Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Lake Tower
"Brother Qin, this fish bait of yours is simply miraculous." Leng Ningshuang was stunned by the scene before her. She never imagined that the bait, after being modified by Qin Ya, could cause such a massive change. The two versions were simply worlds apart.
"You’re truly amazing, Xiaoya." Qin Yuxiang couldn’t help but marvel as she watched the churning lake surface and the frenzied schools of fish.
Just then, a large, milky-white fish suddenly leaped from the school. Its body was long and slender, its eyes bright and spirited. Its scales shimmered with a crystalline luster under the sun, and its two whiskers were over a meter long. In the thin mist, it looked like a white dragon soaring through the clouds.
"Heavens, what kind of fish is that? Why have I never seen it before?"
"That’s a Dragon Beard Fish! I’ve only ever read about them in books. I never thought I’d live long enough to actually see one."
"A gathering of ten thousand fish... this is a true gathering of ten thousand fish!"
The crowd cried out in astonishment. Meanwhile, Leng Ningshuang and Qin Yuxiang were each holding a handful of the bait, gleefully scattering it. The fish scrambled to eat it. Some of the larger ones even slapped the water with their fins, leaping up and lunging toward the two women. Fortunately, both were Martial Artists; an ordinary person would have been pulled into the lake by these crazed fish long ago.
"So beautiful! Am I seeing a Fish Beauty?"
"Skin whiter than snow, more delicate than a flower... truly beautiful. Compared to them, the old hens I have at home are a total joke."
"Now *that’s* an era-defining beauty..."
The spectacle of ten thousand fish gathering was so grand that people in the other pavilions on Thousand Fish Lake were all watching. Among them were many Martial Artists, their eyes gleaming as they peered through the thin mist at the two women teasing the schools of fish.
Soon, the bait was all gone. Watching the tide of fish gradually disperse, Leng Ningshuang felt it had ended too soon. "This trip was truly worth it. Thanks to Brother Qin, we got to witness such a magnificent spectacle."
"I’m just glad you had fun."
After a moment, about ten light skiffs rowed over. Seeing the lavishly dressed men and women on board, Qin Ya furrowed his brow slightly. ’Looks like we made too big of a scene. We’ve attracted some uninvited guests.’
"That’s so many people. Brother Qin, we should probably go."
"Good idea. I can’t be bothered dealing with them anyway."
Qin Ya’s gaze swept across the lake, and his eyes lit up. He took the two women and leaped, his feet tapping across the green waves. With a few light bounds, they landed on a small skiff. At the bow, a pretty young woman humming a little tune sensed the commotion, turned her head, and jumped in fright.
The woman seemed to have had similar experiences before and quickly calmed down. She smiled and said, "Folks, are you looking to boat around the lake, head back to shore, or go to the Lake Tower?"
The woman’s voice was gentle and very pleasant to listen to.
"The Lake Tower? What’s that?"
"As the name suggests, it’s a tower built right here on Thousand Fish Lake. It’s one of the four famous towers of the Imperial Capital."
Qin Ya smiled faintly. "A tower built in a lake... that’s interesting. In that case, let’s go check out this Lake Tower."
"Alright."
The pretty woman smiled at his words. Humming a little tune, she rowed the skiff, carrying Qin Ya and his companions toward the tower in the lake. Along the way, many other boaters saw her and greeted her with smiles.
"Miss, you seem quite popular here."
"Yes, the boaters here are all common folk, supporting their families with a boat and their own two hands. When we’re all in it together, we naturally have to help each other out." The pretty woman wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and smiled.
"A simple, unadorned life has its own unique charm," Qin Yuxiang remarked, watching the boats coming and going around them.
The pretty woman looked quite delicate, but she rowed just as fast as any of the burly men. Soon, a magnificent, towering building, looming in and out of view through the mist, appeared before them.
Pavilions and long corridors, ancient bridges and painted halls... the towering building in the lake gave off an ethereal, otherworldly feeling that washed over them. The manpower and resources required to construct such a building in the middle of a lake were simply immeasurable.
"This is the Lake Tower, one of the four famous towers of the Imperial Capital. Please, disembark here." The pretty woman docked the skiff and smiled at Qin Ya and his companions.
Stepping onto the long corridor, they saw people dressed as servants bustling back and forth everywhere they looked. ’The scale of this Lake Tower is quite impressive.’
"That’s right. The Lake Tower is divided into three sections: the Restaurant, the Brothel, and the Martial Tower. It occupies nearly a tenth of Thousand Fish Lake’s surface," the pretty woman said, walking up to them with a small smile.
"Oh? I can understand the Restaurant and the Brothel, but could you explain the Martial Tower?" Qin Ya was growing curious. The style of the Lake Tower was ingenious and uniquely elegant in every detail. ’The architect must have been a Master-Level figure.’
"Martial culture is prevalent in the Yunxiao Empire, so the Martial Tower was designed specifically for Martial Artists. Any Martial Artist can compete or spar with others there. I’ve heard that every year, the Lake Tower holds a Martial Tower Banquet, inviting young Martial Artists from all over the Imperial Capital to compete. The winner receives prizes from the Lake Tower."
"How interesting. Miss, do you happen to know how long until the Lake Tower’s next Martial Tower Banquet?" Qin Ya asked.
"Hmm, it’s in a little over five months, I think."
"In that case, I’ll have to come and see it for myself," Qin Ya said with a casual smile. ’Looks like the waters in this Imperial Capital run deep. Even a place like Thousand Fish Lake has so many hidden complexities.’
After bidding farewell to the pretty woman, Qin Ya and his companions began to wander around the Lake Tower. Before they knew it, they had reached the Restaurant section. Smelling the waves of fragrant aromas wafting from within, Qin Ya said, "We’ve been walking for a while. Why don’t we go in and get something to eat?"
Naturally, the two women had no objection to Qin Ya’s suggestion.
They entered the Restaurant, found an empty table, and sat down. A server quickly brought over a menu.
The Lake Tower was situated on Thousand Fish Lake, so its Restaurant primarily featured fish as the main ingredient. It was said that a full fish banquet here would cost at least a thousand Gold Coins—even more expensive than the Mountain Delicacies Tower at Mingxin Academy.
"I’ll have the mountain pepper fish head, red fish soup, steamed sea bass, and the Lion’s Head meatballs... oh, and a bottle of osmanthus wine to finish." Qin Ya glanced at the menu and casually ordered a few dishes.
The food arrived fast. The three of them had only been chatting for a short while before all their ordered dishes were on the table. As they ate, Qin Ya felt several gazes repeatedly sweeping over the two women, and his brow furrowed.
Before he could react, a foppish young man with slicked-back hair and a powdered face, dressed in lavish clothes, sauntered over with a wine cup in hand. "Heh, I’m a regular here at the Lake Tower, but I don’t believe I’ve seen you folks around before."
Although the young man was speaking to Qin Ya, his eyes kept unconsciously drifting to Leng Ningshuang, filled with naked possessiveness and greed. The sight made Qin Ya furious.
"Get lost!"
"Ah? What did you say?"
The young man froze for a second, then his expression darkened. He stared at Qin Ya and said in a cold voice, "Punk, say that again."
