Chapter 5 – Chapter 5: Longyan Old Ancestor! Our Ace in the Hole

“Zhe Er, you… how can you say such things?” Gongsun Hui had not expected the always obedient Wang Shouzhe to make such a shocking statement.

“Fifth sister-in-law, I think what Shouzhe said makes sense,” Wang Dinghai admitted, somewhat impressed with Wang Shouzhe today, and immediately added, “Knowing how long Old Ancestor Longyan can uphold our family would help everyone be mentally prepared.”

The expression on Gongsun Hui’s face changed several times before she finally said, “This is a family secret. When I went to report to Old Ancestor Longyan a few days ago, she told me herself that if she doesn’t take action, she can maintain control for another twenty years. If she does… it’s hard to say.”

Twenty years? Wang Shouzhe thought to himself, it was far longer than he had imagined and perhaps this meant there could be a chance for a turnaround.

“Zhe Er, you are the family’s only hope,” Gongsun Hui said with a grave expression, “For the time being, our Wang family should continue to keep a low profile and endure in silence, focusing all of our efforts on helping you break through to the Spirit Platform Realm within twenty years. We mustn’t create any troubles!”

“Yes, yes, Sixth Uncle will find ways to catch more Spirit Fish to sell and gather resources for you,” Wang Dinghai agreed enthusiastically, “Only if you can break through to the Spirit Platform Realm can our Wang family truly be saved.”

“Me, break through to the Spirit Platform Realm? Then what?” Wang Shouzhe said with a cold sneer and a sniff of disdain, “Let’s not even discuss whether I can make the breakthrough. Even if there’s a chance, do you think the Liu Clan and Zhao Clan will just watch me do it? Will they give me twenty years? Moreover, even if I’m lucky enough to make it, I’ll just be another Old Ancestor Longyan!”

As a transmigrator, Wang Shouzhe naturally was able to step outside the box of the Wang family’s usual way of thinking.

His words chilled Gongsun Hui and Wang Dinghai to the bone, realizing that they had been living under the protection of Old Ancestor Longyan, believing that the Liu and Zhao clans would not truly turn against them.

But if the very Wang Shouzhe they had pinned all their hopes on truly had the potential to attack the Spirit Platform, would the Liu Clan and Zhao Clan just sit idly by?

“Enough. I deliberately gave the impression that our Old Ancestor doesn’t have long left. I believe that with Liu Shengye’s cunning, he will definitely not choose to be the vanguard and come into conflict with our Wang family at this time. Therefore, I’ve instructed the head of household to continue to secretly spread the word, giving the Liu Clan and Zhao Clan a countdown of about five years,” said Wang Shouzhe with a grunt. “Anyone who dares to provoke us within these five years, we’ll fight them desperately, taking on one family at a time; when push comes to shove, we can always ‘invite’… err~ have Old Ancestor Longyan preside over the situation.”

In Wang Shouzhe’s view, Old Ancestor Longyan was like the ace up his sleeve, and the greatest value was not in playing it but in the deterrence it provided before being played.

“Brilliant!” Wang Dinghai slapped his thigh in approval, “The Family Head is quite the strategist. We’re like a cornered beast at death’s door; they all fear our last desperate counterattack. This way, not only will they dare not bully us, but they’ll also want to curry favor and coax us. No wonder Liu Shengye, that old fox, obediently offered thirty Qian Gold as an apology.”

“Not only that, but now that our Wang family has a ‘deadline’ in place, with such a tempting piece of fat right in front of them, how can the Liu Clan and Zhao Clan, who have united out of common hatred, refrain from having other thoughts while they bide their time?” Wang Shouzhe said with a sly smile, “Keep in mind that greed and dissatisfaction are fundamental aspects of human nature. The upcoming situation will certainly be interesting. And if we can further stoke the fire by sowing discord~ hehe”

After hearing Wang Shouzhe’s analysis, Gongsun Hui and Wang Dinghai both gasped, looked at each other with trepidation, yet simultaneously a glimmer of hope emerged—a hope that the family might have the opportunity to turn the tide.

“Great Aunt, Sixth Uncle, this matter is a vital secret concerning the life and death of the Wang family,” Wang Shouzhe said solemnly with a bow, “On one hand, I hope you can keep this secret, and on the other, I hope you can trust and support me unconditionally.”

This was Wang Shouzhe’s real intent. His body was too young and, even being the Clan Leader, he would inevitably be subject to others’ interferences. He had to first throw out some shocking ideas to win over key figures and gain allies.

Gongsun Hui was his father’s first wife, and he was Gongsun Hui’s future support, while Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai had an open and straightforward nature, making him easy to win over.

Gongsun Hui and Wang Dinghai both took a deep breath and made their oaths in all earnestness.

As the three conversed, the medium-sized fishing boat, under the control of the boatmen, had left the deep-water dock and entered the turbulent currents at the center of Peace River.

The span of Peace River was much wider than Wang Shouzhe had imagined; looking out, the misty waves were boundless and Dingpu Ferry gradually became smaller and unclear.

As they moved farther into the depths of Peace River and the waves grew larger, the rocking of the boat grew more intense, and even Wang Shouzhe, with his Peak Level Six Vital Energy Refining Realm physique, felt a bit nauseous.

Gongsun Hui, equally unaccustomed to such rough conditions, also looked pale and uneasy.

“Haha, Fifth Sister-in-law, Shouzhe, a fishing boat isn’t as stable as a ferry. When the boat is rocking, don’t try to fight the tilt with your body; instead, sway with the motion like a weathervane,” Wang Dinghai explained patiently, teaching the two how to handle the rocking caused by wind and waves.

Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui, both being Profound Martial practitioners, relied on their Mysterious Energy and physical fitness, and it didn’t take long for them to get used to the rocking. Especially Wang Shouzhe, who learned to nail his feet to the deck like Wang Dinghai, rhythmically swaying with the waves, gradually looked more relaxed and at ease.

“Zhe Er has such a great talent. Sixth Uncle will show you how I usually fish,” Wang Dinghai said enthusiastically, eager to showcase his skills, since rarely did anyone from the family come to the fishing boat to watch him work.

“`

“I believe Sixth Uncle’s skills are certainly extraordinary, however, let’s have the regular fishermen give it a try first,” Wang Shouzhe suggested.

Wang Dinghai was taken aback, but immediately smiled and said, “So, Shouzhe, you’re here to assess the standard of the fishing boat. Very well, the fishermen on your Sixth Uncle’s flagship are all skilled hands. Wang Goudan, come and give the Clan Leader a demonstration.”

“Yes, Sea Lord.” A strapping young lad leaped down from the mast, agile as a monkey. He picked up a fishing net and, with a twist of his waist, flung it from the side of the ship. The net soared outwards, unfurling into a beautiful large circle in the air.

Swoosh!

The weighted net plunged into the water like an upside-down giant sea bowl and sank to the bottom within a few breaths.

“Good!”

The surrounding fishermen all voiced their praise.

This was… throwing the net, and the technique was strong.

Wang Shouzhe could tell immediately; before crossing over, he had been an ordinary office worker who occasionally fished with friends. Hence, he’d come across some fishing videos on apps like TikTok and Kuaishou, which included some experts at net casting.

Although Wang Shouzhe himself wasn’t skilled at it, he could still discern whether a cast was good or bad. He had to admit that this young man named Goudan had impressive skills.

As the net settled on the riverbed, Wang Goudan carefully started to pull in the line, bringing the edges of the net together along the bottom before gradually lifting it. Finally, with a forceful tug, he hauled the entire fishing net aboard in an instant.

Caught!

The net enclosed a large fish with a white-striped dorsal fin. Wang Goudan extricated the fish from the net and, holding it triumphantly, approached to claim his credit: “Sea Brother, it’s a Nine-star Bass, weighing a good five jin.”

“Not bad, lad, put it in the live well,” Wang Dinghai patted him on the shoulder in approval and turned to explain to Wang Shouzhe, “Although the Nine-star Bass isn’t a Spirit Fish, it’s exquisite and tender, considered a top-notch fish. Even if we sold it to a fishmonger, it would fetch a whole Copper Coin. However, our family has a fish shop in Changning City, we produce and sell our own, which earns us a few more shillings.”

Wang Shouzhe nodded appreciatively. In the Great Qian Land, currency was counted in shillings, Copper Coins, and Qian Gold. Normally, a jin of rice would only cost five to ten shillings, and one hundred shillings could be exchanged for a Copper Coin, so the value of this fish was quite high.

Wang Goudan placed his catch in the live well in the center of the fishing boat, which was connected to the external water to maintain the vitality of the catch to the greatest extent.

However, according to Wang Dinghai, only some of the more valuable catches received this treatment. The live well was also divided into several sections to store different types of catch.

With Wang Goudan’s demonstration complete, the other fishermen were eager to show off their unique skills. Each one was experienced, casting large, round nets, though the results varied.

Most nets came back empty, with only occasional surprises.

Over an hour later, as various catches began to accumulate – with three Nine-star Basses and even a more expensive Mandarin Fish with a leopard pattern, weighing a little more than two jin. Wang Dinghai claimed this fish alone was worth at least 1 Copper Coin and 60 shillings, with all the good catches reserved for the Clan Leader’s enjoyment.

Wang Shouzhe smiled on the surface, but his mind was constantly calculating. This thirty-li fishing ground was within the territorial waters of the Ping’an Wang Family, and the family attached great importance to this ancestral property, which was supposed to be one of the family’s main sources of income.

As time passed, Wang Shouzhe grew increasingly impatient and finally said, “Sixth Uncle, I think we’ve seen enough demonstrations. The fishermen’s casting skills are very strong. Could we quickly move on to the main topic and demonstrate the real fishing operation?”

Wang Dinghai’s conversationally radiant expression instantly froze, and he said, puzzled, “Shouzhe, aren’t we already demonstrating real fishing? Could it be that you want to see the capture of Spirit Fish? Some of the smaller Spirit Fish are caught by luck, while the larger and fiercer ones need to be hunted with fishing arrows.”

Is this professional fishing?

Wang Shouzhe’s face darkened. In his past life, out of curiosity, he had gone out to experience professional fishing on a colleague’s relative’s commercial fishing boat, where one haul brought up more than 40,000 jin, and that was considered a poor catch…

As for throwing nets, on Earth, it was purely a recreational fishing tool, just a bit more intense than normal fishing, for hobbyists to enjoy leisure and entertainment. If anyone seriously used net casting as a profession for their livelihood, their whole family would starve to death.