Harvest

Early in the morning, three days later.

Cold mist shrouded Mirror Moon Lake. A thin layer of ice had formed on its surface, like a mirror, still and serene.

Dressed in coarse, short robes, Chen Jianghe stood at the bow of his boat, facing the cold wind as he watched the Yun Household's large ship slowly approach.

Dozens of ships, each a hundred zhang long, broke through the ice on Mirror Moon Lake. No oars were visible along their sides, and he did not know what propelled them.

These were all ships the Yun Household used to collect fish, each with its own fixed route across the lake.

Chen Jianghe's Aquaculture Waters fell within the area numbered 501 to 600. The large ship was currently moored in Old Gao's waters.

Through the mist blanketing the lake, he vaguely saw golden light flare in Old Gao's waters. Less than half an incense stick later, the large ship began moving.

"Outer waters, area 512. Chen Jianghe."

"Here."

"Good. Start hauling in the fish."

The fish-collection steward aboard the large ship confirmed Chen Jianghe's basic information, then ordered his subordinates to begin catching the Big Blue Fish.

Chen Jianghe saw four cultivators fly up from the ship, jointly controlling a net-shaped magical artifact.

He knew then that all four cultivators were at the mid Qi refining stage or higher. Only after breaking through to the mid Qi refining stage could a cultivator fly by riding qi.

That net-shaped magical artifact was the Golden Silk Net, which the Yun Household had specially commissioned an artifact refiner to make for catching Big Blue Fish.

"Xiao Hei, your task is done. Head down to the lakebed and rest for half a month. When work starts next year, I'll reward you with a Spirit-Opening Pill."

With a thought, Chen Jianghe touched the Spirit-Turtle Mark in his spiritual dais with his Divine Sense, sending a message to Xiao Hei in the lake.

He did not know what grade of magical artifact the Golden Silk Net was, but he had witnessed its power. Under the control of four cultivators, it could catch every aquatic creature in his waters in a single sweep.

They would then take the Big Blue Fish from the net and release the other aquatic creatures back into the lake.

Although Xiao Hei had not entered a grade, he was highly intelligent. To avoid catching the Yun Household cultivators' eye, he could only hide in the mud at the bottom of the lake whenever they collected fish.

Whoosh!

The four cultivators took positions to the east, south, west, and north, pouring magical power into the Golden Silk Net simultaneously. Golden light suddenly blazed, and the net spread into the wind before descending into the lake, covering all of Chen Jianghe's Aquaculture Waters.

Ten breaths later, the Golden Silk Net rose from the lake, filled with all manner of aquatic creatures. Fish were the most numerous, but there were also turtles, snakes, shrimp, and crabs.

Chen Jianghe saw no fewer than a hundred of Xiao Hei's kind alone, each ink-black from head to tail, their dark bodies gleaming in the morning sunlight.

At the ship steward's command, Chen Jianghe joined the harvesting crew, using the Minor Water-Control Technique to draw the Big Blue Fish aboard.

His cultivation was only at the first layer of Qi refinement, and his Minor Water-Control Technique produced just one silver thread of magical power, so he could only draw over one Big Blue Fish at a time.

By contrast, each of the four cultivators at the mid Qi refining stage or higher could draw over eleven or twelve Big Blue Fish with every use of the Minor Water-Control Technique.

Half a quarter of an hour passed.

All the Big Blue Fish in the Golden Silk Net had been hauled aboard, and the other aquatic creatures were released back into the lake.

The ship steward counted the Big Blue Fish, then weighed them.

"Total yield of large black carp from Chen Jianghe's area 512: two thousand and eighty-one jin. Five hundred and seventy-eight fish, with an average weight of-hmm?!"

The ship steward paused and glanced at Chen Jianghe with mild surprise. "Three jin and six liang."

The four cultivators also looked at Chen Jianghe in surprise.

His recorded information showed that he had not been raising fish for many years. Without exception, waters that produced an average weight of three jin and six liang and a total yield exceeding two thousand jin belonged to veteran fish farmers with ten or twenty years of experience.

"A total yield of two thousand and eighty-one jin. The base payment for one thousand jin is ten grains of spirit sand. For the commission on the remaining one thousand and eighty-one jin, we'll make it eleven grains."

"An average weight of three jin and six liang earns an additional reward of sixty grains of spirit sand."

"That makes eighty-one grains of spirit sand altogether."

The ship steward took out a storage pouch and withdrew eighty-one grains of spirit sand, looking at Chen Jianghe with appreciation. "My name is Yun Bufan. You have a real talent for raising fish. I hope to see you in the inner waters someday."

"Thank you, Steward Yun."

"I'll certainly keep working hard, adding fuel to the fire of the Lineage's glory and producing more Big Blue Fish."

Chen Jianghe hurriedly thanked him, his words brimming with passion.

Yun Bufan nodded in satisfaction and departed aboard the ship with the four cultivators, heading to the next area to collect fish. Chen Jianghe watched the large ship disappear into the morning mist before returning to his cabin.

"Eighty-one grains of spirit sand. Eleven more than I expected."

He took a coarse cloth pouch from inside his robes, carefully placed the spirit sand inside, then tucked it back against his chest.

Valuables as precious as spirit sand had to be kept close to the body.

"The steward collecting fish this time was actually a member of the Yun Household. No wonder he was so young. Yun Bufan?!"

There were dozens of fish-collection stewards in the outer waters, but none was permanently assigned to any one numbered area.

The Yun Household did this to prevent the fish-collection stewards from squeezing the Fisher-Farmers' earnings, and also for the sake of the Yun Household's long-term development.

After all, the Yun Household's development depended on the Fisher-Farmers who raised Big Blue Fish.

Judging by Yun Bufan's face, Chen Jianghe thought he looked only a few years older than himself at most.

Of course, this was the cultivation world, where age could not be judged by appearance. A Foundation Establishment Ancestor, for example, could be over a hundred years old and still look twenty or thirty.

There were also Qi Refining Stage cultivators who had taken Youth-Preserving Pills. Even a moment before dying of old age, they still looked as they had when they took the pill.

As for what Yun Bufan had said-

"I hope to see you in the inner waters someday."

Chen Jianghe was absolutely confident that he could enter the inner waters.

There were three ways to enter the inner waters.

First, break through to the late Qi refining stage and become a guest retainer serving as a guard for the Yun Household.

Second, achieve an annual yield of three thousand jin of Big Blue Fish in the outer waters, with an average weight exceeding four jin. Upon becoming a Senior Fisher-Farmer, one could enter the inner waters to raise Small Blue Fish.

Third, reach the middle level of the first grade in one of the ten most popular crafts among the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, such as formations, pill refining, artifact refining, or talismans. That would qualify one to become an arts guest retainer of the Yun Household.

The closer one was to the Heart of the Lake Island, the denser the spiritual energy became.

Mirror Moon Lake's inner waters were home not only to Senior Fisher-Farmers, but also to many cultivators with a craft.

To cultivators, living on land or water, in a house or on a fishing boat, was all the same.

Their only requirement concerned spiritual energy.

"Enter the inner waters? Give it twenty years."

Chen Jianghe set himself a goal.

He did not know whether Xiao Hei's transformation into a graded spirit turtle would bring a major change to the yield of Big Blue Fish.

Even if it could raise the yield of Big Blue Fish to the standard required of a Senior Fisher-Farmer, he would not show it within twenty years.

Yun Bufan's words of praise today had given Chen Jianghe a small warning.

A talent for raising fish was still a talent.

If he stood out too much, people would notice him even if he did not flaunt himself.

The tree that towered above the forest would surely be battered by the wind.

If the Yun Household investigated him thoroughly, they would certainly discover Xiao Hei hiding at the bottom of the lake, and might uncover his secret as a result.

He had the Golden Finger of sharing a spirit turtle's lifespan, giving him longevity comparable to a Foundation Establishment Ancestor. He only needed to proceed steadily; becoming a late Qi refining stage cultivator was merely a matter of time.

Only upon reaching the late Qi refining stage would he have the strength to protect himself in this cruel cultivation world.

His thoughts settled.

Chen Jianghe stepped out of the cabin, took up both oars, and rowed toward the harbor.

He had agreed with Old Gao and Da Niu that they would gather at the marketplace tavern at the end of every year to drink, talk freely, and exchange what they had gained over the year. Moreover, the annual Fisher-Farmer Year-End Conference was also held at the port.

Moreover, the annual year-end assembly for fish farmers was also held at the harbor.

(End of chapter)