The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 107: Different Choices

Big Black understood the rules. Without the Boss’s explicit permission, certain secrets of Little Green Mountain could not be revealed.

He trusted One Ear. The scarred rat had always been a fanatic; his loyalty was not in question. Gray Skin, however, was a variable that still needed to be weighed.

They arrived at the entrance of the ore vein tunnels.

“Go on in,” Big Black said, jerking his head toward the dark opening. “Boss is waiting for you.”

One Ear took a deep breath. He lowered his body, pressing all four paws into the dirt, and crawled into the cave—a place that felt both intimately familiar and strangely alien after three years of hell.

Gray Skin was a beat slower. He watched One Ear’s tail disappear into the shadows, hesitated for a fractured second, and then followed.

The moment One Ear entered the main chamber, his gaze locked onto the white figure resting on the stone platform above. He recognized his Boss instantly, though he didn’t dare look him in the eye. Wu Yuan’s appearance had changed drastically, but that aura—cool, commanding, and absolute—was something One Ear would never forget.

He rushed forward, stopping a respectful distance away, and threw himself flat against the cold stone floor.

“Boss!”

Above him, Wu Yuan looked down at the subordinate he hadn’t seen in years. For a moment, his expression softened, his mind drifting back to the early days in the valley when they were just trying to survive.

He snapped back to the present. “Get up, One Ear. It’s been a long time.”

One Ear scrambled to his feet, finally daring to look up. His single eye, already red by nature, burned a deep, fervent scarlet. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He clawed anxiously at his ears and cheeks, overcome with emotion.

Wu Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle at the display. “Where have you been all this time?”

One Ear straightened, his voice trembling slightly. “Boss, on the day of the Emperor Fluid, I followed your orders and fled into the tunnels. But the wind… the storm collapsed the entrance. Gray Skin and I were swept away.”

He paused, his expression darkening.

“We were taken, along with other captured spirits from Little Green Mountain, to a strange place. There were thousands of us, mostly from the Azure Spirit Mountain Range. It was… a nightmare.”

One Ear’s voice turned grim. “They called it a trial. Every so often, they forced us to kill each other. The survivors absorbed the essence of the fallen to increase their cultivation. In less than a year, thousands were reduced to a few hundred. Gray Skin and I… we were lucky to survive.”

Though One Ear spoke simply, Wu Yuan knew that “luck” was a modest understatement. The lattice of jagged scars across One Ear’s body told a story of brutal, desperate combat.

One Ear scratched his head again, deferring to the rat behind him. “I don’t understand the details. Gray Skin knows more. Let him explain.”

Wu Yuan shifted his gaze to the gray rat who had been cowering behind One Ear’s haunches. Feeling the weight of the King’s attention, Gray Skin shivered and slowly raised his head.

“Great King!”

“Mn,” Wu Yuan acknowledged, his tone neutral. “Tell me the details.”

“The place is called the Beast Raising Valley,” Gray Skin began, his voice gaining confidence as he spoke of what he knew. “It’s a training ground formed by a fallen Dharma Treasure from a great Demon Race power. Lesser demons fight inside, and the dead become nourishment for the living. It forces cultivation growth and Bloodline Awakenings.”

“Of course,” he added hastily, “we were in a peripheral zone, only slightly affected by the Dharma Treasure’s power. The cultivation cap was low—Qi Condensation early stage, around ninety-nine strands of Demon Power. One Ear was the one who fought to the end and reached that limit.”

Gray Skin swallowed. “When the numbers were thinned out enough, the survivors were distributed to various factions. One Ear and I were assigned to the Rat Clan.”

Wu Yuan’s interest piqued. “Tell me about this Rat Clan.”

Gray Skin’s posture straightened, a hint of pride seeping into his tone. “We were sent to the Spirit Swallowing Rat Clan, a subordinate branch of the Rat King Palace. We… we were quite well-regarded there. The Clan Leader is a mid-stage Foundation Establishment expert.”

He glanced at One Ear. “There was a Rat Elder at the Perfection of Qi Condensation who greatly admired One Ear. We cultivated under him. Later, we heard that some great demons were releasing captured spirits back to the Azure Spirit Mountain Range to serve as vanguards for their forces.”

Gray Skin’s voice grew passionate, almost theatrical. “Originally, One Ear and I could have stayed! We had a place there! But we missed the Great King so much that we strongly requested to return!”

Despite the fervor in his voice, Wu Yuan’s demonic sense caught the flicker of unwillingness in Gray Skin’s eyes.

Wu Yuan understood perfectly. Gray Skin had found a path he could climb—a larger clan, a powerful patron, a clear path to power. Returning to Little Green Mountain was, in his eyes, a setback, a return to a poverty-stricken backwater.

He likely viewed One Ear’s insistence on returning as insanity.

“Is that so?”

Wu Yuan glanced at One Ear. The scarred rat stood stoically, nodding in agreement with Gray Skin’s story, seemingly oblivious to the subtext. To One Ear, returning to this “poor hometown” wasn’t a sacrifice; it was the only option.

Wu Yuan looked at One Ear with renewed respect.

In truth, when Wu Yuan had told them to run three years ago, it had been an act of abandonment. He hadn’t expected to see them again, nor would he have blamed them for not returning. He had prioritized his own survival and that of Little Yellow.

Why did I take Little Yellow? Wu Yuan mused briefly. Perhaps because he was the first rat in this strange world to trust me unconditionally. He was my anchor when I was terrified and alone.

Wu Yuan looked down at his paws, feeling a wave of nostalgia. He had gone from a terrified transmigrator clinging to life to a Rat King who held the fate of a clan in his hands. In his past human life, ruling over thousands would have made him a king among men.

“So, it’s already been three years,” he murmured.

He paused, a genuine smile touching his lips. “It’s… it’s truly good to see you.”

He narrowed his eyes, the benevolent ruler surfacing.

“I will give you a choice,” Wu Yuan said softly, his voice echoing in the stone chamber. “You may choose to leave. I will not be offended. If you feel Little Green Mountain is too small for you, I can even assign you a territory elsewhere to cultivate.”

The offer was clearly directed at Gray Skin.

As expected, Gray Skin’s eyes lit up. He turned eagerly toward One Ear, hoping his companion would seize this chance for freedom and advancement.

But One Ear didn’t move. He stood like a statue carved from scarred wood, his head bowed in silent, unshakable service.

The light in Gray Skin’s eyes dimmed. He looked back up at Wu Yuan, his lips trembling. Silence stretched for several agonizing breaths.

Finally, Gray Skin inhaled deeply.

“Great King… I think I will leave.”

Wu Yuan nodded, his expression unreadable. “Where will you go?”

Gray Skin shook his head. “I will return to the Spirit Swallowing Rat Clan. I believe… I believe that place suits me better.”

He turned to One Ear, his voice tinged with regret. “Since we came all this way, I’ll take a look at the main peaks of the Azure Spirit Mountain Range before I head back.”

One Ear remained silent. He did not look up. He did not say goodbye.

Gray Skin sighed. He bowed deeply to Wu Yuan one last time, then turned and scurried out of the cave, leaving the heavy silence of loyalty behind him.