The “Sea King” here refers to something like playboy, someone who has ambiguous affairs but not any stable relationships. The “fish” here are the people he had affairs with, aka his lovers (or whatever you wanna call them). And well, raising/catching fish means having an affair. So yeah, the fish farming here isn’t to be taken literally, it’s an internet slang.
On the way down the mountain, Chi Huo met a fisherman casting a net by the river.
He stepped forward and asked what year it was. The fisherman gave him a strange look and suddenly smiled, “Don’t you cultivators keep track of the years?”
“Oh right, the decades of life of an ordinary person are nothing to you. It’s just a drop in the ocean…”
“Little Taoist, it’s the thirty-fourth year of Tianfeng.”
After thanking the fisherman, Chi Huo internally calculated in his heart that the thirty-fourth year of Tianfeng was when he was guided by the Book of Heaven, the year when he was preparing to travel out of the valley. There was still a hundred years before he was besieged and suppressed.
In other words, he was reborn a hundred years ago as Qi Wang.
In his last life, when everything was in ruins, Chi Huo finally discovered the Heavenly Dao.
He suddenly gained self-awareness and learned that he was just a character in a book.
His birth, memories, experiences, choices, and even his existence in the world were all set by the author.
He was just a part of the plot. Whether it was him or the story that happened to him, he never had the final say.
Based on the author’s arrangement, Chi Huo was born in Red Sand Valley, West Jizhou, and no one knew who his biological parents were.
According to Po Meng, the owner of Zuiya Tower, the wind in the valley was extremely strong that day, stirring up a lot of sand. As a little baby, he was abandoned in a pond of blood-colored water. The ghost girl who came to dye cloth heard the cry and pushed aside the reeds beside the pond. When she saw a baby with delicate features, she thought it was a girl, so she took it back to Zuiya Tower.
Po Meng had said that because the water in that pond was called “Huo”, she named the baby “Chi Huo”.
He had even joked, “Born in trouble, she will be a beauty in troubled times in the future.”
Chi Huo didn’t know if Po Meng had made a bet with anyone, but if he had, then he would definitely win a lot of money.
Since the day he was picked up from the Huo Shui Blood Pond, Chi Huo had been raised by the ghosts of Zuiya Tower.
Since Zuiya Tower was a place where people liked to trade, Chi Huo, who had grown up there, entered Taoism through the Passionate Dao. Later, with his extraordinary talent, young Chi Huo became the ghost king of Red Sand Valley.
But not long after, Chi Huo’s practice hit a bottleneck.
No matter how hard he tried to gain enlightenment, he could not continue to make progress. Later, he chose to follow the will of heaven and left Red Sand Valley, he toured the world he had heard about, and experienced the joys and sorrows of human love.
Po Meng had also said to him, “Love and desire can be seen every day in Zuiya Tower, but it is useless to look at things such as love from the perspective of a bystander. You must be deeply involved in it to realize the true suffering, sorrow and joy, gaining the true “Tao”.”
When he was a child, Chi Huo once confusedly asked Po Meng, “What happens after experiencing suffering, sorrow and joy? What then?”
Chi Huo clearly remembered that Po Meng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, “Either affection or ruthlessness.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“But Huo’er, you entered Taoism with the Passionate Dao. You understand the meaning of love better than ordinary people. You will understand when you grow up.” Po Meng had said earnestly and patted Xiao Chi Huo’s head, “According to the guidance of heaven, you will find your own Taoist Companion.”
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After his consciousness awakened, Chi Huo realized that he was the supporting character of a Sea King in a book. The Heavenly Dao that the world talked about was actually the plotline arranged by the author for the characters in the book.
The most ridiculous thing was that this was a novel with the main plot of male-male romance.
Both the protagonists in the book had some connection with Chi Huo, who was the Sea King. Among them, the protagonist shou Shi Wuzheng was Chi Huo’s predecessor, and he was also the first fish that Chi Huo had caught after he left West Jizhou and traveled around.
The protagonist in the book, Xiao Guo, regarded Chi Huo as his only enemy. In the end, he also took part in the Immortal Alliance’s campaign to encircle and suppress Red Sand Valley in West Jizhou, which led to Chi Huo’s tragic fate.
Compared to the ending where his cultivation was thoroughly wiped out and his soul was completely sealed, Chi Huo couldn’t stand the fact that he was just a pawn in the plot.
After the awakening of his consciousness, he did not want to be controlled by anyone or anything. He must control himself.
Since the romance he pursued in his previous life was the fate imposed on him by the plot, in this new life, he must avoid making the same mistakes and liberate himself in this world.
Damn the Heavenly Dao, he wanted to help himself find the “dao” that truly belonged to him.
At this moment, a cold voice sounded in Chi Huo’s sea of consciousness –
[Please note that Tiandao has detected that you do not belong in this world, and it is contrary to common sense for you to appear here]
The Heavenly Dao, who had just been cursed, appeared.
Maybe Chi Huo woke it up by scolding it.
Chi Huo choked, and then asked the voice in the sea of consciousness, “Excuse me, who are you…?”
[The one you cursed just now, Tiandao]
Chi Huo was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, “I’ve never met you, it’s a pleasure.”
His tone contained a hint of mockery amidst the calmness.
[…]
The Tiandao system seemed to be able to recognize the emotions in human tone and stopped talking.
Chi Huo continued chatting with Tiandao calmly, “So, do you want me to disappear now?”
[You misunderstood, Tiandao never cares whether it is contrary to common sense, but just reminds you: once you expose your true identity in the world, it will cause this time and dimension to fall into chaos. In order to maintain normal order, the plotline will exclude any interference that might expose you]
Chi Huo paused slightly, “In other words, if the people in this time and dimension know about my true identity, I will disappear from this world, right?”
[Yes]
“Can I ask another question?” After pondering in silence for a moment, he suddenly asked. “I am now using Qi Wang’s body. Was it also meant by Tiandao for me to relive my identity?”
[Your last life had a dismal ending. Tiandao regrets that you failed to cultivate the Passionate Dao in your previous life, so it gives you a chance to start over]
[Please help “you” in this life complete the practice of the Passionate Dao]
“Ha.” Chi Huo laughed in anger, “Whoever wants to practice the Passionate Dao can go and practice it. I’m not doing it anymore.”
[…Please think twice and consider “yourself” in this life]
Tiandao seemed to be aware that for Chi Huo in his previous life, cultivating the Passionate Dao was his biggest obsession.
Chi Huo smiled lightly, “I have already died. I’ve thought clearly enough.”
[You will understand the intention of Tiandao, and you will eventually embark on the path of helping yourself practice the Passionate Dao] Tiandao asserted.
Chi Huo smiled, “Really? Just wait and see.”
He no longer believed in the evil Heavenly Dao. In the original plotline, Qi Wang had died due to the scheme of his fellow disciples, but now he helped Qi Wang “live”, as a variable character outside the plot.
Since he was no longer Chi Huo, he could use his own identity as a variable to promote the emergence of more plot variables.
Chi Huo’s purpose was very clear. Not only would he not do what Tiandao wanted, but he would help himself practice the Passionate Dao in this life.
He also wanted to destroy his own “Tao” with his own hands.
——To let go of those “fish”, and let go of himself.
The biggest problem he had to solve now was how could he save himself in this timeline without revealing his identity.
While pondering, Chi Huo had already reached the foot of the mountain, and voices of people gradually drifted in.
In order to avoid unnecessary suspicion, Chi Huo squatted by the stream and washed the blood stains off his body.
The stream reflected his face. The original body Qi Wang was born with had a good-looking face with facial features that looked straight out of a painting, with slender eyebrows and phoenix eyes, meandering inky hair, and a light red, tear-shaped birthmark at the corner of his eye, adding a bit of uniqueness to the originally elegant appearance.
However, the face of such a porcelain beauty was somewhat out of place for a cultivator.
The bone-deep wound on his neck had mostly healed, but upon closer inspection, the hideous knife marks could still be seen.
After cleaning the bloodstains on his body, Chi Huo walked towards the market at the foot of the mountain. He used the original owner’s remaining money to make a simple new outfit and wrapped the scar on his neck with silk.
After sorting out his appearance, Chi Huo walked towards Mount Dongji with the ghost cultivator’s soul core.
Judging from the information revealed by the original owner’s clothing and the sect emblem on the paper lantern, Qi Wang and the three dead cultivators were all outer disciples of Dongji Sect.
Now, this body only had the cultivation level of Qi Refining stage. If he didn’t rely on the power of the sect, it would be difficult to survive in the cultivation world.
And now Chi Huo had obtained the promotion ticket for the inner disciple of Dongji Sect: the ghost cultivator’s soul core.
After he gave up the soul core to the sect, he will be eligible to become an inner disciple and continue practicing.
But for now, the Dongji Sect itself held more important value to him, because the protagonist in the book, the first fish he captured in his previous life, was Suizheng Xianjun of Dongji Sect.
Chi Huo needed to grab the tail of the first fish, go up the river, and meet himself in this timeline.
*
When they learned that the disciple who gave the sect the ghost cultivator’s soul core was actually Qi Wang, an outer disciple who was regarded as a dodder flower, everyone in Dongji Sect was shocked.
“How is this possible?! Could it be a mistake?”
“It is said that the three senior brothers who worked with Qi Wang to deal with the ghost cultivator died tragically in the cave. Do you think there is something else going on…”
“If things got out of hand, there must have been a demon. I think there must be something fishy about this matter…”
The news spread quickly, and all the disciples were gossiping about it and all kinds of speculations came one after another.
Until Chi Huo, mottled in blood-covered clothes, appeared on the steps on the mountain peak. He had his black hair neatly tied up and his clothes were in tatters. He climbed up the stairs with light steps, and his blood-stained clothes were like red butterflies fluttering about in the wind and mist.
Chi Huo had put on his blood-stained clothes again before going up the mountain and climbed up the steps to the LuanFeng Hall.
For cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, climbing from the bottom of the mountain to the LuanFeng Hall at the top was very strenuous, but Chi Huo resisted his physical shortcomings and climbed with ease under everyone’s gazes.
Countless pairs of eyes witnessed his calm and graceful posture while holding a soul core and dressed in bloody clothes. Everyone who had originally speculated and prepared to see Qi Wang make a fool of himself was stunned.
They couldn’t help but wonder in their hearts, this was the first time they had seen someone wearing blood-stained robes so elegantly and gracefully.
Although Qi Wang’s appearance was definitely one of the most beautiful in the Immortal Realm, his gentle and weak personality made him look like a dodder flower that needed to rely on others. He was a beauty, but his beauty was superficial and exquisite, and utterly boring.
The appearance of this outer disciple had obviously not changed, but the feeling was completely different.
The disciples of the sect who were talking and chatting all became speechless, unable to utter even a single word.
Chi Huo walked to the top of the mountain, and several elders from Dongji Sect showed up after hearing the news.
The elders inquired about the incidents. Chi Huo put on a pretense of sadness and self-blame, and explained in detail how he and his senior brothers entered the ghost cultivator’s cave: “Shixiong asked me to enter the cave first to lead the group. I realized that danger lurked in the cave, so I tried my best to get Shixiongs to escape quickly. However, the shixiongs kept in mind the sect’s teachings. While they were worried about my safety, they also hoped to deal with the ghost cultivator who was causing trouble. Even though they knew there was danger, they still resolutely chose to enter the cave and deal with the ghost cultivator…”
“It is because my cultivation level is too low and I lack experience, thus I failed to save the lives of my shixiong and escaped alone. I am willing to accept the punishment for this, and I also hope to take this opportunity to start practicing under the elders to avoid similar situations from happening again.”
Chi Huo’s words were extremely sincere, but the experienced elders exchanged glances, and quickly realized the intriguing aspects of his words.
“Shixiong asked you to enter the cave first and lead the group. Did you…do it voluntarily?” Elder Wangxu hesitated for a moment and asked.
Chi Huo acted decently. He neither shook his head nor nodded. He lowered his eyes and said, “It is naturally the responsibility of a cultivator to eradicate the ghost cultivators who cause harm to people.”
What he said was dubious, but the content of his words was enough to make people suspect.
The elders exchanged glances and didn’t want to say anything. They already knew each other well.
Dongji Sect had rules. Once an outer disciple obtains the soul core of a ghost cultivator listed on the list and hands it over to the sect, the disciple can be classified as an inner disciple. From then on, an elder must accept him as a disciple and teach him personally.
“Which elder wants to accept Qi Wang as his disciple?” the sect leader spoke.
For a moment, silence descended in LuanFeng Hall. Several elders exchanged glances with each other and remained silent.
Due to Qi Wang’s special status and the fact that the ghost cultivator’s soul core was a bit strange, it was difficult to draw a conclusion until it was all cleared up, so no elder in the palace was willing to take the initiative to stand up.
After the stalemate lasted for a moment, the sect leader asked Chi Huo in order to make things easier for himself and everyone, “Qi Wang, which elder do you want to practice under?”
Chi Huo pretended to be stunned for a moment, looking flattered. He stammered, “I…”
He swept his eyes over the elders present. The person he was waiting for had not yet appeared.
Fortunately, the uneasy awkwardness only lasted less than three seconds.
Suddenly, there was a “clang” sound, and the clouds drifted apart outside LuanFeng Hall. An Immortal Lord in snow white clothes came, riding his sword.
The person who came had a cold and elegant appearance, but there was a gentle smile on his face, “I was dealing with some matters about my disciple and I was delayed, hence I’m late. I apologize.”
Chi Huo stared at the new elder who entered the hall, and then spoke in clear words, “I want to practice under Suizheng Xianjun.”
This Suizheng Xianjun was the protagonist of the original book, Shi Wuzheng.
He was also the first fish he captured in his previous life.
Man’s acting is just too good
Rooting for him to save himself! Thanks for translating
I know the cover already shows us his ethereal beauty, but I want a manhwa or donghwa so bad
Mans too intelligent, hope he’s able to get some revenge on the main character or is just fully focused on his past self that he ignored him haha
Due to the title and the insinuating use of “fish” I keep laughing, when ever I see that word. “Something is fishy”, yeah but Not the way my brain associates it with. ^^