Chapter 211 Fisherman

It's January again, and the winter is even colder.

On Wuze Lake, the wind is biting, but there are still countless boats shuttling back and forth.

A small bay that is barely secluded is occupied by a small black-sailed boat.

Smoke rises from the boat, and a boy lies on the side of the boat, staring nervously at the water.

Suddenly, with a splash, a man emerges from the water, climbs up to the bow of the boat nimbly, and regardless of the biting cold wind, grabs a black fish from his crotch and carefully puts it into the fish basket.

After doing all this, the tense nerves finally relax, and the body also feels the coldness of the lake water and the cold wind. The originally wheat-colored skin becomes pale due to soaking for too long, and the north wind blew like a sieve.

"Sister, give it to me!"

The boy rushed to her side and handed her a small gourd.

Ah Qing trembled, took the gourd and poured it into her mouth.

"Gululu!"

This wine is warm in the first place, and it is even stronger when you drink it, just like a hot knife cutting your throat.

It is the favorite liquor of fishermen.

Fishermen work hard, exposed to wind and rain, and attacked by moisture day and night. They often suffer from major and minor illnesses after middle age, which is very tormenting.

Strong liquor can drive away the cold and strengthen the body, so it is very popular among fishermen, especially in winter. Without strong liquor, no one dares to catch winter fish, for fear that they will fall into the lake.

Although Ah Qing is a woman, the daughter of a fisherman has to take charge of the family early, and she has learned the skill of drinking early.

After a few sips of strong liquor, a stream of heat rises and spreads into her limbs and bones, and the whole person comes alive again.

But this is not enough. Ah Qing sniffed, wiped it casually, and then picked up the fish basket and walked into the cabin.

In the cabin, the stove has been lit, barely releasing heat to resist the erosion of the severe cold.

Ah Qing put the fish basket away first, then sat down by the stove, wrapped her skinny and flat body with a tattered quilt, and gradually recovered the lost temperature.

The boy squatted beside her, his eyes full of worry but he dared not speak, until her pale face regained its color, and then he asked in a trembling voice: "Sister, no, everything is fine?"

"It's fine!"

Ah Qing turned around, saw his worried face, smiled gently, and reached out to rub his little head: "Sister has caught a spirit fish, and will go to collect the reward later. It's a full ten taels of silver, enough to treat your illness and get medicine. When you recover, sister will find you a wife, leaving incense for our family, so that you can be worthy of your parents..."

The boy shook his head when he heard this, hugged her arm and said: "I don't want a wife, I just want sister!"

Ah Qing smiled, said nothing more, turned around and took the fish basket, looked at the little black fish in the basket, as if she saw the future and hope, came to the water tank, and put the fish and the basket in.

"Sister, this..."

"This fish cannot die. If it dies, the reward will be halved. It's just a tank of water. Compared with five taels of silver, it's nothing."

A Qing shook his head and turned back to put on his clothes.

...

Half an hour later, the two came to the fish market.

At the entrance of the fish market, at the gate, there were several people hanging, or rather... several corpses.

Several broken and tortured corpses.

"Isn't that the Third Master?"

"How did it become like this?"

"You don't know, this bastard relied on some connections in the gang and dared to intercept the spiritual fish that others had caught with great difficulty."

"The Flying Tiger Gang values ​​this spiritual fish so much. How could they allow their subordinates to break the rules like this? They pulled him out that night and beat him to death together with several lackeys at the entrance of the fish market."

"It's a good death. This group of skinning ghosts who sucked the marrow out of the bones should have died long ago!"

"This is all thanks to Miss Li. She made the decision for us poor people."

"With the eldest lady here, the rules are the rules, and no one can break them!"

"As long as you catch a spiritual fish, you will be exempt from taxes for three years, plus a reward of ten taels of silver."

"It's easy to say, but in this cold winter, it's hard to catch ordinary fish, let alone spiritual fish?"

"Old Chu knows that the day before yesterday, he took his son to catch spiritual fish, but both father and son were lost, and his wife cried so miserably..."

"Hey, who made him unlucky? He didn't catch any spiritual fish, but instead ran into the Black Night Demon."

"I heard that many people from the underworld have come recently, often fighting on the lake, and the fight turned upside down, and several large ships capsized."

...

As they walked along, there were rumors and discussions.

Ah Qing ignored them, carrying the fish basket, pulling Ah Di, and went straight to the stall of the Flying Tiger Gang.

"Oh, isn't this Ah Qing?"

"Why, you also caught a spiritual fish?"

There were already a few fishermen at the stall, and they couldn't help but tease her when they saw her coming.

Ah Qing said nothing, walked forward, took off the fish basket on her back, and clenched her fists, ready for a quarrel.

Although the Flying Tigers had used iron-blooded means to kill chickens and monkeys several times in the past month, and used the heads of several fishing tyrants to prove their attitude and determination, there was still no guarantee that someone would be blinded by greed and do something daring.

This fish is the future and hope of her brother and sister, and it must not be stolen by anyone in any way.

So...

"It is indeed a spirit fish!"

"Where did you catch it?"

"Give me the fishing license and register it."

"This is the reward money, keep it."

"..."

Looking at the two chubby ingots in her hand, Ah Qing was a little dazed, and couldn't believe that fate changed so easily.

Compared with farming, fishing and hunting are taxed more heavily. After all, all the land in the world is royal land, and all the mountains, lakes and seas are owned by the imperial court. How can fishing and hunting, the imperial property, not be taxed heavily?

Three years of tax exemption is already a huge reward, plus these twelve taels of silver...

Ah Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he woke up with a start. He didn't care about the envious eyes around him, picked up Ah Di and walked towards the drug store.

This money is hot!

Although there are rules of the Flying Tiger Gang, no one dares to do anything to them now.

But she knew, very clearly, that the rules of the Flying Tiger Gang would not always exist like this.

That Miss Li would not always "make the decision for them" like this!

When the spirit fish disappears, the rules of the Flying Tiger Gang will also disappear.

Everything will go back to how it was before.

When the time comes, her money and her person...

Ah Qing didn't dare to think too much, so she took her younger brother and hurriedly walked into the drug store.

"Ahem!"

In the dim medicine shop, there was an old man lying, with a sallow face and thin muscles, and a bone-crunched shape, like a sick man.

"Doctor Mo!"

Ah Qing looked respectful, took out a gold ingot, and put it directly on the counter: "I'm going to give Ah Di some medicine, and I'll use the recipe you mentioned last time."

"oh?"

The old man sat up, looked at the Yuanbao on the stand, and then at the two siblings, with a playful smile on his face: "Did you catch a spiritual fish?"

"Um!"

Ah Qing nodded, forced a smile and said, "I happened to catch one."

"Yeah?"

The old man smiled, accepted the ingot, and looked at the two siblings: "Originally I didn't want to tell you, but now that the spirit fish is born, it's time to tell me. Your brother has this disease, even if you use my prescription. , it can only prolong life for ten years at most. If you want to really get rid of the root cause, you have to use another prescription!"

"this……"

Ah Qing was startled and at a loss.

If another doctor had said this, Ah Qing might have thought him a charlatan.

But this "Doctor Mo" is a well-known miracle doctor, and he has a weird temper. He heals diseases and saves people all depending on his mood. This medicine shop is not open in the city, but in this small fish market. It is sometimes open and sometimes closed. Even the Flying Tiger Gang didn't dare to embarrass him, which shows what a master he is.

Her brother was suffering from a strange disease, and many doctors said he would not live to be five years old. Finally, when he saw Dr. Mo, he found a way to prolong his life and hopefully leave a lasting legacy for their family.

Such a miraculous doctor would definitely not lie to her.

Is there really a prescription that can cure Adi's disease?

Ah Qing's eyes narrowed, and he quickly took out the remaining five taels of silver: "Doctor Mo, how much silver does that prescription cost?"

"silver?"

Doctor Mo glanced at her, then shook his head and said with a serious smile: "That's not what money can buy."

“Isn’t it something money can buy?”

Ah Qing was holding the Yuanbao, where he was, at a loss.

"but……"

Doctor Mo changed the subject: "If you can catch me a fish as a bait, I can give you this medicine for free."

"fish?"

"What fish?"

Ah Qing was startled and came back to his senses: "Spirit fish?"

"It's the spiritual fish among spiritual fish!"

Doctor Mo smiled and said: "Among the spiritual fish, there is a king fish, whose whole body is shining with spiritual light. If a mortal eats one bite, it can extend his life for a hundred years. It can be used to make elixirs and medicines, and all diseases can be eliminated. If you can catch it, or find it, If it does, then I will treat your brother for free."

"Spirit Fish King?"

Ah Qing stood on the ground in shock, looking stunned.

Doctor Mo continued: "The spirit fish is different from the devil fish and is not that fierce. That's why the Flying Tiger Gang mobilized fishermen to catch it. The same is true for the spirit fish king. Maybe even your brother can catch it."

"It's not difficult to catch it, the hard part is how to find it!"

"Ah Qing, I think you are also a lucky person, so I am telling you this."

"As long as you can catch the Fish King, I promise to cure your brother."

"Besides, don't make this matter public. It will be a good thing for you and me."

"Okay, go ahead."

…

Ah Qing left the drug store, but Doctor Mo's words were still in his mind.

Spirit fish?

King of fish?

One bite can add a hundred years to your life?

Is there really such a treasure fish in Wuze Lake?

Why has she never heard of it?

Even if there was such a fish, could she catch it?

There is also the Flying Tiger Gang, if they know that someone has caught the Spirit Fish King but does not turn it in...

Ah Qing was excited, walked a little faster, and hurriedly left the fish market.

That night...

"Sister, do you want to go out on the boat at night?"

An oil lamp hung on the bow of the awning boat. In the dark night of Wuze Lake, it only illuminated the size of a grain of rice, and it flickered brightly and dimly when the north wind blew.

"You stay in the cabin. The wind is strong at night. Don't let you be blown into the water."

Ah Qing was wearing a raincoat and standing on the bow of the boat, rocking the oar and staring at the bottom of the water.

According to the Flying Tiger Gang's atlas and Doctor Mo's statement, one of the characteristics of spiritual fish is that it can emit light. No matter what species of fish, as long as it can emit light, it is a spiritual fish, and the brighter the better.

"If there really is a Spirit Fish King, it would be like a lantern in the water."

"Unfortunately, Wuze Lake is too wide and deep. Even if the Spirit Fish King shines like a lantern, trying to find it is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"You can't see it at all during the day. Only at night can you have some hope."

"But even at night, the light shines through the water. You have to dive to find it."

"But the weather is so cold, the water is so cold, and there are scary monster fish like Black Yaksha in the lake."

"No, I can't go down, Dad and Mom, please bless me to encounter a spiritual fish to cure my brother..."

The north wind whistled, blowing away my thoughts.

Ah Qing was startled, came back to her senses, and continued to watch, hoping to see a dreamy light.

However, it was dark and boundless.

There were only a few large ships in the distance with bright lights, and some black-sailed boats with oil lamps hanging on them cruising and shuttling.

Obviously, she was not the only one who wanted to "try her luck".

"No, there are too many people, even if I encounter it, I can't grab it."

"I can only go to a place with fewer people, but there are black demons in the center of the lake."

"That's right..."

As if thinking of something, Ah Qing turned the bow and headed for another area of ​​water.

The black-sailed boat went farther and farther, and the lights around it became scarcer.

This is a "barren" area of ​​water. There is suspected to be an underground water vein below, or an underground water vein that only goes in but not out, so there are few fish schools and few fishermen coming.

In the past, she was young and not fierce enough to compete with other fishermen, so she could only come to such places to fish, and she became familiar with it over time.

Although there are spiritual fish now, this place has not changed. The fish are still scarce, and there are even fewer fishermen. For her, a lonely person, there are some opportunities...

"Sister, look!"

A shout brought her back to her senses.

"What's wrong?"

A Qing looked in the direction of the sound, and saw her brother lying by the window, staring at the front with a surprised face.

A Qing looked up again, and saw a black-sailed boat parked on the lake in front of her. There was also a lamp hanging on the bow, but unlike the pitifully small fish oil lamp in her family, this lamp was bright and bright, like a sun.

"That is a lamp made of black fork fish oil. Only that kind of oil can light such a lamp!"

"How can a black-sailed boat use such a lamp?"

"Could it be..."

A Qing's heart skipped a beat, and she looked intently, and saw an old man sitting on the bow of the black-sailed boat under the light.

He was wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat on his back. His hair was gray and dry. His face was full of wrinkles and spots, showing the vicissitudes of life. He was an ordinary old fisherman.

But it was this old fisherman...

He was sitting at the bow, holding a very thin and long bamboo pole in his hand, fishing.

The bamboo pole was very long. Although the thick end was just right in the hand, the thin end was a little uncomfortable in the front. It was three points thinner than a girl's little finger.

The fishing rod was more than eight feet long, but the rod head was so thin, and it was made of green bamboo. People couldn't help but wonder if the front could withstand the fish?

No, in this place, you can't catch many fish even if you cast a net. What can you catch, especially in this cold winter, in the night when the north wind is howling...

"Squeak!"

Before he could make up his mind, he saw the fishing rod sink, the fishing line was pulled very quickly, and a black shadow emerged under the water.

"This..."

Ah Qing stood on the ground, a little surprised.

The old man's expression remained unchanged. He lifted the fishing rod with one hand and just raised it.

"Bang!!!"

The fishing rod was lifted up, like a whip, and the soft force burst out in an instant. The water surface immediately exploded, and a black shadow flew out and landed on the boat board.

"This is..."

"Black Night Demon!"

A Qing's pupils shrank, and he looked at the black-scaled big fish that was caught with horror.

The black scales were like armor, and the teeth were sharp. It was a famous strange fish in Wuze Lake - Black Night Demon.

This fish was as strong as an ox, and even stronger than tigers and leopards in the water. It often attacked fishermen and could even overturn fishing boats. Many fishermen died in its mouth every year.

But now...

"Bang!"

The black fish, which was three feet long and weighed more than a hundred kilograms, was kicked directly into the fish tank by the fisherman, and then there was no movement, as if it had become a dead fish. There was no more awe-inspiring power of the "Black Night Demon" in the past.

"This man kicked the Black Demon unconscious?"

"How is it possible?"

"Could this be the legendary martial arts master?"

"I heard that many people from the underworld have come to Wuze Lake recently..."

"Forget it, it's better to stay away."

The old man sat down and started fishing again.

A Qing also woke up and rowed the boat to leave.

At this time, he saw...

A flash of light flashed in the darkness.

"Spirit fish!"

A Qing's pupils shrank and she was about to jump into the water, but at the last moment, reason stopped her.

Although there was light in the darkness, it was not beside her boat, but in the middle of the lake, in front of the old fisherman.

That was a master who could catch the Black Demon. Would she be courting death by competing with him?

A Qing decisively chose to give in.

And the old man did not go into the water either, still fishing with a bamboo pole, which made A Qing secretly anxious.

"The spirit fish is not as fierce as the black demon. It is just faster, stronger, and can glow than other fish. It is fastest to catch it in the water. It may run away before it is caught. Isn't this person afraid?"

"Yes, the spirit fish is worth ten taels of silver, even if it is tax-free, it is only twenty taels. The black demon can still sell it at this price. Of course, he doesn't care. It would be great if I had this ability..."

"Pah pah pah!"

Before he finished speaking, the sound of water sounded. The fisherman picked up the fishing rod, and a spirit fish with a glowing spirit flew out of the water and landed accurately in front of him.

The fisherman then reached out, took off the hook, and threw the spirit fish into the fish basket beside him.

Wait, a fish basket?

Ah Qing's heart jumped, and he looked at it intently. He saw the old man sitting next to him. In the fish cabin, there was a fish basket, a fish basket with a glowing spirit.

That is...

"Spirit fish?"

"So many spiritual fish?"

"He caught so many spiritual fish?"

"This..."

Ah Qing looked at the fish basket, stunned, unable to accept it.

At this moment...

"The old senior is indeed unparalleled in fishing skills!"

"In just half the night, he caught a hundred spiritual fish."

"Awesome, awesome!"

"There are countless strange people in the world, and tonight I've opened my eyes again."

Loud words came from all directions.

Ah Qing was startled, woke up and looked around.

I saw that the lights in all directions had been lit by the black fork fish oil.

The lights were bright, and there were boats, even refined speedboats, which were not ordinary black-sailed boats of fishermen.

The boats were flying fast, and although there were several people on them, no one was rowing them, and I didn't know where the power came from.

In a blink of an eye, several boats surrounded the old man from all directions, but they kept a distance, bowed to the old man from a distance, and reported their names.

"I am Li Feihong from Jiangning Prefecture. The heroes of the Jianghu gave me the name Feihong Sword!"

"I am Li Batian from Jiangning Prefecture. My friends in the Jianghu call me Iron Arm Divine Fist. I really can't stand it."

"I am Chen Hongtao from Ningzhou Prefecture..."

"I am Ning Bufan from Jiangzhou Prefecture..."

"Hello, senior!"

Several people introduced themselves, but the old man didn't respond.

The atmosphere was awkward for a while, and then it became tense.

Finally, it was Li Feihong who spoke up: "May I ask what your name is, senior?"

Hearing this, the old man responded: "A wandering person, how can I talk about my name? I am just a fisherman on the lake."

"So it's the fisherman, senior!"

The words were neither cold nor indifferent, but Li Feihong still went along with it and said, "Senior, you are in the mood to fish at night. We have prepared a banquet on the boat. I wonder if you can give us a favor?"

"No."

The fisherman held the fishing rod and said indifferently: "Go back to where you came from. Don't scare my fish here."

"This..."

The few people looked at each other and frowned, but still said with a stiff upper lip: "To be honest, senior, the matter of the spiritual fish in Wuze Lake is of great importance. It is not the private interests of our family. If you insist on doing this and are unwilling to negotiate, then we can only..."

"How?"

The fisherman took over the words: "If you want to do it, hurry up. It's only halfway through the night, and there is still half a day to fish."