Chapter 189: Catfish Skin

　　The three of them looked at each other.

　　But in the next second, they became optimistic again.

　　If we've made an enemy, so be it. We came here for that big fish anyway.

　　Catching this smaller one is like getting a two-for-one deal!

　　There's no need to sympathize with this man-eating monster.

　　Who knows how many people it will harm once it grows up.

　　They didn't have the strength to deal with the bigger one tonight, so they dragged the plump, baby-like young catfish to a safe location.

　　The massive shadow in the water watched them until they were completely out of sight before reluctantly sinking into the dark depths.

　　After all that trouble, the catfish fry was completely lifeless, lying motionless in the reeds.

　　Its large eyes, once pitch black, had turned gray and white, and a strong stench of dead fish emanated from its body.

　　"The inner dan is usually located in the head of the monster."

　　Jing Jian pulled out a dagger and inserted it into the catfish's gills, rummaging around for a while until he finally pulled out a bloody, mushy mass.

　　Inside this mass, which resembled brain matter, there was a small, pea-sized green sphere.

　　"Is this the inner dan of the monster?" Lu Fei regarded it with great interest.

　　"Exactly!"

　　Jing Jian was overjoyed. He found a pond to wash his hands and then examined the tiny sphere under a flashlight.

　　It was crystal clear, with a faint trace of gas swirling inside.

　　Lu Fei squinted at it for a while and realized that the black dan he had extracted from the human-faced eel was similar to this, except one was green and the other was black.

　　"Brother Jing, are there any black inner dan?" Lu Fei asked.

　　"Black?" Jing Jian shook his head, "No, they're all green. The black ones you mentioned are probably inner dan that haven't fully matured."

　　"Then do these black inner dan have the effect of enhancing one's magic power?"

　　"Theoretically, yes, but since they haven't fully grown, it's hard to say if there are any side effects."

　　"I see. It seems we can't use them recklessly before we understand them clearly." Lu Fei nodded, then looked at the fish carcass and said, "Brother Jing, this fish doesn't have the Fish Startling Stone, does it?"

　　"I just checked, it's gone. There's only this small inner dan." Jing Jian looked at Lu Fei and generously handed the small inner dan to him.

　　"Here, take it."

　　"Why?" Lu Fei was taken aback.

　　"I only want the inner dan from the big fish. The rest go to you, as we agreed beforehand." Jing Jian spoke with principle.

　　Lu Fei looked at him and couldn't help but smile, "In that case, I won't be polite. Thank you!"

　　"A Jian, I didn't expect that even though you're not good with words, you're quite a decent person!" Hu Zi immediately looked at Jing Jian with new eyes.

　　"Ah, no need to be so formal." Jing Jian felt a bit embarrassed instead.

　　Lu Fei put away the inner elixir and reached out to touch the slippery skin of the catfish, feeling that it was even softer than a baby's skin.

　　Since there was no Fish Frightening Stone, then he would strip the skin off this demonic creature.

　　The skin of a catfish demon is a good thing. If applied to the skin in a specific way, it can heal even the worst of blemishes.

　　Lu Fei put on gloves and swiftly stripped off the fish skin.

　　What was left of the calf-sized catfish was a pile of white meat, but this meat was inedible.

　　They dug a pit, lined the bottom with a lot of dry reeds, lit a fire to burn the fish meat, and when it was all burned, they buried it with soil.

　　In the light of the fire, the size of the catfish gradually decreased, until finally, it was only as thick as an adult's arm.

　　This should be the true form of the little fish demon.

　　The peculiar aroma of cooked meat spread, causing the little black dog to twitch its small black nose and circle around the roasted fish continuously.

　　As soon as the fire went out, it pounced on the fish and devoured it like an excavator.

　　Lu Fei did not stop it.

　　Fiveblack is a spirit dog; it knows what it can and cannot eat, no matter how hungry it is. If this fish is inedible for humans, perhaps it might be beneficial for a spirit dog?

　　The little black dog ate the fish until only a few bones were left, its belly swelling like a winter melon, making it unsteady on its feet.

　　Lu Fei and his two companions buried the bones and left as quickly as possible.

　　When they returned to town, their bodies were enveloped by the warm night air, and their limbs gradually regained warmth, feeling much more comfortable.

　　"Lu Fei, it's so late. Finding a hotel would be a waste. Why not just spend the night in my car?" Jing Jian looked around and took out his car keys.

　　"My car has been modified; the seats can be laid down to form a bed..."

　　"Shut up! The seats in your car are harder than coffin boards. I still want to live a few more years!" Lu Fei confiscated his car keys, "Come on, let's stay at the best hotel. My treat."

　　Jing Jian originally wanted to insist, but seeing the unyielding expressions on Lu Fei and Hu Zi's faces, he scratched his head and laughed, "Well, I won't be polite then, thank you, thank you!"

　　The best hotel in town was quite modest, but compared to Jing Jian's leaky, dilapidated car, it was like paradise.

　　Everyone was tired and hungry, so Lu Fei ordered some drinks and instant noodles. They slept only after they had eaten and drunk their fill.

　　The moment Hu Zi hit the bed, snoring could be heard the next second.

　　Jing Jian also fell asleep quickly.

　　The little black dog, with its full belly, nestled by Lu Fei's side, and Lu Fei took out the pea-sized green inner core to examine it.

　　Though small, the inner core was crystal clear, glowing faintly in the darkness.

　　He made up his mind that he would definitely help Jing Jian obtain the big fish's inner core!

　　Pondering how to deal with the big fish, he gradually drifted into dreamland...

　　Time passed, and no one knew how long it had been.

　　In a daze, Lu Fei suddenly felt a bit cold, unable to get comfortable no matter how he slept.

　　He turned over several times, reaching out to pull the blanket, but his hand touched water instead.

　　"Where did this water come from?"

　　Lu Fei jolted awake in an instant.

　　He hastily sat up and turned on the bedside lamp, only to find the entire bed was soaked.

　　Outside, heavy rain poured down.

　　The window was wide open, with the curtains fluttering in the wind, which blew the rain into the room.

　　Lu Fei's bed was closest to the window, so it was the one that got drenched.

　　"It's actually raining!"

　　Feeling very frustrated, Lu Fei went to close the window.

　　It should be the time when the sky is just starting to lighten, but the sky is dim and heavy rain is pouring down, making everything outside hazy and indistinct.

　　"Why did it suddenly start raining so hard?"

　　Lu Fei frowned, feeling that this was not a good omen.

　　He reached out to close the window, and as he lowered his head, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

　　Under the dim yellow streetlight in front of the inn, there stood a little girl in a red dress.

　　The little girl was not holding an umbrella; she stood there stiffly in the rain, looking up with her pale face toward Lu Fei's window.

　　A little girl in a red dress?!

　　Lu Fei's eyes widened as he tried to see more clearly, but in the blink of an eye, the small red figure disappeared.

　　"If it really was the water ghost those two children encountered, why would it come up on land because of this heavy rain... This is bad! If the water ghost can come ashore, could the fish demon come too?"

　　Feeling a sense of impending danger, Lu Fei quickly woke up Hu Zi and Jing Jian.

　　The two of them were drowsy, with eyes half-open.

　　As Lu Fei was explaining the situation to them, a murky stream of water quietly seeped into the room through the gap under the door.