At that moment, someone behind the mountain discovered a circular lake—known as Qi Shui Lake.
The lake was perfectly round and unblemished, with crystal-clear water that allowed one to see the black fish swimming inside.
Each black fish was over twenty inches long, incredibly plump, and there were many of them.
The refugees were overjoyed, trying either to fish with rods or catch the fish directly from the lake.
But the black fish disdained the bait thrown in and were incredibly agile and elusive, making them impossible to catch with either fishing rods or nets.
Some tried to jump into the lake and catch the fish with their hands, but the lake water was ice-cold and bone-chilling; staying in it for even a short while could lead to death by hypothermia.
Similarly, the method of building a dam around the lake was also ineffective—the waters of Qi Shui Lake were too deep. No amount of stones thrown in could reach the bottom, leading some to suspect that the lake was connected to an underground Dark River.
As hundreds of refugees watched the fish-filled lake, they faced the prospect of starving to death when a young man who claimed to be a good swimmer took off his clothes, braved the severe cold, and jumped into the lake, managing to catch a plump black fish.
Then came the second, the third...
Soon, the lakeshore was piled with black fish, and the refugees managed to survive. However, shortly after getting out of the water, the young man died from hypothermia.
To express their gratitude for his life-saving act, the refugees erected a temple in his image, naming it Qi Shui God, and they worshipped it annually.
The descendants of those refugees settled in the mountains and gradually formed what is now Qi Shui Village."
Zhuo Wenbai’s wife came over carrying a basin of fish soup.
The fish meat was translucent, the soup pure white like snow, with bright green onions sprinkled on top, emitting an irresistible aroma.
Guan Anyan, sitting next to Li Ang, swallowed involuntarily.
Zhuo Wenbai picked up a chopstick, lifted a piece of translucent fish meat, and smiled as he introduced, "The black fish produced by Qi Shui Village has such exquisite and unparalleled texture that it makes residents from surrounding towns flock to buy it, with a single fish fetching up to hundreds of strings of coins."
"Hundreds of strings of coins, that exaggerated..."
Li Ang raised an eyebrow; during the Former Sui Period, the purchasing power of a hundred strings of coins was even higher than it is now.
"Yes, and because they sell for a high price, and sell well, Qi Shui Village is richer than other villages and towns.
However, we only fish from the lake and sell them during the last few days of November, during the festival period."
Zhuo Wenbai nodded, "On one hand, there is an ancestral teaching; we must not overfish to prevent the fish population from being depleted.
On the other hand, the black fish in the lake are as agile as ever. A single net is not enough. It requires the entire village to come together and use a massive net that covers the entire lake surface in order to catch them.
This fish here is one of those allocated to our family last year.
We had been raising it for a year to sell to a scholar from Bingzhou City named Hou, but this year, since it’s rare to meet someone from Chang’an, we decided to cook it instead, and we’ll sell another to the scholar the day after tomorrow."
"Thank you for your generous hospitality, Brother Zhuo."
Li Ang felt moved; the black fish from Qi Shui Village remained a coveted and expensive commodity.
No wonder he had noticed earlier that the buildings in the village were comparatively neat and upscale, incongruous with the remote mountainous region, making Qi Shui Village appear overly prosperous.
"Please eat quickly, it won’t taste as good if it gets cold."
Zhuo Wenbai urged with a smile, "Our village’s black fish is quite unique. If cooked properly, one can see some unusual sights in their dreams after eating it."
Li Ang narrowed his eyes. "Could it be a paradise?"
"Hahaha, of course not." Original content can be found at novel⚑fire.net
Zhuo Wenbai shook his head and laughed, "Some diners who have eaten the Qi Shui Village black fish claim that in their dreams, they see the silhouette of a young man—he is the Qi Shui God our village pays tribute to.
Due to rumors being incredibly bizarre, many diners come specifically for this. You two might as well give it a try; you may also be able to see something."
Li Ang looked at the succulent fish in the basin, which was enticing enough to make one’s mouth water, and slowly picked up the chopsticks.
Guan Anyan lightly tapped Li Ang’s foot under the table, signaling something suspicious.
No need to say it, I know.
Li Ang narrowed his eyes, slowly picking up a piece of fish with his chopsticks. The story from the Former Sui Period about fish that can make one see illusions sounded more and more bizarre.
But... the Mo Si Clone didn’t have a digestive system.
Under the expectant gazes of Mr. and Mrs. Zhuo Wenbai, Li Ang ate the piece of fish. The moment he closed his mouth, the Mo Si in his mouth stirred, chopping the fish into bits to check its composition.
He found no parasite eggs or anything similar; the fish was just more tender than regular fish meat.
Li Ang continued eating without any sign of disturbance, storing both the fish and the broth inside the hollow cavity of the Mo Si Clone, muttering words of appreciation for the broth in an enraptured tone.
With a whirlwind-like manner, he finished the entire basin of fish soup without leaving a morsel.
By the time Mr. and Mrs. Zhuo Wenbai reacted, he was still licking the spoon, marveling in wonder.
"Indeed worthy of the Qi Shui Fish’s reputation."
Li Ang paused, suddenly adopting a regretful and apologetic demeanor, turning to Guan Anyan, "Oh, I was so impatient I forgot to save some for you. That was really thoughtless of me."
"It’s okay, it’s okay."
Guan Anyan instantly understood Li Ang’s intention, and the two covered up the fact that Guan Anyan hadn’t had any fish.
Zhuo Wenbai looked at the empty copper basin, dazed for quite a while before realizing it, and nodded with a strange expression, "Actually, it would have been better with a bowl of rice.
Your sister hasn’t had dinner, won’t she be hungry? Do you need me to ask my wife to prepare some more dishes?"
"No need, she ate too much at noon and is not hungry at all."
Li Ang didn’t care if Mr. and Mrs. Zhuo Wenbai would think he was a brother who mistreated his sister; he waved his hand and brushed it off.
Zhuo Wenbai nodded, "If you two don’t have a place to stay tonight, why don’t you stay here? We still have a vacant room in our house, but there’s only one left. I hope you don’t mind."
"It’s fine, one room is good."
Li Ang immediately agreed and stood up, following Zhuo Wenbai’s directions to the second-floor room with Guan Anyan.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhuo Wenbai said, "If you have any needs, just let us know. But after you go to bed tonight, you mustn’t leave the room no matter what."
Li Ang asked, "Hmm? Why can’t we leave the room?"
"Cough, to be frank, the people in our village, more or less, all suffer from somnambulism. They get up at night and wander around the house, which is why all the family doors in the village are designed to need multiple keys to be unlocked."
Zhuo Wenbai said somewhat awkwardly, "Also, before going to sleep, things like knives that could cause harm must be hidden. Not that we would harm you, but it might frighten you if you encountered us.
"Moreover, if sleepwalking occurs, no matter what my wife and I say outside the room, you should not open the door. You must wait until daylight, when the morning sunlight shines through the gaps in the window, then you can open the door—by that time, we should be back to normal."
Li Ang nodded and watched Mr. and Mrs. Zhuo Wenbai leave the room; then heard a snap as they bolted the door. From inside, he listened as the couple’s footsteps faded, moving downstairs.
As soon as the footsteps completely disappeared, Guan Anyan immediately took out paper and pen from his pack and began to write and draw on it, communicating with Li Ang.