Wang Shouzhe immediately grabbed his heavy bow and sword, then sprinted out.
On the deck.
Wang Dinghai held a short fishing spear fitted with barbs and a rope, directing the boatmen to rapidly slap the water's surface with long bamboo poles. The two family retainers, Wang Zhong and Wang Yong, also raised their heavy bows, ready to fire at any moment.
"Shouzhe, you came at just the right time." Though Wang Dinghai's expression was grave, he could not suppress his delight. "It's a lone East Sea Arrow Flagfish. It was probably swept into freshwater by the tide, so it won't be too hard to handle. Watch for when it breaks the surface and shoot its vital spots."
Generally speaking, aquatic Fierce Beasts were no easier to deal with than land-dwelling ones. Beneath the water, they were often immensely strong and savage; overturning or smashing boats was a common occurrence.
Wang Dinghai had been an old fisherman for more than a decade, so he naturally had his own methods for dealing with aquatic Fierce Beasts. The sound of bamboo poles striking the water could disrupt their judgment, making them reluctant to attack the vessel rashly, while also provoking their fury.
Apart from a small number of fish species, most fish—even Fierce Beast fish—were generally a notch less intelligent than land-dwelling Fierce Beasts.
The instant Wang Dinghai finished speaking, a huge splash suddenly exploded four or five zhang off the port side. An aquatic monster nearly two zhang long burst from the water and lunged ferociously at the ship.
Even with Wang Shouzhe's dynamic vision, he could only make out the aquatic Fierce Beast's sword-like forebill and its triangular-flag-shaped dorsal fin. It looked somewhat like a sailfish from Earth.
Yet whether in size or ferocity, it was far beyond any sailfish.
**Twang!