, despite simmering under the lid, hadn’t fallen apart. It remained as smooth and tender as cold jelly.
Using the lid to shield himself from splashes of soup, he slurped it up.
“How does it taste?”
“It’s quite good, very tender, though a bit fishy.”
“Fishy? I didn’t notice.”
“Of course you didn’t. You reek of fish yourself.”
“Hey, you brat! Is that how you talk to your elders?”
“Well, I’m not wrong, am I?”
“Hmph, you’re lucky it’s me. Any other elder would have beaten you black and blue for your insolence.”
“I wouldn’t bother talking to anyone else.”
“Ho! You’ve got quite the mouth on you.”
...
The old man and the youth continued their meal. The elder acted nothing like a seasoned senior, and the youth showed no undue reverence. After finishing the fish and drinking the broth, both leaned back with their legs splayed, simultaneously sighing:
"Ah, that hit the spot!"
Their postures were nearly identical.
"You rascal..." Li Muxiu glanced at Li Hao and suddenly burst into laughter.
Li Hao smiled faintly, using his hands as a pillow behind his head. He gazed out beyond the eaves, where the night had fully descended, and faint starlight began to twinkle across the sky.
A gentle breeze drifted up from the mountains and fields below, bringing with it a sense of freedom and tranquility.
At that moment, he realized that all the splendor of the mortal world, all the servants and luxuries, paled in comparison to this simple contentment and comfort.
After lying there quietly for a while, Li Hao suddenly thought of something. He turned his head and said, “Elder, when you fish, do you have any special techniques?”
“Oh? Thinking about learning already?” Li Muxiu asked with interest, glancing at him.
“Tomorrow, I want to give it a try too. Why don’t we see who catches more?” Li Hao said with a cheeky grin.
Li Muxiu chuckled at this.
Who would have thought that the Li family, full of rigid minds, could produce such a lively and amusing child?
“Very well, from now on, you’ll learn to fish with me. Fishing is a form of cultivation in itself. Let me tell you, kid, with my skill, one cast of the line could reel in even a Three Immortals-stage expert!”
Li Muxiu spoke with a light laugh, his eyes brimming with pride—not in his martial cultivation, but in his mastery of fishing.
Li Hao couldn’t help but laugh as he imagined the absurd scenario of a supreme Three Immortals cultivator being yanked by a fishing rod, their mouth hooked like a common fish.
“What’s so funny? You don’t believe me?” Li Muxiu raised an eyebrow, his face taking on a mock sternness.
“I believe you, of course I do! I just thought the image was too funny,” Li Hao replied, bursting into laughter again.
Li Muxiu thought about it for a moment and found the image amusing too. He let out a soft chuckle and said, “Tomorrow, when we get there, I’ll teach you how to fish properly. It’s pointless to explain now—you wouldn’t understand anyway. For now, get some rest. I’ll find you a proper fishing rod.”
With that, he got up, brushed off the ash and soot from the wooden floor, and waved his hand. The firewood, the pot, and all the leftover embers on the pavilion were swept into his sleeve and disappeared.
With a single step, he vanished into the vast night.
...
The next morning, at the break of dawn, Li Muxiu woke Li Hao.
Fortunately, Li Hao had gone to bed early the night before and wasn’t too groggy. “Are we heading out this early?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Of course. Morning is the best time for fishing—it’s when they bite the most.”
Li Muxiu wore a rare expression of excitement. Typically, he fished alone with just a rod and a basket. But with the little rascal tagging along today, his enthusiasm for the activity had grown even stronger.
“Here’s your fishing rod. Take it.”
The elder produced a black fishing rod seemingly out of thin air and handed it to Li Hao.
Li Hao took it and felt its considerable weight. However, with his strength, which was at the peak of the Tongli Realm, it wasn’t an issue—especially since his physical strength exceeded that of an ordinary Tongli Realm cultivator by tenfold.
Even so, he estimated that this rod would require at least someone at the fourth or fifth level of the Tongli Realm to wield it properly.
Seeing Li Hao handle it effortlessly, a glimmer of surprise flashed in Li Muxiu’s eyes. “It seems that rascal Li Fu wasn’t lying. You really do have talent in body refinement. What technique are you practicing? Have you truly mastered it?”
Li Hao finally realized that the elder had chosen the rod based on his cultivation level, showing that he had put some thought into it.
“Bull Strength,” Li Hao replied casually.
Bull Strength was a low-grade body-refining technique. Even if practiced to mastery, it only offered strength equivalent to about the sixth level of the Tongli Realm.