Chapter 38: The Three Great Legends of the Fishing World

Jiang Fan returned home to find that his wife, Liu Ruyan, had already prepared dinner.

After finishing the meal, he opened his group chat and found Ma Dongdong blowing up the feed.

Ma Xiaodongdong: Hahaha! I passed! I actually passed!
Yellow-Haired Handsome: Passed what? A physical exam?
Ma Xiaodongdong: Get lost! I’m talking about the Douyin Fishing Cup qualifiers!
Yellow-Haired Handsome: Too bad, we just lost a cheerleader.
Ma Xiaodongdong: Anyway, the first round is in Sanya City in two days. Are you guys ready?
Great Emperor He Qiang: Such a minor competition, I could win it with my eyes closed.
Ma Xiaodongdong: Shouldn't we head over early to get a feel for the venue?
Great Emperor He Qiang: No need. That fishing pond is a "black pit" I've visited countless times. I've cleaned it out so often that the owner blacklisted me!
Yellow-Haired Handsome: Damn, that intense? You’re just bragging, right?
Great Emperor He Qiang: No fluff, no bias. If you don't believe me, I'll show you a picture of the place!
Great Emperor He Qiang: [Yua Mikami Uncensored.jpg]
(Great Emperor He Qiang retracted a message)
Yellow-Haired Handsome: ...
Ma Xiaodongdong: ...
Young Master Zhou: Retraction invalid, I already screenshotted it! Post it, or I’m putting it on my Moments!
Great Emperor He Qiang: [Sanya Bailu Fishing Pond.jpg]
Great Emperor He Qiang: Ahem, that’s the place.
Great Emperor He Qiang: Instead of studying the pond, you should be studying the competition. Every top-tier and first-tier competitive angler is showing up. It’s a fishing extravaganza.
Great Emperor He Qiang: [Douyin Fishing Cup Top Contenders.zip]
Great Emperor He Qiang: Especially the top-ranked Liu Gang and second-ranked Deng Zhiqiang. They are legendary figures beyond the top tier, each possessing secret fishing techniques!
Liu Gang has his "Diamond Inverted Fishing Method," and Deng Zhiqiang has his "Sichuan Road Mountain Fishing Method." The fishing world trembles at their names!
They say there isn't a fish in this world they can't catch.
Yellow-Haired Handsome: Deng Zhiqiang and Liu Gang? I watch them all the time. Are they really that good?
Great Emperor He Qiang: Of course. What you see is just the surface; their true skill is unquestionable.
Young Master Zhou: Is this list even real? Why are you and those two called the "Three Legends of the Fishing World"?
Great Emperor He Qiang: Damn it! Do you doubt my strength? You think my title as the "Sweeping Monk of the Fishing World" is just for show? It’s hard-earned!
I'm not bragging, but hanging out with you guys at the Water Curtain Cave was just for fun! I didn't even unleash my legendary ultimate skill: the "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Casts!"
Frankly, with the fame of Great Emperor He Qiang, other than those two, the rest of the top-tier and first-tier masters are nothing but fleeting smoke...
Yellow-Haired Handsome: Is he really that full of it?

Ma Xiaodongdong: If you're one of the "Three Legends," doesn't that make Brother Fan the "Ancestor of Legends"?
Young Master Zhou: Speaking of which, why isn't Brother Fan on the list?
Ma Xiaodongdong: Yeah, why isn't he among the popular contestants?
Great Emperor He Qiang: Because Brother Fan only has ten thousand followers on Douyin. Plus, he’s never participated in an official competition, so he has zero points. It would be a miracle if he were on the list. But his skill is undeniable. In my humble opinion, he’s roughly at the level of a top-tier competitive angler.
Ma Xiaodongdong: You mean Brother Fan is worse than you?
Yellow-Haired Handsome: Damn! Bragging again!
Young Master Zhou: Exactly, just bragging!
Great Emperor He Qiang: Hey! I am not bragging! No fluff, no bias!
Young Master Zhou: Pfft! Bragger!
Yellow-Haired Handsome: Pfft!
Ma Xiaodongdong: Pfft!
Great Emperor He Qiang: You’re killing me! You’ll understand when you get to the competition... It’s full of experts. You guys won’t even place. Using Brother Fan’s bait, you’d be lucky to scrape by with a third-tier master title.
Young Master Zhou: Only third-tier? Bragger! Pfft!
Yellow-Haired Handsome: I think you’re the third-tier one. It’s a real loss for the Hong Kong film industry that you weren't in their Category III movies!
Ma Xiaodongdong: Pfft!
Great Emperor He Qiang: ...
Great Emperor He Qiang: I’m trying to analyze the competition for you, and you treat me like this? Fine, fine! Let me show you my real track record!
Great Emperor He Qiang: [120lb Big Fish.jpg]
Great Emperor He Qiang: [250lb Big Fish.jpg]
Great Emperor He Qiang: [408lb Big Fish.jpg]
Great Emperor He Qiang: [Yua Uncensored.jpg]
Great Emperor He Qiang: [420lb Big Fish.jpg]
(Great Emperor He Qiang retracted a message)
Great Emperor He Qiang: [310lb Big Fish.jpg]
Young Master Zhou: ...
Yellow-Haired Handsome: ...
Ma Xiaodongdong: ...

Jiang Fan had been lurking and watching their exchange for a long time. Seeing the photos of the massive fish, he nodded involuntarily. This "Great Emperor He Qiang" was truly worthy of his legendary status; his ability to land giant fish was no joke. Although he acted like a clown, he clearly had the skills to back it up. Landing a 400-plus pound fish was beyond even his own records. It seemed He Qiang had been hiding his true strength all along. Perhaps the "Sweeping Monk" title wasn't just talk.

And those other two legends, Deng Zhiqiang and Liu Gang? Once he gained the "Apprentice Angler" ability, he would have to bind them too. But what on earth were the "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Casts," the "Diamond Inverted Method," and the "Sichuan Road Mountain Method"? Were they just like those silly fishing skits on Douyin?

He chuckled. Things were getting interesting.

After pondering for a moment and deciding to attend the Douyin Fishing Cup in Sanya, Jiang Fan found Liu Ruyan washing the dishes.

"Honey, I’m going to Sanya in two days for a fishing competition."

Liu Ruyan nodded. "Sure, just make sure you come back at night."

"I might not be back at night," Jiang Fan said. "The tournament is spread over several days. If I make it to the finals, I'll have to stay for a while."

Liu Ruyan pouted. "But husband, we haven't spent a night apart since we got married..."

Jiang Fan smiled. "It's for the competition, I have no choice."

"Then I'm taking leave and coming with you!" Liu Ruyan declared.

"Honey, wouldn't that be inconvenient?"

"I won't disturb your competition," she promised. "I'll just stay at the hotel and scroll through Douyin. If you need me, call me; if you don't, I'll keep scrolling. If you want to chat, we can video call. I'll just wait for you to finish. Is that okay?"

"Won't you be bored all by yourself?"

"I'll ask Shen Zhiling to join me. We can go shopping—I heard Sanya has huge duty-free malls with great sales. I can pick up some designer lipsticks for cheap. It’ll be like a vacation."

Jiang Fan had wanted to tell her he’d buy her a box when he got back, but seeing her already on her phone contacting Shen Zhiling, he stopped. They hadn't really gone on a trip together in the two years they'd been married; he figured he might as well treat this as a honeymoon in Sanya.