Chapter 198: Gifting a Treasure Boat

「Two days later.」

Qian Qinghong paid a visit as promised.

In the tea room of the Su Mansion’s main hall, Qian Qinghong was dressed today in a tight-fitting martial robe with a dark gold, flowing cloud pattern, outlining her proud, full curves in a breathtaking way. The robe had a high slit at the hem, and her pair of long, straight, beautiful legs were brazenly and casually crossed, stretched out beside the tea table.

What caught Su Yu’s eye most was that her beautiful legs were tightly wrapped in a layer of gossamer silk gauze as thin as a cicada’s wing. The silk clung to the contours of her firm skin, revealing a faint, tantalizing glimmer of pale flesh. The visual impact was surprisingly similar to the stockings from his previous life.

Su Yu held his teacup, his gaze lingering on her legs for a moment longer than it should have.

He was tempted to ask where the fabric came from, and if he could feel its texture.

’It’s not what you think. The Yang Family is in the silk business now. If I could get my hands on the source for this material, I could probably get someone to make stockings. That would definitely be a huge source of income.’

"Brother Su, don’t let your eyes wander. I’m trying to talk business with you."

Qian Qinghong shot him a look that was half a smile, half something else. Her tone held none of a maiden’s bashful anger; instead, it was filled with the refreshing straightforwardness of someone from the martial world.

"Ahem..."

Su Yu retracted his gaze, his expression unchanging, and gave a dry cough to hide his awkwardness. Though they had called each other friends before, their interactions had been mostly formal courtesies. Now, spending time with her privately like this, he realized that the young miss of the Qian Family had a much more interesting personality than the typical young ladies of noble families.

Qian Qinghong’s smile vanished, and her expression turned serious. "Brother Su, I won’t hide it from you—this trip into the depths of the Black Water River will certainly be dangerous. But rest assured, with my strength at Flesh Refining Realm Perfection, I am more than capable of handling any danger we might face there. I, Qian Qinghong, will say it plainly: I guarantee your safety, Brother Su!"

Flesh Refining Realm Perfection!

A flash of astonishment crossed Su Yu’s eyes. Qian Qinghong looked to be twenty-five or twenty-six at most, even younger than his senior sister, Lin Wanzhu, yet her cultivation had already crossed the final threshold of the Flesh Refining Realm. With such talent, she absolutely deserved the title of "Heaven’s Chosen Daughter" in the entire Outer City of Black Stone City.

"Since Miss Qinghong is so powerful, I wonder, what exactly will you need me to do on this trip?"

Qian Qinghong’s expression grew even more solemn. "This time, we are heading to a strange whirlpool region. The waters there are a dense network of powerful undercurrents, making it impossible for anyone to dive down. But there are treasures hidden below! My target this time is a treasure fish! I will use bait to lure it out!"

’A treasure fish?’

’What grade of treasure fish would warrant a master at Flesh Refining Realm Perfection going to such great lengths?’

As if sensing Su Yu’s confusion, Qian Qinghong explained, "Treasure fish are like treasure herbs; there’s a world of difference between them. The common and even rare treasure fish you see on the market are all of the Mortal Tier. But the one I’m after this time is a high-grade Profound Tier treasure fish—the Floating Light Silver Dragon Shuttle!"

"High-grade Profound Tier!"

Su Yu’s gaze sharpened. Anything classified as Profound Tier was an extremely rare treasure.

Whether it was pills, Cultivation Techniques, equipment, or treasure herbs...

And even within the Profound Tier, there were disparities. Su Yu had almost never seen a high-grade item with his own eyes before.

He had only heard that the master of the Flying Fish Martial Arts Hall had saved his daughter, Ding Mianyue, with a high-grade Profound Tier Nine Revolutions Life-extending Pill.

At the time, it had made him sigh with emotion. ’Money really can buy you life itself!’

"This Floating Light Silver Dragon Shuttle has an extremely precious Dragon Tendon and also contains a massive amount of Qi and Blood. If I consume it, I’ll have an eighty percent chance of breaking through the bottleneck to the Muscle Forging Realm!" Qian Qinghong’s gaze burned as she stared at Su Yu. "This treasure fish is critically important to me. I’m sure you understand its significance, Brother Su."

Su Yu nodded slightly.

Qian Qinghong was being so open about her objective, which showed she truly didn’t see him as an outsider. If it had been someone with a more calculating mind, they might have already started using this information for blackmail.

’Miss Qian, you wouldn’t want...’

"Brother Su, this Silver Dragon Shuttle is as fast as underwater lightning; it’s impossible to catch up to. To have any hope of catching it, one must net it in an instant with superb vision and technique. I’ve searched the entire city for skilled individuals. Those with high-level fishing skills are too weak in martial arts. Those with enough martial strength lack the necessary skill with water and nets. After all my considerations, only you, Brother Su, can help me with this!"

Su Yu understood. ’With my Listening Wave Positioning Trait—from Breaking the Limit with Casting Net three times—I really am the bane of this phantom-like Silver Dragon Shuttle.’

’Qian Qinghong really did find the right person!’

"Rest assured, Miss Qian. Since we are friends, I will certainly do everything in my power to help!" Su Yu agreed without hesitation.

"You’re still calling me ’Miss Qian,’ Brother Su. That’s too formal. Just call me Qinghong from now on." Qian Qinghong laughed heartily, then continued, "Besides that Silver Dragon Shuttle, the area is sure to have many other treasure fish and artifacts. All other spoils from this trip will belong to you, Brother Su! Furthermore..."

She paused. "My Qian Family has recently launched three new treasure ships. After this is done, I am willing to gift one of them to you, Brother Su!"

"Gift me a treasure ship?" Su Yu raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Qinghong, isn’t that a bit too generous? It sounds like you’re determined to tie me to the Qian Family’s warship."

’A treasure ship is a hen that lays golden eggs, to be sure, but the supporting crew—the Fishing Team, guards, sailors, and so on—requires time and effort to train and manage. I definitely wouldn’t be able to handle that on my own right away. I’d inevitably need the Qian Family’s help.’

"Brother Su’s future is limitless. Naturally, I, Qinghong, must spare no effort to invest in you early on." Qian Qinghong openly admitted her intention to recruit him. "However, you’ve heard about the income from our Qian Family’s treasure ships. Each monthly voyage brings in a net profit of at least thousands of taels of Snowflake Silver. Brother Su, are you sure you want to refuse?"

"Then it would be rude of me to refuse!"

After a moment’s thought, Su Yu readily agreed.

’A profit of several thousand taels a month? Only a fool would refuse! It just means I’ll be more deeply tied to the Qian Family in the future. If the treasure ship or the Qian Family runs into trouble, I’ll just have to lend a hand.’

"You’re straightforward, Brother Su! From now on, the Qian Family will continue to operate and manage this treasure ship on your behalf. Of the monthly profits, the Qian Family will only take a ten percent cut for daily expenses and crew wages. The remaining ninety percent will be delivered to the Su Mansion on time!"

The two of them sealed the deal in just a few words. Qian Qinghong was a woman of action; she immediately stood up to leave, setting a time to meet at the docks the next day.

...

The next day, just as dawn broke, a dense fog shrouded the river.

At the docks of the Black Water River ferry crossing, a massive treasure ship, over a hundred feet long and covered entirely in scales like black iron, resembled a dormant aquatic beast as it slowly broke through the dense fog and sailed toward the depths of the Black Water River.

At the ship’s bow, Qian Qinghong stood with her hands behind her back, dressed in white, facing the biting river wind. As she watched the surging waves, a look of grim determination flashed deep in her eyes.

’On this trip to the deep water zone, I must capture that Silver Dragon Shuttle and break through to the Muscle Forging Realm...’

Her slender hands gripped the ship’s railing, leaving deep indentations.

The situation in the family was already as precarious as oil poured on a raging fire. Although her older brother had returned from the front lines with the retreating Black Stone Army, the news that he was seriously injured had likely been discovered by the Fourth Elder, Qian Hului.

That old fox could no longer hold himself back. He was just waiting for the right moment to drop all pretense, push his own son, Qian Qingyu, into power, and seize control of the Patriarch’s position.

If she couldn’t achieve a powerful breakthrough to the Muscle Forging Realm on this trip, not only would they lose the Patriarch’s position, but the subsequent suppression would completely destroy her and her brother.

At that point, the Fourth Elder, in order to annex her assets without a fight, would surely force her to marry the Tributor, Zhao Gaolang!

And the First Elder, Qian Lusheng, appeared impartial but was, in fact, incredibly calculating. Her father had been able to keep him in check while he was alive, but now, he would be more than happy to watch the two factions fight it out amongst themselves. He would never side with her.

Once they lost power, the supply of medicinal pills for her brother’s recovery would be completely cut off!

’Brother Su, I hope you can truly help me overcome this crisis!’ Qian Qinghong turned her head, her gaze shifting to the handsome, upright figure on the deck.

...

The treasure ship sailed smoothly along the main channel for half a day.

Su Yu stood on the deck, comparing the nautical chart in his hands with the jagged, somewhat familiar reefs around them, when a thought suddenly struck him.

’This is the same area where I went out with Old Man Jiang and discovered that Black Steel Ghost-faced Crab!’

He casually picked up a specially made Thousand Resilient Silk fishing net and closed his eyes.

His Listening Wave Positioning Trait silently activated in his mind. A moment later, with a sense of certainty, Su Yu casually tossed the fishing net by the ship’s railing and turned to walk toward the ship’s tower.

At that moment, Qian Qinghong was discussing the route with several core members of the Qian Family.

"Qinghong." Su Yu walked up and said directly, "I’d like to explore the waters below. To be honest, I once encountered a rare Ghost-faced Crab here. Just now, I was observing the water signs, and it seems that beast is still in its nest down there."

Upon hearing this, Qian Qinghong nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Alright. I’ll order the treasure ship to drop anchor and wait for you."

"Wait!"

Before Qian Qinghong could give the order, a burly, one-eyed man standing nearby suddenly stepped forward and interrupted her, his face grim.

This man was the captain of the treasure ship, Qian Jiang. He was also a veteran boatman for the Qian Family, with a Cultivation at the early stage of the Flesh Refining Realm.

Qian Jiang’s single eye swept coldly over Su Yu before meeting Qian Qinghong’s cool gaze. "Miss, our time on this trip is tight, and the river conditions can change in an instant. How can we waste time in such an insignificant place?"

With that, he stared directly at Su Yu, his tone filled with undisguised admonishment. "You’re Su Yu, right? I don’t care how famous you are in the city. Once you’re on this treasure ship, you follow the ship’s rules! Here, I am the captain. You’d best obey orders and not cause trouble for me out of some petty greed!"

He said this in a loud voice, causing many of the sailors and guards on deck to turn and look.