Chapter 403: Satisfactory retaliation (1/2)

Chapter 403: Satisfactory retaliation

The fish that had crashed against the surface of the ice was already dead. The sight of its open mouth reminded Han Yunxi of angling fish. She wasn’t sure what kind of bait the ancients used to hook their fish, but she knew that people in modern times used man-made bait. Such bait ranged from using powders, flakes, or feed as the foundation and then adding in essence and traditional Chinese medicine extracts with fishy-smell essence and other additives. There were around a dozen ingredients involved, but the end result was an irresistibly tasty lure for fish. Before angling for fish, such bait was scattered on the water to attract them without fail.

Suppose she did the same to the fish in this lake?

The fish must have other reasons besides oxygen for flocking to the big fisheye. Otherwise, why would the fish differentiate between that hole and the ones from the small and medium fisheyes? Han Yunxi had no time to consider the exact details, but she figured that the fish had to be hungry after staying under the ice for so long.

Immediately, she proclaimed, “Your Highness, have men break open the ice. Chenqie has an idea!”

Everyone looked over at her words, including Baili Mingxiang.

“Break open the ice?” Long Feiye echoed uncomprehendingly.

“Yes, anywhere you’d like. Make a hole, more or less!” Han Yunxi clarified.

“Esteemed wangfei, this is…” General Baili couldn’t help but speak up.

“Of course we’re going to cast nets and catch fish. There’s so many of them that I refuse to believe we can’t catch some,” Han Yunxi grinned.

“Esteemed wangfei, this…” General Baili didn’t know what to say. This woman really was headstrong, coming up with ridiculous ideas even without knowing anything about the Illusory Sea Lake’s mystical properties. Forget about breaking the ice willy-nilly; even if she found a few more medium fisheyes, it wouldn’t make any difference. The appearance of a big fisheye meant that everything was over.

General Baili was about to explain all this to Han Yunxi when Long Feiye immediately issued orders, “Someone come, do as wangfei says. Break open the ice now!”

Long Feiye never fought a losing battle, but even he himself had lost track of when he started to believe in Han Yunxi. He had agreed to her request without a second thought. Han Yunxi wasn’t surprised by his trust, having long gotten used to his ways. Baili Mingxiang and General Baili both felt like Han Yunxi was making mischief, but the former couldn’t help looking forward to what would happen next after seeing the confidence in Han Yunxi’s eyes. That woman had her own magnetic charm that gave people hope in their moments of despair. Her self-confidence was bright enough to illuminate the entire world.

The workers moved forward and used their axes to hack through the ice. Very soon, the lake grew busy with their work. Jun Yixie glanced over and found himself bewildered. “They’re actually hacking through the ice?”

“Whose idea is this? What are they planning?” Ouyang Ningruo was flabbergasted. Long Feiye was a formidable character, so why would he proceed with such a stupid idea?

“They’re like cornered dogs waiting to jump off a wall! Hahah!” Jun Yixie laughed coldly. After facing off with Long Feiye multiple times, he was finally feeling great!

General Baili couldn’t contain himself at Jun Yixie’s laughter. “Your Highness, futile efforts will only inspire mockery.”

Long Feiye didn’t answer, but returned to sit by the fire and warm himself. His eyes were restrained, making it impossible for anyone to read his mood. There was no telling whether he was anxious or calm. Han Yunxi sat next to him, her hands propping up her chin as she shut her eyes, seemingly at rest. General Baili nearly went mad at the sight. He couldn’t help but recall Aunt Ru’s words from the Tang Clan. His Highness indulges that woman too much. One of these days, she’ll make a mess of his matters.

As the skies darkened, wood was added to the bonfire to make it bigger. The light from the flames illuminated the lake’s surface. By now, Jun Yixie’s side had already gathered multiple nets of fish. He was currently eating grilled fish with Ouyang Ningruo by their fire, his bright and hearty laughter ringing in the air like a spring breeze. Meanwhile, the workers on Long Feiye’s side had already created a hole that was about half a meter across. There wasn’t a single fish in the water, and the surface of the pool was absolutely still. General Baili had held himself back the entire afternoon. Now he finally spoke up. “Your Highness, the ice’s already been broken through.”

Long Feiye glanced at Han Yunxi, only to see her still closing her eyes in feigned sleep. He remained silent in response. General Baili wrinkled his brows and wanted to question Han Yunxi directly, but he calmed down after Baili Mingxiang shot him a look. Actually, both Jun Yixie and Ouyang Ningruo were waiting for results, just like General Baili and Baili Mingxiang! After an entire afternoon had passed, the only results they’d seen was a new hole in the lake.

“Have they finally given up after seeing no fish in the waters?” Jun Yixie was getting impatient.

“How strange,” Ouyang Ningruo only found the entire situation odd, but he couldn’t explain where or why.

“Just wait. Once it gets light, they’ll have to leave,” Jun Yixie said confidently. But it wasn’t long before Han Yunxi got up to walk towards the hole in the ice, with Long Feiye following close behind. In a flash, everyone’s eyes focused on the same spot.

“Is that woman planning to cast in the nets?” Jun Yixie smirked. Ouyang Ningruo didn’t speak, but started to feel a bit uneasy.

“Could it be that she has some sort of cheat?”

After getting swindled by that woman multiple times, Jun Yixie couldn’t help but feel nervous at the remark. He unconsciously rose to his feet. Han Yunxi was kneeling by the edge of the water when she took out a small porcelain bottle from her medical pouch.

At this, Jun Yixie cried, “Han Yunxi, are you planning to use poison?” If she can’t have them, she won’t let others get them either? That was precisely Jun Yixie’s way of handling things, so he was all too familiar with the methods.