Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1619 - 884: Shattered Fear (Part 2)

Xue Yuantong had only ever heard of entities like Water Ghosts, and encountering a 'guide fish' for the first time left her quite bewildered. She asked with palpable concern, "Is it truly that dangerous? If I simply avoid the water and wait it out, will it eventually lose interest and leave me alone?"

Yao Yiyao replied with a frantic edge to her voice, "This is a guide fish! It possesses an incredibly long lifespan and is notorious for lingering until the very end!"

Xue Yuantong felt that there was something inherently strange about the way that sentence was phrased.

Li Qingyang stood by with her arms folded, her gaze locked upon the fish drifting beneath the surface. It moved with a slow, deliberate rhythm, reminiscent of a ghost beckoning wandering souls.

Under the glare of the scorching sun, an encroaching sense of dread washed over her, prompting her to whisper, "Can you hear the guide fish emitting those ominous, life-threatening sounds?"

Yao Yiyao shivered, goosebumps erupting across her skin as she breathlessly replied, "I hear it, I definitely hear it!"

Xue Yuantong stood trembling as well, equally gripped by the mounting fear.

Jiang Ning, finally reaching his limit with their antics, revealed his phone and remarked, "Of course you can hear it, because I’m the one playing haunting music."

Li Qingyang: "..."

Yao Yiyao: "..."

Stung by the embarrassment, the two girls glared at him in silent indignation. What kind of person acts like this? Always choosing to tease them exactly when they are most frightened!

Xue Yuantong, feeling deeply humiliated and desperate to reclaim some shred of her dignity, concocted a bold plan:

"Since this guide fish is fishing for my attention, perhaps I can slowly retreat, luring it closer to the bank inch by inch. Because its focus will be entirely on me, it surely won't notice the water depth changing until it drifts onto the shore and succumbs to suffocation!"

She stood there gravely, weighing the practicality of her tactical strategy.

Yao Yiyao blinked, "You really are... far too imaginative, aren't you?"

Jiang Ning chimed in, "She’s certainly on the same wavelength as Comrade Si Yu."

"Defying the laws of Dao!" Li Qingyang muttered in a non-committal tone, her previous terror quickly replaced by a simmering annoyance.

Jiang Ning shrugged, "Too much effort."

With that, he snatched a sturdy stick from the grass and strolled toward the water's edge in a few casual strides.

Yao Yiyao called out in an urgent whisper, "Be careful..."

Before she finished, Jiang Ning raised the stick and swung it down with precision. With a crisp "bang" and a massive spray of water, the fish was struck senseless in an instant.

Using the stick as a makeshift ramp, Jiang Ning effortlessly flicked a large grass carp onto the bank.

"Huh?" Yao Yiyao stared down at the flapping fish, completely dumbfounded.

She was temporarily deprived of speech, stuttering, "This... this is the guiding fish, right? That... that couldn't be it, could it?"

Jiang Ning replied with calm indifference, "I don't care what kind of guide fish it is; to me, it's nothing more than an ingredient for a meal!"

He scooped it up casually and dropped it into the bucket, adding, "A wild grass carp weighing over three pounds—definitely enough for our lunch."

Xue Yuantong’s eyes lit up with excitement, "Perfect, we can make three-flavored fried fish! Sweet, five-spice, and a bit of a spicy kick!"

Jiang Ning added, "I'll take the spicy portion."

As their cheers echoed, Li Han and his companions wandered over to see what the commotion was about. When Li Han spotted the catch in the bucket, he stared in utter disbelief. Was this a joke? A massive fish caught using a child’s toy fishing rod?

The talk of the "three-pound grass carp" and "fried fish" drifted directly to the ears of the Fishing Man nearby.

The Fishing Man could no longer remain composed. Seeing others successfully reel in a catch was far more agonizing for him than losing his phone to the depths of the river. He desperately wanted to stand up and investigate, but he feared that once he looked away, the prize he had been waiting for all day would slip the hook.

...

"We’re heading home now," Xue Yuantong announced as they prepared to leave.

Yao Yiyao cast a glance at Li Qingyang and said, "Shampoo, we're off."

She hurried to catch up with Xue Yuantong and Jiang Ning. Xue Yuantong looked every bit the seasoned veteran, carrying the bucket of fish in one hand and her 'weaponized' stick in the other, moving with a confident, rhythmic stride.

Li Qingyang remained frozen, feeling a sudden wave of loneliness as the excitement faded. Even though their time together had been short, the old rivals on the ride, the spirited young girl, and that strange, stick-wielding Jiang Ning... they were all far too unique.

It was a pity, but Li Qingyang understood that for most, the first meeting in this vast world is also the last.

Li Han watched Yao Yiyao walk away with the others, his heart aching. His Yao Yao was departing with someone else.

He heaved a heavy sigh. "Sis, let's keep at the fishing. We can try the local rural cuisine later; Brother Wang says it's excellent."

Li Qingyang turned away, "Fine by me."

On the journey back, while passing by the Fishing Man, Yao Yiyao glanced at Jiang Ning’s little yellow duck fishing rod and asked curiously, "Have you truly managed to catch anything with that thing before?"

Jiang Ning smiled, "Xue Yuantong is the fisher; those who are willing take the hook."

Yao Yiyao had studied hard; she recognized the classical allusion and responded logically, "But fishing is a difficult craft. Look at that uncle—he's clearly very professional, yet since we arrived, he hasn't even had a single bite."

The Fishing Man’s face flushed a deep crimson, his pride bruised and his liver aching from the sheer frustration.

What could he do? He chose to play deaf and act as if he hadn't heard a word.

Xue Yuantong hummed, "It’s not related to how old you are; it’s about your ambition!"

The Fishing Man felt truly accursed. Who had he offended today? First his phone was lost, and now he was being mocked by a small girl.

Yao Yiyao whispered, "Ah, let's lower our voices, we shouldn't let him hear us."

Jiang Ning mused, "Perhaps he already has."

Yao Yiyao looked startled, "Should we offer an apology?"

Jiang Ning replied, "Don't worry, I’ll grant you forgiveness on his behalf."

Yao Yiyao realized she was being teased again, "Hehe."

The group gradually drifted further into the distance.

As the Fishing Man’s hearing cleared, he finally dared to look back at their retreating silhouettes. Honestly, he had never seen such rudimentary fishing gear; they were definitely 'poor fishers.' He then turned his gaze toward another group of youths nearby, who appeared much more professional with their high-end bait and specialized equipment. They were certainly the 'rich fishers' in comparison.

Kids were always so noisy. As he monitored his line, a little girl scampered over and dropped two bags of snacks by his feet. He glanced down to see they were the popular 'Three Squirrels' brand, and before he could speak, she ran off again.

Looking at the bustling group of children, he felt a sudden pang of the carefree nostalgia of youth.

He recalled an old saying: "Neither poor fishing nor rich fishing can compare to the carefree joy of a youthful excursion."

...

Back on the road home, Jiang Ning received a message from Xue Chuchu.

Xue Chuchu had already prepared the kitchen, readying the condiments for the fried fish just as Xue Yuantong had requested, simply waiting for them to return. Unconsciously, her trust in Jiang Ning had deepened significantly.

She wanted to ask if the harvest was successful, but rather than message Tongtong, she chose to reach out to Jiang Ning directly.

Chuchu’s messages were always as reserved as her personality, beating around the bush: "What are you doing?"

Jiang Ning’s reply was instantaneous: "Replying to your message."

Xue Chuchu bit her lip and persisted, "Wait, what were you doing before that?"

Jiang Ning: "Waiting for you to ask me what I was doing."

"Smooth talker..." Xue Chuchu’s brows furrowed slightly, her clear eyes softening with a hint of indulgent exasperation.

Jiang Ning followed up: "Caught some fish. I'll let Tongtong tell you the details later."

By this point, Tongtong was trudging along with the heavy bucket, her hand starting to fatigue.

"Jiang Ning, I’ve had more than enough exercise for today; I’m passing the burden to you," she declared.

Jiang Ning: "That's all you've got?"

Yao Yiyao noticed Xue Yuantong’s exhaustion and offered, "Xue Yuantong is still growing, right?"

Xue Yuantong felt a mix of joy and annoyance—glad that she was still developing and getting taller, but frustrated that others seemed to view her as merely a child.

Jiang Ning finished, "The future definitely holds promise."

Now that he carried the bucket, Tongtong freed her hand and pulled out her phone, taking a close-up photo of her 'ultimate weapon'—the wooden stick—and sending it to Chen Siyu: "Do you want to see my legendary weapon?"

Chen Siyu replied, "I have absolutely no use for that, wah!"

Xue Yuantong: "But it’s a wooden stick! Isn't that cool?"

Chen Siyu: "It’s cool, but I have no idea how to use it! I prefer your cute gloves instead."

Xue Yuantong pondered this and decided to show some tough love, writing back with grave seriousness:

"Si Yu, imagine coming home to find a thief stealing your belongings. What would you reach for? Would you hand them your gloves and say, 'Here, wear these so you don’t leave fingerprints'? Or would you pick up the stick and act?"

Chen Siyu mulled it over and hesitated, "But... I wouldn't dare use a stick to commit a crime either!"