Gou Zai Xianwu Chaos World, Physical Sainthood

The Great Yun Dynasty, Dongyang Prefecture, Yangcheng County.

In January, the Longxu River was already surging with water.

The waves, carrying mist, surged downstream with great force.

Lu Cheng stood at the bow of the boat, his body swaying rhythmically with the rise and fall of the boat.

Several times, just when it seemed like I was about to fall, I would either sway my waist or twist my legs and regain my balance.

Just as the boat had passed a wave and gained a moment of stability, Lu Cheng suddenly exerted force with his waist and legs, twisted his body to the right, swung his right arm, and forcefully pushed the fishing net outward.

The fishing net traced an arc, unfolding into a perfectly round dome in mid-air.

Then, like a wide canopy, it covered a large area of ​​water in front of the bow of the ship.

"What a beautiful display of 'the celestial maiden scattering flowers'!"

A low cheer came from behind Lu Cheng.

Old Man Ge bent down and stepped out of the cabin, his slightly aged face filled with amazement:

"It hasn't been that long, and your skill in casting a wide net has already reached this level."

Lu Cheng rewound the fishing net's rope, his eyes still fixed on the surging river, and replied softly:

"It's all thanks to Uncle Ge for teaching me so well."

Old Man Ge waved his hand:

"Hey, I've been rowing this boat and casting nets on this river my whole life, and I've never seen anyone like you."

He paused, his tone tinged with emotion:

"You're really smart, kid."

"What a pity about this world..."

This world is absolutely terrible.

As Lu Cheng recalled the events of that period, his thoughts drifted away.

Apart from its auspicious name, the Great Yun Dynasty was utterly rotten.

For the ordinary people born here, it's like they've had the worst luck imaginable.

Take the local fishermen, for example.

Fishermen risk their lives and brave the wind and waves to catch fish.

But once they landed, the government demanded 50% of the fish as tax.

Then they'll have to take a 20% cut from the fishmongers' profits.

It was called a fish market, but in reality it was a group of local thugs and bullies who colluded with the government to exploit fishermen.

If you don't sell your catch to them, they will try every means to make things difficult for you.

Cutting boats and nets are just common methods.

They even disguised themselves as bandits while the fishermen were out on their boats and forced them to eat a bowl of wonton noodles.

Those tyrants had long been in cahoots with the government, so even if someone died, they would only conduct a cursory investigation and hastily close the case.

The powerful and corrupt officials in the imperial court were ruthless and immoral, while the local bullies and thugs were vicious and merciless.

Only the honest and law-abiding common people are as cheap as dogs.

Officials and bandits are in cahoots; it's truly a living hell, subjecting the people to repeated torment!

Those who occasionally try to resist or fight for a way to survive are ruthlessly crushed.

The original owner's family was like that.

His father, Lu Zhongyou, was a renowned expert in martial arts on the Longxu River.

With her skills, she supported her only son's education. Although life was tough for the two of them, they had hope.

Although the original owner did not possess remarkable wisdom, he worked extremely hard every day.

At such a young age, he has already passed the preliminary examination; with another two years of study and refinement, passing the county-level examination will not be a problem.

A scholar who had passed the county-level imperial examinations would then be eligible to seek employment in the county government.

Longxu River stretches for over 130 li within Yangcheng County, with a fish tax office set up every 30 li.

Wang Shuban, who was in charge of the area within thirty miles of Lu Cheng, was only a scholar.

By then, the Lu family had finally escaped the quagmire.

Unfortunately, the good times are not long.

Just two months ago, Lu Zhongyou had a stroke of good luck and caught a three-foot-long silver sturgeon.

Sturgeon are already rare, and silver sturgeon are even rarer.

Although three feet isn't a large piece of fish, after deducting the fish tax and commission, it can still yield more than three taels of silver.

With these three or four ounces, the original owner could consult the instructor more often.

This should have been a very happy thing.

However, the tyrannical leader of the fish market, You Lancang, insisted on buying the fish at the price of ordinary catches.

How could Lu Zhongyou possibly agree?

In the midst of the argument, Lu Zhong made a snap decision and threw the silver sturgeon back into the river.

This naturally angered You Lancang, and on the third day, Lu Zhongyou disappeared on the river along with his boat.

Anyone with eyes can see who did it, but what can be done about it?

Unable to get justice, the original owner angrily sought revenge on You Lancang.

As a result, they were beaten to the point of near death.

If it weren't for the help of her neighbor, Old Man Ge, seeking medical treatment, she wouldn't have survived until Lu Cheng was resurrected.

The loss of two lives had no effect on the festering sores; on the contrary, it deepened the fishermen's fear of them.

Such a chaotic world is evident.

Seeing Lu Cheng remain silent, Old Man Ge sighed:

"Ah Cheng, that's just how the world is, there's nothing we can do about it."

"Everyone knows your father died unjustly, but those thugs... we can't fight them."

Can't afford to argue?

That's not necessarily true.

Lu Cheng closed his eyes slightly.

Deep within his consciousness, there was a golden light that had accompanied him on his journey.

[Destiny - All Laws Return to One]

I ascend to the heavens and descend to the mortal realm; all the laws of the world return to me!

Lu Cheng only needs to learn any skill or technique once, and [Destiny] can deduce the most perfect path to perfection.

No matter when, it was as if there was a master who had reached the pinnacle of this art, patiently guiding me from the side.

Talent, physical constitution, and comprehension are not limitations for Lu Cheng.

If once isn't enough, try ten times; if ten times isn't enough, try a hundred times!

With such talent, Lu Cheng can pursue all the myriad methods of human existence.

And [Destiny] did not disappoint him.

In just over a month, he had mastered three ordinary fishing skills to a level that was difficult for others to reach:

【Fishing】

[Rank: Common]

[Realm Level: Perfect (Cannot be upgraded)]

[You have mastered all the essential techniques of fishing in rivers, lakes, and seas, from tide reading, bait preparation, and attracting fish to hauling in nets, sorting, and raising them—you are virtually unrivaled.]

(By observing the ripples on the water, one can discern the fish's movement; by listening to the sound of the waves, one can identify the undercurrents; casting the net is like the sky being overturned, and pulling it back is like the earth's veins returning. With this net, one might just catch a dragon.)

Swimming

[Rank: Common]

[Realm Level: Perfect (Cannot be upgraded)]

You have a complete understanding of the nature of water; the techniques of maneuvering, using leverage, and concealing yourself in the water are almost instinctive.

(On the water, you can ride the waves to breathe and stay still in whirlpools; underwater, you can hold your breath and swim, using the currents to move swiftly. Now, the only thing limiting you is your own body.)

Spear fishing technique

[Rank: Common]

[Level: Mastery (92/100)]

You have mastered the art of discerning the slowing currents and the illusory shadows of fish, and are proficient in spearfishing techniques that embody the five key principles of "probing," "luring," "stabbing," "intercepting," and "flipping." Whether launching a surprise attack in still water or pursuing a fish against the current, you can always strike with a single blow.

(With a fork in hand, one rides the waves, causing fish and shrimp across the seas to tremble in fear; wrist follows waist movement, power penetrates the fork tip, causing turtles and crabs of the five oceans to wail in sorrow.)

Now, the skills of [fishing] and [swimming] are perfected, and [spearfishing] is just one step away.

But relying solely on these three fishing skills would make life very difficult.

As for the path of studying, given Lu Cheng's family background, at best he could only become a minor official with a stable career for a short time.

There is only one way to truly establish oneself.

That is the way of martial arts!

In this world, martial arts are revered.

Martial arts are not the ordinary fist and foot techniques of my previous life.

Martial artists whose fists are stronger than steel and whose strength can lift a tripod are only considered average.

Legendary martial arts masters can easily destroy mountains and overturn rivers and seas!

In Yangcheng County, there are many martial arts schools that have opened schools and taught students.

Lu Cheng can learn martial arts as long as he saves up enough tuition fees.

With the Mandate of Heaven in hand, mere festering sores are nothing compared to scabies.

Even tuition fees are no longer a big problem.

In just a few days, it will be the spring flood season.

The fish are migrating, which is the peak season for fishing.

At that time, a large number of fishmongers from other places would come to buy fish.

The fish farm is too large to manage, and they dare not overstep their bounds.

Fishermen could then avoid some exploitation and conduct private transactions with fishmongers.

A pound of fish costs only three coins to the fishmonger, but can be sold to a fish merchant for seven coins!

Moreover, before the incident, Lu Zhongyou had mentioned to the original owner the waters where the silver sturgeon was caught.

According to Lu Zhongyou's assessment, that place was a spawning site for silver sturgeon.

During this period, Lu Cheng had also explored the area many times and indeed found traces of silver sturgeon.

Even if you only catch one silver sturgeon, you can still get at least ten taels of silver.

Then one will have no worries about acquiring the skills to learn martial arts.

By then, once you join a sect and become an apprentice to learn martial arts, you'll have a powerful backer.

Those scoundrels and petty scoundrels who roamed like fish could no longer become an obstacle.

……

Putting these thoughts aside, Lu Cheng took a deep breath.

He applied force with his hands and began to tighten the net rope.

After the fishing net in the water was completely closed, Lu Cheng pulled the net in while shouting to Old Man Ge behind him:

"Uncle Ge, get the net in."

"Hey, you're here." Old Man Ge perked up and quickly bent down to come over.

An old man and a young boy pulled the fishing net out of the water, and Old Man Ge was overjoyed.

"Wow, that was a really powerful catch!"

He excitedly untied the fishing net and poured the fish into the boat to sort them.

Adult fish are put into cages, while juvenile fish are thrown back into the river.

Lu Cheng, as he pulled in the net, couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

He was angry and couldn't control himself, which resulted in him getting more attention than usual.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

Amidst the splashing of small fish entering the water, suddenly came the muffled thuds of two heavy objects falling into the water.

Behind him, Old Man Ge whispered, half explaining and half admonishing:

"Shooting so many in one morning is too eye-catching, let's post two big ones instead."

Lu Cheng nodded without saying a word.

He quickly gathered up the fishing net, crawled into the cabin, and leaned against the bulkhead to rest.

Although the fishing was successful, the morning had basically exhausted all our energy.

The task of steering the ship naturally fell to Old Man Ge.

The small boat rocked and broke through the waves, quickly moving away from the center of the river.

The two chatted for a while at first, but then Lu Cheng fell silent and started to rest.

After an unknown amount of time, the fishing boat gradually stabilized.

After a while, a fishy smell began to appear in the air.

Lu Cheng opened his eyes, covering his nose with one hand and holding the boat with the other.

Even after more than a month, I still can't quite get used to the sudden fishy smell.

"Hold on tight, we're coming ashore."

Old Man Ge whispered something towards the cabin, and the boat's speed immediately slowed down.

Then, with a loud "bang," it came to a complete stop.

In an instant, a fishy smell, amplified countless times, suddenly rushed into the cabin.

What followed was a violent argument and shouting.

Lu Cheng sensed something unusual from the sound.

This is a fish collection point where fishermen from several nearby villages and towns exchange their catch with fishmongers.

Therefore, disputes often occur here.

But today's commotion is unusually large.

Lu Cheng's heart sank slightly, and he quickly got up and left the cabin.

After taking a clear look at the situation on the shore, he frowned deeply.

On the shore, two tattered fish baskets lay on the ground.

Several fish lay scattered to the side, their mouths agape in vain.

Outside the weighing shed, fishermen wielding harpoons and thugs gripping clubs were locked in a fierce standoff, exchanging angry words.

The two sides were on the verge of a fight.

Just then, a nauseating sound broke the tense atmosphere:

"Alright, that's enough yelling, isn't it?"