Chen Tang moved up the Xiajiang River against the current.

When the river was devoid of people and devoid of any boats passing by, he emerged to catch a breath, then immediately submerged back into the river.

Only in this way could he hide his tracks, feign death, and escape.

The current situation was extremely unfavorable for Chen Tang; at the Nanxia Court, he offended Prime Minister Xia Daozi and was hunted by the Imperial Guard as a Beiqian Dark Scout.

In the Jianghu, the influence of the Drunken Immortal Tower was too great, forcing him to avoid direct confrontation.

Moreover, lurking between the Jianghu and the Imperial Court, hidden hermits and the Profound Celestial Sect, who couldn’t see the light of day, also wanted him dead!

Uncle Wang’s words turned prophetic.

Given his character, without a powerful backer in Nanxia, he was nearly homeless!

Even if he somehow survived some calamities, endless troubles lay ahead.

Either one must grow to be invincible and untouchable in this world.

Which was obviously unrealistic for Chen Tang.

Or he must hide his tracks as much as possible and avoid attracting others’ attention.

In this world, only the dead go unnoticed.

Thus, Chen Tang rushed to Xiajiang not only to leverage the special environment at the riverbed to eliminate Tianyin, his greatest threat but also for an important purpose.

Golden Cicada’s Shell, feign death, and escape!

The battle with Tianyin at the riverbed was entirely obscured from external observers.

Spectators could only see blood and bubbles surfacing on the river.

He was merely at the Fourth Grade Awakening; facing Tianyin’s pursuit, the outcome of life and death was apparent.

Therefore, at this moment, in the eyes of He Shiyao and others, he was already a dead man.

As long as he did not show himself, no one would pay attention to him.

Chen Tang chose to move against the current because downstream had numerous docks and piers, with countless boats coming and going, making his whereabouts easily exposed.

At this moment, relying on his powerful inner viscera, he headed upstream underwater.

Most of the time, he was submerged.

When dusk fell and the sky dimmed, Chen Tang slowly surfaced, observing the surroundings.

The water here flowed rapidly, with no boats lingering on the surface. The lush forest flanked both shores, not a single silhouette was visible, only the incessant sounds of cicadas and frogs.

Chen Tang swam towards the riverbank.

Soon enough, he finally crawled up onto the bank, lying breathlessly on the rocky shore.

This upstream journey was far less perilous and challenging than cultivation in the sea, but he still felt a weariness, somewhat exhausted.

Mainly because along the way, his injuries had not healed; before entering the river, he was stopped by He Shiyao, who injured his inner viscera.

He also had a fierce battle with Tianyin at the riverbed, exhausting the time of Entering the Divine State.

Now, he was mentally and physically exhausted, dizzy, and unable to even lift his arms.

At this moment, let alone an Earth Ranking expert.

Even a random Fourth Grade martial artist could probably take his life!

In such idle thoughts, a rustle came from the forest behind him.

Listening to the footsteps, it seemed someone was approaching!

Chen Tang’s face sank, feeling a throb in his temples.

Just when you fear something, it appears.

This bunch was truly relentless.

He had nearly done everything possible, yet he hadn’t managed to shake off their pursuit!

There was probably only one possibility.

The opponent’s cultivation far exceeded his.

Might even be stronger than Tianyin!

Surpassing an Innate Martial Artist, could it be a Grandmaster appearing?

He, merely a Fourth Grade, wouldn’t warrant a Grandmaster’s attention, would he?

Chen Tang forced himself to sit up, staring at the forest behind him.

From the sound, it seemed only one person had come.

Which side did this person belong to?

Nanxia Court, Profound Celestial Sect, Dongyi Race, or Drunken Immortal Tower?

Soon enough, a person emerged from the forest, and upon seeing them, Chen Tang was momentarily stunned.

The newcomer wore a raincoat, had snow-white hair, a few strands of long beard, a ruddy complexion, carrying a bamboo fishing basket in one hand, and a fishing rod in the other, walking towards the river. He appeared to be an angler. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

For reasons he couldn’t express, Chen Tang felt this person did not belong to any faction.

Perhaps this was just a ordinary old fisherman, who happened to cross paths.

At least he couldn’t discern any traces of martial arts on this fisherman.

"Yo, what’s happened to you, lad?"

The old fisherman emerged from the forest, noticing Chen Tang on the bank, greeted with a smile.

"Nothing much."

Chen Tang still hadn’t completely let down his guard, just shook his head.

The old fisherman chuckled, disregarding Chen Tang, placing the fishing basket beside him, set up the fishing rod, sat motionless, staring at the turbulent river below.

Chen Tang, while recovering his breath and silently gathering his strength, continued to watch the old fisherman.

After a while, he regained some strength, felt slightly better, and stood up.

He sensed something odd about this old fisherman.

Though he didn’t know much about fishing, he knew that such rapid, surging rivers were unlikely to have any fish.

This place wasn’t a good spot for fishing.

Yet the old fisherman sat here, guarding the fishing rod without moving.

By now, it had nearly been half an hour.

Chen Tang even suspected that the old man had fallen asleep.

He pondered for a moment, then approached the fisherman.

If this person intended harm, he would have acted long ago, eliminating the need to wait until now, so Chen Tang had relaxed quite a bit.

Getting closer, Chen Tang glanced again, and couldn’t help but shudder.

Earlier, with exhaustion clouding his senses, he hadn’t observed closely.

Now, he could see clearly, this old man’s fishing rod had no string!

The old man was simply holding what couldn’t be considered a fishing rod, silently sitting for half an hour!

"Senior, what are you doing?"

Chen Tang couldn’t help but ask.

"Naturally, fishing,"

The old man, eyes half-opened, seemed on the verge of sleep, casually replied.

Chen Tang continued, "Can you catch fish like this?"

The old man said, "Big fish can’t be caught, but there’s always a chance for small ones."

For some reason, Chen Tang felt the old man had a hidden meaning.

Chen Tang said, "I’ve heard of people fishing with straight hooks, voluntarily getting hooked, but senior, this is even more advanced, not only are there no bait, there aren’t even hooks or lines..."

"Who says there’s no bait?"

The old man turned, smiling at Chen Tang, "You are."

"Ah!"

Chen Tang’s heart skipped a beat, and he involuntarily stepped back half a pace, instinctively clutching his long knife.

Yet seeing the old man making no further move, and seeming without malice.

At this moment, the old man’s eyes sparkled, suddenly saying, "The fish is hooked!"

Chen Tang glanced at the bare fishing rod.

There was no fish.

Chen Tang gulped.

This old fellow seemed rather eccentric, best to keep a distance.

With this thought, Chen Tang prepared to move away.

At this moment, an icy voice echoed from afar.

"Chen Tang, you’re fortunate to be alive!"