A few days later.
After crossing a mountain peak, the air was filled with the scent of the wilderness. As Lin Zhao, Xu Ming'an, and Wang Yue looked towards the south, an endless city wall appeared in front of them. The wall was covered in the marks of time and emanated a martial aura. From afar, they could even see human cultivators guarding the battlements at regular intervals, many of whom were in the upper five realms.
Fusu Great Wall, they had finally arrived.
As per their prior agreement, Xu Ming'an accompanied Lin Zhao only this far. Afterwards, Xu Ming'an would head north to cultivate in the Taoist temple, while Lin Zhao would continue south with Wang Yue. Thus, upon seeing the Fusu Great Wall, Xu Ming'an couldn't help but frown, feeling a sense of reluctance. After all, he had never had many friends, and Lin Zhao was the only one.
"Alright."
Lin Zhao stopped, glanced at the sky to the east, and said, "It's almost dawn. Let's part ways here."
Xu Ming'an stood up straight, clasped his hands in salute to Lin Zhao, and said, "Lin Zhao, we'll meet again in the martial world."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao began to take things out of his bag: the Shattering Evil Talisman, the Swiftness Talisman, the Tracking Talisman, the Immobilizing Talisman, and the Rain-Summoning Talisman. Fifty of each talisman, he held them in his hands and presented them to Xu Ming'an. "The Shattering Evil Talismans are for catching demons and dispelling ghosts. If the righteous energy in your Taoist temple is not strong enough, you can paste two of these at the main entrance for a certain house-warding effect. Of course, these are military talismans, and it's like showing off in front of a Taoist cultivator like you. It's up to you whether you use them. Additionally, the Swiftness Talismans and Immobilizing Talismans are for dealing with powerful enemies. As for the Tracking Talismans, consider when you might use them."
He looked at the stack of Rain-Summoning Talismans and chuckled, "Actually, I never draw Rain-Summoning Talismans. I think they're useless. But for you, they might actually be useful. Xu Ming'an, if one day you're starving and can't find food, and it happens that the climate in a certain place is dry and hasn't rained for a long time, you can tell the local people that you can summon the wind and call the rain. Ask for some reward, and after you've had your fill, a single Rain-Summoning Talisman will surely bring a great downpour."
"..."
Xu Ming'an scratched his head, feeling quite embarrassed. "Is that so? But Lin Zhao, I don't have anything good to give you. I only have this Zhenwu Sword, which might be useful."
Lin Zhao laughed, "What use do I have for your Taoist sword?"
"How about this."
Xu Ming'an said, "When you pass by Jiuhua Mountain in the future, you can visit Wuji Temple on the mountain. I can't promise much, but the sweetest peaches and the most delicious wild game in the mountains will definitely be plentiful."
"Alright, it's a deal!"
Lin Zhao cupped his fists and said with a smile, "Then Wang Yue and I will be going. We'll meet again someday!"
"Mm!"
Xu Ming'an stood on the mountaintop, watching Lin Zhao and Wang Yue descend the mountain until they disappeared into the forest. Only then did Xu Ming'an turn to leave, feeling a sense of loss.
...
Early morning, Fusu Great Wall.
Lin Zhao didn't linger. Wearing a bamboo hat, with Wang Yue by his side, he quietly walked through the streets of Fusu Great Wall. Midway, a voice called out from a distance: "Do you want to come over for a visit?"
"I won't disturb you this time. I'll take advantage of the night to head south. I'll bother you again next time," Lin Zhao responded mentally.
"Mm."
Lin Wan Hua then stopped speaking and continued to nurture her sword intent.
By daybreak, Lin Zhao had already left Fusu Great Wall. After traveling for less than a day, they passed through Shanhaiguan Pass. Han Ye Tang was likely cultivating in the city, so Lin Zhao didn't disturb her. He and Wang Yue passed through Shanhaiguan Pass and headed south, entering Yunzhou territory.
...
After another day of travel, the number of players on the road gradually increased. The leveling resources within the Heavenly Mechanism City were quite abundant, so a considerable number of players had settled there, also diverting traffic from Baidi City. Generally, the top-tier and first-line players in the entire country were settled in Baidi City, vying for the top-tier resources. Guilds and players who couldn't keep up had to settle for the eight secondary main cities. In short, everyone had their own way of living. As long as they were diligent enough, they wouldn't starve to death.
Early morning, the sky was slightly bright.
Ahead, a vast and shimmering lake appeared. When Lin Zhao opened the grand map, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned. This lake occupied nearly one-fifth of Yunzhou's territory, its expanse boundless. It was the world-famous Dongting Lake of the Great Shang Dynasty. The official information about Dongting Lake was extensive, and one sentence, "Dongting's grass carp are the best in the world," was what Lin Zhao remembered most clearly. It was said that although the grass carp in Dongting Lake were not numerous, the largest ones approached ten pounds, and their taste was extremely delicious. The fishermen who relied on Dongting Lake would have their families live without worry for a year if they could catch a seven or eight-pound grass carp, which would be pre-ordered by restaurants in Heavenly Mechanism City and Baidi City, and delivered by cultivators in the middle five realms using their swords.
"Hoo..."
Lin Zhao looked at the vast Dongting Lake, his heart filled with grandeur. Since he was here, he decided not to miss it. Since the day was about to break, he planned to stay here for the day. He said with a smile, "Wang Yue, go back to the shrine. I plan to spend today fishing here."
"Mm."
Wang Yue chuckled, "Then I'll stay in the shrine and accompany Brother Lin Zhao fishing."
"Good!"
Lin Zhao took a deep breath and began to assess the depth of the lake's water. The water near the shore was shallow, making it almost impossible to catch large fish from the deep water while standing on the shore. He would have to do it himself. So, he rode his sword into a nearby bamboo grove, drew out Li Quan, and swung it repeatedly, cutting down bamboos as thick as his calves. Then, with unparalleled skill, he crafted a huge bamboo raft. He picked up a large stone from the ground, found a rope from his inventory, and made an anchor to fix the raft's position.
After everything was done, he carried the giant bamboo raft and rode his sword into the sky above Dongting Lake. He found a spot with a suitable depth, placed the raft down, and then threw the stone anchor. Next, he took out a fish basket from his inventory and tied it to the edge of the raft. He took out a chair made from a twelve-realm Flaming Maple tree trunk from Natural Abode and began to chum the water.
Finally, when he reached for a fishing hook, he was slightly stunned. It seemed he had forgotten the fishing hook on the windowsill of Natural Abode the last time he fished. He slapped his thigh in annoyance and had to make a new hook. Fortunately, he was skilled with his hands. He raised a finger, and his flying sword Haoran flew out from the Sword Repository Lake. With a surge of pure aura, the sword tip spewed fierce flames. Then, he took a golden-rank dagger from his inventory and used the sword tip's flame from Haoran to melt the most resilient edge of the dagger. He shaped it into a fishing hook. For a moment, this fishing hook shone with golden brilliance, possessing a sense of pure aura.
At this time, the sky had brightened, and Lin Zhao began to fish with high spirits.
The first fish to bite was a grass carp, weighing about five pounds, which was quite good. Then came a white fish weighing over two pounds, also a rarity. Lin Zhao narrowed his eyes, feeling that his luck today was quite good, probably because of the excellent chumming. Since that was the case, he decided to go all out today and see how much he could catch.
Just then, the fishing float suddenly dipped. He quickly reeled in the rod, and the force of the pull told him that this fish was definitely not small. The fish in the water even dragged the bamboo raft, causing it to drift. Fortunately, he had made an anchor, otherwise, his chumming would have been in vain. Not long after, under Lin Zhao's patient pulling, the large fish in the water finally lost its strength. Lin Zhao finally used a landing net to pull it up. It was a large grass carp with golden fins. It was quite heavy in his hands, weighing at least twelve or thirteen pounds.
Lin Zhao put it into the fish basket and continued fishing. The morning luck was indeed good, with continuous bites. By the afternoon, seven grass carp weighing over ten pounds had been caught. Moreover, these grass carp were full of spiritual energy, their fins already glinting gold, appearing extraordinary everywhere. It was then that Lin Zhao's stomach rumbled. It was time to feed his body.
He prepared to go ashore and boil fish soup!
He picked up the fish basket, a heavy pile of fish. The seven grass carp, each weighing over ten pounds, struggled continuously. Some of these grass carp even shed tears of blood, he wondered if it was because the hooking spot was too deep.
"..."
Lin Zhao frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then picked up a grass carp weighing over ten pounds and released it back into the water. Immediately, the grass carp flicked its tail and disappeared into the depths. Then, Lin Zhao released all the grass carp weighing over ten pounds, keeping only one five-pound grass carp and two large white fish.
Lin Zhao was no longer the boy he was in his youth. He was no longer lacking in food or clothing. Keeping enough fish to eat was sufficient. As for those weighing over ten pounds, they were just part of the fun of fishing.
He picked up his gear, rode his sword into the air, set up a pot by the shore of Dongting Lake, and began to boil fish soup under the setting sun. Soon, a fragrant aroma wafted through the air. After the sun went down, Wang Yue also emerged from the shrine and sat beside Lin Zhao, smelling the aroma of the fish soup, truly wishing she could taste it, but unfortunately, she likely wouldn't have the chance.
...
As the fish soup was being cooked, a voice suddenly came from the lake: "Sword Immortal, with such delicious food before us, how can there be no wine?"
Lin Zhao looked up sharply: "Huh???"
In the twilight, Dongting Lake sparkled with golden ripples, as if a radiant glow was rising from the bottom of the lake. Immediately afterwards, the golden light surged on the lake's surface. A handsome young man in a green robe walked out of the lake, his left hand behind his back, and holding an antique wine jar in his right.
He was a deity.
Lin Zhao immediately stood up. This person's divine aura was too powerful, far beyond that of Han Bu Yu, an eleventh-realm deity of wind and rain. His foundation was extremely profound, and his cultivation was exceptionally high. He was a twelfth-realm Lake Lord! For a moment, Lin Zhao frantically searched his mind for relevant information. Was there a twelfth-realm Lake Lord in Dongting Lake?
There was one, the sovereign of the entire Dongting Lake.
The man smiled faintly, nodded gently at Lin Zhao, and introduced himself: "Lake Lord of Dongting, Shang Xuli, greetings Sword Immortal. Thank you, Sword Immortal, for sparing my seven gluttonous disciples!"
It really was him!
Lin Zhao was instantly enlightened. Everyone said that the grass carp of Dongting Lake would not exceed ten pounds. In reality, those grass carp weighing over ten pounds had already cultivated into sentient beings, and ordinary people could not catch them, nor could they net them. And why could he catch them? Undoubtedly, it was related to the fishing hook melted from the flying sword Haoran. In the face of a Confucian sage's methods, the little lake spirits could not hide.