Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 153 Treasure-Hunting Mouse
Fang Shu rode the pangolin and slowly returned to the Beast Hall.

He found the beast-manager who had lent him the spirit beast last time, and the two exchanged pleasantries for a long time before bowing and saying goodbye.

Just as Fang Shu was about to leave the Beast Hall, he noticed that someone was watching him from inside.

He glanced over discreetly and immediately spotted a familiar figure, his gaze slightly surprised.

"This is... that scoundrel Black Rat," Fang Shu thought to himself.

The other person was kneeling in the Beast Hall, wiping the floor with a rag alongside the other servants. This was something that could clearly be done with magic, yet they insisted on having a servant do it; it was unclear whether the Beast Hall was deliberately punishing them.

The black rat crouched down, stealing a few glances at Fang Shu before immediately lowering its head again and burying itself in its work.

Compared to Fang Shu's impression, the other party now seems to have lost all his former demeanor, as if his spirit has been worn away.

Therefore, a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection) immediately arose in Fang Shu's heart.

However, Fang Shu did not change his pace. He only glanced at her a couple more times out of the corner of his eye before continuing to walk away.

Although they were roommates, Fang Shu's relationship with this person was just so-so. Moreover, the fire in the paper mill in Guling Town was set by Black Tiger Hall, and it was very likely that Black Rat was the one who personally set it up.

Therefore, Fang Shu had no intention of recognizing this person or offering help in a way that might cause them distress. Ignoring them would be sufficient; this way, he could avoid presumptuously offering assistance, which might end up hurting the other person's pride and causing them resentment.

Once outside the Beast Hall, Fang Shu put those distracting thoughts aside and headed towards Senior Sister Fang Lu's residence.

After several busy days, his cave dwelling was settled. Although Fang Shu did not plan to invite Senior Sister Fang Lu to visit it, nor did he want to hold any housewarming celebration, it was still appropriate to inform her of the situation.

He also wanted to ask his senior sister about the Spirit Gathering Array.

Soon.

Fang Shu's figure completely disappeared on Gu Tang Avenue.

Inside the Beast Hall, Black Rat straightened up, his gaze fixed on the direction where Fang Shu had disappeared.

Judging from how easily Fang Shu borrowed and returned spirit beasts, and the time it took, this person guessed that Fang Shu was already doing quite well in terms of food.

*Smack!*

"Stop being lazy!"

A shout rang out, and the old overseer immediately lashed out with his whip, striking Black Rat hard across the face.

So the black rat straightened its back for only a breath or two before immediately bending down again, kneeling on the ground to continue wiping the floor.

The old handyman said, "So that you all know that this kind of work must be done with your hands and with your heart!"
If the immortals saw this, they might think you were people of strong will and take you in as companions or even disciples.

Upon hearing this, Black Rat and the others became even more agile, whether out of genuine belief or fear, it was unclear.

After finishing all the chores, it was already dark, and the servants dispersed, finally able to catch their breath.

Taking advantage of this gap, the black rat sneaked out of the beast hall in the dark and went to the place where compost was usually made.

He came to the composting pond and found an old man with a pockmarked face by the pond. He stood respectfully beside him.

The old man's robes were distinctly different from those of the servants; they were black robes, the kind only Qi Refining Immortals could wear.

An old man with a pockmarked face was sitting by the pond fishing with a bamboo pole in hand. Seeing someone approaching, he said in a hoarse voice:
“Few servants dare to come here at night, and even fewer know that we fish in this compost pond. You little servant, you’re quite bold.”

Black Rat immediately bowed and said humbly, "Steward, I often come here to carry manure, and I've come at night as well. That's how I've met you and know a thing or two about you."

The pockmarked old man nodded without saying a word.

In silence.

The old man's fishing rod suddenly trembled and then tightened sharply, indicating that something had taken the bait, and it was a huge one at that.

The old man immediately exerted all his strength to struggle against the giant object in the pool, but in the midst of their pulling and tugging, he was unable to lift it up.

Seeing this, the black rat lying nearby had a glint in its eyes. It immediately took out its pet rat from its chest, placed it on the shore, and then plopped it down!
The man actually plunged into the composting pit, enduring the corrosive effects of the excrement, and swam to the fishing line, where he grabbed the enormous creature.

With a splash, a scarlet catfish the size of a two-year-old infant, covered in barbels, was grabbed by the black rat and lifted onto the edge of the pond.

He pressed the catfish firmly to the ground, not daring to get too close lest the excrement splash onto the pockmarked old man.

The pockmarked old man, carrying a pole, glanced at the black rat and spoke:
"You're quite an interesting kid. These red trevally are man-eating creatures, yet you dared to go down into the pond and catch them with your hands. Luckily, it was just a small one. If it had attracted a bigger one, it could have bitten you to pieces in one bite and dragged you down to be eaten."

After a pause, the pockmarked old man said, "Speak, what do you want? Do you want to change your job, or what?"

Upon hearing this, the black rat immediately kowtowed repeatedly.

"This junior has no other requests, only that the steward give me a chance to do odd jobs." He bowed deeply, unable to rise: "This servant is willing to serve the steward like a dog or a horse!"

Upon hearing this, the old man's pockmarked face immediately broke into a mocking smile:
"If you want to be my dog, it's not enough to just help catch a fish. After all, this dog is our own, not the gang's."

Suddenly, the man's gaze fell on the skinny rat by the pond, and he squinted as he examined it:
"Treasure-hunting rat? It seems you've got some luck and a knack for beast taming."

For the sake of this creature, we'll give you a chance. This pond has been fertilizing for a hundred years, and it has a red catfish that is over sixty years old, and it rarely leaves the pond.

If you can help me fish it out, I'll take you in as my dog, teach you my skills, and even get you a method for cultivating Qi. Are you willing?

After saying this, the pockmarked old man added:
"We won't force you if you don't want to. We're not enemies. Considering you've been fishing, we'll find you another job tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Black Rat immediately declared, "I am willing!"

The pockmarked old man became interested and asked, "Oh, then tell me, how are you going to fish out that catfish for me?"

Without hesitation, Black Rat declared, "I am willing to offer myself as bait to help the steward fish!"

The pockmarked old man, upon hearing this, found it utterly uninteresting and shook his head with a mocking laugh: "Using human bait to fish will only catch small catfish, not the big ones."

If this creature weren't so cautious, we would have caught it long ago.

These words stunned Black Rat, but he soon noticed that the steward in front of him had turned his gaze to the skinny rat beside him.

The pockmarked old man smiled and said:
“This little guy is not bad. Although its bloodline is mixed, it is still a treasure-hunting rat. After entering the pond, it can actively seek out the pond lizard. It carries spiritual energy and is also a kind of bait. It just depends on whether you are willing to give it up.”

Squeak!

The skinny mouse could understand human speech.

Upon hearing the old man's words, the rat trembled and tried to hide beside its master. For it, let alone swimming down to find the catfish, even being soaked in the dung for a while would be fatal.

But the next moment, it found its owner trembling, grabbing it and threading it onto the hook.

Squeak... The skinny mouse struggled on the hook, staring incredulously at its owner who was so close to it.

"Manager, please." Black Rat presented the fishhook with both hands.

The pockmarked old man stared blankly at the black rat's actions for several breaths before laughing:
"Indeed. I have been observing you for quite some time now. Among ordinary servants, few can master the ability to control beasts. This thing is nothing but an animal, yet since you entered the hall, it has attracted a lot of envy and alienated many colleagues. Why bother?"

Seeing how decisively you abandoned this item today, it's clear we misjudged you before. You've managed to break free from the shackles of your ways, no longer bound by animalistic constraints. In that case, you might truly achieve something great in the field of Spirit Beast Taming.”

"The way of taming beasts is not to keep them as pets, but to enslave them." Muttering to himself, the old man flicked his fishing rod and cast it into the composting pond.

Squeak, squeak, squeak!

The black rat stood on the bank, staring intently at the skinny rat in the pond, watching it hiss and call for its master in the filth, trying to swim back to the bank and climb out, but all in vain.

Finally, the skinny mouse seemed to resign itself to its fate. It stared at the black mouse for a long time before voluntarily burrowing into the dung water to search for the catfish.

The rat repeatedly slid down, and within a few moments its eyes went blind and its skin tore and rotted.

Wow!

Finally, a tremendous force struck, and the sewage in the pool made a loud noise.

The old man on the shore was overjoyed. He suddenly stood up, his withered body swelling up, and several fleshy whiskers grew on his chin. His face was contorted as he gripped the fishing rod tightly.

With a thud, a giant, crimson catfish was lifted out and slammed heavily to the ground.

The pockmarked old man laughed loudly: "Hahaha, big stuff, big stuff!"

He stepped forward, stepped on the man's head, and plucked out the remaining half of the skinny rat, throwing it to the black rat.

The black rat stared blankly at its pet.

But soon, the complex look in his eyes was replaced by a burning passion.

"Looks like you've got some luck, kid. You actually managed to catch one."

It was the pockmarked old man who said, "Come on! We see you have a connection with us, so we'll use this to teach you how to cultivate spiritual roots."

There was a snap.

The skinny mouse, still struggling, was not picked up by the black mouse. Instead, it was trampled by the black mouse as it stood up, turning into rotten flesh, and then it stopped struggling.

Black Rat didn't even glance at his former pet rat, with whom he had depended for survival, and hurriedly followed the pockmarked old man.

(End of this chapter)