"Little Mouse's cooking skills are getting better and better. I've been fishing for half my life and I'm tired of eating fish, but I can still eat the fish made by Little Mouse," laughed Feng Boping. He shrugged off his sleeves and sat down on a big stone by the pot, waving his hand to summon cups and jade chopsticks as if he was arranging flowers.
Even though he and Li Muxiu got along well, they were a bit different. Feng Boping was quite particular about cleanliness and loved beautiful jade, even the bowls and chopsticks they used were luxurious, not at all inferior to those of the royal family.
With a smile, he handed a clean set of bowls and chopsticks to Li Hao, ignoring Li Muxiu and quietly waiting for the pot to boil.
Li Hao figured the time was about right, so he lifted the lid and set it aside on some leaves. A rich aroma immediately wafted out, and without caring about the usual manners of respecting elders, he reached in with his chopsticks to grab some meat.
"Hey, wait for me!" Li Muxiu hurried over, grabbing a branch to fashion into chopsticks and stirring the pot.
Although Feng Boping was particular about cleanliness, he didn’t say anything about Li Muxiu’s actions. Li Hao thought this must be what it felt like to be lifelong friends.
The three of them ate heartily. Despite the age difference, neither of the older men acted superior in front of Li Hao. Sometimes, they called each other names like "little one" and "old man," showing their easygoing friendship.
"I didn't expect you could make fish dishes look so fancy," Li Muxiu said, sipping some spicy soup and clicking his tongue in admiration.
Li Hao smiled. Over the past six months, he had been self-studying painting and cooking, and his skills had steadily improved to the second level.
The same went for his fishing skills.
There really seemed to be a beginner's protection period. In the first month, he caught fish easily, but now it was rare to hook one. Sometimes he even fished until midnight, having to settle for a shallow spot and catch a fish demon from the lower realm to avoid going home empty-handed.
While they were talking, Li Hao suddenly noticed the float on the fishing line bobbing gently.
Something was happening!
He quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks and dashed to the fishing rod, just as the float suddenly sank.
Li Hao swiftly pulled up the hook and felt a huge force on the other end of the line, creating a big commotion underwater.
"This kid..."
The two older men watched, their eyes filled with envy, realizing that this kid was going to catch something again.
Soon, the struggle from below intensified. A large beast surfaced, but it wasn’t a fish demon; it was a giant shrimp demon!
It was four to five meters long, covered in sharp spikes, and its claws looked fierce enough to crush rocks.
At that moment, the shrimp demon was pinching the fishing line with its claws, its bulging eyes glaring at Li Hao on the shore. Seeing a little kid, it was furious and screamed, but also terrified. Where did this wild child get such strength?
It struggled harder, but the fishing line was specially made for Li Hao by Li Muxiu. It was strong enough to withstand a million pounds of force, far beyond what this ordinary shrimp demon could break.
Soon, dragged by the line, the shrimp demon slowly approached the shore. Its eyes showed signs of struggle, considering whether to injure itself to escape.
Just then, Li Hao wobbled on the shore as if he couldn’t hold the fishing rod steady.
"Hmm?"
The shrimp demon hesitated again upon seeing this.
After a tug-of-war, the shrimp demon felt that the kid was only slightly stronger than itself. If it weren’t for the hook injuring it, it might not be at a disadvantage.
Its eyes darted as it tried to drag Li Hao into the water, but Li Hao managed to stabilize himself each time just in the nick of time.
Finally, after a fierce tug, the shrimp demon was in pain and couldn’t hold back its anger. It screamed and charged up onto the fishing platform, intending to crush this ignorant little brat.
But as it came ashore, the previously wobbly child suddenly steadied himself, a bright smile of relief appearing on his face.
Not good!
The shrimp demon realized something was off just as the immense force from the fishing hook pulled its unbalanced body sharply toward the shore.
With a whoosh, something flashed by like silver. What was that? So bright!
The next moment, the shrimp demon knew nothing more; the world faded to black.
A large shrimp head rolled away, and Li Hao casually stuck his sword into the ground nearby, then dragged the demon's body and tossed it not far from the cooking pot. He said to the two older men, "What a pity it didn’t bite the hook earlier; otherwise, I could have added some shrimp to your lunch."
Seeing how easily Li Hao dealt with the shrimp demon, the two older men smiled. They had hidden their presence earlier, which was why the shrimp demon hadn’t noticed them and had the courage to fight.
Li Hao cast his bait again and continued to eat and drink.
"This ninth-level shrimp demon from the lower realm was so easily killed by you. Your family’s Dragon River divine vein must have reached a small level of mastery," Feng Boping said with a smile.
Li Hao didn’t deny it.
Small level? It was already complete.
...
As the usual fishing came to an end, when the sun was setting, Li Hao said goodbye to the two older men and the Thief Saint. The Thief Saint mentioned he needed to go on a long trip and would be away for half a month.
Clearly, there would be some treasure stolen again somewhere.
Li Muxiu was already used to this and smiled as he said goodbye, taking Li Hao back to the Divine General's Mansion.
Now that Li Hao had developed an interest in fishing, Li Muxiu didn’t bother with the traditional rules of fishing anymore and went straight back to the Listening Rain Tower.
Outside the tower, Li Fu was waiting as usual, but this time there was a young maid beside him, who was Xue Jian from the Changchun Courtyard.
Seeing the old man and the young boy return, Xue Jian couldn’t help but size up Li Hao.
She had heard that this second master had a strange temperament, and many ladies in the courtyard wanted to send their children to him for guidance, but he ignored them all. She didn’t expect him to be so close to a boy like Li Hao, who was considered a waste in martial arts.
While thinking this, Xue Jian’s gentle face showed no signs of her thoughts, and she smiled as she approached to explain her purpose.
It turned out that the matriarch, He Jianlan, wanted Li Hao to join the training ground since he had been learning body refinement techniques for quite some time.
Li Fu had already heard the news from Xue Jian, and when she spoke, he showed a eager smile, almost wanting to nod in agreement for Li Hao.
But Li Hao and Li Muxiu exchanged a glance and both started to laugh.
Li Muxiu knew that Li Hao was still young and would be pestered if he refused, so he waved his hand and said, "This little guy is fine with me teaching him. Going to the training ground would be a waste of time."
The old man thought to himself, sending this kid to the training ground would be bullying.
The family children in the training ground were at most at the lower realm. Those with higher talents would either seek masters in famous mountains or join the army.
Letting Li Hao, who could easily kill a ninth-level lower realm demon, go to the training ground was like hitting the weak and the old, or kicking the weak and the young.
Hearing the old man refuse, Li Fu and Xue Jian both became anxious.
But Xue Jian seemed to have anticipated this response and immediately spoke gently, explaining that it would only take a moment in the morning at the training ground, mainly for Li Hao to spar with his peers and gain some practical experience.
Li Fu nodded repeatedly, agreeing.
While being with the second uncle would provide the best guidance, he was worried that the old man would lead Li Hao astray. After all, the second uncle was strong, but he seemed a bit... unfocused.
He had never seen Li Hao talk about cultivation with his second uncle. Instead, they discussed which fish to catch and how to reel them in, sounding very enthusiastic...
Moreover, even famous masters like the Sword Saint had their disciples spar with peers; otherwise, learning from books would only lead to slow understanding.
Li Muxiu rolled his eyes slightly at Xue Jian's words. Could sparring with the family kids compare to the mental battle he had with fish demons while fishing?
You have to know that fishing for lower realm demons wasn’t just about strength. These fish demons already had intelligence and knew danger. They would rather injure themselves than get hooked. Once it came to the soul realm demons, it would be even harder to catch them.
In simple terms, fishing was a comprehensive skill involving intelligence, stealth, feigning weakness, and strength clashes.
Because of this, the old man had been obsessed for half his life and was still fascinated.
With a firm refusal, the old man pretended to be angry and threatened to hit someone if they brought it up again, making Xue Jian and Li Fu reluctantly accept.
Li Hao put away his fishing gear at the Listening Rain Tower and returned to the courtyard with Li Fu. On the way, he learned that there was a letter from Yanbei, and both of their eyes lit up as they hurried to the Changchun Courtyard.
A family letter was in He Jianlan's hands as she sat gracefully in the main hall.
"The military funds from Tiangang are insufficient. I need to go to court tomorrow..." He Jianlan said, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
Just then, Li Hao and Li Fu rushed in. Li Fu still retained his composure and knew the rules, but Li Hao barged in without hesitation. He tried to pull back, but couldn’t and ended up rushing in clumsily.
When he saw the look He Jianlan gave him, his face turned slightly awkward, and he quickly bowed in apology.
"Did they send this?" Li Hao asked eagerly.
He Jianlan’s gaze shifted to Li Hao. Noticing the faint smell of fish, she knew he had just returned from fishing with his second uncle.
Seeing the hopeful look on Li Hao's face, He Jianlan didn’t mind his rudeness and nodded slightly.
"Well... what did it say?" Li Hao asked, his eyes filled with anticipation.
He Jianlan hesitated for a moment, a flicker of tenderness appearing in her eyes before quickly disappearing. She spoke softly:
"It’s a report from Yanbei about the military situation. Your father said they just killed a group of demons and there are issues with supplies."
She didn’t elaborate since it was military business.
"Did they encounter any danger? Did they mention me?" Li Hao asked.
He Jianlan tightened her grip on the letter slightly. She nodded and smiled, saying:
"Your parents asked me to make sure you eat well and not to work too hard. They also asked me what you’ve been eating, whether you’ve caught a cold, and if you’ve been listening to your elders..."
Li Hao listened quietly and then said, "Can I see the letter? I can read."
He Jianlan folded the letter and shook her head slightly, "No, it contains military matters, and you’re still young."
"Alright then."
Li Hao could only agree, then said, "Please help me write back to them, saying I’m eating well and my cooking is great. I can make my own delicious food. Also, I’m practicing body refinement, so I’m strong and won’t catch a cold. I go fishing with my second uncle every day, and it’s not hard. He treats me well and praises my cooking. When they come back, I’ll let them taste it too."
"And also, tell them to take care of themselves and not to worry about me. I’m very safe in the Divine General's Mansion, with my second uncle and you supporting me. No one bullies me."
(End of Chapter)