Eight-Zhang River

Following a narrow path toward Le'an County, one would come across a wide river, approximately eight zhang across, aptly named the "Eight-Zhang River" by the locals.

The river was abundant with "carp crook," a term for carp. Perhaps due to the scarcity of fishermen in the area and the absence of natural predators for the carp, these "carp crook" often grew to remarkable sizes.

Years ago, Gu Ning'an once caught a red-tailed carp over two meters long and weighing more than a hundred jin.

This red-tailed carp, with intelligence just beginning to awaken, was surrounded by a faint aura of virtue.

Despite its nascent sentience, the fact that it bore the energy of virtue suggested it had done its share of good deeds.

Thus, after observing it for a while, Gu Ning'an released it back into the river.

The sound of flowing water mingled with the croaks of frogs, while the moonlight painted the river's surface with silvery glimmers.

Moved by the tranquil scene, Gu Ning'an felt an urge to cast a fishing line or two.

However, after searching around, he couldn't find even a passable fishing rod.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a small black shadow on a protruding rock in the river.

Focusing his gaze, he saw it was a child, about five years old.

The child, clad in plain linen, had a round face and a pair of shiny black eyes fixed unwaveringly on Gu Ning'an.

Such a scene, if witnessed by ordinary folk, would surely send them fleeing in fright.

On a dark night, spotting a child standing precariously on a barely visible rock in the river, staring at you with wide eyes—only the bravest would not turn and run.

Gu Ning'an, however, detected no unusual aura from the child.

He was certain of one thing: the child standing in the middle of the river was indeed human.

"Are you stuck there?" Gu Ning'an called out, his voice echoing in the quiet wilderness.

The child's shiny black eyes flickered briefly, but he made no response, only a subtle shift in his gaze.

Suddenly, three large bubbles emerged from the water near the child, rising and bursting one after the other with crisp pops.

Then, the massive head of a fish surfaced, water streaming off its enormous body as it emerged.

"You've grown quite big, haven't you?" Gu Ning'an remarked, his gaze shifting from the fish's red tail.

The red-tailed fish wagged its tail excitedly, churning the river into a froth. It opened its oval mouth and released three more bubbles.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

"Ma...ster...hello!"

Seeing this, Gu Ning'an realized the red-tailed fish had grown considerably but had yet to refine its throat bone.

Thus, it could only communicate by squeezing air through its gills, storing near-human sounds in bubbles, and releasing them to "speak."

Splash!

A spray of water sent the child slipping, his body tipping backward.

Before Gu Ning'an could intervene, the red-tailed fish flicked its tail gently, lifting the child onto a raised part of its back.

At first glance, it looked as if the child were riding the fish like a mount.

Swoosh!

The red-tailed fish moved toward the riverbank, its colossal body creating waves that washed mud and grass from the riverbank into the water, even though it tried to minimize its movements.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

"Take...the...child."

Before the "bubble words" had fully dissipated, Gu Ning'an had already stepped forward, extending his arms to catch the child.

The child's body was half-soaked, and his small hands were ice-cold. Normally, a child of his age would have burst into loud wails by now.

Yet, he didn't react at all. He simply stared blankly at Gu Ning'an as the latter patted at his own clothing.

Splash~ Splash!

Gu Ning'an's hands seemed almost magical. With each pat on the child's clothing, a stream of water seeped out and fell to the ground.

Before long, the child's clothes were completely dry.

The boy's unusually large, jet-black eyes were filled with curiosity. He reached out his chubby hand, touched Gu Ning'an's clothing, and said blankly, "The clothes are dry."

Gu Ning'an looked down at the child and smiled, "So you can speak... What's your name?"

Hearing this, the child turned to Gu Ning'an, his black gemstone-like pupils wavering slightly.

Seeing this, Gu Ning'an frowned slightly.

From his perception, the boy wanted to answer but seemed unable to speak.

Nearby, the red-tailed fish began blowing bubbles, one after another.

"Sir... this... is how... it happened..."

With bubbles continually bursting on the surface of the river, the red-tailed fish took an entire stick of incense's time to explain the child's story.

It turned out the boy's surname was Hu. The fish didn't know his full name but said those who knew him simply called him Chi'er (literally "foolish").

Hu Chi'er seemed to have a slow response to things and always lagged behind others in whatever he did.

The red-tailed fish first met the boy one evening while basking in the moonlight by the river.

When the boy saw it, he wasn't afraid; instead, he rushed excitedly toward the riverbank. The red-tailed fish thought to dive into the water and leave.

To its surprise, the boy followed and jumped into the river after it.

Being a kind soul, the red-tailed fish couldn't just leave him to drown. It saved him and placed him back on the shore, warning him not to jump into the river again because it was dangerous.

That night, Hu Chi'er lay by the riverbank, listening to the red-tailed fish's "bubble language" while stroking its head.

Since then, Hu Chi'er had come to the river daily to look for the red-tailed fish. Occasionally, he even brought steamed buns or other food for it.

It seemed as though he genuinely treated the red-tailed fish as his pet.

Although Hu Chi'er didn't speak much, he would manage to say a word or two from time to time.

And so, in this strange way, the child and the fish had been companions for a year.

Today, the rock in the middle of the river where Hu Chi'er stood was a large boulder the red-tailed fish had specially "moved" there to create a secret spot for their interactions.

However, the red-tailed fish had overslept today, making Hu Chi'er wait a bit longer than usual. Gu Ning'an's voice had awakened the fish, prompting it to slowly surface.

As for Gu Ning'an, the red-tailed fish clearly remembered the man who had spared its life.

So, upon seeing him, it immediately greeted him.

After listening to the whole story, Gu Ning'an nodded. "Your friendship with him is admirable. But next time, don't oversleep."

"If the child were to accidentally fall from the boulder into the water while you were still asleep, wouldn't it cost him his life?"

The red-tailed fish shamefully submerged its head into the water. "Sir... your guidance... is duly noted..."

Gu Ning'an chuckled, "Alright, I'm not blaming you... Let me take him home first. I'll visit you another day."

Blub~ Blub~ Blub!

Countless tiny bubbles rose from the riverbank, making it seem as though the water was boiling.

"Safe travels, Sir!"