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...
Chapter 2: Guidelines for Raising Chickens, Good Fortune!_1 Translator: 549690339 These are Precious Chickens, far from ordinary poultry. Possessing spiritual intelligence, they breed only rarely. Because hatching them is a difficult process, they must be raised with extreme care.
Their feed is a specific blend of Spirit Valley Bran, spirit bean cake, spirit stone powder, and ground Spirit Fish bone, along with other ingredients containing trace amounts of spiritual energy. Occasionally, discarded Spirit Insects are provided as a supplement to their diet.
A rooster requires approximately three years to reach maturity, while a hen takes nearly four years.
Once a hen is fully grown, it produces an egg roughly every three to seven days.
The monthly quota is strict: two mature roosters, two mature hens, and two hundred Precious Chicken eggs must be surrendered!
Exceptional husbandry is met with rewards!
Failure to meet the required quota results in a penalty!
Wang Ba finally stepped out of his quarters after organizing his room and studying the chicken-rearing manual until every detail was committed to memory.
Old Sun and his small stool were gone, having apparently retired to his own room.
Wang Ba felt no urge to initiate a conversation with the elderly man.
Following the directions previously given by Deacon Li, he exited the manor and headed toward the West Garden market located at the far end of the valley.
The West Garden Market functioned not as a hub for cultivators, but as a trading post for mortals.
This was necessary because many relatives and associates of the cultivators lacked the talent to cultivate. Having followed their kin into the Sect, these people still required a place to sustain their daily lives.
The West Garden Market was established to serve this specific population.
Wang Ba wandered through the stalls several times, finding the experience quite eye-opening.
Even though it was a marketplace for mortals, it remained under the Sect's authority, meaning items discarded by cultivators were frequently available for purchase.
One could even find Precious Chickens, treasure pigs, and iridescent ducks for sale.
Regrettably, such luxuries were far beyond Wang Ba’s means.
The most affordable specimens cost at least a thousand silver taels.
The premium stock could only be bought with spirit stones.
He even spotted vendors offering the Cultivation Methods used by true cultivators.
Naturally, those were also far too expensive for him.
After a half-day of exploring, his only purchases were some basic cookware, a stove, and a small supply of rice grain.
He was now entirely penniless.
Every last copper had been spent.
On the bright side, even a lowly servant like him would receive a periodic silver allowance from the Sect. However, the sum was meager and likely only enough to cover basic survival.
He lugged his new possessions back, panting and drenched in sweat.
Finding a wood-chopping axe at the manor, he prepared fuel and started the stove.
It was only after nightfall that he finally sat down to eat.
The meal consisted of plain rice without any side dishes, yet because of his day of physical labor, Wang Ba found it exceptionally satisfying.
He had resigned himself to his circumstances. Since the path of an immortal was closed to him, he would apply himself within the Sect and aim for a deacon position in the Outer Sect after several years.
He recalled Deacon Li mentioning that while some deacons needed a cultivation base, others were positions held by mortals.
The Sect was full of menial chores that no cultivator wanted to perform.
Once he achieved a bit of status and saved some money, he planned to return to the world below and take a few concubines.
It felt as though his hard work might actually lead somewhere.
Following dinner, he took a walk around the manor grounds to aid his digestion, mostly because the stench of chicken manure inside was becoming unbearable.
He wondered how Old Sun could stand living in such an environment.
As he gazed up at the shimmering stars, a brilliant sword-light suddenly shot into the heavens in the distance!
Immediately after, a colossal, spectral human figure appeared in the sky. With hands clasped behind its back, the figure let out a thunderous roar.
"I have reached enlightenment!"
Thunder crashed across the sky, and the light of the stars seemed to fade!
A chorus of congratulatory voices then erupted from across the East Saint Sect.
"I wonder what level of power that represents," Wang Ba thought, looking toward the brightly illuminated distance with envy.
Faint streaks of sword-light and spiritual glows were converging in that direction.
"What a shame..." Wang Ba murmured, his eyes clouding over with a sense of melancholy.
The most painful realization for a man is knowing that such grand prosperity has nothing to do with him.
He had intended to sleep, but the spectacle had left him too restless. Instead of lying down, he grabbed a lamp and began to conduct a head count of the manor's chickens.
It took a considerable amount of time to tally them all.
He counted 37 roosters and 70 hens.
In the dark, he couldn't determine their maturity or how many were currently laying eggs.
However, the total numbers immediately set off alarm bells in his head.
"There is a problem with these figures!"
Precious Chickens were notoriously difficult to breed.
Based on the maturation rate of the roosters, there needed to be at least 36 pairs of varying ages at all times to ensure the monthly quota was met.
Similarly, because hens took four years to mature, at least 48 pairs were required for a sustainable rotation.
The current ratio of roosters to hens was completely wrong!
This meant that if breeding wasn't managed perfectly, they would likely fall short of the supply quota within the next two years.
And failing to meet the quota meant one thing: punishment!
The yellow instructions hadn't detailed the nature of the penalty, but Wang Ba had no desire to find out firsthand.
"This won't do! I have to check if the hens are laying!"
The lopsided population was a future problem, but if the current egg production was failing, he was in immediate trouble.
Now fully alert, Wang Ba ignored the smell of manure and moved to catch a hen in the corner.
He had learned the technique for checking eggs from his mother years ago. By feeling the area between the chicken's belly and thighs, one could tell if an egg was imminent.
However, he was caught off guard.
His hands grabbed nothing but air!
The large hen leaped suddenly, soaring onto the eaves of the roof like a wild bird. It moved with an incredible agility that contradicted its heavy frame.
"Cluck, cluck..."
Perched on the roof, the hen looked down at Wang Ba, seemingly mocking his clumsy efforts.
Wang Ba was helpless; he was a mere mortal and couldn't fly up to reach it.
Though frustrated, he didn't dwell on it and moved to target a different hen.
The result was identical.
He made more than a dozen attempts, but to his shock, he failed every single time!
"It's not that I'm incompetent; it's just that these Precious Chickens are too fast!" Wang Ba told himself, trying to save face.
But it was true—these were no ordinary birds. Their speed and power far exceeded any poultry he had ever encountered.
Unwilling to give up, he tried another seven or eight times, only to end up covered in foul-smelling chicken filth.
"Stop that, you won't catch them."
An aged voice suddenly spoke up from behind him.
Wang Ba turned to see Old Sun, dressed in a tattered Daoist robe, shaking his head at the scene.
"I'm sorry for waking you, Old Sun. I couldn't sleep, so I came out to check if the hens were laying," Wang Ba explained apologetically.
Old Sun ignored the apology and walked toward a corner of the yard.
His withered hand shot out.
To Wang Ba’s amazement, the hand moved like a bolt of lightning, easily pinning a large hen by its wing. He deftly tucked the wings together and handed the bird to Wang Ba.
"You should practice the Body Strengthening Scripture more; it's useful for building your strength," Old Sun remarked, his face remaining expressionless.
"Thank you, Old Sun!"
Wang Ba quickly took the hen, his mind racing with conflicting emotions.
He was stunned by Old Sun’s hidden strength, yet he felt a deep sense of his own inadequacy. How pathetic was it that he couldn't even catch a chicken? And yet, he had dared to dream of the Dao.
Fortunately, he had already abandoned those lofty ambitions.
Wang Ba gave a self-deprecating smile. As he did, his fingers brushed against the smooth underside of the hen's belly—
[Target Lifespan: 19.2 years] [Remaining Lifespan of current body: 71.7 years] [Consumable items: None] [Absorb/Deposit?]