Grinding to the Martial Sage from the White Ape Fist-Chapter 38: A Fragrant Companion

"HYAH!"

Old Man Jiang’s beard and hair stood on end. The Fish Spear in his hand became a blur, striking the head of the foremost Silver Knife Fish with pinpoint accuracy and knocking it to the ground in an instant.

Behind him, Su Yu’s brow furrowed. He swept his Fine Iron Fish Spear sideways, stirring up a whistling wind.

"SMACK!"

A Silver Knife Fish that tried a sneak attack was smashed hard against the gunwale. Scales flew as its body convulsed and slid onto the deck.

With their close coordination and defense, they temporarily held back the onslaught of the Silver Knife Fish school.

But the school of Silver Knife Fish was simply too numerous, and an accident happened the very next moment.

"PFFT!"

Up ahead, Old Man Jiang’s movements were half a beat too slow. A Silver Knife Fish grazed his arm as it flew by, its sharp fin instantly slicing open a gash. Blood stained his sleeve red.

He didn’t even grunt, holding his ground at the front like a reef in the water.

Jiang Mu hid behind him, clutching the corner of his clothes, her eyes red-rimmed. Despite her anxiety and distress, she remained perfectly still.

She and her grandfather had faced many situations on the Black Water River, and she knew what she had to do at this moment.

With Old Man Jiang still holding the front line, the pressure on Su Yu lessened slightly. He kept an eye on his surroundings with his peripheral vision.

Suddenly, the number of Silver Knife Fish at the front increased again. It seemed they had reached the densest part of the school.

Old Man Jiang was immediately stretched thin. Despite roaring as he defended, more and more Silver Knife Fish bypassed his defensive line.

Two streaks of silver light carved strange, intersecting arcs through the air, heading straight for Jiang Mu’s pretty face!

They were as fast as two flying Willow Leaf Sabers!

"Ah!" Jiang Mu’s pupils shrank. The sharp, cold aura already stung her skin. She had no time to dodge!

In the nick of time, Su Yu’s figure exploded into motion. The deck boards beneath his feet groaned under the strain.

He closed the distance in an instant, his right hand flicking the Fish Spear upwards like lightning, precisely slicing the first Silver Knife Fish in two!

Immediately after, the second one was right in front of his face!

’No time to swing the spear!’

Su Yu acted decisively. He channeled his Qi and Blood into his left hand, his tendons thrumming, and threw a punch!

"BOOM!"

The tough Silver Knife Fish was blasted apart in mid-air by the force of that punch! Flesh and shattered bone exploded into a red mist that scattered across the deck.

"Get behind me!"

Su Yu pulled Jiang Mu over with one hand, shielding her behind him.

The school of Silver Knife Fish was about to pass. Since he could easily save her, Su Yu certainly wasn’t going to stand by and watch her die.

...

About fifteen minutes later, the annoying buzzing sound finally faded away as the school of Silver Knife Fish disappeared into the vast mist.

Old Man Jiang let out a long sigh of relief. Blood from his body dripped onto the deck. DRIP. DRIP.

"Grandpa!" Jiang Mu rushed over, her voice thick with tears.

"Hahahaha, it’s nothing! A small wound like this is nothing. Your grandpa isn’t old yet..." Old Man Jiang laughed heartily. Although he was injured, it didn’t affect his mood in the slightest.

The school of Silver Knife Fish hadn’t harmed his granddaughter—that was the most important thing. And it was all thanks to Su Yu.

He looked at Su Yu gratefully. "Thank you, Younger Brother Su!"

Su Yu just nodded calmly. It was a simple matter of lending a hand.

’Old Man Jiang’s strength is at a level where he could still break through three more times. It seems he was quite a figure in his youth. Plus, he has a good temper; he’s easy to get along with.’

Su Yu didn’t mind making a friend of him.

"Old Man Jiang, is it still safe here? Should we leave?" Su Yu asked, looking at the distant mist to confirm.

"It’s fine now. In fact, it’s safest right after a school of Silver Knife Fish has passed through. But there’s no hope for fishing today. Let’s find a place to rest for the night."

Su Yu nodded and pulled in his fishing net.

He was in luck. Seven or eight Silver Knife Fish that hadn’t managed to escape were still caught in the net, flopping about and flashing silver.

"As long as these Silver Knife Fish don’t build up speed and aren’t in a school, they’re not dangerous," Old Man Jiang added. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

He also pulled in his net, but unfortunately, the Giant Red Carp inside had already escaped during the chaos.

...

「Night fell, and a cold moon hung high above the Boiling Mist Swamp.」

White mist swirled over the water’s surface. Two black-canopied boats were moored side by side next to a rock that sheltered them from the wind.

A dim yellow oil lamp was lit, dispelling the surrounding gloom and cold.

Su Yu picked out two plump Silver Knife Fish and quickly gutted them. After rummaging through the boat’s cabin for a long time, he found a chipped clay pot and prepared to fill it with some river water to boil the fish.

’Tsk, how crude.’

Su Yu shook his head. ’This boat is just a rental. Aside from a flint, it didn’t even come with salt.’

On the boat next to his, Jiang Mu had already set up a small iron wok, polished to a shine.

Lard SIZZLED in the wok, and the fragrance of stir-fried scallions instantly filled the air, making one’s mouth water.

As Jiang Mu skillfully stir-fried, she stole a glance at Su Yu.

Seeing the grimy, chipped clay pot in Su Yu’s hands and his pitiful expression as he prepared to simply boil his fish in plain water, the young woman couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.

"Hey, Su Xiao—I mean, Brother Su!"

she called out in a clear, bright voice, her little face flushed red in the firelight. "Come eat with us!"

Su Yu glanced at the steaming, fragrant wok, then back at the cold water in his own hands, and decisively accepted the offer.

"Then I’ll impose on you."

Carrying the two prepared Silver Knife Fish, he leaped lightly over to their boat.

Jiang Mu took the fish, pursing her lips into a smile that revealed two cute little canines. "You can chat with Grandpa for a bit. The food will be ready soon!"

Su Yu went to the bow of the boat and started chatting with Old Man Jiang. He soon learned many of the Black Water River’s secrets from the old fisherman.

Besides the Boiling Mist Swamp, the Black Water River had several other strange and mystical places. The most famous among them was a place called the Black Dragon Throat.

The place was elusive and normally invisible. When it appeared, it was a massive whirlpool that could swallow the heavens and devour the earth! Legend had it that an underground river flowed beneath it, leading to a Dragon Palace that was the lair of an ancient evil flood dragon...

"Grandpa, Brother Su, come and eat." Jiang Mu finished preparing the meal and set it on a small table.

Su Yu came closer and saw that the meal was sumptuous and looked delicious.

There was braised Silver Knife Fish, glistening red in a rich, dark sauce; steamed Red Oil Fish, its oils seeping out with a fragrant aroma; and several steaming hot smoked meat flatbreads.

"Younger Brother Su, don’t be shy! Dig in! My granddaughter’s skill at cooking fish is second to none!" Old Man Jiang took out a gourd of distilled liquor and poured a bowl for Su Yu.

Su Yu accepted the bamboo chopsticks from Jiang Mu and waited for Old Man Jiang to take the first bite before taking one himself.

"Mmph!"

The flesh of the Silver Knife Fish was fresh, tender, and delicate, practically melting in his mouth. Paired with the rich sauce, it was absolutely incredible!

’Jiang Mu’s cooking really is one of a kind. I’ve been eating fish for so many years, but I’ve never tasted any this good.’

"Delicious!" Su Yu praised sincerely.

Hearing this, Jiang Mu smiled sweetly, her eyelashes curving into crescents.

...

After eating and drinking their fill.

Su Yu had not only satisfied his appetite but had also gained a good amount of Qi and Blood.

He returned to the bow of his own boat and, by the light of the moon and the warmth flowing within him, began his Pile Skill practice.

[White Ape Six Changes Skill Level +3]

[White Ape Six Changes Skill Level +3]

...

[Martial Arts]: White Ape Six Changes (Major Achievement 160/3000), Bibo Fishbone Skill (entry-level 95/100), Coin Toss (Minor Achievement 120/500)

[Techniques]: Casting Net (3 Breaking Limits)

[Breakthrough Points]: 0 (Progress: 15%)

The Red Oil Fish had replenished a good deal of his Qi and Blood, and his Pile Skill had increased by ten points.

After a full day of continuous underwater fishing, his Bibo Fishbone Skill’s level had also increased considerably. Perhaps tomorrow he would have a chance to break through to the Skilled level.

"Brother Su, what happened to your hand?" Just then, Jiang Mu, standing on the bow of her boat, suddenly spoke up as she looked at Su Yu’s hand.

Su Yu looked down and saw that the skin on the back of his hand was broken. It must have been scraped by a bone fragment when he punched the Silver Knife Fish earlier in the day.

"It’s nothing serious. It’ll heal in a few days."

"That won’t do!" Jiang Mu pouted, looking cross. She jumped onto Su Yu’s boat and ran over to take his hand for a closer look.

"You must have hurt it when you saved me..." Looking at the long wound, Jiang Mu recalled the scene of Su Yu saving her, and her eyes reddened again.

"Wait a moment." With that, she returned to her boat’s canopy, retrieved a small wooden box from inside, and came back to Su Yu.

She opened the medicine box. Inside were numerous small bottles and jars, bandages, silver needles... It was quite well-stocked.

"Let me treat it for you," she said, gently pushing Su Yu down to sit.

The young woman lowered her head, carefully cleaning the wound with fresh water before sprinkling medicinal powder on it.

The moonlight was like water, spilling onto her jade-like profile, so radiant that it seemed to dim the moon itself.

They were very close.

A sweet fragrance lingered at the tip of Su Yu’s nose—the scent of young apricot blossoms, fresh and lively.

"There!"

Jiang Mu looked up, admiring her handiwork with satisfaction, a sweet smile on her face.

Su Yu looked down, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

The neat, almost cute little bow looked completely out of place on his hand, a hand used for killing and practicing martial arts.

"Ahem! Xiaomu, come back and get some sleep!" Old Man Jiang’s cough came from the canopy of the neighboring boat.

"Oh... coming!" Jiang Mu stuck out her tongue. With her hands behind her back, like a nimble butterfly, she ambled back to her own boat, looking back every few steps.

Standing on the bow, she turned around and waved at Su Yu, her smile especially brilliant in the moonlight. "Brother Su, see you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow."

Jiang Mu bent her knees slightly, spread her arms, and leaped gracefully back into her cabin. The curtain fell, concealing that wisp of apricot blossom scent.