Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 8 Three Thousand Abyssal Treasures, Ten Thousand Sea Delicacies (Please continue reading)
Another morning has arrived.

At the farthest point where the sea and sky meet in the vast ocean, a narrow slit is torn open in the clouds, and a touch of orange-red struggles to pierce through the indigo curtain of the sky and fall upon the world.

As Yin and Yang intertwined, the previously hidden "Cursed Great Wall" reappeared.

If elderly people who have lived by the sea for many years look closely, they can see that a new temple, Wufeng Temple, has appeared on the wall facing the mouth of the Jiulong River.

Unfortunately, the Mountain and Sea Curse only appeared for a short while before disappearing without a trace as the cycle of Yin and Yang in the human world continued.

Soon, the towering clouds, now ablaze with flames, spewed forth a thousand feet of golden light that tore apart the last wisp of night.

In an unnamed bay along the coast of Minzhou, the shadows of hundreds of masts, propelled by the sunlight, slant across the white sand.

The interplay of light and shadow made a boy standing on the shore watching the sea appear like a golden statue.

Early-rising Tanka people greeted the boy warmly:

"Scholar, going fishing again so early?"

Wang Cheng returned the greeting with a smile:

"Good morning, Aunt Chen. Don't mention 'scholar' or 'talented scholar,' you're too kind. Just call me Fugui."

"I was saved by the Zhang brothers, and now I'm staying here for free. I have hands and feet; I can't just keep eating and drinking here for free."

By this time, he had already changed out of his original clothes, with his sleeves and trouser legs rolled up, and his feet bare. Apart from his very pale skin, he looked no different from an ordinary fisherman's boy.

Carrying a fishing net, a fish basket, and a fish-cleaning knife, he jumped onto a small boat and slowly left the shore.

Dozens of sailboats of various sizes were moored along the waterway, linked together and covered with wooden planks, forming a chain of boats that looked like a floating island on the water.

It has a unique charm.

Three days ago, Wang Cheng followed the "Zhang Fushun" ship on a strategic relocation to this temporary settlement area belonging to the Tanka people.

The Tanka people, also known as boat people, boat households, or boat-dwelling people, live on water, living in one boat per household.

The word "dan" is a homophone for "egg." Because they constantly struggle against the wind and waves in rivers and oceans, their lives are as fragile as an eggshell, hence the name "dan people."

Like the Cai Shui Wang family, who were also boat people and longed for amnesty, they did not even receive the most basic citizen treatment in the Great Zhao Dynasty.

They were forbidden from participating in the imperial examinations, from buying land, and were even prohibited from living on land; they were destined to spend their entire lives adrift on the water.

This temporary settlement is not far from Yuegang, the estuary of the Jiulong River.

However, the coastline is extremely winding, and the land is covered with towering mountains, making it incredibly difficult to find this place, whether by water or land.

The three days since I returned here have been peaceful and uneventful.

While others might find living on a boat difficult, Wang Cheng spent a considerable amount of his childhood on one, and found himself quite at home on the Lianjia boat.

If it weren't for the impending chaos at sea and the imminent crisis, which made it imperative for Wang Cheng to improve his strength, he would actually be quite willing to stay here for a while longer.

"The most important thing is that you can make money here, and you need money to have power."

Wang Cheng quickly left the area of ​​the Lianjia boat and came to a shallow sea area not far from the coast.

Concentrating intently on the deep seawater, the colorful "qi" before my eyes kept flowing.

Following the wind, it moved around to several different spots, and finally settled on a spot near noon, skillfully casting the fishing net out.

Boom!
The next moment, Wang Cheng felt the fishing net in his hand suddenly sink, and he took a step forward with force to maintain his balance.

It was obvious that some enormous creature was struggling to drag the fishing net underwater.

The fine ramie net was stretched taut with tremendous force, and Wang Cheng couldn't help but suspect that something underwater might break free at any moment, or even drag him into the water with it.

Instead of being surprised, he was delighted, because this was exactly the method he planned to use to make money; everything was going according to plan.

His eyes were fixed intently on the water, his gaze burning:
"I secretly tried it for three days in a row, and this time a big shipment really came."

Sensing that the opponent's strength was even greater than his own, he didn't hesitate, stomped his foot hard, and let out a low shout:
"The Four Seas Coin, borrowing the law!"

The Ghost Tong [Turtle Head Body] talisman in the eyes of the Four Seas Tongbao coin flashed immediately, and relying on the "one jin turtle has three jin of strength", Wang Cheng, who was on the water, instantly gained the strength of three hundred jin.

In comparison, even the world weightlifting champions of my previous life were only at this level.

He then adjusted his breathing, using his superb internal cultivation techniques to unify his mind and body, and control every bit of force. The originally precarious struggle became much easier.

Even the faint glimmer of light in his heart gradually grew stronger, almost bursting forth.

Wow!

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Cheng swayed his shoulders and finally pulled the fishing net up from the sea.

His gaze swept past a few ordinary sea fish no bigger than the palm of his hand, and fell on a strange fish at the bottom of the net, only a foot long, which was making the small boat thump loudly as it swung its tail.

Its body is covered in emerald green scales, and its mouth doesn't resemble a fish's, but rather a parrot's beak.

Most importantly, it gleamed with a striking red light in the eyes of the greedy!
Wang Cheng was overjoyed upon seeing this:

"My luck has finally turned! For three days in a row, I've actually managed to catch one of the ten thousand treasures of the sea, the 'Parrot-beaked Blue Croaker,' right in the nearshore waters!" To everyone's astonishment, just as he finished speaking, a slightly shrill voice rang out from the net:
"My luck has finally turned! For three days in a row, I actually managed to catch one of the 100,000 rarest seafood treasures, the Parrot-beaked Blue Cocker Spade, in the nearshore waters!"

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the strange fish's parrot-like beak was opening and closing, and the sound it made was almost identical to Wang Cheng's.

If someone didn't know any better, they would probably be scared to death on the spot. Even the bravest person would have to kneel down and kowtow before being released back into the sea.

Wang Cheng's face lit up with even more joy, and he quickly took it out of the net and put it into the wooden bucket he had prepared in advance.

The "Rare Goods for Sale" team has already obtained information about this fish.

[Rare Goods: Parrot-beaked Blue Cockerel, weighing 2.7 jin (approximately 1.8 kg), one of the 100,000 Sea Treasures]

Fish is delicious and can greatly replenish vital energy, making it a nourishing delicacy for any practitioner, especially helpful in nourishing the physical body.

Value of goods: 300 incense money (value fluctuates, and there is room for increase if a suitable buyer is found).
Taboo: Eating its meat will cause you to passively mimic speech for a day; eating preserved plums or plums can relieve this.

Grind the beaks of ten parrots of the blue-beaked variety into powder and eat them to permanently gain the special skill: silver tongue, the ability to mimic anyone perfectly. It's best not to try this before lighting your inner lamp.

"Get rich."

Having verified the feasibility of his grand plan to make a fortune, Wang Cheng couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Although this vast ocean, which has been cursed and forbidden by successive dynasties, is fraught with danger, it also hides three thousand treasures, one hundred thousand marine delicacies, and countless fish treasures.

Despite the fact that Chinese civilization has continued for more than 5,000 years, even the oldest traditions among water gatherers have not truly understood the true nature of the vast ocean.

It's less than one in ten thousand.

All they knew was that the Three Thousand Abyss Treasures were dead, while the Hundred Thousand Sea Treasures were alive, and many of the Water Class lineage's traditions came from the Abyss Treasures salvaged from the sea.

As for the 100,000 kinds of seafood delicacies, they all share one common characteristic: they're strange!
Although they are aquatic creatures, most of them have some characteristics of terrestrial creatures, combining features of both mountains and seas, as if someone conducted a biological experiment in the depths of the ocean in ancient times.

Of course, whether it's strange or not, the dazzling array of effects it possesses is enough to make people envious: eating it makes one immune to all poisons, eating it makes one walk with incredible speed, eating it brings one many children and grandchildren.
Many water collectors suspect that the weakest of the three classes—Heaven, Earth, and Water—had all its spiritual essence and fortune melted into the vast ocean. Otherwise, where did all these treasures come from?
Golden light shone in Wang Cheng's eyes, and the boundless sea before him changed its appearance once again, with points of light emerging from the deep water.

"Water collectors treat the sea as their field, cultivating the sea and fishing; making money from the sea is their specialty."

[Rare goods are worth hoarding] You can look at things, you can look at people, and of course you can look at the world itself. Different places will reveal completely different atmospheres.

While others rely entirely on luck to fish, I can directly see the shimmering light on the bottom of the water and pinpoint where the good stuff is.

Although this is not the only one.

The officials of the Water Rank, namely the Treasure Hunter and the Pearl Diver; the officials of the Heaven Rank, namely the Feng Shui Master and the Five Senses Master; and the officials of the Earth Rank, namely the Mountain Guardian, the Mountain Chaser, and the Shepherd, all have similar special skills.

Finding a Confucian scholar to perform divination and prophecy might bring good fortune.

The accuracy varies, but other officials, relying on their unique skills, are far inferior to my Four Seas Coin.

My father started his business in the tertiary industry of maritime trade, while I started my business in the primary industry of gathering, fishing, and hunting. We can be said to have similar origins.

"As long as I manage things properly, this business is enough for me to be ordained and listed among the ranks in a short period of time."

They pulled the parrot-beaked blue-necked clown out of the bucket again.

"Money is a bastard's money, we can earn it back after we spend it. Let's eat first."

He drew the fish-gutting knife from his waist and stabbed it in.

With the grand plan to make money taking shape, there will be a steady stream of gains in the future. At this stage, of course, the most important thing is the skills you have.

Wang Cheng wouldn't put the cart before the horse.

He had eaten many delicacies from the 100,000 Seafood Delicacies since childhood, and knew that eating them raw was the best way to eat them. With a flash of his knife, he sliced ​​all the fish meat into crystal-clear sashimi.

I pinched a piece and put it in my mouth; it melted instantly, the rich oils bursting with juicy flavor, making me incredibly satisfied.

"The conditions are rudimentary, and we can only make do."

If you add shredded ginger, scallions, onions, peppers, lemon leaves, soy sauce, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, oil, and salt, the taste is simply amazing!

He quickly devoured half of the lively, parrot-beaked blue-clothed dog.

Carefully put away the valuable parrot beak, and prepare to take the remaining fish head, bones, and half of the fish body back to Zhang Wu and Zhang Wen to make a meat porridge.

Soon, streams of heat emerged from his stomach, and before long he felt his bones burning hot.

He quickly sat on the boat and used the internal cultivation technique [Chenlong Breathing Technique] to temper his internal organs, bones, and blood, digesting the highly nourishing 100,000 seafood delicacies. The spiritual light in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

As the time goes.

Finally, just as the sun shifted and dusk approached, and yin and yang were about to switch again.

Boom!

His face was as calm as a still lake, but a thunderclap suddenly rang in his ears.

That single point of light in his heart, which had already shone to its fullest, finally leaped out from his heart like the rising sun. Wang Cheng suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze opening and closing, and his vision became as bright as day.

(End of this chapter)