I Have a Fishing Rod

"Long ago, the Yellow Emperor asked the Celestial Master: 'I have heard that in ancient times, people lived to be a hundred in the Spring and Autumn years, yet their movements never weakened. Why is it that people nowadays decline in every respect by the age of fifty? Has the age changed, or have people lost something?'"

Fang Qing was reading a passage from the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, Plain Questions, and felt slightly moved.

Later generations had always liked to mythologize the emperors and sovereigns of ancient times, hoping that they had attained the Dao and become immortals. Thus, among the common folk, there was a saying that the Yellow Emperor ascended to the Immortal Realm after bedding three thousand women.

Yet the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon recorded that the Yellow Emperor had asked the Celestial Master why people in ancient times could live beyond a hundred, while people of his day were already in poor health by around fifty.

The ancient times the Yellow Emperor spoke of were before his own era, while the present he spoke of was his own time.

The Yellow Emperor was still troubled over the matter of living to a hundred. Clearly, the Yellow Emperor recorded in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon had not attained the Dao and become an immortal.

"However, this time is different."

Fang Qing closed the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon and half-closed his eyes. Yet he could "see" a bronze fishing rod within his mind. It seemed like nothing more than a phantom, but it truly existed.

Fang Qing was not originally from this world. Because of his love of fishing, he had accidentally transmigrated.

Before transmigrating, he had bought a fishing rod. Then he had transmigrated just like that.

He had even transmigrated twice.

The world he now occupied was a high-martial world, the Twin Dragons of the Great Tang world.

"Bringing the Purple Haze Skill into the Legend of the Twin Dragons of Great Tang world won't make me invincible, but if I plan carefully, I can still gain some benefits."

Fang Qing recalled how, one month ago, he had used that Bronze Fishing Rod for the first time and fished up a martial arts manual.

Purple Haze Skill.

It sounded very familiar.

In one world—the world of Smiling, Proud Wanderer—the Mount Hua Sect possessed a martial arts manual called the Purple Haze Skill. Its owner was the famed "hypocrite" of All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, a frequent guest in the All Heavens chat group, the man wholeheartedly devoted to expanding his sect—Sect Leader Yue Buqun.

Of course, in another version, the Mount Hua lineage founded by Ancestor Chen Tuan had three disciples: Zhang Wumeng, Chen Tafa, and Shao Yong. Zhang Wumeng's branch had inherited many classic texts, one of which was called the Purple Haze Skill.

These were all origins of the Purple Haze Skill, and all had some connection to Mount Hua.

Fang Qing had cultivated the Purple Haze Skill for a month already. He felt that the Purple Haze Skill he had fished up more closely resembled Yue Buqun's version.

Because during this month of cultivation, Fang Qing had indeed sensed traces of Misty Purple Qi entering his Dantian, making him far stronger than several ordinary men combined.

His entire person also carried an air of serene naturalness.

Fang Qing stood one meter eighty tall, and his features had already been rather handsome. Now that he cultivated the Purple Haze Skill, he looked even more like a Daoist master who had attained the Dao.

If Fang Qing donned a Daoist robe and went outside, he would look even more like a man of the Dao.

"Dawn is almost here. It's time to cultivate."

Ever since cultivating the Purple Haze Skill, Fang Qing's energy had grown increasingly abundant. Others needed four hours of sleep to awaken refreshed, but he only needed two hours to be fully alert.

When he rose to read, the sun had not yet risen.

But seeing that the sun was about to rise, Fang Qing put down the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, assumed a Taoist cultivation posture, and calmed his mind and breath.

The next moment, the sun rose. The newly emerging sun did not shine too brightly, but the life force it radiated was exactly what Fang Qing needed.

At that moment, Fang Qing circulated the Purple Haze Skill and caught a wisp of the primordial qi and Misty Purple Qi that appeared at sunrise.

Then, following the cultivation Dharma Gate of the Purple Haze Skill, the primordial qi and Misty Purple Qi were slowly refined and entered Fang Qing's Dantian.

Fang Qing immediately felt the strength within his body grow greater. And it was not only his physical strength that improved, but his spirit as well.

It was as though his entire spirit had been washed clean, like slipping into a hot spring after sweating from summer labor—utterly comfortable.

He was brimming with vigor, radiant with energy.

Fang Qing continued cultivating.

Yet the sun had already risen high, and the fleeting primordial qi could no longer be caught by Fang Qing.

It might still exist, but it was no longer something Fang Qing could capture.

The most crucial part of a day's cultivation was this brief period. It allowed Fang Qing to achieve twice the result with half the effort. The rest of the time was for slow, steady polishing.

"I wonder whether the original copy belonging to Yue Buqun in some world is still there after I fished up the Purple Haze Skill. If it isn't, won't he go mad?"

Feeling himself grow stronger and stronger, Fang Qing thought of the martial manual's original owner. He wondered what Yue Buqun in that world might think—whether he would assume some Linghu Chong had stolen it.

Who knew what kind of conflict might erupt in that world?

Of course, those conflicts were not something Fang Qing could control.

One month ago, Fang Qing had fished up the Purple Haze Skill. Half a month ago, he had fished up the coordinates to the Legend of the Twin Dragons of Great Tang world. Naturally, he had made some plans before coming to the Twin Dragons of the Great Tang world.

Fang Qing stepped outside, where the world had already become lively.

Yangzhou City during the Great Sui era was still quite prosperous. As the sun rose, countless commoners had already taken to the streets to begin making their livings for the day.

"Candied hawthorns! Delicious candied hawthorns!"

"Buns! Buns! One coin apiece!"

"Flatbread! Flatbread! Fresh from the oven!"

Yangzhou City became bustling, with cries of vendors rising and falling one after another.

Fang Qing headed straight for the south gate. There, Old Feng's vegetable-and-meat buns were the most famous. Added to that was Old Feng's concubine, Sister Zhen, who managed the bun sales and possessed stunning beauty, drawing in even more customers.

When Fang Qing arrived at Old Feng's bun stall, Old Feng's face immediately broke into a brilliant smile. He hurriedly greeted Fang Qing, "Brother Fang, you're here. Your buns are ready. Please, have a seat."

As Old Feng spoke, he urged the beautiful woman beside him, "Quickly, bring Brother Fang some tea!"

The beautiful woman was known as Sister Zhen. Hearing Old Feng's words, she nodded and brought a pot of fresh tea before Fang Qing, smiling as she said, "Brother Qing, your tea."

"Good."

Fang Qing nodded and casually laid out several copper coins, making Old Feng even happier.

Fang Qing smiled as well.

Ever since fishing up the coordinates to the Legend of the Twin Dragons of Great Tang world half a month ago, he had put some thought into things. Before transmigrating to this world, he had prepared a considerable amount of silver and gold. Once he arrived, he immediately exchanged it for large quantities of copper coins from this era. Because he spent generously, he quickly gained quite a reputation around Yangzhou City's south gate.

He had also bought a house and become a homeowner in the Great Sui.

Over the following half month, he had done a few good deeds and earned the respect of two youths.

These two youths were named Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.

As Fang Qing enjoyed his breakfast, the two youths nearby came over. "Brother Qing, morning."

"Xiao Zhong, Xiao Ling, you're here."

Fang Qing smiled when he saw the two youths arrive, then called out to Old Feng in the distance, "Add another five buns. Put them all on my tab."

"Sure thing. Don't worry, Brother Fang."

Old Feng nodded cheerfully, though he sighed inwardly.

Those two called Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling had originally been nothing more than little street punks around the south gate, sometimes eating their fill and sometimes going hungry. Yet now that they knew this wealthy young master Fang Qing, they could freely eat buns from his stall.

"They really stepped in dog shit."

Old Feng spat viciously in his heart. Why did those little punks get rewards from a wealthy young master, while a man like him had to rely on selling buns to earn silver?

It was truly unfair.

Fang Qing paid no attention to Old Feng's thoughts. His gaze fell upon Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling before him.

These two youths were precisely the protagonists of the Twin Dragons of the Great Tang world, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.

Xu Ziling had long, lively eyes, a straight nose with a high bridge, and a broad forehead. He possessed a certain bearing, but his tattered clothes greatly diminished it.

As for Kou Zhong, his face was square and upright, his forehead full and broad. He too had the features of a fortunate man.

But for now, both Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were still street punks who had yet to make their names.

"Have anything interesting happened these past two days?" Fang Qing asked Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.

"Brother Fang." Kou Zhong took a bite of his bun, lowering his voice considerably. "The atmosphere in the city has been different these last two days. A lot of soldiers have arrived both inside and outside the city. Those soldiers aren't from Yangzhou—they came from elsewhere."

"There are other matters too, but it isn't convenient to speak here. We need to go to your residence, Brother Fang," Xu Ziling added in a low voice.

"Fine. Then let's return to my house and talk."

Fang Qing nodded. He truly could not say too much at the bun stall, or it would become conspicuous plotting spoken aloud, and that could get them killed.

Thus, Fang Qing brought Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling back to his residence.

Xu Ziling glanced at Kou Zhong, then said to Fang Qing, "Yesterday, Xiao Zhong and I went to the Spring Breeze Tower to gather information. We heard that Li Zitong is currently the strongest force. He has many fierce generals under his command, among whom Bai Xin and Qin Chaowen are both top experts of the martial world. Recently, he even absorbed another rebel force led by Zuo Xiaoyou, and his prestige has grown even greater!"

"Brother Fang, should we go join Li Zitong? These rebel armies are far too weak right now. Peng Xiaocai and Yang Gongqing, who were impressive some days ago, seemingly couldn't defeat the imperial army. And Li Hongzhi, Hu Liumiao, Wang Deren, and the rest are all pathetic weaklings," Kou Zhong added.

"Yangzhou City has also become increasingly unsettled these past few days. There are more and more soldiers, and I have no idea what they plan to do. Could they be planning to move against Yangzhou's number one expert—the 'Mountain Pusher,' Shi Long?" Xu Ziling pondered aloud, voicing another thought.

The Yangzhou of today truly carried the feeling that a storm was about to break.

"Mountain Pusher Shi Long? It seems his fate is about to run out."