Chapter 888: A Nose Full Of Dust

Both were fishing, but her fishing rod, line, and hook were all top-notch in terms of material and craftsmanship. As for the bait, it was all natural essence she had painstakingly gathered. Yet, after sitting there for over half a year, her float hadn't moved once. She wasn't expecting a dragon fish, but at least some spiritual fish could bite the hook, giving her a little hope for her fishing endeavor.

Meanwhile, Yi Feng, sitting nearby, had a bamboo fishing rod, an iron hook, a reed float, and even his bait was just earthworms dug out from the soil. Yet, as soon as he sat down, he would get bites. Once or twice might be a coincidence, but he consistently caught fish every time he cast his line. This stark contrast completely shattered Feng Qianyue's composure. She grew increasingly frustrated...

"Haah!" She took a deep breath, circulating her cultivation technique to forcibly calm herself down. What good could come from using a low-quality fishing rod and earthworms as bait? Surely, he was only catching small fish and shrimp. Feng Qianyue, why are you so envious? If you could just catch one decent spiritual fish, it would be worth more than his entire basket.

Thinking this way, Feng Qianyue felt a bit better. She settled back into her meditative state. Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, it's almost full!" Yi Feng glanced at his fish basket, put down his fishing rod, and stretched. Then, he dug a pit behind him and set up a pot. Soon, the water in the pot was boiling. Yi Feng casually took a few fish from his basket, cleaned them, and tossed them into the pot, adding various seasonings. In no time, a pot of fragrant fish soup was ready.

"Ah, how wonderful!" Yi Feng lazily sat down, ladled a bowl of soup, and began to savor it.

Beside him, Feng Qianyue, who had just settled into her meditation, had a frosty expression on her face. This was blasphemy. Absolute blasphemy. And Yi Feng was wasting precious resources. Even though she thought he was only catching small fish and shrimp, anything that appeared in Yun Lake, even the smallest creatures, were extraordinary. Yet, Yi Feng was squandering these spiritual beings in such a manner, which infuriated her.

Just as she was seething with anger, the old man in the straw raincoat, who had been sitting motionless, suddenly stood up. This surprised Feng Qianyue greatly. In all the time she had been there, the old man had not moved an inch, as if nothing in the world concerned him. But now, he was leaving.

The old man slowly packed up his fishing rod. With one hand holding an empty fish basket and the other carrying a slightly damp stool, he began to walk away along the lakeshore.

Yi Feng, who was enjoying his meal, looked up at the old man. Seeing the old man's empty basket, he couldn't help but smirk. A complete failure. Yi Feng felt a bit embarrassed. He had been catching fish left and right, his basket nearly overflowing, while the old man sitting not far away had caught nothing. Anyone would feel disheartened and either move or leave.

As the old man approached, Yi Feng called out with a smile, "Old man, I've had a good catch today. How about I share some with you?"

"Thank you," came a slightly aged voice from under the straw hat, accompanied by a faint smile. "But I cannot accept something for nothing. Besides, I only enjoy the process of fishing. Whether I catch anything or not is irrelevant."

"Oh?" Yi Feng was somewhat surprised and praised, "Old sir, you have a lofty state of mind!"

"Hahaha," the old man laughed from under his hat, whether in self-mockery or humility, it was unclear. "Compared to you, I still have a long way to go."

After saying this cryptic remark, the old man continued on his way.

Beside them, Feng Qianyue sneered. You think your small fish and shrimp are worthy of being gifted to him? Do you even know who he is? He might be the only person in the history of Yun Lake to have ever caught a dragon fish. Do you think he would care for your measly catch? How laughable. You're just embarrassing yourself.

As she thought this, the old man in the straw raincoat walked past her. Seeing this, Feng Qianyue quickly stood up and bowed slightly. The old man paused, turned his head, and looked at her. As Feng Qianyue rose, a gust of wind lifted the black veil on the old man's hat, revealing a pair of unfathomable, chaotic eyes that gave her a strange look. Then, the old man left.

Feng Qianyue stood frozen, pondering the meaning behind the old man's gaze. What was he trying to convey? Just as she was lost in thought, a mocking voice echoed in her mind.

"The descendants of the Feng family are truly getting worse with each generation... Given that your ancestors had some connection with me, I'll give you a piece of advice. Go take a good look at what kind of fish he's catching..."

The voice in her mind made Feng Qianyue's face flush with shame and anger. The latter part of the message, in particular, struck her like a thunderbolt. When she turned to look in the direction the old man had gone, hoping to ask for clarification, he had already disappeared.

She sat there, stunned, unable to calm down for a long time. She no longer had the heart to fish. The old man's voice kept echoing in her mind, and her gaze frequently drifted toward Yi Feng. She was filled with confusion. Why had the old man said such a thing to her? Could it be that Yi Feng wasn't catching small fish and shrimp after all?

She was desperate to know what kind of fish Yi Feng was catching. But, bound by her pride, she didn't want to initiate a conversation with him. And so, she endured this torment for half a month.

During this time, Feng Qianyue was never at peace. She had become completely numb to Yi Feng's fishing. Cast after cast, he kept catching fish—sometimes even two or three at a time. What's more, Yi Feng only fished for a short while each day...

Not only that, but Yi Feng had also set up a simple tent behind him. Outside the tent, there was a soup pot, a griddle, and a barbecue grill... For the fish he caught, he released the smaller ones and kept the larger ones to cook in various ways. There was fish head soup, boiled fish roe and swim bladders, fried fish, grilled fish... The variety was endless.

In short, the contrast between the two was stark. However, after the old man's message, Feng Qianyue no longer dared to look down on Yi Feng. She was solely focused on figuring out what kind of fish he was catching. After all, the old man's words couldn't have been without reason.

Yet, after half a month, she still hadn't found an opportunity. At this point, Yi Feng dismantled his tent, packed up his cooking utensils, and put away his fishing rod. He had agreed to meet Piaomiao Hong in half a month, and now that the time was up, his fishing itch had been scratched. It was time to reunite with her.

So, Yi Feng picked up his fish basket and prepared to leave. His path would take him past Feng Qianyue. Seeing Yi Feng approach, Feng Qianyue quickly closed her eyes, assuming an expression of serene indifference, like an unattainable white lotus in the sky. Clearly, she didn't want Yi Feng to know she had been observing him.

But what she didn't realize was that Yi Feng paused behind her, his hand already reaching into his basket. This girl had arrived even earlier than he had. They weren't far apart, and even if Yi Feng wasn't paying much attention, he couldn't help but notice her. In the half month he had been there, he hadn't seen her catch a single fish. She was even worse off than the old man he had initially thought was unlucky.

This made Yi Feng feel quite guilty. After all, he had been catching all the fish, while the person next to him hadn't even gotten a nibble. That would make anyone uncomfortable. So, he had originally planned to give her a couple of fish as he passed by. But seeing her icy demeanor and aloof attitude, Yi Feng decided against it. No need to extend kindness only to be met with cold rejection.

And so, Yi Feng walked away with his fish basket, leaving Feng Qianyue behind.