Fishing.
It demands patience.
Under a sky scattered with stars, the moon hung high, illuminating the quiet Su River.
A soft breeze whispered through the air, mingling with the rhythmic chirping of insects. The water shimmered in the moonlight, creating a dreamlike, serene atmosphere.
Su Zhe let his mind still, matching the calm of the night. His hunger was sated, his body no longer weary.
He could feel it—a profound transformation stirring within him. Since achieving minor mastery of the Mighty Bull Stone-Crushing Hammer Technique, his blood surged with vitality. A faint heat coursed through his veins, gradually settling in his dantian, at the center of his being.
Strength and speed... they were growing. He was certain of it.
"This must be the evolution of a martial artist," he mused. "Though it's a pity that Master Chen's memories are limited to hammer techniques and smithing. The finer details are missing."
He decided to wait until the Bone Transmission Ceremony to ask further questions.
Both uncle and nephew remained silent.
Su Yuan held his tongue to avoid scaring away potential catches. Su Zhe, however, had other matters on his mind.
Divine Fortune Cauldron
- Spiritual Apertures: 1 (Equipped: Eight-Pound Hammer)
- Upgrade Requirements: 4 qian of gold, 40 jin of refined iron, 4 liang of silver, 60 jin of brass, 80 jin of white tin.
Gazing at the text hovering above the bronze cauldron in his mind's eye, Su Zhe sighed deeply.
"Opening the second spiritual aperture might only require mundane materials, but... it’s so expensive."
In this world, a jin equaled ten liang, and a liang equaled ten qian.
Each opened aperture on the cauldron functioned like an additional equipment slot, allowing Su Zhe to bond with a weapon. Bonded weapons granted fragments of their former masters' cultivation memories, enhanced physical attributes, and special abilities.
If he managed to unlock six apertures and equip six items—no matter how humble, like these eight-pound hammers—even a cow wouldn’t survive a single punch from him.
But the cost was prohibitive.
According to the market prices in Lushan County, this endeavor would demand at least 20 liang of silver.
Where could he possibly find such money?
"Got a bite!"
Su Yuan's excited shout broke the stillness.
"Big one! A real big one!"
His face turned red with exertion as veins bulged on his arms. The fishing rod bent precariously under the strain, while the spool whirred as the line unraveled rapidly.
"Damn it! This fish is strong! At least several dozen jin!"
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"If we keep this up, the rod and line might not hold."
As a seasoned fisherman, Su Yuan knew the drill—baiting, casting, reeling in. Every movement was precise. But now, faced with a massive catch, he understood the importance of pacing. To tire the fish, he alternated between reeling in and letting the line go slack.
But this fish was unnaturally powerful.
Su Yuan gritted his teeth, but his equipment was failing. Wealthier fishermen used lines spun from high-quality silk or exotic beast tendons. Su Yuan, however, could only afford treated hemp rope, durable but unable to withstand such force.
"Uncle, something’s wrong!"
Su Zhe shot to his feet, his senses honed since mastering the hammer technique. In the moonlight, he spotted two gleaming, fist-sized eyes staring intently at Su Yuan from the water.
The surface of the river roiled violently.
“Snap!”
The fishing rod splintered under the strain, leaving Su Yuan stumbling backward and falling onto the slippery riverbank. The wet, polished mud offered no traction, and he slid toward the water’s edge.
A monstrous roar tore through the night as a colossal creature leaped from the river. Its icy, menacing gaze locked onto them.
The beast was a Zhu Po Dragon—what Su Zhe recognized as a Yangtze alligator in his past life. Typically, these creatures grew no longer than five feet, with anything exceeding seven feet considered enormous.
But this one...
It was over ten feet long.
A hulking predator over three meters in length, it rivaled some smaller saltwater crocodiles.
"Ah!"
Su Yuan’s face turned ghostly pale as the beast lunged. Its gaping maw, lined with jagged teeth, surged toward his leg. The foul stench of decay filled the air.
“It’s over! This beast—no, this demon—must have tasted human flesh!” Su Yuan’s mind went blank, paralyzed with terror.
“Foul creature!”
Su Zhe dashed forward, fish spear in hand, his eyes cold and resolute, radiating killing intent. The spear gleamed under the moonlight, striking like a dragon bursting from the depths.
As the monster’s jaws neared Su Yuan, Su Zhe’s blood surged. Memories of his uncle’s care over the years flooded his heart.
With the Mighty Bull Stone-Crushing Hammer Technique guiding his movements, he drove the spear forward with devastating force.
“Bang!”
“Roar!”
The beast howled in agony as the spear pierced its eye, an explosion of noxious fluid staining the riverbank.
Momentarily blinded, the creature released Su Yuan and thrashed wildly. Its massive tail, like an iron whip, lashed out at Su Zhe.
“Thud!”
The impact forced Su Zhe back ten steps, leaving deep imprints in the muddy ground. His muscles quivered, blood surging within, but his gaze remained calm.
"If not for my Mighty Bull Stance, that strike could’ve sent me flying ten meters," he thought grimly.
The beast roared, its remaining eye glaring at Su Zhe with seething hatred.
“You want my life? I want yours just as much!” Su Zhe retorted, his voice icy.
With a sudden leap, he hurled his spear, channeling the full force of the Mighty Bull Technique.
“Crash!”
The spear struck the beast’s tough hide, but its tail intercepted the blow, snapping the weapon in two.
“Run, Zhe!” Su Yuan shouted, panic overtaking him. This Zhu Po Dragon was no ordinary creature. Its size and ferocity suggested it had feasted on humans, teetering on the edge of demonic evolution.
But Su Zhe had no intention of retreating.
Seizing the momentum, he launched himself onto the beast’s neck. His legs clamped tightly around its writhing body.
With a flash, an eight-pound hammer materialized in his hand.
“Die!”
Hammer after hammer fell, breaking scales and tearing flesh. Blood and tissue splattered as the beast howled in pain. Its massive body thrashed violently, but Su Zhe held firm, his stance unshakable.
Three strikes later, the beast’s struggles weakened.
Raising the hammer high, Su Zhe delivered a final blow.
“Boom!”
The creature’s skull cracked, and cold blood gushed out, staining Su Zhe’s face. His sharp features now carried a savage, almost primal intensity.
The battle ended. Su Zhe rose, his clothes in tatters, his thigh a bloody mess from the creature’s scales. Yet his expression was eerily calm.
The blood dripping from his body mingled with the foul-smelling gore, giving him the appearance of a crimson dragon.
Through the blood-soaked haze, he felt a deeper connection with the Mighty Bull Technique. The battle had pushed his understanding to a new level.
Glancing at the massive corpse, Su Zhe smirked.
“Uncle,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “We’re rich!”