Chaotic World of Martial Arts: I Have a Spirit Pearl of Desire

Chen You sat calmly on the reef, her eyes fixed on the fishing float on the water.

Because of the precise location provided by the rosary beads, he didn't need to wait like an ordinary angler.

Sure enough, just a moment later, the red and white float suddenly sank down and then began to shake violently.

"They've taken the bait!"

Chen You's eyes brightened slightly, and with a flick of his wrist, he uttered a low shout: "Rise!"

He exerted force with his arm, and the fishing rod instantly bent into an amazing arc, then suddenly jerked upwards.

With a splashing sound, a large fish, about 30 centimeters long and with shimmering scales, was pulled directly out of the water by a tremendous force. It struggled desperately in the air, creating a large splash of crystal-clear water.

However, before the big fish could fall to the shore, a strange change occurred in the air!

"Gah!!!"

A piercing quack of a duck shattered the tranquility of the river.

The grey-white wild duck, like a grey lightning bolt, burst out of the reeds beside it and headed straight for the big fish in the air, attempting to be a "robber" and plunder its spoils.

"I've been waiting for you."

Chen You, however, remained calm and composed, a playful smile playing on his lips.

He had already seen the wild duck lying in ambush on him by checking the information beforehand, so he was prepared in advance.

To capture it, he also spent a full 800 Desire Points to upgrade Little Li Flying Dagger.

Now, this throwing knife technique has reached the mastery level!

At that moment, his left hand, which was holding the fishing rod, remained still, while his right hand, concealed by his sleeve, reached out and a fine steel throwing knife instantly slipped into his palm.

"Li Xunhuan's Flying Dagger flashes in an instant!!!"

Chen You's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his fingertips, the throwing knife transformed into a blinding white light, whistling out with a piercing sound of wind breaking!

"Whoosh!"

The throwing knife hit the grey and white wild duck in mid-air with perfect accuracy.

To Chen You's surprise, the wild duck's feathers were unusually hard.

When the throwing knife struck it, it made a muffled "clang" sound, and sparks flashed. It did not pierce through it as expected, but only scattered the layer of steel feathers in a mess.

However, the powerful force attached to the throwing knife should not be underestimated.

The greyish-white wild duck seemed to have been struck on the head by a heavy hammer, letting out a miserable "ga" in mid-air. It instantly lost its balance and fell headfirst from mid-air like a weight.

The next moment, Chen You picked up the big fish, which crashed onto the muddy ground on the shore, still thrashing about with a thud.

Chen You reacted quickly, grabbing a wooden stick from the side and striking the big fish with a clean, swift motion, knocking it unconscious.

Then, he immediately turned to look at the water.

The grey-white wild duck that had been hit by the flying knife was floating belly up on the water, looking disoriented and unable to recover for a while.

"There's no reason to let meat that's delivered to your doorstep go to waste."

Chen You chuckled lightly, made a decisive move, leaped into the river, swam a few strokes to the duck, grabbed it by the neck, and dragged it back to the shore.

Chen You pressed the strange duck onto the reef and examined it carefully.

This creature was a full size larger than a typical wild duck. Its grayish-white feathers felt cold and hard to the touch, with a subtle metallic texture, and the edges were as sharp as blades.

"Is this the wild duck that ate the ninth-grade pearl? Its skin is so thick and tough, and it's even developed some intelligence?"

Chen You clicked his tongue in amazement and reached out to pat its firm duck rear end.

As soon as the words were spoken, the wild duck shuddered and its tightly closed beady eyes snapped open.

When it realized that it was being held in a human's hand, its steel feathers instantly burst open, and it flapped its wings, trying to struggle and fly away.

Chen You snorted coldly, tightened his grip like a steel hoop, and pressed the struggling creature back down.

Seeing that escape was hopeless, the strange duck's eyes revealed an extremely human-like fear.

It stopped struggling and instead tucked its neck in, folding its two wings together like a human making a fist and bowing gesture, bowing repeatedly to Chen You while making ingratiating "gurgling" sounds in its throat.

It even stretched out its flat duck beak and gently rubbed it against Chen You's palm, its eyes full of pleading and flattery.

Looking at this wild duck, whose survival instinct was so strong and who was even more cunning than a human, Chen You was at a loss for words.

"This wild duck is actually begging for mercy!!"

Who taught it to bow?

"I wonder what specific function such a sentient being can have!" Chen You decided to investigate the information, hoping to find some clues.

"Investigate information about my surroundings."

[Information 1: You have just captured a wild duck that ate a Grade 9 pearl. This duck has gained sentience and has transformed into a beast, no longer an ordinary bird, but a ferocious beast. However, it is still in its juvenile stage, and its meat is currently useless. But if raised for more than a year, its meat will reach the quality of Grade 3 beast meat.]

[Message 2: The duck king you captured is terrified and begs for mercy! In return, it knows the whereabouts of Yang Shuqing, the knife-throwing assassin.]

"Um?"

Upon seeing this, Chen You's gaze sharpened.

"Do you know the whereabouts of the Knife Thrower?" Chen You asked tentatively.

The wild duck paused for a moment, then its two beady eyes lit up like two small flames, and its fluffy head bobbed up and down like it was pounding garlic, "Quack! Quack!"

It even patted its plump chest with the tip of one wing, looking like it was saying, "Leave it to me."

"Hey, it actually understands human speech." Chen You chuckled, flicking its head with his finger, making a crisp "clang." "Alright, stop pretending to be a big shot. Come back with me, and you'll lead the way to find the person. Once we find them, I'll naturally release you. If you try anything funny, you'll treat us to braised iron-headed duck tonight!!!"

Upon hearing the words "Braised Iron-Headed Duck," the king duck shuddered, hurriedly quacking twice more. It even used its wings to wipe non-existent cold sweat from its forehead, letting out a sigh of relief before obediently drooping its head.

Seeing this, Chen You contentedly tucked the heavy duck king under his arm.

Then, he bent down, threw the stunned fish into the fish basket, picked up the bamboo pole, and strode back.

…………

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As evening fell, the setting sun painted the river surface a golden-red hue.

In her own kitchen, Chen You carefully simmered the fish she had caught into a rich fish soup, following the recipe given to her by her husband's wife.

The milky white broth simmered, emitting an enticing and unique aroma of meat; just one whiff was enough to make one's blood surge.

He packed the fish soup and several exquisite side dishes into a mahogany food basket and carried it to the residence of the deputy instructor, Luo Haitang.

At this moment, a sumptuous banquet was being prepared in the inner hall of Luo Haitang's courtyard.

Luo Haitang was sitting opposite her junior sister Zhao Zi, having dinner together.

"Senior sister, the food your servants cook here is really mediocre. The fish is so tough it's like chewing dry firewood, and the soup is bland and tasteless." Zhao Zi picked at a steamed fish on the plate with her chopsticks, her delicate face full of disdain.

Luo Haitang frowned slightly, put down his chopsticks and said, "How can my humble village compare to the wealth and luxury of the Zhao family in Canglan City? These dishes were specially ordered from the best restaurant in town, Zuixianlou, to entertain you."

Zhao Zi comes from the wealthy Zhao family, and her standards are so high that ordinary delicacies are indeed hard to appreciate.

Luo Haitang shook his head and then asked, "Speaking of which, you usually never leave your house, so why did you suddenly find time to come to my secluded place?"

When the matter was brought up, Zhao Zi's expression turned serious. She put down her chopsticks and said, "I'm here to track down a gang of river pirates. This gang is called the Black Shark Gang. A few days ago, they hijacked one of our Zhao family's merchant ships transporting medicinal herbs. They were extremely ruthless. Not only did they steal our goods, but they also killed all thirty-two members of my family!!"

Zhao Zi's face darkened, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "I received news that the Black Shark Gang has infiltrated this area. Senior Sister, I suspect they might also be planning to commit crimes here. You must be extra careful lately."

Luo Haitang's expression changed slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "The Black Shark Gang? Those pirates have infiltrated my jurisdiction?"

"Yes, and..." Zhao Zi sighed, "I heard that Yang Shuqing, the knife-throwing expert, has also joined the Black Shark Gang!!"

Zhao Zi and Luo Haitang were former fellow disciples and had a very good relationship.

She knew, of course, that Luo Haitang's younger brother, Luo Ding, had died at the hands of Yang Shuqing.

Upon hearing the name Yang Shuqing, Luo Haitang's gaze darkened.

Just then, a guard's voice came from outside the door, "Instructor, Chen You, the patrol captain outside, requests an audience! He says he caught a rare fish today and brought it over specially..."