Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Cleaning Auntie
Someone inevitably asked: if it was already hard for mortals to survive in the city, why run all the way out to this birdless, ass-end-of-nowhere place?
The answer was simple. Work in the spirit mine paid obscene money. One year here equaled ten years of wages outside.
Sure, the mortals in this place bowed and scraped in front of cultivators, smiling until their cheeks hurt. But the moment they went home? Instant nouveau riche. Year one: buy a house. Year two: buy land. Year three: take in a few concubines and live the dream—left arm, right arm, never lonely again.
Gu Shi Yi had been “educated” the moment she got off the boat: you’re an outsider, no backing, no connections—so keep your head down. She took it to heart. Instead of wandering the main streets, she slipped into side alleys and cramped little lanes.
After walking half a day, she finally found a small storefront with a sign that read Spirit Beast Hall. Gu Shi Yi stepped inside.
The shop was tiny. A single wooden counter sat to the left, and behind it an old man slumped with his eyes half-shut, dozing. Cages hung from the rafters, dangling right over customers’ heads. Looking up, Gu Shi Yi saw several bright-feathered birds she couldn’t name. One of them turned its head, sized her up, and spat a puff of black smoke at her like it was spitting in her face.
Along the walls and corners were more cages. Some held small beasts sleeping in tight balls; others paced back and forth, restless. Pelts, claws, and even severed beast heads hung like trophies.
If you ignored the décor, it really did feel like a pet shop.
Gu Shi Yi was still taking it all in when the old man spoke without opening his eyes.
“Mortal. What do you want here?”
Gu Shi Yi turned toward him. He still hadn’t lifted his lids. After a beat, she answered carefully, “Elder, I picked something up and wanted to ask about it…”
The old man didn’t open his eyes.
“The thing hanging on your chest?”
Gu Shi Yi wasn’t surprised. Cultivators like this had divine sense—an X-ray gaze that didn’t need you to confess. She nodded and pulled the finger out.
Today she’d only brought the finger. She hadn’t brought Li Yan Er. She didn’t want anyone noticing.
Only then did the old man slowly open his eyes. He took the item, rolled it between his fingers, and clicked his tongue.
“Fish-kui beast abdominal limb… mm. Adult. Sixteen pairs of belly hands—this is the middle finger of the second pair.”
He flicked his gaze up at her.
“This isn’t something you could possibly get.”
Gu Shi Yi didn’t lie. “Someone cut it off, and I picked it up.”
The old man gave a soft, amused snort. “Hmph. Lucky you. But this thing is soaked in yin qi. A sturdy body like yours can handle it. Give it to someone weak and have them carry it around for three months, and they’ll fall into a serious illness.”
He paused, then asked casually, “Selling?”
Gu Shi Yi shook her head. “I don’t even know what it is. I just want to know what it’s used for.”
The old man considered her. “I can tell you. But my shop has rules. Information isn’t free.”
His eyes traveled over her clothes, her hands, her empty expression that screamed broke.
“Judging by you, you don’t have spirit stones.”
Gu Shi Yi gave a helpless smile. “Your eyes are sharp. Forget spirit stones—I barely have any copper coins.”
She truly was dirt poor. Otherwise, why had she been shamelessly mooching food and drink on the boat?
The old man grunted. “Fine. I’ve been lazy lately. Clean up this shop—sweep, tidy, change water. We’ll call it even.”
Gu Shi Yi’s face lit up. She nodded so hard her neck almost snapped.
Following his instructions, she swept the floors, changed the water for the caged beasts, and refilled the birds’ feed overhead. Only when she finished did the old man look marginally satisfied.
“Not bad. All right. Listen.”
He placed the finger in his left palm and tapped it with his right index finger. Black vapor immediately seeped out.
“That’s yin qi. Fish-kui beasts didn’t exist above ground. Back when immortals fought a great war, the earth cracked open. Underground rivers connected to the surface, and the five-colored yin water below spilled out. That’s why mortals can’t drink from the Five-Colored River.”
He spoke as if reciting something old and familiar.
“Fish-kui beasts live in that yin water. Naturally, they’re extremely yin creatures. We cultivators aren’t like you mortals. To you, they’re terrifying monsters. To us, they’re just river fish—edible, useful for pill refining, or something you can keep in a cave abode for viewing.”
His mouth curled slightly.
“Of course, cultivators who practice pure-yang methods dislike beasts with such heavy yin qi. Those who practice pure-yin methods are the opposite. But this little piece of yours?” He weighed it like a coin. “If you sell it, maybe one low-grade spirit stone.”
Gu Shi Yi nodded quickly, eager to soak up every word. “Then besides pill refining, what else can it do?”
“It can be eaten,” the old man said. “Not by you. By yin things—ghosts and the like. It strengthens the soul and condenses the primordial spirit.”
He turned the finger so the nail caught the light.
“And it still has the nail. Definitely adult. If you pry the nail off and fit it over your own, then when an enemy comes…” He made a casual swiping motion.
A thin black line appeared in the air where the finger passed.
“A mortal gets raked like that, their whole body rots and they die.”
Gu Shi Yi sucked in a sharp breath. “That… is terrifying.”
The old man snorted, unimpressed. “An adult fish-kui beast—if even a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator fights one, it still takes effort. Of course it’s not ordinary.”
He continued, almost conversationally, “Adult ones are rare now. If it cultivates eighteen pairs of hands, it can take human form. But fish-kui beasts are underground beasts. Once they come up and see daylight, taking human form is basically impossible. Sixteen pairs is already the limit.”
He tossed the finger back to Gu Shi Yi. “That’s it. Go.”
Gu Shi Yi caught it, bowed deeply, and backed out of the shop with every ounce of respect she could muster.
The old man squinted after her, amused.
“Looks like a half-demon body… but the Demon Clan bloodline hasn’t awakened yet.”
This realm was rich in spiritual qi. Many Demon Clan members could cultivate steadily and, with a little luck, take human form. Afterward, they loved blending into mortal society—some even married and had children. Half-demons weren’t rare here. Most died before adulthood, and even those who lived seldom awakened.
The old man had seen a few like Gu Shi Yi. He chuckled, let the thought drift away, and returned to dozing.
Gu Shi Yi stepped outside and blinked. The sun had already set.
She hurried back to the boat and told Li Yan Er everything she’d learned.
“Eat it?” Li Yan Er stared at the soft, pale thing and reflexively swallowed—despite having no saliva at all. “This thing can be eaten?”
Gu Shi Yi nodded. “That’s what the shopkeeper said…”
Then she slapped her forehead. “Ah! I forgot to ask how to eat it!”
She chewed on the problem for a second. “We’ll go back tomorrow and ask. Worst case, I work another day.”
Li Yan Er nodded at once. “Then take me with you tomorrow.”
Gu Shi Yi thought about the city. There were plenty of cultivators, but none of them looked interested in wasting time on a mortal. No one would bother eyeing a tiny yin soul like Yan Er… right?
“Fine,” she said. “We’ll go again tomorrow.”
The next day, when Gu Shi Yi returned, the old man glanced toward her chest with mild surprise.
“You brought a yin soul?”
Gu Shi Yi stepped forward and bowed. “Thanks to your guidance, I learned what that finger can do. I have a friend who was harmed and lost her life. Now she can only cling to a Clay Doll. I want to let her eat the finger, but I don’t know the method, so I had to shamelessly come ask again.”
The old man thought for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. I also have a few little things in the back that haven’t been fed. Go feed them.”
Gu Shi Yi’s eyes brightened. “Don’t worry, Elder. I’ll do it properly.”
The old man gave a strange little laugh—half amused, half pitying. “Go look first, then talk.”
He led her into the back courtyard.
It was enormous. Two soccer fields, easily.
Gu Shi Yi took one look at the beasts in the pens and went rigid. “Y-you call these little things?”
She pointed at a three-headed bull the size of a house.
The old man shot her a flat look. “It’s a young beast. If that isn’t little, what is?”
“It’s as big as a house!”
Gu Shi Yi’s jaw dropped. The old man, clearly entertained, pointed at the beast’s heads.
“Look. The horns haven’t even grown in.”
He paused, then continued, “Gold-horn beast. Once all three heads grow horns, it’s an adult. This one belongs to a friend of mine who’s keeping it here. Today you’ll feed it this.”
He pointed to a mound of yellow sand piled like a small hill.
“Eat… eat sand?” Gu Shi Yi stared at the sand, then at him.
The old man snorted. “What do you know? This isn’t ordinary sand. It’s a companion mineral from a spirit vein—spirit-gathering sand. It eats a hundred jin a day. Shovel it over.”
Then he pointed behind the pen like he was discussing laundry. “And collect its droppings.”
Gu Shi Yi just stared, mouth open.
The old man added, far too casually, “That stuff is valuable. You might even be able to eat it. You’ll find out later.”
“Oh…” Gu Shi Yi said, because she didn’t know what else a mortal was supposed to say.
Next, the old man brought her to a goat that looked ordinary—until it moved. Its hooves gleamed with a metallic gold shine.
“Baa…”
It bleated and pawed the ground.
The old man said, “This one belongs to the steward of the spirit mine. It’s a spirit-seeking beast. Let it wander the mountains and it can locate spirit veins. Serve it well.”
This one was easier: grass soaked in spirit spring water.
After that, Gu Shi Yi finally saw a true “little thing.” A small white monkey with a long tail, like one of those spectacled monkeys she’d seen on TV—only snow-white.
Women had no defense against fluffy creatures. Gu Shi Yi was no exception. She took the little monkey from the cage and stroked it, unwilling to let go.
“What kind of monkey is this?”
The old man gave a short, mocking laugh. “Monkey? You think it’s one of those roadblock thieves in the mountains? This is a sky-flying macaque. It’s still young, so it hasn’t grown wings yet.”
His tone sharpened slightly.
“Be careful not to touch its chin. There’s a poison gland there. A mortal like you touches it and you’ll turn black and die on the spot.”
Gu Shi Yi flinched so hard her hand almost flew away. She forced an awkward smile. “Elder, the strange beasts here really are extraordinary.”
The old man snorted. “This one hasn’t been eating much these past two days. Today, your job is to get it to eat.”
He waved a hand like he was doing her a favor. “Since you’re a mortal with a weak body, I won’t make it harder. Just these three. Take good care of them today, and I’ll tell you how to prepare the fish-kui beast limb. I’ll even let you borrow my kitchen.”
Gu Shi Yi’s heart leaped. “Thank you, Elder!”
Then she got to work.
From morning until night.
That spirit-gathering sand looked just like ordinary sand… until she shoved a shovel into it.
“Holy—my mom!” she wheezed. “Why is this so heavy?!”
One tiny shovel-load nearly tore her shoulder off. Step by step, she carried it to the stone trough and dumped it in. Gu Shi Yi had trained her body from childhood under an old Daoist priest, so she was stronger than most. Even so, it took her most of the day to shovel out a hundred jin.
The three-headed Gold-horn beast looked terrifying but had a gentle temperament. Feed it, and it ate. When she climbed over to shovel its dung, it simply stepped aside, calm as a saint, letting her work behind it.
The pile it produced was… impressive. And vile. Gu Shi Yi pinched her nose, shoveled the mountain of stench into a cart, pushed it away, and then washed the pen clean with water.
“Moo…”
All three heads bellowed at her in satisfaction.
Then, as if to celebrate, the beast “breathed fragrance.”
Gu Shi Yi nearly died on the spot.
After that, she fed the goat. The goat, unlike the bull, was a violent little menace. The moment she approached, it lowered its head and flashed its horns like it was about to charge.
Gu Shi Yi hurriedly offered grass, coaxed it until it calmed down, and slipped into the pen to clean. Even then, she still got knocked over once.
She climbed up, furious, and lifted her foot—ready to teach it the meaning of consequences—
“Ahem.”
From the front hall, the old man coughed once.
“I told you, this one is being kept here for someone else. If you kick it and damage it, even if I don’t trouble you, you still won’t leave my shop.”
Gu Shi Yi’s blood ran cold. She lowered her foot like it weighed a thousand jin, bent forward, and plastered on her brightest smile at the goat. She even gave it a thumbs-up.
“Excellent headbutt! Magnificent headbutt! A masterpiece of headbutts! If you’re still not satisfied… want another go?”
“Baa!”
The goat rolled its eyes at her and turned its head away, ignoring her completely.