Ch 15: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

At this moment, Jiang Lin sat in the spacious courtyard, with a table in front of him filled with exquisite dishes specially prepared by the Supervision Department, knowing he wanted to try human cuisine. Beside him, on a small side table, was a redwood box containing the 1,200 taels of silver he had received in exchange for the wild ginseng.

The person who delivered these items to Jiang Lin was very respectful and promised that before nightfall, a new guide would be arranged for him.

Jiang Lin wasn’t particularly concerned about the guide. Instead, he focused on the food on the table. Although this Dasheng Dynasty hadn’t appeared in known history, its level of development was comparable to the Tang Dynasty, which Jiang Lin was familiar with.

The main dish was a kind of flatbread, crispy on the outside and sprinkled with sesame seeds, with a dipping sauce on the side. The dishes included chicken, duck, and fish, mostly prepared by stewing. Interestingly, there were two fish dishes—one was a soup, and the other was raw fish slices.

There weren’t many varieties of vegetables. Based on his earlier observations of street vendors, it seemed that some of the vegetables common in later times, like napa cabbage and bok choy, had yet to appear.

The food tasted good, and what pleased Jiang Lin the most was that he could detect seasonings like Sichuan peppercorn and black pepper in the dishes.

As Jiang Lin slowly savored the flavors of this world’s food, people inside the Supervision Department were discussing who should be assigned as Jiang Lin’s guide for the month.

Green-Clad, one of the few demons in the Huaiyang Supervision Department, believed that someone with a high enough status should be sent to avoid offending Jiang Lin easily. However, not everyone could swallow their pride.

Take Chen Yu, for example.

His arrogance wasn’t without reason. The Chongyu Monastery, a prominent Taoist establishment, was based in Huaiyang City, and Chen Yu was the nephew of the current head of the monastery. He had a high status and exceptional talent, and he was usually treated with great respect. The humiliation he suffered at Jiang Lin’s hands was something he couldn’t easily forget.

But direct revenge was out of the question. This demon from “White Tiger Ridge” was too powerful. If it weren’t for that, the Supervision Department would never have tolerated Jiang Lin’s arrogance.

Listening to the Supervision Department discuss who to assign as Jiang Lin’s guide, Chen Yu’s eyes flickered as he suddenly came up with an idea.

“Isn’t Mr. Jiang a great demon? I happen to have the perfect candidate for him…”

As night fell and the lights began to shine, there was a knock on the gate of Jiang Lin’s temporary residence.

Opening the door, Jiang Lin saw the middle-aged Taoist from earlier, smiling broadly. “Mr. Jiang, since you belong to the demon clan, we in the Supervision Department have thought it over and found you a guide of your own kind.”

He stepped aside to reveal a figure hidden in the evening shadows.

Jiang Lin looked and was taken aback.

It was a child?

The child was dressed in black robes, with features so beautiful they seemed unreal, though his jet-black eyes were dark and filled with a heavy air of hostility. Despite this, the child’s transformation was thorough, and aside from the two small, delicate black horns on his forehead, he looked rather cute.

Jiang Lin couldn’t tell what kind of demon the child was.

Before Jiang Lin could speak, the child spoke first:

“Is this the so-called great demon?”

His voice was clear and pleasant, but the words that followed were not as pleasant:

“Not bad, definitely better than those useless people at the Supervision Department.”

The middle-aged Taoist: “…”

He seemed quite angry but could only swallow his words, unable to express his anger.

He addressed the black-clad boy, “Master Zong, haven’t you always wanted to meet another great demon? Now that Mr. Jiang is here in Huaiyang City, staying for a month, you can get to know him better.”

Turning to Jiang Lin, the Taoist added, “Mr. Jiang, we’re concerned that you might not be accustomed to human ways. Master Zong here is the most powerful demon in Huaiyang City. During this month, you two can get to know each other and explore the city together.”

Jiang Lin frowned, about to refuse, but the black-clad boy who was called “Master Zong” was already looking displeased.

“Who’s your ‘great demon’ in Huaiyang City? I’m only staying here because there’s a cook who makes good mutton soup. Don’t flatter yourselves.”

The middle-aged Taoist quickly conceded, “Yes, yes, my words were inappropriate.”

Jiang Lin, seeing this interaction, grew curious. Initially, he thought the boy seemed troublesome and was prepared to refuse, but the Taoist’s overly respectful demeanor made him more intrigued about the child.

As both sides eased up, the Taoist, relieved, quickly took his leave without waiting for Jiang Lin to speak.

Jiang Lin watched the man leave as if he were escaping a disaster and knew that this fear wasn’t because of him.

He looked at the black-clad boy and thought: What could this child have done to make people so afraid of him?

Sensing Jiang Lin’s gaze, the boy puffed up his cheeks. “What are you staring at? Keep it up, and I’ll gouge out your eyes!”

Though his words were fierce, paired with his puffy, dumpling-like face, they lacked any real menace.

Jiang Lin couldn’t help but chuckle.

The black-clad boy: “?”

Suddenly, without any warning, the boy threw a punch at Jiang Lin.

The boy’s fist was small and pale, seemingly harmless.

However, Jiang Lin, mindful of the Taoist’s earlier words and having learned not to judge by appearances during his years surviving in the apocalypse, didn’t take it lightly.

He was soon glad for his caution—when he met the boy’s punch, it felt like being hit by a small, oncoming mountain.

Jiang Lin looked at the boy in surprise. Generally, when demons reach adulthood, they take on an adult form to maximize their power. This boy seemed no older than six or seven, and didn’t mind being called “Master Zong,” indicating he wasn’t yet fully grown.

What kind of bloodline could give a child such terrifying strength?

But while Jiang Lin was astonished, the black-clad boy was equally surprised that Jiang Lin had managed to take his punch without harm.

He reassessed Jiang Lin and, after a moment, reluctantly nodded, “That damn Taoist didn’t lie to me this time; you’re not bad.”

As he said this, his gaze fell on the dishes on the nearby table, and his eyes lit up. “You’re eating?”

Without waiting for a response, he walked straight to the table.

Jiang Lin: “?”

Jiang Lin was baffled by the boy’s seemingly illogical behavior. Was this really just a child?

He followed and saw the boy, upon inspecting the food on the table, make a face of disdain. “These things again? This must be from the Supervision Department, right?”

After saying that, the boy sat down in a chair with a listless expression and said nothing more.

Jiang Lin, recalling the boy’s earlier conversation with the Taoist, tentatively asked, “You don’t like any of this?”

The boy glanced at him and replied, “I’ve been eating this stuff for years; I’m sick of it.”

Jiang Lin couldn’t help but ask, “How old are you?”

The black-clad boy was momentarily stunned, giving Jiang Lin a puzzled look. Considering Jiang Lin somewhat agreeable, he finally replied, “I don’t know.”

xxx

Thandar: dear readers, do you like it so far? Then can you give this novel a rating on NU? 🥹🙏