Chapter 39: Golden Line Loach

In the early morning, a thin mist hung like gauze.

"Younger Brother Su, I’m taking you to a good place today." Old Man Jiang’s expression was solemn. "A treasure fish has been spotted there!"

’A treasure fish?!’

Su Yu was startled. If he could really catch a treasure fish, he would have the resources he needed to break through to the Martial Artist realm!

Wasn’t catching a treasure fish by a stroke of luck the whole reason he came to the Black Water River?

’But the location of a treasure fish is incredibly valuable. Why would Old Man Jiang just tell me like that?’

"Old Man Jiang, are you sure it’s alright to tell me the location of this treasure fish?"

In response to Su Yu’s question, Old Man Jiang nodded affirmatively. "Younger Brother Su, you saved Xiaomu yesterday. Consider this my way of repaying your kindness!"

"Besides, this treasure fish is not easy to catch. I’ve been to that spot many times and always come back empty-handed."

Hearing this, Su Yu nodded. "Treasure fish certainly aren’t easy to catch. Some are even extremely dangerous."

He recalled the Blackfin Pompano he had helped the Qian Family Fishing Team catch. It had easily injured two members of the Fishing Team. If Qian Wenhao hadn’t intervened in time, they might not have caught it at all.

Old Man Jiang continued to explain, "The treasure fish I discovered is called the Golden Line Loach. It’s a very special kind of treasure fish. It’s not large, only a few dozen centimeters, and its strength is only moderate."

"Oh? Then what’s so special about this Golden Line Loach?" Su Yu asked, a little curious.

"I know! I know!" Jiang Mu chimed in from the side, looking pleased with herself. "Grandpa and I ran into it once, and I even managed to trap it in my net!"

Jiang Mu glanced at Su Yu, her expression clearly saying, ’Hurry up and ask me more’.

Su Yu smiled and played along. "Then please, Miss Mu’Er, tell me quickly."

Jiang Mu met Su Yu’s eyes, and her face instantly flushed red. She looked down and said in a small voice, "That Golden Line Loach is incredibly fast. You can’t see it clearly in the water at all; it’s like a flash of lightning. Plus, there’s a strange fish that protects it. It looks like a big fatty, and it smashed right through my fishing net."

Seeing his granddaughter’s reaction, Old Man Jiang felt a wave of helplessness. ’This Su the kid may be a fine young man, and he did save your life...’

’But, my dear granddaughter, you’ve only known him for two days.’

"Younger Brother Su, let’s talk as we go." Old Man Jiang began to row his boat, gesturing for Su Yu to follow.

The two black-canopied boats plunged into the thick fog.

"I see your Net Casting Skill is masterful, Younger Brother Su, and your combat prowess in the water is outstanding. Why don’t the two of us team up to try and catch this Golden Line Loach? If we succeed, we split the profits evenly. What do you say?"

"No problem. Please, continue, Old Man Jiang." Su Yu agreed without hesitation. If Old Man Jiang had offered him the entire treasure fish, he would have actually been more hesitant.

Both sides contributing and splitting the reward was a much more sustainable form of cooperation.

’After all, Old Man Jiang is so familiar with the Black Water River. I might have a chance to learn about more treasure fish from him in the future.’

The black-canopied boats weaved and wound their way to a new stretch of water. The fog here was much thinner, and the water’s surface was as still as a mirror, its silence almost eerie.

"This is the outer edge of the Boiling Mist Swamp. Strictly speaking, it’s not part of the swamp’s waters anymore. See? The water temperature here is already on the cold side," Old Man Jiang explained, pointing at the water in the distance.

"So the treasure fish is here?" Su Yu asked impatiently.

"Yes. I’ve come here several times and encountered the treasure fish on a few occasions. This is likely its habitat. But I’ve returned empty-handed every time, mainly because it’s just too fast."

"Your Net Casting Skill is superb, Younger Brother Su. If you can trap that treasure fish, we’ll have a shot at catching it."

Su Yu nodded. He had already raised the Iron Wire Net in his hands and quietly activated Listening Wave Positioning, sensing for any movement from the treasure fish.

On the other boat, Old Man Jiang gave Jiang Mu a meaningful look. Jiang Mu stopped rowing, picked up her Fish Spear, and got ready.

Old Man Jiang also readied his own fishing net, scanning the surface of the water.

Perhaps their luck was bad, but they searched for over an hour with nothing to show for it.

The entire area remained eerily silent. Aside from a few white water birds splashing about, Su Yu tried to sense for any treasure fish or rare fish, but he found nothing.

"Old Man Jiang, is this really the place where the treasure fish appears?"

Faced with Su Yu’s doubt, Old Man Jiang could only shake his head helplessly. "Sigh, it seems our luck is bad this time. The treasure fish hasn’t shown up."

Just as the two were about to give up, Su Yu’s heart suddenly leaped. Without any warning, a brilliant golden flash of light burst into the edge of his perception.

’So fast!’

The flash of light was like lightning. One second it was at the edge of his senses, and the next it had abruptly appeared just about forty yards away from Su Yu.

"Something’s under the water!"

Su Yu shouted in a low voice.

Hearing this, Old Man Jiang’s expression tightened. He stared at the water, and a second later, an undercurrent shot through the depths like an arrow, parting the waves.

"Here it comes!" Experienced as he was, Old Man Jiang swiftly cast his net.

His cast was extremely accurate, judging the treasure fish’s underwater trajectory and even anticipating its movement.

The net fell into the water with a SPLASH.

’Good heavens, the speed of that light is simply astonishing. The instant Old Man Jiang’s net hit the water, the flash shot a hundred meters away. How could anyone possibly trap that?’

’But I have Listening Wave Positioning, which is perfect for dealing with this treasure fish!’

"Miss Jiang! Throw your Fish Spear in that direction!" Su Yu suddenly pointed to a patch of empty water to their front-left.

Although Jiang Mu didn’t understand, she trusted Su Yu and unhesitatingly threw the Fish Spear in her hands.

"PLOP!"

The Fish Spear plunged into the water, sending ripples spreading outward.

The strike hit nothing, leaving Jiang Mu even more confused.

But Su Yu cheered silently. ’Excellent!’

The next second, he immediately flung out the net in his hands. Following right behind it, Su Yu’s body shot into the water like a sharp arrow.

"SPLASH!"

Underwater, the golden light did indeed ram head-first into the net before it had fully closed!

But the Golden Line Loach wasn’t so easy to catch. With a rapid flick of its tail, it stirred up a powerful wave, on the verge of flipping the net over and escaping.

Just then, Su Yu arrived. He grabbed the edge of the net with one hand and, with a sharp Swimming Fish Tail kick, closed the gap!

"Haha, it’s trapped!"

Su Yu was overjoyed. The golden fish shadow in the net was now darting left and right, but the Iron Wire Net blocked it every time.

Just when Su Yu thought he had it secured, a sudden undercurrent surged from behind him as a dark shadow lunged in to attack.

At the same time, a young woman’s anxious cry came from the surface, immediately followed by an old but agile figure breaking through the water—it was Old Man Jiang!

"BANG!"

Old Man Jiang, holding a Fish Spear, viciously stabbed at the grayish-white shadow behind Su Yu, knocking it back.

Su Yu turned to look and was startled.

The dark shadow was actually a strange fish, plump all over with rough, grayish-white skin. Having been attacked, it instantly sucked in water and expanded, turning into a spiky ball larger than a person, solidly blocking Old Man Jiang’s path.

Old Man Jiang pointed a hand at the net, then at Su Yu, before charging at the spherical monster fish again.

Su Yu understood his meaning and immediately went back to securing the treasure fish, the Golden Line Loach.

Though the Golden Line Loach was extremely fast, its strength was only average. Trapped in the net, it was now a fish in a barrel.

Relying on his Bibo Fishbone Skill, Su Yu completely subdued the Golden Line Loach in just a few moments. He wrapped it tightly in the net, held it close, and kicked his legs repeatedly, quickly ascending to the surface.

Seeing this, the spherical monster fish behind him charged forward madly, but thankfully, Old Man Jiang intercepted it.

SPLASH!

Su Yu burst out of the water and tossed the Golden Line Loach, net and all, into the boat’s cabin.

’The treasure fish! I got it!’

His heart was ablaze with excitement. This Golden Line Loach had to be worth at least a hundred silver taels. This trip was a huge profit!

"Brother Su, is my grandfather okay?"

Hearing Jiang Mu’s worried voice, Su Yu suppressed his excitement.

"He’s fine. Give me the net!"

Taking the net Jiang Mu handed him, Su Yu began to sense the spherical monster fish underwater.

SPLASH!

Just then, Old Man Jiang also surfaced. Looking a little worse for wear, he swam quickly toward the black-canopied boat with the spherical monster fish in hot pursuit.

With a flick of his wrist, Su Yu cast the net in his hand. It landed precisely, managing to avoid Old Man Jiang and accurately trap the charging monster fish behind him.

"Haha, what a great cast!" Old Man Jiang climbed onto the boat, turned to see the scene, and couldn’t help but praise loudly.

’Partnering with Younger Brother Su was absolutely the right move. His Net Casting Skill is simply masterful, to a point I can’t even comprehend.’

’He somehow managed to perfectly anticipate the movements of that incredibly fast Golden Line Loach and trap it with a single net!’

’And now he’s caught this spherical monster fish with one net too.’

"Younger Brother Su, this monster fish’s body is extremely hard! The net will be torn apart soon. Use the Fish Spear!"

Su Yu nodded and took the Fish Spear from Old Man Jiang, sensing the monster fish. At the same time, he activated the Qi and Blood throughout his body, channeling it into his arm. The next instant, the Fish Spear in his hand shot out like a bolt of lightning toward the monster fish!

"THWACK!"

The Fish Spear plunged into the water and accurately struck the spherical monster’s belly. Blood immediately gushed from the wound, and its body deflated rapidly like a punctured ball.

Hmm?

’When I combine it with Listening Wave Positioning, this Fish Spear is actually a perfect fit for me!’