This Fish Is Targeting Me!

At that moment, Chen Yi had no idea that inexplicable trouble was following the scent toward him.

He sat in the pavilion, staring fixedly at the fishing float in the pond as he pondered his affairs.

Though confinement had been dull and tedious, his gains had been considerable. Not only had he achieved great success in the Way of Calligraphy, raising his calligraphy to Mastery Level, he had also cultivated the Martial Path and acquired Proficient Level Great Spear Stance Cultivation.

It was just that his confinement had suddenly been lifted, and for the moment, he could not think of anything to do outside.

He would most likely just wander around, taking in the customs and sights of this world, or visiting famous mountains and mighty rivers...

Ah, he could not go too far for now.

And there were those people of unknown identity lurking in the shadows, like a fishbone stuck in his throat, making him feel rather uncomfortable.

With that thought, Chen Yi turned to Xiao Die and asked, "What places are there around Shuzhou worth visiting?"

"Son-in-law, there are so many fun places in Shuzhou." Xiao Die moved her stool closer, propped her cheeks in both hands, looked up at him, and smiled.

"Other than the southern passes and military towns, which cannot be visited, there are lakes and seas to the east, Mount Wu and Chishui to the west, and many county towns in the north with plenty of interesting things."

"But Shuzhou is too vast, so Son-in-law probably cannot travel too far. Within the provincial city, you could go west of the city. Every day, many merchants from foreign lands gather there, bringing all sorts of strange little trinkets."

Chen Yi became interested when he heard that. "From the Tea Horse Road?"

Xiao Die nodded. "Those people wear gemstones of all sizes all over their bodies, strange hats on their heads, and some even veil their faces. Their eyes come in all sorts of colors too."

Chen Yi understood at once. They were somewhat like people from the White Elephant Kingdom.

"What else?"

"There are also many academies and taverns in North City. Mostly learned people gather there. Son-in-law would definitely like it."

Quite the opposite.

Chen Yi did not like it one bit.

More than two hundred years after the founding of the Great Wei Dynasty, the Martial Path still flourished, but there were likewise countless literati who affected refinement.

Wherever talented scholars gathered, there would inevitably be poetry and prose, songs of the ancients and criticism of the present, discussions of state affairs.

Fortunately, the Great Wei Dynasty had not yet invented literary inquisition. If one day the Emperor had a fit of madness, the more poems one wrote, the greater the risk.

Besides, Chen Yi could only hold his own in calligraphy and poetry. He was hopeless at music, chess, and painting. If he went there and exposed himself, that would be quite the spectacle.

Either the rumors from Jiangnan Prefecture were false, or he had become a different person.

Either possibility would affect his peaceful days as an idle son-in-law in the Xiao Family.

"Then there is the east of the city. Sometimes Tribes from the mountains perform there. Eldest Miss took me there once before, and they were incredible..."

"What about South of the City?" Chen Yi asked casually.

Xiao Die's smile froze. "South of the City, the south... Son-in-law, you absolutely cannot go there. Eldest Miss and Second Miss would scold you."

"Why?"

The moment Chen Yi asked, he saw the fishing float twitch. His eyes lit up as he seized the rod and yanked it up sharply.

Who would have thought that the fish of some unknown species would merely poke its head above the water before breaking free of the hook and falling back in?

"There is a lot of rouge and powder in South of the City..." Xiao Die tilted her head, searching for the right words.

"Oh~ I understand."

A place full of rouge and powder was a district of willows and fireworks.

If an adopted son-in-law like him ran off to such a place, the Xiao Family might truly hang him up and beat him senseless.

Just like now—Chen Yi wanted to catch that damned fish in the pond, then beat it senseless.

It had been two whole days.

He had fished here for two whole days. Not only had he failed to catch a single fish, he had been toyed with by the same fish the entire time.

How did he know it was the same one?

That fish was simply too easy to recognize. It was the one with a little tuft of golden whiskers on its head.

Thus, Chen Yi had even given it a fitting name: the Golden-haired Carp.

"It ran fast enough. Otherwise, this evening, this young master would have sampled charcoal-grilled golden-haired fish."

Chen Yi muttered as he reeled in the line and baited the hook again.

"What were we talking about?"

"Nothing." Afraid that he would ask about South of the City again, Xiao Die changed the subject and asked.

"Son-in-law, I've seen you fishing here for two days. It seems you haven't caught a single fish?"

"Uh, are you questioning my fishing skills?" Chen Yi glared at her fiercely.

He was only still getting familiar with fishing and had not yet figured out the habits of the fish in this world.

Give him a little more time, and he would definitely catch every fish in this pond.

"No, no... it's just..." Xiao Die shrank back a little. "When I went to Eldest Miss today, Eldest Miss asked what Son-in-law had been doing lately."

"Oh."

"I-I didn't say anything!"

Perhaps because Xiao Die had raised her voice slightly, Chen Yi turned back to look at her in surprise.

"..."

Xiao Die lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

Her mind was completely occupied by that "Rebellious Poem," and she feared that if she spoke of it, Son-in-law would silence her forever.

That was not even the worst of it.

What Xiao Die feared most now was facing Xiao Wan'er. Like that morning, when Xiao Wan'er had casually asked about Chen Yi's recent life, Xiao Die had nearly blurted out:

"Jade steps, jade trees, rare in the human world, just like you."

Fortunately, she had reacted in time and only mentioned the fishing. After that, her mind had gone completely blank, and she could not even remember how Eldest Miss had replied.

As she thought about it, Xiao Die said timidly, "I only said Son-in-law was fishing. I didn't say anything else."

"It's only fishing. Say it if you want."

Chen Yi waved dismissively, then cast out the hook again and reclined calmly in his lounge chair.

These days, he stood in stance cultivation for one shichen every morning, practiced Running Script for half a shichen, and spent the rest of his time fishing.

But what frustrated him was this—since he had not caught a single fish, there had been no prompt on the panel at all. He did not even know whether something like a "Way of Fishing" existed.

If it did, he would definitely max it out and clear every fish from this pond.

Just as Chen Yi was locked in a battle of wills with the Golden-haired Carp, faint footsteps sounded behind him, followed by a childish voice.

"Second Brother-in-law, what are you doing in the pavilion?"

"Wu Ge, slow down."

Before Xiao Die could remind him, Chen Yi set down his fishing rod and rose to look toward the voices.

He saw Xiao Wuge, dressed in brocade robes, running ahead, while Xiao Wan'er followed behind him with a smile, still draped in that pure white cloak.

Then Chen Yi saw Shen Huatang behind them, arms folded around her sword and expressionless. His face immediately turned solemn, and he bowed.

"Young Marquis, Sister Wan'er."

His elder sister-in-law Xiao Wan'er was two years older than him, so calling her elder sister was no loss.

As for his younger brother-in-law Xiao Wuge, his status was what it was. Naturally, Chen Yi could not address him directly by name, considering he was only a minor adopted son-in-law of Xiao Manor.

"Second Brother-in-law, are you fishing?" Xiao Wuge walked up, glanced around curiously, and rummaged through the fish basket beside him. "There aren't any fish?"

"..."

Brat, for your sister's sake, this fisherman will forgive your childish babble for now.

With that thought, Chen Yi placed one hand before him and the other behind his back. "Fishing is about waiting for those willing to take the hook."

Don't ask. If you ask, it's because I do not want to catch anything.

Clearly, Xiao Wuge did not understand. "Oh, so the fish just don't want to take the hook?"

Xiao Wan'er lightly smacked him reproachfully. "Wu Ge, have you forgotten what Eldest Sister taught you?"

Only then did she smile at Chen Yi. "Brother-in-law is remarkably learned. Every word you speak contains reason."

"You flatter me." Chen Yi coughed, catching sight of Shen Huatang seeming to shift her sword from the corner of his eye, and directly asked, "Sister Wan'er, did you need something from me?"

Ever since that sword had been pressed to his throat last time, he had become somewhat jumpy. He always felt that if they disagreed by a single word, this Guard Shen would stab him with her sword.

"There is indeed something I need Brother-in-law to handle."

Xiao Wan'er instead found him straightforward. Pointing at Xiao Wuge, she said, "I need to leave home for a time. Over the next few days, I'll have to trouble Brother-in-law to look after Wu Ge."

Chen Yi understood. She wanted him to watch a child—to become a stay-at-home dad?