Immortal Cage - Chapter 31: Feeding Fish with Bait
Without expecting it, the woman next door turned out to be his landlord.
According to her, she was busy with her business, and if it weren't for a stranger knocking on Yu Lie's door, she wouldn't have bothered leaving her newly opened business to come over.
Learning this, Yu Lie's attitude towards the woman next door suddenly became more respectful.
However, when it came to discussing the rent, both being stubborn, one poor and the other greedy, neither was willing to back down.
After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Lie chose to continue renting the stone house.
Although his neighbor was his landlord and also involved in the flesh trade, Yu Lie realized that she was not an ordinary person, which explained her thriving underground business and multiple properties.
He pondered on the fact that he was living in her house, and if someone came seeking revenge, his neighbor might lend a hand considering the safety of the property.
The main reason, however, was the neighbor insisting on deducting the deposit, while Yu Lie was in debt to loan sharks and struggling financially, adding more trouble to his living situation.
Next month, he would struggle to pay off the high-interest loan.
Inside the stone house.
The neighbor walked out of Yu Lie's house briskly. Yu Lie followed behind her, his face grim as his bag was emptied, seeing off the guest.
Tossing the money bag, the neighbor revealed a sweet smile and gently said, "Yu Ge, let's make a deal. The house stays as it is, and I'll give you a discount on the rent, two taels of silver per month. But don't forget, there's something I asked you to do."
When Yu Lie lived in the large courtyard, the monthly food expenses were thirty taels, with rent being free. But in the courtyard, the rent was generally double the food expenses, around fifty taels per month.
Now living in a single room with a courtyard, two taels of silver per month was indeed cheap. According to the neighbor, she was giving him a discount because she liked Yu Lie's face.
But Yu Lie didn't believe her for a second!
Surely, she saw him as a potential customer due to her involvement in the flesh trade. Wealthy tenants avoided her due to the mixed clientele, while those without money couldn't afford to live in a standalone house.
Only Yu Lie, broke and in need, would be willing to rent for a while.
The neighbor continued, "Also, help me bring in more customers and take care of my needs, Yu Lie."
At the courtyard gate, acknowledging her as the landlord, Yu Lie politely replied, "Understood."
Seeing Yu Lie's obedient demeanor, the neighbor smiled flirtatiously and teased, "Ge, when you get paid next month, don't go to the gambling den. Remember to come and give it to me, I guarantee your satisfaction!"
Just as she said that, her eyes lit up, turning towards her house and calling out, "Hey! Don't leave, the guest is here!" Without looking back, she added, "We'll talk later," and swiftly headed towards the guest with a mysterious footwork technique.
Yu Lie raised his hand, slightly puzzled.
Listening carefully, he indeed heard faint footsteps in the alley, accompanied by the rustling sound of the neighbor entertaining her guest.
With a wry smile, Yu Lie locked the courtyard gate and entered the stone house, securing the stone door as well.
Once back inside, Yu Lie took out the black snake fish from his robe, his gaze once again becoming thoughtful.
It was related to the task the neighbor had entrusted him with, not just a craving for fish meat but a focus on the fish bladder of the black snake fish...
Yu Lie's gaze turned strange as he lifted the still fierce and vigorous black snake fish, muttering, "This thing is full of poison. Who dares to touch its fish bladder?"
Yu Lie was amazed at the neighbor's audacity and the customers' tastes, truly extraordinary!
However, Yu Lie quickly composed himself, focusing on the real reason he brought the black snake fish home.
Yu Lie thought to himself, "Black snake fish often appear at night. Early in the morning, regardless of the cleanliness of the fish, it must be taken to the alchemy room, or else there will be a fine."
The price of an ordinary black snake fish, though not high, was close to three months' rent for Yu Lie, equivalent to a month's wages.
With his last bit of money, Yu Lie had just paid three months' rent, one month in advance. Now he had no money left and would have to buy another black snake fish for the alchemy room the next day.
As for his wages, that was at the end of the month. There were many uncertainties, and delays could lead to trouble.
After organizing his thoughts, Yu Lie made up his mind, "Tonight, I must give it a try!"
With this determination, he didn't immediately kill the black snake fish but laid it on the table and slowly began to butcher it.
Although it was late at night, Yu Lie decided to stay in the stone house for at least two more hours before going out.
For him, the fish poison on the black snake fish was also a kind of medicinal material that needed to be carefully extracted rather than weakened all at once, to be used for refining the body.
In his own stone house, Yu Lie skillfully slaughtered the snake fish, and within an hour, he had neatly cut and divided the fish into various pieces.
Checking the stone house and covering it with a black cloth, Yu Lie placed the fish pieces into bronze wine cups, silently waiting.
After another half hour, he retrieved the fish pieces from the bronze wine cups and found that they had once again turned into translucent, vibrant pieces, shrunken but exuding a tempting fragrance that wasn't quite fishy, making Yu Lie salivate.
Unable to resist, he immediately tasted a piece.
The chewy sweetness immediately tantalized his taste buds, melting in his mouth like a spiritual liquid, sending a cool spiritual energy rising from his abdomen. A moment of coldness was followed by a sensation as if snow had brushed over his entire body, dispelling all fatigue.
Yu Lie marveled, "This fish meat is truly invigorating!"
He stood up, setting up the refining apparatus in the stone room, relying solely on the spiritual energy in his body to temper his physique.
The wind howled.
In just the time it took to brew a pot of tea, Yu Lie felt that the gains were greater than an ordinary hour of cultivation. Moreover, his muscles showed no signs of fatigue compared to usual.
This meant that with the nourishment from the black snake fish, Yu Lie could not only enhance his cultivation effects but also extend his daily cultivation time to some extent.
"Spiritual flesh, spiritual energy, all good things indeed."
Yu Lie was delighted, tempted to continue consuming the fish meat and immerse himself in cultivation, but he immediately suppressed the urge.
These fish pieces were meant for his cultivation and should not be consumed recklessly. Eating raw fish meat was only satisfying in taste; its nourishment for the body was not as effective as when combined with medicinal herbs to create a soup for better harmony.
Yu Lie, now a penny-pincher, couldn't afford to indulge in his desires.
Next, Yu Lie spent a period of time taking out each fish piece, recording the soaking time to ensure varying levels of toxin remained...
After thoroughly processing them, he continued to restrain himself, waiting until the night was deep before wrapping himself in a black robe and discreetly leaving the stone house.
Yu Lie didn't head towards the Blackwater River but instead walked slowly towards the busiest street.