Infinite Professions-Chapter 133 - 54: Fateful Encounter

What’s going on?

Shen Hex also didn’t know what was happening.

He only saw that an old fisherman dressed very much like him had attacked the pleasure boat.

Indeed, that was not him, and he had no reason to be flamboyantly fishing in the middle of winter against the wind and snow. Wasn’t that just telling others he was up to something?

So, what was this about?

Sitting in the boat, and trouble fell from the sky?

Shen Hex lowered his body, hiding among the reeds, observing the battle from afar.

"Bang!"

He saw several water columns explode around the pleasure boat, with several people leaping out, directly engaging in battle with the guards on the boat.

A young man in black was surprisingly fierce, wielding a steel saber, breaking through the guards’ interception, charging directly at the Young Master of the Golden Fish Gang: "Scoundrel, surrender your life!"

"Bang!!!"

Unexpectedly, a palm strike came, not only breaking his steel saber but also sending him flying off the boat, crashing heavily into the water.

The Young Master of the Golden Fish Gang, who had just escaped death, glanced over, finding the attacker to be an old man with a smooth white face, stationed beside the Fox Fur Young Master, his both palms emitting Gang Qi to repel several assassins.

At this moment, a loud rumble burst into the pleasure boat—it was the old fisherman arriving.

The old fisherman flew in, unleashing a palm force with unparalleled Gang Yuan Power.

"Spurt!"

The white-faced old man tried to block with all his strength, but how could Gang Qi compare to Gang Yuan? He was directly repelled by the other’s palm strike, spitting blood as he flew back.

But just at the next instant of being flung out, the Fox Fur Young Master pinched his fingers into a sword sign, unleashing a sharp golden light straight toward the old fisherman.

"Flying Sword!?"

The old fisherman’s eyes contracted. Then, his palms continuously struck, sending out several streams of Gang Qi, but still couldn’t resist the sharp sword light. Ultimately, a Sword Qi pierced through, breaking his protective Gang Qi, blasting him out of the boat.

"Bang!!!"

A loud explosion sounded, water splashing everywhere. When everyone chased out to look, they found no trace of the old fisherman in the lake, only the turbulent white waves and bloody water.

With the old fisherman’s escape, the remaining people quickly collapsed. They didn’t even need the Fox Fur Young Master’s flying sword to take action. The guards on the boat were enough to kill them all.

"Young Master, there is one still alive!"

Two guards pushed a young man in black before the Fox Fur Young Master: "Speak, who sent you?"

"Ptooey!!!"

The young man in black spat angrily, his eyes red with fury as he glared at the Fox Fur Young Master and the cowering Young Master of the Golden Fish Gang: "Bastards, just kill me if you have the guts. I’ll haunt you even as a ghost."

"Still dare to be stubborn!"

The guard fumed and was about to use torture.

"No need."

The Fox Fur Young Master said calmly: "Take him away."

"Yes!"

The guard complied, directly taking the person away.

The people came back to their senses, Zhoushen in a green robe looked at the Fox Fur Young Master: "That person should be an Immortal Fate Person. By some fluke, he got a small opportunity and recruited disciples among the fisherfolk on Dongting Lake. Today, he came for the Golden Fish Gang, not for Brother Xie."

"Hmm!"

The Fox Fur Young Master nodded, glancing at the battered pleasure boat: "Entertainment is over, let’s return now."

"Yes!"

...

The pleasure boat slowly departed.

In the reeds, Shen Hex was silent, recalling the scene just now.

"Flying Sword?"

"Cultivator?"

"Fisherman?"

"Immortal Fate Person?"

"Was it acting rashly or was it desperation?"

Secretly muttering a few times, there was no result.

But since it didn’t concern him, Shen Hex didn’t dwell on it too much, returning to his black awning boat to continue cultivating.

So, a day passed.

That night, the north wind whistled, and snowflakes flew.

Shen Hex quietly moved his black awning boat, braving the cold wind to a desolate island, continuing his night fishing wilderness.

No matter Jianghu vendettas or Immortal Fate contests, he would just fish for his own catch.

Opening the fish basket, a pungent smell surged up, eliciting a physiological gag reflex.

It was the last of the snakehead bait!

Nearly two months had passed since Shen Hex last caught that snakehead. During this time, using bait made from the snakehead’s bones and flesh did yield some rare fish species like softshell turtles, but no spirit fish were caught again.

No choice, in fishing, resources are king.

The Dongting Lake, although spanning eight hundred and connecting the land of the Five Prefectures, still falls under the mundane realm. There are no high-tier spirit fish within; even a snakehead is already the overlord of a certain water area.

Shen Hex estimated that the highest spirit fish in Dongting Lake were probably Tier Two at most, requiring certain conditions to appear, rarely seen, let alone caught.

Without the proper resources, no matter how you fish, it’s useless. Even professional power can’t create something from nothing, at least not at this profession, not at this level.

So, after two months, more than half of the snakehead bait was used, yet Shen Hex still hadn’t caught a second spirit fish.

A bit difficult!

But this couldn’t deter a fisherman.

Tonight, Shen Hex arrived at a brand new water area, determined to use the last bit of snakehead meat bait to catch a second spirit fish.

Cast the rod!

Same old tools: an iron bamboo rod, hemp rope line, and an iron nail hook.

Wrapped with a ball of two-month-fermented, pungent yet more enticing bait, using a big swing to throw it into the water.

The cold weather made all fish dormant, making fishing significantly harder.

But this was no issue for a Spirit Fisherman, as the pungent but tasty snakehead bait’s scent soon stirred reactions underwater.

"Swoosh!!!"

Shen Hex lifted the rod with both hands, using a masterful fishing technique, applying power to overcome skill, pulling the fish out of the water.

"Bang!!!"

The fish breached the water, shimmering with gold under the night sky like a falling Flying Fire Meteor landing on the shore.

Shen Hex stepped forward to find a Golden Carp about three feet long, its entire body shimmering with golden light, only its head had some sesame-sized spots, struggling violently.

"Star Dragon Carp!"

Shen Hex squatted down, threw a punch, knocking the lively Star Dragon Carp unconscious on the ground.

The Star Dragon Carp, also known as Xinglong Carp, is the rarest and most precious fish species in Dongting Lake. It is characterized by its golden body, with only its head having star spots. As it ages, these spots become more numerous, and it is said that it can grow into a Seven-Star Dragon Carp after a hundred years.

Now, this fish has only five star spots, merely a Five-Star Dragon Carp, but even as a Tier One Spirit Fish, its value is unmatched. Not even a thousand taels of gold can exchange for one.

Shen Hex took an iron bamboo fish basket and placed the unconscious Five-Star Dragon Carp inside, then continued fishing.

He did not intend to make any cuts on the Five-Star Dragon Carp.

Though he still lacked resources, a two-month dry spell taught him that the Spirit Fish in Dongting Lake are limited. If he wants to develop sustainably, he cannot drain the pond to catch all the fish but must avoid one-off trades.

Breeding production is the way. Not only can it provide continuous experience for the "Spirit Fisherman," but once a certain scale is reached, it can stably supply resources. Isn’t this better than just stewing it for soup?

Therefore, he’s decided to make this Five-Star Dragon Carp his second Contracted Spirit Beast and try to nurture it, seeing if it can breed with other carp into groups.

Having just caught a Spirit Fish greatly boosted Shen Hex’s confidence. He immediately rolled another bait ball, ready to keep up his efforts.

However...

"Plop!"

"Plop!"

"Plop!"

As midnight passed, Shen Hex looked at the usual fish species scattered chaotically on the shore, along with the exhausted snakehead bait in his hand, doubting whether the Spirit Fish had territorial divisions. After catching one, it’s impossible to catch another?

"Whatever!"

Looking at the remaining snakehead bait in his hand, Shen Hex shook his head, hooked it up, and cast his final line.

"Plop!"

The bait dropped into the water, and shortly after, the hemp rope tightened under force.

"Hmm!?"

Seeing this, Shen Hex frowned, surprised.

The feel... was somewhat off!

With a furrowed brow, Shen Hex exerted force to lift the fishing rod, soon pulling an object out of the water.

It was... a person, a white-haired elder wearing a straw raincoat.

None other than the Fishing Elder who attacked the pleasure boat this morning.

"It’s him?"

Shen Hex frowned, then pulled the fishing rod to drag the person out of the water.

The straw raincoat on the outside, and the clothes underneath, were completely soaked by the lake water. The man’s face was as pale as death, his breaths shallow, and his chest showed a wound, the flesh turned white and rolled, bones and internal organs visible.

With such injuries, an ordinary person would have died ten times over.

Only because he is a Martial Artist with cultivation reaching Tier Three, having honed Martial Dao True Essence, could he sustain until now.

But he wouldn’t last much longer like this.

After contemplating briefly, Shen Hex eventually lifted him up, along with the night’s fishing haul, and headed for his stronghold in the black canopy boat.

...

"Splash, splash, splash!"

The familiar sound of wind and waves, the familiar scent of fish, and the cradle-like rocking of the boat awoke Liang Feng from darkness.

"Huh!"

Waking abruptly, pulling on his injury coupled with bodily weakness, made him fall back onto the bed.

Yet he dared not linger, lifting his head to scan around. He found himself lying in a cabin that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

How did he end up here?

Wasn’t he wounded by the flying sword of the cultivator on the pleasure boat?

Could it be someone saved him after he fell into the water?

"You’re awake?"

As Liang Feng felt unsettled and uncertain, a person lifted the curtain and stepped into the cabin, causing him to tense up defensively, instinctively reaching for his waist but grasping nothing.

This tightened his heart as he looked up at the person again, discovering it to be a white-haired, weathered-faced old man holding a bowl of rice porridge: "Have some!"

"Hm!"

Liang Feng’s eyes narrowed: "Was it you, old brother, who saved me?"

"Indeed!"

Shen Hex nodded: "Seeing you as a fellow fisherman, still breathing in the water, I fished you up."

"That’s how it is."

Liang Feng sighed in relief, then arduously lifted himself, reaching for the porridge bowl with both hands.

However, just as his hands brushed the bowl, the seemingly weak Liang Feng suddenly erupted, flipping the porridge bowl with both palms, then pointing a finger like a sword at Shen Hex.

But then...

"Plop!"

With a finger pointed out, his body froze.

Shen Hex caught the overturned porridge bowl with one hand, pointing at Liang Feng’s chest with the other, shaking his head and sighing, "Why?"

"..."

With his acupoints sealed, Liang Feng’s body couldn’t move, his Gang Yuan was inactive too, leaving him to stare at Shen Hex in shock and anger: "Who are you exactly?"

"Now, it’s me questioning you, not the other way around."

Shen Hex drank the remaining rice porridge in the bowl and then calmly looked at him: "Who are you?"

"Hmph!"

Liang Feng snorted coldly: "Kill if you want, slice if you must!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Hex remained calm: "Really not planning to talk?"

"Hmph!"

Liang Feng sneered: "Do your worst if you dare!"

...

"Why go through all this."

Half a double hour later, Shen Hex stood up, looking at the convulsing Liang Feng on the ground, shook his head helplessly, tossed the blood-stained dagger into the basin of water, then ended his suffering with one palm, and threw the body out of the cabin, letting the Tuo Dragon Group destroy the corpse and erase the evidence.

In this world, few can withstand severe interrogation, and Liang Feng was no exception. He overestimated his endurance and underestimated Shen Hex’s methods.

Though Shen Hex wasn’t from those criminal families, having gone through two lives as the Dream Butterfly with a millennium of experience, he had at least touched upon the subject. Moreover, with Liang Feng being a Tier Three Martial Artist, there was much room for manipulation, so extracting information wasn’t too challenging.

It was just a bit bloody.

But as long as the goal is achieved, the process doesn’t matter.

Shen Hex took out a small pouch, placing it before him, examining it closely.

Tonight, not only did he catch a Five-Star Dragon Carp as a Spirit Fish, but he improbably fished along a stroke of Immortal Fate.

An Immortal Fate Person is also Immortal Fate!

And now the entirety of this Immortal Fate Person’s possessions lay before him, inside this seemingly plain small pouch.

Spatial Dharma Artifact — Storage Pouch!