A piercing scream suddenly rang out, giving Luo Zhang a scare. Hence, he let go of the loach that he was holding.
“What are you thinking about?”
Shi Song, who was holding a dagger and was quick with his eyes and hands, grabbed onto the loach, stopping its escape. “You’re taking so much effort just to kill a fish. Don’t go saying that you’re a student from Ming Lan. I can’t afford the embarrassment.”
Lin Mao complained.
“If you’re that capable, then you can do it.”
Luo Zhang felt upset. The three of them had been assigned to the stream to catch and kill fish. However, Lin Mao came from a rich family and hadn’t done such things before. Therefore, he felt that it was dirty and just watched from the side. Now, he even gave random orders, making Luo Zhang very upset. “You can’t do it well, yet you’re not letting others say anything?” Lin Mao retorted.
“Did the scream from earlier come from you guys?”
Lu Zhiruo asked curiously, but her gaze landed on the loach that Shi Song was grabbing onto.
It was about 1.5 feet long and was as thick as a person’s arm. It was now covered in blood, its mouth opening and closing, looking as if it was going to die.
“Let’s go, they are just killing a fish.”
Li Ziqi took a look from afar and lost interest.
When the three guys looked up and saw Lu Zhiruo, their eyes immediately lit up. This girl looked so innocent. Lin Mao, especially, stared straight toward the papaya girl’s chest. “My god, isn’t this too big? It can definitely suffocate a guy in there!”
Lin Mao seemed to be enraptured. Lu Zhiruo had fallen into the water earlier. Hence, her clothes had gotten quite wet and were adhered closely to her skin. Although she wasn’t exposed, her curves were clearly displayed.
“Oh!”
Lu Zhiruo left but unconsciously turned and took another glance. She saw that loach squeaking away and struggling non-stop. “Stop struggling!” Shi Song felt impatient. He grabbed onto the loach and smashed it harshly onto the ground.
Splatter!
The loach was on the verge of death.
Luo Zhang’s finger hurt a little. He lowered his head to take a look and realized that he had been bitten by the loach. There was a bite mark on his finger.
“F*ck!”
Luo Zhang’s face turned grim and he stomped on the loach.
“Let’s go and catch some fish.”
Li Ziqi urged.
“Hey, which school are you guys from?”
Lin Mao tried to approach them.
“If you want to kill the fish, just kill it. Don’t torture it!”
Lu Zhiruo frowned.
“Aren’t you interfering too much?”
Luo Zhang had already been filled with anger because of Lin Mao and the loach, and now he was told off by a girl. Out of anger, he raised his foot and kept on stomping on the loach.
Squeak!
The loach cried out in agony.
Lu Zhiruo pouted. She felt that this guy was very bad.
“Luo Zhang, why are you talking in this tone?” Lin Mao asked.
“Who are you to care about me?”
Luo Zhang stomped down on the loach again. He then looked toward Lu Zhiruo. “What? You’re feeling heartache for it?”
Lu Zhiruo wasn’t a fool and didn’t wish to be bothered by this guy. Since Luo Zhang was unable to take care of Lin Mao, he vented all his anger onto the loach. “Cry!”
“Cry!” Luo Zhang kept cursing while stomping on the loach. Anyway, there were enough fish around here, so it didn’t matter if they had this one or not.
“Hey, you’re really low class to be venting your frustrations onto a loach!” said Li Ziqi in despise.
“This is a loach that I caught. Who are you to interfere with my business?” Luo Zhang snorted coldly and stomped down even more viciously. “If you’re so capable, then buy it!” “Stop stomping! I’ll buy it!” Lu Zhiruo couldn’t bear to see the loach being battered up. She took out a small piece of silver and handed it to Luo Zhang.
“Please move away!”
Lu Zhiruo said coldly, wanting to pick the loach up.
Looking at this big boobed girl’s silver piece and listening to her tone of dislike, Luo Zhang felt even more upset.
Ever since he came to the Darkness Continent, nothing went according to how he wanted them to. Now, he was even being disliked by a beautiful girl.
(Alright, I’ll let you guys dislike me even more!)
“It’s not enough!”
Feeling rebellious, Luo Zhang stomped down again and exerted more force onto it.
“You’re shameless!”
Lu Zhiruo was very angry. That silver piece was over one tael. It’d be able to buy 50 kilograms worth of loach and there’d still be change.
“My loach is expensive. If you can’t afford it, then scram!”
The moment Luo Zhang said that, a golden leaf spun and slapped onto his face. “Is this enough?”
Li Ziqi looked coldly at Luo Zhang.
“My god, she’s rich!”
Lin Mao let out a strange cry and immediately turned his attention onto the little sunny egg. “May I know how to address you, beautiful lady?”
Being able to afford to use golden leaves, she should be a young miss from either a rich or prestigious family. If he were to have a connection with her, he’d be able to sponge off her for the rest of his life.
Lin Mao’s family was rich, but his father wouldn’t give him golden leaves to waste like this. Moreover, he saw that this girl with a small face had casually drawn out a golden leaf from her bulging purse and tossed it over. This meant that her purse was filled with golden leaves.
She was extremely rich!
“So what if you’re rich? My loach is a mysterious species of darkness. It is worth one spirit stone!”
e
Luo Zhang touched his face, feeling even angrier. (How dare you use money to slap me in the face? Damn, I can’t take this.) However, Luo Zhang’s gaze still darted to that golden leaf.
If it wasn’t out of pride, he’d have bent over to pick it up. It was a great profit to sell a half-dead loach for a golden leaf.
“Hey, are you asking for a fight?”
Ying Baiwu came over and stared at Luo Zhang with an unfriendly gaze. She was used to street fights and wasn’t scared of such scenes.
“If you want this loach, then hand over one spirit stone. Otherwise, scram!”
Luo Zhang bellowed. He felt extremely regretful for not having agreed to sell that loach earlier. However, as a man, and being in front of three beautiful girls, he couldn’t get himself to lower his stand. Therefore, he could only continue head-on.
Ying Baiwu didn’t waste time with words. She grabbed her sword with her right hand, getting ready for a fight. “Don’t bring trouble for Teacher!”
Li Ziqi stopped the stubborn young girl and took out a spirit stone, wanting to throw it toward that detestable monkey-faced guy. This conflict was no longer a matter of how much that loach was worth. It was a matter of face.
(Since I, Li Ziqi, said that I’ll buy your loach, I’ll do it! No matter how much it costs!)
“Eldest Martial Sister!”
Lu Zhiruo stopped Li Ziqi’s hand. “I am the one who started the conflict. Let me pay!”
The papaya girl took out one spirit stone. However, she held it in her hand and didn’t give it to Luo Zhang.
“What? You can’t bear to part with the money
now?”
Luo Zhang sneered. (This is how it should be. Who would be so foolish and spend a spirit stone to buy a dying loach?)
It wasn’t as if Lu Zhiruo couldn’t bear to part with the money, but that she couldn’t bear to use this spirit stone. It was because this was given to her by Sun Mo, and she wanted to save it as a keepsake.
“Don’t buy it!”
Ying Baiwu persuaded.
Squeak squeak! The loach that was covered in mud kept on squeaking away, looking at Lu Zhiruo with its tear-stricken eyes.
“It’s begging for me to save it!”
Lu Zhiruo shook her head.
“You can understand what animals say?”
Ying Baiwu felt curious and turned to assess that loach.
“I can’t.”
Lu Zhiruo shook her head and said honestly, “It’s a feeling.”
IL11
Ying Baiwu didn’t know what to say anymore. She recalled that there was one year when they were killing pigs, and the old female pig had used this gaze to look at the spectating children.
This was just animals’ instinct to seek for survival. The stubborn young girl’s lips moved but didn’t say anything.
The papaya girl was kind-hearted and innocent. She didn’t know about how dark and brutal the world was. Ying Baiwu felt that she should protect her innocence. “Here’s one spirit stone. Give it to me!”
Lu Zhiruo had a good temperament. Although she didn’t like Luo Zhang, she didn’t throw the spirit stone at his feet but had just passed it to him.
Li Ziqi didn’t stand on ceremony. She took the spirit stone from the papaya girl and tossed it at Luo Zhang.
Luo Zhang didn’t catch it because he’d lose face if he did. However, when the spirit stone hit his chest, he subconsciously reached out his hand.
There was no helping it. This was a spirit stone, and it was a common currency in the Darkness Continent. As someone who came from a poor family, he could hold it in and not take the golden leaf, but this spirit stone shattered his pride.
The spirit stone emitted a cooling temperature that was like spring water in summer. Luo Zhang instinctively grabbed onto it tightly. (It’s so good. I have a spirit stone now, and I don’t have to be envious of others anymore.)
“They really paid?”
Shi Song was surprised. However, what made him even more surprised was that the headstrong Luo Zhang had given in. “Tsk tsk, so generous!”
Lin Mao exclaimed.
“Tsk!”
Li Ziqi felt disdain over this guy. A problem that could be solved by money wasn’t a problem at all.
Lu Zhiruo ran over, squatted down, and picked up the loach.
“Move away!”
Ying Baiwu came over and stared at Luo Zhang.
Luo Zhang backed off two steps. He wanted to shoot out but didn’t dare to do so. He was worried that they’d go back on their words and ask for the spirit stone back.
At the sight of this scene, Lin Mao shook his head. He felt that it was really beneath him to be quarreling with Luo Zhang. Shi Song, who was watching from the side, had thought that Luo Zhang wasn’t a bad person in the beginning. However, after seeing this scene, he didn’t say anything else. He suddenly felt very disappointed.
How could someone have so little self-esteem?
Was this a matter of one loach? This was a matter of one’s face!
Today, Luo Zhang could bear with this for the sake of a spirit stone. In the future, he’d be able to do something damaging to his self-esteem for greater benefits.
People like him had no integrity and shouldn’t be closely affiliated with.
The three girls left.
“Hey, which school are you guys from?”
Looking at Li Ziqi’s flat figure, Lin Mao couldn’t help but ask.
Ying Baiwu turned to look back and pointed out a middle finger.
Shi Song had wanted to say something, but then he saw that Luo Zhang was looking at Lin Mao and him with a wary gaze. (This guy couldn’t be thinking that I am eying his spirit stone, could he?)
“I am the one who caught that loach. I’m the one to decide how to deal with it!”
Luo Zhang fought to have the first say, wanting to cut off their thoughts.
“Hehe!”
Shi Song smiled. When Luo Zhang and Lin Mao had been quarreling, although Shi Song often acted as the mediator, he tended to side more with Luo Zhang. But now, the two of them could do whatever they wanted!
Luo Zhang buried his head and went back to work. A few minutes later, he couldn’t help but look up and throw a glance in the direction where Li Ziqi and the other two girls had left.
“To think that there’s really someone willing to spend one spirit stone to buy a dying loach. That loach couldn’t be a mysterious species of darkness, could it?”
Luo Zhang guessed.
Both Lin Mao and Shi Song didn’t say anything but just looked at him as if they were looking at an idiot. “Have you guys forgotten? That loach’s cry is a little strange. Back in the countryside, I have caught quite a number of loaches before. Their cries didn’t sound like this.”
Luo Zhang explained.
“Please, this is the Darkness Continent. Even similar species would have differences when they live in two different continents.”
Lin Mao rolled his eyes, his tone filled with despise. “That one spirit stone might be something that you won’t be able to earn even after a year of working. But for that rich girl, it might not be enough for half a meal.”
Lin Mao patted Luo Zhang’s shoulder and said sneeringly, “You don’t understand the world of the rich!”
Shi Song nodded. “If that thing is a mysterious species of darkness, then I’ll drown myself in feces.”
Shi Song picked up the ingredients that had been taken care of. As he was talking, he didn’t pay attention and missed a footing, falling into the water.
Plop!
Water splattered out and dead fish scattered everywhere.
“Hehe!”
Luo Zhang smiled, feeling relieved. That was right. Given his horrible luck, how could he possibly catch a mysterious species of darkness when he was just casually reaching into a mud hole?
If that could happen, then the entire Darkness Continent would be filled with mysterious species of darkness everywhere.