RISE OF THE MARTIAL GOD

They smiled awkwardly and immediately shook their heads in unison. Anthony picked up an empty basket and left.

"Can the young master truly fish? Or is he faking it? After all, he grew up in a privileged family."

"That's right. He probably doesn't know how to. He's so good with martial arts, he must think that fishing is equally easy and satisfying."

"He doesn't need to try that hard, we're easy to impress. He should leave these local grudge works for us. He shouldn't pretend to be…"

Anthony stopped, fuming in anger on hearing their tones which seemed to suggest he was a girly, inexperienced over pampered young master who had never seen the world.

The girls stopped whispering and turned to him with a frown.

He can't exactly tell them he was praying for more bandits to show up now, could he? They might think he's the harbinger of bad luck, but robbing thieves is the quickest way to make money to provide and keep everyone happy.

"Young master, are you alright?" Tong Tong asked hesitantly, wondering if he heard them.

Anthony smirked wickedly.

"Nothing, I just remembered that I saw signs of venomous snakes while looking around earlier. You better watch your back."

He heard a scream of horror, a gasp and a sharp inhale. Even though it was petty, he felt deep satisfaction. Payback time went pretty well. Their fear seemed to be a drug he needed to get high on. He turned to see Tong Tong already on Xinglan's back. Miao Miao clung to her arm, looking around in terror. Xinglan herself looked afraid, but she was holding it well compared to the other two.

Anthony grinned and quickly turned away, barely suppressing his laughter as he walked away.

He found a comfortable spot and sat on a rock to start his fishing adventure. Even though he hated to admit it, the girls were right. He had never fished for a day in the past, but he's a fast learner, right? Or so he thought.

"Damn! There's no hook or line. It seems like I will have to catch them myself."

He sighed heavily. Going to the girls to ask for advice would be a huge strike on his pride, which he would rather die than endure.

"Go check what young master is doing?" Xinglan whispered. Both girls immediately shook their heads, refusing at the spot.

"What if a snake jumps at me on the way?" Miao Miao whispered with a pout. Tong Tong's head bobbed up and down in agreement.

After a while, she looked at Xinglan.

"But why do you want to check on the young master?"

"I have a feeling that whatever method he's using to catch fish would be hilarious. You bet he has never touched a line in his entire life."

Tong Tong chuckled, same with Miao Miao on hearing Xinglan's words.

"Well, it's none of our business. We only need to make sumptuous dishes. He chose it himself, let him do it. At least, we have enough meat here. By the time we finish cooking everything, he would have accepted defeat and returned." Tong Tong said with a shrug.

Xinglan shook her head once with an ambiguous look on her face.

"I still think it would be a great sight to see. The almighty perfect young master An struggling with catching fishes."

"No. Men have their own pride and arrogance too. What if he thinks we're embarrassing him and decides to ignore us in the face of danger to prove a point? What will we do then?"

"Young master An isn't that petty." Miao Miao replied, finally letting go of Xinglan's arm.

"We better not take the risk. We should stay far away from the river. Let's go cook." Tong Tong insisted with an air of finality and authority one would never expect from someone so petite.

****

Back at the river, Anthony was still staring steadily at the water body before him.

An idea occurred to him and he gasped.

"Damn! I'm a genius. How could I forget this important technique on the cultivation of mind power and control of soul power with precision? This is the perfect chance to practice the soul guide technique, so that I can start using the soul calling bell. It's literally controlling living things with a string of mental power. If it can't control fishes it means that humans won't be defeated either."

He dropped the bucket before him and sat cross legged on the rock with his two hands facing the sky. Soon, two blue bulbs of light appeared on his palm, crackling with energy.

Xinglan who was trying to fan the embers stopped and turned to the direction where she felt it.

"What a strong soul power."

Miao Miao, who was washing the rice, turned to her with a hint of concern on her face.

"What's wrong?"

Xinglan replied with a smile and shook her head.

"It's nothing. Let's hurry up and prepare the meals."

She looked in the direction of the river again and smiled.

'You hid it pretty well. You're even stronger than expected. Catching fishes might be impossible for you, but you're perfect in other places.'

******

"The dishes are almost done. The soup base portion we set out for the fish stew has nearly boiled over but he's not here yet. Should we go look for him?" Miao Miao asked, pacing.

"There will be no need, I'm already here." Anthony's voice interrupted them and they turned to look at him.

Xinglan winked at him, and looked at his hands which were behind his back.

"I nearly thought that you decided to drown yourself when you realized you can't catch any fish."

"Who said I couldn't catch any fish?" Anthony immediately retorted with his chest puffed out.

"You don't need to be embarrassed, everyone has a thing or two they're not good at. For example…"

The rest of Tong Tong's words got stuck in her throat the moment Anthony revealed what he was hiding behind. Stunned should be the correct word for it.

The bucket was full of live trout and carps, still struggling trying to find water.

"Is there anything that I, this young master, is not good at? Even if it's my first time, as long as I put my mind to it and work my magic. The golden touch will show immediately."

Miao Miao rolled her eyes at his words.

"Yes, yes, boast. Boast all you want, we deserve it."

Anthony cleared his throat.

"Add some to the stew, boil and fry some, season and roast the rest. We will eat the ones in the stew now, but the ones that are to be dried will be our travel supplies. Make sure you season them well with salt, pepper and spices before roasting or frying. Even if it's travel supplies, it shouldn't lose the delicious taste. You saw how palatable my fried chicken was…" The rest of his words trailed off as he saw something move from the corner of his eyes.

"Young master, what's wrong?"

Anthony smiled and shook his head.

"It's nothing. Carry on with the dishes. I will be back in a jiffy."

Before they could understand what was going on, he disappeared from their sight, in pursuit of whatever caught his eyes.