Dao of Money

Chapter 61: Locust extermination

A few days passed since Chen Ren’s arrival in Meadow Village, and as time went on, he slowly became accustomed to the peaceful surroundings. The relentless pace of Cloud Mist City, with its endless hustle and clamor, was replaced by a calm quietness that now seemed to settle into his bones.

While the city was vibrant and full of opportunity, there was something about the simplicity of village life—its unhurried days and open, beautiful skies—that made it grow on him. As the days passed, Chen Ren found himself appreciating the stillness more and more, realizing that it was somewhere he could build the foundation for what he wanted.

The cleaning of the houses had been quick. With the help of Chief Muyang’s men, and the reluctant cooperation of the bandits-turned-villagers, the once-neglected properties were now livable. The rooms were divided up, each person having their own designated space, though the children would be sharing, much to their displeasure. The houses were simple but functional, with enough space for everyone to settle comfortably.

Among the tasks he had in mind, the most important was setting up rooms dedicated to his work. Therefore, he made one of the houses become his laboratory, the other his office. The laboratory was the place where he would experiment with new ideas—alchemy, arrays, talismans and product creation in order to advance his business. The office was a space where he could strategize, organize, and reflect on his next moves. He needed both of the spaces.

Having his own office, with the rustic, modest furniture arranged, filled him with a sense of accomplishment. It satisfied the part of him that had always dreamed of running his own business—a college graduate who had once spent hours looking for jobs, imagining what it would be like to one day sit behind a desk and make the decisions. Now, the office felt like a symbol of his journey. It was a place where he could take ownership, a place that grounded him in the vision of what he wanted to create.

But beyond his new responsibilities, Chen Ren’s focus was on three main things: cultivating, training, and re

Chen Ren straightened and wiped his hands on his clothes, his gaze fixed on the boiling concoction. "To get in their good books," he said with a small shrug. "Solving this problem will make the villagers feel more at ease with us. You know how they look at us right now. If I want to set up my base here, it’s paramount we get them to think we’re a force of good, not just outsiders causing trouble."

Anji raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "I’m not talking about that. You know that.” She paused, her eyes narrowing as she thought of something. "There are better ways of accomplishing this, ways that cultivators are more likely to follow."

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Chen Ren turned towards her, leaning slightly against the table. "Making them submit by force? A grand display of my strength?" His tone was dry, almost mocking.

"Yes, just that," Anji said without hesitation, meeting his gaze directly. "Why aren’t you going for it?"

Chen Ren let out a slow breath and shook his head, his voice soft but firm. "It’s not my path. I can’t do that. I’d cringe. And although my acting is good, there are limits to it."

Anji didn’t respond immediately. Her brow furrowed as she thought about his words, the silence hanging between them. After a moment, she spoke again. "I don’t understand."

Chen Ren turned fully toward her. "Think of it as dao. Every cultivator follows their dao, and there are principles in it. A martial dao person also lives by rules. Sure, there are those who don’t follow these principles, who oppress people, but I’m not going to be like that. My dao doesn’t allow that." He paused, rethinking his own words. "No, I won’t allow that."

He shook his head slowly, turning his attention back to the cauldron. "I know I could force them to submit, but that’s not my way. It’s not how I want to lead. And that's why I'm going this route." He paused for a moment before turning back to her, his voice quieter, almost as if testing the waters. "What about you? Do you have a path? Principles?"

Anji froze, her body stiffening as the question hit her. Her eyes darted to the floor as if searching for something she couldn’t quite grasp. She opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated. Her lips parted again, but only silence came. After a long, drawn-out pause, she finally spoke, her voice a bit softer than before.

"I don’t," she said, the words slow and hesitant. "I don’t have a path. I think... I just can walk anywhere."

Chen Ren studied her carefully, his gaze unwavering. The uncertainty in her voice was palpable, and it was clear to him that this was a question she had never really asked herself before. He remained quiet, letting her words sink in. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the only sound was the faint bubbling of the cauldron.

Finally, Chen Ren smiled, though it was a small, almost melancholic one. “Are you looking for one?" he asked.

Anji's eyes shifted as she paused, clearly lost in thought. She looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the fabric of her sleeve, as if trying to put her feelings into words. "I don’t know. I don’t think I’m worthy of moving on any path."

Chen Ren tilted his head. "Why is that?" he asked, his tone soft but probing, eager to understand her thoughts more deeply.

Before she could answer, the cauldron let out a puff of smoke, drawing both of their attention. Chen Ren turned toward it, and a satisfied smile spread across his face as he assessed the mixture within.

The concoction had taken on a deep, rich purple color—richer than the previous stage. A faint, almost eerie glow pulsed from within, and the air around it shifted with a herbal aroma.

The texture of the liquid was thick, almost syrupy, and the consistency seemed just right. It was the kind of poison that would be slow-acting but incredibly deadly to creatures with weaker vitality—like the locusts. Despite its strength, it didn’t look like much on the surface. There were no extravagant colors or unusual effects, but Chen Ren knew better than to judge it by its simplicity.

He leaned closer to the cauldron, inhaling the scent. "I believe it’s ready."

Turning back to Anji, he spoke. "It’s finally time to go and finish this locust problem once and for all."

***

The group stood silently atop the hill that overlooked the farmland. Chen Ren, Yalan, Xiulan, Anji, Chief Muyang and a few other villagers were all present, looking at the large swarm of locusts hovering just beyond the edge of the farmland.

The buzzing of the wings was now a constant, unsettling noise that filled their ears.

Chief Muyang stood slightly apart from the others, his hands clasped behind his back. He observed the locusts quietly before turning to Chen Ren. "Young Master Chen, are you sure it's going to work?" His tone was respectful, but there was a subtle hesitation there, as if the chief still had his doubts about the strange method that Chen Ren had chosen to deal with the locusts. "Of course, I'm not doubting your knowledge or anything," he quickly added, as if to ease any potential offense.

"I think so. We just have to keep watching."

His eyes shifted slightly to the edge of the clearing, where a single dead locust lay on the ground. Unlike the others, its body was slick with a faint sheen of liquid, evidence of the poison he had crafted. Chen Ren’s gaze hardened as he observed it closely, anticipation building within him.

The moment he had been waiting for arrived slowly, creeping into view as a group of three locusts approached the dead body. They hesitated for a moment, their antennae twitching as they inspected the corpse.

He stood there, watching with a focused intensity as the locusts circled the corpse. A small thrill surged through him when none of them turned away, as he had feared they might. This was the first victory.

He could feel a subtle sense of triumph rising in his chest, but he kept his composure.

Then, one of the locusts leaned forward and took a cautious bite from its fallen comrade.

Another followed soon after, snapping at the body with urgency. The scene played out exactly as he had hoped—soon, all three were greedily feasting on the carcass of their own kind. Chen Ren had discovered during his observations that locusts were not only vicious feeders, but they would also feast on their own if one of them died—an instinct he planned to use to his advantage.

At the sight, Chen Ren allowed himself a small smile, the tension in his body easing as the plan unfolded in front of him. Xiulan, who had been watching intently, turned to him with a grin on her face. "They aren't being repulsed by the poison on the corpse," she observed.

Chen Ren nodded, the smile on his lips growing faint but proud. "I made sure to add herbs that the locusts feast on during my experiments. I also made sure the poison’s smell blended with those herbs. I don’t think they know what they’re eating.” His eyes never left the locusts, still watching them with keen interest as they continued to devour the corpse.

Chief Muyang, though impressed, looked like kept his thoughts to himself for a moment before speaking again. "It seems you've thought of everything," he said.

Chen Ren gave a small shrug, not wanting to let the moment become too celebratory. "It’s just a start," he said. "We’ll see how it goes from here."

But deep down, he felt the satisfaction.

Chen Ren watched as the locusts, one by one, fell to the ground, their bodies twitching before they lay still. Within moments, the first group of locusts was dead, and more were following suit. The distant buzzing from the rest of the swarm grew louder as more of the locusts, attracted by the scent of the poisoned bodies, swarmed toward the fallen. They too began feasting on their comrades, only to meet the same grim fate.

"Keep watching," Chen Ren instructed.

Xiulan, standing beside him, gave a satisfied nod. "It’s working better than expected.”

Chen Ren stretched, feeling a small sense of pride in his work. "By tomorrow, the entire farm will be free of them," he murmured, already thinking ahead. He turned toward the village chief, who was still watching in wonder, his expression a mix of gratitude and disbelief.

"I’ll leave more poison for you," Chen Ren said casually, his eyes still on the dead locusts. Chief Muyang turned to him, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Young Master. You’ve solved such a large problem for us. If not for you, we would have been dead in a few months."

He saw Muyang’s eyes tearing up.

"You can still be dead," he said bluntly. That earned Chen Ren a confused look. "The farms will take time to recover. Planting crops will be a slow process. But I have an idea to solve that."

Chief Muyang blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of Chen Ren’s statement, but then his eyes sharpened, and he leaned forward. "What is it, Young Master?"

Chen Ren took a breath and adjusted his stance. "Is the locust problem exclusive to your village?" he asked.

"No, not just here. But it’s not as bad in the nearby villages. They come from the nests that have been growing recently, because no cultivator has moved to burn them up. But even so, I know a few locusts make their way to the farms in these parts."

Chen Ren nodded, already having pieced things together. "Then I will give you a batch of the poison. Use it for the nests. Sell it to the nearby villages and get food in return. I believe that saving them from a potential catastrophe will make them eager to give you their crops willingly."

Chief Muyang’s eyes widened as understanding dawned on him. He seemed to consider the plan for a moment before his face broke into a smile. "That could work. If we can handle the nests and offer this to the villages... We might be able to get enough food to survive while the farms recover."

Chen Ren smiled, his plan coming to fruition. "Exactly. Not only will this help your village, but you’ll be in a position to trade with the others for the food you need. It will take some work, but I’m confident you’ll make it work."

The village chief nodded, deeply moved by Chen Ren’s foresight. "I’ll make sure to use it wisely, Young Master. You’ve done more than we could have hoped for. Thank you, Young Master,” he bowed again. “No one has ever done something like this for our small village before. We are all in your debt." As he spoke, several villagers who had gathered around them also bowed in unison.

Chen Ren felt a sudden wave of awkwardness. The reverence they showed him made him feel like he was standing in the presence of Gods—or more like, he was the God, a feeling that didn’t sit well with him. He shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of his neck, not quite used to being the center of so much reverence.

Yalan snickered quietly at his discomfort, watching the scene unfold with amusement. Chen Ren shot the cat a glance, narrowing his eyes slightly, but Yalan simply tilted her head, the playful gleam in her amber eyes unmistakable.

Ignoring the teasing cat, Chen Ren turned his attention back to the village chief, who was still bowing deeply. "I do want something out of you," he said.

Chief Muyang paused, looking up in confusion. "What, Young Master? I don’t think the village can give you anything. We are poor and have no mystical artifacts to offer."

Chen Ren’s expression remained serious as he looked at the old man. "Oh, you can give me something," he said cryptically, glancing at the gathered villagers. "Men and women."

The village chief furrowed his brow, confused. "What do you need them for? Building something?"

Chen Ren shook his head. "That will come, but no, I don’t need them as laborers," he said. "I want you to send word to everyone in this village and the nearby villages that my sect, the Divine Coin Sect, will be recruiting members and checking for spirit roots in people. And even mortals can join us."

“Recruiting mortals? Young Master, you mean as servants? As laborers in your sect?"

"No, not as servants. Actual members, at the same standing as cultivators. Our Divine Coin Sect doesn’t discriminate. We see value in all. Whether someone has spirit roots or not, they are welcome. We believe every individual has something to offer, regardless of their cultivation potential."

Chief Muyang stood there for a moment, staring at him in stunned silence. It seemed the concept of mortal members in a cultivator's sect was foreign to him, something he had never encountered in his lifetime.

"You mean… mortal members?" the old man asked, still unsure. "But… in a sect?" He shook his head slightly, trying to make sense of the idea.

Chen Ren nodded firmly. "Exactly. Just get it done and you will know more with time."

Chief Muyang, though still a little confused by the idea, was now bowing once more. "I will get it done, Young Master. Give me three days, and I’ll make sure that there will be lines of people wanting to join your sect."

Chen Ren gave a satisfied nod. "Good. I’ll be waiting." He turned to leave, but before he did, he glanced at the group of villagers still standing around. Their faces were a mix of curiosity, hope, and disbelief, but Chen Ren knew this would set the stage for the future. His sect would grow—he could feel it in his bones.

As he and his group began to walk away, Yalan kept close by his side, her tail flicking lazily. she mused.

A/N - You can read 30 chapters (15 Magus Reborn and 15 Dao of money) on my patreon. Annual subscription is now on too.