Chapter 69: Fishing

Chapter 69: Fishing

Without delay, he picked up the sword again, steadied himself, and aimed at the candle. With a swift horizontal slash, the blade passed within less than a millimeter of the candle, cutting through it in an instant.

The sword’s speed wasn’t particularly fast, far from generating any air shockwaves.

Yet, the candle was cleanly severed into two halves.

He picked up the still-burning upper half and examined the cut. The surface was smooth, mirror-like, as if sliced by an extremely fine laser.

Chen Shouyi was deeply intrigued. Next, he tested his ability on paper, chopsticks, and a metal spoon.

The results showed that the first two could be cleanly cut, but the latter proved resistant. A single slash left only a faint scratch on the spoon’s surface, and after several attempts, he felt his mental power draining rapidly. His scalp tingled faintly, and his focus began to waver.

Rubbing his temples, Chen Shouyi reluctantly stopped and pondered:

"This power is clearly a form of mental power. But is it derived from Willpower, Perception, or a combination of both?"

His Willpower had already reached 12 points, and his Perception had increased by 0.1 today, reaching 11.2.

After some thought, Chen Shouyi still couldn’t make sense of it and had no choice but to set the matter aside for now.

...

"Dad, Mom, I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back in the evening," Chen Shouyi announced the next morning after finishing breakfast.

"Be careful. Don’t cause any trouble," Chen Mu said, aware of his intentions but choosing not to stop him, only offering her concern.

"Got it!"

"Mom, I want to go too!" Chen Xingyue suddenly chimed in.

"What are you going for? Stay home these next few days and behave yourself."

Carrying a briefcase containing Shell Woman, Chen Shouyi descended the stairs.

As he stepped into the courtyard, he noticed someone practicing swordplay early in the morning. He couldn’t help but pause to watch.

It was a young girl around Chen Xingyue’s age, wielding a Wooden Sword as she repeatedly executed Lunge Thrusts. Her ponytail bounced energetically with each movement, radiating vitality.

Sensing his gaze, she glanced at him and snorted coldly.

Chen Shouyi smiled in acknowledgment before leaving the courtyard.

Passing by a newsstand, he casually bought a newspaper.

"Major Murder Case on National Highway 312, Dongping Section: Four People in One Vehicle Brutally Killed."

"Police discovered firearms, blades, and other weapons at the scene, along with arrow holes in the vehicle. Initial speculation suggests a gang fight between two groups of criminals... Authorities are currently investigating, and citizens with any leads are urged to report to the local police station."

Without the internet, news updates were significantly delayed. The incident from the previous night on the highway only appeared in the local newspaper a day later.

Chen Shouyi read the article calmly, crumpled the paper, and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.

With no surveillance footage or eyewitnesses, the chances of this unsolved case leading back to him were slim to none.

...

He entered a small convenience store nearby and bought a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses. After a quick disguise, he headed toward the spot where he had parked the car.

Before long, he arrived at the narrow road—only to find the car gone, with traces of burning still visible nearby.

He pretended to be just passing by and continued walking forward, soon arriving at a still-open Rural Inn located by the roadside about a kilometer away.

The place was quiet and sparsely populated with customers.

As he walked, he casually surveyed the surroundings.

Soon, a young man wearing a patterned shirt approached him: "Boss, what would you like to do here?"

"Do you have fishing here?"

"Of course! Thirty yuan for half a day, fifty for a full day. Rod rental is thirty, bait is free, and any fish you catch will be priced separately!" The young man rattled off the details smoothly.

Within a dozen minutes, Chen Shouyi was seated by the edge of the pond with a fishing rod in hand, ready to fish.

The current situation had clearly affected business here—there were only a handful of people fishing. Aside from him, there were just four others: two middle-aged men and two old men.

He glanced at them briefly, sensing they were all ordinary people, and paid them no further attention.

For those who practiced Martial Arts, the way they exerted force had become second nature. Unless someone like Chen Shouyi deliberately concealed it, traces of their training would unconsciously reveal themselves in their movements.

Leaning back in a lounge chair, he held the fishing rod with a relaxed expression, but his mind remained subtly attuned to the activity on the road across the pond.

People came and went on the road, but nothing suspicious caught his eye.

He had lunch at the same place and didn’t leave until evening, carrying the sole Grass Carp he had caught as he leisurely made his way home.

"Oh, you went grocery shopping?" Chen Mu asked.

"Went fishing at the Rural Inn."

"You know how to fish?"

"It’s not that hard. I picked it up right away."

...

For two consecutive days, Chen Shouyi returned to that Rural Inn to fish, gradually becoming familiar with the young man who seemed to be the owner’s son.

"That’s not how you fish. You’re just feeding the fish with the bait."

"Like Jiang Taigong fishing—only the willing take the bait. Fishing is about the mood!" Chen Shouyi replied dismissively.

"As long as you’re happy," the young man said with a laugh, letting him show off.

"I heard a car burned down here a few days ago?" Chen Shouyi asked casually.

"Exactly! The whole thing was reduced to a shell. They say it was arson—no idea who did it, but it was downright despicable. The police questioned everyone here multiple times." The young man grew visibly excited at the mention of it.

"Has the owner been found yet?" Chen Shouyi asked without changing his expression.

"Probably. Someone came asking about it the day before yesterday. I told them to check with the police station."

Chen Shouyi’s heart sank.

They’ve tracked it here already?

Truthfully, he hadn’t considered how sensational the death of a Martial Artist—slashed open and throat cut—would be.

It unmistakably pointed to another Martial Artist’s involvement in the incident.

For those who operated in the shadows and couldn’t afford exposure, this was like a bone stuck in the throat or a thorn in the back. A single misstep could spell disaster. Even if they didn’t eliminate him, they’d want to know who he was—whether he could be recruited.

A Martial Artist’s strength wasn’t just about their personal combat prowess. Just as Martial Artist Apprentices held militia status, most full-fledged Martial Artists held public positions—either honorary sinecures or actual leadership roles.

But regardless of which one, they all wield immense social influence, even reaching the highest echelons—something a mere Martial Artist Apprentice could never compare to.

It could be said that all forces have now been mobilized to find this mysteriously appeared Martial Artist.

...

The Young Man and Chen Shouyi exchanged a few more words before the former went off to attend to other matters.

Suppressing the restlessness in his heart, Chen Shouyi continued fishing for another hour before packing up and heading back.

“Not fishing today?” the Young Man asked.

“Got things to do in the afternoon. Can’t afford to idle around every day,” Chen Shouyi replied.

...

Carrying a palm-sized crucian carp he had caught, Chen Shouyi returned to his rented house and saw the Young Girl again.

She was sitting on a stool, wearing a red and gray checkered skirt that revealed her slender, pale thighs. At the moment, she was peeling edamame by the well in the courtyard with the Landlady.

Noticing Chen Shouyi’s gaze, she quickly pressed her legs together and tugged her skirt forward.

“Back already? Did you catch another fish today?” the Landlady greeted him politely.

“Yeah, got lucky. This one clung to the hook and wouldn’t let go, so I reeled it in. I’ll head upstairs now,” Chen Shouyi said with a smile.

He hadn’t seen the Landlady’s husband these past few days—whether they were divorced or he was working elsewhere, he had no idea.

The Landlady chuckled, watching him leave before turning back. “That young man is quite mature. His sister seems about your age.”

“I’ve seen his sister around these past few days. She acts pretty arrogant, barely acknowledging anyone,” her daughter said with a pout. “Her brother’s no good either—lecherous eyes, staring at me for ages yesterday morning.”