Chapter 11: Blinded by Greed!

Of course, Shen Yan could never have imagined that, despite Yang Yun's distinguished status, she was not entitled to freely enjoy the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish either.

“There are still six months left. If I cannot destroy the Yang Estate within that time, I’ll present the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish to Mingyue, elevate my own standing, and gradually probe Yang Yun’s strength, preparing for the future.”

Returning to the shore, Shen Yan carried the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish, his mind occupied with thoughts of vengeance, and soon arrived at the outer quarters of the Yang Estate.

Gathering his thoughts, he walked to the steward Liu’s door, his face brimming with pride. “Steward Liu, I’ve caught the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish. I can finally report back to Miss Mingyue.”

At that moment, Steward Liu was lying in bed, pondering how to deal with Shen Yan. As the steward of the outer quarters, his position was not high, but he could frequently skim off the servants’ monthly stipends and throw his weight around. Such days, though not rich and powerful, were quite comfortable.

But six months ago, after Shen Yan turned against him, Liu lost face before the servants of the fishery. Such a disgrace, how could he not seek revenge? Day and night, Steward Liu schemed against Shen Yan, but he did not expect to hear that Shen Yan had caught the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish.

He had always known the fish was precious, but only after inquiring in detail did he realize its true worth. By the order of the sovereign, even a duke would be hard-pressed to obtain a single Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish. Had he managed to seize the fish from Shen Yan and present it to the duke, he might have already become the inner steward, instead of falling to his current state.

Now, hearing Shen Yan’s words, his first reaction was wild delight, followed by utter disbelief. The Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish was so rare—this brat was lucky to catch one before, and now he claims to have caught another?

Nonsense!

The thought made him so angry that even sitting hurt. He shouted furiously, “You little wretch! If you’ve got time to waste, you’d be better off catching more sea fish to make amends! And yet you’re here to toy with your Grandpa Liu?”

Shen Yan was taken aback by Steward Liu’s reaction. He had anticipated many responses, but not that Liu would simply refuse to believe he had caught the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish. Yet, considering the fish’s rarity, his disbelief was understandable.

Now, Shen Yan’s resolve was unshaken. He no longer cared for mere insults—soon enough, Liu would be feeding the fish himself, so there was no need to argue.

“I truly caught the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish. If not for the house rules, I would have presented it directly to Miss Mingyue—why would I bother telling you?”

The Yang Estate had strict rules forbidding subordinates from reporting matters beyond their own rank, hence Shen Yan’s explanation.

Lying in bed, Steward Liu felt a twinge of uncertainty. Could this brat really have gotten lucky again? At this thought, he quickly got up, threw on his clothes, opened the door, and froze at the sight before him—a Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish lay there in all its glory.

It was real!

“You little… you actually caught another one?” He stared at Shen Yan in disbelief, astonished by the young man’s luck.

How many years would it take for the hundreds of thousands of fishermen in Jinzhou to catch one Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish? Yet Shen Yan alone had caught two. It was unbelievable.

But this might work out for the best. Mingyue had a task to fulfill; if the fish was not delivered, Liu himself might be implicated. Now, with the fish in hand, perhaps he could redeem himself and even take a step up.

“Hmph! Just lucky today—on my way back, I stumbled on a whole school of Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish. Pity these fish are so cunning; I managed to catch only one after exhausting all my strength…” Shen Yan remarked, feigning regret.

Steward Liu was stunned by his words—a whole school of Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish!

In an instant, greed surged within him. If he could catch an entire school and present them to the young mistress, wouldn't a life of wealth and honor await him?

He could not sit still. Ignoring his aches, he scrambled up and said to Shen Yan, “A whole school of Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish? You're not lying to me?”

Seeing that Liu had taken the bait, Shen Yan sneered inwardly but wore a look of deep regret. “Of course not. These spiritual fish are crimson as burning coals, and in the sea, they dye the waters red. How could I possibly mistake them?”

Shen Yan’s firm assurance only intensified Steward Liu’s greed.

Noting Liu’s ravenous desire, Shen Yan pressed on, fanning the flames, “Well, this fish should be enough to fulfill Miss Mingyue’s task, shouldn’t it?”

Hearing that Shen Yan was only worried about the assignment, Liu couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. What a fool. Clearly, the girl’s recent ruthlessness had been forced out of her by Mingyue, and now that he’d caught a spiritual fish, all the pressure was gone and his true colors showed. He still had no idea how precious the fish was, or he would never ask such a silly question.

But that was fine. Once the boy led him to the fish’s location, Liu would kill him and claim the entire school for himself.

“You’re right. But this matter has dragged on so long that one fish might not be enough to quell Miss Mingyue’s anger. We’d best catch several more.”

Shen Yan immediately put on an anxious face. “But a Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish is not something one can simply find at will. Where are we to get another?”

Seeing that Shen Yan had fallen for it, Liu curled his lip and thought for a moment. “Didn’t you say you found a whole school before? Why not take me back now and see if they’re still there?”

“What nonsense is this? It’s night now. If the wind rises at sea, we could both…” Shen Yan began, pretending to resist.

“I’m not afraid—why should you be?” Liu cut him off, feigning anger. “Now’s your chance to win favor with your superiors. Don’t you know how to seize it? Or do you want to be a servant for life?”

At this, Shen Yan feigned hesitation, his face showing temptation. “But it’s dangerous to fish at sea at night. Why don’t we bring a few more people?”

Liu was instantly irritated. Why was this boy so troublesome? But only Shen Yan knew where the fish were, so he could only say, “You fool! The more people, the more credit to share. Don’t you want to become a steward yourself?”

Shen Yan put on a look of excitement. “A whole school of Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish would make me a steward? Is that possible? You’re not lying to me, are you?”

Liu inwardly sneered at Shen Yan’s ignorance. What a fool—destined to be a servant all his life!