She had clearly just bathed; her black hair was not yet fully dry, and fine droplets of water clung to the tips.
Unlike the goose-yellow uniform she wore yesterday, today she had changed into a plain white everyday robe, with a black silk sash tied around her waist, further accentuating her slender and exquisite figure.
The lake breeze swept through the woods, blowing her sleeves backward. The thin fabric clung to her body, outlining her full and graceful curves in perfect detail.
What a gorgeous woman.
What a pity...
...that the moment she opened her mouth, she completely ruined it!
Duan Hongling's gaze swept over everyone's faces, finally landing on Lu Zhaoyuan. Her willow-leaf brows furrowed as she barked right at him:
“Lu Zhaoyuan!”
“Do you have any idea how many Precious Fish you handed in yesterday? Do you need me to count in front of everyone how many you are short?”
An unreadable emotion flashed deep within Lu Zhaoyuan's eyes.
But on the surface, he put on a look of shame, hanging his head and remaining silent.
Seeing him like this, Duan Hongling snorted in contempt. Her gaze swept over the crowd, her voice turning cold and harsh:
“Listen up, all of you! Because the shortfall of Precious Fish is too great, if we delay any longer, we will absolutely fail to meet the quota demanded by the Elixir Pavilion!”
“Starting today, everyone's fishing time will be extended by two hours, and your rest days are canceled.”
“I will personally oversee the operations. If anyone drags us down, do not blame me for showing no mercy to fellow disciples!”
When she finished speaking, the entire area fell dead silent.
Everyone could tell she was in a terrible mood, so who would dare provoke her?
They all kept their heads down, quietly accepting the orders.
“Lu Zhaoyuan, you and your wife must hand over thirty Precious Fish within ten days, regardless of tier!”
“If you cannot do it, then go buy fish outside with your own money to make up the difference! Do you hear me?!”
Without a word, Lu Zhaoyuan cupped his fists with a grim expression, turned around, and left.
“Hu Rong, Xi Huai, twelve each for you!”
Hearing this, Hu Rong and Xi Huai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly cupped their fists to accept the order, said their brief goodbyes, and departed in a hurry.
“As for you...”
Duan Hongling's gaze landed on Shen Xiuhan. After a brief hesitation, she put on an air of authority and said:
“Considering you are a newcomer and do not understand the habits of spirit fish... just hand in ten!”
Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this. He cupped his fists and said,
“I understand. Thank you, Manager Duan.”
...
On the way back.
After walking about a mile north, the trees gradually thinned out, and the oncoming lake breeze grew stronger.
Shen Xiuhan pondered as he walked.
When he first arrived on the island yesterday, Duan Hongling's hostile attitude had led him to believe he would be saddled with at least fifteen fish.
To his surprise...
Though she appeared cold, she had actually shown him some leniency...
Shen Xiuhan clicked his tongue, thinking to himself, She's quite the sharp-tongued softie.
However, whether it was ten or fifteen made no difference to him.
Because the school of Jade Fat Carp alone was marked with nearly forty pale gold light dots!
This meant nearly forty Tier One Precious Fish were hidden beneath those waters!
But the problem is... even though there are plenty of Precious Fish, I can't hand them over too easily.
Shen Xiuhan narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself:
Precious Fish are difficult to catch. If I turn them in too frequently, it might arouse suspicion. More importantly, Lu Zhaoyuan is secretly colluding with the demonic path. If I stand out too much, it might lead to unnecessary complications.
Hmm... handing in two or three a day will fulfill my quota without drawing complaints, while still being enough to make others think highly of me.
While lost in thought, Shen Xiuhan arrived at the northern shore.
Sure enough, there was a row of bamboo huts along the shore, their walls hung with fishing nets, harpoons, bamboo baskets, and other miscellaneous gear.
Six outer sect disciples were busy in front of the huts.
Some crouched on the ground mending nets, their fingers flying as they worked with thick hemp thread. Others kept their heads down, cleaning fish baskets and scraping a layer of dark algae from the bottoms.
Seeing Shen Xiuhan approach, they all put down their work and cupped their fists in unison.
“Greetings, Senior Brother Shen.”
These outer sect disciples were all quite young.
The oldest was only two or three years older than Shen Xiuhan, barely in his early twenties. The youngest was only fifteen or sixteen, with a lingering childishness in his features.
Shen Xiuhan returned their greetings one by one. Putting on no airs, he asked a few brief questions about the waters before sending the others off to fish, leaving only a thin, dark-skinned youth to steer his boat.
The youth looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, his skin deeply tanned, but his eyes were bright. He nimbly untied the mooring rope, took up the bamboo pole, and pushed off the bank. The small boat glided smoothly onto the water.
Cutting through the green waves, the boat slowly drifted into the mist-shrouded lake.
As he poled, the dark-skinned youth turned back and smiled.
“Senior Brother Shen, my name is Yang Chet. I've been working at this Precious Fish pond for nearly two years. I know these waters like the back of my hand. I know exactly where it's deep, where it's shallow, and where the fish are easiest to catch.”
His tone was warm, but the underlying implication was quite telling.
He seemed worried that Shen Xiuhan might mess things up out of ignorance, failing to meet the quota and resulting in the outer sect disciples getting whipped alongside him.
Thus, he boldly shared his accumulated fishing experience with Shen Xiuhan.
“Look over there, Senior Brother. In that reed marsh, when the morning mist is thick, you can occasionally spot Precious Fish...”
“And that shallow beach further ahead, the bottom is full of gravel. You can find them there sometimes, too...”
Shen Xiuhan stood at the bow, letting the words go in one ear and out the other.
His gaze was fixed on the cluster of pale gold light dots.
Closer!
The golden glow of the Jade Fat Carp school shimmered faintly in the water ahead. Densely packed, it looked as if a handful of gold dust had been scattered beneath the green waves.
Shen Xiuhan withdrew his gaze, raised a hand toward Yang Chet, and spoke calmly:
“Fishing rod.”
“Huh?”
Yang Chet was in the middle of his enthusiastic speech and was caught off guard by the sudden interruption.
Once he recovered, he hurriedly retrieved a green bamboo rod from the cabin and handed it over.
Shen Xiuhan took the rod, did not bother choosing a spot. He simply hooked some bait and cast it with a gentle flick. The line entered the water silently, leaving only concentric ripples spreading across the surface.
At the same time, the mysterious path of his inner breath began to circulate. His energy, fine as silk thread, flowed through his fingertips into the rod, and descended silently down the line to the lakebed.
【Thousand Lakes Fishing】!
The moment the line touched the water, it became like an extended tentacle. The underwater currents, the swaying of the water plants, and the movement of the fish all appeared clearly in his mind.
A school of Jade Fat Carp lay lazily at the muddy bottom, slowly swishing their tails directly beneath his bait.
Found them!
Standing nearby, Yang Chet's lips twitched as he saw him cast the line right there.
He was young after all. After holding it in for a long time, he finally couldn't resist and, risking a scolding, carefully advised:
“Senior Brother Shen, though this place looks open, the bottom is full of cold silt. Precious Fish are extremely alert. It is very difficult to catch them here with a rod. We would be better off casting a large net to see if we can get a—”
Before he could finish his sentence, a crisp splash cut him off!
With a flick of Shen Xiuhan's right wrist, the green bamboo rod bent into a full moon, the line stretching taut.
A gleaming white shadow burst from the water, sending spray flying in all directions as it flew straight toward the boat.
Yang Chet snapped his head up, his pupils contracting sharply.
It was a large fish, its entire body as smooth and translucent as white jade!
It was as long as a forearm and weighed at least four or five pounds!
Its cream-white tail thrashed wildly in mid-air, scattering a shower of crystal-clear water droplets that pattered down.
Water droplets fell on Yang Chet's head.
On his face.
And right into his gaping mouth.
Only when Shen Xiuhan grabbed the fish in his hand did Yang Chet shudder, jolting out of his daze.
He leaped to his feet, nearly overturning the small boat, and let out a cracked, high-pitched cry:
“Th-this is... a Jade Fat Carp!!”
The Jade Fat Carp was a Tier One Precious Fish, notorious for being difficult to catch.
This fish spent the entire year hidden in the mud at the bottom, only emerging in schools to feed after sunset during the hour of You.
Ordinary disciples had to cast nets in the dead of night to surround and capture them, and even then, they would often spend the entire night only to catch a few.
But it was broad daylight!
And he was using a fishing rod!
How long had it been since he cast the line?
Yang Chet rubbed his eyes vigorously and pinched his thigh hard. The sharp pain convinced him that he was not dreaming.
The way he looked at Shen Xiuhan instantly shifted from warm friendliness to profound awe. His voice trembled as he asked,
“Senior Brother... h-how did you do that?”
Shen Xiuhan casually tossed the 【Jade Fat Carp】 into the wooden bucket in the cabin, its tail splashing water everywhere.
He took a piece of coarse cloth to wipe the water from his hands, his face remaining as calm and unruffled as before. He said softly,
“Just luck.”
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