A Fisherman's Immortal Journey

"Still going for fishing today too? Ren Wei..?" A passersby asked as Ren Wei was walking on his way towards the big lake.

With a simple smile, he responded. "Haha, just trying to make a living."

"Work hard.." The passersby said.

After that, Ren Wei continued walking down to his path until he reached the big lake. With a small fish bucket and a fishing rod.

For an ordinary mortal like Ren Wei himself, it was impossible to do fishing in the open big lake.

The reason he said he was going to the big lake was because a small river connects the open big lake. It was his usual spot for fishing. And he was going there.

After sometime, he finally reached the area.

Taking his small boat, he row his boat into the small river part.

Then, after stopping somewhere near the edge, he took out his fishing rod and starting fishing.

Calm, silent, and patient. He waited for the fishes to get hook.

----

Now, Ren Wei, an ordinary mortal living in a small town called 'White Lake Town'. Taken from the big open lake.

He is just an ordinary fisherman, trying to make ends meet. A widowed man. Father of a twin, a boy and a girl. Just around the age of 36.

His days are simple: catching river carp, telling bedtime stories, and saving coin to fix the leaking roof.

-----

Even after waiting for a long time, nothing was caught on the fish hook.

With a disappointed face, he continued to sat there on his boat. He did not even think of changing the spot.

That's because he probably knew that changing the spot would not change his luck.

As he sat on his boat with a blank look, thinking of what he would do tonight if he can not catch anything like yesterday. The fishing rod moved.

Snapping from his day dream, he looked over hurriedly.

Something was trying to drag the fishing bait and caught on his hook.

Excited, he quickly pulled up the fishing rod.

To his disappointment, what came to his view was a small black scale carp. All his excitement turned into his disappointed face again.

Then, he slowly pulled back the fishing rod, ready to free the little carp.

After he took out the fishing hook from the carp's mouth, he was about to throw it away.

But then he hesitated for a bit. In his mind, he was struggling whether he should throw the fish away or not.

What if he threw the fish away and he catch nothing after that. He and his kids have been starving for days. If he went home with nothing, today. They might be dead by tomorrow.

With a reluctant face, he slowly threw the fish away into the river.

Taking a deep sigh, Ren Wei renewed the fish bait and cast the fishing line again.

As he did that, he tried to sat back down.

But before he could do that, he felt the shaking of fish rod. This time, it was quite fast.

He straightened his body, quickly. And pulled out the fish line.

To his surprised, it was the same black scale carp again.

"Oh, come on. It's you again." He murmured. And freed the fish again. But this time he threw the fish a little far away from his place.

Then renewed the process all over.

Sitting there, day dreaming. Ren Wei waited for the bait to get caught.

It was not even a minute after he cast the fish line, he felt the same feeling that something was caught on the hook.

With an excited face, he pulled up the fishing line.

To his shocked, it was the same black scale carp. It was the third time he caught it.

This time, Ren Wei did not try to free it again. In his mind, he was thinking. 'Maybe the God doesn't want us to starve to dead. Now, since he sent you to me, I will take you in."

He took the fish hook out and put the carp into his fish bucket.

Looking at the only fish in his bucket, he remembers the advice and taboo of the black scale carp.

Legend has it that eating a black scale carp will bring dark fortune to not just the eater but also to his entire family. From the early age, ancestors of White Lake Town has advice their descendents to not eat this specific carp.

For the fear of dark fortune, people took the advice. And no one has ever eaten a black scale carp since then.

No once has ever tried to eat it. And no one has ever tried to find out the result of eating it.

"Well, we are this poor and too down. What more dark fortune could it bring us." He murmured. And went back to his fishing.

But it seems luck has ran out after catching the black scale carp. Even after waiting for a long time, Ren Wei could not catch a single fish.

With frustration, he muttered. "Still the same as before."

"Let's wait for sometime. The sun is still up." He thought to himself as he checked the daylight.

From time to time, the fishing line would shake a little. Thinking that he caught something, Ren Wei would pulled up the hook. But like God was teasing him, only the hook without the bait came into his view.

Seeing that, his frustration was greater than before.

Taking several breathes, he calmed himself. "Let's do it one last time. If I don't catch something, I will go back."

Saying that, he cast the fishing line, for the last time.

This time, he intensively glared at the fishing line, like waiting to catch a thief.

He waited and waited and waited. Time went on, as the sun was about to set on the west.

His patient was gradually running out.

Finally, when he felt it was no more use, he felt the fishing line moving.

This time, without any excitement or anger, he yanked the fishing rod and quickly pulled out the line from the water.

To his shocked, a huge fish cqme into his view. Even when the sun was setting, he could see the fish. It was a Red River Carp, one of the most delicious one at that.

Soon, his face was lit up with happiness, even his eyes was filled with tears.

He quickly pulled it towards him and tried to unhook the hook from the fish's mouth.

As he hastily did it, the hook pierced on of his finger.

"Ouch..." He let out a low short, high-pitched sound.

As he was filled with happiness, he did not think much of it. And quickly did the unhook.

What he did not know at that time was that a drop of his blood fell onto the Black Scale Carp.

He quickly rowed his boat towards the river bank.

Hiding the big fish, he quickly left the boat and ran back to his home.

During the process, he even forget to release the Black Scale Carp.

After the fisherman left, a bizarre thing happened. The Black Scale Carp looked at his direction with a human like expression.

Then, it shrunken its size. And turned into a white ball of light.

Without any delay, it flew up in the air and followed the direction Ren Wei left.

On the other side, Ren Wei was basically running back to his home as darkness fell onto the small town.

Seeing his action, some passersby looked at him like a madman. Even the one he passed by before, thought the same thing.

But none of the judgment eyes entered Ren Wei's thought. All he was thinking at that moment was just to get home quickly.

Soon, his wish was fulfilled. A lonely house appeared in his view.

It was around the corner, where not many house was there. An alone stand house.

With a smile, he stopped at the front gate. And taking a deep breathe, he pushed opened the gate.

Soon, the sound of bamboo gate opening echoed in the courtyard.

Even after that, no one came running out as he expected.

Feeling panic, Ren Wei ran into the house. But his worried was just for nothing.

The twin was just sleeping on the bed. And a candle was burning near the bed.

Seeing the two little faces, all his fatigue and worries went away.

With a relief face, he left the bedroom and went into the kitchen to prepare the fish he caught.

After he was done preparing, he started cooking the fish. But it was just a dull dish without any spices.

As he sat there waiting for the fish to done cooking, thoughts flashed into his mind.

'Now for today, I caught a fish. What about tomorrow... I can not simply rely on catching fish by luck. I have to do something.'

Even though he was thinking of doing other things, he knew it was not possible. Because, even getting a job as a woodcutter needs you to know someone powerful. But he doesn't know any kind of that people.

As he was lamenting about his life, he suddenly remembered the Black Scale Carp.

"Oh my God, I forgot to release that one." He slapped his own forehead.

However, as soon as his hand touched the forehead an electric shock passed through his body. And he fell to the ground.