Please provide the source.

The next morning, when Chu Liang opened his eyes, he sensed that something was slightly amiss.

He first set down the spirit beast egg he had been clutching all night while dozing—diligently fulfilling his duties as a devoted father.

Then he rose and walked to the window, gazing out at the steady golden rain drizzling down... again?

Why does this rain keep falling?

Throughout Mount Shu, many watched the persistent rainfall with growing unease.

Why was it always Silver Sword Peak?

Could it be that the True Dragon had awakened, seeking to flood Silver Sword Peak and drown the tyrant of Mount Shu?

The disciples of Mount Shu silently prayed: “True Dragon, please open your eyes wide. This amount of rain won’t drown her. Better pour it elsewhere so we can feel it too.”

By the time Chu Liang finished washing up, the rain had ceased. It was brief and light, yet pure and concentrated.

He stepped outside to inspect the small golden-veined flower field he had planted the day before. He had sown a batch of Dragon Breath Golden Veined Berries—over ten plants yielding more than thirty fruits.

The spirit wood’s power to induce plant growth was limited; the soil’s vitality could not sustain daily use. About once every seven days was the maximum sustainable frequency. So now, the flower field was bare, with only the beautiful but fruitless blossoms remaining.

Chu Liang surveyed the land with his eyes, musing that if he expanded the flower field sevenfold, he could achieve a daily rotational harvest.

He envisioned establishing a fallow and crop rotation system—a sustainable ecological agricultural development.

For some reason, though he had never farmed before, the process from sowing to harvesting yesterday felt deeply familiar.

After briefly imagining a vast field of blossoms in the future, he left Silver Sword Peak, for there were matters to attend to today.

He flew swiftly to Red Cotton Peak and arrived at Mount Shu’s bustling street market.

The market was as lively as ever, with familiar faces greeting him warmly: “Long time no see!”

“There have been several tea sellers recently, cheaper than yours but none as tasty...”

“I just like your flavor! Uh... I mean your fruit tea’s flavor.”

“...”

Chu Liang smiled at each comment, pleased that his brand had gained recognition—though regrettably, the fruit tea industry was soon to be phased out.

He spread out a small cloth and set up a sign he had prepared.

“Promotion: Buy fruit tea, get free berries.”

“Silver Sword Peak specialty: Dragon Breath Golden Veined Berries—beautifying for women, invigorating for men.”

Those who had followed him to buy fruit tea found this curious. “What does that mean? Your berries...”

“Just these,” Chu Liang said, producing a plump berry, placing it beside the fruit tea, smiling: “Try one free with your purchase.”

“Heh, that’s great then,” the crowd responded approvingly.

They had intended to buy fruit tea anyway; a free gift was better than none, especially one so appealing—juicy, large, and round.

“Wow, today’s fruit tea even comes in different flavors!” someone exclaimed, as if struck lucky.

Gradually, the line grew long again.

Each person, after buying fruit tea, didn’t even walk far before popping a golden-veined berry into their mouth.

“So fragrant and sweet! The best fruit I’ve ever tasted.”

“Truly delicious, with a hint of spirit... is this the dragon energy?”

“The spirit is subtle but likely beneficial for beauty. And the dragon energy seems to strengthen vitality—maybe it’s real!”

“...”

After the initial exclamations, more people gathered.

“How much for your berries? I want to buy more.”

Chu Liang smiled and shook his head. “Sorry, today’s berries are a gift only with fruit tea purchase.”

Those turned away grumbled, for fruit tea was limited, and they could no longer taste the berries. Some began trying to buy the gifted berries from those who had purchased tea, but a single berry wasn’t worth much, which only piqued others’ curiosity further—they too wanted to try the taste.

After selling out all the fruit tea stock, the crowd’s focus shifted entirely to the berries.

Purely in terms of spiritual quality, the Golden Veined Berries could not compete with rare treasures or medicinal spirit plants, but Chu Liang did not present them as such or exaggerate miraculous effects.

He positioned them as health supplements.

“Maybe they help if you eat them; certainly no harm if you don’t.” Under these conditions, the words “beautifying for women, invigorating for men” shone brightly—who could completely dismiss such potential?

“Apologies, everyone. The current yield of Dragon Breath Golden Veined Berries is limited; they are only gifts with fruit tea. But production will increase soon, and more berries will be available for sale. Please look forward to it.”

With this calm announcement, Chu Liang turned and left Red Cotton Peak.

The market’s response to the Golden Veined Berries was promising; the next step, as he said, was to boost production.

...

Many years later, should the black-furred creatures gain intelligence and their own history, their myth would surely include a demon.

In the desolate forest near Mount Shu, the great black-furred ancestors suffered a brutal massacre.

That demon’s name was the Great Demon King Chu Liang.

He wielded a silver sword light that filled the sky, ruthlessly attacking the peaceable black-furred creatures and relentlessly pursuing them.

One might suspect he was a sadistic psychopath who took pleasure in slaughter...

But they would never know.

The real reason the demon king hunted them was simply to obtain their seeds.

To be honest, Chu Liang found the black-furred creatures far more troublesome than the Lantern Monsters—they were incredibly fast and agile.

If he felled one, the others at the rear would instantly rush forward and flee.

Chu Liang chased them deep into the dense forest before managing to kill a dozen or so.

As he hesitated whether to continue the hunt or stop, he suddenly halted.

Deep within the forest, he witnessed a shocking sight.

There stood a black giant tree nearly ten feet tall, its thick trunk and sharp branches bare of leaves but covered with black-furred creatures clinging like thorns.

The tree exuded a ghostly aura, unlike any living tree of the mortal realm. Chu Liang did not know its species and tentatively called it the Ghost Tree.

So the black-furred creatures were actually the fruit of this Ghost Tree?

No wonder the reward was a plant seed—they were plants all along!

Yet the black-furred creatures on the branches showed no spirit and could not move, quite unlike the scurrying ones in the forest.

On reflection, they lacked souls.

Chu Liang speculated that when these fruits mature, they merge with a wandering ghost spirit, transforming into the restless creatures he had encountered. Or perhaps they must fuse with such spirits to mature.

In any case, the black-furred creatures originated here.

Though it was a Ghost Tree, the area was remote and largely devoid of animals or humans. Chu Liang had no intention of disturbing it.

Firstly, it caused no harm; though a Ghost Tree, its presence here was inconsequential.

Secondly, Chu Liang sensed he might not even be able to handle this tree if he tried. It radiated intense yin energy and, though currently dormant, might unleash strange and formidable power if awakened.

Of course, if he returned to the mountain to inform his elders, they could surely deal with the Ghost Tree. But ultimately, he wished to spend more time with the black-furred creatures.

Though he always seemed intent on extermination when encountering them, he would never agree to wiping them out entirely.

Sustainable use rather than reckless depletion—nothing more, nothing less.