The morning sun cast rippling reflections on the river as a boat drifted aimlessly.
Yu Daohen emerged from his room and saw Da Hu and Su Lai fishing.
"Master Yu, are you sober now?" Da Hu greeted him with a smile.
Yu Daohen shook his head, "Mostly. About seventy to eighty percent."
Su Lai turned, teasing, "Master Yu, your drinking capacity isn't that great. You still need to practice."
Though annoyed, Yu Daohen had to admit he couldn't match Su Lai's drinking prowess.
As they chatted, Da Hu's fishing rod suddenly jerked violently.
"Don't pull it up yet," Su Lai exclaimed excitedly. "Let it bite for a few more seconds. Judging by the struggle, it's a big one. Today, I'll make you a five-course meal from a single fish."
Da Hu, heeding his advice, waited two seconds before yanking the rod.
The moment Da Hu exerted force, the fish in the water desperately pulled towards the bottom.
"What the..."
Da Hu, about to reel it in, was suddenly yanked off balance and stumbled towards the water.
Su Lai, quick as a flash, grabbed Da Hu with one hand and the fishing rod with the other.
As Da Hu regained his footing, Su Lai felt the thing in the water continuing to pull downwards.
Gripping the rod with both hands and bracing a foot against the boat's edge, Su Lai cursed, "Damn it, what the hell did I hook? It's got so much strength!"
Seeing Su Lai struggle, Yu Daohen sensed something was amiss. Su Lai's strength should have been more than enough to handle a mere fish. He wondered if they had hooked a shark. But he dismissed the thought, questioning if sharks existed in the Yellow River.
"Brother Su, let me help," Da Hu said, also grabbing the fishing rod.
Together, they pulled, but the creature in the water remained unyielding, nearly snapping the rod.
Watching them wrestle with the unseen entity, Yu Daohen stepped closer. "Is it that difficult?"
Da Hu remained silent, but Su Lai retorted, "Why don't you give it a try, Master Yu?"
"I certainly will," Yu Daohen replied, curious about what they had caught.
Yu Daohen grasped the fishing rod and addressed them, "Don't worry, I can handle this alone."
"Are you sure, Master Yu?" Da Hu inquired.
Yu Daohen chuckled dismissively, "Damn it, I'm the strongest below the Black List now. You think I can't handle a fish? Ridiculous!"
Da Hu and Su Lai exchanged glances.
Su Lai flashed a sly grin. "Master Yu, brace yourself. We're letting go."
Yu Daohen nodded vigorously. "Don't worry. Today, even if it's a whale, I'll pull it up."
Seeing Yu Daohen's confidence, Da Hu and Su Lai exchanged nods and released the rod simultaneously.
The instant they let go, Yu Daohen felt as if he were pulling a thousand-pound iron block. Had he not been prepared, he would have been dragged into the water.
Yu Daohen braced himself against the boat's edge, his face strained. He cursed, "Damn it, what the hell did I hook? It's got so much strength!"
Da Hu also sensed something was wrong. If even Master Yu was struggling this much, was it truly a fish? He looked at Su Lai, "Brother Su, could it be something else in the water?"
Su Lai, who had harbored similar suspicions, shook his head uncertainly. "I'm not sure, but it doesn't look like a water corpse." As someone who made a living from the water, he could usually identify water corpses or other malevolent entities. However, the commotion in the water didn't seem like either.
Seeing the fishing rod nearing its breaking point, Yu Daohen shouted, "Damn it, you two, don't just stand there! Cut the line! The rod is about to snap!"
Yu Daohen could feel that whatever was in the water was exhausted. Although it was still pulling towards the bottom, it was clearly at its limit. With a bit more effort, he could pull it up, but the rod couldn't withstand the strain. Yu Daohen wasn't worried about being unable to reel it in, but rather about the rod breaking and injuring his face.
Su Lai suddenly remembered something and dashed towards the cargo hold. "Master Yu, hold on! I'll get something!"
Yu Daohen remained silent, his eyes fixed on the rod that threatened to break. It wasn't the fish escaping that bothered him; it was the potential damage to his handsome, dashing face.
Seeing Su Lai take so long and the rod nearing its limit, Da Hu was about to draw his dagger to cut the line. Just then, Su Lai returned, carrying the "corpse-hooking chain." He approached them, aimed at the location of the struggling creature, and swung the iron chain.
Yu Daohen quickly released the fishing rod. A trail of bright red blood floated to the surface. Su Lai's lips curved upwards. "Got it."
"I want to see what this thing is," Yu Daohen said, taking the chain from Su Lai. He turned, using his shoulder and body for leverage, and with a mighty heave, roared, "Come up!"
The chain instantly tautened, emitting a metallic screech. A colossal creature was yanked out of the water and slammed onto the deck.
Da Hu and Su Lai stared in astonishment at the behemoth on the deck. Yu Daohen also looked to see what he had pulled up. Upon seeing it, his face contorted in disbelief.
A large green carp? A two-meter-long large green carp!
The great carp gasped for air, its gills fluttering, much like a person panting heavily. Exhausted from its struggle, it lay motionless.
"Damn, this must be a fish spirit," Yu Daohen exclaimed.
Da Hu nodded in agreement. They had never seen a green carp of this size before. It was beyond their comprehension. The great carp was indeed completely spent, lying still, but its eyes remained fixed on the three of them.
Da Hu turned to Su Lai, "Old Su, you're the water expert. Has this great carp become a spirit?"
Su Lai, equally taken aback by the two-meter-long carp, admitted, "I don't know. I've never seen such a large green carp. But it's meant to be eaten. They say spirits of large fish are the most nourishing." He didn't care whether it was a spirit or not. Even if it had transformed into human form, he would have stewed it.
Yu Daohen and Da Hu exchanged a helpless look at Su Lai's words. They figured since the great carp couldn't speak, it was likely just an ordinary large green carp that had gained sentience.