Chapter Eleven: Making a Living

Xu Chen sat inside a simple tent, watching the monkeys outside chopping trees, carrying stones, and building houses. These monkeys were organized, skilled in their craft, and before long, the foundations of a courtyard spanning ten acres had already been laid.

The elder monkey in hemp robes, after disappearing into the dense forest for a short while, soon returned and approached Xu Chen, carrying a jar of wine.

“Sir, this is Monkey Wine, brewed by our clan of Wine Monkeys. Please have a taste,” the old monkey said with a smile.

“No spirit coins required?” Xu Chen glanced at the old monkey.

“It’s a gift for you, Sir, free of charge.”

“Impressive—one-stop service, from site selection to construction, and even a return gift,” Xu Chen couldn’t help but praise as he watched the professional monkeys at work.

“Just doing the jobs human cultivators don’t want, so we can earn a living,” the old monkey replied modestly.

“I’ve seen many nonhuman tribes in the sect. What’s the sect’s attitude toward you?” Xu Chen asked curiously.

“All the nonhuman tribes within the sect have existed since before the Great Creek Sect was established. For convenience, they kept us here, and we’ve thrived and passed down our lineage ever since.”

Xu Chen took out two large ceramic bowls, poured the monkey wine into them, and pushed one toward the old monkey.

“Don’t worry, Sir. These monkeys are the best at building caves and mansions; at most, it’ll take a day to finish your residence,” the old monkey said, flattered as he received the bowl of wine.

“If you ever need help with miscellaneous chores in your immortal abode, just call upon our Wine Monkeys. We can handle anything,” the old monkey added, draining his bowl and continuing to advertise his services.

“How do you charge for that?” Xu Chen took a sip of the monkey wine, feeling a warm current flow through his body.

“No fixed fee. If you’re satisfied, just reward us as you see fit.”

While they spoke, a group of monkeys each a full zhang tall approached, carrying a pile of massive stones—some as large as houses themselves.

“Even monkeys at the Treasure Body stage are doing this work,” Xu Chen remarked.

Each of those gigantic stones must weigh hundreds of thousands of jin; only those at the Treasure Body stage could lift them.

“This is a good job—monkeys at the Treasure Body stage fight over it!” The old monkey looked as if he’d stumbled into a great opportunity.

“Have you ever considered working in a human city? A Treasure Body stage worker could make several hundred spirit coins a month.”

Xu Chen often saw nonhumans working in Cloud Beast City, and they seemed to be doing quite well.

“You may not know, Sir, but only nonhumans with a powerful human backer can work in human cities. As for these ones, if they dared to go, they wouldn’t last three days,” the old monkey said, gesturing at the Treasure Body monkeys.

“I see.” Xu Chen understood; even in his previous life, old ladies collecting bottles and boxes had their own territories.

After a day, a courtyard spanning ten acres was completed, with artificial hills and gardens within.

“Sir, your ten formation flags are just enough to cover the entire courtyard. Aside from a six-acre training field, we’ve landscaped the rest for you,” the old monkey reported.

The old monkey led Xu Chen past the training field and into a stone archway, where Xu Chen saw landscaping reminiscent of mansions in the river towns of the south.

“Truly professional,” he exclaimed.

“In addition to your rest and reception rooms, there are five guest rooms, an alchemy chamber, a talisman studio, a forge, and a treasure pavilion,” the old monkey said. Everything Xu Chen could have wished for, the old monkey had already built.

“Worth every spirit coin,” Xu Chen remarked. Each room was ready to live in, needing only some furnishings—which he happened to have in his storage pouch.

After the tour, the old monkey departed.

With a turn of his hand, Xu Chen produced ten formation flags and, following the instructions in his jade slip, placed them at various points around the courtyard. Each flag released a ray of spiritual light that converged in the sky, forming a bowl-shaped barrier to shield the courtyard.

“The simplest mist array—just like the one at home,” Xu Chen muttered, examining the formation and curling his lip. Even someone at the Blood and Qi stage could break it with a bit of effort.

“Still, better than nothing.”

By now, dusk had fallen. Xu Chen lit a lamp, illuminating the room as bright as day.

“Now that I’ve officially joined the sect, I should write home to let my parents know.”

He took out brush and paper, placed them on his newly made wooden desk, and began to write.

“Father, Mother, though this letter finds you far away, may it be as if I were by your side. Your son has entered the Great Creek Sect, and all is well…”

He wrote without pause for a full hour, pouring all his longing and the events of his entry into the sect into the letter, and included his new address.

He filled four large sheets before reluctantly setting his brush aside.

He placed the letter in a specially made envelope, wrote his address and his father’s name on it, and tossed it out the window.

The letter floated upward like a feather, passed easily through the formation barrier, and soared a hundred zhang into the sky.

A graceful, snow-white courier crane swooped down, seized the letter, and flew away into the heavens.

Xu Chen sat by the window, gazing at the bright moon, and couldn’t help feeling a pang of homesickness.

“Seems I’m not training hard enough—if I were, I wouldn’t have time to miss home.”

He closed the window, sat cross-legged on his bed, and entered the Sacred White Space.

With practiced ease, he pushed open the doors of the Six Sacred Ape Forms.

“Your grandfather’s here!”

Ever since Xu Chen discovered that no matter what he said—good or bad—it couldn’t affect the attitude of his doppelganger in the room, he had stopped holding back.

“Come on, you little weakling who can’t last more than thirty moves, a useless brat who took six years just to reach the Blood and Qi stage.”

The doppelganger readied his stance, the phantom of the Sacred Ape roaring behind him.

Xu Chen charged, layers of blood and qi power stacking around him.

The first ten moves were evenly matched; for the next ten, he barely held on. After move twenty-eight, a careless moment let his doppelganger catch him by the foot.

What followed was a classic scene: Xu Chen, like a broken sack, was slammed to the ground dozens of times before finally collapsing.

In less than ten breaths, Xu Chen’s consciousness reformed, and he pushed open the door to challenge again.

“Come on, again—let’s continue!”

After ten consecutive challenges, Xu Chen finally managed to endure thirty-two moves.

Returning to his body, he was immediately overcome with weakness, collapsed onto the bed, and fell asleep at once.

At dawn, Xu Chen made breakfast from spirit rice he had brought with him.

“Should I hire a nonhuman to cook for me?” he mused over breakfast, recalling the old monkey’s suggestion.

“I’ll think about it later.”

After eating, he went to the training field and began practicing the Six Sacred Ape Forms. By noon, he finished his training, left the courtyard, and raised his disciple token.

Soon, a giant flying goose landed before him.

“To the nearest market,” Xu Chen said, vaulting onto the goose’s back.

“One spirit coin, let’s go!”

The goose flapped its wings and soared toward a distant mountain range.

“Only after reaching the Treasure Body stage will I have enough spiritual power to control magical tools. When that day comes, I must buy a flying boat—these daily flights are too costly,” Xu Chen fretted.

The nearest market was on a mountaintop, bustling with activity. As soon as Xu Chen landed, he saw four female disciples of the Tricolored Fox Clan stationed at the entrance.

“This market is run by a steward from the Tricolored Fox Clan; the goods inside are relatively affordable,” the flying goose informed him before spreading its wings and flying away.