Clan Cultivation: Starting from Beast Taming

The rat plague in Cangzhou actually has a long history.

This place is full of mountains and mines, truly a paradise for Gold-Eating Rats. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Every few years, a rat plague would occur.

In history, there had even been an instance where a third-order Rat King led over a hundred thousand Gold-Eating Rats to seize an Earth Vein.

That time, more than a hundred thousand Gold-Eating Rats took just a few short days to dig out most of the Spirit Gold ore within a mine.

And because that third-order Rat King was extremely sensitive to danger and was proficient in both Earth Escape and Metal Escape techniques, even several Golden Core Stage cultivators couldn’t harm a single hair on it.

It wasn’t until Nascent Soul Stage cultivators personally took action and used great Divine Skills to kill that third-order Rat King and several second-order Rat Demons that the rat plague was quelled.

In comparison to that major event, the appearance of the second-order Mutant Gold-Eating Rat King this time was nothing significant, and it wasn’t enough to alarm the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

At this moment, after listening to Hu Changyou’s words, Zhou Chun pondered for a moment before looking at him and saying, "Asking Zhou to eradicate the rats isn’t a big problem, but how will the reward be calculated?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Changyou immediately responded, "The reward is easy to handle. As long as Taoist Friend Zhou can kill that second-order Mutant Gold-Devouring Rat King, you will receive a reward of two thousand Spirit Coins, and the other Gold-Eating Rats will be compensated according to the existing rat eradication task rewards."

Zhou Chun, upon hearing his answer, immediately shook his head and said, "No, that reward is too low. That’s a second-order Mutant Gold-Devouring Rat King we’re talking about. Its corpse alone is worth several hundred Spirit Coins!"

"Taoist Friend Zhou has misunderstood; if you can kill that Mutant Gold-Devouring Rat King, its corpse will also belong to you,"

Hu Changyou hurriedly explained.

But Zhou Chun still shook his head and said, "That won’t do either. I have no interest in undertaking a task where the risks and rewards are so unequal."

Without waiting for Hu Changyou to persuade further, he continued, "Besides, Taoist Friend Hu must also be aware of my true identity by now. A mere two thousand Spirit Coins are not considered a large sum to Zhou."

Hu Changyou fell silent after hearing his words.

He had inquired about the Zhou Family in the marketplace over the past few days and had a basic understanding of the situation.

Of course, he knew that Zhou Chun’s current identity was that of the Vice Clan Leader of the Zhou Family, and he held real power.

Now, hearing Zhou Chun’s words, it was evident he was dissatisfied with the reward offered by Cangzhou and wanted a higher compensation.

He could only nod and say, "Alright then, I’ll go back and convey Taoist Friend Zhou’s thoughts. Is there anything else you want me to convey?"

After a moment of consideration, Zhou Chun said in a low voice, "You can tell them that I’m not too short of Spirit Coins, but rather in need of some Spiritual Objects that can help a Spirit Pet advance to the second stage. If they can provide Earth Spirit Stone Milk, Five-Turn Earth Spirit Mushrooms, Earth Dragon Fruits, or information related to them, I can head over immediately."

"Okay, I’ll remember Taoist Friend Zhou’s words, and I will take my leave for now."

After finishing his words, Hu Changyou gave Zhou Chun a deep look and left.

"Safe travels, Taoist Friend Hu."

Zhou Chun responded before quickly heading back to his family’s mountain gate.

He was in no rush. If the rat plague were so easy to eradicate, it wouldn’t be considered a plague.

Rats, once they begin to proliferate, their number can be astonishing.

The conditions restricting the breeding of these creatures are often related to food availability.

For a Demon Beast like the Gold-Eating Rat, breeding without restraint could easily lead to two litters a year.

Hence, if the rat plague isn’t cleared in time, as the rat population grows, they will inevitably steal and feed on the Spirit Gold ore in the Earth Veins for survival.

By then, the losses would be many times greater than the compensation Zhou Chun was currently asking for.

As expected, less than a month after Zhou Chun’s negotiation with Hu Changyou, Hu returned to Jiufeng Ridge, heading straight for Pagoda Peak.

"The conditions set by you, Taoist Friend Zhou, have been agreed upon. As long as you can eliminate the rat plague, they are willing to give you a bowl of Earth Spirit Stone Milk."

Upon Pagoda Peak, when the two met again, Hu Changyou got straight to the point.

"Just one bowl of Earth Spirit Stone Milk?"

Zhou Chun frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with the reward.

Seeing this, Hu Changyou couldn’t help but explain, "One bowl is already quite a lot. A milk stone that produces Earth Spirit Stone Milk might only yield about a basin in a hundred years, which roughly amounts to less than ten bowls!"

"Furthermore, this item has a wide range of uses and is typically consumed as soon as it’s found. It’s very hard to find under normal circumstances."

After hearing this, Zhou Chun’s frown softened.

He then looked at Hu and spoke, "Then first tell me, who exactly is the employer this time?"

Without hesitation, Hu Changyou answered, "The main Earth Vein affected by this rat plague belongs to the Zhao Family of Cangzhou, a very valuable Glowing Gold Copper mine. It cost them a great deal to secure this mine, so they cannot simply watch these Gold-Eating Rats spoil it."

"The Zhao Family of Cangzhou, if I remember correctly, they have Golden Core Stage cultivators. Can’t their clan’s Golden Core Stage cultivator catch that Mutant Gold-Devouring Rat King?"

Zhou Chun looked surprised as a look of astonishment crossed his face.

Although it is accepted that experts have their specialties, and Golden Core Stage cultivators can’t know everything,

With the capabilities of a Golden Core Stage cultivator, whether it’s locating a rat nest or employing the Earth-Splitting Mountain-Opening technique, it shouldn’t be too challenging.

"This is the most troublesome part, the nest of those Gold-Eating Rats is located near a node on an Earth Vein of Glowing Gold Iron ore."