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Chapter 7 Is this fishing or dragon fishing?

Having received Chen Guangrui's promise, the old fisherman Zhang led the way with light steps.

Chen Guangrui and Chen An followed closely behind, and soon arrived at the Red Stone Beach on the banks of the Jing River.

The setting sun cast its golden rays across the river, its current gentle. This place was indeed deserted, with only a few dilapidated boats moored in the distance. On the slippery mud of the bank, the seventh reddish-brown boulder from the west stood out prominently.

"Please wait a moment, sir. I'll go find you the second gold item right away!"

Old Zhang moved swiftly, untying the mooring line and propelling the boat steadily toward the center of the river, stopping precisely near the deep waters in front of the red rock beach. He skillfully cast his net and retrieved the line, his movements fluid and seamless.

Chen An stood protectively beside Chen Guangrui, glancing around the empty riverbank, and whispered, "Brother, this place is eerily quiet..."

His innate martial artist's alertness made him feel an invisible sense of unease.

Chen Guangrui's gaze swept across the calm water, and he understood in his heart, but on the surface, he praised Old Zhang, who was busy in the river, loudly:

"Old man, you're quite skilled! Your choice of location and casting of the net were fluid and effortless, truly the work of a seasoned veteran. This is no ordinary skill, is it?" He paused deliberately, letting his voice carry further across the open river, his tone carrying just the right amount of probing and admiration.

"I suppose... this ability to 'hit the bullseye every time' is entirely due to the divine wisdom and guidance of that Mr. Yuan? Everyone says that Mr. Yuan has the ability to see the secrets of heaven, and seeing your harvest today, I know that this is no exaggeration! If it weren't for the guidance of such a master, how could an ordinary fisherman catch such precious golden carp every day?"

This flattery struck a chord with Old Zhang, instantly dispelling his resentment towards Yuan Shoucheng's minor "miscalculation" over the past few days, replaced by inflated smugness. He slammed his long pole heavily against the bow of the boat and couldn't help but boast loudly and animatedly.

"Hahaha! Young Master Chen has a good eye! You're absolutely right!"

Old Zhang patted the gunwale of the boat, his voice booming as if afraid no one would hear him, “I’ve been fishing in this Jing River my whole life, I know the place well, but as for when to cast my nets and where to find the finest fish? Hey, I used to be completely clueless! I was entirely dependent on God’s blessing! But ever since I met that Master Yuan in the West Market of Chang’an last month…”

He became more and more animated as he spoke, spittle flying from his mouth:
"Master Yuan is no ordinary man! On the very first day, he taught this old man a method of 'observing the stars to discern the water vapor and identifying fish tracks by observing patterns'! Look, it's right here on this red rock beach. He even timed it perfectly, telling the old man the day when 'the water vapor converges and the precious fish gather'! The old man tried it with some skepticism, and guess what? Hey! That very day, he caught two huge, golden carp in one net! Their scales were so bright they were dazzling!"

Old Zhang was lost in his memories, gesturing wildly as if he wanted to announce this extraordinary event to the river god.

"Since then, the old man has gone to listen to Master Yuan's guidance every day. He never gets tired of it and tells the old man the time and direction every day! Although catching only one fish today is an 'accident'..."

At this point, Old Zhang couldn't help but purse his lips, "But in the past half month, I've caught more golden carp than in the last ten years combined! Master Yuan said it's called... 'Following the timing of heaven, gaining the advantage of the land, and having the support of the people'! He's a living bodhisattva sent down by heaven to take care of us fishermen! Who in the world can compare to his skill? Haha..."

He was speaking with great enthusiasm and elation when...

Suddenly! From the waist-high reeds on the riverbank not far away, there was a rustling sound. Immediately afterwards, a woodcutter wearing a dark blue coarse cloth short coat, with his trousers rolled up to his knees, and carrying a slightly worn bamboo woven basket on his back, came out.

The woodcutter was about forty or fifty years old, with a square face, skin that was bronze from years of exposure to the elements, a short beard under his chin, and a rather robust and sturdy build.

"Hey! You old man!"

The woodcutter's voice was loud and clear, with a heavy Guanzhong accent, and his face showed surprise and great interest.
"Your shouting and yelling are disturbing my peace as I gather firewood by the river! Just now I heard you say something like... someone has accurately predicted where the fish are? And can even guide you to catch golden carp every day? Really? Are there such divine beings in the world? Or are you just spouting nonsense to deceive this young master?"

His gaze swept over Chen Guangrui and Chen An on the shore, then returned to Old Zhang, carrying a simple question.

Old Zhang was speaking enthusiastically when he was interrupted and questioned, which immediately made him angry. His face hardened.
"Hmph! What do you know, you country bumpkin! Everything this old man said is true! If you're ignorant, don't spout nonsense!" He turned to Chen Guangrui, eager to prove himself, "Look at this kind of person, sir..."

The woodcutter, however, persisted. He took a few steps forward, came to a large rock by the river, put down his wood basket, plopped down, took out his pipe, lit it, and looked like he was about to listen to a story.
"Brother, don't be angry, I'm just really curious! I've been cutting firewood and gathering grass by the Jing River for years, and the fish in the Jing River, where they surface on which day, depends on the weather and the water. I've never heard of anyone being able to predict it so accurately! What you're saying is too mystical. Is it really just that fortune teller got it right a few times by chance? Or perhaps you already knew where the fish nests were?"

He stared sharply at Old Zhang.

"Pah! You go..."

Old Zhang was so angry he almost cursed, but he managed to hold back.
"You woodcutter, do you even know how fish swim in water? Do you know what 'water and air interacting' means? Do you understand what 'treasure fish gathering and dispersing' means? Immortal Yuan's abilities are like stars falling from the sky into his palm! That's called... what's that word again?"

He was at a loss for words, then suddenly remembered Chen Guangrui's words.
"Yes! Peeking into the secrets of heaven! You call that guessing? Guessing once is called luck, but guessing right for almost a month in a row, I've been catching golden carp every day, and you call that guessing? Show me how you guess right! I think you're just jealous!"

The woodcutter puffed on his pipe, exhaled a puff of smoke, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.
"Hey bro, you're really bragging! Let me ask you, how many golden carp did you catch today? You were just saying you only caught one, weren't you? Who knows if you just got lucky with that one?"

These words struck a nerve with Old Zhang, and he immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, almost leaping off the small boat.

"Today...today! Today the timing wasn't quite right! It's just that this old man...this old man is old, and his hands and feet were a tiny bit slower! It has nothing to do with what Master Yuan calculated! Master Yuan pointed out the right place, and the timing wasn't much off! A few days ago, it was common to catch three or five fish in one net at this time of day! You...you...you're infuriating! Sir, please judge this, this brute is clearly being unreasonable!"

Old Zhang gestured excitedly, embellishing his account of how Yuan Shoucheng had accurately predicted the location and time, and how bountiful the harvests had been in the past.

The woodcutter sat on a rock, puffing on his cigarette, listening with squinted eyes, occasionally interjecting with a seemingly unintentional question that always managed to provoke Old Zhang into a fit of rage.

Chen Guangrui watched quietly from the side, his mind clear: This woodcutter who suddenly appeared had a rough and rugged figure, but his eyes were as deep as a cold pool, and his aura was calm and steady, unlike that of an ordinary mountain dweller. Moreover, under the dark blue coarse cloth, there seemed to be an indescribable sense of heaviness, as if it had been soaked in moisture.

Just as Old Zhang was about to lose his temper due to the woodcutter's repeated "questions," and swore that Yuan Shoucheng was a deity incarnate,
"Splash... gurgle..."

Old Zhang's face lit up with joy. "Look, here it is!"

As he spoke, he gave a low shout, and with a burst of strength in his arm, he pulled up the entire net!
The fishing boat rocked on the water a few times, and the fish in the net thrashed about on the boat. The net was full of fish, and there was a golden carp among them.

Old Zhang held up the carp, looking like a victorious general, very proud. "See? I told you so! I caught another one!"

The woodcutter's expression changed slightly when he saw the fisherman's boasting.
"Cough! Cough cough... This river wind is wicked, even the smoke is choking! It must be that old fisherman stirring up the water! Bad luck! Bad luck!"

As he spoke, he irritably put away his pipe, slung his firewood basket over his shoulder, glared at Old Zhang who was still rocking the small boat, and then said to Chen Guangrui and the other man in a gruff voice,
"Please excuse my rudeness, gentlemen. I'm going to chop wood; I won't waste my breath on this madman!"

After saying that, he strode into the reeds deeper into the riverbank without looking back, his figure quickly disappearing from sight, as if he were fleeing in panic.

However, Chen Guangrui's eyes flickered slightly.

Because he noticed that the person had just walked into the woods, found a tree to block his view, and then vanished into thin air.

It was as if he had never been here before.

(End of this chapter)