"Dongting Lake, known in ancient times as Yunmeng Great Marsh, was one of the largest bodies of water within Great Xia.
"For thousands of years, fishermen living around Yunmeng Great Marsh had built temples to worship the Dragon Lord, praying for favorable weather and bountiful catches in the coming year."
"But for some unknown reason, Yunmeng Great Marsh underwent several transformations over the past few thousand years. Its former waters either dried up or were swallowed by the Jidu River, one of the Four Great Rivers. It was now less than a third of its peak size.
"And the many fishermen around Yunmeng Great Marsh had suffered through several disasters caused by those changes in the waters. Gradually, they abandoned their faith in the Dragon Lord."
"Even today, only the oldest generation of traditional fishermen still kept up the annual custom of worshipping the Dragon Lord.
"The younger ones either went to work in the big cities or simply did not believe in the Dragon Lord at all. There were fewer and fewer fishermen on Dongting Lake these days!"
Shen Yuan sat in a small boat while the boatman, wearing a bamboo hat, rowed it along with a face full of wistful sighs.
Shen Yuan found the boatman's lament perfectly understandable.
Ancient fishermen had lived on the water from the moment they were born. Many did not even have houses, spending their entire lives aboard cramped boats and making their living from them.
Though such circumstances no longer existed in modern society, life on a boat was indeed difficult. It was only natural for young people to yearn for the big cities.
Ever since he had gained an entry-level grasp of the Primordial Spirit Sword-Controlling Method last night, Shen Yuan had completed the final preparations for attending the Dragon Lord