[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re":3,"chapter-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-168":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Vegetable-Growing Skeleton's Foreign Land Reclamation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2351649,4600,"Chapter 168: Intelligence-Enhancing Aura","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-168",168,"\u003Cp>On the hill outside the city, a cloaked figure muttered to himself: “Damn life-acceleration aura, made my life worms stuck in the crevices, damn little fat dragon, forced me to sell my soul to a demon, greedy demon, sold my soul and gave me nothing but a demon stele and eighth-tier magic power, damn damn damn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Negrilis heard his muttering and smelled his scent, she would immediately recognize him—the cloaked man from the underground caverns of Dark City, who had been killed and had his soul searched because his worms got stuck in the crevices. He wasn’t dead? Hadn’t they already searched his soul?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soul-searching is a thorough annihilation; only if someone, like a silver coin, was protected mid-process by another being could part of the soul be preserved—which means the protector must be at least a god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he mumbled, a terrifying presence suddenly descended upon him; a pair of demonic horn shadows emerged from his head, and a low voice echoed in his mind: “What are you muttering about? Your soul is worth no more than this. Want a raise? Work harder. Sixty thousand souls. Remember.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang had slain a high-rank demon named Tulius in the Abyss of Rest, and Lu Se had killed two high-rank demons, but those demons were nothing like this terrifying presence—those were merely creatures called demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only those who manipulate minds and trade souls deserve to be called true demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, sorry, sorry, Lord of Terror, I was too greedy! I’ll work harder, I swear I’ll work harder! Look, the people in this city are about to be plunged into the terror of death!” the cloaked man hurriedly said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph. Remember this: I don’t care that you were once a follower of Hemelthos, nor do I mind you muttering insults about me behind my back. But a pact with a demon is written in black and white. If you break it, you’ll bear the full horror of sixty thousand souls yourself.” The demon’s voice was low, as if whispering directly into his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the demon spoke, a spectral parchment slowly materialized before the cloaked man, then began burning from the bottom, until it turned entirely to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cloaked man shuddered and nodded frantically: “Yes yes yes, I will, I promise! Please, my lord, give me a little more time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic horns vanished; the terrifying aura faded. The cloaked man stood still for a moment, then let out a series of “Jie jie” laughs—his posture no longer as humble as it had been before the demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph, Lord of Terror. I’ll eat you later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether sensing the cloaked man’s emotions or not, beetles around him began emerging one by one, rubbing their wings together, emitting a high-pitched hissing sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the city, Ang and his group followed the minotaur girl into a narrow, damp alleyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like all urban slums, garbage was dumped straight onto the streets—stench and filth everywhere. Stones were deliberately placed on the ground, and Vanya’s hooves danced nimbly over them, leaving not a single drop of slime on her feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a massive minotaur moving with such agility made Negrilis marvel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prevent the little angel and little zombie from stepping in the filth, Negrilis had earlier ordered Ang to lift them both up, then instructed them to step only on the stones, while sternly warning: “If you step in that sludge, Lisa and Lan will chop off your feet, wash them clean, and reattach them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, they saw many ingenious people avoiding the puddles—wearing high heels, walking on stilts—clearly, everyone hated the filth on the streets, yet still dumped their own trash onto them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you live here? Your family is a viscount, right?” Negrilis asked in disbelief. Compared to this place, the Abyss of Rest was paradise—even if barren, it wasn’t filthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what if we’re viscounts? Viscounts still have to eat. If he only ate, fine. But he also brews potions. The original estate was sold long ago. The remaining money only covers rent here,” Vanya said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“... But alchemists are rich! Far richer than viscounts!” Negrilis sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A good alchemist is a walking mountain of gold—more affluent than even wizards. A simple healing potion sells for several magic crystals; a mana-restoring potion, ten or more; a duration-enhancing potion, hundreds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the most low-grade alchemist can make strength potions or anti-diarrhea brews and still eat well. There’s no way they should end up in the slums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? I’ve never seen this one bring home a single coin. Here we are.” Vanya stopped before a dilapidated two-story house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door was narrow—very spacious for Ang’s skeletal frame, but not for Vanya. She turned sideways, but her waist still got stuck. She shoved hard—the doorframe cracked with a snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vanya didn’t care. After entering, she turned back and skillfully wedged the broken frame shut before letting Ang and the others in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis worried: would Vanya’s weight collapse the house? This building clearly wasn’t built to support a minotaur of her mass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis’s concern wasn’t unfounded. As soon as Vanya stepped inside, the floor groaned in agony, as if about to break. When she climbed the stairs, the treads bent dangerously, threatening to snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she’d lived here long enough—if it was going to collapse, it would’ve collapsed long ago. Despite the trembling, the house stubbornly held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the second floor, Vanya quickly grabbed a girl of fifteen or sixteen by the scruff and dragged her down, placing her before Ang and shaking her slightly: “Yep, fainted from hunger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vanya’s practiced demeanor made it clear this wasn’t the first time. And the viscount was a girl? When Vanya spoke in Common, she’d used the male pronoun “he,” making Negrilis assume the viscount was male.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still holding the female viscount, Vanya approached the water vat, ready to scoop water into her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis screamed: “What are you doing?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Feeding her water. Didn’t get any food today—gotta at least give her water. Sigh, if Mom were still here, I could squeeze some milk for him. Both of us were raised on Mom’s milk.” Vanya suddenly thought of her cow mother, her eyes reddening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, wait, wait—food’s here. Also, use ‘he’ for males, ‘she’ for females. And... don’t you boil the water? That water’s filthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?! You have food?!” Vanya didn’t hear anything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis first pulled out two beetroot roots for Vanya to nibble on, then peered into the vat and winced: “Ang, purify this water. Drinking this filthy stuff? You’ll get diarrhea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vanya munched beetroot, juice dripping down her face, and shrugged: “No problem. Get diarrhea enough times, you get used to it.” As she spoke, she tucked the second beetroot into her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis blinked: “Why stash it? One’s enough for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Lu Se, the beetroot sword saint, and the minotaur aunt’s family could finish a single fresh beetroot weighing two or three catties in one go. Seeing Vanya was a minotaur, Negrilis had specifically told Ang to bring two—just to tide her over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe, saving some for the viscount,” Vanya grinned foolishly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, you’re the cook, right? Go make rice.” Negrilis had Ang take out two more sacks of grain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d learned his lesson: last time, the minotaur aunt ate so much, one sack wasn’t enough. Vanya’s appetite must be even greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vanya scratched her nose, embarrassed: “No firewood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that there was no fire—the alchemy lab upstairs had a magic crystal furnace with half a crystal left, enough for one meal. But clearly, a magic crystal furnace wasn’t meant for cooking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Ang cooked the rice. First, he purified the vat’s water with holy light, washed the grains, removed hollow or shriveled ones, then added clean water to boil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was normal cooking procedure—though one step was skipped: husking. But unhusked grains burst when boiled; you could just nibble them with your teeth to get to the germ inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with good teeth didn’t even need to nibble—like the minotaurs—crunch crunch crunch, unbothered by the heat, and half the pot vanished in seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The viscount had fainted from hunger. Fresh beetroot juice was squeezed into her mouth, and soon she stirred, eyes still closed, nose twitching—she’d smelled the rice. She snapped her eyes open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another foodie. The newly awakened viscount didn’t even greet anyone—she lunged for the pot and started devouring. The remaining half-pot vanished in moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard to believe someone so small—less than a fifth of Vanya’s size—could eat as much as her. But she ate too fast, got stomach cramps, and Ang had to save her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutching her swollen belly, Sawa sprawled in a chair like a starfish. The warm glow of holy light in her stomach made her too lazy to think. She waved her hand listlessly: “Alright, this meal’s worth everything. Take whatever you want from the house.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis stared. Were they being treated like scrap collectors?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This alchemist, we’re here to find you,” Negrilis sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Find me?! No way! I won’t sell!” Sawa sat up sharply, arms crossed defensively. “I’m not of age, I’m a viscount—buying me is illegal! Ouch~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vanya slapped her on the head: “You little idiot, what are you thinking again? Lord Negrilis knows you’re developing insecticide—he thinks your idea’s brilliant, came here to see it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sawa rubbed her head, grimacing: “Vanya, do you believe me? You know my skill level. Who’d care about my pathetic alchemy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vanya glanced sideways, scoffing: “Your alchemy’s worthless? Then who’d care about your flat chest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaah! You insult me! I’ll fight you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No idea how she’d fight—Sawa lunged, claws flailing—but Vanya grabbed her by the scruff and lifted her off the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis sighed. Since stepping into the slum, it knew this alchemist was unreliable. But it was worse than imagined—could this underage girl invent a pesticide that kills entire swarms?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they’d come this far. Negrilis couldn’t just turn back. At least ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard from Vanya you’re trying to invent a pesticide to deal with the insect plague outside. Is that true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sawa hesitated at the question: “You’re really here for me? For the alchemist Sawa?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Negrilis snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why are you talking without moving your mouth? Belly talk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. This is my true form.” Negrilis gestured for Ang to release Huang Tong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sawa instantly became serious—like a merchant realizing their client arrived in a luxury mechanical carriage. Her attitude shifted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Tong? Even the youngest Huang Tong was beyond the reach of a lowly alchemist like her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I want to invent a pesticide—a single dose that kills entire swarms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s your main idea? How do you plan to achieve it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These insects have a habit of eating their own dead. I poison one, let it return to the nest and die. Its corpse gets eaten by others, then it spreads—ten to a hundred, a hundred to a thousand—until the entire nest dies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brilliant idea. What’s your current obstacle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t find a poison that acts slowly but is deadly—even after multiple ingestions, it still kills.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s simple. Not just deadly—it should amplify across generations. Each insect that eats a corpse becomes more toxic than the last. Do you know Angel’s Tear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, yes! That’s exactly what I wanted! But I can’t get it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Set that aside for now. Any other problems?” Negrilis asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sawa sighed, simultaneously excited and defeated: “Biggest problem? I’m broke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excited, because this felt familiar—like back in school, working under a mentor. The mentor had clear ideas, deep theory, always hit the key points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And her hands were skilled—under guidance, everything went smoothly. But after graduation, working alone, she forgot everything, missed the key points, failed constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How broke? Tell me—we’ll eliminate problems one by one,” Negrilis prompted gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had it come just because Vanya mentioned her? Because it was the God of Knowledge. Teaching knowledge, helping others succeed—this was its specialty. If Sawa was a genuine alchemist, it had a 70% chance of guiding her to success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An alchemist with a solid idea and direction often needs only a nudge to grasp victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sawa grimaced: “How broke? My furnace doesn’t even have enough magic crystal to fire another batch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang flipped his hand—a handful of magic crystals appeared in his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sawa gasped. A major patron! Grab this golden leg, and poverty? Gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not broke anymore! Not broke!” Sawa grabbed the crystals and dashed upstairs to the alchemy lab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Negrilis pulled out its true form—the Huang Tong Book—clamped it under its wings, leaned beside Sawa, and pointed. The book’s aura, which actively enhanced others’ intelligence while diminishing its own, spread outward.\u003C\u002Fp>",2103,"2026-06-21T03:18:43.177Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e2e696c8c947f517697186ad9527c9837498a994d9b856eeba811884ab65da31","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-169","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-167",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-cover.jpg"]