Victor Wang recalled fishing with his grandfather as a child.
Back then, fishing had seemed truly fun. But as he grew older, school took up his time—then later, his career. Fishing, being a time-consuming hobby, had long been tossed into life's miscellaneous drawer. Barring unexpected circumstances, he probably wouldn't have picked it up again until retirement age.
He exhaled lightly, then mimicked his grandfather's motions as he cast the line, landing the hook at a moderate distance.
Though Teyvat was approaching winter, the water in Bisha River was still comparable to early autumn on Earth. Seasonal change didn't impact fishing much.
However, the current time was nearing 1 PM, when the sun was high in the sky.
He remembered one of his grandfather's old sayings: "Fish for gold in the morning and evening, silver at midnight—only immortals can catch fish at noon."
The bright midday sun and warmer water meant most fish had eaten breakfast and were hiding in deeper, cooler areas. Fortunately, the dock, boats, and stacked cargo cast broad shadows across the water—perfect shade for fish trying to stay cool.
Victor Wang's casting form and placement were decent enough, prompting Jiangxue to nod slightly before settling beside a supply crate to eat lunch.
"This cook really knows his craft. I never get tired of the food. You've eaten already?"
"I did. Came down after that."
"Good. This might take a while."
"You gave me your rod and now you're just gonna stand there and watch?" And throw in sarcastic comments, I bet.
"Fishing itself means nothing to me—not the process or the results. It just helps time pass faster, that's all. Whether I fish or watch others fish—it's the same to me."
"...But watching someone else catch fish when you can't—that has to sting, right?"
"Heh. Yanxiao keeps waiting for me to reel in a big catch. I never have. Whether we eat fish tonight depends on you."
Fishing with no bait... yeah, sure we'll catch a big one. I'd be lucky to hook anything...
True to his word, Jiangxue stood silently next to Victor Wang after lunch, watching the water with him.
Two quiet hours passed before Victor Wang's gaze caught on a palm-sized fish.
Maybe it was the weakening sunlight, or maybe it had been long enough since breakfast—the fish swam cautiously toward the hook, inspecting it. But sensing it wasn't food, it seemed ready to leave.
Stupid bait!
This is the Emperor's bait. Only clever fish can see it. You're clever—come back!
Victor Wang panicked slightly. Aside from watching his grandfather fish a few times, he didn't know much. But he had seen short videos online—some people managed to fish without bait. How'd they do it?
He carefully jiggled the rod, making the hook twitch subtly in the water.
Startled, the fish darted away. But after a while, sensing no threat, it swam back.
Victor Wang was thrilled. He wiggled the rod again. The fish approached curiously, nudging the hook.
He continued to toy with it. The fish was about to bite—
"Ahem. Looks like it is going to be a long battle."
Startled by Jiangxue's sudden comment, the fish darted away again.
"What the hell? Did you do that on purpose?" Finally got a bite on this cursed hook—now it's ruined.
"What? You weren't seriously trying to catch that tiny thing, were you? That'd barely feed Ah Wei."
"...Hmph. It was just too sunny earlier. Now that evening's coming, I'll definitely hook a big one."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Another three hours passed. The sun had dipped behind Qingyun Peak or Mt. Aozang, not quite setting yet. The sky flared crimson with sunset.
Traffic across the wooden bridge picked up. Hooves clattered in a steady rhythm, but the fish—used to the ambient noise—weren't spooked. With the cooling water, they became more active.
Still, none neared the hook again. And Victor Wang and Jiangxue remained silent.
"Maybe we should rethink this. Like, say... putting actual bait on the hook?"
Jiangxue shook his head calmly. "Clear your mind."
Could it be...?
Victor Wang considered it. When people do something without immediate results, they often get discouraged and give up. But enduring that "emptiness" builds something called patience.
Is this Jiangxue's way of teaching already?
He stopped thinking about catching fish and let his mind go blank—just stood there, motionless like the lamp post nearby.
Another two hours passed. It was 9 PM. The ground floor of Wangshu Inn was lively—some guests were composing poetry under the moon, others discussing tomorrow's travel plans. Some were eating and drinking heartily, playing toast games with friends.
Then came the sound of quick footsteps—Yanxiao had come to deliver dinner.
"Still fishing all day? Let me guess—you didn't catch anything again? Wait... is Victor the one fishing? Don't let Jiangxue con you!"
"What do you mean? I've already donated tons of fish to the inn!"
"Yeah right. Averaged out, you don't even catch one a day. The total haul isn't enough for two tables. It's a waste of time."
"I..." Jiangxue scratched his head.
"Victor, you've been down here since delivering lunch? You spent the whole afternoon fishing? Don't do this. Time's too precious to waste."
"No. I've seen the light. Fishing is a form of cultivation." Victor Wang looked completely serene.
"'Seen the light'—you've gone nuts! Jiangxue, look what you've done!"
Jiangxue glanced awkwardly between the two. Pressured by Yanxiao, he turned to Victor Wang and said, "You should eat. Get some rest. The time hasn't come yet."
"The time hasn't come yet?"
"The time hasn't come yet."
Is there deeper meaning to that? Because I responded to Yanxiao, does it mean my heart isn't calm enough? My cultivation's not ready?
"Got it. I'll come again tomorrow."
"Mm. Come again tomorrow."
Yanxiao smacked his forehead. "You two... ugh, forget it."
The next morning, Victor Wang brought enough steamed dumplings for two meals and returned to the dock, taking Jiangxue's 'post.'
Once his heart truly calmed, it was as if time skipped forward. He stood there the whole day, even skipping lunch.
Red clouds again painted the sky.
"It's time," Jiangxue said suddenly.
Victor Wang, now deep in inner tranquility, heard him—but didn't react.
A surge of water-element energy gathered below the surface, then bit onto his hook. The line went taut in an instant.
His subconscious—his only remaining 'sensor' in the outside world—triggered. He instinctively pulled, but it wouldn't budge.
"Clear your mind."
Victor Wang didn't understand why he needed to stay calm if the fish had already bitten, but he obeyed.
He took a deep breath—and was pulled into a vision.
An endless marsh stretched out before him. The sky was deep blue. The swamp was pure black. His body was already waist-deep in the muck. He knew it was an illusion—but didn't know how to escape.
"Jiangxue?"
"Little Wen, are you there?"
"Little Wen!"
His voice flew out into the sky—no echo.
He felt himself sinking slowly. No matter the situation, he had to get out first.
He remembered survival advice from Bear Grylls: flatten your torso against the surface, lift your chin to breathe, and use your upper body's buoyancy to free your legs—slowly.
It was a long process—but he eventually pulled himself free.
Now what?
All around was endless marsh. He chose a direction and crawled across the surface.
The ground gradually dried. Black soil cracked and hardened. The water seemed to vanish into the air.
The azure sky—cloudless and sunless—began to rain. Water returned to the earth, just enough to moisten the cracks without forming a swamp.
The rain washed the muck from Victor Wang's body. In that moment, he felt completely refreshed.
...
Jiangxue watched a sphere of water rise from the river, swirl along the line, and envelop Victor Wang—then slowly recede.
Sensing Victor's return to consciousness, he called out loudly: "What did you catch?"
"A big fish! I caught a big fish!"
Soaked by rain in that illusion, Victor Wang snapped awake. He tugged hard on the rod. It was suddenly light—but when he peered into the water, the hook looked empty.
"Where's the fish? Did it get away?"
Unwilling to give up, he lifted the rod. A blob of water clung to the hook—then, above the surface, it transformed into a large blue-green fish.
"Fish! That's a huge fish!"
The fish was nearly a meter and a half long, its dark green scales gleaming with power. Victor Wang hugged it tightly, afraid it might escape. In that moment, he finally understood the joy of fishermen.
"Let's go. Show the cook—make him whip up something special."
As they passed the dock, a few porters stared in shock. Victor Wang couldn't help blurting out: "How did you all know I caught such a big fish?"
Through the ground-floor restaurant of Wangshu Inn, guests gawked at the fish.
"How did you all know I caught such a big fish?"
Jiangxue shook his head. Young people... lose their minds over nothing. Pathetic.
Up the floating lift, even the innkeeper, the boss, and the upstairs guests widened their eyes at the fish.
"How did you all know I caught such a big fish?"
"Whoa! You actually did it!" came Yanxiao's stunned shout from the kitchen.
"Handle it well. Tonight, we feast. I'll go fix his brain now."
After saying this, Jiangxue tugged Victor Wang away from the fish.
"I lost my cool…"
"It's fine. We all have those moments."
Victor Wang 'regained his senses' and realized it was already dark. A glance at his pocket watch showed he'd been in that illusion for two hours?
"What was that fish?"
"Heh... that's a real treasure."