Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 67 Fishing Master, Ordination and Ranking

time flies.

In the blink of an eye, it has come to the 40th year of Shaozhi, the 21st day of the first month, the first pentad of the Rain Water solar term, "Otters offer fish as sacrifice".

The mouth of the Jiulong River.

On the calm river surface, a few ripples gently spread out, and a small boat emerged from the reeds along the riverbank.

Wang Cheng, dressed in a neat short-sleeved cloth shirt with the cuffs and trouser legs rolled up high, lay leisurely at the bow of the boat with a straw in his mouth, while Zhang Wen rowed at the stern.

The now-repaired Zhang Fushun followed far behind.

"The timing is perfect; the otters have already come out."

Wang Cheng rolled over and stretched, then saw a group of furry little animals moving around by the river.

They rushed into the water to catch fish, but instead of eating them, they lined them up on the bank before going back into the water.

When they stand upright, they can use their two small hands to hold their food, just like a human.

From a distance, they look like humans bowing, which makes one wonder if these otters also perform a ritual of offering thanks to heaven and earth before eating fish, just like humans?
This is precisely a group of otters personally demonstrating the ritual of "otters offering fish as a sacrifice".

Otters, also known as water cats, begin catching fish in the water at this time of year, then neatly arrange the fish on the water's edge, as if offering sacrifices to heaven and earth.

Many fishermen in the Daisho and Nanyang regions use this characteristic of otters to help them catch fish.

Over time, this natural phenomenon became an inextricable link between the official position of the water brigade, "Bai Shui Lang".

After escaping from the royal ship, Wang Cheng painstakingly built his initial team, apprenticed under masters, and risked his life at sea to cultivate until he reached the Pure Yang Realm of Life Fire, all in preparation for this day.

In this world, one's own abilities are always the most important thing; one must never put the cart before the horse.

Before Wang Cheng rolled up his sleeves and got to work, he didn't forget to explain the secrets of cultivation for the Bai Shui Lang profession to Zhang Wen and the crew members following behind him:
"The promotion ritual for [Bai Shuilang] is much simpler than that for Han Shushu's promotion to [Hailiaozi]."

To imitate the scene of otters fishing for offerings, organize a small team of no more than three fishermen to sail into the river or sea to fish for offerings, with a one-day time limit.

During the sacrificial ceremony, based on the quality and quantity of the catch, as well as the fishing skills displayed throughout the day, one will receive different levels of favor and blessings from the "Heavenly Water Golden Toad Qi".

Those who are exceptionally outstanding can even have two or three years of probation reduced, and upon being officially appointed and listed in the ranks, they are already comparable to veteran seventh-rank officials, and it will not be long before they can rise to the middle third rank.

To achieve the best promotion results, various schools of thought flourished, and people began to specifically practice fishing skills right from the start.

The first wave of people revered the catch as king.

They advocate using the cheapest tools and bait to obtain the largest catch, pursuing the ultimate cost-effectiveness, and gradually honing the world's strongest techniques.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. These guys were actually the worst at fishing. They could only rely on their strength to throw bricks, and even if they baited the spot, they would only catch three ounces of fish. It was a disgrace to the "white-water fisherman" profession.

The fish dream of these "living gods" appearing every day.

Offering them a boy and a girl in exchange for the entire tribe becoming plump and strong is far more profitable than fishing; they reproduce faster than fish.

"Thank the gods for providing us with food!"

Such schools of thought often only receive the most basic favor and blessings in sacrificial rituals.

The second school of thought reveres technology as paramount.

They love learning, but they never bother with low-end fishing gear like nets and harpoons, which lack technical sophistication. They prefer to study various fishing methods and recipes.

In this hierarchy of contempt, anglers are considered superior to fishermen.

These guys are all expert fishermen; they can't resist casting their lines whenever they encounter a body of water.

【Solitary Angler on a Snowy River】, 【Fishing for Giant Turtle in the East Sea】, and 【Leaning on a Whale in the North Sea】 are all legendary fishing masters in the martial arts world.

When these people are promoted, they belong to the second tier. No matter how good their fishing skills are, they are ultimately judged by their quality rather than their quantity, which is a negative factor.

The third school of thought is called "I want them all".

They are not limited to using any means necessary, as long as they can catch fish. They can make the simplest tools work in many ways, and only those with exceptional talent can learn from them.

It is further divided into two branches: one is to pursue the frequency of stimulation, to keep catching fish, and to have the largest number of fish.
Another is the pursuit of intense excitement, such as specializing in targeting giant fish, where the catch must be the largest and of the highest quality.

With the Four Seas Coin as a powerful aid, Wang Cheng naturally wants it all!

Shaking his eyes with his hand, he mobilized all his resources and immediately witnessed the colorful and vibrant life within the Jiulong River estuary.

With a casual gesture, Zhang Wen immediately rowed the boat toward a certain body of water.

Wang Cheng grabbed a specially made fishing net from the boat, adorned with copper coins and talismans, and cast it out. Borrowing the [Turtle-Headed Body], he began wrestling with whatever was in the water. "Moo moo moo!"

A low mooing sound came from underwater, startling Zhang Wen behind him, who instinctively gripped the oar tighter.

A moment later, a group of long, narrow salmon broke out of the water along with the fishing net, including two unusual creatures, one large and one small, with cow horns.

【Ten Thousand Seafood Delicacies: Tailu Salmon】:
"Migratory fish can adapt to both seawater and freshwater environments and switch between them freely."

In winter, they move to large rivers or deeper waters to find suitable places to overwinter. After the rivers thaw in spring, they migrate upstream to streams for reproductive purposes.

It can strengthen bones and muscles, increase strength, and most importantly, after eating it, one can be as durable as an old ox and cure a certain unspeakable ailment.

Sold to diners who are interested, they can fetch a premium of 50% to 100% on top of the regular value of 100,000 yuan worth of seafood.

Wang Cheng was single in both his lives, and having cultivated his life force to the point of perfect yang, he was in excellent physical condition and had no need for such things at all.

Without blinking, he handed the fish to Zhang Wu, who was rowing up in another small boat, and told him to take the first batch of catch back to Zhang Fushun's boat for safekeeping, so that they could be offered as a sacrifice later.

He then led Zhang Wen to several places along the surrounding waterways, where they set up seven or eight bamboo cages that he had woven by hand.

These places are invaluable fishing spots, clearly visible to anyone with a keen eye for rare finds.

Then it immediately turned around and went downstream to the shallow sea area.

Upon catching a glimpse of a red, precious light shining through the sea, Wang Cheng pulled out a slingshot made of ox tendon and a sharp fish spear attached to a silk thread, and shot it out fiercely.

call out!
A large, golden fish underwater was instantly pierced by the harpoon and pulled back along with the fishing line.

Although it's not a rare seafood delicacy, it's a golden croaker, a type of wild yellow croaker, which is quite valuable among ordinary catches.

Major restaurants buy them at high prices, so there's never a shortage of sales channels.

Just as Wang Cheng was about to catch the large yellow croaker and put it on the boat, a sudden gust of wind swept overhead.

With a twist of his body, he dodged a pair of gleaming golden claws.

"Wow—!"

Then a fierce, sharp eagle cry rang in my ears.

His mind immediately spotted the "robber" who had swooped down from the sky to steal his spoils.

It was a huge bird of prey with golden claws, an eagle's beak, a white eagle's head, and brown feathers covering its entire body. Its wingspan could reach ten feet when it spread its wings.

After missing its target, it immediately flapped its wings, creating a gust of wind, and took flight again.

"This looks like a bald eagle, also known as a white-headed sea eagle."

Where did it come from? These birds of prey are also found along the coast of Dazhao; shouldn't they be a species unique to overseas regions?

When Wang Cheng saw the other person's extremely familiar appearance, he shook his head, wondering if he was seeing things.

As I stared intently to make sure I was right, the other person had already fallen from the sky once again.

Wang Cheng didn't stand for it. He grabbed the solid wood oar from Zhang Wen's hand and knocked it down with a move called "Dragon's Claw".

It pounced on the small boat with its tongue lolling out, its paws twitching twice.

"Hey, big boatman, this bird is so big, why don't we roast it and eat it tonight?"

Zhang Wen had never seen such a large eagle before. He looked it up and down, examining its large wings and long legs. He subconsciously licked his lips, thinking that this thing must taste delicious.

Wang Cheng pulled out a rope and tied the bald eagle tightly, rejecting Zhang Wen's unreliable suggestion.

"It would be too wasteful to eat it directly; Bai Shuilang's signature dish is perfect for this."

After a brief interlude.

Wang Cheng quickly used every fishing method he could think of: fishing nets, bamboo cages, fishing rods, harpoons, spears, and washing pestles.

Basket after basket of precious fish were moved onto the Zhang Fushun boat.

If conditions weren't so restrictive, Wang Cheng would have definitely pulled off an unprecedented "left zero, right fire, thunder god assists me" fishing rod, ensuring he would never go home empty-handed.

If he were to invent this treasure, his skill level and catch quantity would undoubtedly far surpass others, making all the advancement rituals of Bai Shuilang throughout history pale in comparison.

Of course, there's a good chance the "Jinghe Dragon King" might actually come knocking on our door!

Thank you to reader "咚了个冬" for the generous donation! Thank you to everyone for your monthly tickets and recommendations! The book will be available for purchase before the end of the month, so please continue reading and support me! (orz)
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(End of this chapter)