The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 126: Big Old Black, Jack of All Trades

Upon hearing the threat of castration, Big Old Black immediately clamped his legs together, his face twisting in sheer terror.

“Great King! Spare my life!” he shrieked, his voice cracking. “I will definitely work hard in cultivation! I won’t let Your Majesty down! Please, not the family jewels!”

Wu Yuan ignored the wailing rodent. He reached out and snatched Little Yellow up by the scruff of his neck.

“And you,” Wu Yuan growled, dangling the hamster in front of his face. “You little brat. Spreading rumors about me, huh? If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you won’t know who calls the shots around here!”

Little Yellow immediately curled into a defensive ball, his paws covering his eyes. “Boss, I was wrong! Don’t hit me! I made something delicious for you recently! It will definitely help with your Qi and blood cultivation!”

Wu Yuan paused, spinning Little Yellow around in his claws. “What is it? Speak!”

“[Yang-Enhancing Spirit Liquid]!” Little Yellow squeaked rapidly. “It’s a First-Rank High-Grade Spirit Liquid! I refined it using Blood Jade Mulberry, Purple Sun Flower, Wolfberry Spirit Fruit, and the Essence of Flesh and Blood! It removes dryness, locks in Yang energy, and massively boosts Qi and blood recovery! Boss, you deserve it!”

Wu Yuan snorted coldly. He slowly lowered Little Yellow to the table.

“Do I look like I need help ‘removing dryness’ or ‘locking in Yang’?” he asked dangerously. “However… since it is a First-Rank High-Grade Spirit Liquid, I will reluctantly taste it.”

Wu Yuan narrowed his eyes. “But where did you get such a recipe?”

Little Yellow’s eyes lit up with innocent excitement. “Oh, I got it from that beast girl in your scripture repository…”

“Mmph!”

Wu Yuan slammed his paw over Little Yellow’s mouth before the hamster could utter another word. He looked around nervously, terrified the brat would reveal something truly scandalous.

“Cough! Cough!”

Wu Yuan cleared his throat loudly, forcing his expression into a mask of solemn authority. “Didn’t we say we were going to discuss the transformation of Little Green Mountain? Why has everyone’s attention wandered? Pull yourselves together and focus on serious business!”

He pointed a claw at the glowing projection of the Earth Vein Map, specifically at the Great Bluestone at the summit.

“This is the source,” Wu Yuan declared. “The initial site where the earth veins originate. All the energy of Little Green Mountain flows down from here.”

He traced a dashed line across the map with his spiritual energy. “We will excavate a channel here, connecting the peak directly to the mineral vein cave.”

Wu Yuan slammed his paw on the table, finalizing the decision.

“Heave-ho! Dig!”

“Little ones, put your backs into it! Hollow out this mountain! We must strive to contribute to the King’s great cause! Remember, your good life is a gift from the King!”

Below, the scene was one of organized chaos. Big Old Black was in high spirits, waving his claws and directing the massive swarm of rat demons as they tore into the earth.

“Hey! You can’t place that stone there!”

Big Old Black’s eyes bulged. He rushed into the swarm, accurately plucking a specific rat demon up by the ear.

“If you slack off or mess up the placement, it might affect the river flow later!” Big Old Black roared, spitting saliva. “The Boss is going to dig a lake nearby! We can’t ruin this grand project! If you mess this up, I’ll hand you over to One Ear to be skinned alive!”

The mere mention of One Ear caused the surrounding rats to shudder violently, and their digging speed instantly doubled.

Perched on a high vantage point, Wu Yuan watched the bustling scene with interest. He turned to Bibo.

“I realize Big Old Black really is a jack of all trades,” Wu Yuan mused. “He understands planting, he can mine, and he handles mountain-splitting and road-building with ease. Even his architectural sense is decent.”

Bibo stroked his whiskers, looking down at Big Old Black’s chubby, constantly moving figure.

“Although Big Old Black’s cultivation talent isn’t very high,” the old catfish said with a smile, “and he is a bit single-minded… he learns quickly. Moreover, his execution is flawless. As your foreman, he is very qualified.”

Wu Yuan nodded. He agreed with this assessment wholeheartedly.

In the hierarchy of Little Green Mountain, Big Old Black had effectively become the Majordomo.

When Wu Yuan was in secluded cultivation, the other demons went to Big Old Black for logistics. From collecting and preserving spiritual materials to managing the spirit fields, commanding the labor force, and arranging daily tasks—Big Old Black did it all. He even took the initiative to actively expand the population of the rat swarm, a contribution that couldn’t be overstated.

Bibo, the original steward, was aging. Having finally broken through to the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, his focus had shifted towards cultivation to extend his lifespan—exactly what Wu Yuan wanted for his strategic advisor. So, Bibo now acted as a consultant, guiding Big Old Black with his experience rather than managing the day-to-day grind.

Little Yellow, nominally the Chief Steward, had the temperament of a child. He and Little White spent their days playing. Relying on him to manage affairs would be a disaster. Little Yellow’s responsibilities were strictly limited to managing Wu Yuan’s personal spirit plants and offering the occasional culinary guidance.

As for One Ear… he was simply too terrifying.

He was the Enforcer of Little Green Mountain. He trained the troops, punished those who broke the laws, and hunted down criminals or unruly beasts that threatened the unity of the swarm. The “Rat Mountain” of skulls behind Wu Yuan’s treehouse grew taller thanks to One Ear’s grim efficiency.

Therefore, neither the mascot nor the executioner was suitable for management. That left Big Old Black. Despite having the lowest cultivation and mediocre combat strength, he had secured a firm foothold as the indispensable engine of the operation.

Wu Yuan watched as the endless river of black rats rushed toward the Great Bluestone at the summit.

Their division of labor was clear. Some cleared gravel, some lifted boulders, and others smoothed the earth, rapidly forming a shallow, arc-shaped channel.

Wu Yuan and Bibo had analyzed the terrain carefully. There was actually a natural channel for releasing Spiritual Qi from the Great Bluestone downwards, but it had been blocked by centuries of debris and shifting earth.

Previously, the Fox Fairy had worshipped the moon at the Great Bluestone to gather Lunar Essence. She had been relying on the passive accumulation of Qi. Wu Yuan planned to turn that passive trickle into an active torrent.

He pointed to a massive open space at the foot of the mountain.

“Dredge this area,” Wu Yuan commanded. “We will build a temporary reservoir at the base of the main peak to store the cascading Spiritual Qi.”

Bibo frowned slightly, calculating. “The lake you mentioned earlier, King… it would be perfect for this. Water is softer than stone caves, easier to manage than a forest, and acts as a natural battery for Spiritual Qi.”

Wu Yuan nodded, his gaze drifting north. “It just so happens that we can plan for Polong Lake in the near future. Consider this a practice run.”

Bibo’s eyes lit up as he expanded on the plan. “We can divert all the mountain streams here, unifying the river flow. We’ll use the Peach Forest and Bamboo Forest as transfer stations, splitting the branches to irrigate each spiritual field. This way, we nourish the land with Water Spiritual Qi before finally gathering it all in the ‘Treasure Basin’ for storage!”

“King, didn’t you always regret that the Spirit Stones in the low-grade Spirit Copper vein regenerate too slowly?” Bibo looked expectantly at Wu Yuan. “With the nourishment of this focused Qi, the regeneration rate should skyrocket.”

Wu Yuan nodded in satisfaction. “These concepts are all outlined in the Secret Explanation of Mountains and Rivers Hundred Veins Mysterious Chapter. It seems our strategic thinking is correct. Excellent.”

Receiving the confirmed order, Big Old Black rallied the workers with renewed vigor.

It had to be said—the efficiency of tens of thousands of rats working in unison was terrifying. With clear division of labor and tacit cooperation, they excavated the main channel in a single day.

Considering the sheer scale of Little Green Mountain, such speed was nothing short of a miracle.