Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

”Quick, someone save General Gan!” Zhuge Liang, though startled, remained calm and immediately ordered the nearby soldiers with a commanding presence.

”Oh, is Xingba in the water again?” Taishi Ci looked at Gan Ning, who was surfing on the sea, being dragged by a rope, and clicked his tongue in amazement. ”Looks like it’s another big fish.”

”Does this happen often?” Chen Xi asked curiously.

”Every day, more or less. We’ve reinforced that spot over and over again. If it’s a big fish, it’ll usually pull Xingba into the water. But don’t worry, once the fish tires out, Xingba will drag it back! Lately, his fish soup-making skills have improved, and by the way, these fish taste pretty good,” Taishi Ci said nonchalantly. It’s one of the few entertainments at sea.

”I have a feeling there’s something off about this sea area. Don’t you think the fish here are unusually strong?” Chen Xi sighed.

”Hmm, now that you mention it, Strategist, I didn’t notice before, but you’re right. In this sea area, we’ve encountered quite a few large fish that are about as strong as Refining Qi into Steel. We’ve cooked and eaten quite a few, and now many of the soldiers have increased their internal energy. It’s not normal. Could there be some treasure here?” Taishi Ci stroked his beard thoughtfully.

”Maybe, but even if there is, it would be hard to find underwater.” Chen Xi sighed. ”So, most of Xingba’s soldiers have internal energy now?”

”Yes, the navy was originally made up of *water bandits, and they were all brave and fierce. About 20% already had internal energy. Now, with regular consumption of these energy-infused fish, nearly half have internal energy. But I think the remaining half might find it difficult to develop internal energy,” Taishi Ci said with a sigh.

”Because of their physical condition and age?” Chen Xi asked, already having a good idea. After a certain point, it becomes much harder to develop internal energy. Early life conditions and training determine one’s potential later on.

”Exactly. Internal energy ultimately depends on the physical foundation. Those who haven’t developed it yet will likely be phased out. Even if they eat the same as the others, they’ll always be a bit lacking. While we have this opportunity near the coast, it’s a good time to train the navy. A force made entirely of soldiers with internal energy is rare,” Taishi Ci said wistfully. With such favorable conditions, he and Gan Ning had discussed the possibility of creating a purely internal energy-based force.”Yes, I’ve been working to improve the living conditions of the people in Mount Tai with a similar goal in mind, but the results haven’t been as good as I’d hoped. Although the books say that ample food should allow for the development of internal energy, it doesn’t seem to work that way in reality,” Chen Xi sighed. Despite his efforts to improve the people’s living conditions, the number of internal energy practitioners hadn’t significantly increased.

”It probably has something to do with this,” Taishi Ci said, pointing to his head. ”Internal energy is extracted from the body, but the first spark needs to be guided by mental energy. The problem is that mental energy is something vague and difficult for ordinary people to grasp. Soldiers often gain insight through combat, but commoners lead too peaceful lives.”

”Forget it. We’ll do our best. That kind of thing is hard to define. I remember feeling the presence of internal energy while reading a book. It seems that reaching that threshold requires some kind of realization or stimulation,” Chen Xi said, waving his hand dismissively.

”Strategist, you don’t need to worry about this. As long as the material conditions are met, even if they don’t develop internal energy, the recruits will have strong physiques and solid foundations. On the battlefield, as long as they kill an enemy, they’ll likely break through and develop internal energy,” Taishi Ci said with a smile.

This was something Taishi Ci had seen on the battlefield. Strong soldiers, once they killed someone, seemed to break through some barrier and naturally developed internal energy. Perhaps, as Chen Xi said, they needed some kind of stimulation.

”Oh, I see.” Chen Xi understood after hearing Taishi Ci’s words. His guess had been correct—reaching that point required some kind of stimulation or realization. Many commoners never had that opportunity, so even if they ate well, they might never develop internal energy in their lifetime.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang watched Gan Ning surf across the sea, holding onto a rope. Hearing the cheers from the other ships, Zhuge Liang realized that this was a common occurrence. Although he was somewhat displeased, he couldn’t suppress his concern. He walked to the edge of the ship and observed Gan Ning skimming across the water. After a long while, he finally confirmed that there was no safety issue.

”Get back here!” Gan Ning felt the speed of the wind around him begin to slow slightly. Having done this many times, Gan Ning knew that the fish pulling him was starting to tire.

At Gan Ning’s shout, many sailors appeared on the sides of the ships, cheering him on. A blue-green glow suddenly enveloped Gan Ning, covering him completely.

In an instant, Gan Ning became a glowing ball of light. His arms bulged with muscle, and he stomped hard on the surface of the sea, causing the water around him to form a funnel-like pit several dozen meters wide. Gan Ning then leaped into the air, dragging the fish out of the water.

As the fish emerged from the sea, Gan Ning released the rope and, with a powerful stomp, shot towards the fish like a blur. He kicked the fish hard on the head.

Cheers erupted from the surrounding ships as the fish’s head bent unnaturally under the force of Gan Ning’s kick. The fish, propelled by the impact, hurtled back towards the sea, but Gan Ning quickly caught the rope and stopped it mid-air.

As the fish plummeted towards the water, the rope pulled taut, and Gan Ning, seemingly defying gravity, hovered in mid-air for a moment before leaping backward, dragging the fish towards his ship.

With a light thud, Gan Ning suddenly appeared in front of Zhuge Liang, holding the rope. Before Zhuge Liang could say anything, the massive fish came crashing towards Gan Ning’s head.

With a casual motion, Gan Ning released the rope and caught the fish with ease. The ship trembled slightly as he tossed the struggling fish onto the deck.

”So, Kongming, which part would you like to eat? I’ll cook it right away!” Gan Ning laughed heartily, pointing at the still-flailing fish at his feet.

”...,” Zhuge Liang was speechless. He finally understood what Chen Xi had meant by saying that traveling a thousand miles is better than reading a thousand books. He had never imagined that fishing could be done this way or that a general could be so wild.