The great river surged, its waters churning violently.

Following the Chujiang River downstream for about thirty miles, almost to the edge of the True Martial Realm, stood a great mountain.

The mountain was famous throughout True Martial. On its summit was an enormous rock, over a hundred feet tall, that had stood there for ages untold. It looked as if some person had placed the giant stone there, yet such a feat was clearly beyond human capability. One could only marvel at the incredible power of nature...

Thus, the True Martial Practitioners called this place Stone Mountain.

The stretch of river below Stone Mountain was, in turn, called Stone Beach.

Stone Beach was vast, flanked by deep reed marshes that made the terrain incredibly complex. Though fish were plentiful, fishermen rarely came here. The water’s depth beneath the reeds was a mystery, and thick waterweeds would easily entangle their nets. Worse, one careless mistake could send a man to his death at the bottom of the river. It was no wonder they stayed away.

Today, however, several large boats were moored amidst the reeds, and a group of people stood on the shore.

Wang Hu, clad in winter attire, raised his head and gazed into the distance.

He was looking far beyond Stone Beach.

He had been to Stone Beach before, of course.

But what he had seen back then... was utterly different from the scene before him now.

Even though this wasn’t his first time seeing it, Wang Hu still felt a profound sense of shock.

...As far as the eye could see, a hazy white fog blotted out the sky and sun.

The fog was so dense it seemed tangible. The wind could not stir it; it was like solid ice, frozen over that part of the river, obscuring all vision.

And it wasn’t just its strange appearance... The last time he was here, a few boats had ventured into the mist. They vanished the moment they entered, and no one had been seen since.

’...The Treasure Fish most likely comes out of this fog.’

Wang Hu watched from a distance, his heart on high alert.

’Could it... really have been caused by that earthquake before the New Year?’

He had experienced earthquakes before. They were indeed astonishing, capable of tearing the world asunder.

’...But I’ve never seen an earthquake anywhere else cause such a bizarre phenomenon.’

Yet the facts were right in front of him. The dense fog was here, leaving him no choice but to believe.

He let out a soft sigh and turned to look in another direction.

Not far off, a group of people were glaring at him and his men. They looked ready to tear someone apart. When they met Wang Hu’s gaze, many of them scowled, their expressions openly defiant.

But Wang Hu didn’t even bat an eye, simply watching them with a placid expression.

’If I hadn’t planted a spy in the Four Seas Gang, I would never have known that Cao Zhen had already figured out how to catch the Treasure Fish.’

’The Money Association must have been the ones to tell him.’

The thought flashed through Wang Hu’s mind.

’But I don’t get it... If the Money Association really knew how to catch the Treasure Fish, why wouldn’t they just cash in themselves? Why tell Cao Zhen?’

’Not enough manpower?’

’That can’t be right... The Money Association has a few Anjin Martial Artists.’

’Their leader’s cultivation is nearing the Huajin realm... I heard he even tried to break through two years ago.’

’He failed, but still...’

’No matter how I look at it, it can’t be a lack of manpower.’

Wang Hu couldn’t make sense of it.

After a moment, however, he sighed softly, a glint in his eyes.

’Who cares? I’m already here, anyway.’

’If there’s no Treasure Fish, fine. But if it really does appear... then may the best man win.’

At this thought, his eyes glinted, and his gaze shifted to another direction.

’The Money Association is so wealthy. Why force Cao Zhen to attack Huichun Hall instead of just buying the medicine they need?’

’Now the people from Huichun Hall are here to stir up trouble, too...’

Wang Hu shook his head.

’These people and their complicated schemes... I can’t make head or tail of it.’

As he thought this, he shifted his gaze again. Over in the distance, a plume of white smoke curled into the air, carrying the faint, rich scent of herbs.

He could see several large cauldrons over there, something simmering inside them.

Numerous wooden barrels filled with a blackish liquid were placed beside them.

A glint appeared in Wang Hu’s eyes.

’Brewing medicine to lure fish... Is the Treasure Fish really that picky? It likes eating medicine?’

Someone behind him voiced the very question he was pondering.

"Boss, will this really lure out the Treasure Fish?"

One of his men couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.

"How would I know?" Wang Hu replied without turning. He paused for a moment before adding, "Just keep watching, and we’ll find out."

The subordinate mumbled something under his breath but could only turn his curious gaze back toward the distance...

...

"Boss, should we get rid of Wang Hu first? Damn it, he’s just over there waiting to pick up the scraps. Fuck!"

Over on their side, the bubbling of the cauldrons was incessant and the pungent smell of herbs filled the air, making everyone irritable.

Someone kept glancing back at the men from the Iron Tiger Gang, who were watching from a safe, upwind distance. The more he looked, the angrier he became...

’Damn it, we’re doing all the work while those bastards from the Iron Tiger Gang just wait to reap the benefits... The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get.’

One of them couldn’t take it anymore and approached Cao Zhen to ask for his input.

Cao Zhen was a man of about forty with a handsome, youthful face. Clean-shaven and fair-skinned, he had an air of Yin Softness about him.

He had long, narrow eyes. At his subordinate’s words, he lifted an eyelid slightly and glanced toward Wang Hu’s position, a cold glint flashing in their depths.

But the cold glint vanished as quickly as it appeared. "If he wants to wait, let him," he said calmly. "Even if we do lure it out, the fish isn’t for me anyway."

He sneered. "In fact, I hope he does make a move. He’ll be courting his own death, and that would save me the trouble."

As he spoke, he instinctively glanced toward a large boat in the distance, a flicker of cold light in his eyes.

"Huh? We’re really not going for the Treasure Fish?" The subordinate was stunned. He swallowed hard and lowered his voice. "Boss, that’s a Treasure Fish we’re talking about... the kind that let Fang Zhou leap from being an Ordinary Person to a Mingjin Powerhouse! We’re not going to take it even if we lure it out?"

"We’re not."

Cao Zhen was decisive. He withdrew his gaze and said flatly, "Once you have the method, you can get as many Treasure Fish as you want."

He looked toward the dense white fog, his eyes gleaming.

"As long as this fog remains, there will be an endless supply of Treasure Fish... We’ll have plenty of chances. There’s no need to rush."

The subordinate was stunned, but he could only sigh, nod, and stare blankly at the bubbling cauldron...

...

"I don’t understand."

Aboard the large boat, in a luxurious room with an open window, a stunningly beautiful woman gazed at the distant smoke from the stewing herbs as a chill breeze blew in.

"Why did we give the information to these people? We could have lured it out ourselves."

When she finished speaking, she turned to look at the bed.

An old man with a somewhat pale complexion was reclining on the bed.

The old man coughed occasionally, appearing to be in poor health.

Hearing the woman’s question, he revealed a faint smile. After a habitual cough, he said slowly, "Don’t be impatient. Just watch. You’ll understand soon enough."

The woman’s brow furrowed as she looked at the old man and his deliberate air of mystery.

After a long moment, she said nothing more.

She turned her head and continued to stare out the window...

All seemed strangely calm and harmonious.