Chapter 378: Small Countries Do Not Know Reverence

With just the right amount of force, not too light nor too heavy, the leisurely goldfish in the water was startled, turning to dart away.

At that moment, He Lingchuan's net entered the water, perfectly positioned beside the fish, and with a gentle scoop, the black-spotted goldfish was instantly flicked out of the water. He Lingchuan caught it with a jar—success! Of course, the net broke, but a net for a lively, beautiful goldfish was a fair trade.

Sun Fuling clapped softly, "Excellent!" The move had been too quick for others to follow, but she saw it clearly. The net was flimsy and couldn't withstand the goldfish's charge and struggle, so it couldn't be placed directly in its path of escape. In that brief instant, He Lingchuan accurately predicted the fish's direction and scooped it from the side to deflect its momentum. The fish was essentially flicked out, not simply scooped up. Catching the fish was minor; his keen eyesight and precise prediction were what truly mattered.

The vendor was also a bit surprised. "Impressive," he said. Seeing He Lingchuan pick up the last net, the vendor reminded him, "Don't tap the jar and scare the fish again! My fish can't handle being startled."

"Alright," He Lingchuan, who had gained some insight, turned to Sun Fuling, "Which one do you want now?"

"I want that Lionhead Dragon Eye!" Sun Fuling pointed it out to him, "The pure black one."

"Okay." What peculiar taste. This fish was murky black, with a swollen head and swollen eyes. What was appealing about that?

He Lingchuan casually took two grains of rice from the vendor and dropped them into the jar. Once the fish floated to the surface, he lowered the net again. This time, he placed it vertically, the wooden hoop cutting through the water perpendicularly, preventing the paper net from taking the force. With a flick and a shake of his wrist, the Lionhead Dragon Eye that Sun Fuling wanted was flicked out again. Along with it, another white fish that had been competing for food was also launched. It was like a buy-one-get-one-free deal. The children nearby watched wide-eyed. How could this person's hands be so nimble?

He Lingchuan continued to catch fish with exceptional skill. He paid five coins, and whatever Sun Fuling pointed to, he caught without fail. Sun Fuling observed his movements, clapping cheerfully. In just a few dozen breaths, the water jar was filled with nine "trophy" fish, each of a different color and form. Many pedestrians at the market entrance stopped to watch. The vendor, sharp-witted, began soliciting customers as more people gathered, shouting, "Look, look! He can catch them! Is it my net that's the problem?"

A little girl, full of anticipation, blinked her watery eyes and pleaded with He Lingchuan, "Big brother, will you help me catch one?"

The vendor's face stiffened. "No, no, no proxy catching!" This guy had spent ten coins and taken nine goldfish, specifically choosing the pretty ones. He was already losing a lot!

He Lingchuan asked his female companion, "Is that enough?"

Sun Fuling looked at the jar, smiling. "It's enough for now. We can come back in a few days."

The vendor immediately sighed in relief. "Do you want fish food? I have special fish food here. Your fish will be beautiful and lively after eating it, much better than feeding them rice grains. Rice grains can also easily spoil the water!" His fish were indeed more vibrant than others'. He Lingchuan readily agreed, "Give me a portion." The vendor stood up and turned to get him an oiled paper package. Only then did He Lingchuan realize the vendor was a cripple, walking with a limp. He wondered how difficult it must be for him to carry water buckets to the market.

The little girl who had earlier failed to get He Lingchuan to catch a fish for her pointed at his ankle and asked, "What happened to your leg?"

The vendor's face instantly darkened. "Don't ask foolish questions! Someone broke it!"

The little girl recoiled, not daring to speak again. Her mother glared and scolded, "You heartless scoundrel, scaring my daughter like that!"

"So what if I broke my leg in Rongshan?" The vendor carefully pocketed the copper coins He Lingchuan handed him, then slapped the jar lid with a *smack*. "If I hadn't fought those wretched bastards from Xiji and injured my leg, I'd be living a life of luxury right now. Would I need to bicker with a fat old woman like you in the market?"

He Lingchuan and Sun Fuling paid and quickly slipped away, escaping the market's petty squabbles. But he still overheard a few phrases from the argument behind them: "Is Rongshan famous? It doesn't seem to be in Panlong Wasteland, does it?"

Sun Fuling's smile faded slightly. "It's within Xiji territory."

"The country east of Panlong Wasteland?" Panlong Wasteland was an exclave; he remembered there were several small countries further east, with Xiji being one of them, before reaching Xiluo's borders.

"Xiji was originally Xiluo's territory. A dozen years ago, the Huyan family took advantage of the turmoil in their motherland, seized the opportunity to secede, and declared themselves kings." She shook her head. "All those countries emerged in the same way."

"The native Xiji people were already xenophobic. After their nation was established, many residents from central Xiluo and Panlong Wasteland were stranded within Xiji territory and couldn't leave. As a result, they were exploited and harassed by the locals." Sun Fuling sighed. "Four years ago, during the Rongshan riots, Xiji people stormed the fortified settlements built by our residents, destroying, looting, burning, killing, and abducting women and children. Over two thousand people were killed or injured. When the news reached Panlong City, everyone was outraged, especially since Rongshan is actually not far from Panlong Wasteland, and many victims had relatives and friends among the city's inhabitants."

"Such arrogance is due to their motherland's weakness." No wonder the stout woman fell silent when this topic came up; this incident was a sore point for everyone.

"Panlong City repeatedly negotiated, hoping to bring back some of the wasteland residents, but Xiji flatly refused. Xiji frequently caused trouble along the border, and relying on its position as our indispensable trade route to the southeast, they unreasonably deterred and blackmailed our merchants."

Sun Fuling tilted her head, observing his expression. "Are you wondering why Panlong City doesn't teach Xiji a lesson?"

He Lingchuan didn't hide it. "Mmhmm, I was thinking that. But then I considered, maybe they have backing? If they didn't have support, would a small country bordering Panlong Wasteland dare to be so brazen and cause so much trouble?"

"The calls to punish Xiji have grown louder over the years, but Panlong City has its own difficulties," Sun Fuling said slowly. "Xiji has always been on good terms with Baling, and a few years ago, they even welcomed envoys from the northern demon nation, receiving many rewards, which made them a bit overconfident. But every time they harass our border, they choose times when we are engaged with Baling or Xianyou, leaving us unable to deal with them. The incidents they stir up along the border are also neither big nor small, not as egregious as the Rongshan riots." After all, Rongshan was within Xiji territory; they could do as they pleased there. But in Panlong Wasteland, it was a different story.

"Isn't that like a toad jumping on one's foot?"

Sun Fuling paused, imagining the scene, and couldn't help but shiver. "Exactly!" He Lingchuan also understood her deeper meaning: In fact, Panlong City itself was struggling. For the past decade or so, Zhong Shengguang's sole focus had been on how to defend Panlong Wasteland. And four years ago, with the internal migration, the Xiluo Kingdom recalled forty thousand elite troops from Panlong City back to the mainland, significantly weakening Panlong City's own strength. For the past four years, Panlong City had been diligently recovering and rebuilding, with truly no spare energy to meddle in other affairs. To uphold justice, one first needed to ensure their own strength was sufficient. Danger lurking everywhere had always been the main theme of this land.

"Someday," He Lingchuan shrugged.

Sun Fuling nodded. "Acting so irreverently, Xiji will face terrible misfortune someday." The two dropped the topic, bought some hot food, and found a donkey cart to go home.

He Lingchuan intended to carry the jar of fish to Sun Fuling's house, but she insisted on putting the fish into He Lingchuan's own water vat: "Your vat is just sitting idle anyway; it's better to raise fish than mosquitoes." The ceramic vat in his small courtyard took up too much space and usually only collected rainwater, which was a waste.

"I'm often away on missions; I'm afraid the fish will starve." In fact, he had found that his time spent entering and exiting the dream realm was erratic, sometimes with gaps of several days.

Sun Fuling smiled faintly. "Why worry? I'm here."

Her? He Lingchuan thought to himself that her whereabouts were even more erratic than his own; these fish would likely soon perish from irregular feeding. However, seeing her enthusiastically leaning over the vat, feeding the goldfish, how could He Lingchuan dare to expose the truth? At worst, he would just go back to the market in a few days and get her a new batch of goldfish.

The next morning, He Lingchuan first took a stroll around Fufeng City. The inn chosen by Second Boss Shi was near the market, so it was bustling right outside the door. They had arrived in Fufeng City in the middle of the night, so He Lingchuan only witnessed the prosperity of Beijia's main city this morning. The streets in the main urban area could actually be described as spotless, cleaned twice a day by dedicated demons. Both main streets and alleyways were paved with stone bricks; the difference was that main streets and boulevards used large bluestones, while smaller streets and alleys used long flagstones or black slate. Despite constant foot traffic from residents, they remained remarkably even and were diligently maintained. Of course, the impoverished back alleys presented a different scene; every city had its dark side, and Fufeng City wasn't shy about it being seen. He Lingchuan often observed his father governing, and sometimes He Chunhua and He Yue would discuss state affairs at home. He knew that the streets and roads reflected a city's governance and financial status. Fufeng City likely had no shortage of funds. Of course, this might also be related to the approaching birthday of the Precious Tree King, which required the entire city to be revamped and present a new appearance.

As he walked out with the Stone Gate merchant caravan's carriage, he saw bustling markets everywhere, fully stocked with goods from north and south. Some cities separated commerce and residential areas, but Fufeng City had fewer such rules; shops selling goods in the front and people living in the back buildings were common. He Lingchuan often saw entire families sitting inside their shops, selling goods when customers arrived, and eating meals when they left. Unlike other places, Fufeng City was full of trees. Ancient trees, two or three hundred years old, grew casually by the roadside, their trunks so wide it would take two or three people to embrace them. Vibrant flowers of various kinds shyly peeked over walls, bursting forth in red, yellow, white, and purple. In the May breeze, green trees and fragrant flowers. He Lingchuan had truly never seen such a clean and beautiful city; even Shi Huan was far inferior. Walking on the shaded paths was endlessly pleasant.

Seven or eight artificial lakes were distributed across the city's four quadrants, connected by inner rivers, and finally linking with rivers outside the city. However, He Lingchuan rarely saw small ditches or canals, so he wondered how the residents accessed water. After all, this city covered a vast area; it couldn't possibly lack a proper water supply and drainage system. Upon asking, he learned that most of Fufeng City's canals were underground, with tightly sealed covers, eliminating the problem of pollutants falling into open ditches.