Chapter 32

Zhou Buchu cleared his throat, changed the subject, and attempted to regain the upper hand: “By the way, I also wanted to ask you, you’re a star in your own right, and as the new owner of Mountain and Sea Realm, how did you end up so broke?”

Ye Chen was about to answer when the waiter, who had been waiting outside the door, suddenly knocked and politely asked, “Do you two need to order?”

The two penny-pinching companions exchanged a glance, both seeing the words “can’t afford the bill” written all over each other’s faces.

Ye Chen couldn’t afford to treat the seven divine beasts at the table, nor could he rely on the tattered jacket-wearing Pixiu who had been wearing the same jacket for over thirty years. He felt embarrassed to continue occupying the restaurant’s seats, so he stood up and said, “Let’s talk outside.”

Reluctantly, Zhou Buchu put back on his heirloom disposable mask: “Let’s go like this, is that okay?”

Ye Chen gave him a resentful look and went out. He made a left turn to the 24-hour convenience store and bought six hot dogs with different flavors, six bottles of milk and milk tea with different flavors, letting the little divine beasts share among themselves.

The little creatures were finally getting a chance to dine out, and they had a blast last night. He couldn’t afford fancy restaurant food, but at least he could buy a few hot dogs from the convenience store. He couldn’t let the little creatures, who were so eagerly looking forward to it, go home on an empty stomach.

Zhou Buchu stared at the rejuvenated little creatures, licked his lips slightly, and felt a little envious. “I’m also a divine beast.”

Ye Chen replied expressionlessly, “All I have is just over a thousand yuan…”

Zhou Buchu fell silent for a moment, then showed a hint of pity, “Forget it.”

The six little creatures ate bread and drank milk tea. The two scroungers finally put aside the idea of mooching off each other, their minds clear and calm as they sat on the edge of the flower bed, enjoying the breeze. Ye Chen recounted his series of experiences to Zhou Buchu, from being chased by a pig to meeting a Jing Ling in the Yin Realm to buying a courtyard with a huge debt for resurrection…

“Five yuan for a catty of spirit tomatoes, especially delicious and good for divine beasts’ bodies, it can’t get any cheaper.” Finally, Ye Chen concluded with this sentence.

Spiritual crops in Mountain and Sea Realm are essential for divine beasts. If they don’t get the nourishment of spiritual crops for a long time, they will gradually weaken and age, but this kind of decline is a long and reversible process, so Zhou Buchu is confident and not in a hurry.

“Five yuan for a catty?!” Zhou Buchu clutched his chest tightly, his voice hoarse, “You’re asking for the life of a thousand-year-old person!”

“Is five yuan expensive?!” Ye Chen also held his chest tightly, in pain, “Isn’t the life of a nineteen-year-old worth anything?”

“You don’t understand the pain of a Pixiu spending money…” Zhou Buchu was overwhelmed by the five yuan per catty of tomatoes, “Then sell it a bit cheaper.”

“Four yuan and fifty cents per catty,” Ye Chen conceded.

The financial tycoon who dominates the business world haggled over the price of a catty of tomatoes: “How about one yuan per catty?You’ll more or less earn a little.”

Ye Chen was annoyed, “Then I might as well keep it for myself to eat and have more energy to work!”

Zhou Buchu gritted his teeth, “One yuan per catty, deal.”

Ye Chen blurted out, “Deal with your… your grandpa.”

He’s a polite young man.

“I won’t sell it to you,” Ye Chen said sternly, getting up and patting his butt. “It’s not even sold at a high price in the morning market. I’ll go sell it there.”

“You’re selling it to save a life,” Zhou Buchu said, “I have a Ying Long^[1]Ying Long – a winged dragon and rain deity in ancient Chinese mythology. The Classics of Mountains and Seas mentions Yinglong killing both Chiyou “Jest Much” and Kua Fu “Boast … Continue reading at home, he’s about to die, and he needs your spiritual plant nourishing elixir.”

Ye Chen observed his demeanor, not entirely sure: “Are you lying to me?”

“No, absolutely not, it’s true. If I lie to you, let me lose one hundred… ten yuan,” Zhou Buchu swore, pointing to the sky. After swearing, he opened the Kandomall app, showing Ye Chen the order records. The most recent transaction was for ten packs of Chengren diapers, each selling for one cent, “Look, these are all for the Ying Long.”

Ye Chen didn’t believe it, his eyes full of suspicion. “How could a Ying Long use these… Since you know the Ying Long, do you know other divine beasts?”

If he did, wouldn’t it be better to sell the spiritual plants to other divine beasts who weren’t penny-pinchers?

“I do, what’s the matter?” Zhou Buchu glanced at him knowingly. “Do you want me to introduce you?”

Ye Chen’s eyes sparkled with the light of money. “Is that possible?”

Zhou Buchu shook his head. “It’s not that I won’t introduce you, it’s mainly because the current situation is special…”

Then, Zhou Buchu explained to Ye Chen the aftermath of the battle between divine beasts and Chi You.

“…Chi You almost crippled us all. At that time, 90% of the divine beasts died, the spiritual veins of the Mountain and Sea Realm were destroyed, the entrances were closed, and we, the remaining 10% of divine beasts, thought it was all over. But before Chi You was sealed, he self-destructed his Neidan^[2]Neidan, or internal alchemy (traditional Chinese: 內丹術; simplified Chinese: 內丹术; pinyin: nèidān shù), is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices … Continue reading, wanting to use the demonic power from his Neidan to block the two spiritual eyes of Guixu^[3]Guixu (simplified Chinese: 归墟; traditional Chinese: 歸墟) is a location in Chinese mythology where all water, including the Milky Way, flows into a bottomless void. Even as water keeps flowing … Continue reading and Kunlun^[4]The Kunlun (simplified Chinese: 昆仑; traditional Chinese: 崑崙; pinyin: Kūnlún;) or Kunlun Shan(Kunlun Mountain) is a mountain or mountain range in Chinese mythology, an important symbol … Continue reading, even if it meant dragging us down with him.”

“None of this…” Ye Chen frowned. “Jing Ling never mentioned it to me.”

“It had already exhausted the spiritual veins and fallen asleep at that time,” Zhou Buchu explained. “If the spiritual eyes were blocked, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth would dry up. The consequences of dried-up spiritual energy are twofold: Mountain and Sea Realm would never recover, and we, the divine beasts, would become weaker and weaker. After a long time, we might lose not only our divine power but also our spiritual wisdom…”

Zhou Buchu sighed. “At that time, many of the surviving divine beasts were in a state of severe injury, unable to move. The few who still had combat power fought directly with him, burning their own Neidan against his. After his Neidan was depleted, the Neidan of those few divine beasts was also greatly damaged… At that time, Di Ting, Qilin^[5]Qilin – a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler. Qilin are a specific … Continue reading, Bai Ze^[6]Bai Ze – a mythical creature from ancient Chinese legends, originating from Classic of Mountains and Seas. They are said to know all matters concerning ghosts and gods in the world. In the folk … Continue reading, and Ying Long were the ones who contributed the most. Their Neidan was almost burned out directly. After the battle, they only had a tiny bit of Neidan left, and they all aged tens of thousands of years in one breath, with very little divine power left… They all turned into old men and women, unable to take care of themselves, confused, causing trouble, and wearing diapers.”

Ye Chen looked full of sympathy. “…”

Never would he have thought that these were real senile old folks, causing trouble and destruction.

“At first, we took turns caring for these divine beasts with severely damaged Neidan. Later, we found several ordinary people with Purple Qi^[7]Purple Qi(Source – Immortal Mountain WordPress): Qi (气) is “spiritual energy”, but it can also mean “air” or “cloud”.  In Chinese culture, the color Purple is auspicious and … Continue reading.” Zhou Buchu paused and continued, “Purple Qi can nourish the Neidan. We negotiated with those few humans with Purple Qi and then sent these divine beasts in urgent need of Neidan to them, letting them sleep in the bodies of these humans to nurture their Neidan. The price is to lend their divine power to those few humans…”

“Bai Ze is knowledgeable about all things in heaven and earth, possessing great wisdom. He can directly pass on knowledge to mortals. The person who nurtures Bai Ze is said to have won the Nobel Prize a few years ago; Qilin is an auspicious beast, bringing good luck. The person who nurtures Qilin seems to be a professional gambler, winning lotteries and horse races for generations. Diting^[8]Diting – divine mythical creature and the steed of bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha in Chinese Buddhism. One interpretation of its single horn was that it could receive information across the … Continue reading has six ears, able to hear people’s hearts and even read memories. When I found him back then, he was still quite young, probably only one or two years old. Even though Diting gave him abilities, he couldn’t use them. So Diting passed on his divine power to his father, who is now quite famous, a successful entrepreneur who dominates negotiations and business deals.”

Listening to the stories of these lucky individuals, Ye Chen asked eagerly, “What about Ying Long? Are people with purple qi rare?”

“They are rare, but not so rare that it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s not that there’s no one willing to nurture Ying Long; it’s just that… Ying Long, besides being good at fighting, can only bring rain. For modern humans, that’s not particularly significant. Moreover, his Neidan is so severely damaged that even his rainmaking abilities are not very effective. No humans with purple qi are willing to take him.”

“…But rainmaking is quite useful. Less rain means fewer floods. It would be nice to avoid a few water disasters.” Ye Chen suggested, pointing to himself. “Do I have purple qi?”

Zhou Buchu glanced at him for a moment and smiled. “No, do you want to help nurture Ying Long’s Neidan?”

“Um… Never mind if I don’t.” Ye Chen felt a bit disappointed. “Continue, please.”

He had indeed considered helping to nurture Ying Long’s Neidan. After all, without these divine beasts sacrificing themselves, whether he would have a chance to be born was still a question. 

“Nurturing the Neidan isn’t without its cost,” Zhou Buchu said coolly. “Knowing all this is like peeking into the secrets of the heavens, which shortens one’s lifespan… Who would want to sacrifice years of life just for the ability to make it rain anytime, anywhere?”

“So… are there any other ways to restore Ying Long’s Neidan?” Ye Chen asked.

Zhou Buchu turned his head, his eyes gleaming. “Yes, the spiritual plants you cultivate, the spiritual beasts you raise, all can help restore Ying Long’s Neidan.”

“That’s great!” Ye Chen was initially pleased that he could be of use. However, his smile quickly faded as he reminded himself, “But I can’t sell the spiritual crops cheaply. If I weren’t in such dire need of money, I’d help in any way I could. But now…” Ye Chen’s throat tightened, finding it hard to continue. “Since you only accept money and don’t spend any, why would those divine beasts ask you to take care of Ying Long?”

Zhou Buchu coughed lightly, thickening his skin. “I was a strategist back then, stationed in the rear. I was the least injured, so when no mortal wanted Ying Long, they had no choice but to give him to me. As for other divine beasts… after arranging for Diting, Bai Ze, and the others, they wandered around, resting and recuperating in the deep mountains and old forests. It’s been said that twenty years ago, Bi Fang^[9]Bi Fang Bird – a mythological bird, encountered in Chinese mythology. The Bi Fang is thought to have one leg. However, sources vary in terms of its description. In the Classic of Mountains and … Continue reading made a nest on Changbai Mountain and went to sleep. We don’t know if it’s still there now. As for Kunpeng^[10]Kun and Peng – Peng is a gigantic mythological bird transformed from the kun. Kun is a giant fish., it seems it sank to the seabed near Hainan Island. We can’t be sure if it’s still there either… So, don’t even think about targeting them.”

Ye Chen drooped his head dejectedly. “Oh… Jing Ling also said that you all were prominent figures throughout the ages.”

“That’s an ancient Chinese divination almanac. We’ve never fought such a big battle in all ages.” Zhou Buchu sighed lightly. “Ninety percent of the divine beasts perished, and the Mountain and Sea Realm was closed for so many years. Those old fellows, if they don’t have PTSD, it’s already good. How could they have the mind to integrate into society? If it weren’t for feeling uncomfortable earning money from mortals, I would also go to the mountains and sleep in a cave for fifty years, enjoying the tranquility.”

“In that case, let’s compromise.” Zhou Buchu proposed, “I’ll help you with your work in exchange for spiritual plants. How about it? As long as you don’t ask for 4.5 yuan per catty of tomatoes from me, I’m fine. Your price is just too steep for me to accept…”

When Ye Chen heard about exchanging labor for spiritual plants, his ears perked up.

He had already spent time researching and had selected several types of spiritual plants that could be propagated by branch cuttings. He had planted them early. However, while the information was easy to find and the initial planting was manageable, the real challenge of this task lay in planting the subsequent two thousand seedlings. He didn’t want to order the young ones to do the physical labor of digging pits. He planned to work hard from dawn to dusk, treating it as a workout at the gym… Just then, a divine beast labor force arrived.

Ye Chen made a quick decision. “Okay.”

Immediately, he took Zhou Buchu back to the Mountain and Sea Realm.

The residual snow in the realm had not yet melted, and the land, devoid of mountains, rivers, and streams, stretched out flatly. Looking around, it resembled a patchy and frozen sea.

As Zhou Buchu stepped into the realm, after a brief moment of astonishment, he slowly knelt down facing the west, where the last rays of the setting sun lingered. Then, Ye Chen saw this uncharacteristic stingy ghost gently brush away the snow on the ground with his palm and bend down to lightly kiss the cold, hard black earth.

Ye Chen was moved and couldn’t help but purse his lips into a line.

Zhou Buchu stood up and patted off the snow, brushing away the melancholy atmosphere from moments ago with the falling snow. He smiled and said, “Finally, we’re home.”

Ye Chen also suppressed his emotions and said, “Let’s discuss. How much farm work can you help me with, and how many spiritual plants do you need?”

Zhou Buchu walked around Ye Chen’s already considerable vegetable plot and drew a boundary with his hand. “The output of these crops belongs to me. What do you think?”

Ye Chen estimated that about one-third of the area Zhou Buchu marked belonged to him. His face turned slightly green.

“For me and Ying Long, we have big appetites.” Worried that Ye Chen might refuse, Zhou Buchu hurriedly added, “You can plant twice as many crops, and I can handle them all.”

These spiritual crops grew ten times faster in the icy wilderness due to Ye Chen’s divine farming lineage. Without Ye Chen’s help, Zhou Buchu would not only fail to cultivate spiritually infused crops but also wouldn’t have such a high yield. So even if Zhou Buchu managed to work for Ye Chen and exchanged twice as many crops for the ones he worked on, it would still be a lucrative deal for him.

Ye Chen silently calculated and felt that it was fair.

Expanding the planting area by double was undoubtedly a good thing. Ye Chen could only manage such a large vegetable plot during his spare time from filming. He couldn’t handle more.

“I’ll have to do some of the farm work myself. I can’t leave it all to you. If I’m not involved in the planting process, the crops will grow slowly. I’ll send you a list of tasks for the vegetable plot the night before. If I don’t assign any to you, I’ll take care of them myself. Considering the expanded planting area, you’ll work for a little over an hour a day, but no more than two hours at most.” Ye Chen calculated Zhou Buchu’s workload and said, “And then… you’ll also be responsible for helping me dig one thousand five hundred tree planting pits. Is that okay?”

Ye Chen planned to slowly dig the remaining five hundred pits himself. After all, it wouldn’t be right to dump all the work on someone else.

Zhou Buchu readily agreed to things not related to money. “Okay.”

Anyway, he had plenty of free time.

“Then…” Ye Chen extended a tentative foot toward Zhou Buchu’s bottom line. “Can you sell the vegetables?”

He figured that Pixiu would probably do better at selling vegetables than him, hence the question.

Zhou Buchu’s eyes lit up, as if he had heard something interesting. He asked back, “As long as I want to sell, what can’t be sold?”

Ye Chen pondered his expression and felt that he seemed quite fond of this kind of money-making work. So he said, “Then, can you go to the morning market once or twice a week to help me sell the surplus vegetables?” Without waiting for Zhou Buchu’s response, Ye Chen emphasized, “But you’ll have to give me the money from selling the vegetables, okay?”

The author has something to say:

Ye Qiongqiong’s account book today:

Today’s income: farming + digging pits, one laborer…

Shen Mofeng’s account book today:

– Nothing else, just the daily task of increasing favorability.

Silent Madness’s favorability +1

Current favorability: 21/1500, four stars.

It’s quite rare for our gong to not appear in two consecutive chapters…

Diting’s side is also dropping some crazy hints…