Xu Yi bit on the tip of his tongue, shocking him back into consciousness. Only then did he manage to see clearly. In the southwest, roughly a meter away, a school of large of Giant Green Carp was foraging.

Giant Green Carp was a specialty of Nielong River. And adult carp could grow up to a meter long. They liked to group together, and they were fatty and delicious. Using them to make fish soup with shallots would create a delicacy, and such a dish could even be served to nobles.

Figuring out the identity of these guys, Xu Yi was like a wanderer in the desert who had finally found an oasis. He almost exploded with joy.

Immediately, welling up all his strength, he worked his legs , shot towards the fish, and managed to grab onto a meter-long green fish.

The moment Xu Yi moved, Zhou Shirong’s mouth curved into a cold smile. “You finally couldn’t hold it in anymore!” His palms danced into action again, but just as he was about to strike with his palm, he suddenly stopped.

His eyes suddenly opened wide as he stared beneath his feet. Countless ripples had formed all over the place, making it impossible to discern any specific movement.

Washed over with a mix of surprise and anger, Zhou Shirong chased after the source of the largest ripple. With a strike of his palm and a thunderous clap, water flew into the air. In the end, a giant, green, three-meter-long fish floated up to the surface.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Zhou Shirong’s arms danced in a mad flurry. In only a few moments, the entire surface was covered in explosions.

Raging on in fury for a while longer, Zhou Shirong finally calmed himself, thinking, This rascal is already at the peak of Body Forging. Within Guang’an, there is no way that he would not stand out, so he can never hope to hide for too long. Furthermore, when breaking past the Body Forging stage, he would definitely cause quite a stir. When that time comes, I’ll see how that rascal can continue to hide!

As he was expressing his hatred, the mournful cries of Flying Snow came from the riverbank. Immediately, Zhou Shirong’s heart shattered into pieces.

Moments before, at the bottom of the river, Xu Yi had grabbed onto a green carp and firmly wrapped onto it with all its limbs.

In shock, the Giant Green Carp tried to flee with all its might. The rest of the dozen or so carp had also been alarmed and had escaped in all directions as well. Immediately, sand was kicked up, and ripples were created everywhere.

Even with Zhou Shirong’s ability to sense the ripples in the water, there was no way he could have discerned which direction Xu Yi went.

Having held onto a Giant Green Carp, Xu Yi still did not dare to go up to the surface. After the carp had carried him dozens of meters away, he finally lost consciousness. But even then, his limbs still firmly clung onto the back of the carp, following the carp as it sped downstream.

It was daybreak. The sky was blue, the sun had barely made its appearance, and the air was unusually clear and fresh.

In a clean, narrow courtyard, fiery red roses stood out like beautiful fairies on a wall covered in ivy, making for a lovely sight of greenery.

There were green melons and red fruits, and when the wind blew, a gentle aroma was brought to the nose. In this little courtyard was a tiny paradise on earth.

Xu Yi, was sitting on the doorsill of this paradise, carrying a green cloth bag. His facial hair had grown out and was unkempt. His face was pale but still looked energetic. He was greedily taking in the morning air when the narrow door of the courtyard opened with a creak.

“Uncle Beardo, you’re up! Just in time. Come eat breakfast. The freshly fried doughnuts are really fragrant!”

The one speaking was a young girl, around four to five years old. She had neat short hair that framed her plump little face that bore a high bridged and a large pair of eyes. It was a face with extraordinarily delicate features. In one of her hands was a cloth bag, and the other was busy shoving a piece of golden brown fried dough into her mouth. While eating, she was also occasionally using her sleeve to wipe of the clear snot coming out of her nose.

The moment the little girl finished speaking, another person entered the courtyard. This time, it was an old man. His body was extremely long but looked fit. His hair was long and untied, and his face had a chivalrous look to it. He chuckled as he came in. “Little Qiu, your mouth has been busy for the whole journey here. By the time the food reaches the table, I’m afraid your Uncle Beardo would have to eat an empty sack.”

“Grandpa, that’s not true! There’s still five, four, ah! No, three left!”

Little Qiu scrunched up her face. Her lips trembled as she was about to cry.

Xu Yi quickly went forward to pick her up, comforting her, “Grandpa’s just teasing. See what he’s holding in his hand?”

Little Qiu immediately opened her eyes which were on the verge of tears, sweeping her gaze towards the old man’s hands, only to see a sack of white buns, still piping hot. She sniffed and shouted, “Grandpa is bad!” before sliding out of Xu Yi’s arms and dashing towards the old man.

“Morning, Uncle Mu!” Xu Yi greeted as he walked up. His face lit up with a smile.

Unwanted in his previous life, and an orphan in his current life with a deep vengeance to boot, all of these things had led to Xu Yi becoming cold, solitary, and hateful of the world.

In the past two years, other than using his oratory talents to earn money, he hardly had any interactions with his fellow villagers, much less smiled at anyone.

But in front of this grandfather-granddaughter duo, he became a lot more approachable.

Three days ago, he had been chased by Zhou Shirong until he had a foot in his grave. In the end, by grabbing onto a giant green carp, he had somehow managed to escape.

But even so, he had used up all of the air in his chest and had lost consciousness. As he used up what could have been his last breath, he was pulled up in a net by Uncle Mu who happened to be fishing in the river, and he was thus saved.

Although his injuries were severe, they were not lethal. At the peak of Body Forging, one’s ability to heal is enhanced greatly. With just two days of rest at the Mu family’s home, he had recovered.

Uncle Mu was an old fashioned man. He treated others kindly, expecting nothing in return, and he had treated Xu Yi like a guest and a friend. Little Qiu was mischievous and lively, and they became close as family only after a few days.

At that moment, seeing Uncle Mu and Little Qiu fetch breakfast for him, warmth welled up in Xu Yi’s heart.

After eating a warm breakfast, Uncle Mu hoisted his fishing net and went out to fish.

Earlier on, Little Qiu had snatched her school bag, as well as a bun, and walked out the door.

All of this had happened so naturally, as though Xu Yi had always been a member of their family.

Xu Yi grabbed a broom and swept the yard, then tidied up around the house. After that, he got into a stance and slowly performed his fist routine. He felt that he was filled with Qi and that energy circulated throughout his body.

Xu Yi had never felt his body in such a good condition before. He felt that if he were to deliver a punch at full force, he could definitely send a whole horse flying.

Evidently, his experience at the verge of life and death three days ago had brought him some incredible benefits.

After performing his routine, Xu Yi wiped his face, and with a jump, leapt over the wall.

The Mu’s lived in the outskirts, in a small place called Furong Town, only a few dozen miles from Guang’an City. One of the tributaries of Nielong River passed through the town, bringing quite a few merchants and tourists to the area. Although the town was small, it was a bustling town.

The sun was up, and the air was fresh. The small town was built upon the riverside and was draped in greenery, giving it the kind of elegance akin to Jiangnan river towns.

It was still early in the day. The shops open in the town were mainly those that sold breakfast. Buns, steamed rolls, spring rolls, steamed dumplings, and so on. Looking at these familiar looking foods that came in all shapes and sizes, Xu Yi felt like this was an entirely different world.

The enticing smells kept tempting his belly.

Ever since he had reached the peak of Body Forging, his appetite had grown immensely. In the three days he was at the Mu’s, Xu Yi had never actually eaten his fill.

With a street full of delicacies in front of him, there was no reason to pass it by.

In just a few minutes, Xu Yi’s hands were carrying an additional giant cloth sack. In it was over a dozen pounds of food. He strolled by the riverside that was draped with willows, enjoying the scenery while munching on his food.

As he was finally feeling satiated, he noticed a gathering of around a hundred people over in the distance. As he took a better look, he saw that each of them were well built, brimming with Qi, and they were clearly practitioners of the Martial Way.