Chapter 900 - 626: Xu Hu!

Chen Sheng stood quietly atop the Cloud Platform, his gaze heavy as he watched another dimension’s version of himself from afar.

A thick, all-isolating dimensional barrier stretched between the two.

He could only passively observe, unable to approach, unable to touch, let alone interfere in the other’s every word and deed.

The middle-aged fisherman in the mortal world was completely unaware.

He remained steady on the narrow fishing boat, repeating the daily routine of casting nets, sinking them, and patiently waiting for the catch.

Chen Sheng slightly raised his eyebrows, a faint trace of solemnity flashed across his eyes:

"I can’t even make contact; the barrier isolates so thoroughly. How am I supposed to gather this scattered version of myself?"

The next moment, the instincts belonging to the Dimension Demon God quietly awakened.

An obscure and profound thought gently flowed by, transforming into a clear answer in his sea of consciousness: the time is not yet ripe; he must wait with a calm heart.

Chen Sheng gradually gathered his thoughts, his expression returned to indifference:

"For the unity of us all, I shall wait for now."

Ever since he ascended to the position of Daoist Monarch, taking charge of the Taiyin Dao seed, he has lived through nearly a hundred long Primordial Assemblies.

Having waited for such a long time, he finally perceived the first dimension, and he was not in a rush for this brief moment.

...

The water gently swayed, the lake surface glimmered with fine sparkles.

The middle-aged fisherman slowly pulled in the first net; only a few small fish and some scattered small shrimp were captured, the yield was scant.

He softly sighed, his tone flat:

"The first net, barely adequate."

His movements were skillful, casually placing the scattered catch into a bamboo basket.

Chen Sheng quietly overlooked this scene.

The language system of this world was entirely different; he didn’t understand the other’s words at all, yet every phoneme, tone, and change in mouth shape was imprinted in his will, recorded separately.

For the next while, he sat silently, quietly watching the middle-aged man cast the net and fish.

Rarely not cultivating, but watching someone fish, it was somewhat interesting!

...

As the saying goes, living off the waters!

The middle-aged man’s skills in water were proficient, well acquainted with the habits of the lake’s fish; his techniques for casting and retrieving nets were masterful, each cast precise and neat.

After several rounds of labor, the basket gradually filled with catch; lively fish and shrimp kept jumping in the basket.

Time quietly flowed, day gradually drew to a close.

The sunset descended in the west, the amber glow covered the entire lake surface, evening breezes cooled, and dusk settled.

The middle-aged man casually looked at the descending sky, humming a local tune softly with a relaxed and calm melody.

He stored the fishing gear, lightly rowing the oar, as the small boat pierced through layers of ripples, slowly heading toward the distant shore.

As the shoreline approached, a quaint little fishing village nestled by mountain and water gradually came into view.

Under the evening, returning fishing boats appeared one after another, floating scattered on the water surface, and all on board relied on fishing for a living just like him.

Chen Sheng’s gaze brightened slightly, nodding lightly.

"Finally reached a gathering place for people."

"Fishing alone results in few language samples; now with people moving in the village, it’s the perfect opportunity to comprehend the language and customs of this dimension."

...

The boat docked, the middle-aged fisherman jumped onto the dock’s stone path, familiar with the villagers coming and going.

He saw a dejected young lad nearby and proactively greeted him:

"A Qing! How was your harvest on the lake today?"

The young lad hung his head, full of gloom, sighing repeatedly:

"Uncle Nine, don’t mention it, today was extremely unlucky; I worked hard all day but only caught some rotten fish and broken shrimp."

"No need to be discouraged; life’s ebb and flow is naturally uncertain, everyone has times of bad luck, take it slow."

The middle-aged man offered a comforting word, bent down to securely tie the fishing boat to the sturdy wooden stake by the shore, and picked up the heavy, full fishing basket, walking leisurely along the village path toward home.

Young lad A Qing instinctively raised his eyes, catching sight of Uncle Nine’s brimful basket of luscious, lively catch, his eyes overflowed with envy.

He secretly marveled, Uncle Nine was diligent and down-to-earth, hardworking and enduring, Ah Yu and Ah Mo, his two children, having such a stable and reliable father was indeed a heavenly blessing.

With this thought, he couldn’t help but think of his own father, who spent the day indulging in alcohol, causing troubles and going mad when drunk, and felt a heart full of bitterness, shaking his head helplessly.

...

Chen Sheng’s gaze was firmly locked on the middle-aged fisherman.

His perception and view were tightly confined within a twenty-meter radius around ’himself’, unable to extend outward even slightly.

He observed sharply, meticulously recording everything around.

The clothing styles, behaviors, and actions of passersby, the layout of village houses, the marketplace’s appearance, every blade of grass, every tree, every person, every event were precisely recorded, stored into the knowledge base.

"All who pass are mortal flesh, bones mundane, with no hint of cultivation aura on them."

"I wonder how this dimension’s cultivation system is?"

Chen Sheng murmured to himself, a strong curiosity stirring within.

A novel, unfamiliar dimension, a completely different civilization trajectory!

For him, gathering himself was merely part of the pursuit.

This complete otherworld in itself is an unparalleled opportunity, rich with countless mysteries and creations.

As thoughts rose and fell, the middle-aged man had arrived in the depths of the village.

A secluded courtyard quietly sat there, its walls orderly and solid, the main house was a well-structured, solidly built tile-roofed dwelling.

Compared to the wooden huts and thatched cabins commonly seen around the village, this courtyard stood out prominently, indicating an affluent and stable household.

As he neared the gate, crisp and tender footsteps sounded from the courtyard.

Two lively children quickly rushed out upon hearing, their big eyes fixed straight on the returning man, joyfully rushing to him.

"Dad, you’re back!"

"Mom, come out quickly, Dad’s home!"

A capable and straightforward female figure soon stepped out from inside, dressed simply, her eyes gentle, a shallow smile on her face, comfortably approaching him.

"Husband, you’ve worked hard, finally you’re home."

...

Days pass by quietly like ripples across the lake surface.

Chen Sheng, as a Dimension Observer, observed everything in the world within a twenty-meter radius around Xu Hu.

In just a few days, he comprehended the village’s dialects, local languages, and daily pleasantries.

From initial confusion to later being able to clearly understand every conversation.

He gradually figured out ’his self’s situation.

In this realm, he is called Xu Hu, ranked ninth in the Xu Clan, and the younger generation in the clan habitually calls him "Uncle Nine."

The Xu Clan is a prominent family in this fishing village, with a large population and considerable prestige in the village.

And Xu Hu is the most capable within the clan.

Fishing is just one of his means to make a living; he is also skilled in carpentry and masonry.

When villagers needed to build houses, repair roofs, or make furniture, they mostly came to him.

His craftsmanship is exquisite, his charges are fair, and he has an excellent reputation.

Xu Hu’s daily life is very routine.

Before dawn, he gets up, carries his fishing gear, and heads to the lake to fish.

If not at the lake in the afternoon, he sits at the courtyard gate chopping wood, doing carpentry, or goes to the village to help repair roofs and make tables and chairs.

He returns home only when dusk falls.

He is steady and gentle by nature, considerate to his wife, and loves his two sons without spoiling them.

No matter how exhausted he is from daily work, he always wears a faint smile.

Chen Sheng silently recorded all of this.

Watching Xu Hu sell his fish haul in town.

Watching him carry tools to help neighbors repair houses.

Watching him teach his sons to distinguish wood and weave fishing nets under the lamp at night.

Watching him and his wife chat casually in the courtyard.

...

Time passed, spring to autumn, cold to warm, in a blink of an eye, several years had gone by.

Through daily toil, Xu Hu’s temples were frosted white, wrinkles gathered at the corners of his eyes, and his back was not as upright as before.

Only those eyes remained bright and gentle, exuding a resilient spirit.

The once little ones now grew into vigorous young men.

Ah Yu, steady by nature like Xu Hu, did things earnestly and seriously.

Ah Mo, cheerful and lively, loved to move and make noise, yet was filial and sensible.

The brothers were sent to the village’s primary school when they were little, learning some words and reading a few books with the teacher.

But they couldn’t sit still for long and showed no interest in ink, brush, and paper.

The poems and essays taught by the teacher were forgotten, while Xu Hu’s carpentry, masonry craftsmanship, and fishing skills captivated them.

Following Xu Hu all day long, learning to chop wood, weave nets, and identify wood with proficiency.

Xu Hu saw this, remembered it in his heart.

He knew the two sons weren’t academic material, forcing them was futile.

But he wasn’t content with letting the sons end up like him, trapped in this small fishing village for a lifetime.

His whole life was diligent, doing his utmost, only to ensure the family was well-fed.

He didn’t want his sons to retrace his old path.

...

That day, as night deepened, the courtyard’s lights flickered warm and soft.

Xu Hu carefully counted the leftover silver from selling fish during the day and placed it in a wooden box.

He carefully tucked the box into the cabinet by the bedside.

His wife entered with a bowl of warm porridge. Seeing his solemn expression, she gently asked:

"What’s the matter, husband? Was today’s fish selling unsuccessful?"

Xu Hu looked up at his wife, eyes carrying a trace of determination, and shook his head slowly:

"No, it sold well; I was just pondering something I wanted to discuss with you."

His wife placed the porridge on the table, sat beside him, and said softly:

"You speak, we’ve been married so many years, what’s there we can’t discuss?"

Xu Hu took a deep breath, gazing out the window as if he could see the two sons sleeping soundly, speaking earnestly:

"Ah Yu and Ah Mo are not young anymore, have finished primary school, not bookish types."

"Following me to fish and do carpentry can surely earn a living, but that’s all there is to it."

"I inquired, there’s a martial arts school in town with good instructors teaching genuine skills."

"I want to send the two kids to learn martial arts at the school."

His wife, upon hearing this, slightly curbed her smile, hesitated slightly, and spoke gently:

"Martial arts? Husband, this is no small matter indeed."

"Martial arts school fees aren’t cheap, saving up silver isn’t easy for us."

"Moreover, learning martial arts requires talent, if the children lack talent, what if we spend the money but they learn nothing?"

She was speaking frankly.

Over the years, Xu Hu rose early and worked late, fishing, doing crafts, accumulating this silver, with difficulty.

It’s the family’s security, a safeguard against natural disasters, she really begrudges spending it so easily.

Xu Hu, seeing his wife’s hesitation, was unwavering.

He took her hand, rough yet warm, providing her with a sense of security.

"I know your concerns, but don’t worry about fees; the silver I saved over the years is barely enough."

"Even if stepping back, they don’t learn much, it’s okay."

"They can train their bodies at the martial arts school."

"After coming back, joining me in fishing and carpentry, they’ll be stronger, not worry about meals."

His wife looked at Xu Hu’s resolute gaze, her doubts gradually dissipating.

She gently nodded, leaning against Xu Hu’s shoulder:

"Husband, I trust you. We will do whatever you say, no matter how tough, we’ll bear it together."