Lü Daoist's Blood-Selling Tale

Very soon.

Fang Shu and the others learned that although Lü Daoist had not sold them to a duck house, he had not led them anywhere much better.

Before a bright, spotless medicine hall, people and ghosts came and went.

Before entering, the customers were all ruddy-faced and well; when they came out, every one of them was pale, unsteady on their feet, and some were even shaking with chills.

"Buying blood! Buying blood! Fair to young and old alike—not a penny short!"

"Special offer today! The first ten to sell blood by volume will receive one Deer-Blood Nourishing Pill, to generate fluids and restore blood. Those who wish to sell, hurry!"

"The first thirty customers who purchase blood-circulating and blood-restoring medicines from our hall can enjoy a twenty-percent discount."

At the entrance, smiling attendants warmly called out to welcome customers, though what they were shouting was somewhat strange.

One attendant spotted Fang Shu and the others, and his eyes immediately lit up. He came over on his own initiative. "Are you fellow Daoists newly arrived? Our Blood-Replenishing Hall is one of the finest blood-buying establishments in Guling Town."

The attendant gave them a practiced introduction:

"For fellow Daoists who have come seeking immortality for the first time, our Blood-Replenishing Hall offers an even better deal. We pay ten percent extra right away, and we don't care about your age, fatness, or thinness—we take it all as good blood!

"After selling this batch, if you come again within half a year, we'll add another ten percent for you!

"If you keep coming every month without interruption and accumulate six visits, you can receive an additional twenty percent as a surprise reward!"

The pitch for trading blood for money flowed smoothly from his mouth, leaving Fang Shu and the others staring blankly.

Lü Daoist truly was more familiar with the market than Fang Shu and the others. Rubbing his hands, he showed no disgust at all and instead said with a chuckle:

"Seize the chance, all of you! This is the market's special treatment for newcomers like us. Back in the mortal world, even if we wanted to sell the blood in our bodies, there'd be nowhere willing to take it."

The Blood-Replenishing Hall attendant wore a smile and strongly agreed with Lü Daoist's words.

Lü Daoist cupped his hands toward the attendant, then tugged the others aside and instructed them:

"When you sell blood later, the attendants and doctors inside may advise us to mind our health and sell less at a time, especially newcomers like us.

"But listen to your old brother—treat every word of it as farting!"

The Daoist cursed under his breath. "What situation are we brothers in? Don't we know it ourselves? We all came from the mortal world. We eat the five grains and drink bitter, salty mortal water. There isn't a trace of spiritual energy in our blood.

"Those fellows are just worried that if they buy too much of our mortal blood, it'll be docked from their wages."

Fang Shu and the others were left even more stunned.

Lü Daoist shook his head smugly. "So we have to seize this chance and sell as much of the mortal blood in our bodies as we can—sell it like our lives depend on it.

"Once we've sold off the mortal blood, we can casually breathe in a few mouthfuls of spiritual energy in the market, nourish ourselves, eat some good food, and the blood we build back up will all be 'spirit blood'!"

At that moment, Fang Shu understood.

He spoke up. "Brother Lü, you mean that since we've just arrived from the mortal world, the blood in our bodies contains little spiritual energy and isn't worth much, but the market buys blood as though it were spirit blood?

"So the more we sell this time, the more we earn?"

Lü Daoist clapped his hands. "Right! That's exactly it!"

He continued, "If you wait even one more day and breathe in a few more mouthfuls of spiritual energy, it won't be as worthwhile as it is today."

Hearing this, Tian Tianquan and Yin Xiaojian, standing nearby, both had their eyes light up, eager to try.

"That's right! Sell off the mortal blood, and maybe it'll even make our bodies more convenient for producing more spirit blood!"

"Brother Lü really treats us as his own brothers."

Even Fang Shu felt eager to try for a moment upon hearing this.

But as he looked at the bright, spotless hall and the smiling attendants, he found it somewhat chilling and hesitated before speaking. "Could selling blood spread disease? If we catch some filthy illness, our path to immortality will be cut off."

Lü Daoist was utterly unconcerned. "What's there to worry about? The whole market sells blood; it isn't just the few of us.

"On our first day ashore, we head for the blood hall.

"If it could make people sick, the market would have shut it down long ago."

Having said this, Lü Daoist did not urge them further.

He noticed a tea seller by a corner of the wall outside the hall, where people could rest their feet, and immediately strode over with a pleased expression.

Fang Shu and the others followed behind the Daoist and wandered over to the corner as well.

The Daoist exchanged a few words with the tea seller.

Fang Shu and the others heard that the man only accepted talisman money. Though one coin was enough to drink one's fill, with no limit on how much one drank, they still clicked their tongues in amazement.

After all, the bucket appeared to contain only a few scraps of tea leaves. There was not the slightest trace of spiritual energy, nor anything to eat, yet he charged Greenfly Blood Coins.

But Lü Daoist was generous. He pulled four talisman coins from his crotch and laid them out on the stall, calling, "This is for us brothers."

He waved Fang Shu and the others over as well. "Come on, brothers. Don't stand on ceremony."

Then Lü Daoist picked up a water ladle and downed several ladles in one breath. His belly visibly swelled!

After drinking several ladles, he filled another ladle to the brim, swayed over to sit at the base of the wall, and continued drinking water as though he were consuming jade nectar and divine liquor.

Fang Shu and the others were exhausted and thirsty from the boat ride. After thanking Lü Daoist, they each drank a few mouthfuls. Sure enough, they found that the water in the bucket merely carried a faint tea flavor, and was even a little astringent.

Under Fang Shu and the others' puzzled gazes, the Daoist patted his stomach and said quietly:

"There are tricks to selling blood too. Don't you brothers go selling it like fools.

"Remember, before selling, pour water into your belly fiercely—the more, the better. Then hold in your piss, hold it tight. Before the blood is sold, you're not allowed to piss."

A crafty gleam appeared in his eyes. "That way, not only can we sell more, we can even mix water into it like selling wine, reducing the loss of our own vital blood."

Tian Tianquan suddenly understood and said excitedly, "So every extra mouthful of water we drink now is like earning an extra mouthful of blood!"

Lü Daoist nodded approvingly, then shook his head. "How could that be? Being able to earn half a mouthful more of blood would already be excellent."

Yet Fang Shu's expression turned strange upon hearing this exchange.

He also noticed that the tea-stall vendor casually glanced at them as though they were livestock, without saying a word.

Suddenly, just then.

A group of people who likewise carried the air of the mortal world hurried out of the Blood-Replenishing Hall. They ran to the base of the wall, could no longer hold it in, and began pissing on the spot.

Their faces were all pale, yet as they urinated, excited expressions appeared on their faces.

One of them even muttered, "Brother Wang, it really is like you said. Holding in our piss lets us sell quite a bit more blood."

Seeing Fang Shu and the others looking over, the group hurriedly lowered their voices again, seemingly afraid their words would be overheard.

After they finished pissing, they shivered with chills and headed toward the center of the market with excited faces.

It looked as though they were either going to enjoy themselves and feast, or go on a buying spree.

Before Fang Shu and the others could recover their wits, Lü Daoist beside them swayed his belly and said leisurely, "Well? This old man put himself in your shoes. I didn't deceive you, did I?"

"You can all think it over yourselves. This old man will go queue up first. Once I've sold my blood, I'll come out and treat you to something nourishing!"

Having tossed out these words, Lü Daoist puffed out his belly and headed straight into the Blood-Replenishing Hall.

Only Fang Shu and the other two remained standing at the tea stall, each wearing a different kind of remarkable expression.

Gulp, gulp!

Tian Tianquan was the first to seize a gourd ladle and fiercely pour several large ladles into his mouth. Then, holding his belly, he walked toward the Blood-Replenishing Hall without looking back.

Yin Xiaojian and Fang Shu looked at each other.

Fang Shu remembered that Yin Xiaojian had relatives in the market whom he could rely on.

But Yin Xiaojian gave an embarrassed laugh. After hurriedly drinking two ladles of water, he too quickly headed for the Blood-Replenishing Hall.

"Brothers, wait for me!"

In the end, only Fang Shu remained standing by the base of the wall, hesitating.

Looking at the endless, bustling crowd before the Blood-Replenishing Hall.

To say something spineless, Fang Shu's heart was pounding with temptation as well.

Especially Lü Daoist's reasoning about "selling off mortal blood and cultivating spirit blood." At worst, Fang Shu would sell blood only this once, now that he had come ashore.

Moderate blood loss truly does no harm to the body, Fang Shu considered inwardly.

Besides, it was not as though the vital blood in his body had never been "sold" before!

Rather than letting only the Long-Tongue Sword and the fox pelt consume it, he might as well sell it himself and use the proceeds to feed himself a few good mouthfuls.

After sitting there stiffly for a long while, Fang Shu repeatedly started to rise, then stopped.

But in the end, he suppressed the impulse in his heart.

His mind cooled down, and he was not swept along by the feverish atmosphere of blood-selling at the hall entrance.

He planned to first find his Second Uncle in the market, then discuss whether to sell blood or not after finding him.

After all, Second Uncle was the only relative in the world who still acknowledged him. Surely he would not harm him.

But just as Fang Shu was planning to close his eyes, rest his mind, and wait quietly for Lü Daoist and the others to come out, his eyelid twitched and he abruptly opened his eyes.

Thud!

He suddenly rose to his feet, his gaze uncertain as he stared hard into the crowd entering the hall...