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

"The Canglang Gang?"

Chen Shi frowned, searching his mind for relevant memories, but found nothing.

Although he spent most of his time in Ludang Village, he had heard of the names of several gangs in the town, but the "Canglang Gang" mentioned by the man in front of him was something he had never heard of before.

Seeing his blank expression, the middle-aged man laughed heartily and explained:

"I'm not from your Baishui Town, but from Sanli Town in the east. I'm a steward of the Canglang Gang, so it's normal that you haven't heard of me. After finishing my errand, I was on my way back to the hall when I happened to hear that someone was selling treasure fish in the market, so I came to take a look. You know what happened after that, young brother."

Although the Li family's servants were not trained in martial arts, they were all strong and powerful, each punch carrying the force of a hundred pounds, yet you easily withstood it, demonstrating strength far exceeding that of ordinary people. As for the Azure-Scaled Treasure Fish, our Canglang Gang had previously sent members to try and catch it, but they were utterly helpless against this incredibly strong fish. Your ability to catch it and sell it at the market shows that you are no ordinary fisherman, young brother; you must possess extraordinary skills.”

"A talent like you is exactly what my Canglang Gang needs. So, I wonder what you think, young brother, would you like to join my Canglang Gang? I will teach you swordsmanship. If you encounter anyone causing trouble in the future, just draw your sword. If you encounter someone you can't defeat, just say my name, Shen Lang." Shen Lang's tone was solemn, and his eyes were sincere.

He sincerely wanted to invite Chen Shi to join the Canglang Gang.

A fisherman who has never practiced martial arts can easily generate hundreds of pounds of force, which shows that he has excellent aptitude. If he is taken into the gang and carefully trained, he will definitely achieve something in swordsmanship in the future and become a great help.

"Shen Lang... his strength should be no less than that of the martial arts masters in town. If I join the Canglang Gang, I can train in martial arts with him and master more techniques on the basis of great strength. However... these gangs are always fighting each other, with trouble happening here or there. Worrying about these gang affairs all day long is not good for me and may even affect my training speed."

Chen Shi hesitated and did not give an answer immediately.

He naturally wanted to follow a strong person like Shen Lang to cultivate, but once he joined the Canglang Gang, how would he have time to catch fish and unlock and advance his skills?

After a brief moment of thought, Chen Shi tentatively asked:

"Steward Shen... I am willing to practice martial arts with you, but I cannot join the Canglang Gang."

"Oh?" Shen Lang raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"I have a wife at home and don't want to get involved in gang fights. I just want to live a peaceful life. If that's the case, Steward Shen is still willing to teach me swordsmanship. I will not refuse to help you in the future, as long as you need my help." He revealed all his thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang hesitated for a moment before nodding.

This unexpected move startled Chen Shi.

"What on earth is this guy thinking? What is it about me that he wants? In any case, Shen Lang doesn't seem to have any hostility towards me at all; on the contrary, he seems to value me highly, even agreeing to such harsh conditions. If I refuse again, I'll seem tactless. I might even needlessly offend the Canglang Gang, who have no connection to me."

As the saying goes, having one more friend is better than having one more enemy.

Chen Shi really couldn't find a reason to refuse. He nodded slightly, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Deacon Shen."

Shen Lang nodded slightly, understanding Chen Shi's understanding.

People like him, who work on the edge of a knife and risk their lives, are often alone and have no worries about the future. Moreover, in the end, Shen Lang values ​​Chen Shi's martial arts potential. Otherwise, why would a high-ranking deacon like him personally invite a fisherman to join the Canglang Gang?

Then, Shen Lang took out a yellowed booklet from his pocket.

He handed the booklet to Chen Shi and instructed him:

"This is the 'Canglang Blade Technique,' a martial art that all members of the gang must practice. Although it's not considered a top-tier martial art, it's sufficient to deal with most enemies. After you return, read it through once. Tomorrow, come to Sanli Town, and I will personally guide you through a sword technique training session."

"Chen Shi thanks Steward Shen!" He excitedly accepted the "Canglang Saber Technique" and clasped his hands in thanks.

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

As night fell, the village of Ludang gradually quieted down.

After dinner, Chen Shi once again sailed into the vast marshland.

But unlike before, this time there were two more tools – an eel trap and a fishing rod.

The former is naturally used to catch eels and collect the materials needed for the [Water Control] upgrade; the latter is used to fish for bass and collect materials for the [Great Strength] upgrade.

"I wonder how lucky I am tonight, whether I can catch an eel or a black-backed bass," Chen Shi thought to himself.

He felt the former had a greater chance of success than the latter.

Because Chen Shi had fished quite a bit in his previous life, but unfortunately he was always "just short" each time, he had to go to the market to buy a fish to take home, to show that his day had not been wasted.

Before long, Chen Shi arrived at a mudflat.

This was a place he had learned about from Uncle Li, and it was also the eel's favorite hiding place.

By the moonlight, Chen Shi squatted in the reeds. He carried a bamboo eel trap filled with crushed entrails and earthworms. The fishy smell would attract the eels hiding in the mud and lure them into the trap, which they could only enter but not escape.

After observing the surroundings, Chen Shi's gaze settled on a bulging mud base. He gently pushed the cage into the mud wall, precisely aiming at the hole from which air bubbles were coming out—the spiracles of the eel.

After doing all this, Chen Shi used moist black mud to perfectly blend the cage with the soil, so that only the tempting fishy smell could be released, weaving a large net in the silent night to trap the delicious creatures hiding in the mud.

"Four eel traps, hopefully we'll get something."

After noting where the eel trap was buried, Chen Shi sailed away.

Back on the boundless water, Chen Shi tied his fishing rod to the boat and began to read the book "Canglang Sword Technique" under the bright moonlight.

Contrary to his expectations of what a martial arts manual should contain, the entire text, apart from the four large characters on the cover, was completely devoid of any other written characters. Inside, it was filled with illustrations, like a comic strip, demonstrating various sword techniques. Without instruction, simply looking at the pictures to learn these sword techniques would be an incredibly difficult task.

"No wonder those martial arts schools are willing to compile their own techniques into books and sell them for money. So that's how it is. Having martial arts skills but no one to teach you means you can't learn them on your own unless you have extraordinary talent," Chen Shi thought to himself.

He felt that this thing was very similar to the self-study textbook from his previous life.

These are all things that you can't learn without a teacher.

Even so, Chen Shi still couldn't resist the urge to try it. He couldn't even wait until tomorrow; he immediately used his Water Control ability to conjure a respectable-looking "long sword."

"The more refined the items I condense using [Water Control], the greater the energy consumption. I can probably only maintain this longsword condensed from water for half an hour. I need to hurry up and practice." Chen Shi made up his mind.

He immediately began to imitate the moves in the book one by one.

I don't know how much time has passed.

At this moment, Chen Shi's face was covered with fine beads of sweat.

The swordsmanship practice has reached its final stage.

As he unleashed the final move of the "Canglang Saber Technique," the scene before him suddenly changed, and a line of pale gold text appeared out of thin air.

[Canglang Blade Technique (Beginner) → Canglang Blade Technique (Tier 1)]

【Canglang Blade Technique (Tier 1): The moves are crude yet practical, focusing on vital points】

[Advanced Path: Catching Ten Whitebait]