The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

Lu Xiaosan and Wen Ying followed the faint direction of the Buddhist beads into the village.

Although the village was small, it had taverns, inns, and snack stalls, and was peaceful and harmonious, not at all like a place haunted by monsters.

Lu Xiaosan was walking ahead holding his prayer beads when Wen Ying suddenly said, "Brother Lu, you're going the wrong way. This doesn't seem to be the direction the prayer beads indicate..."

Lu Xiaosan patted his empty stomach and exclaimed, "What's the rush? Filling our stomachs is the most important thing."

The two arrived at the inn, and their stench drove away the other diners as soon as they entered, though the innkeeper dared not say a word in his anger.

When the shopkeeper discovered that the two had only bought some dry food and left in a hurry, he was so angry that he trembled.

Following the direction of the prayer beads, the two walked to the back of the village and came to a large field.

Lu Xiaosan wondered to himself, "Is this the place? I've never seen a monster in the fields before."

"Little golden retriever, stay close to me."

"Ah."

The prayer beads slowly pointed to a figure in the field. As they approached, they saw a sturdy farmer in a straw hat and cloth clothes, panting heavily in the setting sun, tilling the land with a hoe.

"Brother Lu, if he... if he is a demon, why doesn't he run away when he sees you?" Wen Ying asked in confusion.

"They probably haven't seen me yet."

Lu Xiaosan stepped forward again, pointed at him, and cursed, "You audacious monster, I can tell you're not human at first glance!"

Upon hearing this, the farmer planted his hoe in the ground and stopped working.

He slowly raised his head and saw the shadow of the hat brim gradually fade away, revealing his dark and honest face.

He was drenched in sweat and looked at Lu Xiaosan with a bewildered expression, then asked in a thick country accent, "What do you two want from me?"

At first glance, this person gives the impression that he was born to do this job.

Lu Xiaosan and Wen Ying exchanged a puzzled look. Although it was hard to believe, Lu Xiaosan firmly believed that the Buddhist beads in his hand could not be wrong.

So Lu Xiaosan, clutching his prayer beads, grinned and approached the farmer, asking, "Monster, are you afraid of me?"

The farmer stared blankly, as if looking at a fool, and slowly shook his head, saying, "I'm not afraid..."

"Looking at those eyes, there's definitely no fear. Could it be that he really isn't a demon?" Lu Xiaosan pondered, pinching his chin.

Wen Ying, who was standing to the side, said, "Since it's the Buddhist beads that have made the decision, then let the Buddhist beads give it a try."

“That makes sense.” Lu Xiaosan slapped the farmer with the prayer beads again, but there was no reaction or movement.

"No, once isn't enough!"

Nong Han just stared blankly as he repeatedly whipped himself with the Buddhist beads.

After Lu Xiaosan finished smoking, Nong Han raised his head again, grinned, and said, "Little brother, you're just tickling me. But if it were any other busy person, they would definitely be angry."

In a fit of anger, Lu Xiaosan shouted, "Go and deal with him yourself!" and threw the Buddhist beads into the air.

I thought the dustless prayer beads would attack the farmer on their own, but to my surprise, they just fell straight down on the farmland, lying motionless as if wilted, yet still gleaming with golden light.

Lu Xiaosan was indignant. He would never admit that he had made a mistake in judgment, but the guy in front of him was clearly more like a person than he was.

Just as Lu Xiaosan was about to continue picking a fight, Wen Ying pulled him aside and said, "Brother Lu, judging from his tone, he's about to get angry. Let's not bother him and look for other places instead."

Wen Ying smiled at the farmer and said, "Sorry, brother, we've disturbed your work. We'll be going now." After saying that, she pulled Lu Xiaosan away.

Halfway there, Lu Xiaosan suddenly exclaimed, "I know!"

"Know what?"

Lu Xiaosan grinned menacingly, "Now I know why he's a demon." After saying that, he ran back to Nong Han's place. Wen Ying couldn't stop him and had no choice but to go back with him.

This time, the farmer just kept plowing the field and never looked up at him again.

Lu Xiaosan pointed at the farmer and said, "Monster, are you still pretending?"

The farmer, hoeing the ground, sighed softly and said, "Alas, why do you think I am a monster?"

Lu Xiaosan sneered, "Hmph, anyone who sees me for the first time will be overwhelmed by my stench, but you didn't react at all. What else could you be but a monster! Don't tell me you have good tolerance; even with strong tolerance, it's impossible for you not to react at all."

Wen Ying nodded in agreement. "Indeed, He Lai frowned when he smelled it."

The farmer laughed a few times...

"Have you admitted it?" Lu Xiaosan tapped his forehead, shielding Wen Ying behind him, and was about to start the fight.

The farmer suddenly said, "To be honest, I work in this field every day and come into contact with fertilizer. The smell on you is exactly the same as that fertilizer, so I don't have any reaction."

Lu Xiaosan was puzzled. He turned his head and saw Wen Ying covering her mouth and chuckling, so he asked in a low voice, "Little Golden Retriever, what is this fertilizer?"

Wen Ying blushed and suppressed a laugh, saying, "You...you'd better not know."

Lu Xiaosan was puzzled, but not wanting to appear ignorant, he turned to the farmer and yelled, "Damn it, do you think I'd believe you?"

The farmer said helplessly, "Sigh, if you don't believe me, you can try it on other farmers in the fields and see if they are driven away by your smell."

This left Lu Xiaosan speechless, because the situation was exactly as the farmer had said: ever since he entered this farmland, no farmer had paid any attention to him because of his smell. This was the first time he had been so unnoticed by strangers.

"Could it be...could it be that the entire field is inhabited by monsters?!"

Lu Xiaosan's idea stemmed from his ignorance. If he knew what fertilizer actually was, he certainly wouldn't have such a foolish thought.

Wen Ying tugged at his clothes and said, "Brother Lu, they are actually the same as me. They have already gotten used to your scent for some reason... so please don't make things difficult for them anymore."

Just as he was hesitating, an old man suddenly walked over with a smile and called out, "Young man, let's call it a day."

"Alright, sir," the farmer replied with a smile.

"What? They weren't family after all. Never mind, let's hide and see what happens." Lu Xiaosan pulled Wen Ying, pretending to leave, but actually hid to the side.

The old man walked with faltering steps to the farmer's side and said, "Young man, you have helped me plow the land for so many days. I really don't know how to repay you."

Wen Ying said, "So he wasn't cultivating his own land. He seems to be a very nice person."

"That's not necessarily true. Maybe he'll make his demands soon," Lu Xiaosan said, pouting.

To everyone's surprise, the farmer smiled and said, "Uncle, you're too kind. I'll just consider these two days as a chance to stretch my muscles."

The old man rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "That's good, that's good." Then he hesitated, looking embarrassed.

"Is there anything else you need my help with, sir?" Nong Han asked immediately.

"Hehehe, young man, you have a good eye for people, and you're kind-hearted too," the old man chuckled.

Lu Xiaosan couldn't help but think, "This old man is really something. He didn't repay the favor when people said they didn't need to, and he still has the nerve to ask others for help. He's getting worse with age and has no kindness or compassion left."

Thinking of this, he unconsciously felt a little favor towards the farmer.

The old man continued, "Young man, the wound you bandaged for Aunt Li's dog next door yesterday was really good. That yellow dog couldn't even stand up a few days ago, but now it can walk freely. Your medical skills have spread throughout the village."

"Don't dare, don't dare."

The old man chuckled twice and said, "Well, this morning, Old Zhang from the south of the village said his newborn piglet has some problems. The other piglets are very lively every day, but his is always listless and lethargic, and it doesn't eat well. Old Zhang is afraid it has caught the plague, so he thought he'd ask you to go and take a look. Hehe."

The farmer laughed and said, "So that's how it is. I thought it was something else. I'll go right away."

"Good, good, good!" the old man said with a face full of joy.

Wen Ying's eyes lit up. "Wow, this monster can even treat animals!"

Lu Xiaosan's anger surged instantly, and all the goodwill he had accumulated towards the farmer vanished in an instant.

The farmer took a couple of steps, then suddenly turned back with a smile and walked to the old man's side. He patted the old man's shoulder and said, "Uncle, I also have something to say to you, and I hope you will agree to it."

"What is it?" The old man's smile was still there, but his tone clearly carried a hint of displeasure.

“No matter what sounds you hear at home tonight, don’t open the door to check…” Nong Han said.

The old man's smile froze instantly upon hearing this. "You... what are you planning to do tonight?"