Ch 36: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Jiang Lin had already known that Yan Chixia was coming. Although A-yu was straightforward, she wasn’t foolish. The moment Yan Chixia arrived on the first day, she had sent a message to Jiang Lin. Throughout Yan Chixia’s stay in Qing Shui County, Jiang Lin kept an eye on his movements.

Fortunately, Yan Chixia was only observing and hadn’t done anything out of line. Otherwise, if he had dared to make a wrong move… Jiang Lin assured himself that Kunlun would never see a complete Yan Chixia again.

Though the Lord of Black Mountain had changed his appearance, seeming gentle and kind, it was merely because no one had touched his reverse scale.

This period was enough for Yan Chixia to realize that Black Mountain was different from its notorious reputation, and it was also enough for Jiang Lin to see that Yan Chixia was indeed a straightforward and righteous man.

Hearing Yan Chixia’s formal request for an audience, Jiang Lin’s eyes flashed with a bit of surprise. After a moment of thought, he said, “Since Yan Chixia is being so courteous, we at Black Mountain should not be impolite. Huaiyin, go and greet our guest.”

Huaiyin was silent.

Suddenly, she recalled when she had come to Black Mountain to pay her respects a long time ago. Who was it that received her back then? Oh, it was two puppet children.

Wasn’t she a well-known great demon? Hadn’t she been polite when she came? Didn’t she deserve a bit of respect and grandeur?

Huaiyin silently looked at her current master.

There was a certain degree of mental connection between a spirit plant and its contractor. Moreover, Huaiyin didn’t even try to hide her feelings of bitterness.

Receiving this sour emotion, Jiang Lin glanced at Huaiyin with a faint smile. “Feeling dissatisfied?”

Huaiyin thought it over. She had seen very clearly in recent times that she was now Jiang Lin’s spirit plant. Her life and death were in his hands. Besides, it was evident that Jiang Lin, in most cases, was a very good-natured master.

Seeing how he spoiled Qingluo made that clear.

She didn’t dare to compare herself to Qingluo, but such a question didn’t seem necessary to avoid.

Her thoughts were correct; Jiang Lin wouldn’t get angry over this. In fact, he was pleased that Huaiyin was speaking her mind. Now that she was his spirit plant and would follow him for a long time, it wouldn’t be good for her to keep everything bottled up.

Facing Huaiyin’s confusion, Jiang Lin glanced at her and said, “He came here to visit in an upright manner, with genuine respect. And you, Tree Demon Elder, when you came to Black Mountain to find me, didn’t you have any idea what your intentions were?”

Huaiyin was silent.

At that time, she was being hunted by an old enemy, seriously injured, and came to Black Mountain seeking to use its Lord as a refuge.

Jiang Lin looked at her calmly and said, “Don’t take others for fools, Huaiyin. If I hadn’t thought you might be of some use and had my own intentions to use you, do you think you would have been able to stay here so peacefully?”

Huaiyin’s expression stiffened.

She was cunning and suspicious by nature, but her best quality was understanding her position and knowing her limits. When faced with someone stronger than herself, she never foolishly tried to challenge them.

Jiang Lin was stronger than her and was her master, who held her life in his hands. Although his words were rather blunt, Huaiyin didn’t dare to say anything further. She obediently tidied her robe and went to greet the guest.

She didn’t feel particularly disgraced, but Yan Chixia, upon seeing such a cold and beautiful woman with cloud-like hair and flowers in her temples come to greet him, was momentarily stunned.

Before he could marvel at why such a beauty had such a cold expression, he was taken aback by the powerful aura of a great demon emanating from Huaiyin.

Having been humbled by Jiang Lin, Huaiyin naturally didn’t show any kindness to Yan Chixia. She wanted to teach this rude Daoist a lesson, so she deliberately displayed her strength, intending to give him a good scare.

Sure enough, Yan Chixia was momentarily overawed. But as he carefully observed her, he sensed the heavy burden of karmic sins weighing upon her.

Startled, he stopped in his tracks and asked, “And who might you be?”

In a cold voice, Huaiyin replied, “I am the Tree Demon Elder under the Lord of Black Mountain.”

Tree Demon Elder!

The name “Tree Demon Elder” was indeed as famous as thunder. The tree demon of Lanruo Temple had been entrenched there for many years, commanding all kinds of demons and ghosts to commit heinous acts. The Kunlun sect had even sent disciples to exterminate her, but unfortunately, this tree demon was cunning and powerful, and Kunlun’s efforts had failed multiple times.

In the eyes of the righteous path of the Xuanmen, the infamous Tree Demon Elder was even more troublesome than the reclusive Black Mountain Demon.

But now?

Why was the Tree Demon Elder of Lanruo Temple appearing in Black Mountain? And why did she respect Black Mountain as her master?

Thoughts raced through Yan Chixia’s mind, and he couldn’t help but think of the girls in the Black Mountain specialty shop in Qing Shui County. So that’s how it is! He had been puzzled about why Black Mountain had so many extraordinarily beautiful yet relatively weak female demons and ghosts. If they were from Lanruo Temple, it all made sense.

He wondered when the Tree Demon Elder of Lanruo Temple had been subdued by the Lord of Black Mountain. The sect leaders probably didn’t know about this yet.

Instinctively, he wanted to send a message back to his sect, but with Huaiyin right beside him, and being on Black Mountain’s territory, it clearly wasn’t convenient. Moreover, based on the fortune he observed in Black Mountain, this Lord of Black Mountain didn’t seem to be a great villain after all.

Considering what A-yu had said and the situation at the Black Mountain shops, an idea suddenly popped into Yan Chixia’s mind that he found unbelievable: Could it be that the Lord of Black Mountain had subdued the demons and ghosts of Lanruo Temple and reformed them?

With his mind swirling with thoughts, Yan Chixia appeared somewhat distracted.

Huaiyin watched him coldly and couldn’t help but ask, “You’re a Kunlun Daoist, aren’t you? What is Qingyangzi to you?”

Yan Chixia snapped back to reality and replied, “Qingyangzi is my martial uncle.”

Huaiyin snorted, “That stinking Daoist, two hundred years ago, was about your age, wasn’t he? He came to Lanruo Temple, brandishing a sword, claiming he would enforce justice on behalf of the heavens. So, is he dead now?”

Yan Chixia’s expression changed, and he angrily retorted, “My martial uncle is still very much alive; there’s no need for you to worry about him!”

“Oh—” Huaiyin drawled slowly, “So he’s an old man now, huh? It seems even if he isn’t dead, he’s not far from it.”

Yan Chixia: “…”

He glared coldly at Huaiyin, who was waiting for him to lose his temper, hoping it would give her a reason to teach this youngster a lesson.

But to her surprise, Yan Chixia suddenly calmed down and fell silent.

Huaiyin gave him a puzzled look and then sneered, “Little Daoist, why aren’t you speaking?”

Yan Chixia responded, “You’re trying to provoke me.”

He spoke calmly, “You’re stronger than me, and you have a grudge against my sect. You’re also not a kind person and haven’t hidden your hostility toward me. Normally, you could attack me directly, but you haven’t. This means there’s a reason you can’t.”

Huaiyin’s expression darkened.

Yan Chixia continued with a calm demeanor, “This is Black Mountain, and the only one who could restrain you here is likely the elder of Black Mountain. I guess he has ordered you not to harm anyone, right?”

Caught off guard by his accurate guess, Huaiyin’s face grew stern.

She looked at Yan Chixia coldly, her eyes filled with killing intent.

Yan Chixia remained outwardly calm, but secretly, his hand behind his back was tightly gripping a talisman.

But as Huaiyin’s expression changed several times, she ultimately did not make a move. She turned away with a flick of her sleeve and said, “You’re smarter than your martial uncle.” With that, she quickened her pace and stopped looking at him.

Yan Chixia quietly exhaled a sigh of relief and tucked the talisman he had been gripping back into his pocket.

He thought to himself: “This locust tree demon, despite her formidable aura, didn’t attack me, which means the Black Mountain demon’s control over her is even greater than I imagined.”

His curiosity about Jiang Lin grew even stronger: to be able to keep such a fierce demon in check, just what kind of person is this old Black Mountain demon?

Following Huaiyin, he walked into Black Mountain and didn’t go far before he saw two pretty girls carrying baskets.

When the two pretty girls saw Huaiyin, their expressions changed slightly but quickly returned to normal as they greeted her, “Sister Huaiyin.”

Huaiyin, in a bad mood, sharply rebuked them, “Since you’ve been following the master, your courage has grown, huh? Can’t even call me Elder anymore?”

The girl on the left flinched, but the one on the right, dressed in blue, remained calm and said, “It was the master who told us to call you that, saying that with Sister Huaiyin being so young and beautiful, calling you ‘Elder’ would be like calling you old for no reason.”

“Again with the master!” Huaiyin was exasperated.

If Jiang Lin were just a powerful enemy, she could still fight him with all her might, but Jiang Lin was not only powerful—he was also her soul’s master.

With a single thought, he could end her life. Huaiyin felt stifled but had no choice but to endure it. How infuriating!

She changed the subject, “What are you two doing?”

The blue-clad girl replied, “The master said there would be a guest today, so we’re picking some fresh fruit.”

Hearing about the guest, she curiously glanced at Yan Chixia and asked, “Is this Daoist priest the guest?”

With the conversation suddenly shifting to him, and with these two picking fruit for him, Yan Chixia bowed slightly and said, “Thank you, ladies, for your trouble.”

The blue-clad girl giggled and said, “No need to thank us; if you’re going to thank someone, thank the master. I’m not picking fruit for you.”

The quiet, delicate girl also nodded and added, “Yes, being personally asked by the master to pick fruit is truly delightful.”

They both seemed to be completely infatuated with the master.

Yan Chixia: “…” He was now even more curious about the Black Mountain demon.

After bidding farewell to the two girls, Yan Chixia continued following Huaiyin. When they reached a grove, Huaiyin suddenly stopped, her expression turning strange.

Then she changed direction, avoiding the grove, and said with disinterest, “The master is just ahead; you can go meet him yourself.”

With that, she leaned against a tree, clearly not wanting to go any further.

It was the first time Yan Chixia had encountered such an odd guide. Feeling both puzzled and curious, he bypassed the grove and was immediately struck by the sight before him.

He had expected to see at least a modest, mysterious courtyard, if not a grand hall. But instead, what lay before him was… a large expanse of farmland?

The farmland was beautifully arranged, with neat, tidy plots, surrounded by various small flowers. The crops in the fields were lush and thriving, clearly growing very well.

If this were an ordinary farm, it might be considered a pleasing sight. But this is the domain of a demon! No matter how you look at it, it seems quite strange, doesn’t it?

Yan Chixia walked a bit further and saw two figures ahead.

On the ridge between the fields stood two people. One of them, dressed in black, had his back turned to Yan Chixia and was crouched down, intently examining something on the ground. Beside him crouched a young girl, speaking excitedly.

As Yan Chixia approached, he heard:

“…Sir, this new Youlan Qiluo I cultivated has an exceptionally fine quality. Smell this fragrance—it’s delicate and elegant. When I turn it into incense, it’ll be the perfect scent for you!”

Yan Chixia: ??? Sir?

If he wasn’t mistaken, the “Sir” that these demons from Black Mountain referred to was the master of Black Mountain.

The title “Black Mountain Old Demon” was what people from the taoist world used to call him.

But now, whatever the title, how could the lord of Black Mountain, a powerful demon, be squatting so unceremoniously in a field?

Yan Chixia couldn’t help but move closer, and he heard the black-clad man speak. It was a young, pleasant male voice:

“Well done, Hongxiu. I reviewed the accounts today, and your perfume shop had the best performance last month.”

Hongxiu proudly responded, “Of course! Women’s money is the easiest to make. Those ladies and young misses can’t wait to send someone to my shop three times a day, asking when the next new product will come out.”

She then added, a bit shyly, “You mentioned that whoever’s shop performs the best each month not only gets a larger share of the profits but also gets to make a wish that you’ll try to fulfill.”

Jiang Lin nodded, “That’s correct.”

Hongxiu’s eyes lit up, “Then, Sir, may I serve you personally?”

Jiang Lin: “…”

Afraid of being misunderstood, Hongxiu quickly added, “I know you’re not interested in women, Sir, and I don’t mean anything by it. I just admire you and want to be closer to you.”

Jiang Lin was surprised. He couldn’t understand why these girls seemed to like him so much.

Just as he was about to think of a proper reason to refuse, a disdainful voice came from above:

“Jiang Lin does everything himself; what would he need you to serve him for?”

Yan Chixia was startled. He hadn’t even noticed there was a third person present. Looking up at the young man dressed in black sitting in the tree, he was shocked—just how many powerful figures are there in Black Mountain?

However, no one paid him any attention.

Hongxiu looked up in surprise and said awkwardly, “Lord Zong, what brings you here?”

Zong Yu, who had somehow appeared in the tree, lazily replied, “You all have your eyes on my chef. Don’t you think I need to keep a close watch?”

Hongxiu’s expression shifted, seemingly a bit frustrated, “Sir already has so many responsibilities managing Black Mountain. You should be more considerate, Lord Zong.”

He even expects Sir to cook for him every day.

Even the little ghosts like us can’t stand it!

Zong Yu, unbothered by her outburst, merely glanced at Jiang Lin with a boastful tone, “But this is a promise your Sir made himself. He enjoys cooking for me, and you can’t do anything about it.”

Seeing that Jiang Lin didn’t respond, Zong Yu jumped down from the tree, stood before him, and urged, “Isn’t that right, Jiang Lin?”

Jiang Lin stood up, helplessly replying, “Yes, yes, I do it willingly.”

Zong Yu lifted his chin, casting a smug glance at Hongxiu.

Hongxiu: “…” It’s infuriating that I can’t beat this man!

Yan Chixia: “…”

Yan Chixia coughed and walked closer.

The black-robed man finally turned around.

Just as Yan Chixia was about to bow in greeting, he suddenly froze.

This Lord of Black Mountain… looked nothing like what he had imagined.

He was dressed in a simple, unadorned black robe. The dark color didn’t make him appear gloomy; instead, it accentuated his jade-like skin and exquisitely handsome features.

His gaze was gentle and calm, and his demeanor was serene and peaceful, like a mountain breeze or a forest spring—refreshing and transcendent.

If Yan Chixia hadn’t known his identity, he would never have associated this man with the infamous, sinister, and lecherous Lord of Black Mountain from the rumors.

In fact, seeing him in person made it even harder to connect the two.

Whoever spread such false rumors must have been utterly blind!

Jiang Lin also took a moment to appraise the young prodigy from the Daoist sect. Yan Chixia was exactly as he had imagined—sharp-featured with a righteous air, his entire being like an unsheathed sword, with an unrestrained aura of strength.

Jiang Lin chuckled softly, “Yan Chixia?”

Yan Chixia snapped out of his thoughts, composed himself, and respectfully bowed, “Yan Chixia of Kunlun, at your service, Lord of Black Mountain.”

Jiang Lin casually replied, “My common name is Jiang. They all call me ‘Sir,’ so you may call me Mr. Jiang.”

Yan Chixia thought that the elegant title of “Sir” suited him well.

He followed suit, “Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Lin nodded, and as he began walking forward, he said, “I promised the girls I would come to see their progress today. My hospitality may be lacking, so I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Yan Chixia had no objections. In fact, he was quite curious about the “girls’” progress, so he followed Jiang Lin to see for himself.

Then, he fell silent.

He had assumed that “seeing the girls’ progress” would involve assessing their combat skills or something similar. Instead, he found himself accompanying Jiang Lin as they inspected field after field, listening to him critique who had done well and where improvements were needed.

By the end, Yan Chixia was utterly bewildered.

He even began to suspect that he had stumbled into an illusion, and everything he saw was merely an illusion.

Otherwise, why would he be seeing demons farming across the entire mountain?

Finally, Jiang Lin stopped at the most spiritually rich area.

There was a simple little courtyard there, protected by an array that obscured the view inside.

Yan Chixia perked up, thinking that this place, with its abundant spiritual energy and faint glimmers of light, might finally show him something different.

Indeed, Jiang Lin called out, “Huaiyin.”

Yan Chixia remembered that the tree demon elder was called by that name.

The next moment, the courtyard gate creaked open.

Yan Chixia was dumbfounded as he saw a beautiful woman, her hair completely tied up, wearing no makeup, and dressed in a simple work outfit, emerge from inside.

When she saw him, the woman froze as well, and then her face turned bright red.

From anger.

This beauty was, of course, the tree demon elder.

She clearly hadn’t expected Yan Chixia to follow along, and she was dressed in her usual work clothes.

Yan Chixia hadn’t anticipated that the tree demon elder, who had been adorned in luxurious garments and elegant hairstyles just a short while ago, would now appear as a simple mountain farmer.

Are the demons of Black Mountain always this unpredictable?

He had no idea that ever since Huaiyin realized that Jiang Lin had no interest in her or any other beauty, she had stopped bothering to dress up in front of him. No matter how beautiful a woman might be, it’s pointless if the person can’t appreciate it—like showing a blind person something exquisite.

Unlike the other young women who harbored admiration and affection for Jiang Lin, Huaiyin had no such thoughts. Those luxurious and beautiful embroidered long skirts were a hassle when working in the fields, so she preferred wearing a simple short jacket and going barefoot.

Huaiyin felt utterly embarrassed, especially in front of this junior Daoist.

Gritting her teeth, she forced out each word with difficulty, “What does Sir require of me?”

Jiang Lin, sensing her anger, blinked innocently, “Today is the day to check the herb fields. Did you forget?”

Huaiyin’s expression remained stony, “Oh, please follow me.”

She seemed to have resigned herself to the situation.

Yan Chixia finally understood where all those high-quality medicinal herbs in the specialty shops of Qing County came from. This Black Mountain kept surprising him time and time again.

As they were about to leave the small courtyard, Jiang Lin suddenly stopped and turned back to the sullen Huaiyin, seriously saying:

“Huaiyin, you look good dressed like this too.”

Huaiyin was taken aback, and her expression slowly softened.

She sighed, “Sir, if you had a mind to, no woman could escape you.”

Jiang Lin shook his head, walking lightly ahead, “Someone like me is destined to wander. It’s better not to break any hearts.”

Jiang Lin invited Yan Chixia to stay for a meal. The dishes were plentiful, prepared by Hongxiu.

This young woman was already an excellent cook, and out of concern for Jiang Lin, she had even put in the effort to learn many new recipes, hoping that Zong Yu would fall in love with her cooking so that Jiang Lin could be freed from the kitchen.

Unfortunately, this goal was destined to be unmet.

After the meal, Yan Chixia asked Jiang Lin if he could stay on Black Mountain for a few days.

It was clear that he had many questions and wanted to stay longer to observe.

Jiang Lin understood his intentions and didn’t mind, only mentioning that the houses on Black Mountain were built by the girls themselves with hired craftsmen, so there were no extra places for him to stay, and he’d have to figure it out himself.

Yan Chixia: “…I can build one myself.”

And so, he spent a day chopping wood with the demon-slaying sword he carried, constructing a small, sturdy, albeit not very aesthetically pleasing, wooden hut.

He ended up staying for more than half a month.

During this time, he observed the women of Black Mountain going about their daily work like ordinary farm girls, tending to the fields and taking turns at the shops in Qing County.

He watched them gather during their breaks, chattering about which shop had the most delicate embroidery, which jeweler offered the best value, and occasionally lamenting why Sir didn’t need a personal maid.

The women weren’t shy around him either.

Jiang Lin had hinted earlier that no one could stay on Black Mountain without contributing.

With this understanding, the women naturally didn’t let such a great labor resource go to waste, making him fetch water, fertilize crops, and deliver goods without the slightest guilt.

Yan Chixia, being quite carefree himself, found that after a while, he actually enjoyed this peaceful and pleasant life on Black Mountain.

One evening, as the day was drawing to a close, Yan Chixia returned to his hut after spending the day weeding and pest-controlling Huaiyin’s herb fields.

He wrote a letter to his master:

“Master, after staying on Black Mountain for half a month, I realize that we have greatly misunderstood Black Mountain and its master. The Lord of Black Mountain is a person of great wisdom and virtue…”

He filled several sheets with praises for Black Mountain.

Using a secret method, this letter appeared on the desk of the Kunlun Sect leader within half an hour.

Worried about his disciple, the Kunlun Sect leader eagerly opened the letter…

Only to be greeted with a full page of glowing praise. His mind was filled with questions: ???

Confused, the Kunlun Sect leader passed the letter to a few of his senior brothers, the elders of Kunlun. Hesitantly, he asked, “Take a look. Do you think Yan Chixia is trying to hint at something?”

After reading the letter, the elders were equally perplexed.

The irritable old man Qingyangzi, suspicious, said, “Did our junior nephew really write this? Never mind the rest, but claiming that the tree demon elder is farming on Black Mountain? Hah! What utter nonsense!”