Ning Fei waited quietly by the river.
This time, the fish didn't bite right away. But after a few minutes, the fishing rod began to shake violently.
Another one!
Judging by the strength of the pull, it was another big fish!
"The streamer is a god!"
"Reel it in!"
"Wow, another big fish!"
The audience in the live stream cheered as they watched.
Ning Fei started to reel in the line, but the fish on the other end had incredible strength. He had to use all his might to keep the rod from slipping out of his hands.
The fishing rod was bent into a huge arc, on the verge of breaking.
"What kind of fish is this? It's so strong!" Ning Fei muttered, struggling to pull it in.
The viewers were tense, watching closely.
After a long effort, Ning Fei finally caught the fish. But as he looked at his catch, a sense of confusion began to creep over him.
The fish had a flat body, almost like an octopus, but its entire form was silvery white, and the scales glistened with an unusual smoothness. It flailed on the fishing rod, thrashing its long tail wildly.
Looking closer, Ning Fei realized the fish's head was different from any he had seen before—its mouth was long, resembling a shark's, but without sharp teeth.
"What kind of fish is this?" The audience was just as puzzled.
"No idea, I've never seen anything like it."
"It looks so majestic."
"Yeah, like some kind of dragon."
At that moment, a system notification rang in Ning Fei's mind.
"Ding! You've caught a spirit-level fish for the first time. Reward: Fish Encyclopedia skill."
Fish Encyclopedia: This skill allows you to obtain detailed information about any fish you see.
This skill couldn't have come at a better time.
Ning Fei activated the skill and studied the fish more closely. To his surprise, the fish was staring back at him, its eyes filled with what seemed like... emotion.
Fish eyes are usually vacant, lifeless. But there was something different here—this fish seemed to be pleading with him.
Everything in nature has a spirit. For instance, there's a famous story about a traveler who encountered a cow kneeling in the wilderness, crying softly. The cow was begging for water. When the traveler offered some, the cow called out to its hidden calf and let it drink first. The mother cow then shed tears in gratitude.
That was a show of spirit.
But to see this same spark of life in a fish? This was the first time Ning Fei had ever experienced such a thing.
He checked the fish's information through the new skill.
"White Dragon Fish: A spirit-level species on the verge of extinction. It requires extremely pure water and only lives in the pristine currents of mountain streams. The White Dragon Fish was first recorded over two thousand years ago and is considered an ancient Chinese totem."
"A White Dragon Fish?" Ning Fei muttered in amazement.
Curious, he searched for more information on his phone. What he found was shocking—five years ago, experts had declared the White Dragon Fish completely extinct in China.
In other words, this fish no longer officially existed.
Because of its extreme rarity, the White Dragon Fish wasn't even listed as a protected species. It had vanished before it could be safeguarded, and now, no one was left to care. Technically, Ning Fei could do whatever he wanted with it.
At that moment, someone with the username "Manager Wang from the Seafood Market" sent ten consecutive virtual rockets and left a message: "Please check your private messages, host."
Ning Fei noticed the message, and the viewers commented on Manager Wang's generosity.
Ning Fei glanced at the private message. It read: "Brother, I want to buy that fish from you. I'll pay 100,000 yuan!"
One hundred thousand yuan!
That was a substantial amount of money.
But Manager Wang knew the real value of the fish was far beyond that.
This fish had been declared extinct!
He was aware of a wealthy businessman who owned a White Dragon Fish, and that fish was valued at over two million yuan! The businessman claimed the fish brought him good fortune through feng shui, and it seemed to work—his business had thrived ever since.
Now, Ning Fei had caught an even larger and healthier specimen.
If Manager Wang could buy this fish at a bargain, he would make a huge profit.
However, Ning Fei responded calmly: "Not for sale."
Manager Wang was taken aback by the reply. Did the streamer know the true value of this fish?
"Think it over, Taoist. I'll pay 300,000 yuan. I've been searching for this fish for a long time," Manager Wang messaged, raising his offer to 300,000 yuan.
That kind of money would be life-changing for Ning Fei.
With 300,000 yuan, he could repair the Taoist temple and improve his own life.
But Ning Fei remained calm. Speaking to his audience, he said, "Manager Wang, I'm sorry, but I won't sell this fish. For the ten rockets you sent, give me your bank details and I'll refund you."
His tone was resolute.
He wasn't going to sell the fish.
Why? Two words: Chinese Totem.
Ning Fei had studied under Taoism and had a deep understanding of Chinese history. His master once told him that the totems of ancient China were not just symbols but living spiritual entities. They were believed to bless the country with good fortune.
This fish represented one of those totems, a conduit of luck and prosperity for the nation.
Selling such a spiritual creature for money? That wasn't something a Taoist would do.
As for repairing the temple and improving his own life, if Ning Fei had cared about wealth, he and his master could have long since exploited superstition and tricked the villagers into offering incense and money.
But they never would.
For that reason, he couldn't take Manager Wang's offer.
When Manager Wang sent another message pleading for the fish, Ning Fei ignored it. Instead, he gently removed the White Dragon Fish from the hook.
"Don't be so greedy next time," he whispered to the fish before releasing it back into the river.
The fish darted through the air, splashing into the water and disappearing in an instant.
Manager Wang was stunned.
What was this Taoist doing?
Did he know how much that fish was worth?
Two million yuan! He just threw away two million yuan!
Fuming, Manager Wang sent an angry message to Ning Fei.
Ning Fei frowned as he read it and promptly blocked Manager Wang, permanently banning him from the live stream.
He had intended to refund the ten rockets Manager Wang sent, but now, he didn't feel like bothering.
The rain started to fall heavier, so Ning Fei packed up his fishing rod, bucket, and stool, and began walking back to the Taoist temple.
He was in high spirits.
The 300,000 yuan he turned down didn't dampen his enthusiasm.
After all, he had a bucket full of fish, and more importantly, he had confirmed something his master once told him:
This mountain has spirit.
The White Dragon Fish was proof of that. He had seen one of China's ancient totems!