Chapter Three: The Eye of the Sea, Renting a Swallow Boat

Dayan Bai's entire body was covered in azure scales that shimmered, exuding an awe-inspiring presence. The day he struck down the demon fish with a single blow had left an indelible mark on the minds of these young men; the strength and speed he displayed then were far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Many of the boys present now gazed at him with shining eyes.

“Watch closely. These are the nineteen forms of the Azure Scale Technique. Within each form lies the key to circulating your vital energy and blood…”

With calm precision, Dayan Bai demonstrated each stance in turn. The youths watched with wide eyes, not daring to let a single detail escape them. As he finished, the sun had just begun to rise, bathing the sky in golden light.

For the next several days, each morning Dayan Bai summoned these young sailors to the deck, imparting to them the secrets of the Azure Scale Technique. After a few days, at least Xuan Bai had committed the method to memory.

“The true methods must not be passed outside the family. Bai family martial arts are to remain with the Bai family. What I have taught you today must not be revealed in the slightest. Do you understand?” Dayan Bai’s tone grew stern as he folded his hands behind his back.

“Yes, sir!” came the resounding reply from the gathered youths.

“Return to your duties. The Azure Scale Technique cannot be mastered in less than a month. If, by then, you have grasped the basics, your wages will be doubled, and you’ll be promoted to first-class sailors!”

He paused. “By the way, this body-tempering technique can be advanced with the help of a rare sea fish called the White-Scaled Fish. The ship’s catch is plentiful, and we do have such fish, but they are hard to come by—among a thousand catties of fish, you may find only a handful. If you wish to consume one, report to the purser. Each fish costs a thousand coins, no credit extended!”

“Of course…” Dayan Bai added, “if you’re willing to dive into the sea yourselves and catch a White-Scaled Fish, then you may cook and eat it as you please—no one will stop you.”

A thousand coins per fish? To speed up one’s cultivation?

Hearing this, Xuan Bai shook his head inwardly.

“My parents are gone. I’ll have to wait until next week’s wages to afford a White-Scaled Fish.” His purse was light—he simply couldn’t afford it. Such is the unfairness of the world: those with money and influence always find the road smoother.

However—

“Among these people, I doubt anyone will progress faster than me,” Xuan Bai thought with quiet certainty.

This body-tempering art was closely tied to one’s physical strength. Ever since he’d started adding points to his trawling, his power had surged, and in just a few days, he’d begun to show signs of entry-level mastery.

“If I can get my hands on a White-Scaled Fish, I might truly master the basics within a month.”

Nearby—

“Brother Zhou, could you give me a few more days? I need to practice the Azure Scale Technique and buy a White-Scaled Fish. I promise I’ll pay you as soon as I have the money…”

Not far away, a youth was pleading desperately. It was the same boy who had tried to gamble with Xuan Bai earlier; he’d lost everything gambling with the old sailors, and now he was destitute.

“Hmph?” The old sailor Zhou Yuan grinned coldly. “Debts must be repaid—it’s only right. Besides, over these two weeks you’ve lost ten taels of silver at dice. I’m only asking you to pay two strings of coins up front—that’s already generous.”

As he walked by, Xuan Bai glanced over and shook his head. Such is the fate of gamblers.

...

Several fishermen were hard at work hauling nets, sweat streaming down their faces. Xuan Bai was among them, the most diligent of the young men. After a few days, he had become acquainted with a few of the older, earnest sailors.

“Xuan Bai, why don’t you go play dice in the cabin? Every day you’re out here fishing on the deck, just like us old-timers—what’s the point?” one old sailor chuckled. Another replied,

“Xuan Bai here barely has a penny to his name. By the way, the third officer’s been teaching you all the Azure Scale Technique, right? If you’re eyeing those White-Scaled Fish, heh… see those five Yan Boats over there? If you dive into the sea and catch a White-Scaled Fish, you can keep it for yourself—nobody will stop you.”

At these words, Xuan Bai’s eyes lit up.

“So there’s another way after all.”

“It’s not without a price,” the old sailor continued, warming to his tale. “The Yan Boats are company property—can’t be used lightly. Each trip costs a hundred coins, deducted from your wages. And you know, the boats and nets belong to the ship, so any fish you catch technically belong to the ship as well, not you.”

“But… heh, those White-Scaled Fish are tiny, only about the length of a finger. If you stash one in a porcelain jar on your person, the purser won’t bother to check.”

“Such are the perks of being Bai family men.”

“I see. Thank you, Uncle Li,” Xuan Bai replied, his expression growing solemn as he bowed to the old sailor.

Though Dayan Bai had mentioned the possibility of catching the fish oneself, without guidance, who would have thought of such details?

“Ah, no need for such formality. Just call me Uncle Li,” the old man said, his face alight with pride.

For old sailors like him, guiding the young was both duty and pleasure. Without the chance to boast and share their wisdom, life at sea would be unbearably dull.

...

In the purser’s office—

“You want to borrow a Yan Boat?” Amid piles of paperwork, the purser looked up at Xuan Bai in surprise, then smirked as if recalling something.

“Go ahead. The hundred coins will be deducted from your wages.”

When Xuan Bai had left, the purser drew a line in his ledger and shook his head.

Over the years, he’d seen many a young man borrow Yan Boats, hoping to catch White-Scaled Fish on their own. But was it really that easy?

In his eyes—

“Even seasoned hands rarely find the deep currents where those fish dwell. In this vast sea, it’s hardly a simple task.”

He gave Xuan Bai no chance, and soon forgot the matter entirely.

...

“Another day of calm seas, not a cloud in the sky,” Xuan Bai murmured, standing by the ship’s rail and gazing into the distance.

“The Longevity Tree!”

In a sudden flash, the bronze Longevity Tree reappeared before his eyes.

After these weeks of experimentation, Xuan Bai had already discerned the law behind the growth of his Dao Insight.

Just as the Longevity Tree had said: “Practice this Way, and your Insight will grow day by day.” As long as he acted as a fisherman, his Dao Insight would increase automatically every day.

On average, every twenty days brought an additional point.

But if he worked hard—hauling nets, fishing, processing the catch—his growth rate soared.

In just five days, he had accumulated another point.

This time, Xuan Bai directed this mysterious Dao Insight elsewhere, pouring it into another bud on the tree.

“Seaview!”

With that single point, a fresh emerald leaf unfurled on the Longevity Tree.

Seaview (Entry Level: 1%)

In an instant, Xuan Bai’s vision expanded immeasurably. It was as if the entire world of sea and sky was reflected in his pupils. Countless fragments of chaotic information rushed in like a torrent, flooding his mind.

“So the shape of the waves reveals the underlying currents; a white patch in the sea marks a school of fish below; and when monsters like demon fish swim, the turbulence manifests as distorted flows, not without trace… So this is ‘Seaview’!”

On the Bai family’s whaling ship, the man at the mast—known as the Seaviewer—held a status higher than the chief sailor. Although he possessed no martial prowess, even Dayan Bai treated him with respect and courtesy.

“For a ship, being able to locate fish schools, chart their movements, and read the currents… That is far more valuable than mere martial skills.”

“With this Seaview ability, I can venture into the sea to fish with confidence.”

Xuan Bai’s heart settled with resolve.