Chapter 32: Monster Ranch
Forgotten Forest, near the Pioneer’s Cabin.
As the first light of dawn broke through the trees, Chu Jiu was already at the edge of the field, bamboo basket in hand, with Rawr Rawr Rabbit hopping beside him.
Today was the day of the first cotton harvest.
Most of the cotton in the field had already burst open, blooming in soft white clusters along the branches. They looked fluffy, adorable, and radiated warmth.
It should’ve been a joyful day of harvest. But Rawr Rawr Rabbit was acting strangely anxious.
Even though Chu Jiu had told it yesterday that he’d brought back something that could “improve soil fertility,” the bunny was still riddled with worry and guilt. What if it doesn’t work? What if we can never grow vegetables here again? Why didn’t I realize the problem sooner?
Troubled by these thoughts, Rawr Rawr Rabbit moved more slowly than usual.
Once the harvesting was finally complete, it looked down at the soil—Its whole body trembled. Both long ears started to shake uncontrollably.
It was happening. The very thing it feared most.
The land’s “vitality” was fading—rapidly.
Chu Jiu couldn’t sense the change like the bunny could, but he received a system alert:
[Warning! Warning!]
[The soil fertility is rapidly degrading!]
[If the host does not take effective action, this field will become “barren land” and completely lose its agricultural value!]
Chu Jiu’s eyelid twitched slightly—but his expression remained calm.
He patted Rawr Rawr Rabbit on the head.
“Don’t panic. First, bury the Special Natural Fertilizer.”
Rawr Rawr Rabbit immediately followed instructions.
The fertilizer had been specially prepared by Chu Jiu the night before. In addition to the usual bean dregs and fruit peels, he’d added rotting apple chunks for extra nutrients.
Unfortunately, the organic fertilizer didn’t stop the soil’s deterioration.
The system’s red alert kept flashing.
Chu Jiu opened the bamboo basket.
A pile of squirming “long worms” wriggled out.
These were the Gratitude Earthworms.
But the sudden change in environment made them nervous—they tangled up in a wiggling heap in the mud. Even with the tempting scent of rotting apples below, they hesitated to burrow into the soil.
Chu Jiu gently placed Kakaba—his mini capybara—on the ground and said, “Kakaba, it’s your turn.”
The mini capybara nodded, waddled over with its stubby legs, and hopped around the earthworms making expressive gestures.
No one knew exactly how Kakaba communicated with them, but gradually, the tangled worms loosened and began to slither toward the apples.
One by one, they burrowed into the soil and began their natural task: Eat more, poop more.
Chu Jiu stroked Kakaba’s round little head. “Amazing—you really convinced them!”
Kakaba raised its tiny front paws to its mouth, eyes curving joyfully. “Dang dang!”
Why does a capybara say ‘dang dang dang’?
The thought flashed through Chu Jiu’s mind… but he let it go.
His eyes shifted to the land at their feet.
Will this work? Will it be enough to save the soil?
Rawr Rawr Rabbit stared at the earth, ears twisting into a knot atop its head.
Time ticked by.
Normally unable to stay still for even a second, Rawr Rawr Rabbit didn’t move an inch—its red eyes locked on the ground.
Chu Jiu, Little Can (still perched on his shoulder), and Kakaba (now back in his backpack) quietly stayed by its side.
One hour passed.
Suddenly, Rawr Rawr Rabbit’s eyes lit up. It pounced forward, belly flat on the ground, nose twitching wildly as it sniffed the earth.
Then—
[Ding!]
[Soil fertility degradation has stopped. Soil structure is gradually improving.]
Rawr Rawr Rabbit lifted its head, eyes misty with tears, and shouted at Chu Jiu and Little Can:
“Rawr Rawr roar! The land’s alive again! We can grow cabbages and tomatoes again! Rawr Rawr Rawr!”
Half-roaring, half-crying, the little guy raised its front paws and began rubbing its eyes.
Its usual loud roars had become soft sobs.
Little Can clicked its tongue and jumped down, giving Rawr Rawr Rabbit’s forehead a firm paw-pat—just like Chu Jiu often did to it.
Kakaba waddled over and gave Rawr Rawr Rabbit a big hug.
Chu Jiu exhaled in relief. Thank goodness the Gratitude Earthworms worked.
He crouched down and patted the heads of the three little creatures.
“Yep, the land’s alive again! We’ve got a lot more veggies to plant now!”
Rawr Rawr Rabbit had stopped sobbing, but was too choked up to speak—just nodded furiously, ears bouncing with each nod.
As if in response, the system chimed again:
[Spiritual Beast No. 2 has triggered a “Growth” event.]
[Current Growth Level: Level 2]
[New Active Skill Acquired: “Creative Breeding.” When combined with the host’s passive skill “Detail Master,” the beast can attempt to cultivate all kinds of unique seeds and seedlings— even those previously not marked as ‘cultivable.’
Note: Success rate depends on plant rarity, soil fertility, light conditions, and the spiritual beast’s affection for the host.]
[Please continue assigning meaningful work to Spiritual Beast No. 2 and maintain its physical and emotional well-being to support rapid growth.]
Rawr Rawr Rabbit leveled up too?
Just as Chu Jiu had guessed, leveling up really did unlock new abilities!
Also… maybe it was just his imagination, but Rawr Rawr Rabbit’s fur looked glossier than before—and its body slightly larger?
Still, it was barely bigger than before. Chu Jiu could still lift it with one hand. But that didn’t matter—what mattered was growth!
Excited, Chu Jiu glanced at Little Can, who had just curled back up in his pocket, already dozing off.
Hmm…Both Glug Glug and Rawr Rawr Rabbit leveled up through “work”… but Little Can, the first one to arrive, hasn’t shown any sign of growth at all.
Chu Jiu gently asked, “Little Can?”
“Meow?”
“Besides sleeping… is there anything else you’d like to do? Like collecting materials, maybe?”
“Meow.” —“Nope.”
With that, the little cat closed its eyes and promptly went back to sleep.
Chu Jiu sighed and picked up the now-empty bamboo basket to head home.
Just then, the system chimed again:
[Congratulations! You’ve fulfilled the hidden condition: “Use Everyone’s Strengths.”]
[Special active skill unlocked: “Monster Tamer.”]
…Monster Tamer?
Chu Jiu opened the skill description:
[Monster Tamer: The host can capture certain harmless magical creatures and raise them in the “Monster Ranch.” Note: Only monsters clearly marked in the Illustrated Guide can be captured.]
…A monster ranch? What’s that?
Thankfully, the system followed up with an explanation:
[You’ve obtained 1x “Basic Monster Ranch” blueprint]
[Basic Monster Ranch: Allows the host to raise harmless captured monsters; can house up to two monster species at the same time.]
[Blueprint Attribute: This is a facility exclusive to pioneer zones and cannot be directly used in “Honor Zones.”]
[Requirements to build: 1000 Pioneer Points, 50 Hay, 50 Wood, 10 Rope, 1 Spirit Beast]
So that’s it.
Looks like I can start capturing useful monsters and raising them now.
Chu Jiu’s mind turned quickly, and several potentially very useful monsters came to mind—For example, the Black-and-White Spotted Giant Munch Bug that produces “milk,” the Cockatrice that lays eggs regularly, even the Bamboo Flower Chicken and Bamboo Flower Pig from the bamboo forest were pretty solid candidates…
Chu Jiu assigned the ranch-building task to Gulp-Glup.
As for which monsters to raise first, Chu Jiu planned to flip through his illustrated guide that evening and hold a team meeting with the spirit beasts to vote on it—paw-raising style.
With that settled, Chu Jiu turned and headed off toward Bean Village.
Ever since unlocking the “Honor Zone” and discovering the villagers’ professional skills, a certain idea had been brewing in his mind.
Now that the land’s fertility crisis was resolved, and his spirit beasts had been given new jobs to keep them busy and growing, Chu Jiu finally had a moment to act on it.
He went straight to the village chief’s house and asked him to “gather the villager most skilled in weaving.”
Even though Chu Jiu already knew it had to be Cheng Yue, it was still best to have the village chief handle the formalities.
Not long after, Aman brought Cheng Yue over.
Chu Jiu first handed the newly harvested Cotton Seeds to the village chief.
He explained that the fluffy filling used for blankets before had all come from these tiny seeds. Come spring, the villagers could try planting cotton—it might even be more popular than soybeans.
As he said this, Jiu took out a sample of freshly picked Seed Cotton and explained, “This is what cotton looks like when you pick it fresh from the fields.”
“But don’t go selling raw cotton like this straight off the plant—you won’t make much money that way.”
Then, he brought out some Carded Cotton and added, “After processing the cotton bolls like this, it can be used to stuff clothes and bedding.”
He also explained that the blankets he had “sold” to them earlier had been filled with this very carded cotton.
The village chief and Aman nodded repeatedly in understanding, while a glimmer of confusion flickered in Cheng Yue’s eyes.
Chu Jiu caught that look immediately and smiled, “Next, I’ll show everyone how to turn those cotton bolls into this usable cotton.”
He pulled out the Cotton Bow and Ginning Machine he’d prepared and clearly explained how to separate the seeds from the fiber, how to fluff the cotton, and how the ginning machine worked.
Worried he might be explaining too fast, Chu Jiu even grabbed a charcoal stick and sketched diagrams as he spoke.
The village chief and the others listened with rapt attention.
By the end, the way they looked at Chu Jiu was as if they were staring at a generous god.
Such knowledge and craftsmanship—who knew how many silver or gold coins it could be traded for—and this boy was sharing it all for free?
And yet, what shocked the chief even more was what Jiu did next.
Jiu pulled out 60 bundles of carded cotton, nearly covering the entire room.
He said, “This should be enough to make blankets for everyone, and even warm winter clothes—just stuff it into garments like I showed you.”
“Wearing clothes like this will feel like wrapping a blanket around yourself wherever you go. You won’t be afraid of the cold anymore.”
Aman’s eyes went wide at those words.
“You can do that? Then—then we could actually go outside in winter?!”
Because up until now, all winter meant was layering rough linen and stuffing dry grass between layers.
On the coldest days, the whole village would huddle indoors around a fire—no one dared step outside.
Jiu nodded. “You can.”
Aman practically had stars in his eyes as he let out a long, awed breath.
The village chief stared at the warm mountain of cotton with moist eyes and a heart full of emotion.
Before he could thank Chu Jiu, the boy continued—
“Cotton can also be spun into fabric, like wool. You can make clothes out of it too.”
“And the clothes made from it—light, soft, and super comfortable. Whether you keep them or sell them, both are great options.”
Cheng Yue gasped.
She suddenly remembered—just days ago, Chu Jiu had asked her if she knew how to weave with “Cotton flower.”
At the time, she’d thought he was joking. Who would’ve guessed a real plant called “cotton” existed? Or that it could be this amazing?
The village chief was still reeling from the excitement of having cotton to make winter clothes when he was hit with an even bigger shock.
He stood dazed for a while before finally gathering the words to ask:
“Really? It can be woven into cloth as fine as linen—soft enough that even children won’t get rashes from it?”
To him, the finest cloth was fine linen, which only the wealthiest families could afford for undergarments.
For folks in Bean Village? Two sets of coarse linen to rotate between was already luxury. Even babies wore rough cloth.
Chu Jiu replied firmly, “Even softer than that. Absolutely won’t scratch.”
“And making cotton cloth is easier than fine linen and cheaper than wool.”
“If we can master the process, every child in the village will have comfy clothes to wear!”
Chu Jiu’s words were calm and simple.
But the vision they painted sent waves of excitement through everyone in the room.
Every child in comfortable clothes? No more scratchy burlap? No more wishing for clothes only merchants could afford?
It was almost too good to be true. Had someone other than Chu Jiu said this, the village chief probably wouldn’t have believed it.
But since Chu Jiu said it—not a sliver of doubt.
He stared at the pile of cotton with awe, whispering in his heart, What an amazing plant… And the boy who brought it? Even more amazing.
“…But,” Chu Jiu’s tone shifted as he shook his head, “Unfortunately, I don’t actually know how to spin cotton into thread or weave it into fabric.”
He turned to Cheng Yue with sincere eyes: “I’ve only ever heard bits and pieces about spinning. I haven’t even spun a single thread myself.”
“I think… if it were someone skilled in textile work—someone who knows how to comb wool, how to turn it into clothes and socks—they could figure out how to make cotton fabric.”
Cheng Yue’s eyes widened, her cheeks turning pink as she instinctively raised a hand to cover her mouth.
“You mean… me? But… but I…”
She was flustered and at a loss.
To figure out how to turn cotton into soft clothing—that was huge.
And Jiu was… asking her to do it?
But this was her first time ever seeing cotton.
Can I really do this…?
Seeing how nervous and flustered Cheng Yue was, Chu Jiu smiled gently and said, “The wool socks you gave me—those are the best knitted wool socks I’ve ever seen.”
The village chief had already guessed what Chu Jiu was planning and noticed Cheng Yue’s hesitation, so he stepped in to encourage her: “Xiao Yue, you’re the most skilled at weaving in our village. I believe, if anyone can do this, it’s definitely you.”
Even Aman chimed in loudly, “That’s right, Sister Cheng Yue! You’re the best and fastest at weaving, and you can even make patterns! Everyone in the village knows it!”
Hearing this, Cheng Yue slowly lowered her hands, resting them on her knees, tightly clutching the edge of her apron before gradually relaxing her grip. She straightened her back, looked first at the village chief, then at Chu Jiu, and said, “Then… I’ll give it a try.”
Chu Jiu beamed, his eyes crinkling with delight. “Great! That’s wonderful!”
At that very moment, he received a notification from the system:
[Dynamic Notification from “Honor Region—Bean Village”: Under the host’s guidance, a villager with weaving skills has begun to comprehend the “Cotton Cloth” recipe!]
Chu Jiu had actually considered borrowing a spinning wheel and loom from Cheng Yue and trying to figure out the [Cotton Cloth Weaving Recipe] himself.
But in the end, he decided to let Cheng Yue try first.
According to the rules, if a resident comprehended a recipe under his guidance, Chu Jiu could still directly use it. He also wanted to see if there was any difference between a recipe learned by a villager and one he learned himself.
After explaining everything clearly to the village chief and the others, Chu Jiu stood up and stretched lazily, a bright, carefree smile spreading across his face. “Alright, I’m heading back to my little hut now. Gotta go cook for my little guys.”
The villagers all knew Chu Jiu kept small animals like kittens and bunnies as pets—and that he adored them, especially the kitten, which he carried everywhere like a precious treasure.
But little did they know, just beside Chu Jiu’s hut, those “beloved pets” were hard at work hauling bricks and laboring away…
Chu Jiu had once worried—if villagers accidentally saw Rawr Rawr Rabbit farming or Glup-Glup repairing buildings, would they panic? But the system had provided an explanation:
[Local residents cannot perceive the work of spirit beasts.]
[In addition, depending on the public’s level of acceptance, the system may selectively reveal or conceal the results of spirit beast labor.]
In other words, villagers couldn’t see the diligent spirit beasts at work, nor would they necessarily see the fields they planted or the waterwheels they built.
It was a kind of protection for the spirit beasts.
Just as Chu Jiu stood up, the old village chief quickly rose too.
He had so many things he wanted to say.
But looking at all the items Chu Jiu had brought, and remembering all the skills and knowledge he’d shared, the old man realized that any words of thanks felt far too inadequate.
So he simply said, “Xiao Jiu, you’ve done so much for everyone… I don’t even know how to begin to thank you.”
“If you ever run into trouble, please tell me. We may not be able to do much, but we’ll try to help however we can.”
Chu Jiu didn’t take that part too seriously—but hearing the village chief say “done so much” still made his heart flutter a bit. He replied earnestly:
“No, what I’ve done isn’t much at all.”
“Compared to what you and the other elders have done, I’ve really done nothing.”
To live and survive in such a barren place, and to raise so many orphans without any family of their own…
People like the old village chief—and a village like this—they deserved a better life.
By the time Chu Jiu stepped out of the chief’s house, it was already late afternoon.
He was thinking about what kind of delicious food he should make for his spirit beasts tonight when he saw two elderly villagers walking toward him, waving as they came.
One was Granny Hao, the other was Grandpa Du—the old hunter who used to roast wild rabbits for Aman.
What could they want? Maybe to trade for some fish or something?
Chu Jiu quickly walked over. To his surprise, Granny Hao shakily removed the basket from her arm and handed it to him:
“Xiao Jiu, these are the little fish I roasted—from the river.”
“We know you can catch big fish from the forest. These are much smaller than those… but—but I swear my roasted little fish, not to brag, are the best in the village.”
“You have to try some.”
Sure enough, inside the basket were rows of tiny fish no longer than a palm, roasted until the skin was golden brown and crispy.
Just then, Grandpa Du also handed over a clay jar. “Ah Jiu, this is some honey I found today on the back mountain… We don’t really like sweets anymore, so if you don’t mind, please take it.”
The jar held a light brown, translucent, fragrant paste—it was real honey, a precious ingredient made by bees.
Chu Jiu knew full well: in an era like this, where condiments were rare and high-calorie foods even rarer, who wouldn’t like honey? Back when he gave Aman a small jar, the kid had been overjoyed, saying he wanted to bring it home for his grandpa.
Marco had even told him that honey was a luxury product welcomed by traveling merchants and cities alike—selling for 100 copper coins a jar.
So Grandpa Du was clearly just using that as an excuse to make sure Chu Jiu would accept the gift.
Chu Jiu didn’t refuse. He carefully took the humble yet precious food and said solemnly, “Thank you. These are all really useful to me.”
Just then, the system gave another notification:
[Appropriately accepting a villager’s return gift increases favorability. +200 Development Points]
…So it turns out, besides completing quests and giving gifts, you could also earn development points by accepting return gifts?
Back at the hut, Chu Jiu shared Granny Hao’s roasted fish with Little Can, and tasted Grandpa Du’s honey with Glup-Glup.
He took a bite of the grilled fish—though small, the meat was tender and perfectly cooked. Crispy on the outside, soft inside—definitely worthy of being called “the village’s best roasted small fish.”
He drank a little honey water—the flavor wasn’t as rich as the [Premium Bloodbee Honey], nor did it have the special effects like “relieves stress,” but it was sweet and pleasant. Honestly, it tasted way better than any wine from Emerald Town.
In short, both were rare delicacies.
Unfortunately, Little Can and Gulp-Glup didn’t seem interested at all.
Gulp-Glup twitched its little tentacles hesitantly in front of the cup, then whispered, “Umm… I don’t think I’m very hungry.”
Chu Jiu knew that was its polite way of saying “I don’t like it.”
Little Can was more straightforward.
Chu Jiu offered a small piece of grilled fish to his mouth—but instead of taking it, the little guy glared at him, then silently hopped away.
Chu Jiu: “…”
Was it just his imagination, or did that glare from Little Can say: “Dried fish? I only eat the ones you make.”
Well then.
Looks like the spirit beasts he raised would only eat food made by him.
Still…
After finishing two small grilled fish and half a cup of honey water, another thought popped into Chu Jiu’s mind:
Could it be possible to raise bees artificially in Bean Village?
