Maybe I made a mistake.

He wasn't sure if what he had done would have unintentional consequences. It probably would. But he couldn't take the lightweight and large hammer back. Not only would it be insulting, it would make it look like he was indecisive or worse, quick to take his promises and words back.

Neither one was a good look and especially not for his excellent ancestor persona.

"Shui," He said. Walking up to the little girl swinging the thing around haphazardly very carefully. "You be careful now. That isn't a toy. It's a weapon made to defend yourself and defeat your enemies. A very strong weapon."

Hu Shui stopped swinging the massive hammer around. "But. But…"

"Remember my lessons?"

She nodded, placing the hammer in front of her, and looking chagrined. Head low, wide puppy eyes blinking. And body slumped just slightly to strike at his feelings without mercy. Only Jun's narrowing eyes prevented her from outright begging for more time to play with her new toy.

Yin Hu nodded back and turned around to his lounging chair. Laying down and summoning a large brimmed hat to put on his face once he was done talking to her. It was important to get this lesson in early in case she squashed some poor villager. Turning them into paste.

"We do not waste energy. Efficient. Fast. Explosive. Not a single moment wasted and not wide action meant to show off. We float like a butterfly and sting like a bee."

"Yes, Ancestor!"

Yin Hu was satisfied with their reaction. "Good. Now return to your training! We won't waste any more time here than necessary." He paused. Thinking for a second. "Oh, and Jun, grab me the tea kettle. It should be ready."

Jun went over to the campfire while Shui put her new hammer on her packs. Slipping it under blankets. Tucking it in like it was a well fed and taken care of pet. He could imagine her having an entire spa day just for it. Placing cucumbers on the cute bear engraving's eyes and wrapping a hot towel on its head.

Yin Hu, on the other hand, pulled out a cup of square sugar cubes, a plate, and china set for himself and the girls.

Pure white with green vines as a design. Supposedly used to help vitality and increase blood flow circulation within the body. He wasn't sure what it all meant, but it sounded like a good benefit. Help recovery if the blood is pumping.

Maybe even clear the mind? He wasn't too sure.

Jun hurried to him. Pouring him hot steaming tea with a dark red tint directly into his cup. Yin Hu picked up sugar cubes one by one and dropped them into it. Stirring and taste testing after the second until he got to the fourth. It was just right.

He pulled out a few leaves and mint and dropped them in. Sipping with noise of satisfaction. This was perfect. Lounging in his chair. A comfortable breeze on a hot day without sunlight beaming at them. The girls practicing their Katas and turning into nukes.

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Best of all, he could enjoy fishing too. The seven rods bobbing in the slightly moving water bending and shaking slightly—

Wait a minute. The sticks were motionless last time I looked.

Yin Hu sat up. Immediately a stick was snapped in half and snatched under the water. A second followed. And a third. Disappearing into the abyss faster than he could react to it. Each one snapping and breaking with how tight he put them around between the rocks.

He lunged forward towards the fourth one. Grabbing it. Only for the furthest one to disappear in the water. The Koi Fish were playing games with him. There was no way he would allow them to do that. Not when he was the ancestor of an illustrious lineage!

The water stilled as he stood in the middle of the remaining three. His eyes watched for movement. Hands ready for action. Small waves appeared around the dipped sticks, showing the twice darned Koi Fish were still there. Swimming around the bait. Waiting and watching.

Yin Hu narrowed his eyes as the small waves continued around a particular one rather than all three.

Small waves that should not have been possible. Not if they were attempting to eat the bait or escape with the entire stick. There should have been more waves, a sign that such large things were moving around in the water rather than this.

Do Koi fish cause reactions in the water when swimming?

He refused to wait any longer. Snatching the one on his furthest left out of the water. Only to find the hook completely empty of any and all bait. Yin Hu felt his hands shake. They were making a fool of him in front of his disciples. They would have no mercy!

Yin Hu grabbed both rods and held them under his armpits. Daring the Koi Fish to attempt anything sneaky again while he was watching. They would not escape him. Not today or tomorrow or any other days he decided they should be fished out of the water. He would have him his Koi fish burgers, stir fry, and tacos! Nothing would get in his way!

Silence descended upon the cave.

Yin Hu could vaguely hear the girls shouting and practicing behind him. But he only had a mind for the Koi Fish before him. For the task here and now. Eyes searching the dark waters for anything. He could feel the strain on his eyes from this moment.

The movement was small. But Yin Hu caught it. He reacted violently as he tried to pull the sticks up at the same time. Jerking his wrist up. The sticks bent, the water barrier held for a moment. No Koi fish appeared yet.

And then it happened.

The twice darned thing broke out of the water with both sticks in its mouth. Two red streaks on its side. Marking it as the one that had attempted to eat him alive. Yin Hu could already taste its flesh—

Yin Hu watched with abject terror as the sticks bent more than they naturally could. Until they both snapped. One after the other, allowing the Koi fish to escape his grasp. It flipped in the air, going backwards as the momentum of his pull did not last long enough. Disappearing back into the water.

Not a ripple remained to mark its reentry. Or the fact that he had almost captured the darn thing and should have been prepping it for lunch.

He held onto the remaining parts of his broken fishing rods. Both of them trembled with his arms. He felt his eyes twitch. Anger filling his chest. Disappointment in the lies the old street vendor had fed him. All the hopes to not use an overpowered weapon to fish, dashed away.

Forget this! Who cares if there's a cave in! Jun is strong enough to dig us out anyways!

Yin Hu threw the broken sticks. Immediately filling his hand with the 'Twenty Tentacled Kraken - The Fell Creature'. He shouted as he threw the line into the lake. Forgetting the bait. Forgetting to prepare anything. Just launching it towards the closest dark shadow he assumed was one of the six Koi fish.

Imma have me some fish!

He did not notice Shui turning pale and stumbling over herself, face first into the ground during a more strenuous part of the katas. Or the shadow that descended into the depth of the lake in a flash of black. He did not notice the Koi fish trembling in the water. Frozen. Fear filling them as they stared at the monstrosity that had joined them within their home.

Yin Hu noticed none of it all as he laughed at the soon to be misfortune of the Koi fish, trying to figure out how to trick them to latch onto his super fishing rod. Or maybe jump onto his plate. They'd suffer less anyways.

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