Hide in The Immortal Cultivation World, Strike Hard in the Martial World-Chapter 61 - 58: Fishing Law Enforcement
During this period, most of Chen Yi's energy was focused on the Immortal Cultivation World. Of course, he was always paying attention to the situation at home in the Martial World,
His large boat was almost renovated, and everything in Lakeside Town had returned to normal by the third day. The flow of people on the street had increased, and small merchants and peddlers had begun to do business again,
It seemed that Leader Lei's trip to the county town had probably been a success in negotiating with the Ma Zi Gang.
"Well, wait a few more days. It's about time I took a trip to the county myself. Though I cannot handle the leader, capturing an Anjin gang member and questioning him about the Iron Shirt Technique's Martial Method should be feasible."
On this day, after finishing his cultivation, Chen Yi carried two bags of fish to the shantytown of Island 32.
He was planning to hand them over to Liu Zhuang and Er Gou as usual,
But today, when Liu Zhuang came out to deliver the silver, he had his head wrapped in a cloth, and his walk seemed a bit unnatural,
"Boss, this is the silver from selling fish yesterday, 135 taels, not a penny less! You can leave the fish here, and we'll clean them up later."
"What happened to your face?"
"It's nothing, Boss. I just took a fall."
"Let me see!" Chen Yi's tone was somewhat serious.
"No need, Boss, really it's nothing!"
With a swoosh, Chen Yi tore off the cloth, only to find Liu Zhuang's face a patchwork of blues and purples. He frowned and demanded,
"What happened, tell me!"
A look of embarrassment crossed Liu Zhuang's face, but seeing the gathering storm in Chen Yi's brows, he finally told the truth:
"It was a few thugs from the next street. They have had problems with me and Er Gou for a while now. These past few days, they saw that we were selling more fish than them, so they came looking for trouble,
Er Gou was bullied, they beat him up. When I found out, I naturally retaliated and beat them back,
But I also took a few hits, I did not lose though!
And it didn't affect selling your fish!"
"Isn't the public security on this island supposed to be very good? Can't you two just sell fish without someone causing trouble?" Chen Yi asked with a frown.
"Ah, they're associated with the Lin Family. Me and Er Gou, having no backing, have been dealing with friction and conflicts with them for years. Because of these incidents, we've both been locked up on the island, but they have connections and got out quickly, while me and my brother suffered a lot,
So later when they start fights, we dare not retaliate, which leads us to be victimized more often."
"Boss, don't worry, it won't affect your business. It's just that my little brother's leg is a bit injured and he may need to lay in bed for a day. I'll go out to sell today, so the silver might be a bit late tomorrow."
Chen Yi nodded: "I understand. You can continue selling the fish."
"Yes, thank you, Boss! I won't let you down!" Liu Zhuang firmly dragged the fish out.
Also, they won't be arrogant for much longer. Thinking of the silver from selling fish these days, Liu Zhuang clenched his fist secretly, as long as I get a few more days, I will be able to gather enough money for a batch of medicine!
Chen Yi did not go far. After Liu Zhuang dragged the fish out for sale, he followed discreetly from the corner.
From the corner, Chen Yi came out with a different face.
Just now, his facial muscles twitched, and gradually, he changed from a sixteen-year-old teenager to a thirty-something man with a rugged appearance,
This was a little trick he had learned from the Ancient Vajra Sutra during his spare time these days,
For a first-layer body cultivator, controlling muscles is just a basic ability. If Chen Yi reaches the second layer of body cultivation, he can learn to control his bones,
He could change from a tall man of 1.8 metres to a short and stout man of 1.6 metres.
Of course, this is for the future. For now, Chen Yi needs only to alter his face and make himself unrecognizable.
Chen Yi, now appearing as a weathered middle-aged man, discreetly followed behind Liu Zhuang.
He understood that being bullied and experiencing some friction are conducive to growth.
But,
You can't interrupt my fish-selling and money-making now, can you!
Of course, he is following, but whether or not to intervene, when to intervene, how to intervene, and in what manner, require further observation.
Chen Yi, disguised as a weathered fisherman, with the money bag Liu Zhuang had just given him, slowly followed behind.
"Manager Wang, this is the new Dragon Whisker Catfish that arrived today. Look at how strong the tail is! 7 taels of silver? Isn't it usually 8 taels?
When did Zhang Heng and his followers start to undercut my prices?
Fine, 7 taels it is...
Zhang Heng, Wang San, and the rest of you guys, wait and see. You beat up my brother and you're driving me out of the fish market!"
Liu Zhu angrily walked from one established fish-selling spot to another. Today's earnings were over a tenth less than usual.
Finally, he arrived at his stall and started to sell fish weighing less than 10 jin, displayed in buckets.
"Hey, isn't that brother Zhu from the slums?
What is wrong? Are you ill? You can't show your face, can you?!
Haha, hey?! Everyone be aware, don't buy fish from him, he has a contagious disease! Just look at him hiding his face. He must be afraid!
Hahaha!!"
A burly man was pointing at Liu Zhu's stall and loudly laughing. The other stall owners kept their distance.
Liu Zhu was so angry that he was almost shooting fire from his eyes. If he was not afraid of a fight, and if he did not want to cause trouble for his boss and was not, in fact, supposed to be helping his boss sell fish, he would have definitely resorted to violence.
But for now, Liu Zhu chose to restrain himself.
"Hmph, yellow-belly, serve you right if you starve to death!"
Zhang Heng spat in Liu Zhu's direction and turned to leave.
As he spun around, he bumped his forehead into someone,
"Yo! Who the hell is blocking my way?!"
Zhang Heng glanced down at the stunned man he had knocked over, who appeared to be a middle-aged fisherman with time-weathered wrinkles on his face and a bag of fish in his arms.
The middle-aged man quickly picked up a piece of silver from the ground and swiftly stashed it into his cloth bag, clutching it tightly.
"Stop! Old timer, do you dare to take the money I dropped?!"
Zhang Heng rubbed his brow, wondering if he had hit the man's bag of silver coins. They felt quite solid.
However, as he concluded that the man was just an ordinary fisherman, Zhang Heng immediately resolved not to let the earlier incident pass without penalties.
"This is mine! It's the money for my son's treatment. I have to go to the pharmacy to get medicine!"
Chen Yi pretended to appear extremely nervous, clutching the bag of money closely.
"What do you mean yours?" At this moment, one of Zhang Heng's sidekicks leaned in and whispered something into his ear.
"Boss, everyone in the market is watching. We can't just take it from him outright. He said he needs it for medication, maybe we could..."
Due to his highly developed senses, Chen Yi easily overheard the conversation.
"Need medicine, right? Just so happens, I know a pharmacy. The prices are fair and the medicine works wonders. How about I take you there?" Zhang Heng changed his tune after hearing his sidekick's suggestion.
"Really? You're not slacking me off, are you?"
"Of course, it's true. If you don't believe me, ask these neighbors. Who wouldn't vouch for me?!
Isn't that so, everyone?!"
Zhang Heng glared menacingly around at the gathered crowd. No one among the stall owners, who had been staying clear of him before, dared to challenge him. They merely nodded in silent agreement.
"Alright then, where's the pharmacy? I'll come with you. Remember, I only have 120 taels, and I won't go if I can't afford the life-saving medicine!"
At the mention of this, Zhang Heng and his sidekicks' eyes lit up. 120 taels? That would be enough for them to live it up for over ten days!
Chen Yi followed Zhang Heng and his crew away from the marketplace.
As soon as they left, murmuring broke out amongst the crowd:
"This is trouble, that man looks like an outsider from another island. He came with a bag of silver to buy medicine, but now he's being targeted by Zhang Heng and his gang of local thugs. I fear the worst for him!"
"Hmph, Zhang Heng and his band are close with the Lin Family and the Island Master. They've been involved in a lot of shady deals beneath the surface. Every old-timer here knows that. The rules they set only apply to us ordinary fishermen. For those in cahoots with the cultivators, he wouldn't dare impose any kind of penalty, no matter the crime they committed!"
"Are you asking for death? How dare you say such things? If the Island Master hears you, he might punish you and leave you destitute!"
Over at one corner, Liu Zhu hiding behind his stall wore an indecisive look on his face. He silently vowed that once this tough period was over, he would exact revenge on everyone, including Zhang Heng and the rest of the Second Young Master of Lin Family's lackeys!