Chapter 1

Beyond the northwest sea, there is a mountain called Zhongshan.

Zhongshan is to the north of the Red Water. Here, a great river branches out into myriad streams. Among one of these nameless small streams, peculiar rocks jut out, and the water flows gently.

Tracing the stream upstream, there are countless scenic spots; downstream, lotus flowers bloom in abundance, their fragrance spreading far and wide.

Among the lotus flowers, hundreds of carp swim freely.

And now, among these carp, there is one koi that stands out from the rest, particularly vivid.

The koi's body is snow-white, with a bright red torso, swimming in the clear, transparent water, its colors striking and beautiful.

Especially, it is incredibly lively, with eyes that sparkle like stars, seemingly filled with extraordinary wisdom.

This koi is not just a fish; it has always possessed intelligence.

The koi wiggles its body, its consciousness gradually awakening, feeling the bubbles rising and the warm water surrounding it, a mix of comfort and a sense of helplessness:

"Am I a fish again this time?"

Yes, he is not an ordinary carp.

His name is Su Ye, a reincarnated being.

Many years ago, he was an ordinary person, living a mundane life.

However, before Su Ye's life had even reached its halfway point, he contracted a strange illness, for which there was no cure, and eventually passed away.

At the moment of death, he marveled at the brilliance and brevity of life, but when he came to, he found that he had not disappeared but had been reborn with his memories intact.

In that life, he became an ant.

As for why, he did not know.

Perhaps after death, one naturally reincarnates, which is not unusual.

However, whether it was a good or bad thing, Su Ye did not forget his past life and lived as an ant.

Of course, before he could attempt to "shake the tree," he was eaten by a salamander.

In nature, the strong prey on the weak, and this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Moreover, even if he had not been eaten by the salamander, a solitary ant's lifespan would have been only a few short days.

More importantly, after being eaten, Su Ye reincarnated again.

From the initial ant, he became a mayfly, a moth, a butterfly, a shrimp... one life after another.

Although each life was short, he could continuously be reborn.

Thus, he called himself a "reincarnated being."

However, gradually, Su Ye realized that most of his reincarnations were into weak creatures.

He tried to be reborn as stronger beings, even if not as humans, at least as powerful animals like tigers or lions.

However, things did not go as planned.

He found that if he died by his own hand or met an early end, he would only be reborn as similar or even weaker creatures.

So, Su Ye stopped actively seeking death.

Instead, he changed his perspective, began to actively observe the world, and enjoyed his life as an arthropod.

He appreciated the natural scenery, saw the microscopic world, and with each life, his mindset gradually became more peaceful.

Furthermore, Su Ye discovered that when he gained something in his life, he could be reborn as a stronger being after that life ended.

Thus, he more readily accepted each short life, one after another.

After countless lives... or perhaps, the actual time was not long.

After all, the lifespan of insects is very short.

Finally, one day, Su Ye was reborn as a fish.

From insects to fish, from invertebrates to vertebrates, this was a significant leap.

Of course, as a fish, Su Ye still could not choose his life.

Whether in the ocean, a river, or a stream.

He experienced nine lives, each ending prematurely.

Some were eaten by larger fish, some caught by fishermen, and others crushed by storms.

Even with caution, he could not escape the unexpected in life.

Nature can be unreasonable at times.

And this life seemed to be no different.

"Is it... a carp?"

Swishing his tail, Su Ye swam around the river once more.

Although his current body was small, after nine lives, he was already accustomed to life as a fish and felt no discomfort.

Observing his surroundings, the water was calm, lotus flowers bloomed, and the depth was moderate, indicating he was in a small stream.

The water was clear, and besides the lotus flowers, there were various fresh algae, which was pleasant.

It seemed that this life's location was much luckier than the previous ones.

Moreover, the shape of the carp was much more appealing than that of eels or cod.

Su Ye was quite satisfied with his appearance.

"I hope this life can be peaceful."

He thought to himself.

The current Su Ye no longer harbored the initial fantasies and conflicts; he only wanted to live a stable life as a fish.

However, at that moment.

Suddenly, a blue carp beside him struggled violently.

He turned to look and saw that the carp seemed to be pulled by something and was dragged away.

Soon, a "splash" was heard on the water's surface.

"This..."

What he feared came to pass.

Su Ye sighed inwardly.

In an instant, he realized what had happened.

Looking around, he indeed saw several small "iron hooks" in the circular world he perceived.

Those were, of course, fishing hooks!

It seemed that the stream he was in was someone's fishing spot.

Where there are people, there are fishermen, and where there are fishermen, there are fishing hooks.

Fortunately, there were no nets.

With just these hooks and the meager bait on them, Su Ye had no interest in biting... unless he was tired of living.

In the previous nine lives, he was caught in a small stream, speared to death.

This time, in the river, he did not have that worry.

Upon closer inspection, most of the hooks were identical to the ones in his memory.

However, among them, there was a straight hook, gleaming white like a silver needle, standing out prominently.

The straight hook was smooth, with no bait.

"Jiang Taigong fishing?"

Su Ye couldn't help but mock.

Could someone really believe the legend of Jiang Taigong fishing? No, he wasn't sure if the story of Jiang Ziya existed in his original world.

But, would any fish really bite a straight hook?

Regardless, recalling the tragic fate of the previous fish, Su Ye decided to dive deeper into the water to avoid being caught by a net.

In one of his nine lives, he was caught by fishermen and became pickled fish.

He did not want to experience that again. The taste of pickled fish...

Su Ye decided to escape.

But at that moment.

Suddenly, a sense of unease surged from his heart.

Although the water was warm, his body felt as if it had been instantly frozen.

For some reason, Su Ye felt a strong sense of danger.

He thrashed his tail violently, but before he could move, he found himself firmly held in place, unable to budge.

"What's going on?"

Su Ye was stunned.

He tried again, but still could not struggle free, and his body moved involuntarily in one direction.

Upon closer inspection, it was toward the "silver needle"!

Before he could react, he saw himself bite the silver needle.

"This!"

I've become a stupid fish.

Splash!

A current of water shot up.

Then, with a splash, a large amount of fresh air rushed into his gills.

Coming to, he found himself in mid-air.

His gills opened and closed, trying to breathe air. Although he could still filter oxygen for a moment, it would become increasingly difficult.

"I've been caught again."

Su Ye felt bitter.

However, since he could reincarnate, he was not afraid of death.

More than the fact of being caught, he was curious.

Why?

Why did he suddenly lose control and bite the silver needle?

It was as if he was being manipulated.

He turned his gaze to the person who had caught him.

The person was an old man.

The old man was round and plump—of course, because Su Ye, as a carp, saw the world as round.

If viewed from a human perspective, the old man wore a gray robe, with a sage-like appearance, like a deity.

Beside the old man were several other round figures.

There were four people in total.

The oldest was a young man in his late teens, and the youngest was a girl of about eight or nine.

"Robe? No, it's similar but not quite the same."

This was Su Ye's first direct observation of humans.

Although he had been caught before, it was either when he was near death or the fishermen were dressed ordinarily, with no distinctive features.

However, it seemed he had indeed been reincarnated into ancient times.

This was important information. As a reincarnated being, perhaps he could live to see modern times.

On the other side.

"Master is so amazing!"

A clear voice came from the girl:

"The fish really took the bait, and it's such a beautiful koi! Big Brother, looks like you lost!"

Beside her, an eleven or twelve-year-old boy clapped his hands: "Yes, yes, Big Brother, you lost!"

Another boy with a simple appearance asked curiously: "Fishing with a straight hook, I've never seen it before. Do fish really bite the hook on their own?"

Among the four, the oldest young man also admitted defeat, sighing: "Indeed, as Master said, 'willingly taking the bait' is truly remarkable. It seems, as Master said, only by following the natural order can one be free."

The old man, hearing this, stroked his beard and smiled: "Well said. Remember, the way of nature cannot be forced, or there will be consequences. Only by following the heart and the natural order can the fish willingly take the bait."

"The Master's words are wise, we will remember them."

The disciples all showed a respectful and attentive demeanor. However...

"..."

Su Ye was speechless.

"This old man..."

He had never seen such a shameless person.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a sense of lightness. The force that had restrained him had vanished.

Then, the fishing line was reeled in, and the girl came over to pick him up, perhaps to put him in a basket?

Perhaps, he would soon be in a pot.

At that moment, Su Ye felt a sudden impulse.

When the girl grabbed him, he thrashed his body, using the slippery mucus on his skin to break free and jump into the air.

Immediately, there were cries of alarm.

"Be careful, it's jumping back into the river!"

"Don't let it escape!"

"Such a beautiful koi, don't let it hit the rocks!"

The disciples scrambled, some waving the fishing line, others shaking the basket, trying to catch Su Ye.

The old man, however, stroked his beard and smiled, his expression unchanged, as if everything was under his control.

However, unexpectedly, Su Ye did not jump into the river.

He had no intention of surviving.

In mid-air, the koi bent its tail, flipped over, and with a powerful flick...

"Slap!!"

With a loud sound, everyone was stunned, their movements stopping.

The old man was also taken aback.

Because, Su Ye's tail had slapped the old man's face, making a loud slapping sound...

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Su Ye felt a great sense of satisfaction.

Escape? Impossible!

Seeing the old man's strange technique, he knew this life was about to end.

Even if he jumped back into the river, the old man might try to "willingly take the bait" again.

Instead of that, he decided to do the opposite.

Like a moth to a flame, or an ant trying to shake a tree. For others, such things happen only once in a lifetime.

But for Su Ye, it was a common occurrence.

Since he was going to die anyway, he might as well die spectacularly.

Feeling the shock of the others, Su Ye was content.

He did not struggle, rolled his eyes, and lay on the ground, waiting for the next reincarnation...

"Willingly take the bait?"

"Bullshit!"

"I'll take your grandpa's bait!!"