The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 106: Old Acquaintances

To the east of Little Green Mountain lay a barren zone, a stretch of land devoid of Spiritual Qi.

It was a lush, verdant grassland, teeming with life. A herd of antelopes grazed and drank by the water’s edge, the very picture of pastoral contentment. Sunlight dappled their coats; the air was still and sweet.

Suddenly, a black shadow struck the outermost edge of the herd.

Panic erupted. The herd scattered in a frenzy of hooves and dust, leaving behind a single antelope. It lay on the ground, pinned and broken, barely clinging to life.

Looming over the fallen creature was a giant rat, standing a terrifying three meters tall. He lowered his head, tearing methodically at the antelope’s flank. Each bite was accompanied by a wet, heavy tear and a spray of fresh crimson. The antelope, tragically, was not yet dead; it emitted thin, weak bleats of agony—a shocking, visceral contrast to the serene landscape.

“Slow down! Wait for me! Leave some for the rest of us!”

A second, smaller black shadow streaked across the grass, pouncing onto the dying prey to join the feast.

The giant rat demon swallowed a mouthful of gristle and blood, then lifted his massive head. He ignored the food for a moment, his gaze burning with fanatical fervor as he looked toward the distant silhouette of Little Green Mountain.

“Boss,” he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. “I can finally see you again!”

The rat demon’s eyes were a glowing, blood-drenched red. His body was a tapestry of scar tissue, crisscrossed with jagged welts that left not a single patch of fur intact. Most striking of all was his head—he possessed only one ear. The disfigurement made him look exceptionally ferocious, a creature born of violence.

“One Ear, I’m telling you, why run so fast in a barren zone? You don’t know how to conserve Demon Power at all.”

A thin, gray rat appeared beside him, grumbling as he chewed.

“Little Green Mountain isn’t going to run away,” the gray rat complained between bites. “We were doing just fine at the Rat Clan. Rat Elder appreciated you so much. Why did we have to come back?”

He swallowed a chunk of meat and continued his grievance. “After all, the Rat King—”

“Shut up, Gray Skin!”

One Ear, who had resumed gnawing on the antelope, snapped his head up. He stared fixedly at the gray rat, a dangerous light flickering in his remaining eye.

As One Ear’s temper flared, the scars across his body seemed to writhe and twist, emitting faint, piercing shrieks like trapped souls. However, because they were in a zone devoid of Spiritual Qi, the phenomenon dissipated as quickly as it appeared, leaving Gray Skin to wonder if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

“I… I was just worried you’d lose control on the way and wouldn’t make it to Little Green Mountain! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come back with you!”

Gray Skin swallowed the rest of his complaints. Internally, however, he muttered, Ever since One Ear started cultivating under Rat Elder, his cultivation has skyrocketed… but he’s also become increasingly unhinged.

Little Gray immediately raised both front paws in a gesture of surrender. “Alright, alright! I’ll stop talking. Let’s finish eating and get moving!”

The submission calmed the volatile One Ear. He turned his gaze back to the mountain, his impatience returning. “Hurry up and eat.”

With that, he abandoned the carcass and shot forward.

Little Gray hastily swallowed the mutton in his mouth and scrambled to follow, shouting, “Slow down! I can’t keep up!”

As they drew closer, Little Gray raised a paw to shade his eyes, looking up at the looming peak.

“The changes are huge,” he exclaimed, genuinely amazed. “The Spiritual Qi is so much denser than before we got lost!”

He turned to One Ear, excitement finally overtaking his fear. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go in!”

But One Ear, despite the fanaticism written all over his face, did not step onto the mountain’s soil immediately. Instead, he stopped and let out a sharp, piercing squeak—a formal notification of arrival.

Little Gray sighed helplessly. “Haven’t you been dying to see the Rat King? Why not just walk in? Why the formalities?”

One Ear suddenly reached out, grabbing Little Gray by the scruff of his neck and lifting him into the air.

“I’m warning you,” One Ear hissed, his voice dropping to a grave growl. “When we meet the Great King, you will address him as ‘Boss.’ Do not make me dispose of you with my own hands.”

Little Gray looked at the scarred monster holding him and felt like crying without tears. Just how loyal are you to this Rat King?!

One Ear dropped him and looked up at the various burrows dotting the slopes of Little Green Mountain, watching the shadowy figures bustling about.

“As expected of Boss,” he sighed with deep admiration. “He must have completely consolidated control over the mountain by now.”

Then, a wave of characteristic anxiety washed over him. “I wonder if the Great King has any enemies… and I wonder if Big Black is still obedient.”

“One Ear! What kind of slander is that? Are you calling me out?!”

A large black rat suddenly burst from a nearby hole, fuming with indignation.

“I knew you weren’t dead! I came out to see you the moment I caught your scent, and this is how you greet me?” Big Black shouted, clutching his chest. “You wound me! You wound my heart!”

Although Big Black wore an expression of exaggerated heartbreak, the corners of his mouth betrayed him, twitching upward in a smile.

One Ear was equally elated. The corner of his mouth spasmed as he attempted to reciprocate, forcing a stiff, grotesque grin. The scars on his body seemed to undulate with the effort.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Big Black recoiled immediately.

“Stop! Don’t smile! It gives me the creeps!”

One Ear wasn’t offended. He simply nodded, his singular eye burning with purpose. “Hurry up. Take me to see Boss.”

“Let’s go, let’s go! Boss misses you too. He mentions you all the time.”

Big Black glanced at Little Gray, who was cowering behind One Ear, and his tone cooled significantly.

“And you. Watch your words and actions. Little Green Mountain isn’t the same place it used to be. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Back in the day, Big Black and One Ear had fought constantly, mostly due to Big Black’s laziness. Yet, Big Black possessed a grudging respect for One Ear. Even without the magical constraints the Boss had placed on them, Big Black never doubted One Ear’s loyalty. That was the gold standard of the Boss’s “Number One Loyal Rat.”

Gray Skin, however, was different. He was slick. He had always relied on the sliver of authority the Boss gave him to make demands and avoid work. Big Black had never liked him. Hearing Gray Skin’s earlier complaints only confirmed that the small rat’s heart had grown wild and ungrateful.

Big Black offered the warning only for the sake of their history as old acquaintances. He didn’t wait for a response, turning his back on the trembling Gray Skin to lead the way for One Ear.

One Ear hurried after him, but paused to look back at Gray Skin, who stood frozen in terror.

One Ear’s heart softened—just a fraction. “Come on.”

The fear in Gray Skin’s eyes vanished instantly. He scurried after One Ear’s tail, diving into the rat hole just as he had on the night of the Emperor Fluid.

As One Ear followed Big Black through the tunnels, he scrutinized every change in his surroundings.

He saw rats that were noticeably plump and sleek. Instead of being impressed, One Ear frowned, shaking his head.

These rats are too fat, he thought critically. It seems the workload is insufficient. Boss is far too merciful, actually letting them rest. I must properly persuade Boss to rectify this later.

Further in, he observed the Spirit-Gathering Rat demons. He looked them up and down with the eye of a drill sergeant.

Cultivation is decent, but their movements are sluggish. Eyes unfocused. They’ve been safe for too long; they lack vigilance.

Perhaps One Ear’s gaze was simply too predatory. Every rat demon he scrutinized felt a primal chill, their fur standing on end as they shrank away from the scarred stranger.

Boss definitely wouldn’t allow this slackness, One Ear concluded. It must be Big Black. He’s being lazy again, doing a half-hearted job with Boss’s orders!

A cold snort escaped One Ear.

Walking ahead, Big Black felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He turned around, puzzled, only to be met with One Ear’s icy glare.

Big Black scratched his head, baffled. We were fine a second ago. Why the sudden face turn?

Unaware of the “benevolent tyranny” One Ear was planning to reinstate, Big Black continued to lead them along the path. However, he was no longer the careless brute of the past. He guided them carefully, avoiding key strategic locations and showing One Ear and Gray Skin only the superficial layers of the mountain’s operations.

He revealed nothing that truly mattered.