The catch inspired my entry: Persistence will eventually lead to invincibility.

Song Kingdom, Fallen Dragon Marsh, White Water Town.

On a bright summer morning, the sky was clear.

A gentle breeze swept by, and ripples spread across the calm water.

got windy.

Realizing this, Chen Shi quickly steadied the sampan beneath him, then slowed down and slowly made his way towards the waters where he had cast his fishing net the day before.

The people here live off the water, catching fish and shrimp to sell at the market, and digging out the silt from the bottom of the water to grow crops.

Work at sunrise, and rest at sunset.

This is a way of survival passed down from our ancestors.

Having traversed this world for nearly a month, Chen Shi gradually became accustomed to this life—ordinary, monotonous... and most importantly, stifling. As a fisherman, even lower than a farmer, he could only live on the riverbank and had to suffer oppression and exploitation from bullies and officials.

At least 30% of the monthly catch must be handed over, and there is no way to keep any precious fish for oneself. Any dissatisfaction will result in a beating.

There were attempts to rally the fishermen in rebellion.

But not everyone is willing to be the first to stick their neck out.

Two fists can't fight four hands, let alone a burly, strong bully. In the end, the man was thrown into the lake to feed the fish and shrimp.

"Splash!"

After sailing for some time, the small boat finally arrived at its destination.

Chen Shi immediately began to scoop up the fishing nets that had been cast the day before, one by one.

He hoped to catch a few big fish and secretly sell them in town for a good price, which would be enough to pay for his apprenticeship at the martial arts school. With the status of a martial arts school apprentice, Xu Hu and the others wouldn't deliberately cause trouble, and if they practiced martial arts diligently, they might be able to escape this stifling life.

But the result left him feeling utterly disappointed.

"How can it be so light?" Chen Shi was puzzled.

He didn't expect to return with a full catch, but at least his catch was comparable to usual. Yet, he pulled the net back halfway with almost no effort.

Inside the net, only a few small shrimp were jumping and struggling; there wasn't even a single fish the size of a palm. More than half of the net was empty, and it hadn't even caught any seaweed.

Upon seeing this, he frowned deeply.

Chen Shi was anxious and quickly sped up the process of closing the net.

The fishing net was taut, and finally, the only catch was pulled up.

It was a fish about half a foot long, with a body shaped like a shuttle. Its entire body was covered with dark green to almost black scales, layer upon layer, like flowing water, and there was even cool water vapor lingering between its gills.

It's a treasure fish!

"No wonder so many nets didn't catch many fish, it turns out it was you who did it," Chen Shi muttered to himself.

The giant bream has a fierce temperament, and most fish and shrimp avoid it.

This is why most fishing nets are empty.

Most of those caught in the net were eaten by this creature, and those not caught dared not approach, leading to the current situation. However, Chen Shi was not disappointed at all; he was quite happy. The money earned from catching just one treasure fish was equivalent to several days' worth of harvest in normal times.

"I've had some good luck today. I caught a treasure fish, and with the few taels of silver I saved up earlier, I've finally raised enough for my apprenticeship fee. But I can't let anyone else know about catching the treasure fish yet."

Chen Shi wanted to hide the treasure fish well.

If Xu Hu discovers this, all our efforts will be in vain.

So he reached out and grabbed the precious fish.

The moment my fingers touched it, a panel appeared before my eyes.

[Fishing and hunting in countless lakes, imbuing the body with spirit]

[Catch: Blackfin Fish]

[Successfully imbued with spirit, acquired the attribute: Water Control]

[Water Control: Capable of manipulating 50 kilograms of water around the body, directing water flow at will]

[Advanced route: Catch ten small whitebait.]

The moment Chen Shi saw this panel, all the frustration and resentment he had felt since his transmigration vanished, replaced by joy.

He glanced at the text and understood the system's function.

By catching the treasure fish, you can obtain the entry.

To improve the effectiveness of an entry, you must fish according to the requirements given in the advanced path.

"Originally, I saved money to become an apprentice in order to learn martial arts for self-defense, but now it seems that I don't need to do that. With this [Fishing and Hunting in Myriad Lakes, Imbuing My Body with Spirit] affix system by my side, I only need to catch fish as usual to collect affixes and strengthen them, thereby achieving the goal of becoming stronger. The Eight Hundred Miles of Fallen Dragon Lake is full of countless treasure fish. With the affix assistance, my cultivation may not be slower than learning martial arts at a martial arts school."

Chen Shi had already given up the idea of ​​joining a martial arts school to learn martial arts.

Because he had heard that martial arts training depends on one's physical constitution.

Those with poor aptitude for martial arts will not achieve much even after many years of training. He was unsure of his own aptitude for the art and lacked sufficient funds to continue his training. Previously, he had no choice but to join a martial arts school to become stronger, but now things were different; he had a better way.

Chen Shi's gaze sharpened as he looked at the entry he had just acquired.

[Water Control: Capable of manipulating 50 kilograms of water around the body, directing water flow at will.]

He took a deep breath, held his breath, and focused intently.

Focus your attention on the area of ​​water beneath the sampan.

"Push!" Chen Shi silently chanted in his heart.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sampan actually moved forward a short distance.

"It really works! How about this?"

Chen Shi then changed the direction of the water flow, attempting to lift the sampan.

Splash! Splash!

Water kept hitting the bottom of the sampan.

But no matter what, it couldn't be lifted up.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Chen Shi finally gave up.

"It seems there's too little water to control. How can a mere fifty pounds lift me sitting in the sampan? But if I follow the advanced path to catch fish and enhance the effect of the skill, then I should be able to control more water currents."

Chen Shi pondered to himself, and then tried to control the water to propel the sampan.

The sun was rising higher, and it was almost noon.

"Phew! Once I got the hang of it, the net-laying speed increased significantly."

Chen Shi exhaled the stale air from his body and raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

He cast his fishing net into the water and retrieved it by evening the next day—a daily routine. Previously, this task would take until the afternoon to complete, but with the [Water Control] feature, his efficiency has increased dramatically.

Then, he turned his gaze to the black-scaled fish at his feet.

It weighs about two ounces.

It is also one of the most common treasure fish in Fallen Dragon Marsh.

Even the most common ones are still difficult to catch, and their prices are quite high. The one Chen Shi has could sell for nearly ten taels of silver, but he doesn't intend to do so.

Even without Xu Hu, there are other gangs in town.

Taking it to the market to sell openly is too risky, and it's definitely not something you can keep at home. The best way is to take it home and make fish soup with it, which will also help nourish tide Niang's body.

With the precious fish entangled in the fishing net and the other end securely attached to the back of the sampan, Chen Shi urged [Water Control] to speed towards the shore.

............

Upon reaching the shore, Chen Shi secured the sampan but did not take out the precious fish.

He rushed to his home, which was not far away.

The place was a complete mess, as if a thief had broken in.

At that moment, a woman came out of the kitchen. Overjoyed to see the man return home, she hurriedly ran to Chen Shi, her already ill-fitting clothes shaking violently as she ran.

This woman's name is Yu Xuexi, and she was the wife of the previous incarnation.

"Brother Shi'er, why are you back so early?" tide Niang asked curiously.

Chen Shi did not answer, but pointed to the messy room.

"Have Xu Hu and the others been here?" he asked in a serious tone.

Xi Niang nodded, then tears welled up in her eyes. She leaned against Chen Shi's chest, sobbing, "Brother Shi, you just left this morning, and they came. They said that starting this month, we have to... pay an extra 10%. All the other families have paid, but we can't."

"Before leaving, he even stole the hairpin that Shi'er gave me, saying that if I didn't pay that 10% tomorrow, he would... he would arrest me and sell me. Shi'er, I don't want to be sold to a brothel... Let's run away quickly. I'll go anywhere with you, Shi'er..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shi felt a surge of inexplicable anger rising in his chest.

He held tide Niang in his arms, but hesitated to speak.

a long time.

Chen Shi released his grip, took a deep breath, and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going, Shi'er?" tide Niang asked in a worried tone.

She was terrified that her husband might do something foolish, and she was very frightened.

Chen Shi did not answer, but instead told tide Niang to stay at home.

They didn't dare to resist before because they lacked the ability, but now that they have the means, they want to use them.

The moment the thought of killing arises, one suddenly feels the vastness of the world.

Chen Shi went straight to Xu Hu's residence, his steps steady and his expression calm.