PCJ – Chapter 598 Hot Spring Cod

Although these fish weren’t very big, each simple fish trap was packed tight with over a hundred small fish. These were genuinely small fish, each only two or three fingers wide. The trap was completely full, yet fish outside were still trying to squeeze in. Fish swarmed densely around the cage.

Mute, possessed by a spirit, reached in to grab a fish. To his surprise, the fish didn’t even try to escape, and he easily caught two in one hand.

“These fish must be stupid!” Mute clearly couldn’t believe his eyes. Just a moment ago, these fish had been as elusive as sprites, but now they let him catch them effortlessly.

Zhang Yuanbao suddenly had a revelation and shouted, “I know why! It must be because of the potatoes!”

He took some potatoes from Zhang Jiaohua, and as soon as he placed them in the water, a swarm of fish rushed over, ignoring everything else.

The potatoes, infused with abundant spiritual energy, were irresistibly tempting to the fish.

Zhang Jiaohua nodded and laughed. “You figured it out so quickly—not bad at all.”

Ji Jiaxin covered her mouth as she giggled nonstop, then asked, “Zhang Jiaohua, why do these fish love the potatoes so much?”

“Don’t you think these potatoes taste way better than regular ones?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

Ji Jiaxin nodded. “Yes, I’ve never eaten potatoes this good. Why are they so delicious?”

“Because they grew in a place rich with spiritual energy. The flesh absorbed all that energy. You can’t see or touch it, but you can feel it. These fish are more sensitive to spiritual energy than humans. When they sense the spiritual aura in the potatoes, they drop everything else to go after them,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

“No wonder. I was wondering why the fish suddenly acted dumb,” said Mute as he put the four fish into a basin. He then added a bit of potato. When he took the basin to the stream to get water, the four fish inside didn’t escape. Instead, they fought desperately over the potatoes.

“These fish have gone crazy for the potatoes. Jiaohua, your fish traps were a waste of effort,” Zhang Yuanbao laughed.

“There are way too many fish in the trap for us to eat,” Ji Jiaxin said worriedly.

“Yuanbao, Mute, just catch enough to eat and let the rest go. If I had known potatoes worked so well, I wouldn’t have bothered building those traps,” Zhang Jiaohua said, a little frustrated.

This species of fish was special—their meat incredibly tender and flavorful. Roasting them brought out their fine scales, which seemed to melt away, and the fish oil oozed from the flesh, making the aroma even more mouthwatering. Each of the four people ate four or five fish and still wanted more—if they weren’t already full, they wouldn’t have been able to stop.

“These fish taste amazing. Too bad they live in hot springs and probably won’t survive in regular water. Otherwise, raising them would be great,” Zhang Yuanbao said, somewhat regretfully.

“What if we build a pipeline to redirect the hot spring water to Meizi’ao? Then we’d have a hot spring there and could raise these fish,” Zhang Yuanbao suggested. “Ji Jiaxin, you’re the smart one—come up with a name for these fish. Something this tasty deserves a good name.”

“Let’s call them Hot Spring Cod,” Ji Jiaxin said.

“Good name. These fish are snowy white, so ‘cod’ fits well,” Zhang Jiaohua agreed.

“What do you think of my idea just now?” Zhang Yuanbao asked.

Zhang Jiaohua shook his head. “Do you remember how long it took us to walk here from Meizi’ao? At least a hundred li (about 50 km). Even if we pumped boiling water, it wouldn’t stay hot by the time it reached Meizi’ao. But we could try raising these fish there anyway. While they tolerate high temperatures, that doesn’t mean they can’t survive in cooler water.”

“True. Keeping fish alive in such high temperatures isn’t easy,” Mute said.

Zhang Yuanbao had just come up with an idea, only to have it shot down immediately.

“Let’s stop talking and enjoy the place. We haven’t even soaked in the hot spring yet. It’s all your grilled fish’s fault,” Zhang Yuanbao said.

“Wait, you all go over there,” Zhang Jiaohua pointed to a side tunnel in the stone cave. He had scouted it earlier and found that the two tunnels were completely separate, with no visual connection, and no threats around—making it perfect for a soak.

Zhang Yuanbao peeked inside and nodded. “Mute and I will go this way; you two go that way.”

Zhang Jiaohua kicked Zhang Yuanbao into the stream, drenching him from head to toe.

“Talk nonsense again and I’ll tell Uncle and Aunt,” Zhang Jiaohua threatened.

“Serves you right for running your mouth,” Mute laughed.

“Ji Jiaxin, if you want to soak, go that way. The three of us will use this side. Leopard and the others will stand guard at the entrances. When you’re done, just call us,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

Ji Jiaxin had long been tempted. It would be a shame to come all this way and not enjoy the hot spring. Seeing Zhang Jiaohua’s thoughtful arrangements, she quickly agreed. “Okay, okay.”

Zhang Jiaohua, Zhang Yuanbao, and Mute went into the left tunnel.

He had already planned to soak in the hot spring, so they had brought swimsuits. They just hadn’t said anything earlier since Ji Jiaxin was the only girl.

“Aahh, this feels amazing. Too bad it’s so far from Meizi’ao. Otherwise, I’d come soak every day,” Zhang Yuanbao sighed.

“Then just live here like a wild man, and you can soak daily,” Zhang Jiaohua teased.

“No thanks. The fish are great, but I don’t want to eat them every day,” Zhang Yuanbao shook his head.

“Jiaohua, Mount Mei (Mei Shan) really is like a treasure trove. Our Meizi’ao is right at its foot. Just the Emerald Immortal Tea alone made our village wealthy. If we could develop all of Mei Shan’s resources, imagine how many people we could help prosper,” Zhang Yuanbao marveled.

“That might destroy Mei Shan. The reason this treasure trove has lasted so long is because we can’t fully develop it—only the surrounding resources. Don’t even think about touching the primeval forest, or we’ll definitely regret it someday,” Zhang Jiaohua warned.

Zhang Yuanbao nodded. “True. Take the secret realm, for example. If word got out, countless people would fight over it. We must never let anyone know it exists.”

Mute nodded too. “As long as you can keep your mouth shut, the secret’s safe.”

“Mute, don’t say that. I might joke around a lot, but I’ve never messed up when it comes to serious matters,” Zhang Yuanbao said solemnly.

They had just finished soaking and felt refreshed. Ji Jiaxin was already outside calling.

“Zhang Jiaohua, I’m waiting for you all outside.”

By the time everyone came out, night had already fallen over the mountain ridges of Mei Shan. The sky was filled with stars, twinkling like scattered jewels above the peaks.