6: The grudge of having my house taken away!

Li Qing controlled the Spiritual Patterned Turtle to swim along the riverbed, feeling the powerful strength brought by its evolution.

Its 1.2-meter body moved with agile ease in the water, the spiritual patterns on its shell shimmering with a faint light.

"The more Essence Blood, the better. Do all Vicious Beasts possess Essence Blood?"

Li Qing pondered to himself. He had been swimming in the small river for a while and had consumed many small fish and shrimp.

Large fish were few and far between, and as for Vicious Beasts, he hadn't seen a single trace of them.

This small river was merely a tributary of the Great River, and the fishermen of the Slum did not dare to fish in the Great River itself.

The Great River held many large fish, and even Vicious Beasts.

In contrast, the fish in this small river were harvested daily by the Slum's fishermen, so naturally, large fish were rare.

Furthermore, this small river could not sustain the survival of Vicious Beasts.

The Spined Catfish that Li Qing had eaten earlier had originally intended to head toward the Great River as well.

Seeing the sun rise to its zenith at noon, Li Qing's main body's stomach began to growl.

Even though the Spiritual Patterned Turtle was full, the hunger of his main body was very real.

The two were distinct.

Li Qing sometimes wondered if his consciousness would survive alone in this Clone if his main body died.

After inquiring with the System, it replied that if the Clone died, the main body would be injured.

But if the main body died, everything would be gone.

【evolution value: 26.2/500】

Li Qing looked at the evolution value; it was still a long way off.

"I need to head back and eat something."

Li Qing controlled the Spiritual Patterned Turtle to search the river and quickly found a half-foot-long Crucian Carp.

With a single use of Water Control, Li Qing easily trapped it.

Captured!

"Today, I'll have a taste of meat too!"

He had been here for over a day, and aside from the single piece of meat Chen Shui gave him yesterday,

he hadn't eaten any meat for more than twenty-four hours.

The Spiritual Patterned Turtle had eaten its fill today, so it was time for him to have a fresh treat as well.

Li Qing swam to the shore with the Crucian Carp in his mouth, hiding the fish among the water weeds by the riverbank for his main body to retrieve later.

Withdrawing his consciousness, Li Qing's main body stood up from the riverbank.

He would let the Clone hunt on its own in the river for now.

He needed to gather more information about the Great River first; if the Clone went there and it was crawling with Vicious Beasts,

that would be like looking for trouble.

If the Clone died, his path of martial arts would be finished.

He looked around warily, and after confirming no one was watching, he quietly crept toward the hidden fish.

The Crucian Carp was already dead; Li Qing grabbed it and used a grass stem to thread through its gills, carrying it in his hand.

This fish was enough for him to cook a pot of delicious fish porridge.

On the way home, Li Qing intentionally avoided crowded areas, sticking to secluded alleys.

Just as he turned a corner, a familiar cursing sound came from ahead.

"Useless trash! I wanted ten taels of silver, and you only give me two? Are you trying to brush off a beggar?"

It was Zhao Si's voice!

Li Qing immediately lightened his steps and crept closer along the base of the wall.

As a Chinese person, he loved a good spectacle; besides, he now possessed Great Strength and various talents.

As long as he didn't run into a true expert, he generally wouldn't have any problems.

Besides, Zhao Si could hardly be considered an expert from what he knew.

Zhao Si wasn't even a Martial Artist; he was just a slightly taller and sturdier thug.

He only threw his weight around because of the Martial Artist Gao Qiang backing him.

This was also why he had been intimidated when he encountered the even larger butcher, Chen Shui.

At his core, he was just a bully who preyed on the weak.

In the distance, Xu An was kneeling on the ground, holding a tattered cloth bundle in both hands, revealing a few pieces of broken silver.

Zhao Si kicked him in the shoulder, sending Xu An sprawling onto his back as the silver scattered across the ground.

"Brother Si, I really did my best," Xu An said, his voice trembling as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"This is all the money I stole from my family..."

"Go to hell!"

"I lost ten taels of silver; did a dog eat the other eight?"

Zhao Si delivered a slap, and Xu An's face immediately began to swell.

"Beat him!"

Two lackeys immediately stepped forward, their fists and feet falling on Xu An like rain.

"I bet you're the one who ate it!" Li Qing shook his head secretly from the side.

This Zhao Si was truly good at making things up. If Li Qing hadn't known better, there were clearly only a bit over three taels in that pouch.

Yet he claimed it was ten.

He was squeezing him for all he was worth at every opportunity.

Xu An curled into a ball, letting out painful groans.

Li Qing clenched his fists, finding it hard to hold back.

The scene of Zhao Si forcing him for the deed to the house this morning flashed back, that sense of humiliation and powerlessness surging in his heart again.

But this time, he wasn't a defenseless weakling.

"Scumbag!" Anger burned in Li Qing's eyes.

Zhao Si had not only stolen his only property and cut off his path to learning martial arts,

but was now here oppressing other poor people.

Xu An was bad, indulging in drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels.

Li Qing had even just heard that Xu An stole his family's money to give to Zhao Si,

completely disregarding whether his family lived or died.

A scumbag like that deserved to be beaten.

But in comparison, Zhao Si was even worse!

Li Qing didn't continue watching; he quietly stepped back a few paces, turned, and ducked into a side alley.

Zhao Si's cursing and Xu An's screams gradually faded. There were too many eyes and ears around right now.

He gripped the Crucian Carp in his hand and quickened his pace toward home.

"Now is not the time."

Although the Spirit Turtle had gained great power after evolving, he still didn't have a clear concept of a Martial Artist's strength.

Behind Zhao Si was Gao Qiang, and Gao Qiang was said to be a Martial Artist.

Acting rashly was too dangerous.

After a few turns, Li Qing returned to his dilapidated shack.

He looked around warily and saw that the leaf he had wedged into the door was still exactly where he left it.

With a quick glance back to confirm no one was following, he slipped inside and bolted the door.

The room was still dark and simple, but at this moment, Li Qing felt a trace of relief.

He placed the Crucian Carp on the chipped wooden table; there were still two bowls of the thin porridge he had cooked this morning.

"Fill the stomach first."

Li Qing deftly started a fire and placed the clay pot over it.

Just a simple reheating.

The fire crackled, its light reflecting on his clean-featured face.

While waiting for the porridge to heat, he took out a small knife and began to clean the Crucian Carp.

The sound of scales being scraped off was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

The thin porridge was soon hot, emitting a faint aroma of rice.

Li Qing served himself a full bowl and gulped it down, ignoring the heat.

The warm porridge slid down his throat, instantly warming his stomach.

After one bowl, he was surprised to find that his hunger hadn't lessened at all.

"Strange."

Li Qing rubbed his stomach and served another bowl.

This time he drank more slowly, savoring the taste of the rice grains.

After two bowls of porridge, he should have been full by any logic, but his stomach felt like a bottomless pit, still growling.

"Is it because my Physique has changed after sharing the talent?"

Li Qing put down his bowl, lost in thought.

He remembered the Great Strength talent the Spirit Turtle gained after evolving; perhaps this power required more energy to maintain.

No wonder Martial Artists always ate and drank in such large quantities.

They usually had to supplement with Vicious Beast meat; ordinary food probably wasn't enough to sustain them.

Looking at the little rice he had left, Li Qing gritted his teeth and poured all the remaining grains into the pot.

"I'll be extravagant for once today."

He muttered to himself.

Anyway, he planned to go out tonight to 'borrow' from the rich and help the poor—himself!

If all else failed, he could just buy two more catties of rice tomorrow.

This time, he didn't make thin porridge; instead, he added just enough water to cover the rice, preparing to make steamed rice.

While waiting for the rice to cook, Li Qing continued cleaning the Crucian Carp.

The fish wasn't large, but it was fresh.

He used the knife to make several cuts on the fish and sprinkled on a pinch of coarse salt he had swiped from Boss Ma yesterday.

Without ginger or green onions, this simple seasoning was all he could do.

"It would be great if I had a steamer," Li Qing thought regretfully.

In the end, he decided on the most primitive method.

He wrapped the fish in large tree leaves and buried it in the hot ashes of the stove to roast.

The aroma of rice gradually filled the air, and Li Qing's stomach growled even louder.

He couldn't wait to lift the pot lid; the rice was perfectly cooked, each grain distinct and emitting an inviting fragrance.

This was much better than thin porridge!

However, the rice was mixed with some yellow specks—chaff.

Li Qing ignored the heat and used a wooden spoon to scoop a large mouthful into his mouth.

The rice grains bounced between his teeth, carrying a rustic sweetness.

He closed his eyes and chewed carefully; aside from being a bit dry and hard,

the texture was actually quite good.

One bowl was quickly finished, and he served himself another.

By then, the fish was also done.

Li Qing used a wooden stick to poke the leaf-wrapped fish out of the ashes and carefully opened it.

A fresh fragrance hit him; the fish meat had turned an inviting white, and the skin was slightly charred, oozing glistening oils.

"Smells so good!"

Li Qing couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

He used his chopsticks to pick a piece of fish meat; with a gentle tug, the snow-white meat fell away from the bone.

Putting it in his mouth, the delicious flavor immediately blossomed on his tongue.

"This..."

Li Qing's eyes widened.

The fish meat melted in his mouth, incredibly sweet and fresh without a hint of fishiness.

Compared to the fish in his past life, those were practically pig feed!

He took another piece, this time dipping it in some of the oil from the skin and eating it with the rice.

The aroma of the rice and the freshness of the fish melded in his mouth; Li Qing ate so happily he almost shed a tear.

He never thought such simple food could be this delicious.

Was it because there were no pesticides in this world?

The fish was soon eaten clean, even the head sucked until not a shred of meat remained.

He also ate three large bowls of rice, scraping the bottom of the pot clean.

"Whew."

Li Qing leaned against the wall in satisfaction, patting his slightly bulging stomach.

This was the first time he had truly eaten his fill since his Transmigration.

A warm current surged through his body, and his limbs felt full of strength.

He tried clenching his fists, feeling the explosive power contained within his muscles.

Was this the change brought by the Great Strength talent?

Li Qing looked around, his gaze falling on the rickety wooden table.

He crouched down, grabbed a table leg with one hand, and lifted gently.

The entire table was actually lifted by him with just one hand!

"Oh my god!"

Li Qing quickly set the table down, afraid of making too much noise.

Even though the table was old, it still weighed dozens of catties.

In the past, he struggled even to carry a bucket of water, but now he could lift a table with ease.

Sharing talents is truly amazing!

Amidst his excitement, a question suddenly occurred to Li Qing.

How are the Ranks of Martial Artists divided?

What level was he at now?

Chen Shui's daughter, Chen Meng, was said to have already been a Martial Artist when she first came to the Slum.

This time she had even gone to participate in the assessment for Inner Sect Disciples of a martial arts hall.

How much power did she have?

And what level was Gao Qiang at?

There were no answers to these questions for the time being.

Li Qing tidied up the dishes and decided to check on the Spirit Turtle's situation.

He still bolted the door and set up traps inside his home.

Then he lay down on the bed.

He closed his eyes and switched his consciousness to the Spirit Turtle.

His vision in the water immediately became clear.

The Spirit Turtle was searching for prey on the riverbed, its meter-long body swimming agilely through the water.

After evolving, the Spirit Turtle had not only grown in size but also become much faster.

Li Qing controlled it to swim toward the center of the river, wanting to check that Spiritual Qi gathering point again.

However, to his disappointment, the blue light had vanished.

Only some ordinary water weeds and small fish remained on the riverbed.

"A pity," Li Qing sighed inwardly.

If he could find another spiritual object like that, his evolution speed would definitely increase significantly.

Nonetheless, today's harvest was already substantial, with the Spirit Turtle's evolution value reaching 26 points.

Just as he was about to withdraw his consciousness, he suddenly saw a flash of silver light on the riverbed through the turtle's eyes.

It was a peculiar fish, entirely silver-white, with a row of tiny spines on its dorsal fin.

【Silver-spined Fish (Ordinary Fish)】

【Edible, delicious meat, contains trace amounts of Spiritual Qi】

The System's prompt made Li Qing's eyes light up.

A fish containing Spiritual Qi?

Now that was a good find!

He immediately controlled the Spirit Turtle to give chase.

The Silver-spined Fish was fast, but the water vortex created by the Spirit Turtle's Water Control Talent successfully slowed it down.

In just one move, Li Qing successfully bit the Silver-spined Fish's tail.

The fish struggled desperately, its dorsal spines pricking the turtle's shell with a series of clinking sounds.

But for the evolved Spirit Turtle, such an attack wasn't even worth noticing.

【Devoured Silver-spined Fish, evolution value +0.5】

"Not bad!"

Li Qing was delighted.

One fish was worth ten small shrimp, and it tasted better too.