Ch 99: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

A few days after Zi Shou’s birthday, it was Jiang Lin’s birthday. Thanks to Zong Yu’s reminder, the other demons realized they had overlooked their master’s special day. They discussed it among themselves and decided to buy some interesting little trinkets as gifts for Jiang Lin and also prepared a large, sumptuous meal to celebrate his birthday.

After a lively family dinner, Zong Yu eagerly used a spell to clear away the leftovers. Jiang Lin noticed this and smiled, “Are you about to bring out your gift?”

Over the past few days, Zong Yu had been restless, frequently hinting that he had prepared a special gift, piquing everyone’s curiosity.

“Ahem,” Zong Yu cleared his throat, “Just so you know, aside from farming, I haven’t noticed any other obvious hobbies of yours, so the gift might not suit your tastes.”

Jiang Lin thought to himself that Zong Yu was practically bursting with excitement. He chuckled and said, “Just receiving your blessing is already a fortune for me. How could I be so picky?”

Relieved, Zong Yu looked at Qingluo and Xiao Pu, who were nearby, and said, “You two, step back a bit.”

Xiao Pu, bewildered, obediently pulled Qingluo’s hand and took a few steps back.

Jiang Lin couldn’t help but laugh, “What, did you prepare something huge for me…”

His words were cut off by the sight of a dazzling display of jewels and treasures that suddenly filled half the courtyard.

The entire area was overwhelmed with treasures, jade, and artifacts, their brilliance almost blinding.

Jiang Lin turned to Zong Yu and said, “Don’t tell me you robbed the treasury of Shang?”

Zong Yu quickly shook his head, “I would never do something like that!”

Jiang Lin breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that at least Zong Yu wasn’t completely lawless.

But then Zong Yu added, “I took them from Xiqi.”

Jiang Lin: …???

“Xiqi?” He suddenly remembered sensing that Zong Yu had gone to Xiqi that day and returned to Zhaoge in less than an hour. So, it turns out he just raided their treasury?

“Yeah,” Zong Yu said proudly, “I heard you guys say that the Marquis of Xibo might oppose you. I originally wanted to pick out a treasure from there, but after picking for a while and not knowing what you’d like, I decided to just bring everything.”

Jiang Lin: …

He said, “Zong Yu, taking things without asking is stealing.”

Zong Yu reflexively replied, “So should I tell him first before going to rob him next time?”

Jiang Lin: …

Zong Yu quickly realized what he had said and added, “I was just joking, just joking.”

Jiang Lin was exasperated, “You certainly gave me a big surprise. Return these things.”

Zong Yu, worried, asked, “Out of all these, isn’t there even one thing you like?”

Jiang Lin sighed, “It’s not about whether I like them or not. These belong to someone else, and we can’t take them.”

Zong Yu hesitated and said, “But in my memory, if you liked something, you just took it. The strongest gets to keep it.”

His memories were probably still stuck in the chaotic era when the world had no order, and everything was claimed by might. But things are different now.

If it were the Zong Yu without memory loss, having traveled through so many worlds with Jiang Lin, he would have understood certain principles without needing them to be explained. But the current Xiao Zong doesn’t understand.

Jiang Lin could only say, “But this is the world of mortals. Since we are here, we must follow their rules.”

Zong Yu was quite stubborn: “But I am stronger than them all. Why should the strong follow the rules of the weak?”

“Because times have changed.”

Jiang Lin looked at him calmly. “Any civilization that wishes to endure must have order.”

“Return the items,” he said again.

Zong Yu pursed his lips, stubbornly looking at him.

Jiang Lin continued to gaze at him peacefully.

In the end, Zong Yu waved his hand, and all the treasures in the courtyard vanished.

This time, he returned in less than half an hour.

When he came back, he had a bouquet of flowers in his hand. They were small yellow flowers, unremarkable at first glance but delicate upon closer inspection.

Zong Yu, a bit embarrassed, said, “You didn’t want those things, and I didn’t have time to prepare another gift. I saw these on the way back, and I thought they looked nice.”

He handed the flowers to Jiang Lin, and remembering what Qingluo had told him, he said, “Jiang Lin, happy birthday.”

Then, quickly added, “Don’t dislike it.”

“I don’t dislike it.” Jiang Lin took the flowers and smiled, “They’re beautiful. I like them very much.”

Meanwhile, in Xiqi.

The Marquis of Xibo hadn’t slept well for several days.

A few days ago, his private treasury was suddenly robbed, and everything inside was completely cleaned out.

Such a large treasury, with so many items, couldn’t have been emptied without making any noise.

But everything had indeed disappeared without a trace!

People in power tend to overthink.

With the treasury so tightly guarded, yet still being completely looted without a sound, how could he feel safe?

Especially since just now, the steward of the treasury came to him, overjoyed, saying that all the items in the treasury had returned.

The steward was happy because with the items returned, he wouldn’t be held responsible.

But the Marquis of Xibo was even more terrified.

This was definitely a provocation! A warning!

Whoever did this wasn’t interested in wealth; they just wanted to show that if they wanted his life, they could take it just as easily!

Who could have such power?

The Marquis of Xibo recalled a vague dream he had recently, where he saw himself with supreme glory in the future.

He shuddered—could this be a warning from Zhaoge?

“What’s going on?”

Even the mighty Jade Emperor on the Nine Heavens lost his composure for a moment.

The fortune of Shang suddenly surged, and the once-clear heavenly mysteries became shrouded in mist, impossible to discern.

His gaze fell downward, and he saw the people of Shang all wearing smiles. Tiny golden lights appeared from them, converging on Zhaoge, then entering the royal palace.

As for whose body the gathered fortune in the palace was converging on, the Jade Emperor couldn’t see. However, it wasn’t difficult to find out.

“The Shang prince, Zi Shou, discovered a food called sweet potatoes, which have a yield several hundred times higher than rice. Now, sweet potatoes are planted all over Shang, and almost no one starved to death last year.”

“It’s said that the people of Shang have set up longevity plaques for Prince Zi Shou in their homes, praying for his safety and well-being.”

The common people have limited vision and modest desires. They only want to live well, eat their fill, and not go hungry.

The appearance of sweet potatoes, to them, was more effective than any earth-shattering miracle. Now, in the minds of all the Shang people, the discoverer of sweet potatoes, Zi Shou, stands taller than any of the gods they worship.

And the one who promoted the cultivation of sweet potatoes, Emperor Yi, likewise gained the people’s loyalty. The people only know that their bellies are full and are grateful to the king and the prince.

But in the eyes of the “chess players” who watch from above, this meant that the heavenly destiny had changed. Shang’s national fortune was at an unprecedented height.

If it were only this, it would be manageable. After all, Emperor Yi was considered a wise ruler, and the fortune of Shang had always been quite strong under his reign.

The greatest variable was Zi Shou, the future Emperor Xin. He was supposed to be the king who would bring about the downfall of Shang.

But now?

The fortune surrounding him was almost surpassing that of his father, the human emperor. With such a deep national fortune surrounding a member of the royal family, anyone who saw it would say it was a sign of the heavens.

Decades ago, when rain didn’t fall in Chentang Pass for three years, the relationship between Shang and Heaven became very delicate. They even reduced the annual sacrifices to once every three years.

At that time, Heaven didn’t care; in their eyes, Shang had already become a discarded pawn, destined to perish sooner or later.

And a few years ago, when Emperor Yi declared the dragon clan as the guardian deity of Shang, releasing them from the jurisdiction of Heaven, the relationship between the Shang dynasty and Heaven completely froze.

Mortals revere the human emperor, and because of the emperor’s decree, many new Dragon King temples were built throughout Shang, and many people turned to worship the dragon clan instead.

The righteous gods of Heaven received far fewer offerings.

Heaven was furious, but Shang was still the ruler of the mortal realm, and the Jade Emperor didn’t want to sever ties completely, waiting instead for a few decades until Zi Shou ruined Shang’s fortune, allowing a worthy successor to take his place.

Everything had been going according to Heaven’s plan.

But now?

Looking at the thick fortune surrounding the mere child, Zi Shou, the Jade Emperor, for the first time, felt uncertain: Would this child really become the king who brings about the downfall of his country?

In the Jade Pure Realm of Kunlun, the Saint Tongtian looked at his elder brother and smiled:

“I’ve always said, not everything can be obtained through scheming. This time, you’ve misjudged.”

The Jade Emperor lowered his eyes and said, “Until the last step, who can truly know?”

Tongtian laughed angrily and stood up: “Then let’s wait and see!”

Ever since Heaven produced that so-called Fengshen Bang (Investiture of the Gods), according to destiny, when half of his disciples were on it, Tongtian had no fondness for this so-called “heavenly fate.”

All the benefits were reaped by the Heaven, while many of his excellent disciples were destined to die, reduced to mere puppets of Heaven. Is this what they call destiny? Under the Way of Heaven, aren’t all beings supposed to be equal?

“This time, that sweet potato on earth was also brought forth by that dragon clan kid, wasn’t it?” Leaving the Jade Pure Realm, Tongtian stroked his chin and said, “If Heaven doesn’t grant me destiny, I’ll create one myself. This kid’s temperament suits me.”

By the time Zi Shou was ten years old, he had already earned a reputation for being precocious. He was intelligent, quick-witted, and also showed great talent in martial arts, which greatly pleased his teachers—except for the fact that the prince seemed excessively passionate about farming.

Zi Shou had his own palace, a vast place where the gardens were supposed to be filled with rare and exotic flowers. But in Zi Shou’s palace, it was different. He planted many edible vegetables, not even sparing the flowerpots!

Moreover, every few days, Zi Shou would take a day off. The other teachers remarked, “Don’t think we don’t know that you’re just using rest as an excuse! We know full well that you’re leaving the palace to learn farming from Mr. Jiang!”

Jiang Lin: “…”

He truly felt a bit wronged. After all, farming wasn’t something that required constant supervision; it mostly depended on one’s passion. He wasn’t taking Zi Shou to farm every day; rather, he took him around the city of Zhaoge to see firsthand how the people of Shang lived.

“Zi Shou, these are your subjects,” Jiang Lin said. “Remember, the people’s needs are simple. As a ruler, if you can ensure they live well, they will support you. And if you can make their lives comfortable, they will be your strongest allies.”

Zi Shou nodded, half-understanding. Jiang Lin gently patted his head, saying, “Remember to be a good king, Zi Shou.”

Zi Shou nodded earnestly, “I will, sir!”

“Sir!” A voice called out from a distance.

Jiang Lin looked over and saw a young, valiant-looking man who seemed somewhat familiar. He hesitated for a moment but couldn’t recall who it was.

The young man ran up to him, a bit excited, “Sir, it’s me, Nezha!”