Immortal Cage - Chapter 33: Bountiful Harvest
The river water was icy cold, but a fiery heat burned in Yulie's heart.
Instead of immediately pulling up the fish after feeling a tug on the line, he calmed his mind and patiently sensed the movements of the fishing rod.
Finally, when Yulie felt the fishing rod sink heavily once again, he exerted force with both arms, gripping the iron rod with both hands and lifting it up vigorously.
Splash!
Yulie reeled in the iron line, pulling the river fish he hooked onto the shore!
Under the iron line, a heavy live creature wriggled incessantly, twisting and turning wildly, trying to break free from the fish hook and iron line.
The more vigorously the other party struggled, the more Yulie anticipated.
Relying on his skills, although Yulie was not very experienced in fishing, he skillfully reeled in the fish in no time.
By the cliff edge, the fishy smell grew stronger, and a fish as thick as Yulie's arm appeared before his eyes.
The fish was slippery all over, with two long whiskers on its mouth, constantly opening and closing its blood-red mouth, even spitting out black sticky fluid.
Thanks to Yulie's sharp eyes, he immediately dodged to the side upon seeing the whiskered fish, avoiding it from coming too close.
The black sticky fluid from the whiskered fish's mouth smeared the nearby rocks, emitting a strong fishy smell.
This fish was not a Black Snake Fish, but a Red-Mouthed Black Whiskered Catfish, a specialty of the Black River, large in size, capable of spitting out black sticky fluid like an octopus in the sea, which served as a defense mechanism and helped it hunt for food in the river.
Seeing the Black Whiskered Catfish, a slight disappointment flashed across Yulie's face.
The Red-Mouthed Black Whiskered Catfish was abundant in the Black River, even more so than the Black Snake Fish, with a diverse diet including clams, snails, small fish, and shrimp, anything with a hint of meaty scent it would devour.
Compared to the Black Snake Fish, it was not as famous in Blackwater Town because it was not a spiritual fish; its flesh was only as useful as that of ordinary lions or tigers, nourishing but lacking in spiritual energy, not a great supplement for Daoist disciples!
Only a very few Black Whiskered Catfish, living for a long time, would start to develop a bit of spiritual energy in their flesh.
Feeling slightly disheartened, realizing he had celebrated prematurely, Yulie not only failed to catch a spiritual fish but also wasted bait.
The Black Snake Fish from the alchemy room had been processed by Yulie, soaked in a wine cup to remove toxins, reduced in size, cut into pieces, and already divided into ten pieces.
Yulie pursed his lips, thinking to himself, "The Black Whiskered Catfish is still a fish, it can fetch some money, and it's edible for me too."
"Opening the door on the first day, it's still considered a good sign!"
He took a small hook claw and fiercely struck the Black Whiskered Catfish, piercing its gills, then hung it on a large hook claw nearby.
Due to the height of the cliff, it was not easy to fetch water, so the fishermen in Blackwater Town often used hooks with sharp claws to pierce the fish, then carried them back to town after finishing.
Yulie processed the first fish, suddenly thinking:
"According to the town's saying, this Black Whiskered Catfish is considered the natural enemy of the Black Snake Fish, accustomed to swallowing the non-toxic young of the Black Snake Fish."
His eyes lit up, "Could it be that this Black Whiskered Catfish mistook the fish bait as the young of the Black Snake Fish?"
If that were the case, it meant that Yulie's use of the bronze wine cup to remove toxins could indeed simulate the young of the Black Snake Fish. If what Hu Lao said was true, Yulie would definitely be able to catch the Black Snake Fish after a few more attempts.
Excited again, Yulie quickly took out a new fish bait and hung it on the hook.
The previous bait had been eaten by the fish and shrimp in the river and was no longer usable.
Moreover, the new bait hung by Yulie had been soaked in the bronze wine cup for a longer time than the previous one, with fewer toxins inside and a more concentrated spiritual energy.
The iron line swayed, the sound of a splash rang out again, then disappeared into the darkness.
Yulie held the fishing rod, once again calming his mind and quietly fishing.
This time, the waiting time was shorter than before, just a dozen breaths, and a big fish bit the hook. Yulie pulled it hard, reeling in the iron line.
A heavy live creature hung on the hook, and when Yulie lifted it to take a look, he found that he had actually caught another Black Whiskered Catfish.
But this Black Whiskered Catfish was one size larger than the previous one, already as thick as Yulie's thigh, indicating it had lived for many years.
It spat out black sticky fluid that not only smelled fishy but also made a sizzling sound when it landed on the rock, seemingly toxic enough to corrode the rock.
Yulie was slightly stunned, but this time he did not show disappointment; instead, a hint of joy appeared on his face.
This old Black Whiskered Catfish had lived long enough to possess spiritual energy, as evidenced by its black corrosive fluid.
This kind of old fellow usually resided in the caves he had drilled with his corrosive fluid, extremely cunning and much smarter than ordinary catfish, making it as difficult to catch as the Black Snake Fish, if not more slippery.
However, it was still enticed by Yulie's bait and offered itself on the hook.
Yulie pierced the old Black Whiskered Catfish with the hook claw and hung it up.
He began to feel a sense of accomplishment:
"With this level of Black Whiskered Catfish possessing spiritual energy, if I catch a few more, tonight will surely be a bountiful harvest!"
With the catch, Yulie once again hung up the bait, casting the hook into the rushing Blackwater River. The bait he used this time had been soaked longer in the bronze wine cup, making the fish flesh as pure as ice crystals.
Holding the fishing rod, the cold mountain wind not only did not chill Yulie but also brought him a sense of satisfaction.
Yulie stared at the flickering green fish in the Black River, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Splash!
The waiting time this time was similar to the first, just a few breaths longer.
Another fish was hooked.
Yulie lifted the rod, pulling up a large fish with black scales from the dark riverbed onto the cliff.
After seeing the fish he caught clearly this time, a big smile appeared on his face, for it was none other than the Black Snake Fish he had been eagerly anticipating!
The snake-like fish nibbled at the fish hook and fishing line, and if they were not made of refined iron, they would have been bitten off long ago.
Yulie looked at the slender body of the Black Snake Fish, quickly took the hook claw, pierced it, and hung it together with two other catfish.
After hanging them, Yulie examined the Black Snake Fish and found it larger and fiercer than the one he had obtained from the alchemy room, even attempting to kill and eat the two catfish beside it.
Looking at his catch, Yulie exclaimed, "This is the first Black Snake Fish!"
Three hooks, three catches, the fish bait soaked in the bronze wine cup indeed proved effective. Seizing the opportunity, Yulie immediately cast the fourth hook.
The fourth hook down the river, the fourth hook up the river.
Once again successful, Yulie caught another Black Snake Fish, skillfully hung it on the hook claw, feeling even more delighted.
Next was the fifth hook!
The sixth hook!!
The seventh, eighth, ninth hooks!!!
Out of the nine hooks cast, except for the ninth one, Yulie had a harvest with the other eight hooks.
In just half an hour, he had caught three Black Whiskered Catfish, a plump fish, and four Black Snake Fish in one go!
Except for the first Black Whiskered Catfish and the plump fish, the other two Black Whiskered Catfish were the kind that had lived long enough to possess spiritual energy, precious and could fetch a high price.
One Black Snake Fish was equivalent to a month's wages for Yulie, and the eight fish he had caught were already equivalent to half a year's wages for him!
The fishy smell enveloped Yulie in the chilly mountain wind, but he paid no mind, his eyes filled with joy.
"It seems that what Lao Hu said is true. Fishing with the detoxified meat of the Black Snake Fish does increase the chances of catching Black Snake Fish."
If it weren't for the bait of the ninth hook being eaten clean by the fish and shrimp, Yulie could have caught another one.
"There's one last hook."
Yulie was delighted as he hung the last and purest fish bait, casting it into the Blackwater River, anticipating the arrival of the next Black Snake Fish.
After the bait entered the river, in just a few breaths, Yulie felt a strong force coming from his hands, the fishing rod suddenly jerked, and he even heard a strange sound of water, different from the rushing sound of the river, more like something deliberately splashing and rolling on the water's surface.
But the cliff where Yulie stood was five or six stories high from the river, so even if there were fish splashing, he shouldn't have been able to hear it.
"Unless!"
Yulie's eyelids twitched, his pupils shrinking.
The next moment.
A huge force came from his hands, the fishing rod like a snake suddenly pulling Yulie, fiercely plunging him into the Black River...