They were too far away to hear what the caretaker and Sheng Kuo were talking about. Sheng Xuan's mind spun. He took out a palm-sized glass bottle. A tiny brown ladybug with green stripes was lying on a patch of grass, munching lazily. He was not a cultivator yet, so he could not mentally direct the bug. He had to rely on signals it was trained on. He gently shook the bottle, waking up the little thing.
He unsealed the perforated cork, letting it fly out. Sheng Xuan held a stick with a red end, pointing in the direction of Sheng Kuo. The bug also turned. Then it looked back at Sheng Xuan who waved the red stick around.
The bug bobbed up and down too and zoomed toward that direction. Sheng Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Sheng Feng had watched the whole thing, amused.
"I did not expect Brother Xuan to be a bug tamer too," she remarked lightly.
Sheng Xuan smiled. "You are learning to joke now."
"I am praising you," she seriously said.
Sheng Xuan ignored her. Instead, he pressed a teardrop-shaped listening instrument against his left ear. "Stay quiet, let me hear what they are talking about."
"Mm."
Sheng Feng also badly wanted to listen but she did not have a way. She could only observe him. Sheng Xuan noticed the intense curiosity in her large eyes. He bent down, holding the earpiece in between them.
"If you want to listen, push your ear close to it."
Sheng Feng pursed her red lips, reluctant. She would be too close to him.
Sheng Xuan ignored her, focused on eavesdropping. Sheng Feng could only grit her teeth and crane her neck against the earpiece, keeping half her attention on any sudden movement from him.
At first, Sheng Xuan heard beating noises of the bug's thin wings. It slipped past many thickets, landing on a tree close to the pair. A few moments passed. He heard faint voices in the earpiece.
Sheng Kuo asked, "Are you certain it was a luminous striped carp?"
"Yes, Young Master Kuo. I am 90% sure it was a luminous carp!" the caretaker excitedly said.
"Did you mention it to anyone else?" Sheng Kuo's voice dropped an octave.
"Not at all!" the caretaker quickly said. "Young Master Kuo, I came to find you the second I saw it. I did not mention it to anyone else!"
"Good. Good. I will reward you handsomely for this," Sheng Kuo said. "What are the chances you can capture the fish for me?"
"Ah, that." The caretaker did not reply immediately.
"It will be difficult, Young Master Kuo. These luminous types are much stronger than normal and hard to catch, you see."
"How much do you want?" Sheng Kuo asked.
Moments of silence.
"What do you think about one hundred spirit stones?"
More silence.
"How long will it take?"
"A few days. No more than four, I promise!"
"That's still too late. Do it in three, otherwise don't expect the other half."
"This... I will try my best, Young Master Kuo," the caretaker said. "Don't worry. Just wait for my good news!"
"Take this half. You can only get the rest after you give me the fish."
A lively voice sounded. "Thank you so much, Young Master Kuo. I will not disappoint you!"
"Good. I don't want to hear any bad news." Sheng Kuo's grave voice sounded.
Faint footsteps echoed.
Sheng Xuan let the bug stay till the caretaker also left. He looked down at Sheng Feng, thinking he might not even need her. Could he not just intercept this caretaker? However, he did not want to wait for a few days.
Sheng Xuan turned to Sheng Feng, catching a close look at her pale profile. Sheng Feng flinched, hurriedly stepping back.
"Did you hear what they said?" he asked.
"Yes, I did," she said. "We need to hurry. If we wait too long, we will lose out."
"I know, but this is not a good time. We will be easily caught. We can come when it's dark and try fishing."
Sheng Feng did not reply right away, looking at the blue-green waves of the pond reflecting the sunlight. She did not want to be alone with him at night but it was also not realistic to fish in broad daylight. Thinking the area was still busy at night, she made a decision.
"Okay, let's do that. I will get the bait but it's very expensive. You have to compensate me."
"Alright, how much?" he asked.
"Twenty spirit stones."
Sheng Xuan huffed. "You are really trying to swindle me."
"No, I am not," Sheng Feng firmly refused. "It cost me forty spirit stones. I am only asking half from you, making us equal partners."
"I did not expect you to be so rich." Sheng Xuan looked at her suspiciously. "Let's take a step back. Ten spirit stones."
"Fifteen," Sheng Feng shot back.
"Fine. So stingy," he said. "But are you sure your bait will actually work?"
"I am mostly certain. It should work," she said. "My dad is very knowledgeable about spirit fishes. He is involved in farming and catching them. Trust me."
"Alright."
He handed over the spirit stones.
Sheng Feng's eyes lit up. She happily stored them in her pouch.
After they set the time to meet again and where, Sheng Feng bid farewell, feeling she had spent too much time with him. She could have spent this on studying her arts.
Sheng Xuan stared at the pond, bordering on a lake. He reflected on the plan. It was fragile, and often plans could not keep up with the changes. Sheng Feng herself might be thinking too simply.
'Do I call Lan'er? But I want to try doing this myself.'
He also wanted to spend time alone with Sheng Feng to deepen their relationship. He decided to not call Wei Lan. Anyway, he had enough cards to protect himself.
The Sun dropped past the horizon. Darkness enshrouded the world. It would have been pitch black if not for the silver Moon hanging high, casting its silvery light.
After meeting, Sheng Xuan and Sheng Feng wore masks and returned to the same spot. Moonlight reflected off the pond. Insects buzzed all around. Sheng Feng was uncomfortable. A few had already bitten her. Moreover, she was with a man alone in the woods. A wave of regret and caution welled up in her heart. She kept a tight hold on a speed talisman.
Sheng Xuan was also in discomfort. Maybe the high spirit qi concentration around made these insects stronger. The bug cream he had did not work well, annoying him.
"There does not seem to be anyone nearby," he commented in a hushed voice.
Sheng Feng scanned the dim, rustling thickets several times. Her racing heart calmed, although her nerves were still tense.
"We still need to be careful," she whispered.
"I know. Do you have the bait? Let's hurry up."
"Yes, yes."
They relied on a dim glow stone as their light source. A fire or anything bright would stand out too much.
Sheng Feng took out two fishing poles, made of spirit bamboo. The fishing line came from the web of spirit spiders.
"This is a spirit fishing pole. I am only renting it to you. You have to pay me afterward," she said.
"You... want to bargain in this situation too?" Sheng Xuan said.
Sheng Feng evaded his incredulous gaze. His red eyes were striking in these dim surroundings.
"Fine, I will pay you afterward," he said.
Sheng Feng wanted to ask: why could you not give it now? But she was not as shameless yet.
She began to add bait to both fishing poles. Sheng Xuan was curious about it but she had no intention to reveal anything about the bait.
Chilly winds brushed against their bodies. Sheng Feng trembled, not used to the outside. She usually stayed put in her library.
"Stop staring," she complained.
"I am just learning from you," he replied.
After she was done, Sheng Xuan eyed the hook. A nail-sized round red-brown bait was stuck to it, emitting a rancid smell. He frowned in disgust.
"Do you know how to cast a line?" she asked.
"Of course, I know," he said. But the pole felt unfamiliar.
"You might but we need to cast into the deep waters. So, make sure to cast hard."
"Mm."
Sheng Feng turned her head toward the calm, deep-blue pond, wind creating small waves.
She gripped the pole and swung it hard. The line twisted around, taking a sharp backswing into an arc toward the distance.
'Ah, she is proficient at this,' Sheng Xuan thought. He could not show off anymore.
"Brother Xuan, you do it now," she urged.
Sheng Xuan took in a deep breath. He gripped the pole hard and swung it. The line twisted and turned like a whip, its movement awe-inspiring. It drew a nice arc, except its direction was off. It tangled around a tree's branches.
Silence fell between them.
Sheng Feng blinked her large eyes at him. She suppressed her desire to laugh. Instead, an imperceptible smile curled her lips.
Sheng Xuan stared at the tree, vowing to cut it down to its roots. He let out a cough. "Too many trees here. If I were in a more open spot, this would not have happened."
"It's alright. Let me do it."
Sheng Xuan wanted to try again but now was not really the time.
She took the pole from him while he went to untangle the line. His bottom was a favorite for the small plants to poke. After he untangled, Sheng Feng cast the line for him.
"Would not other spirit fishes take the bait?" Sheng Xuan raised the question he had been pondering.
"Don't worry. It's a special bait." She continued to stare at the fishing float bobbing on the water.
"Alright."
Sheng Feng was doing most of the work. Sheng Xuan would have been unsettled if not for the low stakes. He did not mind letting her hold the main weight.
As time passed, Sheng Feng was not interested in conversing casually but the silence was awkward, so she became receptive to a hushed chit-chat.
Hearing her guarded responses, Sheng Xuan imagined her childhood might not have been so nice, which was not uncommon in a large, aristocratic clan like this. Competition between people, families, and branches over any resource was fierce.
Sheng Xuan knew the reason he could be himself was due to the weight his parents carried. One owned a shop and was proficient in the Enchantment Craft, the other was an alchemist. If he did not take advantage of these privileges, he would be an idiot.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden tug on one of the fishing lines. Sheng Xuan narrowed his eyes. Sheng Feng had already told him what not to do, so he was patient. She looked over seriously.
"Take it slow," she said.
There was another tug. The floater dipped into the water. Sheng Xuan nearly pulled it. The floater reappeared. No tugs for a few moments. His heart beat impatiently.