Dongting Lake, Yunmeng Marsh, stretching eight hundred miles, vast and boundless.
It was late autumn, the wind was bleak, the fog was thickening, and a chill was beginning to set in.
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In a reed marsh, wisps of smoke rose from an old awning boat.
At the bow, in front of the cabin door, a man wearing a straw hat and a raincoat sat on a small stool, fiddling with the small stove in front of him.
He looked very old; under the straw hat, his hair was full of dry, gray hair, and his face was deeply wrinkled and mottled, full of the vicissitudes of time. His hunched body was even more thin under the large raincoat, exuding an air of old age, already frail and decrepit.
An old, dingy boat and an elderly fisherman are not unusual sights on the vast Dongting Lake.
The old man sits at the bow, tending to a small stove over a small earthenware pot, where pale yellow porridge of coarse rice is simmering, its enticing aroma gradually filling the air.
Moments later, the porridge boils, and the old man picks up a large bowl piled high with various prepared shrimp and crab, orange-yellow fish roe, and tender fish meat.
He pours it all into the pot. As the porridge boils, the dark blue shrimp and crab gradually turn reddish, and the jade-like fish meat turns snow-white. A fresh, sweet, and slightly fishy aroma mingles with the subtle fragrance of the porridge, filling the air. A sprinkle of salt completes the dish, making it truly mouthwatering.
In no time, a pot of river seafood porridge is ready.
The old man takes a small bowl and sits at the bow, leisurely eating.
River delicacies, fresh and undeniably fishy, might be a rare delicacy for farmers on land, but for those living on boats, they were rather bland and even repulsive.
Xu Yang, however, didn't care, quietly enjoying the river porridge he'd eaten for countless years.
As he ate, he reminisced.
How long had he been in this world?
Twenty years?
Thirty years?
No, forty years, forty-five years and three months!
Reincarnation, the mystery of his birth, past lives…
He had been in this world for a full forty-five years!
"Forty-five years!"
Xu Yang sighed softly, pouring the shrimp and crab from his bowl into his mouth, chewing them shell and all.
He was a transmigrator, the kind who reincarnates, reborn into this world as an ordinary fisherman's son. At eighteen, he unraveled the mystery of his birth, regained his past life's memories, and confirmed that he was a reincarnation.
Ignoring the years before his memories returned, he had been in this world as a transmigrator for a full twenty-seven years.
Twenty-seven years would be enough for any other transmigrator to achieve something, if not become a powerful figure, and dominate a region.
But Xu Yang… was still a fisherman.
It wasn't that he wasn't hardworking, but this world was far more dangerous than he had imagined. The transmigrator's perspective, experience, and knowledge, while bringing him considerable help, even wealth, power, and beautiful women, could also bring various dangers and even death.
In the feudal dynasty, in the ancient world, social classes were completely rigid, and upward mobility was essentially blocked. For a destitute fisherman's son, revealing his transmigrator's advantages would be akin to a child carrying gold through a bustling market—his fate was predictable.
Therefore, for over twenty years, Xu Yang remained a fisherman… at least on the surface.
But during these long twenty years, Xu Yang hadn't been idle; on the contrary, he had accumulated a great deal.
Xu Yang's
lifespan: 45/145;
Cultivation level: None;
Skills:
Diet (chewing, digestion, essence, strengthening, smooth flow)
; Sleep (calming, health preservation, physical fitness, fewer illnesses, longevity);
Breathing (turtle breathing, strength, vigor, prolonging life, longevity);
Culinary skills (delicious, dissection, essence, river delicacies)
; Fishing (guaranteed catch, fresh, rare);
Boating (swift, calm);
Aquaculture (taming, growing, exotic fish, cormorants);
Disguise (camouflage, voice changing, bone shrinking, breath concealment);
Sharpening knife (sharp);
Chopping (powerful) ;
Throwing stones (precise);
Swimming (like a fish in water).
...
These days, most transmigrators have some kind of cheat code, and Xu Yang is no exception.
He has an attribute panel!
Although this attribute panel doesn't have a point allocation function or experience quests, it can grant, or rather solidify, Xu Yang's abilities. The
solidification method is also very simple: as long as Xu Yang perseveres and does one thing consistently year after year, even something as trivial as eating, drinking, sleeping, or breathing, the attribute panel can solidify it into a skill and generate various characteristics.
These skill characteristics possess the power to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Taking eating as an example, Xu Yang's current eating skill has five characteristics: chewing, digestion, essence, strengthening, and smooth flow.
The effect of chewing is that it makes chewing food more efficient. With a powerful set of teeth, not to mention the shells of shrimp and crabs, Xu Yang can easily chew through even pork and beef bones. Then, relying on the "digestion" characteristic, he can quickly digest and absorb nutrients to strengthen himself.
The subsequent essence and strengthening characteristics allow him to obtain more essence and more nutrients from food, achieving a stronger nutritional effect and strengthening his body.
While others might absorb only 30-40% of the nutrients from a pound of meat, he could absorb 50-60%, even 70-80%, and maximize the body-strengthening effects of those nutrients, essentially making one pound work like two.
As for the final "unobstructed flow"... it means smooth bowel movements, eliminating any worries about constipation.
Okay, this is a bit of a gimmick, but ignoring that, the other four skill characteristics are still incredibly powerful.
Combined with other skills like sleep, breathing, cooking, fishing, and aquaculture, Xu Yang, though still an old fisherman living at the very bottom of society, possesses a physical constitution far surpassing that of a young, vigorous man, even comparable to legendary martial artists.
Indeed, legends—for ordinary people like him, every martial artist is a legendary figure, an unattainable existence.
Besides his robust physique, these skills also grant Xu Yang a long lifespan and various income-generating techniques. Even without utilizing his transmigrator knowledge, relying solely on his current fishing and hunting skills, he could become a wealthy man on the vast Dongting Lake.
But he didn't do that, because it was equally dangerous. There was the hope of instant success, but also the possibility of drowning.
With the help of the attribute panel, he could secretly accumulate wealth and steadily grow stronger. There was no need to take such a risk, inviting disaster and threatening himself.
So, after all these years, Xu Yang is still a fisherman, an old fisherman.
Due to living conditions and medical standards, the lifespan of people in ancient times was generally short, especially for those living on boats. Forty or fifty years old was considered old age, and sixty or seventy years old was practically nonexistent. The hard work in the wind and rain was too much of a drain on life; ordinary people couldn't possibly survive to that age. At
Xu Yang's age, in the eyes of ordinary people, he didn't have many years left to live, and it wouldn't be surprising if he died one day.
But in fact, Xu Yang had only lived for less than a third of his life, and was in the prime of his life. Even if his lifespan didn't increase, he could live another hundred years without illness or disaster.
Unfortunately, this was just theory. A fisherman over a hundred years old wouldn't be considered a centenarian; he'd be seen as a monster. Even before reaching a hundred, a few years later, he'd attract suspicion and scrutiny.
"Time is running out..."
Xu Yang sighed inwardly, putting the last river shrimp into his mouth, chewing it into a paste, and swallowing it.
Soon, a warm feeling rose from his stomach, spreading throughout his body, nourishing him.
A pot of river seafood porridge, enough for two or three strong men, was devoured by him alone.
And yet, he was only about half full.
Still wanting more, Xu Yang stood up, picked up a small fish basket from the side, turned back to the cabin, and lifted a wooden plank at the bottom of the cabin, revealing a hidden net cage.
Numerous fish swam in the net cages, along with a few turtles and tortoises. Xu Yang, holding the landing net, carefully filled the basket more than halfway, releasing the rest before stepping out of the cabin and rowing the small boat towards the shore.
He rowed slowly but steadily, the dilapidated boat gliding gently across the water until it reached a dock.
Xu Yang stood at the bow, glancing at his reflection in the water. He saw an old fisherman, hunched over, wearing a straw hat and raincoat, his face marked with age and wrinkles, looking back at him.
No problem.
Xu Yang nodded to himself, moored the boat, hoisted the fish basket onto his back, and laboriously climbed ashore.
On the shore, a minor official in a black robe was reclining in a chair, gently fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. Only when Xu Yang arrived did he glance at him with drooping eyes: "Oh, old Xu, still alive?"
"Thanks to you,"
Xu Yang, already hunched over, smiled, carefully taking out a few copper coins from his pocket, counting them several times before placing them on a small table beside him.
"Hmm!"
The official nodded, sweeping the coins into a bucket with his fan, then ignored Xu Yang.
Xu Yang didn't say anything more, carrying his fish basket, and walked towards the fish market.
Life Although Dongting Lake is a vast lake spanning nearly a thousand miles, with numerous main streams and tributaries that even flow into the sea, it ultimately cannot pass through cities and prefectures, directly reaching the streets and markets. At 0000.00,
let alone the prefectural city, even the county town is twenty or thirty miles away. Fishermen without carriages and horses can't even hope to sell their fish in the city.
They can only set up stalls at the nearby dock fish market, supplying nearby residents or merchants from the city's restaurants.
Xu Yang entered the fish market, found a spot, and before he could even put down his fish basket, he saw a group of people approaching. Leading them was a robust man with a thick beard and muscular build.
"Hey, old Xu, still alive?"
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Xu Yang didn't mind the usual opening line. He put down his fish basket and said with a forced smile to the burly man in the lead, "All thanks to you, Seventh Master!"
"Haha!"
The burly man called Seventh Master laughed, looking at the fish basket at his feet: "Did you catch any turtles?"
"Thanks to you, Seventh Master, I was lucky enough to catch one."
Xu Yang took a turtle tied with straw rope from the fish basket and handed it to the burly man's henchman.
"I knew it! When it comes to catching turtles and fish, you're the best, old Xu!"
the burly man chuckled, then asked, "How much?"
Xu Yang smiled, "If Seventh Master likes it, take it."
"Hey, when buying and selling, money and goods must be exchanged. That's the rule of my Goldfish Gang. Who dares to break it?"
The burly man waved his hand, and one of his men tossed a small string of copper coins to Xu Yang, then held out his hand and said, "Today's stall, plus the monthly allowance, a total of thirty copper coins!"
Xu Yang didn't say much, took the small string of copper coins, then pulled out a small bag from his pocket, poured out more than ten fishy, slippery copper coins, counted them several times, and then handed them to the other man.
Seeing this, the burly man smiled again, "If everyone were as straightforward as you, old Xu, then I, Seventh Master, would be much more at ease."
Xu Yang just smiled obsequiously.
The burly man didn't say anything more, waving his hand and saying, "Alright, I won't bother your business anymore. Third Sister has just released a new batch of dried yellow wine, which is Old Xu's favorite. You must go and try it after you close up shop later."
"Yes, yes, yes..."
Xu Yang smiled as he saw the burly man and his men off. Then, he took out a small stool and began shouting in a slightly hoarse voice.
Where there are people, there is a world of intrigue, and this small fish market was no exception. Besides the petty officials who collected docking fees, there were also fishing tyrants in the market. They not only charged stall fees but also monthly stipends. Add to that the government's taxes, and the combined pressure from both the legitimate and criminal worlds would basically squeeze people dry.
It was one thing for a lone individual like Xu Yang, but for fishermen with families, this monthly squeezing, plus daily expenses like firewood and oil, meant that they were lucky if they didn't accumulate any savings or even incur debt.
If they encountered a year of disaster, or bad luck, and couldn't catch any fish or suffered a serious illness, they might even be driven to bankruptcy and forced to sell their children.
Hard work to get rich? Wishful thinking!
Chen Qi was such a fishing tyrant, a leader of the Goldfish Gang in Linyang City, who controlled the fish market and acted arrogantly.
Don't let his seemingly kind appearance fool you; once the due fees aren't paid, he becomes a ruthless wolf, a vicious beast that has driven countless families to their deaths over the years.
Fortunately, Xu Yang is all alone and skilled at fishing, so he can manage.
...
"Big sister, look at this fish, caught last night, guaranteed fresh, only ten coins!"
"Who are you calling big sister? Your old bones are old enough to be my father!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, young lady, look at this fish..."
"You're not even breathing, and you guarantee it's fresh? No way!"
"Three coins, if you don't sell it, I'm leaving!"
"Three coins, really not enough. How about eight coins, I'll clean and gut it for you!"
"Alright, alright, eight coins it is, and you can give me the smaller one too."
"..."
The common people suffer, especially the fishermen. Living by a large lake, fish prices are extremely low; a basket of fish and shrimp doesn't sell for much, and sometimes they even go unsold.
Fortunately, Xu Yang had good luck today. He sold most of the fish in his basket, and the remaining scraps that had been picked over were also sold cheaply, earning him a total of thirty-five coins.
Xu Yang put the money away, picked up his fish basket, and went to other stalls to buy some daily necessities.
Although fish was cheap, it was still meat and not lacking in nutrition.
Unfortunately, people can't live on fish alone; firewood, rice, oil, and salt are indispensable, especially salt. Without salt, people lack strength, can't do physical labor, and will suffer from various diseases.
Therefore, even though fish prices are extremely low, fishermen have no choice but to sell their fish to buy essential supplies.
This is also why Xu Yang willingly endures the exploitation of the Goldfish Gang. Otherwise, with his current methods, he could easily slip into Dongting Lake, and neither the government nor the Goldfish Gang could find him, let alone collect taxes.
After purchasing a batch of supplies, most of the money from selling fish was spent. Xu Yang didn't take the remaining amount home but went to a small tavern.
"Hey, old Xu, still alive?"
"Want to have a couple more bowls today?"
"Living alone is so comfortable."
"Unlike us, with families to support, it's tough!"
There were already quite a few customers in the tavern, and several acquaintances teased Xu Yang upon seeing him.
Xu Yang didn't mind. He found a corner near the door and sat down, then called over a waiter and said, "Two bowls of dry yellow wine, a plate of fennel beans, a plate of scrambled eggs, and half a chicken."
"Coming right up!"
Soon, the waiter brought the food and wine.
Xu Yang held the wine bowl, carefully slurped a mouthful, then picked up his chopsticks and started drinking while eating the side dishes, looking just like a drunken old man.
Did he like wine?
Not really.
But he couldn't refuse.
Because the owner of this restaurant, Third Sister, was the mistress of Chen Qi, the fishing tyrant from earlier.
Although Chen Qi, as the leader of the Goldfish Gang, was a tyrant in the fish market, he still had to maintain appearances. He couldn't openly rob or extort money from the fishermen.
Because the fishermen were the property of the Goldfish Gang, doing so would be tantamount to robbing the Goldfish Gang of their money. It would not only disrupt the market but also break the gang's rules. Even if Chen Qi had seventy guts, he wouldn't dare to take that risk.
But what works openly doesn't mean what works covertly. For every clever scheme, there's a countermeasure. There's always a way to circumvent the gang rules and extort money under various pretexts.
Take this tavern, for example. After selling his fish, Xu Yang had to come and spend his remaining money to ensure his safety.
Otherwise, a penniless loner with savings would have long been a lamb to the slaughter.
That said, it wasn't a pleasant experience. The wine was terrible, tasted like water diluted with water, the side dishes were pitifully small, and the chicken, served after being chopped, was clearly missing several pieces… even
a shady establishment might not be this corrupt!
It was disgusting, but Xu Yang didn't show much reaction, sitting in a corner eating and drinking by himself.
After all, it was still food, much better than those gambling dens and brothels where money never came out.
The watered-down wine, though tasteless, was intoxicating if drunk too much. Soon, people around him started gossiping and even brought up Xu Yang's name.
"Old Xu, you must be fifty-eight this year, wow, a centenarian!"
"Oh, he's only a few decades older than Old Zhang, maybe forty or fifty."
"To be honest, I really envy you. You only have yourself to worry about, unlike us..."
"If I were you, I wouldn't be here drinking. I'd be off having fun at a brothel."
"Go away, why bring up that sore spot? Don't you know he's damaged his health in his youth..."
"Hahaha, no wonder, so many years and still no marriage proposal."
"What a pity, I was thinking of giving you Old Yu's wife..."
"You think you can even offer that old scallion?"
"Hahaha!"
The crowd laughed, mocking and ridiculing him.
Xu Yang didn't care, ignoring them completely, and continued drinking in the corner.
He drank until the afternoon before settling down, carrying his fish basket and leaving the fish market.
...
Back on the boat, he put down the fish basket and rowed out onto the lake, quickly returning to familiar waters.
But before he could even sit down to rest...
"A-Yang!"
A shout came from afar.
Xu Yang's eyes narrowed, his movements faltered, and his body beneath his raincoat tensed abruptly, but he quickly regained his composure, turning his gaze to follow the sound.
In the distance, he saw a large, black-awning boat slowly approaching, with an old man standing at the bow and two young men in simple clothes rowing and poleing behind him.
"..."
Xu Yang remained silent for a moment, but ultimately steered his boat to meet it.
The two boats docked, and the old man at the bow of the first boat didn't stand on ceremony, getting off and boarding Xu Yang's boat. "What, don't you remember me? It's me, A-Cheng, the eldest and second eldest. Come and greet your uncle."
"So it's A-Cheng."
Xu Yang looked at the old man and replied indifferently, then went straight to the point: "What is it?"
"Sit down and we'll talk, sit down and we'll talk."
The old man smiled, pulling Xu Yang towards the cabin. The two young men also jumped off and followed him into the cabin.
Once inside, the old man's eyes swept over Xu Yang before turning back to him. He chuckled and said, "A-Yang, you've gotten old. Well, we're all this age, it's inevitable. Back in the day..."
The old man started making small talk. Although Xu Yang was secretly suspicious, he didn't interrupt immediately and patiently chatted with him.
This man, Zhang Cheng, was a distant cousin of Xu Yang's, but they weren't close and hadn't seen each other for years. Their relationship had long since faded, and it would be a lie to say he had no ulterior motives for coming.
Sure enough, after some rambling, Zhang Cheng revealed his purpose: "Ah Yang, when your uncle was still alive, he told my father that he absolutely had to find you a marriage partner, to ensure your family line wouldn't end. But I never expected… sigh, never mind, second brother!"
He then gestured for a young man behind him to step forward, pointing at him and saying to Xu Yang, "From now on, my second brother will change his surname to Xu, call you 'Dad,' and take care of you in your old age!"
"This…"
"What are you standing there for? Call him 'Dad'!"
Xu Yang frowned, about to speak, when Zhang Cheng slapped the young man on the back of the head.
The seemingly simple-minded young man immediately stepped forward, ignoring Xu Yang's reaction, and knelt before him, calling out, "Dad!" "
…"
Xu Yang remained silent.
Zhang Cheng smiled, squinting at Xu Yang, and said, "Ah Yang, although this kid isn't the brightest, his work ethic is undeniable. How about having him stay by your side to help you in your old age, see you off in your final days, and continue the family line?"
"..."
Xu Yang looked at him, remained silent for a while, and finally nodded in agreement, "Alright."
"Hmm?"
Seeing Xu Yang agree so readily, Zhang Cheng's eyes narrowed for a moment, but he quickly recovered and clapped his hands, saying, "Then it's settled. Second brother, why don't you go and get your..."
"No rush!"
Xu Yang stopped him, "This is a big deal. We need to find a few people to witness it. How about this, tomorrow, you and I will host a banquet and invite a few elders to be witnesses."
Seeing Xu Yang's seriousness, Zhang Cheng was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Alright, alright, you're so thoughtful, Yang. Let's do it this way. I'll host the banquet."
"Okay!"
"..."
After a moment, Xu Yang stood at the bow of the boat, watching Zhang Cheng and his son leave, then hunched over, slowly turned around, and walked into the cabin.
Inside the cabin, Xu Yang sat silently for a while, then reached out and pulled open the deck beneath his feet.
The hatch opened, revealing a hidden compartment containing a sharp knife, arm-length, with a frosty white blade that gleamed with a chilling light.
Xu Yang took out the knife, said nothing, and simply picked up a piece of sand and began to grind it silently in the cabin.
"Dad, why bother with all this trouble, making the second son call him Dad? I don't think that old guy has many days left to live, maybe he won't even survive the winter. Once he breathes his last, or better yet, just kill him outright, then take over his belongings. You and he are cousins, who can say anything then?"
"That's right, I just looked at it, that shabby boat only has some pots, pans, and other utensils, it wouldn't sell for much. The boat is also terribly dilapidated, what's the use of taking it, we'd have to throw in a feast. 08
.
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"You two idiots!"
Zhang Cheng scolded his two sons with exasperation. "That old bastard may not have any children, but he has many relatives, both near and far. Even though we don't usually keep in touch, who would let go of the opportunity to profit from someone who has no descendants? A whole bunch of people will definitely come rushing over. How are we supposed to enjoy this alone?"
"This…"
The two sons exchanged a glance, understanding a little, but still puzzled. "Is it really necessary? What could that old guy possibly have? Just some junk and a broken boat. Is it worth all this trouble?"
"You know nothing!"
Zhang Cheng cursed again. "In this world, every fisherman who lives to this age has some hidden skills. That old guy has always kept a low profile, never even married. He must have a lot of savings. Even if he doesn't have a single penny, we can still..."
He lowered his voice, "Use his name to legitimately sell some of those things, understand?"
"This..."
"Understood, understood!"
"Father, you're brilliant!"
After hearing Zhang Cheng's words, the two finally understood and cheered.
"Otherwise, how can I be the father of you two brats?"
Zhang Cheng sneered, then turned to look behind him and said softly, "Cousin, don't blame me, you've lived enough at this age. Why not go down to the afterlife and reunite with your family? Don't worry, I keep my word. My second son will definitely continue your family line...
"
That night, in the cabin, Xu Yang stared at the knife in his hand. Its blade had been sharpened to an extremely fine point, reflecting a
chilling glint .
The 60 ... Xu Yang stood up, took off his large straw raincoat, revealing his hunched and stooped body, which appeared even more thin and frail in comparison, looking no different from an ordinary old man. But as he removed his clothes, his hunched body and thin muscles gradually straightened and became fuller, and a strange sound of bones twisting and turning came from within him. A moment later, the withered and frail old man was no longer in the cabin, but only a tall, strong, and muscular man... an old man? And when he wiped his face with water, the old man with his mottled and deeply lined face disappeared, replaced by a young man with sharp features and a resolute appearance. Breathing (turtle breathing, strength, vigor, longevity, extended lifespan) and Disguise (camouflage, voice alteration, bone shrinking, breath concealment) – these are characteristics of the breathing skill, capable of increasing lifespan while slowing down physical aging. Combined with the extended lifespan, Xu Yang is no longer an old man, but a young adult at the peak of his life. However, such an abnormality obviously cannot be known to the outside world, so Xu Yang practiced a skill early on – Disguise. 020.10 Disguise – how does one do it? Xu Yang doesn't know either, but that doesn't matter. Skills are fixed in the attribute panel; regardless of ability, as long as you do it, reach a certain level, master the skill, generate its characteristics, and you can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. That's what Xu Yang did. At first, he didn't know anything about disguise, voice change, or bone shrinking. He would just smear mud on his face every day, wear a straw hat and raincoat when he went out, bend over and hunch his body when he moved around, and speak in a low voice.
Over time, Xu Yang mastered the skill of disguise, developing four additional characteristics: disguise, voice modulation, bone shrinking, and breath concealment.
These characteristics possessed the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. With this ability, Xu Yang only needed simple materials, such as river mud, to disguise himself as an old, frail fisherman, completely concealing his true appearance and physical attributes. Not only ordinary people, but even martial artists couldn't detect anything amiss.
Xu Yang even conducted several tests, encountering members of the Goldfish Gang and other martial arts factions on Dongting Lake. No one noticed anything unusual about him, demonstrating the effectiveness of the disguise enhanced by these characteristics.
Removing his clothes and reverting to his original appearance, Xu Yang, wearing only shorts, stepped out of the cabin and went to the bow, tying a dagger and a cloth bag to his waist.
"Woo!"
Just then, a loud cry rang out, and a dark shadow landed steadily on the awning.
It was—a cormorant, a very large cormorant. In this world of strict hierarchy and limited upward mobility, Xu Yang constantly sought ways to protect himself. Unable to access martial arts, he turned to other methods. He mastered the skill of sharpening knives, honed precise stone-throwing techniques through skipping stones, and secretly practiced swordsmanship at night, developing powerful slashing skills. After gaining the taming
ability through his breeding skills, he even considered pursuing a "beast taming" path, creating a roster of shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and various birds and beasts as bodyguards. While his progress wasn't ideal, failing to produce any extraordinary abilities from his spirit beasts, the combination of "growing up" and "ospreys" provided Xu Yang with a valuable asset. " Growing up," as the name suggests, means becoming very large, resulting in better animal husbandry, faster growth, and a final size larger than average. As for ospreys, it allows him to tame them, make them obey commands, and enhance their abilities. This large cormorant is the product of Xu Yang's careful breeding, named Lao Liu! Why Lao Liu? Because the previous Lao Liu (eldest, second, third, fourth, and fifth) have all died! Lao Liu has just reached adulthood, the peak of his eagle life, and can still accompany him for a while. "Found it?" Xu Yang glanced at Lao Liu, who surprisingly nodded to him in a human-like manner. "Very good!" "Go!" Seeing this, Xu Yang didn't say much, and with a command, the cormorant flapped its wings and took flight, its loud cries guiding the way in the sky. Xu Yang also leaped from the bow of the boat, jumping into the dark, deep lake. "Splash!" The autumn night in Dongting Lake was already quite chilling. But Xu Yang felt nothing, diving into the water, and with a flick of his body, he swam away at an astonishing speed. Swimming (Like a Fish in Water) Through experimentation, Xu Yang discovered that skill characteristics also have different levels. Two-character characteristics are common, while four-character characteristics are rare, with higher levels and stronger effects. Swimming with the ease of a fish in water is a rare four-character trait, allowing Xu Yang to move like a fish, mirroring the natural movements of other fish in the water, essentially making him a large fish of similar size. Given Xu Yang's current physical abilities, a large fish of his size would be practically a monster of the water. Therefore, Xu Yang's underwater prowess is unimaginable. Even if the Zhang family's boat was moored several miles away, he could quickly reach it by swimming, without needing to attract attention by traveling on the water. "Whoosh!" Amidst the cries of the cormorants, Xu Yang swam like a fish, quickly arriving at the Zhang family's moored area. Emerging from the water, Xu Yang saw a large, covered boat moored in a natural harbor ahead. Fishermen don't necessarily live on their boats. Those with land and houses usually live on land, only setting out to fish when needed. Only the truly destitute, whose entire possessions consist of a dilapidated boat, endure the wind, rain, dampness, cold, and illness of an unstable vessel. Xu Yang was in a similar situation, and the Zhang family wasn't much better off; the three of them were all staying on that large awning boat. The boat was moored in the bay, with a small lamp for illumination to prevent collisions with other vessels. Xu Yang glanced at the sky, estimated the time, and then abandoned the idea of directly boarding the boat. Although he was strong and had a sharp knife as a weapon, giving him a very high chance of winning a sneak attack, it was only a very high chance, not a certainty. Two fists can't fight four hands; the three opponents included two strong young men, and he hadn't practiced orthodox martial arts. Aside from his physical strength, he didn't have much of an advantage, and a direct sneak attack might capsize the boat. So… Xu Yang opened the small pouch tied to his waist and took out a pebble the size of a fist. Flying Stone (Precision) —another of Xu Yang's attack skills, honed through "skipping stones on water," currently only had the characteristic of precision, possessing an extremely high accuracy rate within a certain distance. Although it only has one characteristic, it's sufficient as a current means of attack. Xu Yang doesn't believe any of the three members of the Zhang family can withstand a headshot from a flying stone. Now, he just needs to wait patiently for them to get up and relieve themselves. Of course, if he really can't wait, or if they have the good habit of preparing toilets on the boat, then Xu Yang will sneak onto the boat and kill them outright.
Developing good living habits is very important.
For example, Xu Yang rarely gets up at night, and even when he does, he doesn't rush out of the cabin. He usually just opens the deck to relieve himself.
After all, Dongting Lake is vast and fraught with danger, especially at night. Who knows what unexpected events might occur? Naturally, he tries to stay in the cabin as much as possible, even if it's just to get up at night.
It's not just him; other experienced boatmen are the same. Those who can afford it have a chamber pot, those who can't have a deck. Only those reckless, lazy young men would dare to go outside to steal their genitals.
Zhang Cheng, although also an experienced boatman, understands the boatmen's rules on the water, but his two sons lack this awareness.
So…
Xu Yang didn't wait long before he saw a man emerge from the cabin, half-asleep, and come to the side of the boat to undo his belt.
It was Zhang Cheng's eldest son, smaller in stature than the second son who was supposed to be there for him in his final days.
But Xu Yang wasn't picky. He gripped the pebble tightly, and with a powerful thrust of his arm, hurled it.
Hidden weapon techniques mostly rely on wrist strength, but Xu Yang knew nothing of them, so he could only rely on instinct, using his arm to throw the pebble.
This technique involved large movements and many openings; even an ordinary person, let alone a martial artist, could easily dodge it.
But the eldest son of the Zhang family, half-asleep and half-awake, had no chance to react.
"Splash!!!"
A splash followed by a sharp, heavy impact was heard. The eldest son, standing at the bow, groaned and fell headfirst into the water, creating a spray.
"Eldest son?"
Inside the cabin, Zhang Cheng, who was sleeping lightly, was also awakened by the commotion and hurriedly went out to check.
Seeing the bow of the boat empty and ripples of water around it, Zhang Cheng panicked, shouting, "Oh no! Second brother, wake up! Your brother's fallen into the water! Quick, get him out!"
"What's wrong, Dad?"
Hearing Zhang Cheng's frantic cries, the robust second son of the Zhang family rubbed his eyes and came out of the cabin.
"Your brother's fallen in! Quick, go in and get him out! 8sʜᴜx.ᴄᴏᴍ"
"Oh!"
Zhang's second son, oblivious to anything amiss, jumped into the water, leaving Zhang Cheng anxiously waiting by the boat with a lantern.
"That brat! I told him, the wind and waves are strong tonight, don't go out of the cabin! Don't go out of the cabin! Now look what happened..."
Zhang Cheng muttered angrily by the boat, lantern in hand, not noticing anything wrong.
Until...
"Glug glug!!!"
A series of bubbling sounds came from below, indicating something unusual underwater. Zhang Cheng's pupils contracted, and he looked up with his lantern, only to see a large number of bubbles and scarlet blood rising from the dark, deep water.
"This..."
"Second brother!!!"
Zhang Cheng finally realized what was happening, screamed, and grabbed the oar to poke into the water, but couldn't touch anything.
"Eldest brother, second brother!"
Zhang Cheng cried out in panic, helplessly.
Just then, a sudden splash came from behind. Zhang Cheng's pupils contracted, and he quickly turned around.
The result…
"Pfft!!!"
A flying stone pierced the air and struck him heavily in the face, exploding into a spray of crimson blood.
Zhang Cheng felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, followed by excruciating pain, then a dizzying spin, and he involuntarily tumbled to the bow of the boat.
At the same time, a large hand climbed onto the edge of the boat, then flipped out of the water, charging straight at Zhang Cheng with a knife in hand.
"Pfft!!!"
A muffled sound, the blade pierced through his body, Zhang Cheng's body jerked and tensed, but quickly went limp again, and he became unresponsive.
"Pfft!"
Xu Yang pulled out his dagger, staring at the corpse, his expression unchanged, and plunged another knife into the man's chest.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
After three such strikes, Xu Yang finally stopped, turned and jumped into the water, pulled the two corpses out, and threw them onto the deck.
They were the Zhang brothers. 0000.00
The two men had multiple stab wounds on their bodies; their throats had been slit open, and their hearts had been pierced. They were beyond dead.
The three corpses were piled together, neatly arranged.
Xu Yang also climbed onto the boat and began searching inside the cabin. A moment later, Xu Yang ,
with a bag tied to his waist, emerged from the cabin. Ignoring the corpses of Zhang Cheng and the other two, he skillfully poled the boat towards the deeper parts of the lake. As a fisherman, an old fisherman who had lived on the water for over forty years, Xu Yang's boating skills were beyond question; he had long since honed his abilities and developed a natural talent for it, making him both fast and stable on the water. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xu Yang had steered the boat to the deeper waters. He then returned to the cabin and broke through various parts of the hull. "Glug glug!" "Glug glug!" With the hull breached, lake water rushed in. Xu Yang went to the bow and tied weights to the three corpses, securing them to the hull. Having done all this, Xu Yang jumped into the water and quickly swam away from the area. In the vast expanse of Dongting Lake, disposing of a body is a simple matter. Once the body is sunk, the fish, turtles, shrimp, and crabs of the lake will do the rest, leaving only three unidentifiable skeletons at the bottom. As for the aftermath, there's no need to worry. Fishermen who make their living on the water live precarious lives; anything can happen—a sudden storm, an encounter with a lake monster, or some other reason leading to a shipwreck and loss of life… Such things are commonplace and nothing to be surprised about. Therefore, Xu Yang doesn't need to worry about the death or disappearance of the Zhang father and son having any impact on him. Even if they had met today, no one would believe that an old fisherman like himself could have murdered all three members of the Zhang family. And when someone so fancifully places suspicion and distrust on him, evidence becomes irrelevant. If someone has the will, if there is suspicion, they will inevitably take action against him. After all, he was just a fisherman, a lowly commoner. Whether he killed the right person or the wrong one, he wouldn't bear any consequences. Therefore, he acted without restraint, relying solely on a guess. Xu Yang understood this, so he acted decisively, killing the Zhang family father and his two sons that very night. ... At midnight, the cormorant landed and perched on the bow. Xu Yang emerged from the water, swiftly flipping onto the boat and entering the cabin. Once inside, he removed his dagger, wiped away the blood and moisture, and stored it away in a hidden compartment in the cabin floor. Then, he calmly sat down, opened the small bag, and tallied the spoils of the night's operation. As the saying goes, murder and arson bring wealth; without considering the risks, plundering is the fastest way to strengthen oneself. Although Xu Yang's targets tonight were a group of poor wretch not much better off than himself, it still brought him a pleasant surprise. Xu Yang emptied the bag, revealing several yellow and white objects that stood out most prominently, along with a considerable amount of copper coins and a jade pendant of emerald green. The copper coins were undoubtedly Zhang Cheng's family's savings, but the plump silver ingots, the gleaming gold leaves, and the jade pendant clearly indicated a fortune beyond what a fisherman could accumulate. The ingots alone were estimated to be worth a hundred or eighty taels of silver, and combined with the gold leaves and jade pendant, this windfall was enough for Xu Yang to escape Dongting Lake, enter the city, buy a mansion and beautiful maids, and enjoy a life of extravagance and decadence. Seeing this, Xu Yang understood why Zhang Cheng and his son had approached him. The pretense of inheriting a family's property was merely a cover; their true purpose was to use him as a pretext to convert this mysteriously acquired gold and silver into cash under the guise of "inheritance," thereby improving their living conditions. Don't ask why they didn't just spend it; if they dared to take out such a large sum of gold and silver, the Goldfish Gang would dare to drown them at the bottom of the lake. Without sufficient strength, wealth and beauty would only bring death. Therefore, they dared not sell the gold and silver directly, but could only proceed slowly, trying to convert it into cash. Xu Yang's inheritance was one of the ways they found to monetize it. As for the source of this gold and silver... "Drew from the bottom of the sea?" "Dug from the island?" "Robbed by murder?" "Who cares!" With no way to verify the truth, Xu Yang didn't dwell on it too much, simply putting the items away to enrich his own resources. Although he had money, it was no different in his hands from in Zhang Cheng and his son's; he couldn't use it either way. Xu Yang was a very self-aware person. Although he now possessed many skills, few were applicable in combat, making it impossible for him to fight against martial artists, let alone a gang composed of numerous martial artists. Therefore, he couldn't use this gold and silver for the time being. Furthermore, the actions of Zhang Cheng and his son revealed another problem. He... was too old! If he lived a few more years, aside from those bastards waiting to eat his dead son's food, even the Goldfish Gang might notice him and become suspicious. But if "Old Xu" died, what identity would he use to buy necessities? Disguise? Wouldn't that arouse suspicion and attract spying? Xu Yang frowned, pondering for a long time, and finally sighed, "In the end, it's still because I'm not strong enough." Saying this, he stood up, preparing to start a fire and cook a late-night snack to replenish the energy he had just used. But even with the late-night snack, Xu Yang was still thinking about the next development and direction. The official identity of "Old Xu" was about to be unsustainable, and he would inevitably have to use a new identity to communicate with others and buy supplies. But a stranger suddenly appearing could easily attract attention and cause trouble. The best way to deal with these troubles was to improve his strength. How to improve it? Currently, the only thing he could rely on was his attribute panel, his cheat code. Xu Yang examined his current skills; most were support-oriented, with only a few enhancing combat power, but even those were minimal. Skills like sharpening knives, throwing stones, and slashing were only effective against ordinary people. Against martial artists with extraordinary power, they were simply easy prey! Therefore, he needed to develop new skills as soon as possible to significantly boost his fundamental combat strength. But how?