Chapter 33: Fishing for Seafood in the Pond
Chen Xiyi was idly fishing in the scenic lake in front of his small courtyard, mainly because he had few other means to pass the time and relax.
Either he was fishing or he was going to use his alloy pickaxe to demolish Prince Zhuang’s residence.
[While Fishing]
[You used the fishing rod to catch a jellyfish.]
Looking at the jellyfish hanging on the other end of the fishing rod, Chen Xiyi remained quite calm.
Although it was absurd to catch a jellyfish in a freshwater scenic lake, it wasn’t the first time; his fish bucket already contained jellyfish and ribbonfish. A mere jellyfish was nothing special.
“If I go sea fishing, will I catch grass carp? No, more likely I would catch a thiarid snail,” Chen Xiyi mused; the fish he caught were all random, who knew what would come up next.
He actually didn’t want to spend all his time fishing; he worried that the more he fished, the more he’d become a “fishing guy,” ending up with everything but fish every time he fished.
What if he caught a water monkey? Should he eat it or let it go?
“Immortal, relaxing with some fishing?” Wang Li asked as he approached, noting Chen Xiyi’s situation.
“I wanted to practice my immortal techniques, but I fear you won’t be able to handle it,” Chen Xiyi responded in a somewhat teasing tone.
This made Wang Li chuckle awkwardly, and then he said, “As for the Ma family, Little Wang has already negotiated with them. If you need anything, they will definitely hand it over willingly.”
“Hmm, so we need to go over now?” Chen Xiyi counter-asked.
“We still need you to identify the items you require,” Wang Li replied respectfully. He had no idea what Chen Xiyi wanted; even Chen Xiyi didn’t know what he wanted.
“You did quite well; this is a gift for you.” Chen Xiyi casually took out a wooden sword and tossed it over.
In this world, he would only give out wooden swords and stone swords; he wouldn’t offer iron swords or alloy swords.
As the saying goes, the rarer the item, the more valuable it becomes. He planned to take the higher route and not to distribute it widely.
Even now, the wooden swords he had distributed were only a handful.
Even his reputation circulated only around the Lingqu area.
As for becoming famous across the land? That was impossible. Chen Xiyi had realized that this world lacked the means of communication for such fame; to make his name known across the world, it would take at least a year to spread.
Transportation was underdeveloped, making most news highly isolated; the only exceptions were the information systems set up by the Great Li Kingdom’s court, which were quite swift. In the folk community, there was hardly any news at all.
Moreover, Emperor Li and others would certainly block news about him vigorously, after all, he was an immortal capable of imparting longevity and immortal techniques, so it was essential to keep a low profile. If this news became too rampant, the ones who would suffer would surely be the high-ranking beneficiaries like Emperor Li.
Wang Li accepted the wooden sword; he naturally knew what this sword represented—a magical sword necessary for one to cultivate spiritual techniques. To embark on that path, one must possess this sword.
“Thank you, Immortal. Please, this way,” Wang Li said delightfully at receiving the good fortune, which was akin to obtaining a ticket for longevity.
Moreover, it was a free gift; if he didn’t get this wooden sword in the coming days, the difficulty in obtaining it later would multiply.
After all, if he wanted it, he would have to exchange resources. For Emperor Li, spending three hundred boxes of gold, silver, and jewels to exchange for someone to consume cultivation resources along with him was hardly worthwhile.
Therefore, Wang Li is certain that the Emperor will pile ninety-nine percent of the resources onto himself in the future and will not distribute them to others excessively.
It is quite normal for emperors to be devoid of feelings.
Chen Xiyi followed Wang Li onto the carriage, and along the way, the two briefly discussed the situation of the Duke Ma’s Residence. Regarding this large family affair, Chen Xiyi wasn’t very keen to get involved.
In such a large household, it’s likely even the stone lions at the entrance are dirty.
If it were back in the days of founding the nation, perhaps there would still be opportunities for cleansing, but now, after three hundred years of coexistence with the nation, the inside has long changed in essence.
The main house, side buildings, the main family, and collateral branches—all the Ma family members occupy an entire street. The internal scheming and petty rivalries are countless.
Over the years, none from this large family business has been able to enter the court for an official position. It’s not that there haven’t been scholars, but either they have died of illness or have blemished reputations, leaving none who could bear the responsibility.
If there wasn’t something afoot, Chen Xiyi wouldn’t believe it.
The carriage wasn’t going fast, but even if it were slow, they eventually arrived at the Duke Ma’s Residence.
“Greetings, Prince Zhuang.” At the entrance of the Duke Ma’s Residence, the head of the Ma family, Ma Ku, had been waiting for a long time.
Although the Ma family was once prosperous, they have now lost a lot of power, relying solely on the remnants of their ancestors’ virtues and marriage ties.
It’s worth noting that even the head of the Ma family does not have the privilege to enter the court and meet the emperor; this kind of family is one that has fallen with the nation. If it were any other lineage, they would have vanished long ago.
Wang Li got down from the carriage, and naturally, Chen Xiyi followed suit.
“Please rise. This time, I am just a middleman; this one is the main guest.” Wang Li did not introduce who Chen Xiyi was.
When Ma Ku saw Chen Xiyi, he felt strange; the person was entirely covered in armor, making it impossible to see any bit of him.
However, he didn’t say much and instead spoke, “To have Master’s attention is also an honor for our Duke Ma’s Residence.”
Chen Xiyi was quite aloof: “Let’s go.”
For Chen Xiyi, the Duke Ma’s Residence holds little value; if it weren’t for the historical item hidden within, he wouldn’t be bothered to interact with them.
This made Ma Ku frown; this person appeared too arrogant. You ought to show some humility in this situation.
But seeing that Wang Li showed no reaction, Ma Ku could only suppress his dissatisfaction and led the way.
“I wonder what item Master has taken a liking to in our Duke Ma’s Residence,” Ma Ku began to speak incessantly, intentionally trying to get closer to Wang Li.
For Ma Ku, Wang Li, the powerful Prince Zhuang, was a big asset, especially since this asset was a trusted aide of the current emperor. If he could really seize this opportunity, perhaps he could advance from his nominal position as a Third-Rank Fierce General to something greater.
Usually, it wasn’t easy to see Prince Zhuang.
Chen Xiyi didn’t care for that; Wang Li naturally could see through Ma Ku’s thoughts, merely responding politely yet tactfully.
In Wang Li’s eyes, Ma Ku was not worthy of being cultivated, fitting only for some powerless trivial positions.
“You’re mistaken, it’s not this way.” Chen Xiyi suddenly interrupted Ma Ku’s words.
Because Ma Ku had turned in the opposite direction while leading the way, if they were to follow him, they would certainly not find that historically significant item, thus necessitating a reminder.
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