Chapter 136: Fishing

"Liuliu, look at all these fish! It’s nothing like the underground river in Rizhao Town, where fish are so scarce."

"I have no interest in fish meat."

Liuliu might not be interested, but Yunqing certainly was. As for why the fish were so sparse in the Rizhao Town underground river and the streams outside the forest, it was because fish were nutrient-rich. Liuliu didn't care for them, but the mosquitoes did; most of the fish had ended up as mosquito food.

Yunqing had long wanted to try her hand at fishing. She had already prepared her rod and other tools, and she was eager to give it a go. Looking around, she sensed no immediate danger. Although she had never fished herself, she had watched others do it up close and knew how quickly it could be done.

She had to try. Reaching out, she plucked a few blades of grass by the lakeside, rolled them into a ball with her hands, and infused them with her internal energy as she worked. Though this was her first time making bait, she was quite familiar with the process; having worked as a cook, she was well-versed in kneading internal energy into food. Rolling it into a ball was simple enough for someone who had hand-rolled two hundred pills just last night. Last night, the pills had been a bit too hot to handle, but today, the grass didn't burn her hands at all.

A moment later, a system notification appeared:
Crafting EXP +31;
Obtained Grass-based Bait x1;
Grass-based Bait: A bait made from grass. It looks quite delicious and will appeal to herbivorous fish.

Yunqing hadn't expected crafting bait to grant crafting experience, which explained why she hadn't tried it before. She would have to experiment with new things more often; it might just speed up her leveling.

She hooked the bait and cast her line. There was no need for a float or spiritual sense; she could see the bait and the fish clearly in the crystalline lake. As soon as the bait hit the water, it startled several fish. They darted away at first, but upon sensing the delicious, fish-attracting aroma radiating from the bait, they turned back and swam toward it.

Yunqing watched excitedly as multiple prey items converged on her bait—some were level 30, others over level 40. There were so many. Her heart raced, and she kept chanting to herself: "Bite, bite! You, the unnamed level 42 fish, I'm talking to you—hurry up and take the bait..."

Having never seen a fish over level 40 before, Yunqing naturally hoped her first cast would be a lucky strike.

It seemed her wish might come true. The level 42 fish of unknown species she had set her sights on flicked its tail, moving with incredible speed, darting toward the bait like an arrow. On the bank, Yunqing gripped the rod tightly with both hands, ready to strike at any moment. Just as the level 42 fish closed in—so close that Yunqing almost pulled the rod—it swerved at the last second and swam away.

"Little fish, you haven't even told me what species you are, why leave so soon?" Yunqing was slightly disappointed, wondering why the fish had slipped away.

However, her disappointment lasted only a second, as a level 38 carp swam toward her bait. The level 42 fish had left, but it hadn't taken the bait with it. Two seconds later, the level 38 carp snapped at the bait, and the hook snagged its mouth simultaneously.

Yunqing seized the chance to pull the rod, jerking the carp out of the water and onto the grass.

Gathering EXP +38;
Obtained Contaminated Carp x1;

This was an unexpected joy. She hadn't realized fishing would grant gathering experience. With this, she wouldn't need to venture into the dangerous, forest-filled depths to search for spiritual herbs; she could simply find a place with fish and level up to the Qi Refining stage with ease.

Killing the fish was simple. With a thought, Yunqing summoned her kitchen knife. With one swift motion, she dispatched the level 38 carp, gaining several dozen combat EXP points. Using a Purification Spell, she cleansed the contaminated carp, obtaining a purified carp and 38 points of crafting EXP. Using her gathering skill on the carp, she quickly removed the scales and cleaned the innards, obtaining carp meat and another 38 points of gathering EXP.

Yunqing tucked the fish meat and the rest of the remains into her system inventory, intending to turn them into grilled fish later to earn even more crafting EXP.

"Liuliu! Fishing is truly a multi-purpose endeavor. If I had known this, I wouldn't have risked going into the inner forest; I could have just stayed by the river and fished until I reached the Qi Refining stage."

"Rizhao Town doesn't seem to have many fish, and besides, once your proficiency level is high enough, fish below level 40 won't grant experience anymore. I fear you won't be able to reach level 41 this way."

She couldn't return to Rizhao Town for the time being, and there were more than just level 40 fish here. Even if she couldn't reach level 41, it didn't matter; as long as it contributed to her progress, that was enough. Yunqing continued to craft bait and fish.

After catching ten fish, Yunqing felt her internal energy reserves running low. Using stealth and breath-concealment techniques, she quietly left the lakeside. With her energy depleted, she entered her cave dwelling's cultivation chamber to practice the Qiankun Luck-Circulation Technique and restore her internal energy.

Once her energy was fully restored, she checked outside. It was still daytime, and a group of demonic beasts was drinking by the lake; it was not a good time to go out fishing.

Looking at the fish she had killed earlier in her system inventory, Yunqing muttered, "Liuliu, when will I be able to cook inside the cave dwelling? I built that kitchen a long time ago."

"You just need to place a grill in the kitchen."

As for how to get a grill, she didn't need to ask Liuliu to know it required winning a recipe through a lucky draw. If she could cook inside her cave, it would eliminate a lot of the dangers associated with finding food.

She opened her favorability interface; it had already reached 580 points. It had been a while since she left Ye Village, but Yunqing still occasionally received favorability increases from the villagers—like Aunt Liu from the relief station, Li the blacksmith, Ye Qiaoqiao from the herb-gathering group, and the blind Ye Tao. Though small, these increases always reminded her of her days in Ye Village and that she hadn't forgotten about searching for the Soul Corpse Poison.

Among the caravan, Xiao Jingzi would increase his favorability toward her from time to time, while Old Li, Duan Mengrou, and Zhang He would occasionally add a single point—very rarely.

Seeing another notification that Xiao Jingzi’s favorability had increased by 1, Yunqing murmured, "That fellow Xiao Jingzi must be looking for an excuse to slack off, that's why he keeps thinking of me. Old Li is much calmer; even without me there to cook, he doesn't think of me much. I wonder how the caravan is doing now."

Old Li: Haven't left Rizhao Town lately, no need to cook.

Xiao Jingzi: I've heard so many strange and interesting stories, and I've kept them all for you. Yunqing, Yunqing, everyone says it's unlikely you survived, but I believe you're just missing and will definitely come back to listen to me chat. I've found out a thing or two about the Qin Family Estate that you wanted to know; I can tell you about it later.

Duan Mengrou: I'm treasure hunting around Rizhao Town.

Zhang He: I'm on a date with Duan Mengrou.

Leader Jing (crafting): Cook Yunqing was good, but now my heart and mind are entirely focused on the mosquito legs in my hands.

Others: Healing injuries, visiting brothels.

Liuliu asked, "Didn't you want to do a lucky draw? Why are you thinking about the caravan again?"

Yunqing’s thoughts were pulled back, and she immediately said, "I want to draw!"