Chapter 12: The Siege and the Death of the White Dragon Fish

The next morning, Chu Danqing and Dabao woke up early. The water in the river behind Xianghua Village had completely dried up. It wasn’t just the upstream damming project causing this; the villagers were actively drawing water as well.

Never underestimate the ingenuity of the ancients. For mere water extraction, they possessed ingenious hydraulic devices such as the “Thirst Crow,” a curved pipe system utilizing the siphon principle. There were also water wheels, pulleys, and a full range of water tools and equipment.

Farming was the livelihood of Xianghua Village, so water was naturally indispensable.

“Brother Chu, you’ve arrived just in time. I saved something good for you,” Jiang Tu said mysteriously as he grabbed Chu Danqing on the way to the low-lying area downstream, handing him a sealed large sea bowl.

Upon receiving it, Chu Danqing discovered it had attributes.

[Sea Bowl Stew]
[Type: Consumable]
[Quality: Common]
[Effect: Permanently increases maximum health by +10 upon complete digestion and absorption]

“This is distilled from the essence of those little beasts. I simmered it all night just for you, brother. It’s meant to help you recover,” Jiang Tu said with a knowing look, as if sharing a secret only men could understand.

Chu Danqing was astonished. He had no idea which part of the white dragon fish offspring was used for the stew, but he finished the entire bowl cleanly.

A warm current flowed through his body, quickly circulating throughout, while a notification from the Dimensional Garden appeared:

[Your maximum health +1]

Clearly, this was not a one-time increase but something that would accumulate over time.

“Want more, brother?” Jiang Tu approached again after seeing Chu Danqing finish. However, the rest of the stew made from white dragon fish offspring had no attributes, so Chu Danqing declined, already feeling full.

Dabao, on the other hand, used the bowl as a ladle, eating until his belly was round before finally stopping.

“Eating so much, will you still be able to kill the bad creature later?” Chu Danqing asked worriedly, concerned it might affect Dabao’s condition.

“No problem. It’ll digest while we walk,” Dabao replied, setting down the bowl. “Let’s go, Chu, time to kill the bad thing.”

The low-lying area where the white dragon fish resided was not far. Jiang Tu was here not because of Chu Danqing, but to conveniently deliver meat broth to the villagers.

When the two arrived, the area had been drained to a muddy wetland.

The blind white dragon fish was fiercely confronting the villagers, protecting a large egg about the size of a human head beneath it.

Old Wu held a bow, occasionally shooting arrows, but the feathered arrows did no damage to the thick scales of the white dragon fish.

“Brother Chu, Dabao, you’re just in time,” the village chief greeted them as they arrived. “We’ve been struggling with it for almost an hour.”

“Dabao, it’s up to you now.”

The white dragon fish’s scales and skin were too tough; arrows barely caused any harm.

As for close combat, aside from Dabao, any villager who got hit would be in serious trouble.

Dabao grunted his agreement and was about to move forward when suddenly, the white dragon fish, sensing Chu Danqing’s scent in the air, triggered a frenzy.

It abandoned its egg and charged straight at Chu Danqing’s position, catching everyone off guard.

But Chu Danqing was prepared. “Chief, have everyone retreat. Remember to save the white dragon fish’s egg for me.”

“Dabao, take me and run. We’ll drain its moisture.”

At this moment, the white dragon fish was still about seven meters long, not yet at its weakest.

Dabao chose to follow Chu Danqing’s plan since the chief had instructed him to listen to Chu Danqing.

He hoisted Chu Danqing onto his back and sprinted backward.

The villagers scattered, and the chief, remembering Chu Danqing’s words, picked up and secured the white dragon fish egg after it chased them away.

Meanwhile, Chu Danqing hung his rustic blade at his waist, took out some throwing stones, adjusted his stance, and began hurling them.

Due to various factors, his aim was not great.

Out of ten throws, only two or three would hit—but that was enough.

He wasn’t attacking; he was provoking.

Accompanied by the stones, Chu Danqing taunted the white dragon fish verbally.

This only made the furious creature more agitated and impatient. Being blind, it relied solely on its sense of smell, which caused it to stumble frequently.

This allowed Dabao to easily stay ahead.

“Dabao, be alert. I suspect the bad creature has other plans,” Chu Danqing whispered in Dabao’s ear.

The white dragon fish didn’t seem blinded by hatred; everything was going too smoothly.

No sooner had he spoken than the white dragon fish made a sharp right-angle turn.

Thanks to Chu Danqing’s warning, Dabao quickly changed course and pursued the white dragon fish.

“It’s heading upstream,” Chu Danqing immediately confirmed.

Whether it was to destroy the upstream dam or to escape that way, it meant the white dragon fish would return to the water.

Once back in the water, even blind, it could easily evade Dabao.

If it escaped, Chu Danqing would lose a reward, and the long-standing blood feud of Xianghua Village would remain unresolved.

The distance between them closed rapidly until, just as they neared, the white dragon fish swung its massive tail, striking Dabao’s waist with immense force.

The blow was so powerful it knocked Dabao off balance, causing him to fall and dragging Chu Danqing down as well.

Looking up again, the white dragon fish’s head—resembling a terrifying fusion of a crocodile, a hexagonal dinosaur, and a salamander—lunged to bite him.

Chu Danqing had anticipated this. He stepped forward in a bow stance, drew his blade, and plunged it with all his might toward the fish’s nose—the only vulnerable spot he could penetrate.

Unfortunately, he missed the nose and instead thrust the blade straight into the creature’s open mouth.

The white dragon fish intended to swallow him whole but was stopped by the blade.

However, the rustic blade was no legendary weapon; it broke after a moment of resistance.

Using that brief window, Chu Danqing swiftly pulled back, retreating sharply and causing the white dragon fish to bite at empty air.

The creature crawled forward on its sharp claws, exuding a bloody aura and mist, its belly gurgling as it circulated water inside.

It was preparing to replicate its previous water shock attack.

But in the next instant, Dabao charged fiercely, ramming the white dragon fish’s waist with his shoulder.

Already weakened, the white dragon fish was knocked over immediately.

Blind, far from peak strength, and mentally unbalanced, all its disadvantages converged at this moment.

As Dabao’s fists pounded the creature’s belly like a raging storm, Chu Danqing knew everything was settled.

He stood back a little, throwing stones along with the blows.

He didn’t know how the Dimensional Garden would rate this battle, but watching from the sidelines definitely wouldn’t earn any points.

Until the white dragon fish lay motionless, its belly shattered and intestines torn, a new-style treasure chest appeared on its corpse.