Early morning. A thin mist shrouded everything, and dew clung to the river grass.
Black River Crossing Pier.
Giant merchant ships, like massive beasts, cut through the morning mist and slowly docked. The rhythmic chants of boat trackers rose and fell. The men, their dark backs bare, shouted desolate work songs, their muscles glistening with sweat.
The air was a mix of fish and earth. Someone was selling fried breakfast cakes, and amidst the chaos and noise, there was a touch of everyday life.
Su Yu had taken the day off and headed straight for the boat rental on the east side of the pier.
The Steward here was a young man named Liang Kui.
At this moment, he was slumped in a bamboo chair, legs crossed, listlessly cracking melon seeds and spitting the shells all over the ground. Behind him, a dozen or so boats of all kinds were moored, from simple sampans to canopy-covered black-awning boats—a wide selection.
"Steward, what are the rates for renting a boat?" Su Yu asked as he approached.
Liang Kui didn't even lift his eyelids, giving Su Yu a lazy glance.
"A small sampan is thirty coins a day, a medium sampan is fifty, and a black-awning boat is eighty. The deposit is extra."
The prices were fair, but not cheap.
Just then, a few more fishermen with baskets on their backs came over. Their faces were dark and weathered, the mark of men who spent their days making a living on the water.
"Young Master Liang, we'd like to rent one medium sampan for three days."
"One hundred fifty coins. Come pay the five taels deposit and register your names."
They were all veteran fishermen. They pooled their money, paid up, and then took the boat. After loading their fishing gear, they rowed off toward the deeper parts of the Black Water River.
"I'd like to rent a black-awning boat. How much is the deposit?" Su Yu felt a headache coming on. He didn't have much silver left, only three or four taels.
"A black-awning boat? The deposit is ten taels of silver!"
Su Yu's brow furrowed. 'The deposit really is too much. Looks like I can only rent the medium sampan. The small one is too tiny. It'd be dangerous if I ran into rough waters, and I wouldn't be able to go very deep.'
'Even the medium sampan is a bit small, especially the canopy. It would only offer a little protection from the wind.'
Su Yu's goal for this trip was a Treasure Fish, or at the very least, a rare fish like the Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish. A small boat wouldn't do.
Seeing Su Yu hesitate, Liang Kui immediately guessed he didn't have enough for the deposit. He didn't say anything, just went back to cracking his melon seeds out of boredom.
"Can I pay on credit?"
"Credit? What do you think this place is? I, Liang Kui, may be friendly with people here at Black River Crossing, but I'm not running a charity. What makes you so special? Let's hear it. If I, Liang Kui, think you've got what it takes, maybe we can make an exception."
Liang Kui sized up Su Yu again. 'He's actually quite handsome, almost as good-looking as I am. But his clothes are plain, and he looks completely unremarkable.'
"I am currently preparing to break through to the Martial Artist realm. I have some strength. I wonder if that is enough to impress Young Master Liang?"
"Hm? Breaking through to Martial Artist?" Liang Kui immediately flipped himself up from the chair and strode over to Su Yu.
"For real?"
Su Yu didn't speak. He channeled his Qi and Blood and slapped his palm against a mooring post as thick as a bowl.
"CRACK!"
A sharp crack echoed.
The wooden post shuddered violently. The spot where his palm had struck wasn't splintered, but a crack burst forth from within, spreading all the way to the base!
To wield heavy force as if it were light; his Power had penetrated the wood!
"A Half-Step Martial Artist? Well, I'll be! Sir, why didn't you say so sooner!"
Liang Kui rubbed his hands together and grinned. "With skills like that, you do me an honor by renting my boat! I am Liang Kui. My father is the Martial Artist Liang Yun'an. We have some small influence here at the pier."
"Su Yu, from Qingxi Village. Young Master Liang is too kind." Su Yu clasped his fist. As the saying goes, you don't slap a smiling face.
"No, no, no! Calling me Young Master is too formal. Just call me Younger Brother Liang!"
Liang Kui grabbed Su Yu's hand with practiced familiarity, a look of 'where have you been all my life' on his face. "Brother Su, I'm not just saying this, but I felt a connection the moment I saw you! I was just wondering about it, but now that I've heard your name, it all makes sense!"
"What makes sense?" Su Yu was having trouble following the man's train of thought.
Liang Kui straightened his collar and said with a serious expression, "Our looks! We're both handsome and dashing! If I didn't know for a fact my father doesn't have any illegitimate sons, I'd be tempted to call you my real brother!"
Su Yu looked at Liang Kui's round, plate-like face and wisely chose to remain silent.
But although Liang Kui was a chatterbox, he was incredibly straightforward when it came to business.
"The deposit for the boat? Don't worry about it. Between the two of us, it's waived! Hey, don't be polite with me. Talking about money strains a friendship!"
With a grand wave of his hand, he stood up and untied the best-looking black-awning boat.
"Then I thank you, Younger Brother Liang." Su Yu took the rope, paid the rental fee, then loaded his net, Fish Spear, and other gear onto the boat. He was just about to set off.
"Wait!" Liang Kui suddenly called out to Su Yu. He turned and rummaged through a nearby chest, pulled out a glossy black fishing net, and tossed it to Su Yu.
"Brother Su, I saw that your net is just regular coarse hemp. That won't do. A big fish could easily escape. This one is an oil-soaked Iron Wire Net. Take it and use it for now!"
Su Yu didn't refuse. He took the net and clasped his fist in thanks once more.
This Iron Wire Net was woven from iron-wire grass fibers mixed with refined hemp, then repeatedly soaked and steamed in a special tung oil. It was glossy black all over, had low resistance in the water, and was corrosion-resistant.
Most importantly, it could withstand the force of a hundred-jin fish. It was exactly what he needed.
「…」
Black Water River, the grotto beneath the cliffs.
Su Yu didn't immediately head for the depths of the Black Water River. Instead, he first rowed the black-awning boat to this hidden underwater grotto.
Based on past experience, rare fish would occasionally show up in this grotto. Perhaps he could try his luck here first.
Su Yu stood on a dry stone platform, spread the Iron Wire Net, and stared intently at the water below, chanting silently in his mind.
'Treasure Fish… Treasure Fish…'
Achieving Breaking Limit three times with his Net Casting Skill had given him the Listening Wave Positioning Trait. Now was a good time to test it.
However, the expected effect didn't trigger. Su Yu sighed internally. 'It seems there are no Treasure Fish down there.'
He tried thinking of other treasures, like treasure plants or treasure chests…
There was still no reaction. He didn't know if it was because there was truly nothing below, or if there was a problem with the Trait that kept it from activating.
Finally, he silently chanted "rare fish." The moment the thought formed in his mind, a mysterious, profound intuition surged forth!
'There it is!'
In that mysterious sense, he could feel a strange ball of light swimming in the waterway connected to the grotto below, and it was heading his way.
The next instant, the ball of light swam directly beneath him. Without hesitation, he cast his net.
His Net Casting Skill, already at the Perfection realm, was an extension of his own limbs. Empowered by the Breaking Limit Trait, the net unfurled into a perfect circle in the air before plunging into the water.
Below, the ball of light was caught with a sudden thud, and it immediately began to thrash about in panic.
Instantly, a huge surge of water roiled up from the depths.
With a deft flick and pull of his hands, Su Yu completely enveloped the fish in the net, then dove headfirst into the water.
Underwater, the large fish's appearance was revealed to Su Yu. Its body was flat like a spindle, its scales as bright red as fire, like a mirror of burning flame. It was, unbelievably, a rare Red Scale Carp!
The flesh of the Red Scale Carp was said to be like fire—an excellent nourishing delicacy. It was also extremely rare, even more so than the Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish.
And this fish weighed several jin, worth at least seven or eight taels of silver!