Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2 - 2 2 - Precautions for Raising Chickens, Good Luck!_1
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
This Precious Chicken isn't like ordinary ones. It possesses spiritual awareness and reproduces infrequently. Hatching them proves difficult too, demanding meticulous care during nurturing.
The feed for these chickens includes Spirit Valley Bran, spirit bean cake, spirit stone powder, bone powder from a Spirit Fish, along with various other ingredients infused with spiritual energy, all blended in precise ratios. From time to time, folks might toss in leftover Spirit Insects for the birds to peck at.
It requires roughly three years for a rooster to reach maturity, whereas a hen takes around four.
Once matured, a hen produces one egg every three to seven days or so.
Each month, the quota demands two mature roosters, two mature hens, and two hundred eggs from Precious Chickens!
Raising the flock successfully brings rewards!
Failing to fulfill the quota incurs penalties!
Having straightened up the room and thoroughly reviewed the chicken-raising guidelines until they were etched in his mind, Wang Ba at last departed.
Old Sun and his small stool had vanished, probably back in his quarters.
Wang Ba felt no inclination to chat with the elder.
As per Deacon Li's prior guidance, he exited the estate and wandered over to the West Garden market situated at the valley's far side.
The West Garden Market served not as a hub for cultivators' trades, but rather a marketplace tailored for ordinary folk.
After all, numerous relatives and companions of cultivators lacked the talent for cultivation. These individuals trailed the cultivators into the Sect and required means to sustain themselves.
Such necessities gave rise to the West Garden Market.
Wang Ba roamed the market several times, broadening his knowledge.
Even though it catered to mortals, the market fell under Sect oversight, so items from the cultivation world occasionally surfaced for sale.
Precious Chickens, treasure pigs, and colorful ducks were among the offerings.
Regrettably, Wang Ba lacked the funds to acquire any.
The least costly demanded at least a thousand silver taels.
Pricier selections necessitated spirit stones.
He spotted vendors hawking cultivation techniques as well.
Yet again, those lay beyond his means.
Following a half-day of exploration, his sole purchases were a pot, a stove, and some rice.
His pockets now stood empty.
Not a coin remained.
Luckily, upon entering the Sect, even lowly servants like him received periodic silver allotments from the Sect. Though meager, it sufficed for basic needs.
Drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, he hauled his load back.
In the manor, he located an axe to chop firewood, gathered some, and kindled the stove.
Darkness had fallen by the time he savored his first meal.
Plain rice without any greens, yet after a grueling day, Wang Ba deemed it delectable.
He had resigned to his lot, he reflected. Unable to pursue immortality, he would toil diligently within the Sect, aiming perhaps for an outer Sect deacon role in a few years' time.
Deacon Li had mentioned earlier,
that certain deacon posts demanded cultivation prowess, while others remained open to mortals.
Indeed, the Sect brimmed with trivial labors that few cultivators deigned to perform.
With status and savings in hand,
he could descend the mountain and wed a handful of wives.
His labors hadn't been for naught, it appeared.
Post-meal, he ambled outside the manor to aid digestion, chiefly to escape the overpowering odor of chicken manure inside.
He puzzled over how Old Sun endured it.
As he gazed upon the dazzling starry canopy,
abruptly, a streak of sword light soared skyward in the distance!
Hot on its heels, a colossal shadowy form of a man materialized overhead, arms clasped behind his back, bellowing forth.
Ive reached enlightenment!
Thunder boomed across the heavens, causing the stars to pale!
Subsequently, celebratory cheers resounded across the East Saint Sect.
I wonder what cultivation stage that breakthrough signifies.
Wang Ba eyed the remote, illuminated area with longing.
In the distance, subtle sword gleams and radiance converged.
What a shame,
Wang Ba sighed, sorrow clouding his gaze.
The bitterest plight is witnessing grandeur that excludes you entirely.
Intending to retire for the night, yet invigorated by the spectacle, sleep eluded him now.
Thus, forgoing rest, lantern in grasp, he commenced tallying the manor's chickens individually.
After an extended period, he completed the count of all birds present.
Thirty-seven roosters in total.
Seventy hens accounted for.
Owing to the night, assessing maturity or egg output proved impossible.
Nevertheless, this tally instantly sharpened Wang Ba's vigilance.
The numbers seem off!
These Precious Chickens are infamous for their breeding difficulties.
Given the rooster maturation rate, at least thirty-six pairs across varied ages ought to cycle monthly to meet the quota fully.
Likewise, with hens maturing in four years, a minimum of forty-eight pairs ensures steady production.
Yet the rooster and hen counts don't align!
Consequently, delayed breeding could leave shortages within as little as two years.
And shortfall spells one outcome: punishment!
The yellow paper omitted details on penalties.
Wang Ba harbored no wish to discover them firsthand.
No, I must inspect the hens' egg-laying status!
Though the chicken numbers posed a challenge he could manage, mismatched eggs would thrust a crisis upon him immediately.
Fully alert now, Wang Ba disregarded the foul chicken droppings stench and prepared to snag hens from the shadows.
From childhood lessons with his mother, he knew how to gauge egg readiness.
A simple feel along the belly and thighs revealed if laying impended.
Yet he hadn't anticipated
His grasp met thin air!
The hefty hen leaped skyward, fluttering to the rooftop like a nimble avian.
Its agility stunned him, belying its stout frame.
Cluck, cluck
Perched atop the eaves, the hen glanced back at Wang Ba, as if ridiculing his clumsiness.
Wang Ba stood powerless.
A mere mortal, flightless.
Though seething with frustration, he didn't dwell, shifting to another hen.
The outcome mirrored the first.
Enduring no more, he attempted over a dozen grabs.
Incredibly, not one succeeded!
It's not my fault; these Precious Chickens excel at evasion!
Wang Ba consoled himself inwardly.
True enough, these weren't mundane fowl; their swiftness and vigor surpassed any ordinary chickens he'd known.
Unwilling to yield, he persisted seven or eight more times, all in vain.
Chicken muck soiled him thoroughly.
Cease your pursuits; they're uncatchable.
A weathered voice abruptly arose behind Wang Ba.
Turning, Wang Ba beheld Old Sun in his tattered Daoist robe, shaking his head.
Sorry to bother you, Old Sun. Sleepless, I came to evaluate these chickens' egg production
Wang Ba offered with regret.
Old Sun ignored him, proceeding to a separate corner alone.
His trembling hand extended.
Then, to Wang Ba's shock, it darted like lightning, seizing a large hen's wing effortlessly.
Twining the wings securely, he passed the bird to Wang Ba.
Diligently practice the Body Strengthening Scripture; it bolsters the physique admirably.
Old Sun's visage remained impassive, yet he imparted the advice.
Gratitude, Old Sun!
Wang Ba swiftly accepted the hen.
Emotions swirled within him.
Astounded by Old Sun's hidden prowess on one side, humbled by his own frailty on the other.
How pitiful, failing to capture even a chicken.
And to once aspire to the immortal path.
Fortuitously, he'd abandoned such delusions.
Wang Ba chided himself silently.
Meanwhile, his fingers glided across the hen's sleek underside
[Target Lifespan: 19.2 years]
[Remaining Lifespan of current body: 71.7 years]
[Consumable items: None]
[Absorb/Deposit?]