Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

Yan Bugui has already started working.

He carefully opened a small tin box containing earthworms, picked out the fattest one, and threaded it onto his gleaming fishhook.

He then pulled out a small half of a crushed cornbread from a tattered cloth bag, kneaded it into a ball, held his breath, and swung his arm forcefully!

"Thump!"

The steamed bun landed precisely on the water not far in front of him and slowly sank.

Baiting complete! Yan Bugui nodded in satisfaction before casting the hook with the earthworm on it into the water near the baiting spot, and the float stood up steadily.

He adjusted the position of his stool, straightened his back, held the fishing rod with both hands, and stared intently at the float on the water, looking every bit like a seasoned angler.

In contrast, He Yuanchao's actions appeared much more "amateurish" and even "perfunctory".

He slowly took out an ordinary bamboo fishing rod that Yan Bugui had prepared for him from his bag, and the fishing line was also the most common nylon line.

He casually hung an earthworm on the hook, without even checking whether the hook tip was completely covered.

Then, without even setting up a fishing spot, he casually cast the hook out, and the landing point was some distance away from Yan Bugui's fishing spot, closer to a sparse reed bed.

Yan Bugui caught a glimpse of He Yuanchao's "amateurish" operation out of the corner of his eye, and shook his head inwardly, but didn't say anything. He just coughed lightly and earnestly "instructed" him: "Yuanchao, fishing is all about patience! You can't rush things! You have to wait! Look at me here, I've baited the area and gathered the fish in, that's how you catch fish!"

You're not baiting the spot, and you're far away... Oh well, I guess I'll just treat this as a chance to get used to the feel of the bait!

"That's normal at the beginning! When I first started learning, I missed several times in a row! Just keep a calm mind, keep a calm mind..."

He spoke with the air of someone who had been through it all, trying to mentally prepare He Yuanchao so that it wouldn't be too embarrassing if he failed on the first try.

However, the moment he uttered the words "normal mindset"—

He Yuanchao's fishing rod, which he had casually tossed into the water, suddenly sank downwards without warning!

Immediately afterwards, a tremendous force surged up the fishing line, and the entire bamboo rod instantly bent into a breathtakingly full bow!

The fishing line tightened, emitting a sharp, piercing "whoosh" sound!

Whoosh—!

The calm water surface suddenly exploded! A huge carp burst out of the water like a golden cannonball!

The golden scales shimmered with dazzling light in the rising sun!

It thrashed its fat body wildly, its tail slapping the water's surface and splashing up large sprays of water!

"Oh my God!"

Yan Bugui's eyes widened instantly, his mouth opened so wide it could fit a duck egg, and the fishing rod he was holding almost slipped out of his hand and fell into the water!

He was completely stunned! How...how could this be?! No baiting! Just a casual flick of the wrist! And there it was, a carp this big?!

This fish must have been blind to have run right into the hook!

The surrounding fishermen were also instantly drawn to the commotion, casting shocked glances at them.

"Whoa! They've got something big!"

"Good heavens! This carp must weigh three or four pounds!"

"Who's this young man? He's incredibly lucky! He caught a fish right after casting his line?"

He Yuanchao, however, remained calm, as if he had only caught a small crucian carp.

His wrists were steady, and his movements, though seemingly unhurried, contained a wonderful rhythm.

Instead of immediately pulling and tugging, he slightly turned his body and, using the elasticity of the fishing rod itself, skillfully guided the fishing line, defusing the violent impacts of the underwater behemoth time and time again.

The carp tried several times to dive into the water plants or escape into deeper water, but he effortlessly lured and guided it away.

The movements—gathering, releasing, guiding, leading—are fluid and effortless.

The wildly struggling carp was like a puppet controlled by invisible threads in his hands; all its struggles were in vain!

In just a few breaths, He Yuanchao easily flipped the plump, golden-scaled carp over, belly up, and dragged it helplessly to the shallow waters near the shore.

He Yuanchao bent down, scooped up the large carp weighing over four pounds with one hand, and steadily lifted it up!

The fish's tail was still thrashing weakly, its golden scales gleaming in the sunlight.

"Clatter!" The half-eaten cornbread in Yan Bugui's hand fell to the ground. His mouth was still in an "O" shape, and he stared blankly at the big carp that was still thrashing in He Yuanchao's hand. His mind was completely blank.

He felt that his decades of fishing experience had been crushed and rubbed to dust at this moment!

He Yuanchao casually tossed the large fish into the bucket he had brought, causing water to splash everywhere.

He didn't even glance at the carp that made everyone around him envious, as if he had just dealt with a trivial matter.

He leisurely re-attached an earthworm to the bait, and with the same casual flick of the rod, he cast the line again.

The hook, with the fishing line attached, drew a flat arc in the air and fell into the water with a soft "plop," not far from where the fish had been caught earlier, and still without any baiting.

Yan Bugui was still reeling from the shock. He hurriedly picked up the cornbread from the ground, muttering to himself, "Luck...luck! It must be luck! How can you catch big fish one after another? Impossible! Absolutely impossible..."

He seemed to be comforting himself, his eyes fixed on his motionless float, yet he couldn't help but glance at He Yuanchao's rod.

However, reality slapped him hard in the face once again!

He Yuanchao's float had barely settled in for a minute when it suddenly and cleanly sank to the bottom!

The rod tip bent sharply again!

Whoosh!

With a splash, another sizable crucian carp was pulled from the water! Its silvery scales shimmered in the sunlight, and it weighed at least seven or eight ounces!

"Another...another one?!" Yan Bugui was completely speechless, his voice changed tone, as if someone was choking him.

He looked at his still float, then at the fish thrashing in He Yuanchao's bucket, and felt his worldview crumbling.

This is not over yet!

He Yuanchao seemed to have activated some kind of berserk mode!

Bait, cast, fish hooked! The movements are fluid and natural, like breathing!

The third one! A fat catfish, dark and slippery, was lifted up!

The fourth one! Another pound-long crucian carp!

The fifth one! A big, lively grass carp!

……

He Yuanchao's casting frequency was not fast; in fact, it could be described as unhurried.

But every cast seemed to accurately predict the movement of the fish, and every landing point was like the entrance to the canteen that the fish were bound to pass through!

He doesn't need to stare at the float like Yan Bugui. He can often just glance at it casually, or even just touch the fishing rod with his finger to feel the slight vibration, and accurately grasp the fleeting fish bite!

The timing of setting the hook is absolutely crucial! If it's a fraction too early, the fish won't have taken the bait; if it's a fraction too late, the fish will have already spat out the hook or burrowed into the weeds!

Every time he lifted the rod, it was accompanied by the whirring sound of the taut fishing line and the splashing sound of the fish breaking the water!

The efficiency is outrageously high!

In less than an hour, the large bucket that He Yuanchao brought was almost overflowing!

Inside, golden carp, silvery crucian carp, dark catfish, and green-backed grass carp... all kinds of fish are crowded together, splashing and leaping, with water splashing everywhere!

At first glance, it weighs at least twenty or thirty pounds!

Moreover, every single one is a desirable size and a truly high-quality item!

In contrast, Yan Bugui, standing next to him, remained focused, his hands gripping the pole.

His expression had changed from initial shock and bewilderment to numbness, blankness, and a deep sense of bitterness.

The float on his fishing rod remained motionless, as if it were welded to the surface of the water.

Forget about fish, not even a small shrimp has come to visit!

The surrounding anglers were already in an uproar! Everyone stopped fishing and gathered around, watching He Yuanchao's performance as if he were a god.

Exclamations, gasps, and incredulous murmurs rose and fell.

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

"Is this young man the reincarnation of the Dragon King? The fish are all lining up to bite his hook!"

"Look, look! Another one! My goodness, this crucian carp must weigh a pound!"

"What bait did he use? It looks like ordinary earthworms to me! The same as ours!"

"His fishing spot? It's not any better than Old Yan's! Old Yan even baited his spot! He's got nothing!"

"This is bizarre! Absolutely bizarre!"

As Yan Bugui listened to the surrounding discussions, especially the comment, "Old Yan even set up a nest there! But there's nothing there!", his face flushed red and then turned pale, so ashamed that he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

~~

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