Dragon-qilin dove into the lake, stirring up waves and wind. On the surface, the Daoist hurried over, clutching a horsetail whisk. He shook it toward the depths of the lake, and countless threads of the whisk burst out like an enormous fishing net, cast down toward the lake surface, attempting to ensnare the dragon-qilin beneath.
Rumble.
The lake surface heaved violently. The Daoist let out a muffled grunt as the horsetail whisk in his hand exploded, leaving only the handle. Realizing he was no match for this dragon-qilin, he immediately turned and fled, shouting: "You monsters! Bathing in the imperial Jade Dragon Lake and you dare strike me? Just wait for your execution!"
Before long, the scholars of the Imperial Academy filed out of Pure Yang Hall, making their way toward the Scholar's Residence. Today Daoist Lingyun of Pure Yang Hall had delivered his lecture. Pure Yang Hall taught the way of qi cultivation, and Daoist Lingyun was renowned for his profound cultivation, having refined his vital energy to the level of Pure Yang.
Many scholars had not yet returned to the Scholar's Residence when they suddenly all stopped in their tracks, turning back in stunned disbelief, frozen where they stood.
An impossibly large red fish was flying through the air toward them. The fish's body was covered in crimson scales, and dragon horns protruded from its head. Having absorbed the Nine Dragon qi of this place over countless years, its fish head had partially transformed into a dragon — half fish, half dragon — its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, utterly ferocious.
But at this moment, the great fish was bound by several strands of vital energy, unable to move. A gust of demon wind carried the fish straight toward the Scholar's Residence, leaving all the scholars staring wide-eyed.
Behind the great fish came an even more massive dragon-qilin, shaking the water from its body as it ran. Standing atop the dragon-qilin's forehead was a white fox, channeling demon wind to hold the great fish aloft.
The dragon-qilin and the fox came whooshing into the Scholar's Residence, then the great fish was hurled with a thud into Doctor Qin's courtyard. The little fox slipped into the courtyard with a swish and shut the door behind it.
One scholar murmured: "That fish... it looks like one of the fish kings from Jade Dragon Lake — the Red Dragon Carp. It's the imperial dish the Emperor serves to civil and military officials at the New Year banquet..."
Another scholar beside him was equally dazed, muttering: "My father was granted the Emperor's favor last year and got to taste a bowl of fish soup at the Imperial Dragon Banquet. He couldn't stop praising it, and to this day he still tells me it was the finest delicacy in all the world... But that Red Dragon Carp was only about a foot long. This one..."
The other scholars had not yet recovered their senses when Doctor Qin's door opened again. The white fox slipped out once more, glancing around, then ran to a mulberry tree. It spewed demon wind from its mouth, felling the tree to the ground. Controlling the demon wind to form curved blades, it chopped the mulberry tree into firewood, then carried it back into the courtyard.
The little fox made several trips back and forth, hauling even the trunk of the tree into the courtyard. Then thick smoke billowed from Doctor Qin's courtyard — clearly, the little fox and the dragon-qilin were starting a fire to roast the fish.
The scholars exchanged bewildered glances. Qu Ting whispered: "That's the Advancement Tree planted by Master Qingshan, the Imperial Preceptor of Azure Yang Hall — the tree planted to encourage scholars to strive for progress..."
Before long, a delicious aroma began to permeate the Scholar's Residence.
The scholars' mouths watered as they stared at each other. The fox and the dragon-qilin brought by this outcast from the Great Ruins had killed a fish king from Jade Dragon Lake — the imperial drinking water source — chopped down the Advancement Tree planted by Master Qingshan, and were now roasting fish over a fire?
This death-defying recklessness — were they trying to rebel?
"Young Master, how does it taste?"
From within Doctor Qin's courtyard came the dialogue between the youth and the fox. Qin Mu's voice answered: "Not bad, but it wasn't marinated, so the flavor hasn't quite soaked in. Fish is best marinated for a day and a night before eating — that way it comes out crisp, fragrant, and tender. This fish is enormous. Where did it come from?"
"From the lake."
"So that's it. I once fished by the lake with Grand Libationer Gu and saw several large red fish, but we only caught one Nine Dragon Carp — tiny, but it tasted wonderfully delicate when blanched. Grilling the fish over mulberry wood was a good idea; it gives the meat a sweet and sour fragrance of mulberry fruit."
...
All the scholars in the Scholar's Residence wore expressions of schadenfreude. Qu Ting laughed softly: "Doctor Qin is dead meat!"
In the courtyard, Qin Mu turned a thick wooden stake, rotating the Red Dragon Carp over a blazing fire below. Dragon-qilin controlled the intensity of the mulberry-wood flames, roasting the great fish until the inside was tender and the outside was charred.
Dragon-qilin regulated the heat, forcing the fire to penetrate deep into the fish's meat and bone. The mulberry wood was green mulberry, still full of moisture, so it produced quite a bit of smoke. Hu Ling'er controlled the wind, allowing wisps of smoke to seep into the fish meat.
They stuffed the fish's belly with mulberry leaves, scallions, and ginger. The belly was filled with tender fish fat that crackled and dripped into the fire as it roasted. The blue smoke from the burning fish fat was enough to make anyone's mouth water.
Once the entire fish was cooked through, Hu Ling'er immediately controlled the wind-blade curved knife, slicing off the meat from the belly — the most succulent part.
Her knife work was excellent; every slice was cut to perfection. At the same time, she controlled the plates so that each piece of sliced fish meat landed neatly on them. Each slice was translucent and glistening, like pieces of soft, supple white jade.
Qin Mu pressed down the fire to lower the flame, and the youth, the fox, and the dragon-qilin sat around the bonfire eating the roasted fish.
A thought stirred in Qin Mu's mind. He recalled a peculiar technique from the Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Sutra called the Spirit-Returning Great Supplementation Art. He immediately activated his vital energy and circulated this technique to accelerate digestion. Soon his stomach was empty again, but his mouth never stopped — he continued eating the roasted fish around the bonfire.
The name of this technique was peculiar, and the technique itself was even more so.
The Spirit-Returning Great Supplementation Art was practiced primarily through eating.
This technique could convert whatever was eaten into either physical energy or vital energy, strengthening the body and bones and raising one's cultivation level. Hence its name.
Qin Mu's body was currently thin and weak, and he needed to recover the physical depletion he had endured during this period. With an impossibly large roasted fish before him, it was the perfect opportunity to use this technique to replenish his body.
This fish was, after all, an exotic species that had lived in the Imperial Academy for years, absorbing the Nine Dragon qi. Not only was it delicious, but its flesh was also deeply nourishing. Qin Mu was in a state of physical depletion, so activating this strange technique, he felt the food in his stomach quickly transform into nutrients absorbed by every part of his body.
His withered muscles slowly began to swell again. Though the growth was gradual, Qin Mu estimated that finishing this fish — twenty to thirty feet long — should restore his muscles entirely.
Hu Ling'er could not eat another bite. Dragon-qilin was accustomed to Red Fire Spirit Pills, and the fish did not quite suit its taste; after a few mouthfuls, it stopped eating. Only Qin Mu remained seated there, gorging himself.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door outside. Hu Ling'er, dragging her round, full belly, went to open it. Wei Yong walked in, his nose twitching, and laughed: "It's just lunchtime, and I smelled fragrance coming from Brother Qin's place, so I came to beg for a bite... Whoa! Did the stone dragon-lion at the mountain gate come back to life? Little fox, how did you get fatter than me?"
Hu Ling'er huffed.
Wei Yong then caught sight of Qin Mu sitting by the fire and was even more shocked. He blurted out: "Little fox, did you drain Brother Qin's essence? How did he get so thin?"
Hu Ling'er was both angry and flustered: "I haven't drained anything yet! Don't talk nonsense!"
"It wasn't you who drained him? Then who did?"
Wei Yong scratched his head in puzzlement: "I knew something was off when Brother Qin asked where the pleasure quarters were the moment he entered the city. Sure enough, his body couldn't handle it?"
Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry and asked him to sit down.
Wei Yong did not stand on ceremony. He tore off a large piece of fish meat and took a bite. It was so silky smooth that he nearly swallowed his own tongue along with it. He was both astonished and delighted, letting out an exclamation of praise in his muffled voice: "You haven't attended any lectures in months, and a few of the Imperial Preceptors are quite displeased. They're saying the Imperial Academy Doctor is an ignoramus and the Emperor shouldn't have promoted you. By the way, what happened to you? How did you get so thin?"
"I made an error while practicing a technique and nearly lost my life," Qin Mu said. "Fortunately, I caught it in time. I'm now recovering."
Wei Yong laughed: "You've got some nerve, practicing techniques recklessly. I'm an Imperial Academy scholar now and have a bit of standing at the Duke's estate. What kind of pills do you need? I'll go get them from the Duke's estate to help you recover."
Qin Mu shook his head: "Once I finish this fish, my body should recover. There's no need for any spirit pills."
"Did you hear? Grand Libationer Bashan and Grand Libationer Gu got into a fight. They went at each other outside the capital until they were covered in blood. Even the Emperor was alarmed."
Wei Yong let out a burp: "My father went to mediate, along with other first-rank officials, and only then did they manage to calm things down. I just went out to get the latest word, and apparently the Emperor summoned them both and gave them a severe reprimand. I came back here to mooch a meal after getting the scoop. Before you came back, Grand Libationer Bashan found me and said he wants to take me out for training. I'm guessing..."
"Brother Wei, no talking while eating."
Before long, the round youth Wei Yong had grown even rounder. He truly could not eat any more, but he noticed that Qin Mu was still devouring meat by the mouthful — and yet, despite piece after piece of fish entering his stomach, his belly showed no sign of swelling.
Wei Yong was amazed. When he saw Qin Mu's withered, skinny body inflating like a balloon — all muscle when squeezed — his astonishment only grew.
By the time the great fish was completely eaten, nothing remained but a massive fish skeleton over thirty feet long. Qin Mu's body had been restored to its former state, appearing perhaps even slightly stronger than before. Wei Yong could only envy him.
"Where did you buy such delicious fish?"
Wei Yong's mouth watered for more, though he could not eat another bite. He asked: "I've never seen such a large fish at the capital's vegetable market, nor tasted such delicious fish. You have to buy a few more for a private feast!"
Qin Mu replied casually: "Fished it out of Jade Dragon Lake."
Wei Yong's eyes went wide: "Which Jade Dragon Lake?"
"The one at our Imperial Academy."
Wei Yong shuddered, his voice trembling: "Our Imperial Academy's Jade Dragon Lake? That fish is one of the fish kings from Jade Dragon Lake?"
Qin Mu glanced at Hu Ling'er. Hu Ling'er nodded: "I told Long Da to catch a big one, and this was the biggest one he could find."
Wei Yong's face turned the color of earth. He caught sight of mulberry leaves and branches scattered all over the courtyard, and his voice trembled: "Just now I saw that only a tree stump was left of the Advancement Tree in the Scholar's Residence. Could it be..."
"That big mulberry tree was called the Advancement Tree?" Hu Ling'er asked in surprise. "Trees have names?"
Wei Yong's face went pale. Staggering toward the door, his soul seeming to leave his body, he muttered: "Chopped down the Advancement Tree and used it to roast the fish king from Jade Dragon Lake... No number of heads would be enough for the Emperor to chop off. I was never here. I was never here..."