Chen Zhou lay comfortably in his Ghost Domain for three days.
Watching the new villagers diligently producing materials in the lumberyard and mine, and seeing the resources in the warehouse grow steadily, Chen Zhou felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
The only pity was that among the newly arrived villagers, no character like Li Dazhu appeared to break the balance. They hadn't dug up any rare materials, leaving him with fewer unexpected surprises.
When bored, Chen Zhou would tease the sulking Plague Rat. The little mouse cursed and swore every day, yet it couldn't break free from its shackles and could only give up in despair.
During these three days, Hong Ling also thoroughly demonstrated her management talents.
The distribution of supplies for over a hundred people, the scheduling of work and rest, and the rotation of shifts were all organized by her in an orderly fashion.
She even clearly divided who was responsible for drying jerky and who was responsible for carrying water, ensuring not a single bit of chaos occurred. This saved Chen Zhou a lot of worry.
He had already personally appointed her as the acting village chief.
On the morning of the fourth day, Chen Zhou left the Ghost Domain to inspect the work.
Just as he arrived near the lumberyard, he felt something tugging at the corner of his clothes.
Looking down, he saw it was actually the Plague Rat.
The little mouse's tail drooped, yet it still wore an untamable and defiant expression.
'It was stifling to death in that broken place. Lord Rat is coming out for some air, what's it to you?'
Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow but did not refuse.
He still intended to fully take this 5th-stage Ghost Attendant for his own use and never planned to keep it imprisoned in the Ghost Domain forever. Pushing the Plague Rat too far would actually be counterproductive.
The Plague Rat followed behind Chen Zhou, looking here and there with eyes full of curiosity.
Seeing the twisted trees of the Yin-Wind Lumberyard, the Plague Rat curled its lip. 'Is this your aesthetic as an evil spirit? It's hideously ugly.'
Spotting the silver glow of the Wailing Mine, the Plague Rat mocked again, 'Are these broken stones even worth digging? You're so pathetic; have you really never seen anything good?'
Its mouth was full of disparagement, yet its footsteps never stopped. It even leaned in to sniff the jerky being dried by the villagers.
When they reached the spirit field, the Plague Rat finally couldn't hold back.
'You're an evil spirit, why are you raising these lowly humans?'
'They're weak and troublesome. You'd be better off just eating them; you'd increase your strength faster that way.'
'You're so weak, even Lord Rat feels embarrassed to be seen with you. How did I end up with such a weakling ghost master?'
Chen Zhou smiled. "They aren't troublesome. These are all my treasures."
The Plague Rat rolled its eyes and was about to retort when it heard footsteps approaching from not far away.
Two villagers tending the spirit field passed by carrying hoes. Seeing the Plague Rat on the ground, one of them laughed.
"Oh, look! This rat is so small, it's actually quite cute."
The other person curled his lip. "It's just a thing that steals grain. We should catch it and throw it away." Saying this, he put down his hoe and reached out to grab it.
"Bullshit!"
The Plague Rat's fur immediately stood on end. A fierce light flashed in its crimson eyes, and dark green fiendish energy was about to surge when it was suppressed by Chen Zhou's death energy.
'What kind of thing are you to think you're worthy of touching your Lord Rat? Believe it or not, Lord Rat will make your whole body sprout sores and rot you to the bone!'
The Plague Rat shrieked in anger. Although its fiendish energy was largely suppressed by Chen Zhou because of the contract, even a residual trace was enough to instantly overwhelm the two villagers.
The two froze, their faces turning pale as they retreated. Their legs went weak, and they nearly collapsed to the ground.
Villagers working nearby heard the commotion and swarmed over.
As soon as they clearly saw the Plague Rat's crimson eyes and that faint, ethereal aura of evil, the crowd erupted.
"The rat can talk!"
"This... how is this a normal rat! It's become a spirit, hasn't it?"
"As expected of the spirit field bestowed by the Great Deity. Even the rats stealing grain in the field can become spirits!"
Most villagers no longer feared monsters much. This was a land protected by a deity; what monster would dare to behave atrociously under the deity's nose?
"We just saw off the snake demon, and now a rat demon comes. Our territory is getting more and more lively!"
"May the Great Deity protect us! Please come and capture this monster!"
"Well said! Please appear quickly, Great One, and slay this demon!"
The Plague Rat already hated being compared to a demon. Now, provoked by the villagers' words, it grew even more infuriated.
"You lowly insects, you're going to make this rat die of anger!!!"
It wanted to shout more threats, but then it saw Hong Ling quickly pushing through the crowd.
As the acting village chief personally appointed by the deity and one of the only two people bestowed with divine power, she felt it was her duty to protect everyone's safety.
Her gaze swept across and instantly caught sight of the hazy, white-clothed figure behind the Plague Rat. She immediately dropped to her knees, her voice respectful. "I greet you, Great One."
Although the villagers couldn't see Chen Zhou, they all knew that Hong Ling could behold the deity's true form.
This matter had spread throughout the territory three days ago. There was no one who didn't feel envious. To be able to see the true face of the deity they revered—this was a favor that not even Shitou possessed!
But everyone was also very convinced by Hong Ling, not only because she was the strongest, but also because of her intelligence and talent.
Seeing this, many people followed suit and knelt on the ground. The noisy chatter turned into a synchronized bow.
"We pay our respects to the Great Deity!"
The Plague Rat curled its lip and muttered in a small voice that only Chen Zhou could hear, 'You really have a sick sense of humor.'
'Raising a bunch of crawling insects just to have them praise you and please you?'
'How vulgar!!!'
Chen Zhou didn't explain much. Instead, he gave Hong Ling an instruction.
"It is nothing. This rat is named the Plague Rat; he is my attendant. There is no need for fear. In the future, when you see him, treat him as you would treat me."
Hong Ling acknowledged loudly and then relayed Chen Zhou's decree.
A quick-witted villager suddenly slapped his thigh in realization.
"So this isn't a monster that harms people! It's an attendant subdued by the Great One!"
"Right, right! He must have been sent by the Great One to help us watch over the territory!"
"No wonder he looks so intelligent. So he's a divine messenger. This is an auspicious sign!"
Even the two men who had been farming bowed to the Plague Rat. "So it's the Divine Messenger! We were blind and offended you. We hope you will not blame us!"
"An auspicious sign? Me?"
The Plague Rat looked strange.
In all its years of life, this was the first time anyone had called a rat an auspicious sign.
Did these people not hear its name?
Don't they know it represents plague?
Does anyone really view a plague as a lucky omen?
Absurd!
Hong Ling stood up and gave a slight bow to the Plague Rat, her tone respectful. "Greetings, Lord Rat."
The surrounding villagers also followed suit, shouting, "Greetings, Lord Rat!"
The Plague Rat's bristling fur softened slightly. Its tail quietly perked up, and it gradually lost itself in the repeated cries of "Lord Rat."
Being addressed this way made the Plague Rat feel comfortable all over. It even found Hong Ling much more pleasing to the eye. It puffed out its chest and said,
"That's right, Lord Rat is indeed an auspicious sign!"
"You little girl actually have quite the eye. From now on, I'll be covering for you!"
Hong Ling smiled knowingly. She didn't take the words to heart but solemnly thanked the Plague Rat.
After enjoying a round of flattery, the Plague Rat turned to look at Chen Zhou.
"Hey, it seems the humans you're raising aren't too bad. Lord Rat grudgingly admits you have some taste."
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