Chapter 15: The Giant Fish! The Magical Fish Stone

At a bend in the river, Lu Qing finally discovered another new fishing spot.

[Primary fishing point: Nutrient-rich, lush with aquatic plants, a favorite foraging ground for fish.]

[Here, Mutant Fruits grow, which are the preferred food of some Strange Fish. Fishing here might bring unexpected joy.]

Its radiance was even more intense than the first Primary fishing point he had found.

"Mutant Fruits growing above?"

Lu Qing looked up, searching the bank near the fishing spot.

Soon, several oddly shaped plants caught his attention.

Under the scrutiny of Superpower, these plants also emitted a white light.

[Blood Apricot Tree: Can bear Blood Apricots, non-toxic, usable in medicine.]

[Rumor has it that Blood Apricots contain a special substance that is highly favored by some Strange Fish.]

"Blood Apricots?"

Lu Qing eyed the small red fruits hanging from the trees, about the size of a little finger.

Were these the Mutant Fruits that the Strange Fish liked to eat?

Intrigued, he walked forward.

Fortunately, the Blood Apricot Trees weren't too tall, so he easily managed to pick a handful.

"Brother, those fruits look so yummy."

Little Yan couldn't help but swallow at the sight of the blood-red Blood Apricots in Lu Qing's hand.

"These aren't meant for eating."

Although the information from Superpower indicated that Blood Apricots were non-toxic.

It also mentioned they could be used medicinally, and since they were medicinal, Lu Qing didn't dare to let Little Yan eat them recklessly.

"If they're not for eating, what did you pick them for, Brother?"

"For fishing, some fishy fish really like these fruits. I want to try and see if I can use them to catch a big fish," Lu Qing explained.

"Big fish like fruits too?" Little Yan's eyes widened with surprise.

"Yeah, fishy fish like to eat all sorts of things, earthworms, fruits, corn, grass, they all like it."

"They even like corn and grass?!" The little one's eyes widened even more.

It was her first time hearing about this and she found it absolutely fascinating.

"So these fruits aren't for Little Yan to eat, they are to fish for big fishy fish."

"Got it! Little Yan understands!" The little one nodded her head repeatedly.

She was more interested in the big fish than in the fruits.

"Little Yan, you wait here for a moment, Brother is going to tidy up the surrounding area."

After instructing Little Yan not to wander off, Lu Qing secured his short-handled firewood knife to a stick and began to clear the weeds and miscellaneous trees around the fishing spot.

Tidying up fishing spots had been common practice for Lu Qing in his previous life, so he was naturally skilled at it now.

Before long, he had cleared away the weeds and miscellaneous trees by the bank and created a good spot for fishing.

However, he didn't touch the few Blood Apricot Trees, as they, being white light-level plants, were valuable.

Once the fishing spot was prepared, Lu Qing was ready to begin fishing.

He still didn't bait the area with food, as the food supply at home wasn't plentiful enough to afford such wastefulness.

With the Otherworld's rivers so rich in resources and selected by his Superpower as a natural fishing spot, he was confident in catching fish even without baiting.

Sitting by the bank, Lu Qing decided to start with earthworms, to secure his meals for the next two days first and foremost.

After threading an earthworm onto the hook, he cast it into the water, the float settling on the surface.

Worthy of being the whitest of the glows among a few fishing spots selected by his Superpower.

No sooner had Lu Qing dropped his hook into the water and before he could even put down his fishing rod, he saw the float start to move.

It trembled a few times, then sharply darted downwards.

With a flick of his wrist, a whoosh sounded, and he instantly pulled the fish up.

The fish wasn't big, a small whitefish about two fingers wide.

Lu Qing raised an eyebrow, guessing that this little whitefish must be one of the most common fish in the river, always present everywhere.

"It's a little whitefish!"

Little Yan had also recognized the fish on the hook and exclaimed immediately.

"Yes, whitefish. Looks like we're going to have a big haul today."

Lu Qing removed the fish and placed it in the bucket.

Having a fish bite so quickly was an auspicious start, and it gave him the premonition that he might really catch something big today.

With that thought, Lu Qing's spirits lifted.

However, what happened next was a bit beyond Lu Qing's expectations.

After catching several more small fish, when he cast his line again, there was a long pause with no sign of fish biting.

"When small fish aren't biting, it means there are either no fish left or there's a big one down there driving away the school of small fish."

The experienced Lu Qing quickly made his own judgment.

He promptly pulled up the hook, removed the earthworm on it, and then took out a small cloth bag.

"It's the secret weapon!"

Little Yan immediately recognized this as something her brother had packed when they left home.

Lu Qing opened the cloth bag and took out several kernels of glistening golden corn.

This corn was what Lu Qing had gotten from Aunt Wang next door that morning, naturally to use as bait.

In his previous life, when Lu Qing went wild fishing, corn was what he usually used to catch big fish.

Fish like carp and grass carp especially loved to eat corn, and it never failed him.

He wasn't sure if the big fish in this world were the same, but it was worth a shot.

If that didn't work, he planned to try the newly picked Blood Apricots.

Hooking a plump fresh kernel of corn, Lu Qing cast his line once again.

Unexpectedly, this time, the result took him by surprise.

The moment the hook hit the water, before the float even steadied and while he was half-crouching preparing to sit,

suddenly, without any warning, the float dramatically sank beneath the water, the fishing line went taut, and a tremendous force from the rod pulled Lu Qing into a stumble.