Big Fish! Miraculous Fish Stone

Big Fish! Miraculous Fish Stone

At a bend in the river, Lu Qing finally discovered another new fishing spot.

Primary Fishing Spot: A place rich in nutrients and lush with aquatic plants, favored by schools of fish searching for food.

Exotic fruit grew nearby, something certain unusual fish particularly enjoyed eating. Fishing here might bring an unexpected delight.

The White Light it gave off was far more intense than that of the Primary Fishing Spot he had discovered before.

"Exotic fruit growing nearby?"

Lu Qing raised his head and searched along the shore by the fishing spot.

Before long, several strangely shaped plants caught his attention.

Under the probing of his ability, these plants also emitted White Light.

Blood Apricot Tree: Can bear Blood Apricots. Non-toxic and usable as medicine.

It was said that Blood Apricots contained a special substance that certain unusual fish greatly enjoyed.

"Blood Apricots?"

Lu Qing looked at the tiny red fruits hanging from the tree, each no bigger than his little finger.

So these were the exotic fruits those unusual fish liked to eat?

His heart stirred, and he walked over.

Fortunately, the Blood Apricot Trees were not very tall, and he easily picked a handful.

"Brother, these fruits look so tasty."

Seeing the bright red Blood Apricots in Lu Qing's hand, Xiao Yan could not help swallowing.

"These aren't for eating."

Although the information his ability had revealed said Blood Apricots were non-toxic.

It also said they could be used as medicine. Since they were medicine, Lu Qing did not dare let Xiao Yan eat them carelessly.

"If they're not for eating, why did you pick them, Brother?"

"For fishing. Some fish really like eating this kind of fruit. Brother wants to see if he can use them to catch a big fish," Lu Qing explained.

"Big fish like eating fruit too?" Xiao Yan's eyes immediately widened.

"Yes. Fish like lots of things—earthworms, fruit, corn, grass. They like all of them."

"They even like corn and grass?!" The little girl's eyes widened even more.

It was the first time she had learned such things, and she immediately found it incredibly magical.

"So Xiao Yan can't eat these fruits. They're for catching big fish."

"Mhm, mhm! Xiao Yan understands!" The little girl nodded again and again.

Compared with fruit, she was far more interested in big fish.

"Xiao Yan, wait here first. Brother will tidy up the area."

After telling Xiao Yan not to run around, Lu Qing tightly tied the short-handled machete he had brought to a Wooden Stick and began clearing away the weeds and scrub trees along the shore.

Lu Qing had no idea how many times he had prepared fishing spots like this in his previous life. Doing it again now, he was naturally as familiar with it as a horse knew the road.

Before long, he had cleared the weeds and scrub trees from the shore, making a fine fishing spot.

He left the several Blood Apricot Trees untouched, however. They were White Light-grade plants, after all, and quite valuable.

Once the fishing spot was ready, Lu Qing prepared to start fishing.

He still did not make a bait bed. The food at home was not plentiful enough for him to squander it like that.

Besides, the rivers of this Otherworld were rich in resources, and he had a natural fishing spot selected by his ability. Even without making a bait bed, he was still confident he could catch fish.

Sitting by the shore, Lu Qing still decided to start with earthworms and first secure food for the next two days.

He threaded an earthworm onto the hook, cast it into the water, and watched the float land on the surface.

As expected of the fishing spot with the richest White Light among all the ones his ability had chosen.

Lu Qing had barely lowered his hook into the water. Before he could even set down his rod, the float was already moving.

It trembled a few times, then suddenly plunged beneath the water.

With a flick of his wrist, a sharp whistle rang out as he hauled the fish up.

It was not large, just a White Fish two fingers wide.

Lu Qing raised his brows. It seemed White Fish were one of the most common fish in this river. They were everywhere.

"It's a White Fish!"

Xiao Yan also saw what the hooked fish looked like and immediately cried out.

"Mhm, a White Fish. Looks like we're in for a big haul today."

Lu Qing removed the fish from the hook and placed it in the bucket.

A fish had bitten so quickly. With such a smooth start, he had a feeling that he might truly catch a big one today.

At that thought, Lu Qing's spirits immediately rose.

Yet what happened next was somewhat beyond Lu Qing's expectations.

After catching several more small fish, he cast his hook down once again. A long time passed, but there was still no sign of any fish biting.

"If the small fish aren't biting, then either there are no fish left, or there's a big one down there driving away the smaller school."

With his rich experience, Lu Qing immediately made his judgment.

He decisively lifted the hook, removed the earthworm from it, and took out a small cloth pouch.

"It's the secret weapon!"

Xiao Yan recognized it at once. It was what her brother had put away when they left home.

Lu Qing opened the pouch and took out several golden-yellow kernels.

They were fresh corn kernels.

Lu Qing had asked Aunt Wang next door for this corn in the morning, naturally intending to use it as fishing bait.

When Lu Qing went wild fishing in his previous life, he had basically always used corn whenever he wanted to catch big fish.

Carp and Grass Carp in particular loved corn. It never failed.

He was not sure whether the big fish in this world were the same, but he had to give it a try.

If it still did not work, he planned to try the Blood Apricots he had just picked.

After threading a plump, fresh corn kernel onto the hook, Lu Qing began fishing again.

What he had not expected was that this time, he was in for another surprise.

The hook had just entered the water, and the float had not even settled. He was still half-crouched, about to sit down.

Then, without any warning, the float suddenly sank and vanished beneath the water. The fishing line snapped taut, and an enormous force surged through the rod, pulling Lu Qing into a stagger.

Fortunately, Lu Qing reacted quickly enough. He took a step forward and steadied himself.

"Good grief, trying to ambush me, are you?"

Gripping the fishing rod tightly with both hands, Lu Qing felt the pull coming through it, excitement spreading across his face.

A big fish—this was definitely a big fish! No fish under five jin could possibly produce this kind of force.

Whoosh!

Unable to break free, the fish beneath the water began exerting force again, tugging the fishing line until it whistled through the air.

"Trying to slip away from my hands? No chance!"

Seeing the fish below exert itself again, Lu Qing was not panicked in the slightest. With a slight loosening of his hands, he shed most of the pulling force.

Then he tightened his grip again and continued wrestling with the fish below.

This newly made fishing rod of his had been verified by his ability to withstand a force of a hundred jin. He refused to believe this fish could break it.

"Go, Brother!"

Xiao Yan, standing nearby, was extremely nervous as well.

But she did not dare shout too loudly for fear of scaring away the big fish. She could only clench her little fists and quietly cheer her brother on.

The time that followed became a battle of wits and strength between Lu Qing and the fish.

The two sides tugged back and forth for a full half hour before Lu Qing finally felt the fish beginning to weaken.

"Finally wore you out." Lu Qing let out a breath.

This struggle had drained quite a bit of his strength as well.

If Old Doctor Chen had not given him acupuncture two days ago and restored much of his vital energy, he truly might not have been able to outlast this fellow.

Once the fish reached its limit, it became even less likely to escape Lu Qing's grasp.

A while later, with another burst of strength from Lu Qing, the big fish that had wrestled with him for so long finally surfaced.

The brother and sister finally caught a glimpse of the fish's true form.

"What a huge fish!"

The moment she saw the fish's head and back, Xiao Yan could no longer hold back her cry.

Even Lu Qing could not help growing excited.

Good grief, with a body like that, this fish had to weigh over ten jin.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Lu Qing continued gripping the rod tightly.

When it came to fishing, the closer one got to the end, the less one could relax.

Otherwise, if the fish got away at the final moment, he would probably still be regretting it for ages whenever he recalled it on his eightieth birthday.

However, despite all his caution, an accident still occurred when Lu Qing prepared to land the fish.

He discovered a very important problem.

He had not prepared a landing net!

Of course, this was not really his fault, since there simply was no landing net at home.

Forget a landing net—they did not even have a net bag.

Without a landing net, he could not simply scoop up the fish. Lu Qing could only choose to keep tiring it out.

Only after he had worn the fish down until it had no strength left did he let Xiao Yan hold the fishing rod while he lay prone at the shore, preparing to lift the fish up himself.

This was actually dangerous. For a fish of this size, if it still had any strength left, one flick of its tail could easily knock someone unconscious.

Fortunately, Lu Qing truly had tired this fish out until it did not have a shred of strength remaining.

In the end, without any real danger, Lu Qing still lifted the fish ashore.

"Brother, this big fish looks taller than Xiao Yan!"

When Lu Qing carried the fish onto the bank some distance from the river, Xiao Yan compared their heights and immediately exclaimed in wonder.

"Looks like it is a little taller."

Lu Qing took a look, and it really did seem so.

This big fish was over a meter long. If held upright, it really was a little taller than Xiao Yan.

"Let me see what kind of fish this is."

Lu Qing saw that the big fish had a long body, its scales neatly arranged and shining like armor plates, giving it an imposing air.

He immediately used his ability to inspect the information on the big fish.

Under his gaze, a rich White Light soon emerged from the fish's body.

"It's White Light."

Lu Qing felt a trace of disappointment.

He had wondered whether a fish this large might have reached the Red Light grade.

But upon second thought, he felt that he was being too greedy.

If this big fish were Red Light-grade, whether he could have pulled it up at all would be another matter.

After all, he had only seen Red Light-grade things twice.

One was Old Doctor Chen, and the other was Snow Silk.

Neither of them had been ordinary.

Old Doctor Chen was a cultivator, while Snow Silk was an Exotic Treasure.

If this big fish had reached the Red Light grade as well, who knew what special abilities it might possess.

In that case, it would be hard to say who would be pulling whom.

Perhaps he would have been dragged into the water in the very first exchange.

After calming himself, Lu Qing turned his attention to the newly appearing text.

Azure Armor Fish: A large fish covered in azure armor-like scales, a tyrant of the river. Contains a Fish Stone.

It was said that mature Azure Armor Fish grew a Fish Stone in their throats. When removed, polished, and worn, it could soothe the soul and steady the mind.

When Lu Qing saw the information in the text, he was immediately overjoyed.

A Fish Stone!

This big fish he had just caught actually had a Fish Stone! Lu Qing was not unfamiliar with Fish Stones.

In his previous life, he had once caught a wild Black Carp weighing more than twenty jin, and it had contained a Fish Stone.

At the time, a boss had offered him tens of thousands to buy it, but he had refused to sell.

The reason, apart from liking it, was naturally because there had always been a rumor among fishing enthusiasts.

That was, Fish Stones old enough could keep one safe and sound.

Lu Qing did not know whether Fish Stones from his previous life could truly keep people safe.

But the Fish Stone inside this Azure Armor Fish had been confirmed by his ability to possess the effect of soothing the soul and steadying the mind.

Ever since their parents had died, Xiao Yan had never slept very peacefully at night. She often woke startled from dreams and needed him to hold her before she could fall asleep again.

If the Fish Stone in this Azure Armor Fish was truly so miraculous, that would be wonderful.

In his excitement, Lu Qing nearly could not resist cutting open the Azure Armor Fish right then and there.

Fortunately, his reason remained intact, and he ultimately restrained himself.

"Brother, how are we taking this big fish home? The bucket doesn't seem big enough," Xiao Yan asked worriedly.

She had compared them just now. This big fish was much taller than the wooden bucket they had brought and could not fit inside at all.

"It's fine. Brother will twist a grass rope later and carry it back directly!" Lu Qing said confidently.

It was only a big fish weighing ten or twenty jin.

He had already caught it. Was he supposed to be afraid he could not carry it home?

"So that's how it is. Are we still going to keep fishing?" Xiao Yan asked again.

That question stumped Lu Qing.

In his experience, after he had wrestled and battled with that Azure Armor Fish for so long, dragging it all across the waters around the fishing spot—

Normally, the fish below would have long since scattered. Even if any remained, they would have fled clean away.

But when he thought of the Blood Apricots he had picked earlier, he hesitated.

According to the information provided by his ability, Blood Apricots were a favored food of certain strange fish.

As a seasoned fishing enthusiast, he was truly quite curious about these so-called strange fish.

What exactly was so unusual about something that his ability bestowed with the word "strange"?

Even this Azure Armor Fish with its Fish Stone apparently had not been called strange by his ability.

So just what kind of strange were these strange fish?

After wrestling with it for a while, Lu Qing ultimately decided to fish a little longer.

They were called strange fish, after all. What if they were not afraid of the Azure Armor Fish and had not been scared off?

With that faint hope in mind, Lu Qing filled a bucket with water, lowered the Azure Armor Fish in headfirst, barely soaking it in the bucket, then sat back down at the fishing spot.

But he had made up his mind to fish only for a little while.

If nothing bit after that, he would go home. Otherwise, the Azure Armor Fish would not last much longer.

Dead fish did not taste as good as fresh, lively ones.

Once he had settled back into position, Lu Qing directly baited the hook with a Blood Apricot.

He cast the hook into the water and began waiting quietly.

Second by second, time slipped by. Before long, half an hour had passed.

The float did not so much as twitch, as if it had frozen in place.

"So the fish really did scatter. Even strange fish can't avoid it." Lu Qing sighed.

The outcome did not surprise him.

He had merely been clinging to a sliver of hope.

"Better head back."

Just as Lu Qing was about to pack up his rod and go home—

All of a sudden, he saw the float plunge violently beneath the water!