Once inside the creel, the Silver-Striped Fish quickly curled up, stiffened, and froze motionless in moments.
Shen Xiuhan pumped his fist, an uncontrollable surge of excitement rising on his face.
It was real!
The intelligence system really could pinpoint the tracks of Precious Fish!
In his memory, after Shen Sanhuai had caught that Silverback Fish years ago, he had spent some wine money to consult an old, experienced fisherman about its habits.
That old-timer loved wine like life itself. Only after downing three bowls of yellow wine did he reveal the truth:
Not only was the Silverback Fish brimming with blood qi, but it also possessed a peculiar nature—it was extremely lustful.
Whenever an adult Silverback Fish appeared, a school of top-quality female Silver-Striped Fish with four or more stripes would surely follow it in the depths.
As for the ordinary ones with only two or three stripes, most were not qualified to get close and could only swim around solitary and alone.
And the one he had just caught had a full five silver stripes.
This meant that beneath the ice, a Silverback Fish was truly lurking!
“Phew...”
Shen Xiuhan exhaled a long breath, pulled a few grains of millet from his shirt, and baited the hook again.
The Silver-Striped Fish he had just caught weighed at least two pounds.
Although the Silver-Striped Fish was far less precious than the Silverback Fish, its meat was tender and fresh, making it a highly sought-after delicacy in the inner city taverns.
At market price, an ordinary Silver-Striped Fish could fetch twenty copper coins per pound.
The one in his hand had a full five stripes, so it might even fetch a premium of two or three copper coins.
With just this one catch, he had over forty copper coins in the bag.
In normal times, this amount of money would be enough to feed the entire family for half a month.
But for the current Shen Xiuhan, it was far from enough.
He had fallen gravely ill, spending nearly a whole string of cash over the past half-month.
The boat fee and fishing rent he owed the Bai family amounted to two taels of silver, principal and interest included.
He also owed Uncle Chen's family two hundred copper coins...
Not to mention that winter had arrived, the rice urn was empty, and they hadn't even stockpiled firewood for the cold season!
Hunger, cold, debt...
These three mountains weighed heavily on Shen Xiuhan, leaving him without a single moment to rest.
He needed money desperately.
“Keep going!”
Shen Xiuhan licked his dry, cracked lips. With a flick of his wrist, he cast the newly baited hook back into the ice hole.
In the next instant—
Whoosh!
The reed bobber suddenly yanked downward without any warning!
“So fast?!”
Shen Xiuhan was startled. His physical instinct far outpaced his thoughts. Gripping the bamboo rod tightly with both hands, he aligned his waist and horse stance, and flicked his wrists upward with a sudden surge of power!
Splash!
Amidst the splashing water, another silvery-white figure broke through the ice!
Thud!
A plump Silver-Striped Fish with four stripes landed on the ice, thrashing wildly.
Under the assault of the freezing air, the moisture on its body rapidly condensed into frost, and it soon froze into a rock-hard ice sculpture.
Shen Xiuhan grabbed it and tossed it into the bamboo creel, letting it join its "little sister" from earlier.
Two!
Delighted, he baited the hook and cast it out again.
About fifteen minutes later, the bobber sank violently once more.
“Another one!”
Lifting the rod, pulling the line, and flinging the fish—his movements grew increasingly practiced, flowing in one smooth motion!
Smack!
The third Silver-Striped Fish slammed heavily onto the ice, weighing a good three pounds.
What made it even more eye-catching was that there were six silver stripes on its back!
“Excellent catch!”
Shen Xiuhan was highly energized as he stuffed it into the creel.
The old bamboo creel was already getting a bit crowded.
Three plump Silver-Striped Fish were packed inside, heavy and solid.
Yet, he had absolutely no intention of stopping.
Over the next hour, the bobber sank once every fifteen minutes.
The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...
Aside from the Silver-Striped Fish, he also caught two black carps, one large and one small.
They had likely been hiding in the shallows and were drawn to the ice hole to breathe.
Shen Xiuhan repeated the motions of lifting the rod and landing the fish. His hands and feet grew numb from the cold, but his heart was burning hot.
Only after an hour did the bobber suddenly stop moving.
No matter how much the millet bait soaked until it turned pale, the water's surface remained completely still.
“They've stopped biting?”
Shen Xiuhan frowned slightly and looked down at the creel by his feet.
Six Silver-Striped Fish and two black carps.
But... where was the promised Silverback Fish?
With a thought, Shen Xiuhan summoned the intelligence system.
【Intelligence 1: Five hundred meters to the south (coordinates 381, 513), in the shallows of Xiaojing Bay, the “Silverback Fish” has appeared.】
Shen Xiuhan clearly remembered that when he broke the ice hole earlier, the pale gold light dot representing the Silverback Fish had been directly beneath him.
But looking at it now...
the light dot had silently moved over a hundred paces away at some point!
The coordinate numbers had also changed.
In other words...
the Silverback Fish had slipped away!
“...”
Shen Xiuhan realized in hindsight...
having lived long enough to become cunning, the Silverback Fish had sensed danger and bolted!
“A Precious Fish is indeed a Precious Fish. Damn, it's alert.”
Sighing, Shen Xiuhan glanced at the sky and decided to let it go for now.
The fish market closed during the Hour of the Monkey.
If he went too late, he'd be stuck with a creel full of fresh fish and wouldn't be able to get a good price.
“You can run, but you can't hide. With the system tracking you, you won't escape my grasp!”
“Tomorrow! Once I get some better bait, I'll definitely reel you in!”
Shen Xiuhan snorted coldly, packed up his bamboo rod, and swung the creel over his shoulder.
Taking one last look at the flickering coordinates of the Silverback Fish in the distance, he wasted no time and strode toward the inner city of Changyun County.
...
Changyun County covered a vast area. Relying on the tributaries of Yunshui Lake, canals ran through both its inner and outer sections.
With small bridges, flowing water, and boats passing back and forth, the scenery was originally quite unique.
But because of the people living there, a world of difference existed between the inner and outer cities.
The outer city, such as Xiaojing Bay and Dongxi Ward, was, to put it plainly, a slum of shanties.
Thatched cottages and wooden shacks were packed tightly together, leaning askew on both sides of the narrow alleys.
Icicles hung from the eaves, alongside tattered clothes that never seemed to dry.
The roads were muddy, turning into a slushy mess whenever the snow melted.
Those living here were mostly tenant farmers, conscript laborers, and those of the lowly registry—the lower classes who made a living by selling their labor.
The inner city was different.
Passing through the city gates guarded day and night by soldiers, one was greeted by smooth bluestone streets.
The snow had been swept clean, piled neatly beside the roadside ditches.
On both sides of the streets stood residential houses with grey bricks and dark tiles.
They were not overly luxurious, but they were decent residences that people from the outer city might not be able to afford even if they saved for a lifetime.
Occasionally, one would see grand estates with red-lacquered gates and stone lions standing guard. Their high walls and deep courtyards presented a solemn, imposing sight.
This caused the outer city folk heading to the market to cast frequent glances, their eyes filled with envy.
Walking further inside, the streets gradually widened, with wine flags fluttering and tea banners swaying.
Inns, fabric shops, grain stores, and grocery shops lined the streets in neat rows. Shop assistants leaned against the doors, welcoming customers with beaming smiles, while the clatter of abacus beads filled the air.
Pedestrians jostled shoulder to shoulder, and carriages and horses passed in an endless stream, making for a bustling scene.
Carrying the creel on his back, Shen Xiuhan turned west and entered the West Market Fish Stalls.
This place was adjacent to the docks, allowing direct access to Nanxiang Prefecture by water.
About a hundred bamboo rafts and sampans, along with a dozen black-awning boats, were moored along the shore.
Fishermen wearing bamboo hats and coir raincoats bustled about, carrying baskets of fresh river catches ashore, renting stalls, and shouting at the top of their lungs to hawk their wares.
The fish market reeked of a heavy, fishy stench.
Men in groups of three to five, all dressed in uniform brown robes, strolled through the stalls. Hanging from their waists were wooden plaques carved with the words “Golden Dragon.”
Just as Shen Xiuhan stepped into the fish market, a burly man suddenly lunged from the side, blocking his path.
The man's eyes gleamed with restrained sharpness, and his temples bulged high, exuding a fierce aura. At a glance, he was clearly a martial artist.
On the bottom of the Golden Dragon plaque at his waist, a small character was engraved with a chisel:
“Gao.”
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