Crow Immortal
Chapter 14: Spirit-Stealing Mice

"An opportunity to earn spirit stones?"

Han Yu was puzzled.

Old Li Daoist's ugly face, resembling a mule's, leaned closer as he lowered his voice: "Those beasts dare run wild before us. During daytime we can't act openly, but at night when no one's watching, shouldn't we slaughter them?"

"I inquired at the market district. These Spirit-Stealing Mice aren't ordinary beasts - each corpse can fetch two catties of spirit rice! If we each kill several using Blood Droplets, we can exchange them for spirit rice or even spirit stones at the market. This could be our cultivation opportunity."

"Moreover, we'd be preventing these pests from damaging our spirit fields!"

Hearing this, Han Yu suddenly understood. This was indeed a solution - they couldn't just let these creatures destroy the Green Sprout Spirit Rice and face Steward Wang's punishment afterward.

The two quietly entered the spirit fields where the mice were gnawing away. The faint chewing sounds seemed deafening to their ears, especially since it was the rice they'd personally planted that was being destroyed, fueling their rising anger.

Under the moonlight, the mice's eyes glowed with a phosphorescent green, clearly visible amidst the fields. Having shown no fear of Han Yu and Old Li during daytime, they were even bolder at night.

Old Li made calculations: "There are five Spirit-Stealing Mice in our fields. Tonight I can use Blood Droplets three times, while you can manage once. With good luck we might kill four, otherwise two or three. We could finish over two nights..."

Han Yu was surprised - so the old daoist had consumed so much Blood Nourishment yet his condensed essence blood was similar to mine, also at three droplets? Had my Blood Refinement Technique progress caught up to his?

"Let's try finishing tonight," Han Yu whispered after consideration. "I can barely condense a second Blood Droplet."

Old Li turned his ugly face in surprise: "You brat actually have abundant blood energy! I wonder how you cultivate." But he didn't press further, quietly condensing a Blood Droplet and aiming at one mouse.

The metal-piercing Blood Droplet followed his will, concealed by darkness as it penetrated a mouse's fur. The creature's glowing eyes extinguished instantly, a faint blood scent dispersing.

Old Li rejoiced: "Two catties of spirit rice!" Then sniffing the blood, he suddenly gulped and muttered: "This blood contains spiritual energy... if used as Blood Nourishment... wouldn't it surpass ordinary livestock?"

"Old Li, let's kill the others before they notice," Han Yu reminded.

Snapping out of it, Old Li suppressed his urges. They stealthily searched for more mice, soon finding and killing a second, then a third.

After the third kill, Old Li said: "These three are mine. Kill the remaining two yourself and bring them to me tomorrow. I'll exchange all five at the market."

"I must hurry back to cultivate now." Unable to contain his drooling, he hastily carried the three fresh corpses back to his stone house.

Han Yu was slightly surprised by Old Li's sudden departure, but also relieved. With the old man gone, if his Blood Droplets missed, he could freely condense more - he could easily produce three essence blood droplets, barely manage a fourth, plus replicate once, allowing five Blood Droplet uses total. Such abnormal capability couldn't be revealed, even to relatively close Old Li.

After Old Li left, Han Yu checked both fields and was shocked to find seven mice total, not five. With three killed, four remained - either newcomers or previously hidden ones.

The Blood Droplets proved exceptionally effective - once condensed, they followed his will precisely. The mice never expected the helpless daytime boy to possess fur-piercing magic. Han Yu's four attacks all hit perfectly.

Back in his hut, he faced a dilemma - giving all to Old Li would expose his secret, but he had no alternative disposal method. Should he visit the market himself?

While pondering, Han Yu noticed one mouse had circular patterns on its belly where the fur was unusually clean.

"Raised by someone?" Alarm struck him - were some Spirit-Stealing Mice domesticated? Who would raise them to steal nearly-mature spirit rice? The mastermind couldn't be benevolent!

Hastily grabbing the marked mouse, he went to Old Li's house. Before he could speak upon knocking, Old Li's bloodthirsty glare pinned him.

"Killed both?" Old Li gripped the doorframe, veins bulging, eyes bloodshot, barely restraining his bloodlust.

"Old Li, something's wrong!" Han Yu showed the marked mouse. "Look!"

Seeing the distinct belly patterns, Old Li's bloodlust faded into shock and anger: "These are raised mice! Someone's deliberately stealing our nearly-ripe Green Sprout Spirit Rice!"

He frantically checked his three corpses, finding another with identical markings. "Two from the same breeder, killed by us!"

"Trouble - we've offended someone unknown!" Old Li gritted his teeth. "Who could it be? Will they come for us?"

Han Yu thought then advised: "Worrying won't help."

"The spirit field area only has Steward Wang and two other outer disciples. If they raised these, as outer disciples they're far stronger than us and will come eventually."

Old Li shook his head: "They're already wealthy - they wouldn't bother with such petty theft. Small spirit rice amounts mean little to them."

"Then we've nothing to fear," Han Yu continued. "The highest cultivation among field workers is Qi Refining third layer - at fourth layer they'd become outer disciples. Such workers have few techniques anyway."

"Worst case, we report to Steward Wang. He'd gladly catch rice thieves!"

Old Li gradually calmed, praising: "You remain composed in crisis!"

"I was nearly panicked earlier. Impressive you thought of solutions."

"But our mouse-killing method can't be exposed. While we needn't worry now, we absolutely mustn't report to Steward Wang ourselves - that'd be suicide!"

Han Yu nodded, then asked: "What about these mice?"

"These two raised ones I'll keep for Blood Refinement practice - not for sale." Old Li decided firmly. "The rest we'll still exchange. The market's vast with many mice recently - it should be safe."

"Agreed."

Han Yu handed over another mouse corpse.

Old Li nodded: "Good. All five pests eliminated from our fields!"

"The breeder has only himself to blame - had his mice not invaded, we wouldn't have killed them!"