There was actually another salamander carp!

This sudden turn of events caught everyone present completely off guard.

This particular salamander carp appeared even more vicious and brutal—it instantly severed the protective rope tied around the eldest brother's waist with a single bite.

"Stay calm! Panicking won't help in emergencies!" 

Li Pingcan took a deep breath. His eldest brother could hold his breath using the Breath of the Tree technique, so he wouldn't drown even if submerged for a short while. Moreover, as a practitioner of the notoriously powerful Black Tiger Technique, he might not be much weaker than the ferocious fish. 

The only thing Pingcan could do now was inform their father of his brother's exact location. 

Closing his eyes to carefully sense the underwater movements, he soon shouted, "Father! Eldest brother is thirty meters southeast of your position!"

Without hesitation, Li Rongzhou stripped off his outer garments and plunged into the river with his short spear. 

The icy water raised goosebumps across his skin, but fortunately, he'd warmed up beforehand and could still move freely. 

However, the churning water and swirling sediment blurred visibility, making orientation difficult. 

Li Rongzhou grew increasingly frantic. 

"Pingfu, you must hold on!"

...... 

Li Pingfu remained uninjured. 

When the salamander carp lunged, he instinctively dodged, only getting his clothes caught as the fish dragged him toward the riverbed. 

Suspended in the murky waters without touching bottom, his hearing became muffled by the water, and his senses dulled—visibility reduced to just one or two meters. 

Yet as a martial artist, he keenly felt the predatory killing intent enveloping him through some primal instinct. 

It was that salamander carp. 

'Stay composed—panic speeds death. I just need to defend patiently. Father and brother will surely find a way to save me.'

Keeping his eyes wide open to survey his surroundings, Li Pingfu clung firmly to the family creed of "never abandon, never give up." Master Zhou Enxian's teachings echoed in his mind—three years of martial training had ingrained focused composure into his very bones. 

As for taking the offensive? 

That path had never crossed his mind. Was he supposed to challenge a salamander carp to a sliding tackle underwater? 

"Gurgle..." 

Bubbles rapidly ascended as a dark shadow circled Pingfu, its massive tail attempting to create vortices that would disrupt his balance. 

Unshaken, Pingfu descended fully to the riverbed, his feet half-buried in silt while keeping his body squarely facing the fish to prevent ambush. 

Simultaneously, the carp's unique malevolent aura honed his awareness, tempering his martial resolve. 

A stalemate ensued.

Soon realizing its strategy ineffective, the carp grew impatient and intensified its assault. 

The "prey's" turtle-like defensive posture gradually bred contempt within it. 

'An opening!' 

'The best defense is a good offense!' 

With a sudden swirl, the carp revealed its soft underbelly during a lightning-fast attack! 

Li Pingfu remained ice-calm. Pivoting his foot to sidestep the charge by half a body length, he seized the instant they passed each other to viciously plunge a dagger into the fish's belly. Blood blossomed in the water. 

Enraged by the pain, the carp went berserk, stirring up violent currents that sent debris flying, making it impossible to maintain footing. 

But far from frightened, Pingfu felt exhilarated—he spotted his father's figure approaching silently through the murk. 

A single underwater glance between them conveyed mutual understanding as they coordinated wordlessly. 

Rather than struggling to escape the enraged carp's pursuit, why not strike first and slaughter it?

...... 

Li Pingfu kept the carp's aggression focused on himself while Li Rongzhou attacked from behind—one stab, two stabs, three stabs in relentless succession! 

The power of a Bone Realm martial artist channeled through a sharp spearpoint could pierce defenses no scales could withstand. 

Though water resistance reduced strength, spears faced far less drag than broad blades. 

"Thunk!" 

"Thunk!" 

"Thunk!" 

Fish blood diffused through the water in crimson clouds. 

Caught between two fronts, the wounded carp tried fleeing but found Pingfu stubbornly blocking escape routes. 

Turning to fight Li Rongzhou proved futile—severely injured and having lost the initiative, the carp became mere plaything for a Bone Realm expert. 

Working in perfect sync, father and son whittled the carp down cautiously like tortoises capturing prey in a jar, until Li Rongzhou delivered the final oblique thrust through its gills into the brain. 

With the perilous battle concluded, the pair shared a triumphant look before surfacing with their prize. 

...... 

"Father and eldest brother are coming up!" 

Li Pingcan exclaimed excitedly, observing the massive dead salamander carp that appeared even larger than the previous one—a true aquatic overlord. 

Combined, the two fish would likely fetch sixty or seventy taels of silver—quite the substantial haul. 

Wringing out his soaked clothes, Li Pingfu said, "That Breath of the Tree technique you taught really saved me—I wouldn't have lasted until father arrived otherwise." 

For him, this battle's rewards extended beyond just maintaining rational strategy under duress—more importantly, it had tempered his martial spirit against malice, polishing it like jade to greater luster. 

Li Rongzhou clapped his eldest son's shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Well done, lad! Holding your own against a carp bigger than you without getting cocky is rare indeed." 

"All thanks to father and master's teachings," replied Pingfu, his adolescent voice uncharacteristically chatty with lingering adrenaline. 

"Just glad you're safe," murmured Li Ping'an, relieved to see no injuries while secretly harboring new thoughts. 

Even with mediocre aptitude, perhaps he too should train in martial arts. If nothing else, being unable to flee properly during crises would only burden the family. 

Having experienced Breath of the Tree's benefits, his resistance toward martial practice had diminished. 

Li Pingcan shared similar reflections—cultivation aside, martial arts were essential worldly skills for eventual immortal pursuits! 

...... 

Villagers crowded the entrance, buzzing with curiosity. 

Watching Li Rongzhou and his eldest son each carrying an enormous fish, comments flew: 

"Brother Li, what terrifying fish is this?" 

"Salamander carp? Impressive—great blood qi medicine! Must be worth a fortune!" 

"To actually hunt these—Brother Li's skills are remarkable!" 

Amidst awed stares and envious gazes, some entertained thoughts of "borrowing" fish meat—until Li Rongzhou's cold spear dissuaded such notions. 

At the Li household: 

"So huge?!" 

Lady Qin nearly fainted seeing two giant fish spanning their courtyard, only calming after repeated assurances of no injuries. 

As household manager, each financial gain filled her with squirrel-like winter store security. 

The whole family set to work—portioning fresh fish to gift village chief Zhou, Master Enxian, Li Fang and others, keeping some, then selling the rest in town for fifty-three taels. 

Though preservation was possible, effects diminished greatly, so they sold most after discussion. 

"Earning money this easily—if only we could hunt daily," mused Li Pingfu, savoring memories of rich fish broth and potent blood qi energy. 

Li Rongzhou shook his head. "Not so simple. Without Can'er locating you, you'd be fish fertilizer now. 'Constant exposure will eventually soak you'—our original plan was near flawless, yet accidents still happened." 

Worried Pingfu might consider professional hunting, Li Pingcan added, "Eldest brother, mountains hold greater dangers—not from large prey but camouflaged snakes and insects whose bites take half your life." 

"My mistake," conceded Pingfu, touched by his younger brother's concern. 

...... 

News of Li Rongzhou's catch spread throughout Peach Blossom Village, attracting much attention. 

Initially considering covert transport, he realized their single village path to Gourd River made secrecy impossible with such enormous fish—whether butchered outdoors or at home, discovery was inevitable. 

So he paraded them openly, displaying capability. 

That very day, visitors arrived. 

"Brother Tiger, some tea." 

Li Rongzhou spoke respectfully to the vigorous, fierce-aura'd man—the village's other Blood Qi Realm expert besides Zhou Enxian, and its sole licensed hunting specialist.