49 – Reaching an Agreement

“Little thing, you don’t happen to have your eye on my two Golden Carps, do you?”

Lu Qing saw the small black beast constantly staring in the direction of the kitchen and couldn’t help but cover his forehead.

No need to guess, it must be.

Because those two Golden Carps were right in the kitchen.

He remembered how the small black beast had been circling around him, sniffing. It must have caught the smell of the Golden Carps on him.

After all, he had just transferred the two Golden Carps into the water tank in the evening, pressing them down with a wooden plank to prevent them from jumping out in the middle of the night.

Once the fishy smell clings to you, it’s hard to get rid of it in a short time.

Unexpectedly, this little thing’s nose was so sensitive that, among the mixed scents of so many fish, it could still distinguish the smell of the Golden Carps.

The small black beast did not respond, it just quietly watched Lu Qing.

But based on their interaction during this period, Lu Qing understood its meaning.

It definitely wanted to eat those two Golden Carps.

Lu Qing couldn’t help but get a headache.

“Little thing, let’s make a deal. You can eat any fish here, if it’s not enough, I’ll get you more. But I need to keep those two Golden Carps, is that okay?”

Lu Qing didn’t care whether the small black beast could understand this long speech, he just started negotiating with it.

However, the small black beast either pretended to be ignorant or really didn’t understand.

Anyway, it just blinked, then continued to stare at the kitchen direction behind Lu Qing.

Great, Lu Qing understood. This little thing was dead set on eating the Golden Carps.

Understanding that negotiation was impossible, Lu Qing could only take a step back.

“One… I can only give you one. The remaining one I need for something, I can’t give it to you.”

Lu Qing held up one finger, speaking seriously.

The small black beast looked at Lu Qing quietly for a moment, then finally nodded its head.

“You really can understand what I’m saying!”

Seeing the small black beast’s actions, how could Lu Qing not understand now.

He had suspected it before but hadn’t been sure.

Now, seeing its behavior, he could finally confirm it.

This little guy had always been able to understand him; it had been playing dumb all this time!

Hearing Lu Qing’s words, the small black beast reverted to its earlier somewhat silly and calm expression, acting as if it had no idea what Lu Qing was talking about.

But Lu Qing would no longer be fooled by it.

Thinking about how he had been tricked by a little beast for so long, he felt both amused and exasperated.

Turning back to the kitchen, he lifted the wooden plank covering the water tank, grabbed one Golden Carp, and returned to the courtyard.

“I can only give you one. Do you want it?”

Seeing the struggling Golden Carp in Lu Qing’s hands, the small black beast’s eyes were already shining.

As soon as Lu Qing finished speaking, he felt a black shadow flash in front of him. His hand loosened, and the Golden Carp was already gone.

When he focused, he saw the small black beast already chewing on the Golden Carp voraciously.

Lu Qing watched as it took a bite, eating the Golden Carp’s head in one go, feeling a pang in his heart.

That was worth hundreds of silvers…

However, seeing the small black beast eating happily, its eyes squinting with joy, and its tail wagging vigorously, Lu Qing could only console himself.

Forget it, after all, this little thing did bring him such a precious century-old ginseng last night. Giving it something good to eat should be considered a thank you gift.

The small black beast ate quickly, and in no time, the nearly two-pound plump Golden Carp was entirely devoured.

After finishing the Golden Carp, the small black beast looked at Lu Qing again.

Lu Qing was startled and quickly said, ‘No more, the remaining one is useful to me, I cannot give it to you!’

The small black beast glanced at Lu Qing with disdain, as if annoyed by his stinginess, and then gracefully walked to the basin of fish and began eating.

Lu Qing: …

So you’re not rejecting these small fish, you just wanted to eat the tastier ones first.

However, seeing that the small black beast did not continue to demand the remaining golden loach, Lu Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, this little thing was still reasonable. If it really tried to forcibly take the other golden loach, there was nothing Lu Qing could do to stop it.

Watching the small black beast eating happily, Lu Qing thought for a moment and squatted down.

‘Little one, do you really like eating strange fish like the ones just now?’

After confirming that the small black beast could understand him, Lu Qing became more enthusiastic about communicating.

The small beast looked up at Lu Qing, its eyes sparkling.

Lu Qing quickly said, ‘I’m not saying I will give you the other golden loach, don’t misunderstand.’

Hearing this, the small black beast immediately lowered its head to eat the fish and ignored him.

Lu Qing didn’t mind, ‘However, not giving you the golden loach doesn’t mean I won’t let you eat any other strange fish I catch in the future.’

The small beast raised its head again, looking at him with some confusion.

‘Little one, how about we make a deal?’ Seeing its interest, Lu Qing seized the moment, ‘If I catch another strange fish like the golden loach in the future, as long as you bring me the plant roots you brought last night, we can trade. How about it?’

The plant roots from last night?

The small black beast tilted its head and thought for a while, finally understanding that Lu Qing was referring to the grass it had given him last night.

The grass was something it instinctively felt was somewhat special, so it dug it up and gave it to this two-legged creature.

Now it seems he really likes it?

It remembered that there were still some growing in its usual area in the mountains.

Though digging up the grass wasn’t difficult for the small black beast,

It couldn’t agree so easily.

Who asked him to be so stingy and not give it another fish, humph!

The small black beast pretended to hesitate for a while before reluctantly nodding in agreement.

Lu Qing had no idea that a young beast could have so many complicated thoughts.

Seeing the beast agree, he was overjoyed.

If the little thing could really dig up century-old ginseng, it wouldn’t matter if he gave it all the strange fish he caught in the future.

After all, for him, the value of ginseng far exceeded that of strange fish.

Thus, both man and beast felt they had gotten a great deal and happily reached an agreement.

Even though it ate a golden loach, the small black beast still finished off all the fish in the basin, leaving with a slightly bulging belly.

Watching the small black beast clumsily climb over the fence, Lu Qing smiled and shook his head.

Truly, it loved fish to the point of preferring to be stuffed rather than leave a single fish behind.

Once the beast’s figure disappeared, Lu Qing took the wooden basin back to the kitchen to clean it and then went back to his room to sleep.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Lu Qing got up and practiced the Body Nourishing Fist a few times, feeling refreshed.

The Body Nourishing Fist was indeed a technique painstakingly created by his master.

As its name suggests, it was extremely effective for conditioning and nurturing the body.

After practicing for just two or three days, Lu Qing already felt that his physique had significantly improved, and he was much more energetic.

After having a simple yet nutritious breakfast, Lu Qing took Xiao Yan with him, carrying the bucket with the golden loach, and headed for the small courtyard halfway up the mountain.

While climbing the mountain, Lu Qing felt a bit of anticipation.

According to what his master said before going into seclusion yesterday, the Qi-Boosting and Blood Replenishing Pill should be ready today.

With the aid of the pill, he believed that stepping into the Qi and Blood Realm would come in no time.