Chapter 23: The Thunderous Scourge

Anyway, there are still five and a half days left, so there is no harm in giving it a try.

I might as well start with the shepherd.

After bidding farewell to Wang Kai, Xiao Jie headed straight for the livestock pen on the eastern side of the village. He found Old Man Yang, the manager of the sheepfold, and stated his purpose directly.

Old Man Yang (Shepherd): "What? You want to help me herd the sheep? Haha, that would be wonderful! I’m short-handed as it is. Sigh, I’m getting old, and my legs aren't what they used to be; I can't keep up with the flock anymore. Come here, young man, let me tell you how it’s done."

"The job is simple enough. You just need to make sure none of the sheep get lost. See that pasture in the valley behind the village? That’s where you’ll be herding them. Remember, you don't need to worry about them while they're grazing. But if they try to wander off, you must drive them back to the flock. Whatever you do, don't let them run up into the mountains; things aren't safe out there these days, and if they get lost, they’ll never be found again."

"Sheep are very sensitive to noise. Just flick this whip in front of them, and they’ll obediently head back. Here, take this. Use it to drive them if any of them stray. I’ll pay you 100 copper coins for every hour you work. Not bad pay, right? After an hour, herd them back to the pen and remember to count them. If any are missing, I’ll deduct from your pay—200 coins for every missing sheep. That’s fair, isn’t it?"

A dialogue box popped up in front of Xiao Jie.

[System Prompt: Old Man Yang has offered you the task [Herding]. Do you accept?]

100 coins for an hour (two hours in-game time), and a 200-coin deduction for a lost sheep—even a capitalist wouldn't be this cutthroat...

There are fifty sheep in total. If I lose them all, that’s ten taels of silver—enough to buy a hundred-year-old ginseng root...

Still, I shouldn't be that incompetent. If I handle things properly and don't lose a single sheep, the income is actually quite decent. Working eight hours (four segments of time) a day would earn me 400 coins, which is more than chopping wood.

Fine, for the sake of Beast Taming, let's do this!

Xiao Jie clicked to accept the task.

System Prompt: You have acquired the temporary profession [Shepherd] and the temporary weapon [Shepherd's Whip].

Xiao Jie checked the whip in his inventory.

[Shepherd's Whip (Exotic Weapon)
Attack: 5. Durability.
Weapon-exclusive Combat Skill: Thunderous Lash. Activation: Produces a thunderous sonic boom. Consumes 10 Stamina.
Weapon Effect: Intimidate Beast (Weakened).
Description: A whip used by shepherds to drive flocks and intimidate wild beasts. It makes a cracking sound when swung. It is said that this combat skill simulates the sound of thunder, using the power of nature to strike primal fear into beasts, thereby keeping the flock safe.]

Xiao Jie was left speechless after reading the description. Why are the weapons for these jobs so explosive? It was one thing for a woodcutter's hatchet to have a special effect, but a shepherd's whip actually came with a combat skill?

He equipped the whip.

"Use Combat Skill—Thunderous Lash!"

His character’s arm swung out with force, and a crisp "crack" echoed through the air—a sound so sharp it reminded him of the elderly men whipping their tops in the park.

Looking at the fifty sheep bustling about on the grass, Xiao Jie took a deep breath. Let’s get started.

He drove the flock to the pasture behind the hill. Once they entered the field, he began his work in earnest.

Fortunately, the job wasn't as complicated as he had imagined. The core strategy was simply to keep the flock clustered together so they wouldn't scatter. Most of the goats stayed in a tight group, grazing on the grass. Xiao Jie flicked his whip at the few stragglers, driving them back into the main group.

He noticed that a "satiety" progress bar appeared above every goat's head. When there was grass to eat, the goats usually didn't act out and would stay quietly grazing. But once the grass nearby was exhausted, they would wander around, sometimes straying from the flock.

At those moments, he had to quickly drive them back to a suitable area. To keep the flock stable, he had to ensure every goat had grass to eat.

However, the biggest challenge was the goats that were already full. There were always a few restless ones wanting to run here and there, or even trying to burrow into the woods on the mountain. Whenever that happened, Xiao Jie had to sprint over to block their path and herd them back.

If too many sheep scattered and he couldn't keep up, he would use "Thunderous Lash." It was surprisingly effective; the sharp crack immediately scared the wandering goats back into the fold.

It was fine at first, while the flock was busy eating, but after an hour, as more and more goats became full, Xiao Jie started to feel overwhelmed.

Damn, why are these goats so troublesome?

He grumbled to himself while sprinting toward the hillside to drive a few goats back, lashing out to keep them in check. After running back and forth a few times, he realized his stamina couldn't keep up.

Wow, herding really is physically demanding.

Xiao Jie hurriedly consumed a "Strength Pill" to boost his stamina. Fortunately, the pasture was bounded by the mountain to the south, the village to the north, and steep cliffs on the east and west. As long as he guarded the path leading up the mountain to the south, he could basically ensure no sheep were lost.

But Xiao Jie didn't dare to relax. He had to keep circling the flock, constantly driving back the mischievous goats. This job was much more complex than chopping wood; at least with chopping wood, the worst that could happen was being a bit slow, without the fear of losing sheep and getting docked pay.

When the hour was finally coming to an end, Xiao Jie had already used two Strength Pills and was utterly exhausted. He couldn't help but think that he might as well be chopping wood. But for the sake of Beast Taming, he had to endure it. *Sigh, if only I had a dog, it would be so much easier,* he thought.

It was a pity that the cost of apprenticing under a hunter was too high, and he was broke. If he had the money, he would definitely consider it.

Finally, the hour dragged to a close, and most of the sheep were full. Xiao Jie drove the flock back to the pen, feeling dizzy with fatigue. Old Man Yang, however, was very satisfied.

Old Man Yang (Shepherd): "Well done, young man! Not a single one of the fifty sheep is missing. Here is your reward. If you want to work again, just come find me. These goats have huge appetites; they'll be hungry again soon."

Xiao Jie wasn't particularly happy as he took the 100 coins. He had done the work, but he hadn't gained any insight into a related skill, which was frustrating. He had been so focused on driving the sheep and fearing he would lose one that he had completely forgotten about trying to achieve an epiphany.

After resting for ten minutes and recovering his energy, Xiao Jie gritted his teeth and initiated a conversation with Old Man Yang again.

"Uncle Yang, I've rested. Let's do another round."

Old Man Yang (Shepherd): "Oh, you're a diligent one! Alright, alright. It just so happens these sheep are hungry again. Come, come, drive them out."

Another fifty sheep were herded out. Xiao Jie drove them to the pasture; in this short time, the eaten grass had already respawned. It was a good thing this was a game; the grass kept regenerating. If it were real life, the mountain would have been stripped bare in two days.

Watching the flock start grazing again, Xiao Jie thought he shouldn't just stand around watching. When he gained the "Sever" skill previously, it was through the repetition of chopping wood and discovering the game's underlying patterns. He should be doing something similar this time.

With the experience from the first round, Xiao Jie was much more composed and had the spare time to observe the flock's behavior. Watching the satiety bars above the goats' heads constantly increasing, a thought suddenly struck him.

Since they wander off when they're full, why not just make sure they never get full?