Xu Zhouling's eyes widened, and he pointed his index finger at his nose.
“Me?”
“Lose to you?”
Shen Xiuhan nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice, an innocent, harmless smile on his face. “Uh-huh.”
“Ha!”
Xu Zhouling threw his head back and laughed. He pointed a finger at Shen Xiuhan, clicking his tongue as he smiled.
“You probably don't know, but the 『Fisherman's Spirit-Imitating Formula』 your master learned was personally passed down to him by me. For a disciple like you to actually claim you can beat me...”
Before he could finish his sentence, he waved his sleeve. Not giving Shen Xiuhan a chance to say another word, he directly made a decision.
“Fine, fine, fine!”
“If you win, this Sect Master will give you five drops of ten-year-old 『Star-Moon Marrow-Washing Spring』. How about that?”
『Star-Moon Marrow-Washing Spring』!?
The moment he heard this name, Shen Xiuhan's heart stirred.
This spring was a specialty treasure of Xingyue Lake, where the Star-Plucking Sect was located.
The spring water was rich with star and moon spiritual energy. However, if consumed directly, it would introduce a severe toxin into the body, causing meridian burns at best and completely ruining one's cultivation at worst.
The predecessors of the Star-Plucking Sect had spent decades of painstaking effort repeatedly researching it before finally figuring out a method to refine it.
The spring water had to be placed in a specific array and slowly refined with cold-attribute fire before one could circulate a heart method to absorb the spiritual energy within.
In this way, not only would the toxins be completely eliminated, but the spiritual aura would also become extremely gentle and rich.
The refined spring water was of great benefit to one's cultivation, and even provided a slight boost to one's constitution.
Inner court disciples could usually only purchase ordinary spiritual spring water. Even core disciples were only issued a single drop of five-year-old spiritual spring water each year.
Only the chief and deputy chief disciples of each academy, as well as various Huajin Rank elders and deacons, were qualified to exchange for the ten-year-old spiritual spring water.
A single drop was worth two hundred taels of silver, and there was a limit on the quantity!
Xu Zhouling casually offered five drops of ten-year-old 『Star-Moon Marrow-Washing Spring』, a value exceeding a thousand taels, yet his tone was as casual as if he were talking about ten copper coins!
Thank you for the thousand-tael silver banknote tip, Sect Master!
Shen Xiuhan was overjoyed. He cupped his hands and replied, “This disciple accepts!”
...
The northern shore.
Beside the green waves.
Xu Zhouling flipped his hand, and a fishing rod appeared in his palm.
The fishing rod was pitch-black all over and straight as a spear. The grip was wrapped with fine silver threads forming cloud patterns, and the end of the rod was embedded with a piece of cold jade the size of a pigeon's egg. At a glance, it was clearly an extraordinary treasure.
“This rod is called the 『Dragon-Angler King』.”
Xu Zhouling caressed the body of the rod, his tone filled with self-satisfaction. “The core of the rod is made of lightning-struck wood, blended with cold jade powder and bound with flood dragon tendon. It is a spiritual embryo fishing rod crafted by a grandmaster blacksmith in the prefectural capital...”
Shen Xiuhan listened silently. To avoid drawing too much attention, he honestly took out his own fishing rod.
The body of the rod was made of ordinary fine iron, and the line was also common hemp string. The wrapping at the grip had already begun to fray.
This was the very fishing rod that Feng Xiaobao had gifted him back in Changyun County, which had originally belonged to Ma Xianyang!
Thank you, Brother Ma!
Shen Xiuhan thought to himself. His hands did not stop as he quickly baited the hook and cast the line with a flick of his wrist!
Splash!
The hook splashed into a patch of shallow water several yards away, kicking up a burst of white foam.
Xu Zhouling glanced over and immediately looked disgusted. “You dare to cast your bait in such a shallow spot? Are you trying to catch Precious Fish, or are you trying to hook Tingquan Island?”
“Listen to me, reel it in quickly and cast toward the bend of the bay. That is the real sweet spot for a good catch!”
As he spoke, his gaze fell back onto Shen Xiuhan's fishing rod, and his brow furrowed even deeper. “And that rod of yours, it's forged from ordinary fine iron, isn't it?”
“If this thing hooks a ten-year-old Tier Two Precious Fish, it will snap the moment you pull. When you lose, don't go saying this Sect Master bullied you!”
Shen Xiuhan did not argue.
With a slight stir of his mind, he began to circulate his cultivation technique!
A profound, invisible wave traveled down the fishing rod and into the water, instantly rippling outward in all directions!
『Thousand Lakes Fishing』!
Xu Zhouling was still rambling, patting his 『Dragon-Angler King』 as he boasted, “To land a big one, a good rod is absolutely essential!”
“With this 『Dragon-Angler King』, I caught a Tier Three 『Green-Backed Carp』 five years ago. It weighed a full fifty-plus catties...”
Before he could finish his sentence—
Suddenly!
The bait on Shen Xiuhan's line plunged downward.
The force was sudden and violent, as if a giant hand underwater was dragging the fishing line down.
The fishing rod instantly bent into a sharp arc, the body of the rod groaning under the strain!
“Here it comes!”
Shen Xiuhan's eyes brightened!
Shaking his right arm, he used the rod's natural recoil to forcefully hoist the rod high.
Splash!
The surface of the water suddenly exploded, and a dark shadow burst out.
It was a bizarre, pitch-black fish about three feet long, with a pair of broad, black fleshy wings growing on its back.
Dragged out of the water by the fishing line, it actually spread its wings and began to flap wildly in midair!
Its wingspan was a full four feet wide, and each flap kicked up a rushing wind, sending water splashing in all directions across the lake.
Xu Zhouling's eyes widened into perfect circles as he blurted out, “A Black-Winged Fish! A Tier Three Precious Fish!?”
The Black-Winged Fish struggled in midair for a moment before Shen Xiuhan steadily reeled it in to the shore.
Xu Zhouling rushed forward a couple of steps, pinching the fish's barbels with two fingers to inspect them. He then pried open its gills to look at the purple membrane inside, his voice rising a few pitches without him realizing, “This gill color... this is a Black-Winged Fish of over twenty years!”
He instantly looked up at Shen Xiuhan, his expression as if he had seen a ghost. “Tier Three Precious Fish are incredibly rare in Qianchi Lake, and those that have grown for twenty years are even scarcer... and you caught one on your very first cast?!”
Shen Xiuhan rubbed his nose and coughed dryly. “Just luck... pure luck.”
Hearing this, Xu Zhouling's mouth twitched. It took him a long while before he managed to squeeze out, “Consider yourself lucky. Again!”
His expression suddenly turned solemn, all trace of casualness vanishing from his brow, replaced by a look of intense focus.
Right at that moment—
Creak!
The fine iron fishing rod groaned once more, its body instantly bending into a full bow!
Shen Xiuhan had hooked yet another fish!
Splash!
A flash of golden light burst from the water, drawing a brilliant arc in the air.
A Tier Two Precious Fish, the 『Gold-Scaled Fish』!
Its golden scales shone brilliantly in the sunlight, looking as if they had just been fished out of molten gold, making Xu Zhouling's face turn increasingly stiff.
But this was only the beginning!
Within the next fifteen minutes.
Shen Xiuhan caught yet another Tier One Precious Fish with jade-green scales and excellent quality.
And then, yet another Tier Two Precious Fish, a full size larger than the previous 『Gold-Scaled Fish』.
Every time the "creak" of the tightening fishing line rang out, Xu Zhouling's shoulders would twitch imperceptibly.
The spiritual embryo fishing rod in his hand—embedded with cold jade, wrapped in silver thread, and bound with flood dragon tendon—remained as quiet as a fire poker stuck in the water. Not even a single stray minnow came to visit.
From his initial grand boasting, to his mid-way incoherent rambling, and finally to his absolute silence...
The entire process took only half an hour!
Shen Xiuhan stuffed the Precious Fish into his nearly overflowing creel and peeked upward cautiously.
Xu Zhouling sat cross-legged by the lake, his hands resting on his knees, his fishing rod laid flat in front of him. His face was as calm as still water, his eyes staring fixedly at the lake's surface.
His entire being radiated a melancholic aura of someone who had seen through the vanity of the mortal world.
“Ahem...”
Shen Xiuhan spoke up tentatively, “Sect Master, how about... we try another spot?”
Xu Zhouling turned his head, staring at him blankly.
He suddenly grabbed the 『Dragon-Angler King』, stood up, and said with a stiff face, “The wind direction is wrong today. I'm done fishing!”
Shen Xiuhan readily agreed. “...Yes, yes, the wind direction is indeed wrong.”
Xu Zhouling snorted, put away his fishing rod, and tossed over a small porcelain vial.
The porcelain vial felt cool to the touch, and a gentle sloshing sound echoed from within when shaken.
“The ten-year-old 『Star-Moon Marrow-Washing Spring』 is yours!”
Following that, Xu Zhouling flicked his sleeve, hiding his almost uncontrollable embarrassment, and turned to leave.
But right then!
Shen Xiuhan's voice drifted from behind him, “Sect Master... do you wish to know about Senior Brother Zuo being afflicted by the Destiny Divine Ability?”
Xu Zhouling's footsteps paused, his body freezing in place.
He remained silent for a moment before slowly turning back around.
The lake wind swept across his slightly graying temples. His square face no longer held any trace of jest, replaced instead by a solemn, razor-sharp intensity.
He looked at Shen Xiuhan, his tone frank and direct, “Yes, and no.”
Meeting Shen Xiuhan's slightly puzzled gaze, Xu Zhouling stood with his hands behind his back. His voice was not loud, yet every word was as heavy as iron, “By comparison! This seat is far more interested in knowing which dickless eunuch beat my disciple into such a state.”
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