Immortal Cage - Chapter 27 Crooked Melon Split Date Head
Arriving at the alchemy room this time, Yu Lie was no longer unfamiliar. After the roll call, Yu Lie entered the factory where the poison was handled.
Although Yu Lie was still just a junior disciple, due to his connections, he was considered a small leader in the alchemy room.
Under his command were four other junior disciples. Yu Lie arrived early, but his four subordinates arrived even earlier and were waiting for him at the entrance to the poison area.
At first glance at his subordinates, Yu Lie was taken aback. He instantly memorized the appearances of his four subordinates in his mind.
The four individuals varied in height and appearance, each unique in their own way. They could be described as a motley crew, with crooked teeth, bald heads, twisted mouths, and hunched backs, each having their own distinct features.
Yu Lie coincidentally recognized a familiar face among them, a person with protruding teeth, a large head, and an extremely thin body, resembling a radish.
The radish head also recognized Yu Lie and greeted him with excitement, waving his hand, "Yu Ge, it's really you!"
Approaching Yu Lie, the radish head smiled and said, "Radish, it's been a long time!"
Both of them showed joy on their faces as they recognized each other. They used to be neighbors during Yu Lie's time in the large miscellaneous courtyard, and they were good friends. However, they lost touch after the radish head moved out of the courtyard due to certain circumstances.
As the radish head approached Yu Lie, he wanted to engage in conversation, but then he remembered something and restrained himself from getting too close.
The radish head stood a few steps away from Yu Lie, bowed respectfully, and said in a respectful tone, "Greetings, Head Yu... Senior Yu."
The other three who came with him also bowed respectfully and greeted, "Greetings, Senior Yu!"
Upon hearing the radish head's respectful tone, Yu Lie's smile stiffened slightly. He glanced at the other three beside him and nodded politely.
He returned the greeting, "I have met the four fellow daoists. No need for formalities, we are all fellow daoists here."
Pointing towards the entrance of the poison area, he said, "Today is my first duty shift. I appreciate your guidance."
The radish head and the others bowed, with the chubby one even patting his belly, and replied, "No need to be so polite, Senior Yu, please."
The four individuals immediately made way, respectfully inviting Yu Lie inside. Yu Lie nodded in response and strode in.
As he passed by the radish head, Yu Lie reached out and held the radish head's arm, saying with a smile, "Brother Luo, I'll be relying on you today to be my mentor."
"Please guide me on the important aspects to pay attention to in the poison area."
Surprised by his words, the radish head looked at Yu Lie holding his arm and smiled childishly, "Sure thing!"
Having been Yu Lie's neighbor, the radish head naturally belonged to the same group of junior disciples. They were around fifteen or sixteen years old. Among the four individuals, he was the youngest, resembling a big child.
The radish head immediately resumed his closeness with Yu Lie, leading him around the poison area.
They arrived at a place with clay figurines.
The radish head took an incense stick, lit it on an oil lamp, and bowed towards the wooden figurine with a fierce face on the altar before inserting it into the incense burner.
He whispered to Yu Lie, "These are the ghost soldiers responsible for overseeing the poison area. Every day before the shift, we must pay our respects to them to officially start our duty."
"When releasing the poison, we must also pay our respects. Otherwise, be careful that at the end of the month, they might secretly deduct your pay."
Yu Lie was surprised to hear this. He noticed the other three individuals quickly taking incense sticks and bowing as well.
Following suit, Yu Lie also lit an incense stick, signifying his duty for the day.
The radish head introduced Yu Lie to the various tasks and responsibilities in the poison area in detail, emphasizing the important points and taboos to be aware of.
After listening, Yu Lie realized that although the tasks in the poison area were troublesome, the key was to be quick, observant, courageous, and lucky. With practice, he would become familiar with techniques such as dissecting fish, removing poison, and other methods.
Luck was necessary because after removing the poison, the person responsible had to personally test it to ensure its effectiveness.
The previous head of the poison area, who Yu Lie replaced, died at this stage due to a mistake in identifying the snake species, leading to instant death.
Therefore, the radish head whispered to Yu Lie, suggesting, "Although it's not allowed in the poison area to avoid wasting materials, as you are new and a leader, you can prepare some toads and keep them in your sleeve to check for poison."
He added with a smile, "Sparrows can work too, as long as they can fit in your sleeve. Just remember to clip their wings and not suffocate them, scaring yourself."
Yu Lie nodded in understanding and thanked him for the advice.
Afterwards, the radish head scratched his head, unable to think of anything else to add, and looked towards the other three individuals.
Although the three individuals were a motley crew in appearance, they were observant. They remained silent and respectful during the radish head's introduction.
When the radish head looked at them, they all chuckled with their bellies, looking innocent.
Addressing the short one among them respectfully, the radish head said, "Lao Hu, for other matters, especially those that the leader should handle, you should inform Senior Yu."
Yu Lie looked at the short one referred to as "Lao Hu" and noticed his dark, wrinkled face and hunched back, appearing to be around fifty or sixty years old.
Due to the harsh conditions in the poison area, Yu Lie couldn't accurately guess his age, but compared to the radish head and others, he was undoubtedly an elder in the poison area, as indicated by the title "Lao Hu."
Yu Lie also showed respect, saying, "Thank you, Lao Hu."
Lao Hu, with a hunched back, smiled modestly and said, "No problem. Let me explain to you, Head Yu..."
The matters that the leader should handle were not complicated, and Lao Hu, being down-to-earth like an old farmer, explained them in a straightforward manner, making it easy for Yu Lie to understand.
After some more pleasantries and Yu Lie's promise to treat everyone to a meal in the evening, the group prepared to receive items that needed poison removal.
They stood in front of large, solid wooden stakes, soaked in blood over time, attracting flies buzzing around. The radish head and others didn't bother to shoo them away.
Yu Lie received a sharp knife and a wide blade, the former for cutting open the abdomen and the latter for separating bones and flesh. He also received a pitch-black Daoist robe.
The robe was so dirty that it shone black, making flies slip off upon landing.
According to the radish head, this set of knives and robe had been passed down for generations and was considered a valuable tool. However, the generations in the poison area were short-lived, not even reaching ten years.
Standing in front of the wooden stake, the radish head helped Yu Lie put on the black robe, mainly tying it around his waist, while Yu Lie held the knife.
This made Yu Lie skeptical, "Can this attire help me learn any alchemy techniques?"
Looking down, he felt more like a butcher in a slaughterhouse than a junior disciple assisting in poison removal and alchemy.