Chapter 372: Section 159: Fishing Marshal
White clouds drifted leisurely across the sky.
The pale blue of the sky and the deep blue of the sea reflected each other interestingly.
On the edge of the cliff, a gentle breeze caressed Yan Tan’s face as he sat on a stone stool, listening to the cries of the sea birds while eating slices of raw fish.
It seemed the fish had just been sliced, fresh and delicious, filling a large bowl set on a stone round table.
Next to the raw fish, there was a small bowl.
The bowl was full of fine salt, white as snowflakes.
With a mental command, Yan Tan lifted a slice of raw fish to float over to the salt bowl, dipped it thoroughly on both sides, then floated it to his mouth.
Yan Tan opened his mouth, swallowing the raw fish and after chewing continuously, his Adam’s apple bobbed once before he swallowed it with one gulp.
“Ah…” He let out a sound of enjoyment, his voice and half-closed eyes expressing intense satisfaction.
At that moment, a Teleportation Gate opened, and a seagull flew out, landing on Yan Tan’s shoulder.
It was holding a military report in its beak.
Yan Tan took the report and, astonishingly, the seagull spoke with human speech, “Old man, this is what you wanted; flying so far has worn me out.”
Yan Tan, as the Navy Marshal, was over a hundred years old, with white hair and deep wrinkles.
“Eh? This is Time Fish meat! My god, how did you catch it?” The seagull glanced at the sliced fish on the stone table, its eyes widening in recognition, and it exclaimed in a low voice.
“Of course I fished it up. You know this is a renowned fishing Holy Land, heh heh.” Yan Tan chuckled, giving the fishing rod by his foot a little kick.
There were two fishing rods, their tips stuck into the ground, their tips arching upward.
Both rods were made of very ordinary material and looked to be hastily crafted from tree trunks by Yan Tan, nothing special to mention.
However, at the tip of a rod in front of Yan Tan, there was a line. The line was very delicate and long, reaching down into the deep sea.
The seagull looked at the line closely and its face showed shock.
It discovered the line wasn’t physical but condensed from Yan Tan’s Fighting Energy. Because the energy was condensed so densely, it gave the illusion of being a solid object.
The most shocking was that this thread of Fighting Energy was not only concentrated but also very stable and its presence so effectively retracted it seemed like an ordinary object.
The line was very long; Yan Tan was sitting at the edge of a steep cliff wall.
The line dropped from the top of the cliff and went deep into the sea, at least over two hundred meters in length.
“Old man, you really are amazing,” the seagull said, increasingly astonished, “Is it with this Fighting Energy line that you caught the Time Fish?”
“To think you are a legend among fighters, no, even ordinary Legendary fighters couldn’t achieve this.”
“Hahaha,” laughed Yan Tan heartily, “After all, I am the Navy Marshal.”
The seagull snickered with sarcasm, “You remember your title, huh? Always gallivanting around leaving a pile of matters to that Wei Sheng kid. Heh, now look at the trouble, the Charming Blue Divine Sect is not dead and the Justice Pirate Group is still on the run. That Wei Sheng kid must be at his wit’s end now.”
The seagull lacked respect and even seemed to be deriving some pleasure from the mishap.
It flapped its wings and hopped from Yan Tan’s shoulder onto the stone table, beginning to peck at the raw fish.
“Delicious, oh my, truly delicious!” The seagull couldn’t stop praising the taste of the raw fish.
“Try it with a touch of my salt; it will be even tastier,” said Yan Tan with a beaming smile.
Hesitating, the seagull picked up a slice of raw fish, dipped a little bit of the fine salt, and swallowed it.
“Ugh…”
The next moment, it started to retch, its bird face contorting completely.
“It’s so salty! I’m almost choked to death!!!”
“Water, water, I need water!”
Regardless of the seagull flapping about next to him, Yan Tan leisurely began to read the military report in his hand.
“Oh? Bi Tong did not accept the military order and went directly to the Sky Pillar Sea Eye.”
“He did it on purpose.”
“Poor Wei Sheng is taking the punishment for me. Bi Tong just wants to embarrass me, doesn’t he?”
Bi Tong was a legend just like Yan Tan, showing no regard for even the Navy Marshal himself, let alone Wei Sheng.
Yan Tan seemed quite accustomed to this, unfazed and untroubled.
He continued reading.
The next part was an analysis and the latest intelligence on the Justice Pirate Group.
The spy agency’s analysis stated, “On the surface, the Justice Pirate Group is a human pirate organization, but in reality, they are likely a pawn supported by the Charming Blue Divine Sect. Their main goal is to hide their identity and infiltrate human forces. As far as we know, they have already extended their influence deep into the Empire’s spy networks, have a close alliance with the third in command of Firebeard Pirates, and have even gained the favor and financial backing from one of the bishops of the Life Sect.”
As to why their names haven’t appeared on the stone tablets in the pirate city, the report also gave an analysis: it is likely due to Charming Blue Divine Sect’s disguise, deception of Divine Authority, Divine Office.
Charming Blue Divine once deceived the Holy Emperor and several other imperial deities, preserving his own life; naturally, it would be easier to deceive the pirate throne.
Of course, the report also included the latest escape route of the Justice Pirate Group, as well as the details of them slaying General Kan Qiao and the three silver-level captains Yao Gui, Yao Ming, and Yao Wan.
“It’s really too tasty!” The seagull sprawled on the stone table, one wing propping up its body, the other covering its now noticeably larger belly.
“Hey, old man, aren’t you going to help that Wei Sheng kid?”
“He’s now the butt of many jokes,” a voice said. “I have a premonition that catching the Justice Pirate Group won’t be easy.”
“I heard that he smashed a Magic Communication Device on the spot after being toyed with by Bi Tong. After his subordinates brought a new Magic Device, he went crazy looking for you everywhere,” the Sea Bird said as it caressed its swollen, snow-white belly with its wings.
“Hmm… Is that so?” Thinking of the infuriated Wei Sheng, Yan Tan couldn’t help but feel a bit of a headache. “Let me think.”
Just then, his eyes gleamed slightly, and he suddenly kicked the fishing rod at his feet.
The rod jolted, and the fishing line shot up, at the end of which dangled a fat sea fish.
“A Time Fish!” the Sea Bird exclaimed.
Suspended in mid-air, the Time Fish emanated a rich Holy Domain aura, and its body scales began to shimmer.
The Sea Bird’s face fell. “That’s it, it’s going to escape!”
“It won’t escape,” Yan Tan chuckled.
The next moment, the Time Fish suddenly froze in place like a sculpture. Then, it was completely disassembled; its scales, bones, and innards each piled separately, while its meat was neatly stripped away.
Yan Tan’s chest gleamed with the light from a space necklace; all parts of the fish except for the meat disappeared into thin air, with only the meat dropping into an empty bowl.
As it landed in the bowl, the fish meat was finely sliced into pieces as thin as cicada wings.
The Sea Bird was stunned, speechless for a long time.
Yan Tan’s use of fighting energy was simply magical!
To the Sea Bird, it seemed as if Yan Tan had only used the fishing line, and it hadn’t noticed any use of fighting energy elsewhere.
The whole process looked as if the Time Fish had filleted itself, turning its flesh into slices of sashimi.
With a thought from Yan Tan, the freshest slices of fish floated up and, after being covered in fine salt, were again popped into Yan Tan’s mouth.
“Ah, that’s the life,” murmured Yan Tan contentedly.
The Sea Bird shivered, recalling the previous abnormal salty taste. It quickly propped itself up and began to eagerly devour the sashimi.
But after two or three pieces, it couldn’t eat anymore.
The meat of a Holy Domain Level Magic Beast, brimming with magic power, pushed the Sea Bird to its digestive limits. All it could do was watch the delicious food sit untouched before it.
With tears in its eyes, the Sea Bird watched Yan Tan consume over a dozen slices and then suddenly remembered, “Where were we in our conversation? Oh right, that young fellow Wei Sheng. You gotta help him out, old man.”
“Of course, of course,” Yan Tan replied as he wiped his mouth. “Let’s start with some investigation. As far as I see, the Justice Pirate Group is quite mysterious, and much of the information about them is still unclear.”
“Like Hao Fu, the bishop of the Life Sect, he should know more.”
“Also, the Justice Pirate Group set up Alchemy Bombs in Dun Dao City, and for their midnight infiltration, they used the channels of the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce. This guild needs a more thorough investigation.”
“I’ll issue the orders. You can head back with peace of mind.”
The Sea Bird was stunned for a moment, then blurted out, “That’s it? I mean, old man, why don’t you just send a team and deal with the Justice Pirate Group directly?”
“Wei Sheng now represents you. Bi Tong humiliating Wei Sheng is like losing face for you!”
“Aren’t you going to do something about Bi Tong?”
Yan Tan smiled, “Do I have any face to lose? I’m just a lucky fellow who happened to earn the title of Marshal.”
“As for Bi Tong, he may not achieve his wish after all.”
Saying so, he waved his hand lightly.
Without a hint of fighting energy, the Sea Bird was blown away.
The Teleportation Gate behind it opened suddenly, swallowing the Sea Bird before disappearing.
Yan Tan continued to sit on the stone stool, enjoying the scenery and eating sashimi.
Soon, footsteps approached from behind Yan Tan.
Without turning around, Yan Tan greeted, “Ah, my old friend, you’ve arrived.”
The newcomer settled onto another stone stool. “Humph, you do have a taste for the finer things, don’t you?”
Picking up a few slices of fish with his thick fingers, he spoke.
Yan Tan pushed the bowl of salt closer, “It tastes better with a bit of salt.”
But the newcomer shook his head, “Your tastes have always been unique. But I don’t share your strong palate.”
His gaze then sharpened slightly.
He noticed the military report on the stone table.
Yan Tan, indifferent, had thrown the report on the surface, wide open.
Gazing at the beautiful seascape with a soft smile, Yan Tan invited, “Join me for fishing? I’ve prepared a rod for you. Shall we have a competition?”
The visitor looked at the crude fishing rod in front of him with no line on the end of it.
He laughed heartily, “Always with your tricks!”
“Which time haven’t you lost?”
“Haven’t you lost enough yet?”
With a confident and meaningful air, Yan Tan took a bite of the salt-dipped sashimi, “Old friend, this time I have a feeling I’m going to win.”