Book 7: Chapter 30: Chopped Fish

Lin Xi’s injuries were serious, but they were mostly from blood loss and bone fractures, it was unlikely for him to die.

For the sake of not leaving behind any material evidence, everything that originally belonged to him was left behind in his tavern. He knew that once Bian Linghan saw the strip of paper he left behind, she would definitely help him watch over his things. Even Jiang Xiaoyi’s black soul weapon had always been held rigidly in his hands, only when he closed his eyes, starting meditation cultivation, did he lower it.

When he had no external things to rely on, soul force became the only thing he could depend on.

However, before he spent too long in meditation, some unusual movements and sounds woke him up. He opened his eyes.

He immediately saw that there were many pea-sized green lights that were staring at him from the distant level ground, as if they were will-o-wisps. The bit of warmth Lin Xi acquired with great difficulty immediately disappeared, but soon afterwards, he calmed down, realizing that these green lights were nothing more than the eyes of rats.

These several dozen rats before him were all more than twice the size of normal rats, and the black fur covering their bodies was extremely thick and greasy. These should be water rats that were good at swimming, preying on fish, shrimp and other creatures.

Right now, these water rats all released zhi zhi noises from time to time, slowly approaching him.

“The hunter will instead be hunted instead, this world is just that laughable.”

When he saw these plump water rats who clearly wanted to treat him as food, Lin Xi couldn’t help but lightly shake his head.

Right now, his left arm and right wrist were still almost impossible to move, but there was already a bit of strength within him, these plump water rats were naturally unable to do much to him. From last night until now, apart from drinking some river water, he didn’t eat anything. Now, his stomach just happened to be rumbling with hunger. Together with his experience during Green Luan Academy’s Wilderness Survival course, these plump rats could already be considered delicacies. Using them to allay his hunger was something he couldn’t feel happier about.

In just a few breaths of time, more and more of these water rats with shining green eyes appeared, already over a hundred of them.

At this time, the rocky shoals behind him suddenly produced splashing noises, producing tile-sized splashes, drenching half of his body again. When he turned around in shock, several half human tall shadows threw themselves over from the water. With a crash noise, they brought even more water with them as they threw themselves towards the water rats.

The originally overbearing water rats all began to scatter in panic.

Pa ta pa ta…

These dark figures continuously released noises on the ground, devouring the water rats that couldn’t escape in time.

At first, Lin Xi thought that it was some type of otter. However, when he saw them clearly, he discovered that they were in fact four silvery-white large fish without scales on their bodies.

“Silver Matron Dragons!”

Lin Xi stared blankly for a breath. When he saw that the noses of these wide and long fish were a bit similar to a pig’s, able to crawl quickly on the ground, bodies slapping against the ground, relying on only two thick fins, he immediately reacted. While enduring the pain coming from his entire body, he stood up with extreme joy.

Silver Matron Dragon, locals also called them Silver River Dolphins or Silver River Pigs. These were a type of large scale fish resembling both chinese giant salamanders and river dolphins.

Even though this type of fish didn’t have feet like giant salamanders, the fins below their abdomen were exceptionally strong, able to quickly crawl and jump on dry land. Moreover, they could spend more than half a day out of water without dying.

This type of Silver Matron Dragon was carnivorous. Larger fish in the river, fowl and even pigs and sheep that weren’t too large, could be devoured on land.

Right now, these Silver Matron Dragons were most likely drawn to the smell of the large amount of water rats that had gathered, coming ashore to feast. Just like Ironhead Dogfish, these Silver RIver Dolphins were extremely rare, great mending food for cultivators. When used to replenish stamina and heal injuries, their effects were naturally far better than the water rats’.

Right now, even ‘starving and freezing’ wasn’t too much of an exaggeration to describe Lin Xi’s current state. These Silver Matron Dragons that were extremely beneficial for cultivators naturally drew him in.

However, what he never expected was that the moment he stood up, he also drew the attention of the Silver Matron Dragons that flapped on the ground. With a pa ta sound, a wave of fishiness swept over. A Silver Matron Dragon actually directly leapt over three meters of distance, directly smashing into his body.

Lin Xi immediately couldn’t sit still, sitting down on the ground.

“You want to play american football?”

When he was knocked down by this large fish, feeling the ice-cold and slippery fish sitting on his body, Lin Xi was between laughter and tears at first. However, what left him dumbstruck was that with a large pa ta noise, another Silver Matron Dragon jumped onto his body, a mouth biting towards his face, as if it wanted to swallow up his entire head.

Lin Xi didn’t have time to think. He raised his right hand, fiercely striking at this large fish’s throat.

Only when his strike rushed out, did he realize that his right hand’s wrist was injured, his entire arm couldn’t exert much force. It wasn’t like how he imagined, able to quickly tear through this large fish’s throat.

However, with a chi noise, when his body went slightly rigid, a blast of blood shot out from this Silver Matron Dragon’s mouth.

This Silver Matron Dragon was in pain. As if it was vomiting out what it ate, a blast of stream sprayed out, and then its body cowered back.

Lin Xi immediately reacted, seeing that there was still some merit even in failures. Originally, it was hard for Lin Xi to move his arms, the long black blade already separated from his hands, but there were still cloth strips connected to his arm. Right now, when he fiercely thrusted out with his hand, it also moved this blade, nicking the mouth of this Silver Matron Dragon.

“…Are you all trying to crush me to death?”

However, before he had the time to feel happiness, another Silver Matron Dragon already jumped over, smashing heavily into his body, almost crushing him until he spat out a mouthful of sour water.

While being crushed under this weight, Lin Xi couldn’t help but recall a scene from the wrestling channels from the televisions of his past world: A muscular man climbed onto the ropes of the arena and then jumped off, smashing into the body of his opponent lying on the ground.

Before Lin Xi who was between laughter and tears even had time to catch his breath, he felt his leg was bitten down on, and then following a wave of power, water noises sounded. Only when his body was dragged into the water did he react. His leg had been bitten down on by a Silver Matron Dragon, and then he was forcibly dragged into the water.

Once he was dragged into the water, currents attacking from all sides, it became difficult for Lin Xi to exert any strength. He only felt a shadow smash into his body, making his entire body buckle underwater, mouth opening, continuously drinking several mouthfuls of ice-cold water.

“Return!”

Lin Xi who was struggling in the water already didn’t have much strength left to retaliate, inwardly shouting this word.

After a familiar change of scenery, Lin Xi returned to the past. A large group of water rats had just appeared, several Silver Matron Dragons were about to climb ashore.

His expression was even more bitter than a bitter melon, extremely speechless inwardly, feeling extraordinary shame.

Even after being surrounded by so many soldiers and cultivators, when he leapt off of such a tall valley, he still didn’t use the ten halts rewind ability, but he was forced to use this ability by some Silver Matron Dragons who didn’t even have that many teeth in their mouths.

He shook his head, releasing a sigh, and then pulled back his body.

The instant he pulled his body back, a splash sounded, water rushing out from the rocky shoal behind him. Four Silver Matron Dragons leapt out from the waters, immediately causing the water rats to enter a state of panic.

Lin Xi stood up.

A loud pa ta noise sounded, a Silver Matron Dragon jumping out.

“After always roaming around Jianghu, how can you not be cut sometimes… even coming to knock me over, I will cut…”[1]

While looking at this Silver Matron Dragon, Lin Xi talked to himself. He then swung out his ring hand with all his strength.

The black long blade connected to his hand by a cloth strip moved. Just like how Tang Ke taught him, it fiercely struck out, landing on this incoming Silver Matron Dragon’s head.

The Silver Matron Dragon landed heavily on the ground, falling in front of him, a small half of its head cut open.

“I will cut again.”

Lin Xi brandished his arm again. The sharp black long blade drew out another streak of black light, hacking down on the second Silver Matron Dragon that pounced towards him.

Pu!

A blast of blood gushed out from this Silver Matron Dragon’s body as well, also falling on the ground in front of Lin Xi.

The other two Silver Matron Dragons also finally reacted, seeing that Lin Xi wasn’t prey they could take on. With pa ta pa ta noises, they didn’t dare go after those water rats either, instead turning around and fleeing towards the waters.

If Lin Xi wasn’t injured, he could easily make those last two Silver Matron Dragons stay behind. However, right now, Lin Xi had to pay the price for each heavy movement. When he saw these two Silver Matron Dragons running, Lin Xi only had enough time to kick off with all his strength, picking up a large rock, and then with a pa sound, he brought it down on one of the Silver Matron Dragons that fled to the rocky shoals. This Silver Matron Dragon released a cry, struggling about on the rocky shoal, but was already powerless to struggle free.

However, there was already no way for Lin Xi to catch the last Silver Matron Dragon. With a putong noise, there was only a large splash, and then there were no traces left to be seen.

Lin Xi saw that the second Silver Matron Dragon that was cut by him still had leftover energy, so he brandished his arm fiercely again. The black border army long blade almost completely hacked this fish apart.

After completing this strike, Lin Xi breathed in and out heavily, his body covered in splitting pain. However, after kicking the Silver Matron Dragon fish with his feet, the corners of his lips instead couldn’t help but curl upwards.

Even though one escaped, every single one of these Silver Matron Dragons was at least seventy jin in weight. Just a single one was already enough to last him two days.

Right now, Lin Xi’s stomach was already rumbling with hunger. He turned around, looking at the large amounts of rotten wood material and dry rotten hemp rope, knowing that even if he couldn’t use his hands well, making a fire with the rope cutting wood method he learned from the academy course shouldn’t be too difficult. The only thing he had to take note of now was seeing how the inside of the cave was, if any smoke would travel outside, as well as if there were any vessels for cooking food.

It was because according to what was recorded on the Green Luan Dietary Supplement Manual, the best part of this Silver Matron Dragon was the layer of silvery-white thick skin covering its body. This layer of thick skin, after being simmered for a long time, would melt into a silvery-white paste, the nutritious effects would then be completely displayed. Moreover, apart from the best parts, every chunk of this Silver Matron Dragon’s flesh was as nutritious as the Ironhead Dogfish’s meat. In this type of dark and damp cave, if he didn’t process them by roasting or cooking over charcoal, a day later, all of the meat would be useless. For cultivators, this really would be wasting heavenly gifts.

Only after doing everything he could to drag all three Silver Matron Dragons onto the stone floor, and then kicking a few wooden boards together, did Lin Xi walk into this former quarry.

1. I previously translated this phrase as while walking along the river, how can your feet not get wet sometimes.

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