Chapter 12: Siege, Bai Long Fish Dies

The next morning, Chu Danqing and Da Bao woke early; the stream behind Xianghua Village had dried up.

Not only had upstream damming projects blocked the flow, but villagers had also been pumping water out.

Don’t underestimate ancient wisdom—pumping water was no challenge; they possessed devices like the “Ke Wu,” curved tubes using siphon principles for water management.

They also had water wheels, winches, and all manner of hydraulic tools.

Xianghua Village relied on farming, so water was inseparable from their lives.

“Young master, you’ve come just in time—I saved you something special.”

On the way to the depression downstream, Jiang Tu pulled Chu Danqing aside mysteriously and handed him a large inverted bowl.

As soon as he took it, it had attributes.

[Bowl of Mixed Stew]

[Type: Consumable]

[Quality: Common]

[Effect: After complete digestion and absorption, maximum HP increases by 10]

(Note: This effect is permanent)

“This is made from the essence of those little devils—I stewed it all night just for you, young master, to replenish you,” Jiang Tu said, giving him a knowing nod, as if to say, “We’re men, I understand.”

Chu Danqing was stunned—he didn’t know which part of the Bai Long fish’s offspring had been used, but he devoured the entire bowl clean.

A warmth surged through his body, spreading quickly, and he received a notification from Dimension Paradise.

[Your maximum HP increased by 1]

Clearly, the increase wasn’t immediate—it required time.

“Want more, young master?” Jiang Tu approached again after Chu Danqing finished.

But the other bowls of Bai Long fish offspring stew had no attributes, so he declined—he couldn’t eat any more.

Da Bao, however, used the bowl like a spoon, eating until his belly was round and swollen before stopping.

“You ate so much—can you still kill the bad thing later?” Chu Danqing asked, worried it might affect his condition.

“No problem—it’s all digested by now,” Da Bao said, putting down the bowl. “Xiao Chu, let’s go kill the bad thing.”

The depression where the Bai Long fish lived wasn’t far; Jiang Tu was here not because of Chu Danqing, but to conveniently deliver meat broth to villagers.

When the two arrived, the depression had been drained into a muddy wetland.

The blind Bai Long fish snarled, facing off against the villagers, guarding a single egg the size of a human head beneath it.

Wu Lao Liu held a bow, occasionally firing arrows to harass it.

But the arrows struck the Bai Long fish’s hide without causing any damage.

“Young Master Chu, Da Bao—you’ve arrived just in time,” the village chief greeted them. “We’ve worn it down for nearly an hour.”

“Da Bao, it’s yours.”

The Bai Long fish’s scales and skin were too tough; arrows inflicted minimal damage.

As for close combat? Any villager who got hit would be killed instantly—except Da Bao.

Da Bao grunted an affirmative and stepped forward—when suddenly, something changed.

The Bai Long fish caught Chu Danqing’s scent in the air and immediately went berserk.

It abandoned its egg entirely and charged straight toward Chu Danqing.

This move caught everyone off guard.

But Chu Danqing was prepared: “Chief, get everyone to retreat—and remember to leave me the Bai Long fish egg.”

“Da Bao, carry me—we’ll drain its moisture.”

At this moment, the Bai Long fish was still about seven meters long—not yet at its weakest.

Da Bao chose Chu Danqing’s plan, since the chief had previously ordered him to obey Chu Danqing.

He hoisted Chu Danqing onto his shoulder and sprinted backward.

The villagers scattered; the chief remembered Chu Danqing’s words and retrieved the Bai Long fish egg after the beast charged away.

Meanwhile, Chu Danqing slung his broadsword at his waist, pulled out the Floating Stone, adjusted his position, and began throwing.

Due to multiple factors, his accuracy was poor.

He hit it two or three times out of ten—that was enough.

He wasn’t dealing damage—he was provoking.

Along with the Floating Stone, he added verbal taunts.

This made the Bai Long fish even more furious and impatient; blinded, it relied solely on smell, leading to frequent missteps.

This allowed Da Bao to easily stay one step ahead.

“Da Bao, pay attention—I suspect the bad thing has another plan,” Chu Danqing whispered in Da Bao’s ear.

The Bai Long fish didn’t seem like it would be blinded by rage—everything had been too smooth.

No sooner had he spoken than the Bai Long fish made a sharp ninety-degree turn.

With Chu Danqing’s warning, Da Bao twisted his direction and chased after the Bai Long fish.

“It’s heading upstream,” Chu Danqing immediately confirmed.

Whether it was destroying the upstream dam or fleeing upstream, it meant the Bai Long fish would re-enter the water.

Once in water, even blind, the Bai Long fish could escape from Da Bao.

If it escaped, Chu Danqing would lose a reward, and Xianghua Village’s years of blood vengeance would remain unfulfilled.

The distance between them shrank rapidly—until, just before reaching him, the Bai Long fish whipped its tail around, striking Da Bao’s waist with brutal force.

The impact was immense—it knocked Da Bao off balance, sending him crashing down, and Chu Danqing tumbled to the ground as well.

When he looked up, the Bai Long fish’s head—part crocodile, part six-horned dinosaur, part salamander—was lunging to devour him.

Chu Danqing had anticipated this—he stepped forward into a bow stance, drew his broadsword, and thrust with all his strength toward the Bai Long fish’s nose.

It was the only vulnerable spot he knew.

Unfortunately, he missed the nose—instead, his broadsword plunged straight into the Bai Long fish’s mouth.

The beast intended to swallow him whole—but Chu Danqing’s sword held it back.

Yet the broadsword was no divine weapon; after a moment, it shattered.

With that brief delay, Chu Danqing pulled away, leaping backward just as the Bai Long fish snapped shut on empty air.

The Bai Long fish crawled forward on its claws, blood-red mist and steam rising from its body, its belly gurgling as it drew in water.

It was preparing to replicate its previous water surge.

But in the next instant, Da Bao had already charged in, slamming his shoulder into the Bai Long fish’s flank with ferocious force.

Already weakened, the Bai Long fish was instantly knocked over.

Blindness, suboptimal strength, and psychological imbalance—all became its liabilities at once.

As Da Bao’s fists rained down like a storm upon the Bai Long fish’s belly, Chu Danqing knew it was over.

He stepped back and pulled out the Floating Stone to join the assault.

He didn’t know how Dimension Paradise judged performance, but standing around watching wouldn’t earn him any bonus.

Only when the Bai Long fish lay dead, its belly torn open and motionless, did a new-style treasure chest appear on its corpse.

(End of Chapter)