Trait: Under-Ice Perception

Suddenly, a larger dark shape flicked its tail nimbly and swallowed several crumbs with unerring accuracy!

Now!

Li Xuan reacted in a flash. The stiff reed stalk he had already gripped in his hand, one end sharpened to a wicked point, shot out silently and swiftly like a venomous snake darting from its hole!

There was not a single wasted movement-only the precise anticipation and instantaneous burst of power that came from his "proficient" archery!

Pfft!

With a soft sound, the sharp reed stalk pierced the water and struck the gluttonous fish squarely in the flank!

Startled, the fish thrashed violently, but the reed stalk remained as steady as iron tongs in Li Xuan's hand.

He flicked his wrist, driving it diagonally upward.

A plump crucian carp, a palm's width across and about a foot long, its scales gleaming blue-black in the dim light.

It was flicked cleanly out of the hole in the ice and landed on the frozen surface beside it, flopping and jumping!

"You... you really caught one?!"

Li Zhong stared, dumbfounded, at the large fish still lashing its tail on the ice.

He could scarcely believe his eyes. No net, no hook-just a reed stalk?

Wang gasped too, covering her mouth, her eyes full of disbelief.

[Successfully caught an "Under-Ice Green Crucian Carp." Hunting points +2.]

[Acquired fishing-related skills (extremely unpracticed).]

[Obtained trait: Under-Ice Perception (white).]

[Under-Ice Perception (white): Slightly improves intuitive sensing of creature activity beneath ice or murky water. (Active)]

Another faint current of warmth flowed into him, along with an understanding of the new trait. Though the points were few, the unexpected catch and new ability put Li Xuan in a cheerful mood.

He picked up the fish and hefted it. It weighed over two jin and was exceptionally plump.

"Big Brother, fish aren't that hard to catch in winter."

"The water's cold, and they've been trapped under the ice for so long. Fish need to breathe too."

"Don't waste this hole. There are bound to be more down there. Give it a try, just like I did. Aim before you stab, and be quick and accurate."

Li Xuan handed Li Zhong another sharpened reed stalk.

Li Zhong rubbed his hands together and took it, both excited and nervous. Imitating Li Xuan, he lay beside the hole and watched intently.

With a successful demonstration to follow, and Li Xuan beside him quietly telling him when to strike.

Though Li Zhong's movements were clumsy, on his third attempt he actually managed to spear a slightly smaller crucian carp!

"Haha! I got one too!" Li Zhong lifted the struggling fish, his honest face blooming with delight, brimming with a sense of accomplishment.

"Just look at you! That fish is much smaller than Third Brother's!"

Watching from beside them, Wang had long since forgotten her earlier doubts. Her face was all smiles as she hurried to find something to hold the fish.

Li Zhong scratched his head.

"Hehe, I caught it, didn't I? A fish like this would fetch at least a few dozen copper coins in the city!"

In the end, they carefully wrapped the two plump fish in the old wrapping cloth they had brought along to keep them from freezing stiff.

"Now we're set! Sheepskins, medicinal herbs, and these fresh fish-they're sure to sell well in town!"

Wang spoke delightedly, looking at Li Xuan with eyes full of satisfaction.

"Third Brother really does have sharp eyes and a quick mind!"

Having succeeded for the first time, Li Zhong was carried away by excitement.

Before Li Xuan could say anything more, he eagerly lay down beside the hole again, his eyes wide as he searched for dark shapes underwater.

He thought he saw a shape swim past. Impatience seized him, and without bothering to aim carefully or mind his technique, he gripped the reed stalk and stabbed down hard!

Splash!

He used far too much force. The sharp tip struck the water noisily, then slammed into the icy wall at the edge of the hole with a dull thud.

The water beneath the hole, which had been fairly calm, instantly churned into a murky mess, the aquatic weeds swaying wildly.

Terrified by the disturbance, the fish that had been lingering nearby flicked their tails and vanished into the dark depths in an instant, leaving no trace.

"Oh no! They're gone!" Li Zhong straightened in frustration. He looked at the water in the hole, calm again but utterly empty, his face full of regret.

"Husband! Be gentler!" Wang had seen everything clearly from beside him and could not help scolding him.

"Who catches fish like that? You looked like you were digging dirt with a hoe! See? You've scared all the fish away! What a waste of the good spot young Xuan found!"

She hated losing the fish they might have caught, and hated the wasted opportunity too.

Abashed by her scolding, Li Zhong rubbed the back of his head. "I... I just thought I'd get them before they swam too far away..."

Seeing this, Li Xuan smiled instead. "It's all right, Big Brother. It's your first time. It's normal not to have a steady aim yet. These fish under the ice are sly. Any big disturbance sends them into hiding."

He walked over to the hole and concentrated on the water below once more.

The murk was slowly settling, but his newly acquired gray trait, [Under-Ice Perception], now offered subtle assistance.

Why not try out the new trait?

Even with his view obscured, he could faintly sense what seemed to be several larger signs of life cautiously circling at the edges of the deeper, darker water.

They had not entirely left this area where food might be found.

"There are still some," Li Xuan said quietly, his voice steady. "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, step back a little. Don't let your shadows fall over the hole."

Wang promptly pulled Li Zhong a few steps back.

Holding his breath and focusing, Li Xuan gently lowered another sharpened stiff reed stalk into the water in the hole.

He did not stir it, merely keeping it suspended about a foot beneath the surface, like a strand of aquatic weed.

He took the last few crumbs of dry rations from inside his clothing and, with extreme care, scattered them little by little over the water near the reed's tip.

The crumbs slowly sank, tracing faint trails through the gradually clearing water.

Time crept by, and even the cold wind seemed to freeze still. Li Zhong and Wang were so tense they scarcely dared breathe.

Suddenly, Li Xuan's wrist moved ever so slightly. The reed tip suspended in the water gave a gentle twitch, almost too small for the naked eye to detect.

The next second, the muscles in his arm abruptly tightened. Yet he did not thrust at once, pausing for the briefest instant-as though waiting for something.

After that subtle pause, his arm drove forward, swift as lightning and flint sparks!

Whoosh-pfft!

The reed tip broke through the water, throwing up a small spray as it plunged into a spot below with flawless precision.

Then Li Xuan flicked his wrist and lifted!

A large crucian carp, bigger than the one Li Zhong had just speared, its scales gleaming dark gold, was flicked straight out of the hole. It landed heavily on the ice, thrashing furiously with a rapid clatter!

"Another one! It's huge!"

His sister-in-law could not help giving a quiet cry of surprise.

Li Zhong stared in amazement. Compared with his own clumsy thrust, his younger brother's calm, precise strike seemed to anticipate the fish's movements. The difference was plain at a glance.

Li Xuan did not stop, repeating the same method.

With the faint assistance of [Under-Ice Perception] and his own superb steadiness and control.

He successfully speared two more sizable fish in succession from the seemingly empty hole.

Together with the first three, there were now six plump, fresh fish in the old wrapping cloth, giving off faint wisps of moisture in the cold air, their scales glistening.

Just as Li Xuan put away the reed stalk and was about to call his brother and sister-in-law to resume their journey, voices and footsteps sounded on the mountain path.

It was two other groups of villagers heading to the market in town. Passing by, they had happened to witness Li Xuan's last splendid strike as he flicked a fish out onto the ice.

"Oh! Li Laosan? Li Zhong? Did you... catch fish out here on the ice?"