Lin Zhao stood at the bow of the boat, cupped his fists, and smiled, "Thank you!"
After collecting the fishing rod, line, and hook, Lin Zhao asked with a smile, "These treasures are clearly extraordinary. Do you know their origin, or what makes them special?"
"They indeed have an extraordinary origin."
The carp spirit said, "That green bamboo rod is a supreme item from Jade Bamboo Mountain, a gift from an old immortal who passed by Lingze River back then. Furthermore, the fishing line is refined from silkworm silk, making it incredibly sturdy. The fishhook is a masterpiece by Ou Liang, a divine smith from the Hundred Flowers Realm, reportedly forged from scrap metal of the renowned sword Huang Lu. With this set, forget about fish weighing a hundred catties; even a thousand-catty fish can be reeled in."
Lin Zhao's heart stirred, and he bowed respectfully again, "Then truly... thank you very much!"
The carp spirit smiled and nodded.
The two parted ways. They didn't speak of meeting again in the martial world, for after all, the carp spirit was an aquatic sprite, and Lin Zhao was a fisherman from the mountains. Their natures were inherently opposed. From the carp spirit's perspective, people like Lin Zhao should come as little as possible, lest it bring another catastrophe to its disciples and descendants.
...
Liu Liying continued to steer the small boat slowly on the river, while Lin Zhao enjoyed the pleasure of fishing. As for Jiangzhou Prefecture, it didn't matter when he went; he was merely a passerby, not in a hurry.
By noon, Lin Zhao's fish creel was already filled with many knife fish, culter, and yellow catfish leaping about. He asked Liu Liying to dock near the shore, gathered dry firewood, and built a bonfire on the bank. He then freshly killed several knife fish, culter, and yellow catfish by the river and brewed a pot of assorted fish soup. He also used his sword to visit a nearby village and picked some fresh chili peppers, green onions, and garlic from a household's vegetable patch, leaving ten copper coins on the small table in their front hall. He then returned by sword. Thus, this pot of fish soup not only contained the freshest fish but also freshly picked seasonings, a rare standard indeed.
Liu Liying tucked her fan into her belt, looking at Lin Zhao with a radiant smile as he finished his work. She narrowed her beautiful eyes at the pot of assorted fish soup, sensing how incredibly delicious and anticipated it would be. Lin Zhao, meanwhile, was roasting some flatbread by the fire, charring the edges to a golden crisp. Satisfied, he clapped his hands. When it came to food, one must never be sloppy; after all, in life, it all comes down to eating and drinking.
He stood up, drew his Li Quan sword, and with a "clang," he leveled a stone stalagmite protruding from the ground. Then, he used his sword energy to carve out two stone stools. After completing these tasks, he ladled two large bowls of fragrant, steaming fish soup onto the stone table made from the stalagmite, picked up a piece of flatbread, and said with a smile, "Come, let's eat."
Liu Liying smiled gently and nodded, picked up a piece of golden-brown, crispy flatbread, and took a bite. The wheat aroma was rich. Then, she took a sip of the fish soup, which was fresh, fragrant, and spicy. In that moment, Liu Liying narrowed her beautiful eyes, feeling that since she had gained sentience within the stone wall, she had never eaten such delicious food in her life. Even the various delicacies offered by the sons of nobles and officials in the past could not compare to the taste before her.
"Young Master, it's delicious!" Liu Liying said with a smile.
"Glad you like it," Lin Zhao said, smiling at Liu Liying, and added meaningfully, "I'm treating you to good food, so don't harm me. We must be worthy of each other."
"..." Liu Liying pursed her red lips. "How could I harm you, Young Master?"
Lin Zhao smiled. "That's good. Let's eat first."
"Oh." Liu Liying continued to eat the fish and drink the soup, but the taste in her mouth seemed to have changed. She felt quite uneasy. Had Lin Zhao already seen through something? From her interactions with Lin Zhao these past few days, although he appeared young, he did not seem like someone new to the martial world. On the contrary, Lin Zhao was extremely cautious and meticulous in his actions, always considering things in advance. Such a person's resolve would not be easily swayed.
However, she still had to heed Mr. Wu's words.
For a moment, Liu Liying's heart was in turmoil. She looked at the young swordsman before her, her heart filled with mixed emotions. The Lin Zhao before her was truly different from ordinary martial artists. Other cultivators, upon seeing her, would stare at her as if they wanted to devour her. But Lin Zhao's gaze was exceptionally clear; in his eyes, she was simply Liu Liying, treated like an ordinary woman. Moreover, Lin Zhao's mindset was layered with defenses against her, and he seemed to have already grasped something.
Liu Liying gritted her silver teeth, even entertaining the thought that if she were truly free, she might as well follow this young swordsman. A person who guarded himself against her at every turn yet was willing to ignite a talisman to save her, a person who spoke respectfully even to the old fisherman, a person who argued with water sprites like a child, a peak Sword Immortal who did not forget to leave ten copper coins after picking chili peppers from someone's garden. Such a person, with such a character, was he not worthy of entrusting her life to?
Mr. Wu's heart held the ruthless Way of Heaven and the unfathomable human heart.
Lin Zhao's heart held the righteousness of heaven and earth, and the earthly world of mortal life.
...
Three days passed in a flash.
Over the past few days, Lin Zhao and Liu Liying traveled along the river, stopping and going. When they traveled, they might fish. If the fish creel was too full to eat, he would practice his punches by the boat. When hungry, they would dock and brew a pot of assorted fish soup. When they encountered elderly and weak fishermen on the river, Lin Zhao would always take out his fish creel and give them over ten catties of fish. He even gifted fish to the old women washing clothes by the river. Lin Zhao, threading the fish through their gills with thin willow branches, would carry five or six catties of fish across the river and return to the small boat.
It seemed he took genuine pleasure in doing all this.
Liu Liying observed everything, and the smile on her lips grew wider with each passing day.
One afternoon, the small boat reached a swirling eddy near Lingze Mountain. Ahead lay a continuous mountain range, and the sky was growing dark, heralding an imminent downpour. Lin Zhao stood at the bow, looking into the distance, and said, "We've reached Lushan. It's very close to Jiangzhou Prefecture now. Shall we travel by land from here?"
"Yes, I'll listen to you, Young Master," Liu Liying replied with a smile.
They disembarked and gave most of the fish from the fishing boat and creel to a fisherman by the river. Lin Zhao then threaded four or five catties of knife fish, culter, and yellow catfish from the river through their gills and took them ashore. They hadn't had lunch yet, and after traveling along the river for many days, he suddenly felt like drinking. Today, he wanted to eat something delicious and have some wine.
After coming ashore, a donkey appeared in the woods, nudging Lin Zhao's arm with its head. Lin Zhao stroked the donkey's head and said with a smile, "There's an inn ahead. It's about to rain, so we won't rush today. We'll stay at this inn."
"Alright, Young Master." Liu Liying held her fan, her smile exceptionally beautiful.
The sky grew increasingly overcast, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Lin Zhao led the donkey, carrying the fish, walking ahead. He looked at the inn's banner, which read "Qinglu Inn," giving it a very rustic feel. At this moment, smoke curled from the inn, a stark contrast to the wilderness.
"Guests are here!" A waiter called out to Lin Zhao and Liu Liying from a distance. He looked at Lin Zhao and found nothing particularly remarkable. A green robe, a bamboo hat, a sword on his back – he had seen many such young swordsmen. This one was just a bit more handsome and refined. As for the woman behind him, she was extraordinary, exuding spiritual energy, wearing a red dress and holding a fan, like a fairy descending to the mortal realm, impossibly beautiful.
"Are you here for a meal or lodging?"
"Lodging, two superior rooms."
"Certainly." The waiter led the way, leading the donkey.
"Young Master." Liu Liying stepped forward, taking Lin Zhao's wrist, and whispered in his ear, "Is there a difference between a meal and lodging?"
"Yes," Lin Zhao replied. "A meal means a temporary rest, eating something, resting in the room, and then continuing the journey. Lodging means eating, drinking, and staying at the inn."
"I see..." Liu Liying's pretty face flushed slightly.
"???" Lin Zhao was bewildered, unsure what the fan-wielding divine maiden was thinking.
...
"Please come in, honored guests!" Just as they entered the inn, a torrential rain began to pour outside. The sky was incredibly dark. Inside, they were greeted by a woman of about twenty years old, the proprietress, named Mao Niang. Mao Niang was extremely beautiful. While she lacked the ethereal air of Liu Liying, she possessed much more of the earthly charm. Although she was older, her enduring grace was quite captivating.
"Proprietress," Lin Zhao said, holding up the fish in his hand with a smile. "I've just come from the river and haven't had lunch yet. Could you have your cook make a fish soup for me? Make it spicy and flavorful; I'd like to have it with some wine."
"Certainly!" Mao Niang smiled and called towards the kitchen, "Old Qi, the guest wants fish soup. He brought the fish himself. Come out and get it. Make it a good soup, don't disappoint the guest!"
From the kitchen, an old, somewhat ugly cook hobbled out, smiling sheepishly at Mao Niang. "Mao Niang, don't worry. When has my cooking ever disappointed a guest?"
"Alright, alright," Mao Niang said with a smile. "Hurry up and cook. And remember, don't compose poetry in front of the guests; it's embarrassing."
Old Qi scratched his head, took the fish from Lin Zhao, and secretly pointed to the wall behind him, chuckling in a low voice, "Young man, the poems on this wall were all written by me. You and this lady can enjoy them while you wait for your food. Although Mao Niang doesn't seem to like them much, I think my literary talent is quite good..."
"Old fellow," the waiter couldn't help but laugh. "Hurry up and cook. You're always flattering yourself. With your looks, Mao Niang will never even glance at you twice in this lifetime."
Old Qi glared at the waiter.
"Alright," Lin Zhao smiled and nodded. "You go and cook the soup first. Remember, make it fragrant!"
"Certainly!" Old Qi took the fish and hobbled towards the kitchen.
...
Lin Zhao walked to the wall and looked at the messy poems scribbled there. They were all doggerel. The first poem he read completely convinced him—
Ode to Lushan
The foot of Lushan nears the darkening sky,
Arriving at Lushan, no regrets do I.
All say Lushan is good,
But not half as beautiful as Mao Niang.
...