Transformation Diagram: Starting as a Skinny Dog

SPLASH!

Below the surface of the river at Qi River Town in Baojiao County, where the Dragon River made a bend, Chen Ku personally arrived at the spot and dived in with a vigorous plunge, sending up a large spray of water.

He had originally not been adept at swimming. In both his past and current lives, he could be considered a landlubber. However, since his Skinny Dog Transformation, he naturally became capable in the water. The same was true for his Crocodile Transformation.

Even without these transformations, having reached the Realm of Force Transforming, he could control his breathing and muscles with Force Power to swim decently.

Although he had already confirmed the existence of an unowned crow sink sand mine while in his crocodile form, he still needed to personally conduct a detailed exploration to determine its actual size.

He dived thirty meters down to the riverbed, where many types of fish swam.

This bighead carp, this catfish... they're so big!

Is that a sturgeon? In my previous life, that would have been a protected species.

Huh, it's actually a Treasure Fish! An elephant-nosed sturgeon, with an anomaly. Although it's not as pricey as Treasure Herb, one could still fetch twenty to thirty taels of silver for it in the market. Got to catch it!

Underwater, it's said that a catty of fish possesses ten catties of strength. This elephant-nosed sturgeon weighed about ten catties, a weight an ordinary man would struggle with after diving in.

But with Chen Ku's current skills, let alone a ten-catty fish, he could kill even a giant python instantly.

Two fingers shot out abruptly underwater. The Force Power pierced like a bullet, leaving a trail of bubbles as he instantly skewered the gills of the ten-catty Treasure Fish, securing it in his hand.

Holding onto the Treasure Fish, he held his breath and made his way to a muddy area on the riverbed.

As he waded through the mud, he felt the distribution of crow sink sand within the silt. It's truly terrifying...

The weight of the crow sink sand in the mud made every step feel as if his feet were filled with a thousand catties of lead, as if he were bound with heavy weights.

The crow sink sand was scattered among the river sand and mud, mixed in like salt grains spilled into flour.

Using the lung capacity from his Crocodile Transformation, Chen Ku paced back and forth in this bay current area. He dug at the riverbed's edge, going down over ten meters deep and still finding crow sink sand:

My goodness! Judging by my current estimation, the crow sink sand content here indicates a reserve of at least a hundred tons. That's about two hundred thousand catties... Based on the market price, that's a mining yield of sixty thousand taels of silver!

Chen Ku was excited; this was just a conservative estimate. Without seeing the bottom, it was possible that after full extraction, the yield might even double beyond one hundred tons.

SPLASH!

He returned to the shore from the river.

I'll need to consult the mining regulations and lease the river area. I should have government people involved to handle it... Seems like I need to pay a visit to my brother-in-law.

Chen Ku looked down at the elephant-nosed sturgeon, which weighed about ten catties. This will make a perfect gift for the visit, he thought.

「Inside Baojiao County, Inner City.」

「Tongluo Lane.」

Carrying the elephant-nosed sturgeon, Chen Ku arrived. As soon as he entered his brother-in-law's courtyard, exclamations arose from those inside.

"That must be a Treasure Fish! Its Scale Armor gleams, and it has a trunk-like nose..."

"Goodness, I remember this lad! He's Constable Li's brother-in-law, an apprentice at Medicine King Hall. I believe it was him who reported Ni Kun last time, allowing Constable Li to achieve great merit and get promoted back to his position."

"Wow, he's really capable, carrying such an expensive fish to visit his sister!"

Those living in the Inner City were generally more worldly and knowledgeable than people from the countryside. Many had properties to manage. Even if they hadn't eaten pork, they had at least seen pigs run.

Moreover, Baojiao County was famous for its abundance of mountains, rivers, medicines, and fish.

Chen Tian hurried out upon hearing the noise. She wore a blue floral apron, her hands covered with flour. Hearing her brother had arrived, she was naturally overjoyed. But seeing the big fish in Chen Ku's hands, she was stunned.

The envious comments from others in the courtyard made her beam with pride, but a Treasure Fish worth dozens of taels of silver was simply too valuable for her to readily accept from her brother.

"You child, come inside first," she said.

Chen Tian pulled Chen Ku into the house and then began to scold him:

"Such a big fish must have cost a fortune! I told you last time, don't squander money recklessly. I already felt bad when you took me to Hongyan Tower for that meal, and now you've spent money again! Such a big fish, you really don't know how to save at all. Don't forget, you'll need to find a wife in the future!"

Chen Ku listened to the nagging, filled with strong familial affection, and did not retort, simply smiling and saying, "I didn't spend any money; I caught the fish myself. You know I'm practicing martial arts now, as is Brother-in-law. This Treasure Fish is useful for both of us, so I brought it here for you, Sister, to cook. When Brother-in-law comes back, we can all eat it together."

Upon hearing this, his sister hesitated before asking, "Did you really catch it yourself?"

At that moment, a voice came from outside, "Constable Li is back! Your brother-in-law has brought you a generous gift, Constable. You're truly blessed..."

Chen Ku stood up inside the room and saw the resolute-faced, long-limbed Li Yuancheng stride in, his saber slung at his side.

"Such a large Treasure Fish?" Li Yuancheng was also shocked to see the ten-catty elephant-nosed sturgeon.

Seeing her husband's reaction, Chen Tian quickly relayed what Chen Ku had just said.

"You caught it yourself?" Li Yuancheng looked curiously at his young brother-in-law. If he really did catch it himself, his underwater skills must be quite good. Still, catching such a Treasure Fish involves a great deal of luck, he thought.

Chen Ku said to Chen Tian, "Sister, please go and cook the fish. To be honest, the main reason for my visit is to discuss something with Brother-in-law."

Suspicion flashed in Li Yuancheng's eyes.

Discuss a matter?

Even though I've heard that this young brother-in-law of mine single-handedly helped the Chen family get back on their feet and is now the head of the family, I still don't believe this youth, not yet eighteen, could have any serious business to discuss with me.

On the contrary, I have something to remind him about, like the recent death of Huang Gun, which nearly caused a fight between two guilds.

However, before Li Yuancheng could warn Chen Ku to be careful while working at the Medicine King Hall, Chen Ku explained his purpose for visiting in full detail.

CLANG!

Li Yuancheng was hanging up his saber when he heard the details. He fumbled, and it clattered to the ground. He turned, disbelieving, and stared at Chen Ku:

"What did you say? You found an unowned crow sink sand mine beneath the Dragon River that has yet to be exploited?"

Chen Tian heard the saber fall and subconsciously thought her husband and brother had started fighting, so she rushed into the room anxiously.

But she saw Chen Ku standing before her husband, neither servile nor overbearing, saying, "Yes, I've already surveyed it. There are at least two hundred thousand catties down there. I'm planning to take over that area and open my own iron shop. Once it's all excavated, after paying taxes to the Imperial Court and deducting labor costs, we'll be left with... at least a net profit of tens of thousands of taels of silver."

"Tens of thousands... of taels of silver?" Chen Tian felt dizzy at the prospect.

She had not only never seen so much money; she had never even heard of such an amount.

Li Yuancheng's heart also began to beat faster.

Because everything Chen Ku was talking about was within the legal boundaries permitted by the Daji Dynasty.

A net profit of tens of thousands of taels of silver?

Suddenly, he looked incredulously at his young brother-in-law. "You just said... 'we'? What do you mean?"

"I'm on my own, and not very influential. Taking over that stretch of the river won't be easy, so I'll need your help, Brother-in-law, to secure the area and get the dredging permit. If you come in as a partner... it would become our family's mine," Chen Ku said, extending an olive branch.

Li Yuancheng's heart thumped. The temptation of such significant, and entirely legal, income was immense.

After all, what Chen Ku proposed was entirely reasonable, logical, and legal, with no risk of breaking the law. All Li Yuancheng needed to do was have Chen Ku submit an application, and then he himself would put in a word with the clerks at the 'household office.' That would settle it.

But Li Yuancheng quickly caught onto the most crucial point:

"Do you realize how much capital it would take to lease a stretch of river, dredge for sand, mine it, cover labor costs, and set up a shopfront? Where would you get that kind of money?"

Chen Ku gave a mysterious smile. "Honestly, I have some connections with Official Chai in town. Borrowing some money to invest shouldn't be an issue."

That had been my plan all along, Chen Ku thought. For this business, I'll provide the technical expertise and resources, Brother-in-law will provide the connections, and we'll bring in a major investor... That's how we can establish a basic Iron Bank. Then I'll recruit some trustworthy people to manage the shop. Even as a hands-off owner, I'll be raking in money every day.

If this venture were successful, his status and social position in the city would undoubtedly rise a notch.

From a country apprentice, I would become… Shopkeeper Chen, with my own shop in the city?