Chapter 15
In a curved bay, Lu Qing finally discovered a new fishing spot.
[Beginner Fishing Spot: A place rich in nutrients and abundant in aquatic plants, favored by schools of fish for foraging.]
[Here, strange fruits grow, which certain unique fish love to eat. Fishing here might yield unexpected surprises.]
The emitted white light was even more intense than the previous beginner fishing spot he had found.
"Strange fruits grow here?"
Lu Qing looked up, searching the bank of the fishing spot.
Soon, a few peculiar-looking plants caught his attention.
Under the investigation of his abilities, these plants also emitted white light.
[Blood Apricot Tree: Produces blood apricots, non-toxic, can be used medicinally.]
[It is rumored that blood apricots contain a special substance that certain unique fish are very fond of.]"Blood apricots?"
Lu Qing looked at the small red fruits, the size of his pinky, hanging from the tree.
Are these the strange fruits that unique fish like to eat?
Feeling a spark of interest, he walked forward.
Fortunately, the blood apricot trees weren't very tall, and he easily picked a handful.
"Brother, these fruits look delicious."
Xiao Yan couldn't help but swallow as she saw the bright red blood apricots in Lu Qing's hand.
"These aren't for eating."
Although his abilities indicated that blood apricots were non-toxic, they also mentioned that they had medicinal properties. Since they were considered medicine, Lu Qing didn't dare let Xiao Yan eat them recklessly.
"If they're not for eating, why did you pick them, Brother?"
"To fish. Some fish really like these fruits. I want to see if I can use them to catch a big fish," Lu Qing explained.
"Fish like to eat fruits?" Xiao Yan's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes, fish like many things—worms, fruits, corn, grass—they all enjoy these."
"They like corn and grass too?!" Xiao Yan's eyes grew even larger.
It was her first time hearing such things, and she found it very magical.
"So, Xiao Yan, you can't eat these fruits. They're for catching big fish."
"Okay! I understand!" Xiao Yan nodded eagerly.
Compared to the fruits, she was more interested in the big fish.
"Xiao Yan, you stay here and wait. I'll tidy up the area."
After warning Xiao Yan not to run around, Lu Qing tied a short-handled machete to a wooden stick and started clearing the weeds and trees around the fishing spot.
Having done this countless times in his past life, Lu Qing was quite adept at it.
It didn't take long for him to clear the weeds and trees and create a good fishing spot.
However, he left the blood apricot trees untouched, as they were valuable white-light-level plants.
Once the spot was ready, Lu Qing prepared to start fishing.
Without baiting the spot, since the family didn't have enough grain to waste on such activities, he relied on the natural abundance of the otherworldly river and his ability-selected fishing spot. Even without baiting, he was confident in catching fish.
Sitting by the bank, Lu Qing decided to start with worms to secure their food supply for the next two days.
After hooking a worm and casting the line, the float landed on the water's surface.
No sooner had he cast the line than the float began to move.
First, it twitched a few times, then suddenly plunged underwater.
With a flick of his wrist, Lu Qing lifted the rod, a whistling sound accompanying the movement, and he hauled up a fish.
It wasn't big—a small white fish, about two fingers wide.
Lu Qing raised an eyebrow, recognizing this small white fish as one of the most common types in the river.
"It's a small white fish!"
Xiao Yan immediately shouted upon seeing the fish.
"Yes, a small white fish. Looks like we'll have a good harvest today."
Lu Qing unhooked the fish and put it into the bucket.
Catching a fish so quickly was a good sign, making him optimistic about catching a big one today.
With renewed energy, he continued fishing, but after a few more small fish, there was a long period without any bites.
"Either the fish are gone, or there's a big fish below scaring them away."
With his extensive experience, Lu Qing quickly made his judgment.
He decisively lifted the hook, removed the worm, and took out a small cloth bag.
"It's the secret weapon!"
Xiao Yan recognized it as the item her brother had prepared before they left home.
Lu Qing opened the bag and took out a few golden kernels of corn.
These corn kernels, which he had obtained from Aunt Wang next door that morning, were meant to be used as bait.
In his previous life, Lu Qing often used corn to catch big fish like carp and grass carp, which were particularly fond of corn.
He wasn't sure if the big fish in this world had the same preference, but he had to try.
If it didn't work, he planned to try the blood apricots he had just picked.
After hooking a fresh corn kernel, Lu Qing cast the line again.
To his surprise, the moment the hook hit the water, the float sank quickly, and a strong force pulled the line, almost making him lose his balance.
Luckily, Lu Qing reacted swiftly, stepping forward to stabilize himself.
"Got you, trying to sneak attack, huh?"
With both hands gripping the rod, Lu Qing felt a surge of excitement.
This was definitely a big fish!
The force it exerted was far beyond what a fish under five pounds could manage.
The fish started to fight back, pulling the line taut and making it whistle with tension.
"Think you can escape from me? No way!"
Despite the fish's struggle, Lu Qing remained calm, skillfully adjusting the tension to avoid breaking the line.
His new fishing rod, certified by his abilities, could withstand a hundred pounds of force, so he was confident it wouldn't break.
"Go, Brother!"
Xiao Yan, standing nearby, was also very tense but didn't dare to shout, fearing it would scare the fish away. She quietly cheered her brother on.
The battle of wits and strength between Lu Qing and the fish lasted for a full half hour before Lu Qing felt the fish's strength begin to wane.
"Finally wearing you down," Lu Qing sighed in relief.
The struggle had drained a lot of his energy too.
Had it not been for the acupuncture treatment by Doctor Chen a few days ago, which restored much of his vitality, he might not have been able to outlast the fish.
With the fish reaching its limit, it became impossible for it to escape Lu Qing's grasp.
After a while, with one final effort, Lu Qing managed to pull the fish to the surface, revealing its true form.
"What a big fish!"
Seeing the fish's head and back, Xiao Yan couldn't hold back her exclamation.
Even Lu Qing couldn't hide his excitement.
This fish was easily over ten pounds.
Suppressing his excitement, Lu Qing maintained a firm grip on the rod.
Fishing required utmost care, especially at the final moment. Losing the fish now would be a lifelong regret.
However, just as he was about to scoop the fish up, he realized a crucial problem: he hadn't prepared a net.
Of course, this wasn't entirely his fault, as they didn't own a net.
Without a net, he couldn't scoop the fish up. Lu Qing had no choice but to tire the fish out completely before attempting to lift it by hand.
This was risky because a fish of this size could easily knock a person out with a powerful tail slap.
Fortunately, the fish was thoroughly exhausted.
Eventually, without any further incidents, Lu Qing managed to haul the fish onto the bank.
"Brother, this big fish seems taller than me!"
Xiao Yan exclaimed as she compared the fish's length to her own height.
"It does seem a bit taller."
Lu Qing agreed, noting that the fish was over a meter long, indeed taller than Xiao Yan when held upright.
"Let me see what kind of fish this is."
Lu Qing examined the fish, noticing its sleek, armored scales that gave it an imposing appearance.
Using his abilities, he quickly scanned the fish for information.
A rich white light emitted from the fish's body.
"White light, huh."
Lu Qing felt a bit disappointed.
He had hoped the fish might reach the red light level.
But on second thought, he realized he was being greedy. If this fish had been at the red light level, he might not have been able to catch it.
Red light-level entities were rare and powerful, often possessing unique abilities.
Considering the few red light-level things he had encountered—Doctor Chen and the Snow Silk—he felt fortunate. Both were extraordinary.
If this fish had been red light-level, it might have had some special abilities, making it even harder to catch.
Calming his mind, Lu Qing focused on the new information displayed.
[Green Armored Fish: A large fish with green armor-like scales, dominant in the river, contains a fish stone.]
[Rumor has it that fully grown Green Armored Fish have a fish stone in their throats, which, when polished and worn, has a calming and soothing effect.]
Seeing the information, Lu Qing was thrilled.
A fish stone!
The big fish he had just caught had a fish stone!
Fish stones were not unfamiliar to Lu Qing. In his previous life, he had once caught a twenty-pound wild green fish with a fish stone inside.
At the time, a wealthy buyer had offered thousands for it, but Lu Qing had refused to sell.
The reason, aside from liking it, was a prevalent belief among anglers that well-aged fish stones could bring safety and peace.
Whether that was true, Lu Qing didn't know, but now his abilities confirmed that the Green Armored Fish's fish stone had a calming effect.
This was perfect for Xiao Yan,
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