[{"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-4":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},2351485,4600,"Chapter 4: The Mage and the Bone Horse","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>The little zombie grew strong under Ang’s protection, safely passing through its newborn phase and becoming a tough-skinned zombie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the lowest rank of zombie, equivalent to a withered skeleton, but due to its layer of skin and flesh, its defense was higher and its combat power stronger than that of a withered skeleton.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So one day, the little zombie dragged a withered skeleton back to the pit and shoved it in front of Ang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For me? Ang tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little zombie nodded, pushing the skeleton’s skull slightly toward Ang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang shook his head; the withered skeleton’s soul was too weak—consuming it would likely be slower than growing stronger from the Wind of Rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little zombie hung its head, dejectedly dragging the skeleton away, but after that, all the withered skeletons nearby suffered—none escaped the little zombie’s grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it encountered a white bone skeleton it couldn’t defeat, it fled back into Ang’s territory; within thirty meters around, even white bone skeletons dared not enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although a diligent predatory little zombie now roamed nearby, it did not disrupt the local ecology—the vacant spaces were quickly filled by skeletons wandering in from elsewhere, and the skeletons the little zombie discarded, after one night’s exposure to the Wind of Rest, likely gave birth to new souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the eternal cycle of undead existence; the only change might be the soul strength of Ang and the little zombie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If nothing else happened, Ang might have stayed in the pit forever, just as he had farmed for over a thousand years on the farm—but suddenly, change came: that day, the little zombie rushed back into the pit in panic, shoved Ang, then wildly pointed outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little zombie now bore a deep wound, bone visible—cut by something unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang poked his head out and saw a gray bone skeleton leading over twenty low-grade skeletons, marching boldly into Ang’s territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though also a gray bone skeleton, Ang held no rank advantage over it; the low-grade skeletons under its command ignored this rank suppression entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did the little zombie raid a skeleton nest?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Ang dragged the little zombie out of the pit—he felt he couldn’t defeat a gray bone skeleton of equal rank and its twenty-odd followers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They ran ahead; the gray bone skeleton led the chase behind, pursuing them for two or three kilometers before reluctantly giving up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you do?” Once safely away, Ang exhaled and sent a soul-question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little zombie stared, blankly at Ang—its intelligence was insufficient to answer Ang’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine, Ang gave up; back on the farm, his kind always did this—ask them a question and they’d stare blankly at you; the little zombie was already better, at least it came back to warn him after being chased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait—if the little zombie hadn’t run back, the gray bone skeleton would’ve chased only it—what did that have to do with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You got me killed… Ang tapped its skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the little zombie’s reckless antics, Ang had been driven out of his den for months; night was falling, and he must find shelter quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning was too late; Ang dug a shallow pit on the spot and hid inside with the little zombie. Since the pit was too shallow, they had to shovel dirt back around them and cover themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, as soon as the wind stopped, Ang climbed out and dug another pit a few meters away, then tossed the little zombie into it—he decided not to let the little zombie hide in his pit anymore, lest future misdeeds drag him down too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet that night, as soon as the wind began, a head peeked nervously at the edge of his pit; seeing Ang didn’t drive it off, it slid inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day he threw it out; it came back again that night—like a game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when Ang dug a tunnel between the two pits did the game end, because now whenever it came over, Ang would kick it into the tunnel and make it crawl back on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang was a skeleton who adapted to any circumstance—he’d farmed for over a thousand years without being ordered. Now driven from his safe den, he didn’t care; he simply dug a new, larger, safer den and spent his days inside, guiding the Wind of Rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little zombie was far more active—it dashed out as soon as the wind ceased, once again targeting the low-grade skeletons nearby; its soul grew stronger continuously through this relentless turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang expected today to be like any other, but soon after the wind began, he heard footsteps—and then a human slid into the pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a human mage, forty or fifty years old, weathered face, holding a finely crafted staff, his body surging with potent magic—he was a human mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The human mage spotted Ang in the pit and exclaimed in surprise: “A skeleton? How did a skeleton get up here? Oh, sorry for the intrusion—could I take shelter here from the wind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The human mage asked casually; everyone knew skeletons only gained intelligence at the Gold Rank—ordinary skeletons acted purely on instinct, attacking when threatened; perhaps this skeleton would lunge at him the next moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet anyone bold enough to walk the Land of Death would never fear a mere gray bone skeleton; he casually removed his hood and waved his hand outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive skull poked into the pit, instantly filling every remaining inch of space—it was a bone horse, its hollow eye sockets glowing with You blue soul-fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pit was too small to hold a skeleton, a human, and a bone horse’s skull—there was no room to turn. Ang retreated to the tunnel leading to the other den and blocked the exit, clearing more space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was a human mage here during the Wind of Rest? Didn’t the Wind of Rest affect him? Even if it didn’t, how did his bone horse endure it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang soon found out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The human mage first glanced curiously at Ang, confirmed the skeleton had no desire to attack, then placed his hand on the bone horse’s skull—tendrils of black smoke rose from his palm, seeping into the hollows of its eye sockets and nostrils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where the black smoke passed, the bone horse’s bones slowly faded in color. Ang now noticed the bone horse’s skeleton had been corroded by the Wind of Rest, its surface showing signs of decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wind of Rest operated by a strange mechanism: if a skeleton possessed a soul, the wind corroded it; but if it was merely a soulless corpse, the wind protected it, slowing decay and even nurturing new soul-fire, transforming it into a skeleton.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bone horse had soul-fire, so its bones were corroded—but those traces of corrosion slowly vanished under the soothing black smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang understood now: the bone horse could walk through the Wind of Rest because the human mage constantly healed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this was extremely draining on magical power; after the black smoke enveloped the bone horse’s head, the mage suddenly realized something, slapped his forehead, and muttered: “I’m an idiot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The human mage reached out, twisted off the bone horse’s skull—the soul-fire resided entirely within the head; once removed, the skeleton left outside the pit lost its soul-fire and was no longer harmed by the Wind of Rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the bone horse’s skull, the human mage smiled awkwardly at Ang: “Lost track of time while traveling—thank you for this pit, otherwise we’d have been blown to death by this cursed wind. By the way, how did you get up here? This isn’t your kind’s territory—just rocks, hard to dig pits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang’s hollow eye sockets stared at the mage, silent. Isn’t this skeleton territory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking harder, it seemed true—once the terrain rose, skeletons vanished; even the little zombie had to descend to the flat ground below to find other skeletons to harass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Ang’s blank expression, the mage chuckled: “Don’t mind me—after too long in desolation, even speaking ability atrophies. So no matter who I meet, I try to chat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without waiting for any reaction from Ang, the mage continued, as if muttering to himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This path has become harder to traverse. Do you know what it used to be called? The Golden Road, the Grain Road, the Silk Road—down there in the basin, it was once the central hub of the Undead Empire. Now it’s your little skeletons’ territory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since the Undead Empire vanished, trade along this road has grown harder. Ancient records say you could open a tiny shop on the road and make a fortune—unlike me now, traveling back and forth for half a month and barely earning two months’ rations. I envy you—you don’t need to eat or drink. Only undead can endure this place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If only we could reopen the teleportation channel—the Undead Empire’s grain could come here, and our goods could go there. Trade would flow, everyone would prosper. By the way, since undead don’t eat, why produce so much grain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I’m being foolish again—not all undead belonged to the Undead Empire. Nearly a thousand years have passed; the skeletons that once served the Undead Empire are probably all gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mage treated Ang like a hollow tree trunk, not expecting a reply, rambling on—but while Ang didn’t understand most of it, he grasped the last two parts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undead don’t eat—so why produce so much grain? Because those grains were grown by skeletons like Ang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the mage finished rambling, he sighed deeply: “The underground city has suffered another disaster. If we can’t find new food sources, more people will starve. I hope this time we can reopen the teleportation channel. I hope the Undead Empire still exists.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After muttering like a prayer, the mage glanced at the quiet Ang, gave a self-deprecating smile, pulled his cloak over his head, and slowly fell asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>",1651,"2026-06-21T03:18:43.177Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8fee72b092c467bfc065e18f8e1e44824867102b587789b96ce94511fd133e51","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-5","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-3",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-cover.jpg"]