Suijun starts with the principle of rewarding diligence.

"You also want to cultivate Taoism?"

Zhong Ling was taken aback, but considering he had previously rejected Zhong Su's offer, it wasn't surprising. Inwardly, however, he scoffed: "Ignorant fool. Does he even know how many resources are needed for cultivation?"

Even a wealthy family like Zhongling's needs to demonstrate their talent and gain the support of the Seeker of the Dao.

You, a mere fisherman, dare to peek into the path of cultivation?

Zhong Su shook his head and chuckled: "Young brother, this path is not one that everyone can cultivate."

Bu Qu smiled and said, "I know that the path of cultivation is long and arduous. But I am somewhat skilled in swimming, and perhaps I have the potential to cultivate. I will feel unsatisfied if I don't give it a try. If you would be willing to introduce me to someone, I would be extremely grateful. As for whether I succeed or not, that depends entirely on my own destiny."

Zhong Su considered for a moment, then smiled and said, "This matter is not difficult. If you can really catch the Crimson-Scaled Sturgeon and help Ling'er lay a solid foundation, I would be willing to introduce you to it."

Bu Qu cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you!"

"It seems this Red-scaled Sturgeon is indeed a top-grade aid for cultivation. Otherwise, Old Master Zhong wouldn't have recommended it to a fisherman like me."

The Zhong family was a prominent clan in Heishui County, but to the Zhengdao Sect, they were but a drop in the ocean.

Zhong Su agreed easily, but it was by no means easy to ask the Zhengdao Sect for a favor.

This is a huge favor.

Of course, if Bu Qu could really catch the Red Scaled Sturgeon, it would be a great favor for the Zhong family.

A big favor for a big favor, it's a good deal.

With this matter settled, the Zhong family left He Ye and Bu Qu as a handover. Zhong Su and Zhong Ling boarded a carriage and left first.

This matter concerns Zhong Ling's foundation and future, so she naturally wants to entrust it to the person she trusts most.

Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, Lotus Leaf is still the best candidate to take on the important task of capturing the treasure fish.

Seeing her masters leave, He Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing her covered in dirt, Bu Qu couldn't help but feel sorry for her: "How did you get into this state?"

Hearing Buqu's concern, He Ye's eyes reddened, and she lowered her head, saying, "It's nothing. I just tripped and fell."

Buqu shook his head. "You didn't just fall down."

He recalled what Wang Xiaoya had said and now felt that it made some sense.

"It's definitely necessary to keep a certain distance from the lotus leaves. If there's some kind of ambiguous relationship, I don't care, but the lotus leaves would be in big trouble."

With a casual gesture, he drew water from the lake and poured it onto the lotus leaves.

"Ah—!" He Ye exclaimed in surprise. Before she could react, she saw that the water on her body had already been drained away by Bu Qu. The mud on her dress had also disappeared.

Seeing that her clothes were clean and spotless, she felt both happy and shy.

When I looked up again, Buqu had already jumped onto the awning boat.

Lotus Leaf was reluctant to part with him, but she didn't dare to say anything to ask him to stay.

During the previous rowing competition, it was because the coachman was gossiping that it eventually reached Miss Zhong Ling's ears, and she was severely scolded.

Zhong Ling has been giving her the cold shoulder for several days now.

If I were to have too much contact with Bu Qu now, it's hard to guarantee that Miss Zhong Ling wouldn't get angry again.

He Ye concealed the slight affection in her heart and nodded her thanks to Bu Qu.

"By the way, I have a question for you."

After thinking for a moment, Bu Qu asked, "Do you remember when the fishermen last caught red-scaled sturgeon from Blackwater Lake?"

"Well..." Lotus Leaf thought for a moment, "It's been three to five years, hasn't it?"

"Who arrested him?"

"It seems to be Liu Shan (A Dou)..."

Bu Qu also searched his memory for a while.

"There was indeed such a person, but unfortunately, he's dead now. If there is reincarnation, he would be about two or three years old now."

Bu Qu shook his head.

He had been thinking that if he could find the person who had caught the red-scaled sturgeon, he could go to them and ask for some relevant information.

This would be much better than trying your luck at Blackwater Lake.

"As far as I remember, A Dou seemed to have a small awning boat, which Li Xian later seized and sold. A Dou became Li Xian's third adopted son, but died less than six months later."

Bu Qu spat inwardly, thinking to himself that Li Xian was truly deserving of death.

He pondered to himself: 'No one else has ever caught a red-scaled sturgeon, yet Liu Shan (A Dou) managed to. He also has a covered boat that can reach deep waters. Could this mean that the red-scaled sturgeon only inhabits deep waters?'

Buqu had spent two days in the deep waters but had not found any fish similar to the red-scaled sturgeon.

Perhaps the search wasn't thorough enough, or perhaps it's related to the weather or time.

Even in the right waters, the treasure fish will not appear if the weather and time are not right.

"Do you remember the weather when Liu Shan caught the red-scaled sturgeon?"

Buqu didn't ask about the time because the time was unknowable.

It takes an ordinary fisherman a whole day to paddle from the deep water to the shallow water.

The time when you catch the treasure fish and the time when you bring it ashore are completely different things.

"How could I remember something from so long ago?" He Ye shook her head. "Bu Qu, why are you asking this? Does catching treasure fish have anything to do with the weather? Oh right, you said before that you wanted the master to come to Pingtang Bay on a sunny day."

Bu Qu nodded.

He wasn't afraid of others knowing this information.

Knowing that the appearance of the treasure fish is related to the weather does not guarantee a successful catch. Time and water area are also two variables.

Furthermore, discovering the treasure fish is one thing, but catching it is another.

He Ye hesitated for a moment and said, "Then I'll inquire for you."

Bu Qu replied, "Please keep an eye out for any information related to the treasure fish for me."

After saying that, he began to row, and the awning boat slowly left the dock.

"Hey, how do I contact you about the household registration and the fishpond?" Lotus Leaf asked loudly.

Bu Qu smiled and said, "Keep it. I'll come to the fish market to find you."

.....

Two days later, the canal was swimming in the deep water.

As night fell, he returned to the awning boat, muttering to himself, "It wasn't there in the morning, nor at noon, nor in the afternoon. It couldn't have been at night, could it?"

These days have been cloudy.

If the red-scaled sturgeon appears on a cloudy day, it can only be at night.

Bu Qu sighed, "Without intelligence, this treasure fish is incredibly hard to find. No wonder it's called a treasure fish; it truly is rare!"

He rested for a moment on the awning boat, thinking, "I'll see tonight. If the red-scaled sturgeon really does appear in the deep water on a cloudy day, then it can only be at night."

Bu Qu suddenly felt as if he had been given a multiple-choice question in a past life.

In my past life, I only knew how to guess multiple-choice questions, which were simply four options: A, B, C, and D. As long as I guessed enough questions, I was bound to get a few right.

Nowadays, there are just too many variables in the conditions for the appearance of the Mengbao fish!

If you're unlucky, it's not surprising if you can't find a treasure fish for a whole month.

"If the weather is right, I'll still go to the shallow waters to catch ripple fish, or to the transition zone to catch bass."

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

If I can't catch the Red-Scaled Sturgeon to get the Zhong family's recommendation, I'll save up money myself to go to the dojo.

After resting briefly on the covered boat, Buqu took advantage of the moonlight to dive back into the lake.

Before long, he spotted a long, thick sturgeon swimming in the water. It was crimson all over with golden glitter around its edges.