All Heavens: Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts Starting from the Republic of China

Chapter 81 The Kitten Fishing

The meal was to be held at the private residence of a congressman who was a staunch supporter of Liao Xibai.

The room wasn't large, but you could see the lights of Nanjing city when you opened the window.

Liao Xibai and Fu Ze sat facing each other.

He brewed a pot of tea and personally poured a cup for Fu Ze.

"Young friend Fu, are you leaving tomorrow?"

Fu Ze nodded.

"Yes, we need to go to the Maoshan Sect."

Liao Xibai smiled.

"Regarding the ordination?"

"It seems nothing can be hidden from Mr. Liao."

Liao Xibai said.

"It was mainly Master Lu and Master Feng Xuan who mentioned it to me some time ago. Although I don't understand cultivation, I know this is a really important matter."

He looked at Fu Ze with a gentle expression.

"I still remember when we first met, it was in a dilapidated temple. That night, there was a violent storm, and Junfeng even tried to drive you away."

Fu Ze thought for a moment.

Mountain rain, dilapidated temple, assassin, zombie, heretical path —

At that time, he was just a passerby who got caught up in it. But along the way, they've been through so much together.

Fu Ze said softly.

"At that time, Senior Yumingzi and I originally went south to Luofu Mountain, just wanting to take shelter from the rain in the temple."

Liao Xibai laughed heartily.

"Many great events in the world begin as nothing more than a chance encounter."

After a moment of silence, Fu Ze picked up his teacup.

"Mr. Liao, I agreed to escort you to Nanjing because I thought you were a person who could stand up for the people."

Looking back on this journey, I feel I made the right choice in choosing you. I hope you remember your promise and stay true to your original aspirations. The road ahead is yours, not mine.

Liao Xibai was not surprised.

He nodded slightly.

"I understand. Young friend Fu, you are someone outside the imperial court. The fact that you protected me all the way to Jinling is already an immense favor. I, Liao Xibai, will forever remember it and will never forget it."

Fu Zedao.

"What Mr. Liao will have to do in the future is probably much more difficult than my exorcising demons."

2

Liao Xibai looked at the lights outside the window.

"Yes—but we have to do it no matter how difficult it is. If even those of us who still remember our ideals from back then don't do it, then this country will truly only have guns, money, and power left."

Fu Ze nodded.

"I am willing to escort Mr. Liao because you are an idealist."

He raised his teacup.

"Then I'll offer tea instead of wine, wishing you, sir, that you may reach the place you desire, and that the common people of this world may live a better life. I know it's difficult, but every little bit helps."

Liao Xibai also raised his glass.

"I also wish my young friend Fu a speedy attainment of the Heavenly Register, a long and prosperous path in the Dao, and profound magical powers."

Two cups of tea clinked together, and everything was understood without words.

The next morning, Fu Ze left Jinling.

Liao Xibai was too busy to come and see him off. Besides, he had already done so the night before.

Feng Xuan didn't come either; he still needed to stay by Liao Xibai's side to protect him.

Although it's unlikely that there will be any more blatant assassinations in Jinling, having a sorcerer by my side still makes me feel more at ease.

They had all been through thick and thin together, their bond forged in life and death, so whether or not they were seen off wasn't that important.

If fate allows, we will meet again.

Only two people saw Fu Ze off: Zhao Rui and Li Junfeng.

The two escorted him all the way to the outskirts of the city. Zhao Rui kept muttering to himself that Maoshan was definitely not as fun as Jinling.

Li Junfeng didn't say much, only patting Fu Ze on the shoulder, "Be careful on the road. If you have the chance after this is over, remember to come back to Jinling to find us."

Fu Ze looked at him, then flipped his hand, and a small sandalwood box appeared in his hand.

"I have finished refining your elixir."

Li Junfeng was somewhat surprised.

"So fast? I've heard that these kinds of pills, which can restore qi and blood and replenish life force, are extremely precious, and the refining process is extremely complicated and takes a long time. Are you so skilled in alchemy?"

Fu Ze blinked.

"Everyone has secrets, don't they?"

Of course, he wouldn't say that he was a cheat!

In reality, once all the medicinal ingredients are collected, the alchemy function of the [Heavenly Decree] can be used to create the [Heaven-Mending Life-Extending Pill].

It only takes a moment to succeed.

After saying goodbye to Liao Xibai last night, Fu Ze returned to his room, which was an easy task.

Unfortunately, because he didn't personally kill the powerful Japanese sorcerer—it was Lu Shouzhen who did—he didn't receive any "kill reward" or anything like that.

However, because he met Lu Shouzhen and fought alongside him, he was able to receive ordination from the true Shangqing orthodox Maoshan sect.

The benefits from this are probably far greater than the reward from the [Order of All Heavens] after killing that Japanese sorcerer!

The cause and effect here is also the will of Heaven.

Li Junfeng accepted the pills that Fu Ze handed him and smiled.

"Thank you very much, Brother Fu. I will remember this kindness."

Fu Ze smiled too.

"Brother Li, it's a bit startling that you're suddenly being so polite."

Zhao Rui burst into laughter, laughing so hard he almost fell over.

Li Junfeng's face darkened.

Fu Ze glanced back at Jinling City.

In the morning light, this capital city is bustling, profound, and complex, but it also harbors countless unseen storms.

But those storms are temporarily irrelevant to him.

He turned around and looked at the dock in front of him.

There were warships there, preparing to return to Wenlong. He would sail with the ship to the dock closest to the Maoshan Sect, then disembark and walk alone by land to the Maoshan Sect.

Lu Shouzhen had already returned to Maoshan ahead of Fu Ze, explaining his situation to the sect and then making some preparations.

"Ah Rui, Brother Li, all good things must come to an end. We'll meet again!"

Until we meet again!

The three bowed to each other in farewell, and Fu Ze headed towards the dock.

Maoshan, ordained.

The true orthodox Taoist tradition of this world is finally about to be revealed to him.

The warships were traveling against the current, and their speed was not fast.

Fu Ze stood on the deck, watching the green mountains on both sides recede little by little, and his heart found a rare moment of peace.

After the Wenlong Night Incident, he was almost constantly on the move, fighting, killing, and cleaning up. Now that he had left Jinling, without Liao Xibai, Zhao Rui, and Li Junfeng by his side, and without Master Feng Xuan's occasional nagging, he suddenly felt a sense of leisure.

Of course, this leisurely lifestyle doesn't mean there's nothing to do.

-

He stood with his eyes closed in the river breeze, repeatedly recalling Yan Heting's palm strike.

The elixir is as strong as a furnace, and the qi and blood are in perfect harmony.

The oppressive feeling, almost like a mountain crashing down on him, still makes his palms tingle when he thinks about it now.

"I still need to get stronger."

Fu Ze thought to himself silently.

The officers and soldiers on the ship all knew him as Mr. Fu, who had escorted Mr. Liao to Nanjing, and they respected him greatly. However, Fu Ze spent most of his time meditating on the deck or standing at the bow watching the water, and no one dared to disturb him.

After traveling for two days, the warship finally docked at the pier of a riverside town that wasn't too big.

This place is closest to the Maoshan Sect.

Further on, the waterway becomes a detour, so it's actually faster to take the land route.

The officer who saw him off was very polite and specially arranged for two soldiers to accompany Fu Ze on his journey.

Fu Ze refused.

"Thank you, but no need, it's more convenient for me to walk alone."

With his current magical and martial arts skills, if he were to encounter ordinary mountain spirits, wild ghosts, evil cultivators, or demons, it wouldn't be that he's afraid of them, but rather that they should be afraid of him!

If he were to bring ordinary soldiers, he would have to keep an eye on the enemy.

After disembarking at the dock, Fu Ze bought some dry food and water, asked the locals for directions to Maoshan, and then set off alone.

To get to Maoshan from here, you still need to walk some mountain paths.

The first half of the official road was relatively flat, but the further you went, the fewer people there were.

As evening approached, the sky gradually darkened.

Fu Ze was not in a hurry to travel at night.

He found a small river, a large tree with lush branches and leaves by the river, casually placed a simple talisman under the tree to ward off evil, and then leaped onto a thick branch and sat down against the trunk.

A babbling brook flows gently, and insects chirp among the grass.

The distant mountain shadows were gradually swallowed by the night, and a crescent moon hung in the sky. Under the dark sky, it displayed a lonely beauty.

Fu Ze took a bite of the dry rations and thought to himself that this was quite comfortable.

Compared to the gunfire, thunder, explosions, and the Grandmaster of Dan Jin that night in Wenlong City, spending the night in the wild now feels like a vacation!

Of course, if an ordinary person were to sleep alone in such a desolate place, they would most likely tremble with fear and live in constant anxiety.

But Fu Ze was not afraid.

He possessed the aura of the Shangqing Orthodox Dharma, a lightning-struck jujube wood dagger, and the qi, blood, and bones of a Grandmaster of Internal Energy. Ordinary ghosts and spirits, if they had any sense, would avoid him before even getting close.

If you really encounter some mindless evil spirit approaching, just treat it as a workout for the evening.

Night was falling.

Just as Fu Ze was about to close his eyes to rest, he suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the grass by the river.

It was very light, like something tiny was burrowing in and out of the grass.

At the same time, there was also a very faint trace of demonic energy.

"Um?"

Fu Ze opened his eyes.

He did not act immediately.

This demonic aura was very faint, like a trace of spirituality that had just emerged from an ordinary wild beast; it couldn't yet be considered a true demon.

Or perhaps it could be loosely described as a "little demon".

Fu Ze silently fell from the tree branch and walked towards the river.

Then he saw a cat.

A small stray cat with mixed fur colors.

It squatted on a flat rock by the river, its two hind legs slightly apart, its bottom sitting upright, just like a person sitting on the bank.

Even more outrageous, it was holding a thin twig with its two paws.

A section of grass stem was tied to the end of a tree branch, and a small leaf hung below the grass stem.

It carefully tossed the leaf into the river, where it gently swayed on the surface.

Fu Ze was taken aback.

"Is that cat fishing?"

The kitten was extremely focused.

Its ears stood up sharply, its whiskers twitched, and its eyes were fixed on the leaf on the water's surface.

A small fish swam past the leaves.

The kitten's pupils dilated instantly, its body leaned forward, and its tail also curled up.

But the little fish just circled around the leaves without taking a bite.

The kitten froze.

A moment later, it angrily slapped the stone with its paw.

Snapped.

The voice was soft, but very earnest.

It pushed the branch towards Jay again, as if it thought the fish wasn't biting because it wasn't close enough.

As a result, the leaves were carried by the water flow and stuck directly to the grass roots on the bank.

The kitten quickly reached out its paw to scratch at it.

After fiddling around for a while, the leaf was torn again.

The cat stared blankly at the torn leaves.

Then, it bent down and picked up another leaf from the side, clumsily wrapping it around the grass stem with its paws.

I tried to entangle it twice, but I couldn't get it to stay in place.

Tie it up again, and the grass stems will be knotted.

The kitten meowed angrily, its tail swishing back and forth behind it, as if it wished it could bite the disobedient blade of grass to death.

Fu Ze almost burst out laughing.

This little thing actually has quite a temper.

The kitten seemed to hear the noise and suddenly turned around.

A person and a cat stare at each other.

Fu Ze did not deliberately conceal his wealth.

The kitten immediately felt the powerful pressure from his body, its ears pressed back, and the fur on its back slightly stood on end.

But it didn't escape.

It stared at Fu Ze for a while, then turned back and continued to hug the branch.

It's as if it's saying: Two-legged creatures, don't bother me while I'm doing my business!

Fu Ze smiled.

"You won't catch any fish like that."

The kitten didn't turn around, but its ears twitched.

Fu Ze walked over and squatted down next to it, pointing to the leaf.

"Fish aren't stupid. If you wave a leaf around in the water, why would it bite?"

The little cat looked at him with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

Fu Zedao.

"From the moment there is bait."

The kitten tilted the straw mat bag.

Fu Ze thought for a moment, then got up and searched for a while in the damp soil next to him.

Before long, he dug out several earthworms.

The kitten saw the thing wriggling between his fingers, and with a startled meow, it took a small step back.

At first, it looked disgusted, but then it couldn't resist its curiosity and cautiously reached out its paw to touch it.

The earthworm moves.

The kitten quickly retracted its paw.

Fu Ze couldn't help but laugh.

"You dare to fish here alone, no, a cat, so late at night? Are you afraid of earthworms?"

The kitten meowed in dissatisfaction.

Fu Ze didn't argue with it. He broke off a thinner branch and picked a thorny twig from the side, bending the thorns into a simple hook. Although crude, it was enough for catching these small river fish.

He hung the earthworm up and handed the branch to the kitten.

"Come on, let's try again."

The kitten stared at the still-moving earthworm, hesitated for a long time, and finally stretched out its two paws to hug the branch.

This time, it was clearly much more serious.

It mimicked Fu Ze's actions, gently placing the bait into the water, lowering its body, straightening its tail, and even seeming to breathe more softly.

The water remained still for a while.

Suddenly, a small fish swam over and bit the earthworm.

The kitten's eyes lit up, and it immediately gave a sharp tug.

But it was in too much of a hurry!

The little fish was pulled halfway out of the water, then splashed back into the pond, creating a small spray that landed right on the kitten's face.

The kitten froze on the stone.

A few drops of water clung to Cheng's whiskers and the tip of his nose. His eyes were wide open, as if he couldn't believe that he had been tricked by a fish.

Fu Ze couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The kitten, Liantou, glared at him.

That expression was both aggrieved and angry.

Fu Ze quickly waved his hand.

"Stop laughing, stop laughing. You were too hasty just now. Wait until it bites firmly before you pull."

The kitten seemed to understand.

It shook the straw bag to remove the water from its face, then picked up the branch again.

The next time, it clearly learned its lesson.

After the fish bit the earthworm, it didn't pull it off immediately. Instead, it lowered its body further, its tail tip twitching slightly, and endured the pain for two breaths.

It only gave a sudden tug when the fish was being dragged down.

Whoosh!

A small fish, no bigger than the palm of a hand, was dragged ashore and landed on the grass, thrashing about.

The kitten pounced instantly, pinning the fish down with its two paws, its excitement practically radiating from its tail to the sky.

It looked down at the fish, then looked up at Fu Ze.

That little face was simply irresistible.

Fu Ze smiled.

"Okay, you really know how to fish now."

The kitten lowered its head and bit the fish, then, after thinking for a moment, dragged the fish to Fu Ze's feet.

Fu Ze was taken aback.

"For me?"

The kitten sat on the ground, looked up at him, and meowed softly.

Fu Ze looked at the little fish that was still jumping around, and then at the little wildcat that had just gained sentience.

This little thing has very little demonic aura, but its intelligence is clearly much higher than that of an ordinary wild cat.

If left unattended, it might slowly develop some skills in the mountains and wilderness. Perhaps one day it will encounter evil cultivators and be captured and skinned to make talismans; or perhaps it will encounter a bad-tempered sorcerer who will kill it with a single talisman.

Just because a little demon has gained sentience doesn't mean it can go far.

It is also possible that—after encountering many bad things, it will eventually become a man-eating monster.

Fate is such a mysterious thing.

Fu Ze reached out and rubbed its straw pouch.

The kitten stiffened at first, but quickly stopped trying to dodge and even squinted its eyes. Then it gently leaned against Fu Ze's arm and purred softly.

Fu Zedao.

"I'm going to Maoshan Pi, not for fun. If you come with me, the journey might not be so safe."

The kitten tilted its head.

Fu Ze continued.

"But I might not dig earthworms for you every day."

The kitten seemed to understand the most crucial sentence, and immediately bent down, picked up the fish, and walked to Fu Ze's side, as if to show with its actions: I can fish by myself!

Fu Ze couldn't stop laughing.

"Alright."

He stood up.

The kitten immediately stood up, carrying the fish in its mouth, and followed behind him, stepping on the grass.

Fu Ze returned to the big tree.

He glanced at the kitten.

The kitten glanced at the tree.

The next moment, it scrambled up the tree in a few quick movements, even more skillfully than Fu Ze. It found a tree branch, lay down, its tail dangling in the air, and still holding the fish in its mouth.

Fu Ze shook his head and leaped onto another branch.

Moonlight falls on the river surface, and the water murmurs softly.

The man and the cat, one a lowly creature, both fell silent.

Fu Ze leaned against the tree trunk and suddenly felt a little amused.

He was originally going to Maoshan to receive ordination.

Who would have thought that they would find a little stray cat that knows how to fish on the way?

However, the journey didn't seem so boring after all.