The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 108: A Surprise from One Ear

Wu Yuan waved a paw dismissively, cutting through the heavy atmosphere.

“Let him go wherever he wants,” he said, his voice calm. “Since you were both assigned to the Rat Clan, my identity was likely leaked to them long ago. Fortunately, Little Green Mountain has changed drastically since then. What he knows is outdated and irrelevant.”

One Ear remained silent for a long moment before muttering, “We shouldn’t have saved him back in the Beast Raising Valley.”

Wu Yuan shook his head. “Who can predict the future? Besides, having a former subordinate in the outside world might prove useful as a hidden piece later on.”

He dropped the subject and looked at his scarred lieutenant. “Why didn’t you try to persuade him to stay?”

One Ear shook his head again. “It is better that he left. His heart has grown wild; staying here would only breed resentment. He wouldn’t have been happy.”

Wu Yuan smiled faintly. “Since you chose to stay, consider this a welcome gift.”

His gaze sharpened as he analyzed One Ear. “Your second-order [Soul-Flogging Demon Rat] bloodline… it wasn’t Awakened naturally, was it? It was forcibly activated in that Beast Raising Valley. I can sense the instability—it’s taking a heavy toll on your mind.”

Wu Yuan’s observation seemed to strike a nerve. One Ear’s eyes instantly flushed a deeper crimson, and his breathing grew ragged, as if the mere mention of the trauma triggered it.

“That’s right, Boss!” he gasped. “The bloodline… it constantly gnaws at my spirit!”

Wu Yuan raised a paw, extending a single claw. One Ear instinctively crawled forward and lifted his head, exposing his glabella.

Golden light gathered at Wu Yuan’s fingertip. He tapped One Ear’s forehead gently.

Gather Spirit!

A rich, pure stream of Creation Force flowed into One Ear’s body.

The effect was instantaneous. One Ear felt the chaotic red haze in his mind recede, replaced by a cool, crystalline clarity. The constant, throbbing pressure of the bloodline backlash dissolved.

Creation Force, derived from the Emperor Fluid itself, possessed inherent soul-nurturing properties. For a demon like One Ear, whose spirit was cracking under the weight of his own power, it was the ultimate panacea.

One Ear exhaled a long, shuddering breath, feeling refreshed and clear-headed for the first time in years. He prostrated himself at Wu Yuan’s feet.

“Thank you, Boss!”

Wu Yuan nodded with satisfaction. “It is fascinating, though. That group of ordinary rats produced Big Old Black with the [Gray Demon Rat] bloodline, and you with the [Soul-Flogging Demon Rat] bloodline. Dark-attribute and Soul-attribute bloodlines are rare. It seems your batch was quite extraordinary.”

Wu Yuan felt his scholar’s curiosity piquing. “I’ll have to study your physiology properly later.”

Hearing this, One Ear’s expression brightened. He seemed to remember something.

“Boss, I know you love reading. You used to complain about having nothing to study,” One Ear said eagerly. “So, while I was in the Rat Clan, I collected every Jade Slip I could find!”

One Ear opened his mouth and retched, spitting out a slimy Storage Bag. He offered it to Wu Yuan with both paws.

Wu Yuan’s eyes lit up. Ignoring the coating of saliva, he snatched the bag and immediately probed it with his demonic sense.

His eyes widened.

“So many…” he murmured.

He began counting, his excitement growing.

“[Common Knowledge of the Demon Race]…”

“[Interesting Tales of Fox Demons]…”

“[Beast Girl Appraisals]…”

“[General History of the Cosmic Realm]…”

“[Preliminary Explanation of Spells]…”

“[Spirit-Nurturing Artifact Forging Method]…”

“[Nine Heavens Mystic Spirit Formation Explanation]…”

“[Secret Explanation of Mountains and Rivers Hundred Veins Mysterious Chapter]—Earth Veins Section!”

Wu Yuan couldn’t strictly maintain his composure. He stopped scanning with his mind and began physically pulling the Jade Slips out, laying them on the ground like a dragon counting its gold. His eyes were glazed with intoxication.

Soon, a large patch of grass was covered in glowing slips. There were over two hundred in total.

Many were trash—pedantic Cultivation theories or wandering travelogues—but Wu Yuan didn’t care. To a scholar starved of information, even trash was treasure. And buried within the pile were gems covering the Hundred Arts of Cultivation: Formations, Earth Spirit arts, and Artifact Refining.

Wu Yuan reluctantly tore his eyes away, sweeping the collection into his own Storage Bag before returning the empty one to One Ear.

“How did you get so many?” Wu Yuan asked, genuinely puzzled. “These aren’t easy to come by.”

One Ear scratched his head, grinning. “Boss, let’s be real. We’re rats. Our combat power might be low, but when it comes to stealing, digging holes, and grave robbing, who can compare to us?”

He gestured vaguely at the world outside. “Human Cultivators often come to the demon territories to hunt beasts. They die here all the time. Their combat arts get taken by the big demons, but the other stuff? Who among the demons reads these wordy travelogues? They’re usually tossed aside as chew toys or sold in bulk—dozens for a single Spirit Stone.”

“Even at that price, they were fighting to sell them to me. I actually had to be picky to make sure I got intact ones without duplicates.”

One Ear’s expression turned serious. “However, the manuals on the Hundred Arts of Cultivation were expensive. Usually, the Fox Clan buys those up at high prices. I only managed to snag a few.”

He pointed to one of the titles Wu Yuan had been admiring. “That [Spirit-Nurturing Artifact Forging Method] is a copy. It’s popular in the demon domain. Rumor has it a Demon King learned it from humans specifically to teach demons how to refine their own Life-bound Magical Artifacts. Since I had some status in the clan, trading for it was easy.”

Wu Yuan pulled out the [Secret Explanation of Mountains and Rivers Hundred Veins Mysterious Chapter] again.

“But this…” Wu Yuan said, tapping the slip. “An Earth Spirit Master inheritance is incredibly rare. Puppetry and Talismans are common compared to this. I took a rough look—the content is sparse, but the explanations are concise and profound. Even as a fragment, its value is extraordinary. How did you get this?”

“That?” One Ear sniffed disdainfully. “That came from a human youth. He sneaked into Rat Clan territory looking for a ‘secret realm’ to treasure hunt. Boss, think about it—would a secret treasure survive in Rat territory? We dug everything up ages ago! We just leave the empty shells to bait greedy humans.”

“That unlucky guy was caught by the Rat Elder and eaten on the spot. I was working for the Elder at the time. I saw the human clutching this thing like it was his life, so I quietly pocketed it. I think the Elder saw me, but he turned a blind eye.”

One Ear then pointed excitedly to another slip radiating spiritual light.

“And that [Nine Heavens Mystic Spirit Formation Explanation] is an original! The quality is amazing. It seems to go beyond the Qi Condensation realm, so I couldn’t understand a word of it. I bought it from another rat demon.”

“That guy was desperate to sell. He couldn’t learn it, thought it was useless, and was afraid of getting robbed for holding onto a high-tier item. I picked it up for a fraction of its worth.”

Wu Yuan looked at One Ear with genuine admiration.

“You have quite the Providence yourself,” Wu Yuan praised. “Do you realize you picked up a massive leak? That isn’t just a manual; it’s a detailed Formation explanation that goes straight to the Foundation Establishment level.”

Hearing the Boss’s praise, One Ear rubbed his head happily. “Boss, as long as you like it!”

Wu Yuan nodded decisively. “Your contribution is immense. Later, go find Little Yellow. Whatever spiritual materials you need, take them. Our quality might not be top-tier yet, but our quantity is sufficient to fuel your current cultivation.”

“Little Green Mountain has changed a lot. Have Big Old Black give you a tour. I am in desperate need of capable helpers right now.”

One Ear bowed deeply, his voice trembling with conviction.

“I will serve the Boss unto death!”

Wu Yuan watched One Ear scurry away. A fleeting thought crossed his mind: Why is One Ear so fanatically loyal?

But the thought was quickly swept away by the allure of the pile of knowledge in his lap. Wu Yuan couldn’t wait any longer. He picked up the first Jade Slip and began to read.