Ch 108: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Xu Xuan vaguely sensed Jiang Lin’s intention. He quickly composed himself and said, “Miss Jiang has parents and an elder brother like you, Master Jiang. How could it be my place, an outsider, to comment on her?”

“And it is not the behavior of a gentleman to judge a young lady.”

He didn’t take the bait at all.

Only then did Jiang Lin smile.

He called a servant boy to guide Xu Xuan and said, “This mountain is vast, and the paths are complex. I’ll have this boy guide you down the mountain safely and send me word when you get home.”

Xu Xuan thanked Jiang Lin and then took out a few small pouches from his basket.

He said, “The mountains are full of insects, and this is some insect-repellent powder I mixed myself. It’s quite effective. If Master Jiang doesn’t mind, you can hang these on your body or by your bed. The scent is mild and not unpleasant.”

He seemed to remember something and added, “These pouches were embroidered by my mother during her leisure time. They’re made of ordinary blue cloth without any patterns or inscriptions, so you can use them without worry.”

Jiang Lin accepted the pouches, thinking that this scholar was indeed a thoughtful and considerate person.

The fact that Xu Xuan specifically mentioned the pouches were made of plain blue cloth was likely to avoid any concerns Jiang Lin might have about using them for his “sisters.”

He had the servant boy escort Xu Xuan down the mountain. When Jiang Lin returned to the residence, he saw two jade-like little snakes peeking around the door.

Xiao Qing was quietly muttering, “Brother Jiang Lin is so stingy. Can’t he let us stay in human form a bit longer?”

Jiang Lin flicked her on the snake’s head with his finger. “If you like being in human form, then work hard at your cultivation. Once you can transform on your own, you can stay in that form as long as you like. You should know that what you achieve through your own efforts is far more solid than relying on external forces.”

Hearing this, Bai Suzhen earnestly said, “Jiang Lin is right. I need to work hard on my cultivation. Right now, I can only give my benefactor some small gifts from the mountains, but once I can transform, I can give him even better things.”

Jiang Lin was momentarily taken aback by her words.

He looked at the little white snake on the ground but couldn’t bring himself to say that no matter how good her talent was, her age and cultivation level were still limited. By the time she could transform into human form, Xu Xuan might have already reincarnated multiple times.

As for Xu Xuan, with the servant boy leading the way, he quickly made his way down the mountain smoothly.

Xu Xuan thanked the servant boy, who smiled, waved, and then disappeared into the forest.

When Xu Xuan returned home and recounted his experience, his family was worried.

His mother said anxiously, “This… We’ve never heard of anyone living in Donghua Mountain. Xu Er, you didn’t encounter something… unclean, did you?”

Xu Xuan then mentioned what Jiang Lin had said, “I remember last year, didn’t Chen the carpenter take on a big order? I think it was placed by Master Jiang.”

Hearing this, his mother finally relaxed.

Then she heard her son laugh and say, “Even if it was a demon or spirit, what of it? Master Jiang is righteous and learned, kindly took me in, and sent me down the mountain without any ill intent.”

He sighed, “A person like that, I truly consider him a friend. Whether he’s human or not, what’s the difference?”

As he said this, he suddenly thought of the little white snake that often visited his courtyard.

A couple of days later, when Bai Suzhen came to his courtyard as usual, Xu Xuan put down his book and teased her, “According to the stories, you little creature must be quite extraordinary. One day, will you suddenly turn into a beautiful maiden and come meet me in secret at night?”

Bai Suzhen thought her true identity had been discovered and was so frightened that she almost froze in place, lying motionless on the table, too scared to move. But it turned out she was overthinking it—Xu Xuan was just teasing.

He wasn’t just teasing; he also looked down on those kinds of tales. “But even if you really could turn into a human and repay your debt, make sure not to knock on my door in the middle of the night.”

He then recalled the eldest Miss Jiang at Jiang’s residence and chuckled, “If you did, I’d lock you outside and even scold you.”

Bai Suzhen: ???

Xu Xuan had mentioned it casually, then lowered his head to drink tea and read his travel notes. But then he noticed the little white snake on the other side slowly slither over and nudge the back of his hand with its cool head.

If anyone else had seen this, they would have been terrified, but Xu Xuan wasn’t scared at all. He already knew this little creature was quite intelligent and didn’t bite people.

However, Bai Suzhen usually kept her distance and wasn’t so familiar with him. Curious, Xu Xuan asked, “What are you trying to say?”

Bai Suzhen was anxious, wanting to know why he had said what he did earlier, but she couldn’t speak. Seeing that Xu Xuan was confused and couldn’t understand her, she thought for a moment and then turned to slither into Xu Xuan’s study.

Xu Xuan, now even more puzzled, followed the snake into the study. He watched as the snake slithered along the bookshelf, filled with books, until it finally pulled out a book with its mouth and placed it at his feet.

Xu Xuan picked it up and saw that it was a very common storybook about a fox spirit repaying a debt by offering herself.

He asked, “Do you want to hear this story?”

After asking, he saw the snake’s head shake slightly.

Having spent so much time together, the man and the snake had developed a certain understanding. This gesture clearly meant “no.”

Not wanting to hear the story, yet she pulled out this book.

Xu Xuan thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, “You want to continue the conversation we were having earlier?”

The snake stood upright and seriously nodded her head.

Xu Xuan looked at her in amazement. “Could you really be a spirit?”

Bai Suzhen remained still, pretending not to understand.

Xu Xuan didn’t mind whether she understood or not and sat down in the study, flipping through the book.

The story was very typical, about a scholar who saved an injured fox, and after the fox healed, she transformed into a beautiful woman who visited him every night.

Xu Xuan read a bit and then shook his head:

“This scholar, who already has a wife at home, is being unfaithful by mingling with a mysterious woman; he claims to be focused on his studies but spends his nights in romantic affairs—this is hypocrisy. And if he truly loves the fox spirit, he should at least explain things to his family and formally bring her home. Sneaking around like this every night is irresponsible.”

Xu Xuan tossed the book aside and said, “This is nothing more than a boring scholar’s fantasy, written for his own amusement.”

He laughed and shook his head, “It’s just the fantasy of having a beautiful spirit devoted to loving him.”

Besides, what does he think makes him so deserving of such affection from a fox spirit?

Bai Suzhen was dumbfounded.

She had also read that storybook and even shed tears over the story. The ending had the scholar’s family noticing something was amiss and forcibly driving away the fox spirit. The fox, who was carrying the scholar’s child, fled while injured. In the end, she struggled to give birth to the child and handed it over to the scholar before retreating to a quiet, desolate place to die.

The scholar even composed a few touching poems for the fox spirit.

But now, after hearing her benefactor’s perspective, she also began to think that perhaps the scholar wasn’t as admirable as she once believed. He had merely saved the fox’s life—unlike her benefactor, who not only saved her but also gave her good food and taught her to read.

Bai Suzhen’s mind was in turmoil as she returned home, deep in thought.

Xu Xuan, on the other hand, didn’t dwell on it much and certainly didn’t start thinking she might be a spirit repaying a debt.

When Bai Suzhen returned to Donghua Mountain, she was still puzzled and went to find Jiang Lin, recounting her conversation with Xu Xuan.

After listening, Jiang Lin sighed with a smile and said, “I knew I didn’t misjudge him.”

Bai Suzhen then asked, “Do you also think he’s right?”

Jiang Lin replied, “Do you think he’s wrong?”

Bai Suzhen couldn’t answer. Confused, she asked, “If he doesn’t like the idea of repaying with my body, how should I repay him?”

Jiang Lin said, “Have you ever considered that maybe he never expected you to repay him?”

“But he did me a favor, so I have to repay him. Whether he needs it or not doesn’t matter,” Bai Suzhen was clear on this point. After all, for spirits, cause and effect were important, and she owed Xu Xuan.

“Then observe what he might need,” Jiang Lin suggested.

He then remembered the famous love story from later generations and quickly added, “But that doesn’t mean you should completely dismiss the idea of repaying with your body.”

Bai Suzhen looked at him blankly, not fully understanding.

Jiang Lin patiently explained, “Xu Xuan and I don’t think highly of that storybook because some of its logic is strange—just the fantasies of a down-and-out scholar.”

“Offering yourself in repayment is a big decision that affects your whole life. Suzhen, I hope that if you choose to be with someone, it’s because you truly like them, not because you’re repaying a debt and feel obligated to give yourself away.”

Bai Suzhen nodded, indicating that she understood.

She stopped mentioning anything about the storybook and continued visiting Xu’s house regularly, as she had before. Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xu Xuan even sent some festival gifts over and, hearing that Jiang Lin wouldn’t be returning home for the holiday, warmly invited him to join them. Jiang Lin naturally declined, saying that he preferred to spend the time alone.

However, on the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xiao Qing suddenly burst in, hissing excitedly, “Brother Jiang Lin, there’s a huge Taishui mushroom at the door!”

Curious, Jiang Lin went out to take a look.

Indeed, there was a large and ancient Taishui mushroom, just shy of developing its own intelligence due to a lack of opportunity. Even so, it was a highly valuable item. It was clearly left there as a gift.

Jiang Lin only knew Xu Xuan in the area, but the Xu family wasn’t wealthy enough to afford such a precious item. In fact, even an emperor in the mortal world would struggle to obtain something so rare. He decided not to take it and left it aside.

A few days later, something new appeared at the door.

This time, it was a human-shaped ginseng, plump and white, tied up tightly with a red rope, crying loudly after being tossed at the entrance. Again, there was no sign of the person who had left it.

Jiang Lin realized that someone was intentionally leaving these items here in secret. He kept a watchful eye, his senses constantly attuned to the surroundings. However, on the third occasion, when a coral treasure tree, resplendent and beautiful enough to stop Xiao Qing in her tracks, was placed at the door, Jiang Lin hadn’t detected any presence nearby.

Standing at the entrance, he gazed at the priceless coral tree for a long time before calling one of the little servant boys to bring it inside.

Xiao Qing, puzzled, asked, “Brother Jiang Lin, didn’t you say not to accept gifts from strangers?”

Jiang Lin looked at her with a smile but said nothing. He had a good idea of who was sending these items.

Afterward, things remained quiet for many days.

Then one day, a figure silently approached the mansion. He stood at the entrance, seemingly reluctant to leave as he stared longingly in a certain direction. After a while, he took out a small jade bottle from his sleeve. Inside was cold essence, a rare material for refining tools and medicines, which he had recently obtained from the northern ice layers.

After placing the item down, just as he was about to leave, his body suddenly froze.

Jiang Lin had appeared in front of him, without him noticing when.