Immortal Cage - Chapter 32: Fishing by the Black River
Yu Lie arrived at the liveliest street in Heishui Town.
Although it was late at night, the street was bustling with people, all dressed in black robes and hoods, resembling ghosts.
Some people who had hunted goods at night were selling their wares along the street, some exuding a strong smell of blood, as if wearing blood-stained clothes, eerie like ghosts.
Especially those who were selling goods that were not stained with blood still had a strong bloody aura around them, with traces of blood still visible.
As night fell on Heishui Town, the level of safety decreased significantly, but there was still order on the crowded streets.
Yu Lie walked among them, alert but not overly cautious. It was only after leaving the streets and residential areas that he should be more vigilant.
Arriving at a stall selling second-hand goods, Yu Lie casually pointed at hooks, iron cables, and fishing nets, asking, "How much for these?"
The stall owner glanced coldly at Yu Lie and quoted a price. Yu Lie frowned slightly but instead of leaving, he started inspecting the fishing gear.
Apart from circling around and diverting attention, he had come specifically to purchase fishing tools.
The fishing gear's quality was decent, not too rusty, but with some lingering bloodstains, whether from fish or human blood, the origins were not auspicious.
After comparing prices at three different stalls, Yu Lie hesitated for a moment, then took out the last bit of his money and chose to buy hooks and an iron cable fishing rod, not opting for a complete set.
Seeing Yu Lie willing to pay, the stall owner's expression remained indifferent, only saying, "Three discounts for returns," before gesturing for Yu Lie to take the selected fishing gear.
Nodding slightly, Yu Lie picked up the items and hurriedly left.
In the eyes of the stall owner, Yu Lie was no different from the street urchins who came out at night to fish and hunt, inconspicuous.
Next, Yu Lie wandered around, bought a few small items, and then headed towards the Black River.
However, as he was about to leave the street, he suddenly saw a familiar face.
The person was holding a paper lantern in one hand and a bamboo basket in the other, blocking passersby and arguing with them.
The person was plump, the former landlady of Yu Lie.
"Hey! You brat, blaming me for the lack of skills in fishing, just because you can't catch fish, you blame me for the bait?" the landlady scolded, pushing a street urchin.
"Let's discuss this, just a few coins for bait, do you really think you can catch black snake fish every time?" the street urchin retorted.
Yu Lie glanced at them and immediately understood that the landlady was exaggerating about her bait to deceive naive street urchins into buying, and now she was being confronted.
Confronting the landlady, the street urchin, who had just arrived in Heishui Town, turned red with anger, pulling the landlady without daring to use force, causing laughter from the surrounding people.
The landlady continued to curse, "You brat, bullying a widow like me? Come on! If you want justice, let's go to Lord Guibing on the street!"
Yu Lie had no intention of joining the commotion; he just thought to himself, "Even though there are people watching on the street, it's not like during the day... Is the landlady not afraid of being harmed with such deceit?"
Shaking his head, Yu Lie tightened his black robe and quietly left.
He followed the fishermen's route, walking towards the Black River, where it was relatively safer due to the crowd. Being closer to the town, those who dared to commit crimes were somewhat cautious.
However, in crowded places, the black snake fish tended to be more cunning, making it difficult to catch even if luck was on one's side.
Those with great courage and skills often went to remote and uninhabited places. Only newcomers like Yu Lie would practice near Heishui Town.
In no time, Yu Lie arrived at the cold and windy Black River. Looking around, he noticed that although there were more people nearby, there were no clusters of fishermen in sight.
On the contrary, at least a hundred steps away, a figure could be vaguely seen, alert as they immediately turned their head when Yu Lie passed by.
The night was deep, everyone was wrapped in their robes, and the candles were dim. Yu Lie couldn't see the other person's face, actions, or any catch, and the same was true for the other person.
Both parties felt like passing ghosts by the river.
This situation made Yu Lie breathe a sigh of relief. Now, if he were to catch fish, he wouldn't have to worry too much about being seen by others.
Having reached the edge of the Black River, Yu Lie couldn't contain his excitement. He walked quickly along the riverbank, eventually choosing a recessed cliff wall that blocked the wind and others' view.
Despite having night vision, Yu Lie didn't even light a candle. He sat cross-legged, set up an iron frame securely, and placed the hook.
He then tinkered with the rocks, hammered a iron nail into a crevice, and tied himself with a rope to prevent being dragged down if he caught a large fish.
With many monsters in the Black River, not just the black snake fish, but all sorts of creatures, many street urchins were swallowed by fish every year.
Even though Yu Lie considered himself strong, he didn't dare overlook this point, lest he slip and not have the strength to fight back.
After the clinking sounds, Yu Lie continued his preparations methodically.
As he worked, the smell of the Black River, the coldness of the iron, and the rust on the iron filled the air, immersing Yu Lie in the environment as he waited for the fish to bite.
After a cup of tea's time, Yu Lie was completely ready. He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, then quietly took out a greasy paper-wrapped bundle from his chest, unwrapping it to reveal chunks of fish.
In the dim moonlight, Yu Lie, sheltered from the mountain wind, exhaled a cold breath that disappeared. He hung the fish chunks on the fierce iron hook and cast it forcefully into the river.
The sound of the iron cable flowing echoed in the air. Mixed with the rushing Black River, the fish hook disappeared into the darkness silently.
After a while, Yu Lie noticed that the iron rod in his hand was no longer moving rapidly. He immediately held the fishing rod, focused his gaze, and searched around in the dark river water until he spotted a faint crimson light on the Black River.
The green dot floated like a ghostly fire, faint and flickering, unpredictable.
With holes in the cliff wall, the mountain wind howled.
Taking a deep breath of the cold air, Yu Lie gripped the fishing rod tightly, fixed on the cliff wall, patiently waiting.
Although he appeared calm on the surface, Yu Lie's mind was filled with various thoughts.
"If only Lao Hu's advice on fishing techniques is true. If it's false, after using the detoxified fish bait, I must catch something. Selling it will allow me to buy a black snake fish and return to the inn to complete the task..."
If he failed today, Yu Lie would either owe money for the poisoned black snake fish or have to borrow from the radish heads.
Dozens of breaths passed, and the fishing line continued to sway, making Yu Lie's thoughts more chaotic.
It was just small fish nibbling randomly; if delayed further, the big fish wouldn't come, and his fish bait would be eaten up.
But in the next moment, Yu Lie's fishing rod suddenly shook violently. He squinted his eyes, the river water was pitch black, and the crimson light was nowhere to be seen!
"There's a fish!" Yu Lie rejoiced in his heart...