Chapter 022 – The White Dragon Fish
The speed of the yacht was too much for the young orca to keep up with, and the distance between them grew. However, the orca refused to give up and kept chasing them. Zhao Zhao's sharp hearing occasionally picked up its plaintive calls, which grew longer and more pitiful as it struggled to keep up.
Da Linzi felt bad for it. "What should we do? Maybe its pod isn't in this part of the sea?"
What could they do?
"Slow down. Maybe it'll stop following us when we get closer to the shore."
However, the orca seemed to have latched onto them. As the yacht slowed to a leisurely pace, it followed along easily, sometimes swimming on the left, sometimes on the right, showing no signs of leaving.
"We're getting close to the shore. It could be dangerous for it near Jinshi Island's outer waters. We don't have many big ships on our island, but Changshan Island has plenty. What if it gets hit again?" Da Linzi was genuinely worried.
Zhao Zhao was also concerned that it might get caught if it stayed near the coast. Even though the orca had drunk the spirit spring water, it was no match for humans.
Many people at sea were unscrupulous, and whale meat was considered a delicacy. In China, illegal trafficking was rampant, while in Japan, hunting whales was legal.
Keeping it near the shore wasn't safe, and now, they had no choice but to turn to Yaoguang for help.
"Yaoguang, what should we do? I can't bear to leave this silly orca behind... I want to keep it! Can we put it in Yaoguang Realm for a while and let it be your little brother?"
Yaoguang haughtily replied, "I don't need it." It had no interest in a silly fish that got stranded.
"What's wrong with picking up a fish for free? Can't you see it needs our help? If it follows us to the coast, it might get caught and eaten."
"You humans are terrifying. Is there anything you won't eat?" Yaoguang, who loved fruit, couldn't comprehend.
"Yaoguang, can you add a space entrance by the coast? I can toss it into the sea there. We can let it out whenever we go to sea." Zhao Zhao suggested.
Yaoguang rolled its eyes, shrewdly responding, "You think you can just ask, and I'll do it? Whose fault is it that you haven't fully mastered the space after all this time?"
"I won't sleep tonight. I'll practice my techniques!"
"Fine, that will do!" Yaoguang slipped into the bracelet while Da Linzi wasn't looking and soon sent a message saying it was done.
Zhao Zhao stopped the boat and jumped into the water. Sure enough, as she dived, the young orca followed, gently nudging her with its large head.
At a certain depth where no one could see, she led the orca into the space. This time, they didn't enter near the spiritual fields but rather by the unexplored inner coastline.
The orca, stiff as a fish stick, was whisked into the inner sea. This expanse was much larger than it seemed from afar. As soon as the orca entered, it dove into the depths, truly a fish returning to the sea, disappearing without a trace.
Yaoguang remarked, "Being able to swim in the inner sea is its fortune."
"What do you mean? Is the sea water here also spiritual water?"
"Close enough. Legend has it that the inner sea is the king of all seas in the three realms. A white dragon once ascended to godhood here, blessing the entire inner sea. Later, a type of fish called the White Dragon Fish emerged. The previous owner loved eating White Dragon Fish. She drew some inner sea water into the space to cultivate these fish. This silly orca is in for a treat; eating them will be beneficial."
"Are you saying there are still White Dragon Fish in there? Aren't they ancient spirit fish?"
Yaoguang almost rolled its eyes. "They reproduce, don't they? How could they be from a thousand years ago?"
Zhao Zhao used her spiritual power to look into the sea. "Are there no predators in there?"
The young orca was still where she had left it, voraciously gulping down the large white fish. The fish, with their fan-sized fins, swam right into its mouth without resistance.
"They're so fat, they look delicious."
Zhao Zhao looked at Yaoguang with a grievance. "Why didn't you tell me about these delicious fish? You're so heartless!"
"Are fish better than fruit? Besides, you haven't discovered them all this time. Is that my fault? I don't eat fish."
She turned her gaze to the distant mountain ranges. "Are there any tasty... I mean, wild animals in those mountains?"
Yaoguang rolled its eyes. "No! A cultivator shouldn't be indulging in gluttony!"
Zhao Zhao had an idea. Such large mountains shouldn't be wasted without cattle or sheep.
The orca, after devouring for a while, resurfaced and swam joyfully towards her. The sea had no slopes, eliminating the risk of stranding. The orca swam right up to the shore, spit out two fish, and called to her.
"For me? You're quite thoughtful..."
"Your brother is calling you," Yaoguang suddenly reminded.
Oh, right. It had been a while. She quickly grabbed the fish tails and surfaced. Da Linzi had already put on his diving suit and was about to jump in when Zhao Zhao stopped him.
"It's good that the orca finally headed out to the open sea. Look, I caught two fat fish while I was down there. We'll have these for dinner tonight."
"Why did it take so long? Can you hold your breath because of your training?" Da Linzi asked, pulling her back onto the yacht.
"I'm very good at diving. You don't need to worry about me when I'm in the water. Let's speed up and head to Changshan Pier. Boss Zhao is still waiting."
These White Dragon Fish would look beautiful in a glass tank. It seemed she could proceed with her original plan for the inn. Her graduation project was to rebuild her grandfather's inn, a Tang-style building.
To use the sign her grandfather made by hand, she designed it in a Tang style. She had an idea to replace the walls with small underwater worlds like those in aquariums, with beautiful coral fish.
After seeing these fish, she wasn't interested in coral fish anymore. Coral fish were everywhere, but the White Dragon Fish, blessed by the White Dragon, were unique. They were completely white, each about forty centimeters long. Large and flat-bodied with fine scales, they shimmered with a rainbow hue under the sunlight. But their fins were the most impressive part. The dorsal, tail, and ventral fins were all white, extending to the length of their bodies, layered like those of a Thai fighting fish. Their elegant swimming in the water was mesmerizing, almost ethereal.
White Dragon Fish, true to their name.
"Let's grill one and steam the other tonight! Yaoguang, do you know the best way to cook them?"
"Look at you, so inexperienced. The most valuable part of the White Dragon Fish is the fins. They're a great tonic for those with a water elemental root."
"So, how should I cook them?"
"How would I know? I don't eat fish!"
"Then why are you acting so proud?!"
"Hmph!"
Da Linzi docked the boat and, overhearing the end of their conversation, mediated, "Stop arguing. We're here."
As the yacht docked at the pier, passersby whistled at them. Several returning fishing boats even came over for a closer look, giving them quite a bit of attention. Seeing it was two unfamiliar young people, they didn't ask to board.
At Changshan Island Pier, the Poseidon was quite rare. Da Linzi cautiously told Zhao Zhao to wear her mask that covered everything but her eyes.
Boss Zhao was already waiting at the pier. The wild flounder were sold at 800 yuan per jin, the eels at 160 yuan per jin, and the mouse grouper at 1,200 yuan per jin. The three types of fish totaled less than 200 jin. Boss Zhao had a seafood transport truck and decided to buy the over 100 jin of hairtail at 15 yuan per jin.
Boss Zhao was straightforward in business. They agreed to notify him first if they caught good fish next time. The siblings headed back to the island.
This trip earned them 165,700 yuan, an exceptional catch, enough to cover their fuel for the next few days.
The yacht was fast, taking just over twenty minutes to reach Jinshi Island Pier. Several fishing boats were returning, with families waiting for them at the pier, making it quite lively.
Local fishing families had a tradition: fishing was dangerous, so family members would always come to the pier to wait for their return.
The lighthouse and family together guided the fishing boats back home.
The lighthouse is the eternal love that shines through the night, while family is the brightest lighthouse in the vast ocean.