Gou Zai Wu Dao Chao Shi Xing Nian Da Gong

Chapter 60 The River God's Method to Find the Spiritual Treasure (Seeking First Subscription)

The martial arts training ground in the backyard of the Zhou family.

Zhou Sheng and Zhou He each occupied a corner, practicing diligently while sweating profusely.

The two seemed tireless, their faces serious and focused, giving their all in every move without holding back.

Zhou Fugan lay on a recliner under the shade of a tree, his eyes slightly closed, a look of contentment on his face.

Knock knock knock~~

Suddenly, there was a knock on the back door, followed by a voice.

"Father, it's me."

It was Zhou Guangshun's voice.

Zhou Fugan sat up, feeling somewhat curious.

Since he let his two sons start their own businesses, his second son, Zhou Guangcheng, opened a tailor shop. With his excellent skills and the reputation of being the son of a martial artist, he attracted many wealthy families to do business, and the shop became very successful.

The eldest son, Zhou Guangshun, did not fare so well. He followed advice and opened a fish stall, but because he was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to exploit the fishermen, he suffered continuous losses and eventually had to give up.

They've come looking for me now, presumably because they've found a new opportunity.

At this moment, Zhou Sheng went over and opened the door, and Zhou Guangshun came to Zhou Futu.

"father!"

"Guangshun, what's the matter?" Zhou Fugan asked.

Zhou Guangshun hesitated for a moment, then a determined look flashed across his face. He said, "Dad, I feel I'm not good at business; I'm more suited to fishing!"

Zhou Fugan didn't refute, but instead asked, "Eldest brother, it's not that I don't want you to fish. But do you think our family still needs you to risk your life fishing for those pittances?"

Beside him, Zhou Sheng also chimed in with advice, "Yes, Dad, if you go fishing, Mom and I will worry. It would be better if you stayed at home, or helped out at Uncle's tailor shop."

"Father, I'm not talking about ordinary fishing."

"Oh? What kind of fishing is that?"

"I mean, let's go catch the treasure fish!" Zhou Guangshun said after a moment's hesitation.

"No way. Are treasure fish so easy to catch?"

Zhou Futu immediately objected. He remembered his cousin's family, who had been wiped out because they went to catch the treasure fish—that was a cautionary tale.

Zhou Guangshun was not discouraged and explained, "Father, I saw that some wealthy families in the city keep a fleet of treasure fish boats, led by treasure fish masters, to catch treasure fish. I think this is a good business, and our Zhou family should also keep a fleet of boats to catch treasure fish in the future. Not only can we sell them for silver, but we can also supply Xiaosheng and Xiaohe, the two brothers."

Zhou Futu fell silent upon hearing this. Catching the treasure fish was indeed a lucrative business.

The Blackwater Marsh, located in the upper reaches of the Blackwater River, is rich in precious resources such as treasure fish and medicinal herbs. Qingshan County, possessing this treasure trove, naturally wouldn't waste it. Many families in the county have formed treasure-hunting fleets, specifically to enter the Blackwater Marsh to capture treasure fish and search for precious herbs.

However, the Blackwater Marsh has a complex and varied terrain, and is said to be haunted by dangerous and evil creatures such as water demons and kappa, making it extremely dangerous. The death rate for ordinary people entering is extremely high. Only large fleets led by martial artists can withstand these dangers.

Given the Zhou family's current situation, they are not yet able to afford to support a fishing fleet.

"Our family can't afford to maintain a fleet right now. Besides, nobody in this industry understands this," Zhou Fugan said.

"Dad, I just want to learn. I'll go with other ships and become a treasure fish master first. Once I understand the situation of the fleet, I can lead the fleet directly when our family wants to start its own," Zhou Guangshun explained.

Zhou Fugan looked at his eldest son carefully. This son seemed different; he had more ideas now. It was good that he had ideas, and he supported him, but reality also had to be considered.

"Your idea is good, but Master Baoyu needs the skill to find treasure fish. Do you have it?"

"I will," Zhou Guangshun replied.

"Oh?"

Zhou Futu was taken aback. He hadn't expected his honest and simple eldest son to know the secret method of finding the treasure fish. Wait a minute, where did he learn that?

"Where did you learn that from?" he asked quickly.

"It was my great-uncle who taught me. You sent me to learn fishing from my cousin. My cousin only taught me ordinary fishing methods. But one time, when my cousin wasn't home, my great-uncle called me over alone and taught me how to find the treasure fish."

"He also said that this was originally a family secret passed down in the Wang family and was not to be passed on to outsiders. But my cousin was a flamboyant person who did not keep to his duties and was prone to causing trouble. In order to prevent this secret method from being lost, he made an exception and passed it on to me. He also made me swear an oath that if the Wang family fell into decline and forgot the ancestral method, I would definitely pass this secret method back to the Wang family."

Zhou Guangshun then recounted the origin of his method for finding the treasure fish.

Zhou Futu was deeply moved upon hearing this, and sighed, "Your great-uncle was right. You don't know, but three years ago, your cousin risked his life to venture deep into the Blackwater Marsh to catch a treasure fish. He encountered something filthy, returned home dead, and brought the filthy thing back with him. The Wang family has been wiped out!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Guangshun was struck dumb, his whole body trembled, his eyes turned red, and tears streamed down his face.

"How could such a tragedy happen!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"I didn't want to believe it either. But when I visited the Wang family's old house not long ago, it was already in ruins. It was a neighbor who told me about this tragedy."

Zhou Futu shook his head and sighed.

Then he instructed, "I don't want you to go and catch the treasure fish. But if you insist on going, I won't stop you, but you must find a powerful enough fleet. With strong martial artists protecting you, you won't have to worry about anything dirty."

Zhou Guangshun wiped away his tears, lowered his head and thought for a while, then raised his head and answered with a firm gaze: "Father, I still want to go. Just as you said, I will find a powerful fishing fleet. Besides, among so many fishing fleets, there aren't many as miserable as my uncle."

"Okay. So whose fleet are you planning to join?" Zhou Fugan asked.

"I recently made a friend, the third son of the Wu family in the east of the city, named Wu Chengshan. He has recently started a fleet of ships with several martial arts masters in charge, and he wants me to be his treasure fish master."

Zhou Guangshun answered.

"The Wu family of the east side of the city?"

Zhou Fugan had heard of this family; their status in the east of the city was similar to that of the Wang family in the south. They were said to primarily operate a water transport fleet, but he hadn't expected them to also fish for precious fish.

"Alright then. Remember to be careful in everything you do. Also, don't go to your uncle's place to pay your respects, since it involves unclean things." Zhou Futu nodded in agreement, then gave him a special instruction. He was afraid that if his sentimental son went to pay his respects, he might get into trouble by picking up something.

"I understand," Zhou Guangshun replied. He valued loyalty, but he wasn't a fool.

"Alright then. Come with me and dictate the method for finding the treasure fish. I'll take a look." Zhou Fugan then got up and walked towards the study.

"The River God's Method to Find the Spiritual Treasure!"

Inside the study, Zhou Futu frowned as he stared at the few pages of paper in front of him.

The paper contained Zhou Guangshun's oral account of the secret method for finding the treasure fish.

This secret technique is not difficult; even ordinary people can perform it. However, it has a somewhat eerie quality to it.

Aside from a wealth of experience and knowledge in finding precious fish and medicines, the true core secrets are divided into three parts: the method of making spirit-seeking incense, scriptures, and the art of incense meditation.

The so-called Spirit-Seeking Incense is a secret incense made using various medicinal herbs and spices. It is divided into high and low grades. Low-grade incense can be made with only common medicinal herbs. High-grade incense even requires aquatic treasure herbs as materials.

The most crucial point is that the blood essence of the person performing the secret technique must be added during the incense-making process.

The following scriptures are prayers praising the River God and the water spirit, while the art of incense meditation is a method of invoking the gods. It is said that the combination of the two can communicate with the River God and the water spirit, asking them to point out the direction of the precious fish or aquatic medicine.

Zhou Futu always felt that this secret method seemed mystical and not quite legitimate. Therefore, he decided to try getting some of the secret incense to see if it turned out to be a trap.

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