Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

The first page contains the autobiography of the White Lotus Hermit.

“Since childhood, I have been reading the Compendium of Monsters. Different people have compiled different compendiums, and some of them are very different from what I have seen with my own eyes.”

"If readers believe the errors in the classics, they may suffer injuries or even die. Therefore, I have compiled another book on monsters for those who are interested."

“Since I was twenty years old, I have recorded the monsters I have seen in the classics, combined with the works of my predecessors, and supplemented them with illustrations, and classified them into categories.”

"There are countless demons in the world, and thousands of wild beasts that have become spirits by chance. These demons are innumerable and cannot be distinguished. However, wild beasts that can become spirits or demons, unless they have a chance encounter, mostly have the bloodline of demons, which are subspecies. The types of subspecies are too numerous to count even if they have the power to overturn the heavens. Therefore, I only remember the source of the bloodline. If any demons you see have similarities, you can use them for reference."

"Note: All of the names listed are based on my personal experience, totaling 236 kinds of naturally occurring demonic beasts, without any falsehood."

Zhuang Xing lay on the bed, scrolling through the titles of the demonic texts with his amulet as if flipping through a tablet computer.

At the very beginning is something like a catalog, which records the names and brief descriptions of various monsters.

Snake-dragon, white fish, bee-old, bear-transformation, mermaid, deer-like creature, fox spirit, dog demon...

With just a glance, Zhuang Xing saw many monsters he had never heard of before.

Simply touch those names with the talisman and you will be redirected to a page with extremely detailed information about the demon, including how old the White Lotus Hermit was when he encountered the demon, what happened afterward, and a reference picture.

Zhuang Xing was overjoyed; this book on demons alone was extremely valuable.

Remember, knowledge is wealth.

Fear stems from the unknown. When faced with something you've never seen before, and unsure how to deal with it, it's natural to feel hesitant to take action.

In the past, people were afraid of thunder, believing it to be the wrath of the heavens. To appease the heavens' anger, they would even offer human sacrifices. However, in modern times, after understanding the principles of thunder, people have been able to create lightning rods and other similar devices to avoid the risk of being struck by lightning and eliminate their fear of thunder itself.

With this catalog of demons as a reference, Zhuang Xing could naturally find the corresponding "lightning rod" just like he was studying "thunder".

Who would complain about knowing too much? Besides, Zhuang Xing has an excellent memory. He only needs to spend a little time to memorize all these items, which will surely come in handy in the future.

This guide to demons greatly piqued his interest. It consisted of twenty-four pieces of white jade. He decided to take a closer look at the guide tonight, regardless of what was recorded on the other pieces of white jade.

The knowledge that is memorized becomes one's own, but techniques, supernatural powers, talismans... these things are not useful to memorize. They cannot be learned overnight. Even if you spend time practicing, you may lack the talent in that area, resulting in wasted effort.

Let's focus on mastering what we can control first, and then talk about spiritual practice.

He was extremely interested in two kinds of demons, namely the tiger demon and the rat demon that he had seen with his own eyes.

He deliberately searched for names related to tiger demons and rat demons, and soon made a discovery.

"The 123rd item: Platinum Rat. This rat has pure white fur, and its ears, feet and eye sockets are reddish gold. If its ears and feet are not red, it is an ordinary white rat."

Zhuang Xing recalled the appearance of the white rat he had seen during the day. The rat's ears, forelimbs, and hindlimbs were indeed red, and they shone with a golden luster.

He clicked on the name of the platinum rat and looked at it carefully.

An illustration appeared before his eyes, bearing a striking resemblance to the white rat he had seen during the day. However, this one was much larger, about four or five times the size of the white rat, and had longer fur. It looked less like a rat and more like a guinea pig, roughly the size of a house cat, round and chubby, with an endearingly clumsy appearance.

Continuing on, we find the account of the White Lotus Hermit:

"On my 32nd birthday, a friend gave me a purebred platinum rat. It was very intelligent and gentle, but it had a special appetite. It loved to eat gold and jade. Although it could eat ordinary food, it would only eat gold and jade."

"The platinum rat is rare and is an auspicious beast. Legend has it that the cloud rat turns white at five hundred years old. If you dig up its place, you will find gold and jade."

"Platinum rats are born with the ability to dig underground, and their ability to burrow underground is first-rate in the world. They are timid and suspicious by nature and do not like to show their faces to others. Even if you are lucky enough to find their traces, they will disappear into the world in the blink of an eye."

"Those who are fortunate enough to be associated with the Platinum Rat can often profit from it. In many ancient books, this rat is called the Treasure-Seeking Rat. It can find gold and spiritual mines that no one knows about, and even treasures in tombs, so that people can enjoy wealth and honor."

"I do not like wealth outside of my possessions, so I keep pets and do not restrain them much."

"This rat has been with me for more than eight years. One morning, I would see the white gold rat carrying a treasure on my pillow. It was a woman's hairpin, extremely gorgeous, decorated with the feathers of a fire phoenix. Later, I learned that Empress Qingcheng had lost the Emperor's gift. I laughed and kept the hairpin in the cabinet, never showing it to anyone."

"Eight years later, the platinum rat, having lived indoors for so long, gradually became haggard and was no longer as round and plump as it once was. Knowing that it disliked the bustling city and preferred to live a solitary and free life, I released it back into the wild."

"I often think of the platinum rat, whose fur is as soft as snow and is perfect for pillowing. I have never found such a comforting pillow since."

"One day, when I returned to my room, I found a golden Buddha in the palm of my hand on my pillow. I didn't see any mouse, but I could see mouse hair. I was overjoyed and drank until late at night. However, I did not encounter any mouse. I could only get drunk and fall asleep."

"If someone sees a white gold rat, they can try to capture it. However, if this rat is captured by a person, it will often starve to death. This rat is harmless to people. If the rat does not eat after being captured, persuade it to return to the mountains and fields and give it its freedom. That would be a good thing."

This concludes Bai Lian Jushi's complete description of the White Gold Rat.

Zhuang Xing read it with great interest. Although it was just an introduction to the platinum rat, the layman described it in a very interesting way, not just a dry and boring popular science article.

He looked at them and matched the white rats and platinum rats he had seen during the day with each other.

It is intelligent, gentle, possesses the ability to burrow underground, and loves to eat gold and jade; it is also known as the Treasure-Seeking Rat...

Based on this, there's a 90% chance that the white mouse is a platinum mouse.

But it's so small, is it because it hasn't grown up yet? Is it still in its infancy?

However, its size is too different from the one in the illustration. Zhuang Xing couldn't tell from the white rat's soft fur either. He felt that the white rat was not purebred, but rather a subspecies.

However... the Platinum Rat is actually such an auspicious beast.

Zhuang Xing did save its life, so you could say they formed a bond, right?

I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see it again. If I had known, I wouldn't have been in such a hurry to get rid of it. I should have gotten to know that platinum rat better. Maybe I could have gotten some benefits in the future, just like I did with the jade slip I found today.

This is a lack of knowledge. If he had known earlier that the white rat was the Platinum Rat, he certainly wouldn't have hesitated. Before cutting the grass with his sword, he would have tried to get closer to the Platinum Rat.

It's too late to regret it now; the white rat has vanished without a trace, and we don't know where we'll meet again.

Chapter 34 The Changing World

After examining the platinum rat, Zhuang Xing continued his search for the name of the tiger demon. Although he found a demon that could transform into a human called the Red Tiger, its description differed significantly from that of the tiger demon.

After all, it's already a demon that can transform and speak. At this level, it probably can no longer be simply categorized into one type. That tiger demon should be treated as a separate, special individual.

Just like the children in the village, they are all human beings, but when they grow up, some will go to farm, while others will become carpenters and blacksmiths.

We should not place too much faith in classic texts and outlines. Bai Lian Jushi mentioned this point many times in his book. Practice is the only criterion for testing truth.

Zhuang Xing lay on the bed and carefully read the book of monsters. Because the jade slip displayed its contents in a glowing form, it was easier to see in the dark.

He was adept at using the jade slip; it was like a tablet computer that didn't need charging.

He didn't read them in order. He basically glanced at the descriptions of very powerful and majestic monsters like the dragon and the phoenix and skipped them.

He focused his reading on rats, ducks, snakes, chickens, and other small, ordinary creatures that one might encounter.

The White Lotus Hermit recorded the demons he encountered almost like a diary, giving it the feel of reading a bedtime story.

Zhuang Xing was so engrossed in watching that he felt no sleepiness at all. It wasn't until he heard the rooster crow that he realized it was already morning.

As dawn broke, the sound of burning firewood and boiling water came from outside; it was Mother and Father making tofu.

The excitement quickly faded, and drowsiness washed over him. He blinked and couldn't help but yawn.

Sleeping and eating are essential aspects of life. A person who cannot sleep well or eat properly is unlikely to achieve anything.

In any situation, he should try his best to get enough sleep so that he can be in the best condition to greet each day.

He patted his cheeks and touched the white jade again with the amulet. Instantly, the white jade dimmed and returned to its ordinary appearance.

Then he put the jade slip back into the box and tried to lock the box by inserting the talisman into the keyhole.

He turned the amulet, and with a click, the mechanism of the box seemed to turn slightly. He tried to pry it open, but it was indeed impossible to open.

This metal box looks much simpler than the jade box, but it can sprout grass roots and interact with the amulet, clearly indicating that it is a magical artifact.

It's best not to flaunt your wealth. When you're not using the jade slip, it's better to lock it away in a box.

Zhuang Xing hid the box under his pillow, lay down, closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself down.

Although I still want to keep watching, I can't stay up so late anymore.

His breathing gradually calmed down, and he soon fell asleep.

I slept until noon.

He was lured by the aroma of the food and went to the kitchen to find that his mother had already set the table with the dishes.

"Mom, didn't you wake me up for breakfast this morning?" Zhuang Xing rubbed his eyes.

"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake you," Mother smiled. "What were you thinking about last night? Why did you stay in bed until late morning?"

"I miss my mother's cooking." Zhuang Xing stepped forward and threw himself into his mother's arms.

Although he is five years old, he still likes to stick close to his mother.

There's nothing I can do; he's just a mama's boy.

Who doesn't love their own mother?

His mother patted his head, took a wooden comb, and combed his messy hair.

My father was still working in the fields. At noon, only my mother and Zhuang Xing were at home.

After eating, he played around with his mother for a while, and then, as usual, went to the fields to deliver food to his father.

Because he had an appointment with Yunling at dusk, he stayed by the field to help his father with chores.

Today, my father borrowed the old yellow ox from the village and used it to plow and sow seeds in the fields after weeding.

Zhuang Xing sat on the grass, gazing at the field, and casually picked up a white pebble from the ground.

He recalled the words left by the White Lotus Hermit, "Therefore, I left this jade slip and hid it in Taihu Lake."

Was this land once a place called Taihu Lake?

Indeed, one can see traces of a lake, such as the pebbles scattered everywhere. Clearly, the place where he is standing now was a body of water many years ago.

But now, Taihu Lake is gone; all that remains is the small mountain village where he lived, and these reclaimed fields.

Taihu Lake, judging from the name, sounds like a very, very large lake, perhaps with no end in sight.

The White Lotus Hermit is the one who hid the jade slip in such a large lake. Yesterday, after reading many of the hermit's diaries, he roughly figured out the hermit's personality.

The layman was accomplished at a young age and possessed extraordinary talent. Zhuang Xing could roughly sense why the layman hid the jade slip at the bottom of Taihu Lake.

Those who cannot enter the lake to learn the simple truth are not worthy of learning my way.

He must have had this thought in mind when he hid the jade slip in an extremely deep lake, where dangerous monsters might even be dwelling.

But the layman probably never imagined that, with the changing times, the waters of Taihu Lake would dry up and become flat land, and in the end, the jade slip would fall into the hands of a child with no ability.

How many people remember the name of that boy who slew a dragon at the age of twelve and became famous throughout the world at the age of fifteen?

The White Lotus Hermit, too, has probably turned into a handful of dust, like the lotus flower on the box, disappearing into the world.

Zhuang Xing sighed slightly, thinking that a hundred years of human life is but a drop in the ocean compared to the vastness of the universe.