New Heavenly Flames!

"Brother Qianhai, would you mind if I watched from here?"

Xue Qinghe felt somewhat uneasy. After learning Jiang Qianhai's age, he had long since changed what he thought inside.

Originally, he had planned to recruit Jiang Qianhai under him as Xue Qinghe, making Jiang Qianhai a subordinate of the Crown Prince, but now he wanted even more to make Jiang Qianhai one of his true people, the kind who would join Spirit Hall!

Though the end result would be the same in the future, in terms of meaning, the former was worlds apart from the latter!

"You can watch, but don't make a racket. If you scare off the big fish, I'm going to get angry."

Jiang Qianhai did not mind others watching. If anything, he was quite happy to have someone keep him company while he fished for a while.

Just like in his previous life, when a fisherman sat by the river, there would always be a crowd of passersby gathered around him to watch the fun.

If there were fish in the basin at that time, they would see a fisherman holding his chest high and his head up.

Otherwise, before anyone left, the fish keepnet would not be leaving the water.

Seeing that Jiang Qianhai allowed him to watch, Xue Qinghe hurriedly followed Jiang Qianhai's steps.

Then he stood off to the side and watched him knead the bait.

"Sit down and watch." Jiang Qianhai casually took out a folding stool and set it to one side. "Oh, right, what are those two behind us to you?"

Xue Qinghe was startled. One had to know that these two were guards he had specially chosen, and their ability to hide was absolutely top-notch among Soul Douluo. Ordinary Title Douluo would likely have found it difficult to see through them, and one of them was even a Title Douluo, yet he had never expected Jiang Qianhai to discover them so easily.

How could that not surprise him?

But with another thought, he felt extremely delighted, because the fact that Jiang Qianhai could see through the guards' disguises so easily meant his value was even higher!

Gathering his thoughts, Xue Qinghe smiled apologetically.

"I did not expect Brother Qianhai's perception to be so sharp. To tell the truth, those two are Qinghe's elders. This time, when I traveled far from home, they were worried and followed along. But rest assured, they will not disturb Brother Qianhai's refined interest."

"You talk all polished and scholarly. Your family must not be simple."

Jiang Qianhai casually asked while adjusting his Fishing Rod. He really had never seen someone who spoke with such etiquette in every word. It was probably a difference in status.

Then again, that was not right. Dai Mubai was a prince, so why could he not see any of it in him at all?

It was Xue Qinghe's first time sitting on a stool like this. The strange feeling under him made him shift uneasily, and only when he heard Jiang Qianhai's question did he sit up straight.

"My family does indeed have a modest fortune, but it is hardly worthy of the words 'not simple.'" Xue Qinghe looked at Jiang Qianhai. "If Brother Qianhai does not like it, I can also change the way I speak."

"It's not that I don't like it. Speak however you're used to speaking. That's your freedom."

Jiang Qianhai stared at the water's surface. With a slight flick, he cast the hook carrying the Bait into the water, completely failing to notice the odd look on Xue Qinghe's face beside him.

Freedom...

What a distant word.

Since birth, those two words had never appeared in her life.

When she was little, great hopes had been placed on her early because she possessed a god-level martial soul. When she grew a little older, she had been made to put aside cultivation and come to Heaven Dou to replace the prince, living under the identity of the Crown Prince, watching her words and actions at every moment, afraid that any exposure would ruin Spirit Hall's plan.

With Jiang Qianhai saying that, a weariness suddenly rose in her from the bottom of her heart.

I never expected that the first time in my life I'd hear the word freedom would be from a stranger's mouth.

His eyes darkened.

Perhaps freedom is something I'm destined never to have.

Splash~

The sound of the Bait breaking out of the water pulled Xue Qinghe's thoughts back. Looking at the happy expression on Jiang Qianhai's face, he fell into a momentary daze.

Have I ever truly smiled?

What was laughable was that after her understanding had matured, she had spent more than half her life with a smile on her face, yet not a single one of those smiles had been for herself. Either she had smiled to make herself appear harmless for a mission, or she had been forced to smile because of royal etiquette.

But that daze lasted only an instant. Her heart remained rational. Her hands had long since been stained with blood. Rationality and ruthless cruelty were her true nature.

The top priority right now was still to close the distance with Jiang Qianhai.

Watching another plump fish get pulled ashore by Jiang Qianhai, Xue Qinghe's astonishment showed no trace of deliberateness, which put Jiang Qianhai in quite a good mood.

Before he knew it, he started chatting.

"I'm telling you, you cultured types drink tea and play chess to cultivate your temperament, but fishing is actually a way to cultivate your temperament too."

"Throw away all the pressure and worries in life, empty your mind completely, and sit by the river for a whole day. Don't look at it as just sitting there doing nothing. The moment a fish gets pulled up, every bad mood gets tossed aside."

"In my opinion, when it comes to cultivating temperament, fishing is much better than playing chess or drinking tea."

When Jiang Qianhai mentioned a bad mood, he was specifically referring to the incident where Tang Hao had disgusted him. Even now, he still could not forget it. Otherwise, a salted fish like him would not have run all the way here just to become stronger.

He held grudges very well!

Xue Qinghe's heart stirred when he heard this.

"Can fishing truly have such an effect?"

Hearing Xue Qinghe say this, Jiang Qianhai's eyes lit up.

"Want to give it a try?"

At that moment, he was like a two-dimensional fan recommending some anime to a friend. If he could have a Fellow Angler by his side, then the fun of fishing would directly double.

Especially when his Fellow Angler came up with an empty catch while he himself filled his keepnet to bursting, that joy became even greater.

Xue Qinghe was caught off guard by Jiang Qianhai's sudden enthusiasm. Fortunately, years of etiquette training allowed him to steady himself.

"Then... I'll give it a try?"

He took the Fishing Rod from Jiang Qianhai, but then Xue Qinghe was stumped. He had no idea what to do!

It was not that he did not know how to fish, but Jiang Qianhai's rod was quite different from those on Douluo Continent. When had people here ever used a Fishing Rod with so many parts?

In Xue Qinghe's eyes, the Fishing Rod was full of unknowns.

What was the ring on the handle?

And what was that thing above the hook, neither soft nor hard?

Why did this float keep drifting off somewhere else?

"You don't know how to use it? I'll teach you!"

Then Jiang Qianhai began explaining the Fishing Rod's structure and the purpose of each part to Xue Qinghe, bit by bit.

After a short while, Xue Qinghe was already familiar with how to use the Fishing Rod.

"So this is Bait?"

Xue Qinghe pinched off a bit of Bait and held it before his nose to smell it, only to find that it was rather fragrant.

It was a scent he had never smelled before.

Never mind fish—even he wanted to taste what this Bait was like.

"Is this how you roll the bait?"

With a look of wonder, Xue Qinghe followed Jiang Qianhai's instructions, hooking the bait and rolling it round. Soon, the Bait on the hook had been shaped into a teardrop.

"Not bad. To get it like that on your first try—next, just do as I say and cast the hook into the water."

Jiang Qianhai moved a little to the side so he would not get hooked.

Quite a few beginners inevitably failed to control the hook. If they did not snag it on a tree, they snagged it on someone else, and some could even hook themselves.

However, Xue Qinghe's learning ability was indeed quite good. On his first try, he managed to cast the hook into the water smoothly and with proper form.

"Next, you just need to wait for a fish to bite."

While Xue Qinghe was fishing, Jiang Qianhai checked the little surprise that had dropped from the fifty-thousand-year Bone Forging Fish he had just caught.

This little surprise really did count as a surprise!

Congratulations, Fellow Angler, for catching a fifty-thousand-year Soul Beast. Little surprise triggered. You have obtained Heavenly Flame—Three Thousand Burning Flame Fire!

After so many years, he had finally obtained another Heavenly Flame!

But now was not the time to devour it.

Not long after.

Splash~

A familiar sound rang out. Jiang Qianhai turned his head and saw Xue Qinghe awkwardly beginning to play the fish.

Only after he pulled the fish onto the bank did the tense Xue Qinghe let out a breath of relief.

Good thing it didn't get away.

The corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted slightly. He could not resist the joy of the catch either.

But the next moment, he froze.

Was I just... smiling?

Still...

Fishing really was rather interesting.

"I'll try again!"

Thanks to book friend 20210209142619898 for the three recommendation tickets!

Thanks to Who Can Change 244 and Salty Fish Old Driver for the four recommendation tickets!

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