"Finally... Perfection!"
Su Yu suppressed his excitement.
At this moment, his feel for Casting Net had reached a state of Perfection. As his gaze swept across the water, he knew exactly where the fish were and where the current ran swift.
The motions of casting and retrieving the net were as fluid as flowing water, a single, seamless action.
But this was only the Perfection of the skill itself.
'Break the limit!'
With a single thought, the 1 Breakthrough Point instantly merged into his Net Casting Skill.
The inky text before his eyes flickered and refreshed.
[Skill]: Casting Net (Breaking Limit: 1)
[Traits]: Casting Net is a path. A catch is guaranteed within three casts.
"What a line, 'Casting Net is a path'!" Su Yu's heart surged with excitement.
A guaranteed catch within three casts meant that as long as he tried three times, he would never return empty-handed!
'The Black Water River is vast and boundless. Who knows how many rare and precious fish are hidden within its depths? Before, finding them was a matter of pure luck, something you couldn't actively seek. But now, if I come across them, I can catch them in my net!'
"HA HA HA HA!" Su Yu gazed at the vast, misty surface of the Black Water River, a heroic feeling swelling in his chest as he burst into hearty laughter.
'If a mere Net Casting Skill can become this powerful, what would happen if a Martial Arts Technique were to break its limit?'
In that moment, he felt as if he could see a grand path to the heavens slowly unfurling before him.
'Besides, there's no indication that a skill can only have its limit broken once. I wonder if I can keep doing it.'
'It's a shame I'm out of Breakthrough Points. Based on past experience, I'll have to absorb all sorts of energy to slowly accumulate more.'
[Breakthrough Points]: 0 (Progress: 1%)
'No rush. One step at a time.'
Su Yu calmed himself and cast his net again. This time, the net felt alive in his hands, an extension of his arm, landing with perfect precision amidst a school of fish he had sensed.
In less than an hour, the fish basket on his back was heavy and nearly full.
'That's enough!'
Su Yu looked at the basket full of fat fish: black carp, common carp, crucian carp...
'I don't even have a boat. Getting a haul like this just from the shore is too conspicuous. If this happens every day, it's bound to attract trouble.'
'But once in a while is excusable. I'll just say I stumbled upon a spawning ground.'
Su Yu packed up his catch and didn't return immediately. Instead, he found a secluded river cove and waited patiently until sunset before shouldering the heavy fish basket and heading towards the Qingxi Town market.
The Qingxi Town market was the only one in the vicinity. It had everything one could need, from a fish market and a hunter's market to grain shops and general stores.
At the market entrance, two members of the Water Snake Gang leaned against a doorpost, their lazy gazes sweeping over everyone entering and leaving.
"Well, well, kid. Not bad. Caught quite a few fish," one of them said, stopping Su Yu and pointing to his overflowing fish basket with his chin.
"Got lucky. Found a spawning ground," Su Yu said, the excuse ready on his lips.
"Ten cents!"
Su Yu immediately handed over ten copper coins.
The man weighed the coins in his palm before waving him through. "Go on."
Entering the market, Su Yu headed straight for the fish market area and found his Third Uncle's stall. His Third Aunt and Third Uncle were working in practiced harmony—one taking in fish, the other gutting them.
The fish stall was a legacy from his grandfather. In the early days, it had supported all the children of the Su Family. Now, his Third Uncle's family ran it.
"Yu? Over here, quick!" His Third Aunt, Mrs. Chen, had sharp eyes. Her usual caustic demeanor vanished, replaced by a beaming smile as she hurried over to help him with his fish basket. "The Hundred Fish Fresh Restaurant in the city is buying in bulk today. Fish prices have gone up by a whole cent!"
"Oof!" The basket landed on the wooden block with a heavy thud. Mrs. Chen cried out in surprise, "So heavy! My dear nephew, did you go and raid the Dragon King's personal pond?"
"Found a spawning ground," Su Yu repeated his earlier excuse.
"Such luck! Tsk, tsk!" Mrs. Chen clucked, praising him endlessly as she expertly tallied the catch.
In the end, the full basket of fish earned Su Yu a total of 260 cents, much to the envy of the other fishermen nearby.
With his fish sold, Su Yu was in high spirits and started to do some shopping in the market.
"Proprietor, five jin of brown rice."
"Six cents a jin."
"The price went up again?" Su Yu frowned.
The grain shop owner sighed and lowered his voice. "You'd best buy it now, customer. The price is only going to keep climbing. I hear the Black Lotus Sect up north just took another county seat. The world gets more chaotic by the day."
Leaving the grain shop, the good mood Su Yu had been enjoying was once again overshadowed by gloom.
'He'd heard of this Black Lotus Sect before. They were stirring up trouble all over the place, and there was no news of them being put down.'
'It really seemed like the Great Xia was in its twilight years. Demon Factions and heretical cults were running rampant, Sects and powerful families were carving out their own territories, gangs ruled the streets... it was getting harder and harder for common folk to survive!'
'Just look at the Qingxi Town market. Ever since the Water Snake Gang took it over, the 'taxes' they collect are even higher than what the Government Office used to charge!'
Next, Su Yu bought a few other necessities: salted duck eggs, coarse salt, soap, and thread for mending his nets.
'All in all, he spent over two hundred cents. The price of everything was rising!'
Tucking the remaining copper coins into his pouch, he was about to leave when a sudden commotion erupted at the market entrance.
"Quick, look! It's the Qian Family from the city!"
"The Qian Family Fishing Team is recruiting again!"
"The Qian Family! They're always so generous. The Monthly Allowance is one tael of silver!"
Su Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately pushed his way through the crowd.
In the center of the crowd stood a young woman dressed in white. Behind her were an old steward and a team of formidable guards.
The young woman's skin was fair as snow, her features delicate and refined. Yet, there was a heroic and chilly air about her that set her apart from ordinary women. She wore a white robe of exquisite fabric, the cuffs embroidered with silver thread in the shape of a lifelike koi.
"It's the Qian Family's Third Miss, Qian Qinghong!"
"I heard she's already a Martial Arts expert. I didn't expect her to be so young..."
"So beautiful... If I could find a wife like that, I'd never leave the house..."
"Shh! You got a death wish?!"
Amid the murmurs, Qian Qinghong took a step forward. She didn't raise her voice, yet it carried clearly to everyone's ears, possessing a strange Penetration Power that instantly silenced the clamor.
"Silence!"
Her gaze was like lightning as it swept slowly over the crowd. Her piercing aura silenced them all; one glance was enough to tell she was a powerful Martial Artist.
"My Qian Family Fishing Team is recruiting five people. Those who join will follow the fleet into the depths of the Black Water River once a month. The Monthly Allowance is one tael of silver, and you will be taught the Qian Family's basic Martial Arts, the Bibo Fishbone Skill!"
The crowd erupted the moment she finished speaking.
A Monthly Allowance of one tael was already a high salary, to say nothing of also being able to learn Martial Arts! For the countless people at the bottom of society who longed to change their fate, this was nothing less than a chance to ascend to the heavens in a single step.
Su Yu's heart suddenly pounded.
'This is the opportunity I've been dreaming of! I don't have enough money to apprentice myself to a master, so I'll join this Fishing Team as a stepping stone. As long as I can get access to Martial Arts, with my panel, the possibilities are endless!'
Seeing the crowd's enthusiastic reaction, Qian Qinghong nodded slightly and continued, "To join the team, you must pass an assessment. Starting tomorrow, for three consecutive days, my Qian Family will set up a station here to collect fish. The top five individuals who turn in the heaviest total catch over these three days will be selected."
She paused, her cool gaze turning sharp.
"Finally, a word of advice. The Qian Family wants true master fishermen, not incompetents just to make up the numbers. If you are caught cheating in the assessment, or if you are found to be unskilled after joining... I'm sure the fish in the Black Water River would be very happy to have a fresh meal."
She delivered the last sentence in a level tone, but it sent a chill through everyone present, starting from the soles of their feet and shooting straight to their crowns.