Yu Lie was walking on the street when his body suddenly stiffened. The red tongue that brushed against his ear emitted a foul saliva smell, sticky and unpleasant. His expression changed slightly, a cold glint in his eyes, but he still turned around, bowing without lifting his head, "Greetings, Senior Gao Li."
A tall and thin gray-robed Daoist blocked Yu Lie's path. After retracting his long tongue, his face powdered with rouge, one might mistake him for a performer from a theater troupe. But Yu Lie knew him well. True to his name, Gao Li was a ruthless figure in Heishui Town, known for lending money at exorbitant rates, a cunning character.
Gao Li Daoist glanced over Yu Lie from head to toe, focusing on the paper donkey and magpie. Upon realizing the magpie was just an ordinary bird, he shifted his gaze away. With a smirk, he said, "Don't bother with the formalities, we're all at the bottom of the hierarchy. Let's not make the Daoist elders think too highly of us."
Yu Lie lowered his eyes and nodded in agreement, "Yes."
Before Yu Lie could inquire about Gao Li's intentions, the Daoist pointed at the paper donkey Yu Lie was leading and exclaimed, "Brother Yu, you're prospering! You have a mount for your travels in town now. Unlike us, who are like monkeys, climbing around all day."
Yu Lie restrained his demeanor from when he subdued demons, appearing like an ordinary passerby. He whispered, "Senior Gao, you are as strong as a wolf, capable of scaling cliffs and fording rivers effortlessly. As a lowly Daoist, I dare not venture down the mountain without proper talismans. I might end up dead even from a fall."
"Hehe!" Gao Li Daoist chuckled at Yu Lie's words, his face cracking with laughter, revealing a crimson tongue swirling amidst his split lips.
Turning to the person beside him, he exclaimed, "Shan, look at Brother Yu's eloquence. You should learn a thing or two from him."
Standing next to them was a black and thin Daoist, looking bewildered. Upon hearing Gao Li's praise, Shan suddenly woke up, lifting his head to find Yu Lie standing before him.
Shan stammered, "You, Yu Lie? How do you know Senior Gao?"
Midway through his question, Shan realized the situation, his face contorting strangely.
Gao Li Daoist interjected with a smile, "Of course, Brother Yu is our guest and a significant client."
Upon hearing this, Shan immediately fell silent.
Yu Lie stood on the street and spoke timely, "If there's no business, Senior Gao..."
Before he could finish, Gao Li Daoist suddenly shouted, "Shut up! We didn't ask for your opinion. How dare you speak more! Have you repaid your debts?"
Just moments ago, Gao Li Daoist had been praising Yu Lie, but now his demeanor changed drastically. Saliva dripped from his split lips as he coldly scrutinized Yu Lie.
Yu Lie's gaze sharpened, but his expression remained unchanged. He promptly closed his mouth and lowered his head.
Seeing this, Shan, the black and thin Daoist, revealed a gloating expression in his eyes.
After scolding Yu Lie, Gao Li Daoist wiped the saliva from his sleeve and said calmly, "Brother Yu, you've pledged a lung and a kidney with us. In a few days, you'll have to offer half a liver. And a few days after that, you'll have no means of survival, only a path to death."
"Pledging a lung and a kidney" meant that Yu Lie could still barely survive after offering these organs as collateral for failing to repay the debt. However, if he went beyond this limit, he would face a grim fate - either being slaughtered on the spot or becoming a slave, forced to do menial tasks like corpse refining and mining, a fate worse than death.
"When the time comes, don't even think about escaping. There's no way out of this realm for you," Gao Li Daoist paused before smiling slyly, "But with your handsome face, the Daoist elders in town might take a liking to you! The 'death trade' could turn into a 'survival trade.' Don't think about dying, and definitely don't ruin that face of yours!"
With a final remark, Gao Li Daoist didn't waste any more words. He instructed Shan, the black and thin Daoist beside him, "You two are neighbors. Brother Yu, please be kind enough to escort him home."
"Our Shan is nimble and ready to have some fun at the gambling den." With that, Gao Li Daoist covered his mouth, chuckled, and left.
On the street, Yu Lie and Shan remained standing in their spots.
While others hurried by, the two of them stood out - one calm, the other dark with a tinge of blue.
After a long silence, Shan approached Yu Lie and whispered, "Is what that fake woman said true? Are you so ruthless that you stake your life for a loan?"
"I can't figure it out, can't figure it out!" Shan clicked his tongue. "Did you also go gambling?"
Yu Lie raised his head at the remark but remained silent.
Yu Lie hadn't gone gambling. His journey to subdue demons outside the town was made possible by borrowing money to fill the final gap. Along with his savings from over a year and the coffin nails he brought from home, he managed to purchase paper figures, horses, and talismans, ensuring his safety from the monsters outside the town.
Luck was on his side, and he successfully hunted down the wolf demon, obtaining the Daoist item.
Glancing at the paper donkey's belly, Yu Lie felt a surge of excitement. He nodded respectfully at Shan and continued leading the donkey down the street.
However, after his encounter with Gao Li Daoist, Shan reverted to his chatty self. He walked beside Yu Lie, saying, "Senior Gao asked you to escort me home. How could you just ignore it? Do you look down on me or that fake woman?"
"Little Yu, not to criticize you, but if you need to borrow money, you can seek my advice. Pledging organs with that fake woman requires finesse."
"Using low-grade methods to cultivate blood vessels binds you forever. Medium-grade involves organ removal, leaving you in a state between life and death. Do you know what the high-grade method is? It's like me - even after sacrificing organs, it doesn't harm my life or well-being. The path remains clear!"
Shan shook his head, feeling proud of himself.
Upon hearing this, Yu Lie couldn't help but stop in his tracks, turning back to Shan with a wry smile, "Oh! Shan, why didn't you say so earlier? By the way, how many 'eggs' do you have left now?"
Shan wasn't originally surnamed "Shan." His former nickname was "High-Testicle" due to his tall, dark, and thin appearance. After having one kidney removed due to debt, he was left with just one, earning him the new moniker "Single-Testicle."
Disliking this nickname, but unable to shake it off, he simply changed his name to Shan, enduring the teasing to rid himself of the old nickname. As for his actual surname, few people knew it.
Upon hearing Yu Lie's words, Shan's face turned even bluer, a strange mix of black and purple. Yu Lie glanced at Shan's peculiar expression and burst into laughter, "No wonder that man earlier boasted about his nimble hands and feet. I suppose your pockets are now empty, Shan!"
Chuckling lightly, Yu Lie paid no more attention to Shan, leading the donkey and striding forward with a carefree attitude.
Shan stood there, stunned, his face turning blue as he shouted at Yu Lie, "You pretentious fool! You think you're superior, but you're just a sellout! Rot in hell!"
After his outburst, Shan stood on the street, feeling the gazes of passersby piercing through him, their eyes like needles, repeating a certain phrase over and over.
Yu Lie had misjudged one thing - the current Shan not only had no "eggs" left but also had no roots.
Shan comforted himself in a low voice, "In the path of cultivation, can one 'castrate' oneself? This removes the root of troubles."
"Yes, it removes the root of troubles. Not being a eunuch makes cultivation easier..."
Rubbing his head, enduring the pain, Shan hurried home, lost in his thoughts.