Chumming the Waters Hard

Liang Qu, with a longbow slung across his shoulder and a spear on his back, was blinded by the dazzling white light.

The plum rains in Pingyang Prefecture have ended, the gray haze in the sky has dissipated, and no one dares to look up to see where the sun is; everywhere is a white, shimmering light.

The bluestone was covered in dust from the sun, the moss in the corners of the wall was withered and yellow, and a faint smell of burnt food was evaporating from the cracks.

"Don't stand there, let's go!" Xiang Fangsu patted the scabbard and urged, "Wait on the Yin Bin ship. In July, we team leaders will go and come back as soon as possible."

How long does it take for us to set sail?

Liang Qu followed the two out the door. After only a few steps on the stone slabs, the scorching fire blazed through the soft soles of his shoes and warmed the soles of his feet.

"Half a month, twenty days, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"I have to go to Hua Zhu County in late August. The newly appointed County Magistrate Liu Wennian invited me to be the Chief Priest. The invitation also included a 300-tael Silver Note, which was said to be for travel expenses."

"Be the Chief Priest?! And there are travel expenses too?" Xiang Fangsu was shocked.

"Otherwise, why would I bother making the trip?"

"..."

Liang Qu's matter-of-fact attitude silenced Xiang Fangsu.

Why does he have to pay extra to become a priest?

"We need to consider the catch, the supplies, and the weather. If we have a full catch, we'll return early; if we don't have enough supplies, we'll return early; if the weather is bad, we'll return early. In short, it won't take more than a month." Ke Wenbin pulled open his shirt, revealing his half-naked chest. "Damn it, we're stuck with the hottest days of the year. I should have tried to snag a spot on that April trip."

"Who would have thought that May and June would be so busy, with the sun shining twice every two days, making those days even more unbearable."

"Hey! You three, what are you chattering about? Come on, old ladies, get on the bed! Hurry up and get on!"

Bai Yinbin stood at the bow of the boat and shouted.

"They're here! They're here!"

"A Shui, have all your Dragonfolk subordinates arrived? Two Wolf Smoke, skilled in underwater combat, you should bring them along."

"I've already called out, so I'll give the order as soon as you knock on the door."

Liang Qu leaped onto the deck in a few strides.

A quick glance.

There were a total of twenty-one large ships, each over ten zhang long, including ten silk-carrying boats, six Broad-bellied Ark, and five warships.

The Ganzeng boat is a large Fujian-style ship, similar to the Liang Qu boat. It can be used as a warship, for fishing, and for transporting timber. It is versatile and has an average crew of more than 20 sailors and boatmen, and 50 sailors.

The Broad-bellied Ark was the largest, specifically used for transporting and storing Treasure Fish, but its crew size was roughly half that of the Silk-Driving Boat.

Needless to say, the warships were used by Liang Qu and others to operate the main ship, and the number of sailors and sailors increased to a hundred.

The Jiang Huai Great Marsh were fraught with danger, and bundles of Darkwater Spear were being sent to the warships, their cold light gleaming.

In addition to these twenty-one large ships, more than a hundred Net Shuttle Boat swarmed together, filling the gaps between the ships, drifting with the current, colliding, and after inspection, towing them one by one onto the deck.

A sizable fishing fleet.

Xiang Fangsu inventoried the supplies, Ke Wenbin inspected the ships, Bai Yinbin reviewed the weapons, and Liang Qu was in charge of roll call.

A quarter of an hour.

The total number of people in Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe.

After confirming everything was correct, the soldiers waved their command flags, and the large ship slid out of the dock.

The fleet broke through the waves and sailed away from the dock in a mighty procession, heading towards the vast Great Marsh.

Liang Qu stepped onto the deck. He was a country bumpkin visiting the city for the first time. He was amazed by the large-scale fishing of Treasure Fish and asked the field Record Keeper to explain the ins and outs to him.

What ingenious methods can the government use to capture the Treasure Fish?

The Hengshui Envoy had a request, and the field Record Keeper enthusiastic. He opened the wooden box and took out the small red pills inside as if they were feed, which emitted a strong fishy smell.

"My lord, look, this is the Cold-Blooded Rooster Pill. It is made by sun-drying and grinding Flying Dragon Blood three times and mixing it with many other ingredients. It is specially designed to attract carnivorous Treasure Fish."

A single fish the size of a human eyeball is worth several dozen copper coins! Finding a school of fish requires dumping hundreds of them down, costing over ten taels of silver in a single operation!

"And this too." The field Record Keeper opened another box, which was full of yellow pills. "This is called..."

The entire cabin was filled with stacked wooden crates, all brimming with "nesting" feed.

It is quite valuable.

Liang Qu wondered, "More than 1,400 people, most of whom are Martial Artist, with all that eating, drinking, and relieving themselves, plus all that feed, can they bring back a matching harvest after ten or fifteen days out here?"

The field Record Keeper was eager for Liang Qu to ask more questions.

Nowadays, everyone in the River Conservancy Office knows that if you don't have to curry favor with Xu Yuelong, you have to curry favor with Liang A Shui! The grandson is the disciple, and the governor is the maternal uncle.

No matter how capable Duke Xu, he is far away in the Imperial Capital, completely out of reach. Can he be better than the current Water River Governor, or even the King of Yue next door? After a moment's thought and a few words in his mind, the Record Keeper.

"The Pingyang River Conservancy Office has only been established for a little over a year, so it is normal for adults not to know about it. Ordinary people have three difficulties in catching the Treasure Fish: first, they lack the means; second, they lack good nets; and third, they do not operate on a large scale."

As you can see, my lord, each pill costs tens of copper coins, and a hundred pills are the minimum. Ordinary people can't afford that, but good websites need no further explanation.

Many times, it's not that we can't catch them, but rather that the Treasure Fish gets into the net and then, relying on their strength, manages to escape.

Liang Qu nodded silently.

Fishermen's nets are made of coarse cloth and hemp.

Hemp fibers absorb water and swell easily, and they rot easily when damp, so fishing nets need to be used for three days and then dried in the sun for two days to extend their lifespan.

"And the third one?"

"The third aspect, in my humble opinion, is the most important. It refers not only to the fishermen, but also to the captured Treasure Fish, and is even closely related to the size of the prefectural city."

What does this mean?

"A truly high-value Treasure Fish can cost hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of taels. It's a huge profit, but it's not easy to make money from it."

After a trip, one shouldn't even dream of earning ten thousand taels; catching two or three that yield several thousand taels would be a stroke of good luck.

So our target has never been them, but rather the schooling Treasure Fish! Have you heard of the South Sea Krill, sir?

"I've heard of it."

"Collective Treasure Fish appear in the depths of marshes and fields, numbering at least a hundred, and sometimes as many as a thousand. However, each has its strengths and weaknesses."

They are numerous, reproduce quickly, and are generally of poor quality, even inferior to the most common Red Blood Perch and Tiger Head Grouper in Shallow Water Area!

But just like krill in the sea, a single one is not worth mentioning, but when there are a lot of them, the whales and salamanders, which create waves and spray foam like rain, can also eat their fill!

The downside is that most Martial Master who reach the Galloping Horse Middle Realm don't think much of this kind of Treasure Fish because the returns are too low.

Moreover, ordinary Treasure Fish are full of spiritual energy. If they are trapped in one place, they can last for two or three months before slowly losing their spiritual energy.

The group of Treasure Fish is inherently weak and short-lived; they will begin to die within a month and will molt into ordinary fish within ten days, making them barely worth eating.

Fishing is time-consuming and laborious, often taking half a month. Once the Treasure Fish are brought back to shore, they can only be sold locally. If the prefectural city is not large and there are not enough Martial Artist, it will naturally be unable to absorb them.

"Lord Liang, I wonder if I have explained it clearly?"

The field Record Keeper bowed slightly, observing carefully.

"Well said."

Liang Qu threw out a Small Silver Ingot.

The field Record Keeper happily accepted the document. "Is there anything else you need me to do, sir?"

"It's gone."

The Record Keeper paused, glancing at the wooden crates around him and the soldiers guarding the entrance.

"Lord Liang, in the cabin..."

"I understand. At least three people must be present; otherwise, one may not linger alone."

Liang Qu stepped out of the gate.

Two days passed in a flash.

The fleet sailed smoothly, and skilled swimmers went into the water to search for fish, catching some fish in less than half a day.

Ten silk-carrying boats dispersed in sequence, and more than a hundred Net Shuttle Boat were launched, forming a large circle.

The Net Shuttle Boat is shaped like a shuttle, with a bamboo mast and a wooden sail. Three people stand side by side in it. The water depth is only seven or eight inches. Two boats pull one net each.

Splash!

A large amount of red pills were poured into the water, creating a dense foam.

A fishy smell permeated the air.

Liang Qu reached into the water and clearly sensed many Big Fish transforming into a tornado, swimming towards him!