Volume 2: Magic Tower Chapter 69: Fishing

  I sit on the edge of the boat, holding a fishing rod in a daze, the fishing line is very long, I just stare blankly at the fishing line swaying with the waves, thinking nothing, doing nothing. Loneliness can be a good thing sometimes, no one bothers you, and you don't have to think about anything, just staring blankly at the passage of time, maybe when I come to my senses, I'll suddenly find myself already white-haired.

  I won't be bored to the point of despairing about my lack of achievements, nor will I regret to the point of tears for not doing anything with my life. I am who I am, plain and simple, sitting here quietly, even if heaven and earth were to perish. Originally, I didn't have any great ambitions; my greatest dream was to become a swordsman as powerful as my father, able to protect my loved ones. My most cherished dream is to marry Lilia from the village and grow old together with her, surrounded by our children and grandchildren.

  But now it's step by step, and nothing is what I expected. My life seems to be heading in an unpredictable direction.

  Maybe others will say that I am a lazy person, a person without ambition, but who knows what it means to be busy all one's life, and for what reason is one living?

  I pulled the fishing rod and remembered a joke my mother told me about my father. At that time, my father was still a general of an army corps, and one day when he led his troops back, he saw someone sleeping on a haystack by the field. It was autumn harvest season then, and everyone was busy. My father found it strange that this person was so idle, so he went up to ask: "Why are you the only one who is so leisurely while others are all busy harvesting?" The man didn't even look at him, turned over on the haystack and replied: "Tell me, why do those people have to be so busy?"

  His father thought it was funny: "They're busy of course for the harvest!" The man asked again: "What's the harvest for?"

  "My father said, 'Of course it's to sell the harvest.' The man asked, 'And then what?' My father said, 'After selling, of course life will be better.' The man asked, 'What is a good life?' My father thought for a moment and said, 'A good life means not worrying about food or clothes, having surplus, not having to work hard all day, and living a leisurely life.' The man smiled, stretched out his head and looked at my father, saying, 'General, what do you think I'm doing now?'"

  Thinking of this, I couldn't help but smile wryly. People always think they know what they're doing, but in the end, they've just been running around in circles and return to where they started. According to my mother, this was also one of the reasons why my father decided to retreat to a small village later on.

  "You're holding a fishing rod for river fishing and think you can catch fish in the sea? Don't you know that fishing in the sea is completely different from fishing in a river?" I was savoring the taste of loneliness, lost in thought, when a woman's voice sounded behind me. I came back to reality and finally remembered that it was Elvin's beloved younger sister, Cielo, who had been following him all day with her face covered and not saying a word or even looking at me directly. She had come this time too.

  "What I'm fishing for is not fish, but mood." I pulled the fishing line out of the water and then swung the hook forward in an arc, the hook drawing a crystal clear arc in the sunlight before entering the water.

  Xī Lù snorted and said disdainfully: "Can mood be hooked too?"

  I shook my head and said, "You don't understand, you're still too young."

  "I'm still young? Which eye did you see that I'm still young with? I'm 20 years old this year, tell me, where am I small?" Xilu asked somewhat angrily.

  "My two eyes have seen it, you are small everywhere..." To prove what I said, I even deliberately turned my head and took a closer look up and down.

  Xī lù dà nù, xiōng bǎo qǐ qǐ fú fú de sì hū yā yǐ le bàn tiān, cái cóng bí zi lǐ hēng le yī shēng, duì wǒ mà le yī jù "liú máng!" zhuǎn shēn yáng cháng ér qù.

  Translation:

  Xi Lu was furious, her chest heaving up and down as if she had been suppressing it for half a day, before humming a sound from her nose and scolding me with the word "scoundrel!", then turning around and walking away with long strides.

  I shrugged and continued fishing for my mood.

  I thought that was the end of it, but then, just as I was meditating as usual at night, Evan came over looking worried and upset, and his first words to me were: "Brother, please don't mess with my sister, okay?"

  I was stunned for half a day before I remembered it was that conversation during the day that angered Evan's little sister.

  I let out a sigh and said, "You came all the way here in the middle of the night just for this trivial matter? Can't you see I'm busy practicing? You know I meditate every night at this time. Why did you have to come and interrupt me?"

  "Nothing?" Evan's face was a picture of suffering, his eyes wide with incredulity as he stared at me as if I were an alien.

  "What's the big deal? It was just a little spat with your sister!" I shook my head at the hopeless Evan.

  Aivan rolled up his sleeves, revealing two arms with one blue and one purple mark, and waved them in front of me with a bitter expression, saying: "Take a good look, this is the result of you offending her! You're a magician, she needs you to explore the ruins, but she can't afford to offend you, so she comes back to take it out on me! Who did I provoke?"

  I looked at Evan's arms that were pinched to be purple and green, took a deep breath, and said: "Your sister is really fierce!"

  Aiyin's eyes welled up with tears as she nodded and said, "Alas, I've always given in to my sister since we were young. She's been spoiled by me."

  I nodded thoughtfully and said, "Serves you right!"

  Evan heard what I said and flew into a rage, opening his mouth to give me a good scolding for being heartless and unrighteous.

  Just then, Terry's voice came from the doorway: "Your Highness, an island has appeared ahead. Please come and confirm with Mr. Ewen whether it is the island he mentioned."

  Evan, who was originally prepared to engage in a war of words with me and defend his dignity to the death, immediately threw away all the hatred I had stirred up when he heard this news. He stood up and walked towards the outside of the cabin, saying only "Next time don't provoke her, I'm begging you" as he left, before quickly walking out of the cabin.

  I really don't understand what Evan is thinking, exploring the ruins and bringing such a fierce woman along. Sigh, some things are not for me to change, never mind, let's just take it one step at a time. I sighed and stood up, following them out as well.

  Arriving at the ship's side, Evan was standing there gazing out into the distance. I looked forward and vaguely saw a blurry mountain shadow appearing on the horizon in front of us, it seemed that we had indeed arrived at the island Evan mentioned...