1: Chapter 1 Late Bloomer? But I'm only 16!

Late Bloomer?

Jiang Hanzhou lay on his bed, stunned as he heard a voice ring out in his mind.

【host: Jiang Hanzhou】

【fate: Late Bloomer (Tier 1)】

A Golden Finger?

Naturally, Jiang Hanzhou was delighted to have obtained a Golden Finger.

But a Late Bloomer... this body of his had only just turned sixteen!

He had been transmigrated to this world for over a month now.

When he first transmigrated with his Physical Body, he had almost starved to death on the streets due to being a complete stranger in a strange land.

Later, he encountered the Canglang Water Dock recruiting Fishermen. Relying on his ability to read and write, he was barely managed to be taken in.

During the previous bone-reading, they had determined he was sixteen years old.

Jiang Hanzhou himself had noticed that his body had clearly undergone changes after the Transmigration.

Could this fate be the result of stacking his two lives together?

But even counting his previous life, isn't forty still the prime age for striving?

Suddenly, the sound of a wooden clapper, carrying the scent of a damp and cold river wind, rudely hammered against the door plank.

“First quarter of the Hour of the Rabbit! All Fishermen, assemble at the pier! Those who miss the tide will have their rations halved today!”

Jiang Hanzhou sat up with a start, quickly making rustling noises like the dozen or so other young men in the room.

He nimbly pulled on his Coarse kudzu-cloth diving suit, then put on his shoes and ran toward the pier.

There was a constant stream of people along the way.

He ran with the crowd toward the pier, the early morning chill hitting his face.

In his mind, the 【Late Bloomer】 fate still lay there quietly, with no further prompts.

“What's the use of just having a title? How do I use it?”

Jiang Hanzhou had no time to think for the moment. As he slowed his pace, he saw the dock's manager, 'Iron Hand Zhang', standing there with his hands behind his back.

A pale-faced youth was being scolded by him, with a torn fishing net at his feet.

“Wang Er, you were lazy and dozed off while mending the net last night. This is the consequence! If your team catches fifty catties less of ‘Green-scales’ today because of incomplete gear, the whole team gets no food tonight!”

The youth trembled all over, and everyone around, including Jiang Hanzhou, felt a chill in their hearts.

The Water Dock had strict rules.

Neglecting work, laziness, or hiding catches would result in a food penalty at best, or a flogging and being thrown out of the dock at worst.

Here, Fishermen received no wages; their compensation was two meals a day.

Once penalized with no food, they would have to do heavy work the next day, risking their lives against the wind and waves on an empty stomach.

Therefore, even though life was extremely exhausting, for Jiang Hanzhou, who had crawled back from the brink of starvation, this stability earned through sweat was something he could never afford to lose.

He was more afraid than the others.

And what was even more frightening was the collective responsibility system here.

One person's mistake would implicate the entire team.

The cruel collective rules made everyone monitor each other, not daring to slack off.

After the display of authority had achieved its effect, Iron Hand Zhang scanned the surroundings with satisfaction before giving the order to fish.

Jiang Hanzhou had been learning here for a month, and combined with his studious drive from his previous life, he had quickly gotten the hang of the craft of fishing and was now quite proficient.

Two hours later, Jiang Hanzhou finished unloading his entire catch and went ashore, his stomach growling with hunger.

However, they were all very excited and ran quickly to the dining hall to eat.

Besides being able to eat a meal that would fill their bellies, it was also because today was the day for martial arts practice.

Well-informed people among the Fishermen had already revealed that they were looking to find someone among their group who could step into the Martial Dao.

The Martial Dao was a skill for upper-class people in this world.

Only by entering the Martial Dao could one escape this hard life of a Fisherman that had no future.

Even for Jiang Hanzhou, it was the same.

After everyone finished eating, they rushed to the square in a hurry.

At this moment, Iron Hand Zhang was standing there with his hands behind his back. Once everyone had gathered, he spoke: “You've been at our Canglang Water Dock for a month now. Fishing every day without wages—do you feel like there's no future?”

Hearing this, everyone was afraid to make a sound. Even if they really thought so, they didn't dare speak. Who knew if this was another display of authority.

“Hmph!” To their surprise, Iron Hand Zhang snorted coldly and said, “A Martial Artist should have the desire to advance. If you just stay in one place without changing, then what's the point of practicing martial arts?”

After speaking, his expression softened slightly, and he added: “Although I don't think there are any geniuses in this batch of yours, practicing martial arts is always beneficial to oneself. With more strength and a better body, you can catch more fish, which is also a good thing for our Water Dock.”

“For the next month, you will follow Boss Hong of the River Patrol Squad to learn martial arts. Perhaps you might even join the River Patrol Squad!”

“You must not be lazy; this is your only chance to change your fate!”

Jiang Hanzhou's heart also jolted upon hearing this.

Regardless of what happened after learning martial arts, being able to join the River Patrol Squad would truly mean escaping this sea of suffering.

“River Patrol Squad? My god, that's the best position in our Water Dock.”

“Yeah, I heard they eat three meals a day with meat every time. If they make a contribution, the Dock might even let us marry those young and beautiful maidservants.”

Like Jiang Hanzhou, these Fishermen were no fools.

They also knew the importance of learning martial arts, so they all widened their eyes, watching Boss Hong as he walked over.

Boss Hong looked to be in his forties with a weathered face, but he walked with a vigorous stride, possessing a very powerful Aura.

He was also a straightforward person, saying directly: “From now on, you can also call me Boss Hong. Next, I will teach you a mandatory technique for those of us making a living by the river, the Tidal Breathing Technique!”

After saying that, he began to demonstrate.

The people below immediately followed suit, clumsily imitating his movements.

Jiang Hanzhou also began to learn meticulously. After following the movements three times, the 【Late Bloomer】 fate in his mind trembled slightly.

【host: Jiang Hanzhou】

【fate: Late Bloomer (Tier 1)】

【Cultivation Technique: Tidal Breathing Technique (Not Initiated)】

Jiang Hanzhou's spirits lifted at this; he hadn't expected the Golden Finger to be able to record martial arts.

Therefore, he learned with even more vigor.

“Alright, now practice on your own. This Tidal Breathing Technique requires observing the tides to comprehend the breathing. Inhaling and exhaling like the rising and falling of the tide to nourish your Qi and blood.”

“Everyone's breathing is different, so this requires Comprehension Ability!”

“When you are fishing normally, you must observe the changes in the tides to comprehend your own breathing method before you can initiate the technique.”

Boss Hong flicked his sleeves as he spoke and walked outside, while also saying: “If you can generate Qi and blood on your own within a month using this method, then come find me. I won't wait past the deadline; that would mean you have no affinity with the Martial Dao, so just focus on fishing.”

As soon as Boss Hong left, many people who were exhausted slumped down.

Jiang Hanzhou was no exception; his entire body was in immense pain.

“It seems that with my current physical condition, practicing this Tidal Breathing Technique for two hours is already the limit. Moreover, I can't let it interfere with the next day's fishing, so I'll probably have to shorten the time.”

He looked up and saw a few guys who were still able to Cultivate. His expression was calm, but he thought to himself:

“No rush, there's still a month. Once I figure out the rules of the Golden Finger, that will be the time for me to catch up.”