Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter 64: The Trouble Caused by Grilled Fish

Two days after setting off in the direction indicated by the token, Li Yu stood atop a crag, gazing into the distance.

Can Yishuang sat by the stream, her eyes fixed on a dark shadow moving beneath the surface. The plump grass carp swam leisurely, oblivious to the impending danger, until a small hand snatched it by the tail and flung it onto the grass. The fish seemed dazed for a moment before it began to flop about. But once out of the water, what chance did it have to struggle or escape?

Watching Can Yishuang’s fervent gaze, Li Yu glanced at the grass carp and seemed somewhat hesitant. "Eating this fish might affect your intelligence, you know..."

However, he was no match for those large, sparkling eyes.

And so, Can Yishuang, having excitedly gathered dry twigs from the nearby grove, squatted by the side. She watched as Li Yu used the power of thunder to ignite the wood, and then observed as the grass carp slowly transformed into something that made her mouth water.

"Huff, huff!"

Li Yu took a bite of the exquisitely flavored roasted fish while it was still piping hot. His ears twitched as he caught a sound, but he remained indifferent, burying his head back into his meal alongside Can Yishuang.

He didn't know why this treasure-spirit was such a glutton. After tasting his roasted meat once, the cumin seasoning had left an indelible mark on Can Yishuang’s memory. From that day on, she wanted roasted meat for every meal. Furthermore, if Li Yu wasn't paying attention, his own portion would "vanish into thin air," snatched away by one creature or another. If Can Yishuang hadn't frequently been caught with her mouth stuffed, unable to swallow in time, Li Yu might have actually believed her innocent act.

"Big Sister, over here!"

A young man cautiously parted the branches and spotted the lone man and woman in the clearing by the stream. His eyes flickered with lascivious intent as he scanned Can Yishuang, then shifted to the roasted fish on the fire. He gulped, motioning to those behind him.

As his voice faded, seven or eight others emerged from the dense woods one after another. Every one of them stared at the roasted fish, the drifting aroma forcing them to swallow hard. Since entering the secret realm, who hadn't been bored to death by bland rations? They had brought weapons and healing pills, but only upon arrival did they realize that while one could compromise on clothing and shelter, one could not compromise on food.

They had grown numb from eating wild berries and unseasoned meat. This was normal, of course; they were here for clan battles—who would bring jars of spices? That would be unseemly, and if the clan supervisors saw it, they would surely be scolded. Thus, when they smelled the cumin-scented roast, they couldn't resist and followed the scent.

"Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you!" Li Yu slapped Can Yishuang’s small hand away, grabbed the plumpest of the remaining fish, and shoved it into his own mouth.

Can Yishuang let out a cold huff and moved her hand toward another fish, but another hand snatched it away before she could reach it.

"Delicious! Damn it, I've been bored to death lately!" The young man who had arrived first gobbled it up, not forgetting to toss two more fish to his companions.

"That’s mine!" Can Yishuang pouted. She had "battled" in the stream for quite a while to catch those dozen large fish just for this meal.

Li Yu looked up slowly, as if only just noticing the presence of the newcomers. He turned his head and scanned the group. Not everyone had come over; besides the man who had snatched the fish, there was a woman in skimpy, revealing clothing, and a young man with a thick, dense beard.

He looked rather aged; if not for the age restrictions of the secret realm, Li Yu would have believed the man was forty or fifty. The rest of the group lingered on the periphery, seemingly checking for ambushes. Once they confirmed there was no danger, they drew closer.

Can Yishuang raised her hand to grab a fish, but the young man slapped it away.

"Big Sister?" The youth spoke with his mouth full, his words slurred. "What do you think?"

Can Yishuang was wearing Li Yu’s clothes. She usually hid in the soil when trouble arose and hadn't experienced any fighting. Although Li Yu’s own clothes were slightly worn, compared to these people, he looked remarkably clean and intact. Some in this group were left with only rags for shirts.

Looking at the fragrant fish and then at the pair, the newcomers sneered. In their eyes, Li Yu and Can Yishuang were clearly the "useless" type who had spent the entire time in the secret realm hiding, which was why they were so clean and tidy.

The hot-looking woman pondered for a moment. "Just take their points; don't be too rough." She spoke hesitantly, not because she feared complications, but because she suspected these two might have already been stripped of their points by others.

Li Yu looked at them with amusement. Could one not even eat in peace without trouble finding them? These fish weren't high-grade—Can Yishuang knew Li Yu preferred higher-quality ones, so she had caught several extra... if the quality wasn't enough, she’d make up for it in quantity! He hadn't expected the quantity to be just enough to satisfy everyone. Did everyone get a share?

"Kid, be smart and hand over your points!" The youth leaned down, his oily hand reaching toward Li Yu’s waist.

Li Yu hadn't bothered to hide his token carefully, leaving a small portion exposed. The youth had a sharp eye and moved directly.

*Snap!*

Li Yu caught the reaching hand with a backhand grip and frowned. "Don't touch me with your dog paws!"

Although the youth looked down on Li Yu for being a timid coward, he had been in the secret realm long enough to know that caution saved lives, so he remained on guard even while attacking.

"Let go!" The youth’s spiritual energy surged, but despite his face turning red with effort, he couldn't move an inch.

"Let him go!" The commotion caused the surrounding group to tense up. Several people drew their weapons and pointed them at Li Yu. There were two at the peak of the Sixth Rank, one at the early Sixth Rank, and the rest were Seventh Rank.

*Hmm... the early Sixth Rank doesn't count; he’s already caught, so there's no chance for him to struggle!*

Li Yu grinned, about to say something.

"You've got food stuck in your teeth," Can Yishuang said from the side.

Li Yu straightened his expression, closed his mouth, and could be seen running his tongue over his teeth. "Which side?"

To remain this calm while surrounded showed that one was either quite capable or had something wrong with their brain. The latter was highly unlikely.

The hot-looking woman frowned, worry flashing in her eyes. But there was no turning back now. She cursed herself for being so distracted by the number of people and the roasted fish that she had forgotten to assess the risks!

She snapped, "If you don't let him go, we’re going to attack!"

*Boom!*

With a flick of his hand, Li Yu sent the youth who had repeatedly reached for him flying, crashing him straight into the fire.

This move deeply shocked those around him. To dare to attack so fiercely while surrounded? And to be able to easily subdue someone of the Sixth Rank—what kind of cultivation level must he have?

Before they could think, the youth who had been thrown stood up. The first person, unable to bear the pressure, swung his weapon wildly. One move triggered the rest, and the others launched their attacks.

Minutes later.

Li Yu sat on a rock, chuckling. "How was the roasted fish?"

Opposite him were nine dejected-looking individuals.

*Taking someone’s food leaves you indebted, and eating someone’s food makes you soft.* What were they to do after eating something they shouldn't have? The nine of them were anxious; they had thought they were dealing with two timid clan members, only to realize once the fighting started that they had stepped on the toes of a fierce dragon. A single person had easily subdued them all.

Seeing Li Yu’s growing impatience, the hot-looking woman gritted her teeth, stepped forward, and lowered her head. "This little brother... young master, we had eyes but failed to recognize a true master. We hope you will show mercy!"

Although she was clearly older than the youth before her, Wen Xiangxuan dared not feel superior. Since the other party’s demeanor clearly marked him as someone from a major clan, she felt no shame in bowing her head and calling him "Young Master."

"Show mercy?" Li Yu raised an eyebrow. Remembering that the woman had only asked for points before the fight, his tone shifted. "Fine... line up. Hand over your points one by one."

A gasp went through the group at these words.

"What? Any objections?" Li Yu’s expression turned cold. Everyone came to the secret realm for points. Since they had chosen to provoke him, they had to accept the consequences. To lose and then refuse to pay up? There was no such thing as a free lunch.

"None!" Wen Xiangxuan glared back at her companions before turning to say in a low voice, "The victor is the king; this is what you deserve, Young Master!"

As she had said, the victor is the king. Since he could defeat them single-handedly, the fact that he hadn't killed them was already an act of mercy. Losing a few points was, in the end, a stroke of good fortune. She handed over her token, her beautiful eyes widening as she looked at Li Yu.

"23?"

The score on Li Yu’s token made her dizzy. If one subtracted the "1" he started with, did that mean 22 people had already fallen to him? Wen Xiangxuan felt a wave of regret. If she had known this person was so ruthless, she would have steered clear of him no matter what. But then, if she had known there were two people holding a combined score of 23, she might have chosen to take the risk anyway!

With her leading the way, the others stepped forward one by one to transfer their points. Every time someone looked at Li Yu’s token, their breathing grew heavy.

"39!"

Li Yu looked at the final score on his token and felt quite satisfied. The nine people before him had contributed 16 points, meaning they had plundered seven others. It didn't seem like a large number, but it was actually quite normal; points were held by people, not fixed in place, and if you couldn't win, couldn't you at least run? Many people would have fled the moment they saw such a gang, so catching seven unfortunate souls was actually quite an achievement. For example, if they had known of Li Yu’s strength from the start, they would have scattered before even making contact, and Li Yu wouldn't have gained many points at all.

"The points are gathered, so the matter of the roasted fish is settled," Li Yu said. "Now, let’s talk about the current situation."