Chapter 46: Sacrificing to the River God?

A sacrifice, and we have to pay?

Hearing that money was required, Liang Qu's brows instinctively furrowed.

In the past, due to backward fishing tools, fishermen faced grave threats to their safety on the water whenever storms struck; thus, they revered the legendary sea deities as protectors of life and bestowers of bountiful harvests.

The frequency was high, with a minimum of twice a year: once in spring and once on the sixth day of the sixth month.

If something like last night occurred, a ceremony would definitely be held as well.

But asking us to pay...

Liang Qu finally understood: the River God Uncle Li spoke of was precisely the great beast he had seen last night; only, to ordinary people, there was no distinction—both were powerful creatures beyond human resistance.

He was reluctant in his heart, yet he had no choice; failing to contribute to the River God sacrifice was something even a scoundrel like Zhang the Bald would not dare do.

"Uncle Li, roughly how much must we pay?"

Li Li Dakang pondered for a moment: "Since no deaths were reported this time, households with one able-bodied adult male should contribute about one hundred cash. That has been the usual amount in previous years; only during the sixth-day-of-the-sixth-month ceremony is it more grandiose, requiring more."

Not too much; Liang Qu breathed a sigh of relief. With the three taels of silver Master Yang had given him last time still remaining, he had more than enough.

However, he still had to take the boat out.

Though "many" boats remained ashore, not all did; at the dock, countless people striving to make a living cared little about being eaten by the so-called River God.

In response to Li Li Dakang's kindness, Liang Qu offered an apology.

"Ai, you child, why won't you listen to advice? What harm would waiting two more days do?"

"Uncle Li, you probably don't know that Brother Shui went out fishing last night despite the heavy rain and returned safely. Perhaps he even saw what that great beast looks like," Lin Lin Songbao called out loudly, approaching from the side.

"Lin Songbao? What nonsense are you spouting? It's the River God, the River God!"

An anxious fisherman rushed forward to cover Lin Lin Songbao's mouth, but Lin Lin Songbao dodged and ran off, leaving the attempt futile.

"Isn't it all the same? Last year, that huge broad fish, taller and larger than a tower ship, was also called the River God. And the year before, that water-tiger fish, with a single tooth larger than a person, so big one couldn't even embrace it."

"Every year there's a new one. From my birth until now, I've never seen a repeat. I wonder, how can one river have so many River Gods? Wouldn't they fight each other? Aren't they just great beasts?"

Li Li Dakang pounded his chest in despair: "No reverence whatsoever, absolutely no reverence!"

Nearby, Chen Cheng suddenly realized something and hurriedly asked: "Liang Ashui, did you go out fishing last night?"

"Yes."

Liang Qu saw no need to hide it; it was no great secret. Surely many had seen the great beast, otherwise the news wouldn't have spread so widely by now.

"Last night I was quite close. When that 'River God' plunged into the water, the waves were enormous. Had I not held on tightly, my boat would have capsized. I returned immediately afterward and didn't catch a single fish."

Li Li Dakang shuddered with lingering fear: "Too dangerous, truly too dangerous. Fortunately, you were far away; had you been closer, wouldn't you have been eaten?"

Lin Lin Songbao laughed heartily: "Why exaggerate so much? How big is a human, and how big is a great beast? Eating a person would be like eating a grain of rice for it. Opening its mouth that wide would tire even me."

Li Li Dakang felt deeply uncomfortable: "You child, how can you speak like that?"

Lin Lin Songbao picked at his ears, pretending not to hear, then stepped forward to stand beside Liang Qu: "Brother Shui, I've been waiting for you for ages. If I hadn't seen your sampan at the dock, I would have gone to your home to find you."

Brother Shui?

Liang Qu was somewhat surprised.

Lin Lin Songbao had never addressed him this way before; even after that incident, when settling accounts, he still called him Liang Ashui, especially since Lin Lin Songbao was older than him.

"So you've been waiting for me? Is there something you need?"

"Hehe, I came to ask if you have time recently. My father wishes to treat you to a meal. How about it? He said you can choose both the time and the place."

"Have you heard some rumors?"

"I don't know either." Lin Lin Songbao scratched his head. "My father didn't tell me. He said my mouth is too big to keep secrets. He won't let me know anything you haven't disclosed, but he did mention you've achieved great success in Pingyang Town and instructed me to call you Brother Shui when we meet."

Liang Qu fell into thoughtful silence.

Although Yixing Market and Pingyang Town were very close, they were still separated by over ten li. The events of that night had unfolded in relative secrecy; only the martial arts apprentices knew, and most of them lived in dormitories. It would take some time for the matter to fully circulate.

Clearly, Lin Di, the master of the fish market, possessed his own sources of information.

Lin Lin Songbao urged: "Well? Yes or no? Give me an answer so I can report back to my father."

"Then let it be tomorrow evening. The location doesn't matter; just come and tell me once it's decided."

Liang Qu did not refuse. He somewhat missed his own black-awning boat; perhaps this was an opportunity.

The sampan was too small, lacking a canopy; whenever it rained, water filled the cabin. It simply couldn't compare to the black-awning boat.

"Excellent!"

"Then I'll take the boat out."

"I'll come find you tomorrow morning."

"Mm."

The river surface lay calm, the river water reflecting the brilliance of stars and moonlight.

The oars churned the lake surface, the sound of water splashing loudly.

Thump, thump, thump.

The oars struck the water, the muffled sounds traveling far along the ripples.

Ripples appeared on the water's surface. Unable to Move emerged, its scales gleaming with a cold, hard greenish light that shimmered in concert with the moonlight.

In just one day, Unable to Move had grown another segment, reaching an exaggerated length of nearly three meters. Swimming beside the boat, it was enough to make any Jianghuai fisherman tremble with fear; ordinary people would never believe it was a Taihua crocodile.

However, at this moment, Unable to Move floated calmly upon the water, bearing a small crab monster on its head that was tapping its twin claws.

The crab monster blew bubbles; its jade-white shell had become much harder, its color beginning to faintly turn greenish. The sound produced when it tapped increasingly possessed a metallic quality, and its size had grown considerably as well. Originally fist-sized, it was now even larger than a fist.

After witnessing a true great beast last night, Liang Qu realized the crab monster occupied merely the lowest tier of the spirit-creature food chain.

Its young must grow rapidly, especially when nutritional supply was sufficient; otherwise, surviving in the fiercely competitive deep-water regions would be nearly impossible.

Perhaps Fist's mother had ventured into the shallow waters precisely to spawn and hatch her young in a safer location.

At the current rate of growth, within less than two months, Fist would become useful, no longer merely a decorative headpiece for Unable to Move.

Interestingly enough, thanks to the scales on Unable to Move's body, Fist's limbs could easily secure its position; the two were virtually inseparable.

In contrast, the Fat Catfish's green back was too smooth, making it impossible to stand steadily.

Splash.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear: the Fat Catfish surfaced, water streaming down its smooth green back to merge with the lake. It lifted its head and spat a jet of water at Fist, knocking it into the water.

Seeing its scheme succeed, Ah Fei rolled over, exposing its white belly as if "holding its sides in laughter," its long whiskers trembling continuously.

Knocked into the current, Fist swam like a lobster, curling its lower body, then swiftly leaped to Ah Fei's mouth and snapped its claw at the long whiskers.

Ah Fei's catfish whiskers were fleshy; it immediately felt pain and thrashed wildly in the water.

Already massive, it had surpassed the three-meter mark, reaching 3.3 meters. Beneath its thick skin hid robust muscles; its explosive strength made it feared by no fish in the water.

Now, as it whipped its body, it resembled a water dragon, truly astonishing, sending sprays of water everywhere.

Only Unable to Move remained unmoved, like an old monk in deep meditation, indifferent to the commotion beside it.

Seeing the two beasts play increasingly rough until water had accumulated in the cabin, Liang Qu immediately shouted for them to stop, and only then did the two cease their frolicking.

"Ah Fei, go catch some fish for me. Try to catch as many valuable ones as possible—carp, yellow croaker, and the like. Understand?"

Ah Fei flicked its long whiskers, indicating understanding.

The growth of the two beasts brought greater wisdom; now they could not only identify treasure fish bearing "abnormalities" but also recognize certain expensive fish species.

As Master Yang's personal disciple, wasn't it reasonable for Liang Qu to go out on one fishing trip and catch three hundred cash worth of fish?