Ch 7: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Of course, if someone were to rashly enter and mistake these pothos vines for ordinary plants, they would certainly suffer greatly.

Jiang Lin knew better than anyone the stubbornness and lethality of these pothos vines.

Satisfied, he nodded, then sat cross-legged on the ground and began to cultivate.

Because of his experiences in the apocalypse and Xue Nan’s betrayal, he was more aware than anyone of the importance of strength.

He had previously discussed with the system that while he could enhance the White Bone Spirit’s power through cultivation in this world, that power could only be used here, under the identity of the White Bone Spirit.

But the “Nine Spirits Technique” was different.

This was a cultivation method bound to his soul. Any strength he gained from cultivating the Nine Spirits Technique belonged to Jiang Lin himself. And thanks to the jade space, his spirit plants could also travel with him across different worlds.

Seeing how quickly Jiang Lin started cultivating, the system silently observed, forming an idea in its mind.

Time always flies when you’re cultivating.

By the time Jiang Lin sensed a presence approaching the White Bone Cave, the sky had already darkened.

Recalling his earlier words, Jiang Lin got up and walked out of the cave.

The first to arrive were the crow and the pheasant demons, followed by seven or eight more figures behind them.

Jiang Lin glanced at them and wasn’t surprised to see that they were all bird demons.

Soon after, the cat demon arrived with a few of her companions—one was a demon with antlers on its head, another was a squirrel demon.

And then there was one who stood out from the crowd of humanoid demons—a demon with a very distinct appearance: a human-shaped body topped with a real dog’s head.

Among all these demons, this one’s peculiar appearance was unique enough to make even Jiang Lin take several more glances.

The cat demon, worried that Jiang Lin might not like it, quickly explained, “The dog head didn’t mean to look like this. His transformation process was different from ours. He ate a centuries-old spiritual ginseng to become a demon, but during the transformation, he didn’t have enough demon power, so…”

Jiang Lin understood: Normal demons accumulate spiritual energy step by step, and although becoming a demon involves some fortune, it’s usually a gradual process.

In comparison, the dog-headed demon had taken a shortcut—one that didn’t go quite right.

Jiang Lin didn’t mind, though. Although the dog-headed demon looked a bit unusual, he had a tall and muscular build, with strong arms and legs—perfect for hard labor.

Jiang Lin wasn’t surprised that the cat demon didn’t have any companions of the same species: Felines seem to prefer being solitary. Even after becoming demons, they’d rather band together with other types of demons than seek out their own kind.

The third to arrive was the old monkey demon.

He brought along a few other monkey demons, all of whom were muscular and powerfully built.

Additionally, the old monkey demon mentioned that he had a clan with over a hundred descendants. Although not many had fully transformed into demons, a significant number had developed basic intelligence and could communicate.

In other words: plenty of potential workers!

Indeed, after carefully considering it, the old monkey demon had concluded that the White Bone King’s earlier words and the request to bring others along likely indicated a need for labor.

The old monkey demon hadn’t yet guessed Jiang Lin’s true intentions; he simply assumed that Jiang Lin intended to establish his rule over the mountain and was now recruiting followers.

Given that the White Bone King was the strongest on White Tiger Ridge, whether or not anyone wanted to submit, they would likely have to in the end.

Recalling Jiang Lin’s demeanor during the day and the magically delicious food, the old monkey demon made up his mind to pledge his entire clan’s loyalty.

Sure enough, as soon as Jiang Lin heard what he said, his eyes lit up.

He looked at the old monkey demon with undisguised approval in his gaze.

The old monkey demon realized he had made the right move.

As for the other demons, there were about forty or fifty more scattered around.

From what Jiang Lin knew, there were roughly over a hundred demons who had achieved a humanoid form in White Tiger Ridge, so nearly half had shown up tonight.

The fact that these seven demons managed to bring so many others exceeded his expectations.

Knowing that this group of demons was simple-minded, Jiang Lin decided to skip the formalities he had initially planned and got straight to the point:

“I’ve called you all here tonight to announce something.”

The demons quieted down.

With a hint of demon power in his voice, Jiang Lin spoke clearly, ensuring every demon could hear: “I, Bai Gu, from this day forward, am the lord of White Tiger Ridge.”

This proclamation wasn’t just heard by the forty-odd demons present; it also reached the ears of those elsewhere in White Tiger Ridge who hadn’t come.

Some of those who didn’t come simply didn’t know they were supposed to, while others were too proud to bow to the White Bone Spirit.

Jiang Lin didn’t care about their reasons. After making his declaration, he looked at the demons present. “If anyone has any objections, step forward.”

The crow demon foolishly asked, “Step forward for what?”

Jiang Lin, smiling sweetly, replied, “Of course, it’s to fight. Whoever wins, we listen to them.”

The demons: “…”

“We have no objections!” they shouted in unison.

Jiang Lin was satisfied. “Good.”

“Now,” he continued, “tell me what you all like—whether it’s food, useful items, or beautiful things.”

The demons: “?”

The pheasant demon didn’t understand. “Why ask that?”

Jiang Lin explained, “As the lord of White Tiger Ridge, it’s my duty to ensure that the inhabitants of this land live better lives. So, I need to understand you all.”

He thought he was saying something quite ordinary.

But the demons were bewildered.

A lord—wasn’t that just the king? Didn’t the king only need to make demands?

The king just needed to say what he wanted, and it was the duty of the little demons to find it and fulfill the king’s wishes.

But the king actually said he wanted them to live better lives?

The demons stared at Jiang Lin in confusion.

They didn’t know what warmth and gratitude felt like; they only felt a strange warmth in their chests.

The cat demon, who had already become a fangirl after one meal, was the first to excitedly speak up: “I like the chicken soup that the king makes!”

Jiang Lin wasn’t surprised and asked gently, “Anything else?”

“And…” The cat demon furrowed her brow, thinking hard.

Jiang Lin wasn’t in a hurry and prompted, “Is there anything that usually troubles you? Tell me, and maybe I can help solve it.”

The cat demon wrinkled her face in thought, then suddenly said, “I wish it wouldn’t rain, and I wish it wouldn’t snow!”

Jiang Lin: ?

The cat demon explained, “Whenever it rains, my fur gets all wet and uncomfortable. Snow is even worse—it’s very cold, and I get hungry easily, and all the prey in the mountains hide away, making them hard to find.”

Hearing this, several bird demons chimed in: “Yes, yes, when it rains, our nests get wet, and when there are strong winds, they sometimes blow our nests away.”

“And lightning is the scariest. Every time it strikes, I hide and don’t dare move.”

“…”