Chapter 122
"It's the Fishing Fortune Master!"
The one who appeared, receiving the murmurs and attention of the people, was none other than the Fishing Fortune Master.
Since fishermen would have heard the name of the Fishing Fortune Master at least once, he was the object of envy and caution for many of the people here.
The Fishing Fortune Master, like Jiang Ziya, smiled without hiding it when he found him.
The fact that Jiang Ziya had appeared here meant that he had accepted the bet he had made.
As the Fishing Fortune Master strode towards the young scholar, the gazes of the venue moved along with him.
"You didn't run away!"
As the Fishing Fortune Master welcomed him, Jiang Ziya burst into laughter and lightly cupped his fists.
"Whoever wins, we will obediently accept the victory."
"Hmm! Is there any doubt? If I lose, I will tell you the location where I got this, as well as the jewel, as you wish. So, where is your Tonglin?"
"I also..."
Jiang Ziya took out the Tonglin he was carrying on his back.
As he lightly swung the Tonglin, which was in the shape of a bow, the Tonglin gently unfolded and changed into the shape of a fishing rod.
The numerous crowd who were watching the Fishing Fortune Master and the young scholar together let out a short exclamation of admiration.
"I keep my promise."
"Good!"
The attitude of the Fishing Fortune Master, who was happy as if he had already won, seemed to show how confident he was in this competition.
"The big fish caught by the winner of this competition will be a tribute to the water god at the Water God Festival, so let's do our best for each other to wish for the peace of the village."
"Of course."
Although it was not yet known whether the two would really compete in the finals, they exchanged words of blessing with each other.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
"All participants, please prepare!"
With the flag of the preliminary round, the sound of a drum rang out.
Jiang Ziya, after parting with the Fishing Fortune Master, took out the plaque he had received for participation.
The wooden plaque, the length of a middle finger, was painted red at the end, and the number three written there indicated Jiang Ziya's place.
Jiang Ziya moved his feet to find the place where the red flag was hanging.
There, about ten participants were lined up and preparing.
Dozens of logs were set up on the pier, and the fishermen were waiting at their respective places with tense expressions.
"Why are they doing that?"
Although he thought that if it was a fishing competition preliminary, they should just start fishing, Jiang Ziya stood at the place where his number was written and watched the actions of those who had already taken their places.
At that moment.
"Huh?"
"Hah!"
As if he had made up his mind, one of the fishermen flew towards a log that was sticking out of the river.
"Oh, oh, oh!"
The fisherman, who had climbed on a log that was thick enough to barely put one foot on, staggered and then, after flailing his arms, fell under the log.
Splash!
"Red team, number seven, disqualified!"
Hahahaha!
With the voice of the judge, laughter erupted from all sides.
Looking closely, across the logs that were sticking out of the river, a square-shaped area was marked with a rope on one side of the river, and in the middle of the rope, a small area with a red flag was marked.
'I have to cross the logs and fish there!'
The Fish Dragon Festival did not seem to be a simple fishing competition where they just fished and competed.
"What is this?"
"Huh? Are you participating in the Fish Dragon Festival for the first time?"
As Jiang Ziya asked a fisherman next to him, the fisherman looked at Jiang Ziya from head to toe and then opened his mouth with a laugh.
"No matter how rough the place is, the posture and skill to fish are important. This preliminary round is a preparation to see that."
As one person fell into the river, the other fishermen also began to bravely jump onto the logs.
Some of them fell into the river, and some of them struggled to correct their posture.
And a couple of them stepped on the logs with a cool posture as if they were doing a somersault, so there were also some who had learned martial arts.
"If you also participated with a half-hearted thought, it would be better for your body to be eliminated early."
The fisherman who had finished his explanation took a deep breath and rushed towards the logs.
Jiang Ziya could now understand why the Fishing Fortune Master was so confident.
If the preliminary round was like this, it was unlikely that the main round would be a place where they only competed in fishing. As they went to the finals, the degree would become even more severe.
The Fishing Fortune Master was a famous strange person and a master, so he must have a deep knowledge of not only fishing skills but also martial arts. It was natural that he was so confident in such a strange competition.
Jiang Ziya lightly stepped on his divine footwork and lightly overtook the fisherman who had been explaining to him.
The fisherman, who was struggling and hanging on the log, met Jiang Ziya's eyes as he lightly stepped on the log as if he were crossing a stepping stone.
"Shall I help you?"
"If you help me, you will also be disqualified."
The man, who had realized that Jiang Ziya was a martial artist who had learned martial arts, grumbled and struggled to get on the log somehow.
Jiang Ziya, leaving him, stepped on a few steps and stood in a suitable place and took out Tonglin.
"Then shall we begin?"
Jiang Ziya leisurely threw Tonglin and calmly looked around.
Not only the red team gathered at the red flag, but also the other teams were not much different.
There, too, the martial artists who had participated in the competition and the skilled fishermen were starting to fish on the logs in their own ways.
"Wahaha!"
Although the heat was not yet hot as it was still the preliminary round, many people were watching the preliminary round, making a spectacle of the fishermen who were falling from the logs.
They burst into laughter whenever they saw a scene of a fisherman falling into the river and enjoyed their mistakes.
"Tsk."
Jiang Ziya clicked his tongue briefly and calmly waited for the fishing line to move.
The fisherman who had explained to Jiang Ziya seemed to have finally started fishing after struggling for about a moment.
Crack!
"Ah!"
But the luck of the man who had barely started fishing was not so good.
Although it was good that he had come to the place to fish, the log had started to tilt.
As the log that was to be his foothold tilted, the fisherman struggled and jumped high towards another place, but unfortunately, the tired him could not reach another foothold.
Splash!
As a man of a large build fell, a large water column rose with a loud noise.
"Tsk, tsk... the fish will all run away."
Jiang Ziya turned his head towards a man who was throwing a fishing line on one side and sneering.
"Did you do that?"
The fact that the fisherman had just fallen into the river was by no means a coincidence.
A sharp energy had flown from somewhere and had aimed at the log he was on.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Judging by the atmosphere, it was clear that not only Jiang Ziya but also a few other people knew that the man had intentionally aimed at the fisherman's log.
But they all pretended not to know the man's action and were only paying attention to their own fishing.
"Isn't it a foul to interfere with martial arts in a fishing competition?"
"You're talking such a naive thing. There is a rule that you shouldn't help, but where is the rule that you shouldn't interfere?"
At the man's confident question, who had given up on denying it anymore, Jiang Ziya was at a loss for words for a moment.
Although there was no such rule, it was a basic courtesy.
Moreover, since he had aimed at a fisherman who did not even know how to use martial arts, wasn't the man who should be ashamed being confident instead?
"Not only here, but also in other places, all these things are happening. We are martial artists, so we just used martial arts, but don't you know that it is common for fishermen to cut lines or to do other tricks among themselves?"
"Don't say 'we'. I haven't done such a thing."
Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed that the other martial artists also agreed with his words.
Although Jiang Ziya had thought that it was a competition where they purely competed in fishing skills, he could not hide his disappointment at the unexpectedly dirty reality of the Fish Dragon Festival.
"If you don't like the temple, the monk should leave. If you don't like it, you should also disappear."
The man, as if he did not like Jiang Ziya, who was finding fault with his action, took something out of the small basket where he had put the bait and flicked it at Jiang Ziya.
Ting!
Even if it was a surprise attack that was flicked and flew like an arrow, it could not escape Jiang Ziya's Six Arts Hand, which contained the essence of the Heavenly Demon Hand.
Jiang Ziya stretched out one hand and snatched the small piece of iron that was flying towards him in the air.
"Huh!"
As Jiang Ziya snatched his iron ball so easily, a strange light appeared in the martial artist's eyes.
Jiang Ziya, without hesitation, lightly rolled the iron ball with his fingers.
Thwack!
The iron ball, the size of a fingernail, which had rotated greatly in the air, turned red.
Swoosh!
As Jiang Ziya lightly flicked it, the iron ball made a sound of tearing the wind and cut the water and returned to its owner.
"Gah!"
The startled martial artist threw away his fishing rod and hurriedly jumped into the river to avoid the iron ball.
Crack!
The log that the iron ball had hit was shattered and scattered into the air, and the martial artist stuck his head out of the river and looked at Jiang Ziya with an angry look.
"Red team, number two, disqualified!"
With the martial artist's number, a shout announcing his disqualification was heard.
"What are you doing!"
"What's wrong? Didn't you say that there is no rule that you shouldn't interfere?"
At Jiang Ziya's one word, which was repeating what he had just said, the martial artist's face turned red.
If he had not been in the cold river, his face might have burned with shame.
But he did not have the confidence to draw his sword at Jiang Ziya, who had not only lightly blocked his surprise attack but had also counterattacked in one go.
If he were to cause a commotion here, the Fishing Fortune Master would appear and subdue him, and then he would surely be even more embarrassed.
"Just you wait."
The martial artist, after climbing on the log and glaring at Jiang Ziya one more time, hurriedly left the place.
Although Jiang Ziya had unintentionally bought a grudge, he felt a great sense of satisfaction at the thought of having punished the martial artist who had pushed the fisherman into the river.
'By the way... if it's like this, it won't be easy in the future.'
Even though the log had exploded right next to him, the judges who were judging did not seem to be very interested in the matter.
It was an attitude that this was a common occurrence.
Although the martial artists nearby had taken care of themselves at Jiang Ziya's one move, it was clear that if the preliminary round ended and the main round began, there would be many more belligerent people.
'Wasn't it just a fishing competition in the first place?'
The fact that the Fishing Fortune Master was so confident, and that there were too many things installed around for a simple fishing competition.
Come to think of it, a third of the people participating in the fishing were martial artists who had learned martial arts.
It was unlikely that so many martial artists would participate in an ordinary fishing competition.
Splash! Splash!
At that moment, Tonglin bent greatly, and a gentle ripple occurred in the river.
As Jiang Ziya immediately pulled Tonglin with one hand, a fish the size of Jiang Ziya's forearm was caught on the fishing line and soared high into the sky.
A big fish.
Jiang Ziya triumphantly caught the fish and held it above his head.
Since he had caught the first big fish in the red team, Jiang Ziya's passing was a matter of course.
"Red team, number three, passed!"
As the voice of the judge was heard from afar, Jiang Ziya immediately took the fish and reeled in Tonglin.
(End of Chapter)