Ch 9: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

It seemed like there was nothing wrong with his reasoning.

But…

The system was a bit conflicted. “Isn’t the most exciting part of this world centered around Sun Wukong and the Journey to the West? If you stay here in White Tiger Ridge, won’t it be really boring?”

“Boring?”

Jiang Lin shook his head. “How could it be boring?”

He had already had enough of those heart-pounding, life-and-death days, constantly being chased by zombies without a moment to catch his breath.

“Now, I have a peaceful and stable place, even if it’s a bit poor. But it’s rich in resources and inhabited by simple, hardworking natives. I can enjoy the process of building this place from scratch while peacefully cultivating and growing stronger. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

The system wanted to say more, but Jiang Lin suddenly interjected, “System, you reconstituted my soul and signed a contract with me, allowing me to cultivate again and experience different worlds. At first glance, it seems like I’m getting all the benefits. But I know you’re not doing this out of charity, right?”

He confidently stated, “I’m doing these tasks—or rather, completing the tasks you mentioned—because you must also be gaining something or achieving some goal, isn’t that so?”

The system quickly admitted, “Yes.”

“Since this is a transaction,” Jiang Lin continued, “my responsibility is simply to complete the tasks. As for the process, we can discuss it, but I hope you won’t interfere with my approach.”

The system realized that although this host always appeared gentle and harmless with a constant smile, deep down, he was quite determined.

After a moment of thought, the system asked, “Can you guarantee that you’ll complete the tasks?”

Jiang Lin countered, “Can you guarantee that following your plan of sticking close to someone powerful will ensure the tasks are completed?”

The system hesitated. “No, I can’t.”

“Exactly,” Jiang Lin replied. “Even while doing these tasks, I prefer to live life my way. I’ll do my best to avoid risks and steer clear of the original fate of this body.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Lin felt a sudden clarity in his mind. At the same time, an overwhelming surge of wood-element spiritual energy rushed toward him.

Jiang Lin: ?

He was taken aback, realizing that the Nine Spirits Technique was automatically circulating within him, and the pothos vine on the cave wall was happily swaying.

Had he just achieved a breakthrough?

Without time to ponder further, Jiang Lin closed his eyes and immersed himself in cultivation.

The system, watching the scene with mixed emotions, eventually muttered quietly, “Alright, I’ll trust that your judgment is better than mine. I’ll stop interfering.”

The next morning, Jiang Lin opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and bright.

It turned out that his spontaneous words the day before had unintentionally led to a significant advancement in his cultivation, bringing him to the peak of the first layer of the Nine Spirits Technique.

As he sat cross-legged in the cave, he could distinctly sense a heightened awareness of the wood-element spiritual energy around him and a deeper understanding of plants and vegetation.

But the biggest surprise was still yet to come.

“Master!” a crisp child’s voice rang out beside him.

Jiang Lin was startled and turned his head.

The pothos vines covering the walls of the cave rustled, and small white flowers began blooming in perfect sync.

“Qingluo?” Jiang Lin asked in surprise, looking at the plant. “Is that you speaking?”

The vines swayed even more vigorously, and the clear child’s voice responded, “Yes, it’s Qingluo. Qingluo can talk now!”

A wave of information flowed into Jiang Lin’s mind.

His spiritual plant, Qingluo, was deeply connected to him. With Jiang Lin’s breakthrough, Qingluo also gained significant benefits.

She had already developed intelligence beyond that of an ordinary plant, and this time, she made a qualitative leap, stepping into the ranks of demon cultivation.

Given time, she might even be able to take on a physical form and cultivate on her own.

As a symbiotic entity with her master, Qingluo’s ability to cultivate independently would also benefit Jiang Lin.

“Congratulations, Qingluo,” Jiang Lin said with a smile.

Qingluo happily swayed her vines.

Jiang Lin sensed someone approaching the cave entrance and said, “You stay here and focus on your cultivation. I’m going out for a bit.”

Qingluo replied, “Yes, Master.”

When Jiang Lin walked out of the cave, he found that all the demons had arrived.

Some, like the impatient cat demon, had even brought their game along.

Jiang Lin looked at the mountain pheasant she was holding: “…”

Fortunately, the cat demon remembered Jiang Lin’s casual remark about freshly slaughtered game being better, so the pheasants were still clucking.

The old monkey demon, being a bit more thoughtful, had brought along some fruits with the help of a few of his kin to offer to Jiang Lin.

However, the fruits from White Tiger Ridge…

Probably because they were wild and uncultivated, not only did they look unappealing, but their taste left much to be desired.

Jiang Lin accepted them and set them aside without any intention of eating them.

He counted the demons present and found that all those who had come the previous night were here again, along with some who hadn’t heard about the meeting earlier. Today, they had also shown up.

The newcomers were mostly demons with forms like rabbits, goats, and foxes.

This was pretty much what Jiang Lin had expected.

Demons whose original forms were herbivores or weaker animals usually had more docile personalities after transforming.

On the other hand, demons like pythons or leopards, whose original forms were predators, tended to be stronger and more difficult to manage after transforming.

Jiang Lin knew that those demons were still watching and waiting to see what he would do next.

He smiled slightly: If they want to watch, let them watch.

Jiang Lin had already chosen the location for the house, in a valley at the center of White Tiger Ridge.

The valley had a water source outside and a waterfall at the back, with a spacious plain inside and a peaceful, picturesque landscape.

After selecting the site, he began directing the demons to work.

This was when the benefits of having demon workers became apparent—they had great strength, endurance, and could use magic.

Chopping trees, cutting planks, laying the foundation…

In less than an hour, the outline of the house had taken shape.

Jiang Lin taught them how to furnish the house. He wasn’t one for fancy aesthetics, so everything was kept simple.

In the bedroom, there was just a bed and a table.

The bed was covered with thick, warm animal skins, and the floor was paved with smooth bluestone.

The other rooms were even simpler. The windows were installed, and the most basic furniture—tables and chairs—were placed inside.

Despite the simplicity, the chairs with backs sparked curiosity among the demons.

Normally, these demons would sit in any manner, even rolling on the ground, but now they were curiously sitting properly in the chairs.

The only part that could be considered beautiful was the courtyard.

The fence was made from shrubs that the pheasant demon and her companions had gathered, complete with roots and fresh green leaves. They were neatly planted in the ground.

For added beauty, the pheasant demon had specifically found some vines with brightly colored flowers in the valley and entwined them around the fence.

The tree in the courtyard was one Jiang Lin had found at the back of the valley. It was an over 800-year-old ancient cloud-crowned tree that hadn’t encountered any opportunities to become a spirit, but Jiang Lin thought it looked lush and pleasing, so he transplanted it into the courtyard.

As he planned to cultivate there daily, Jiang Lin figured that the tree, being exposed to the natural spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, might also gain a bit of fortune in the future.