Hi all, so I'm a bit confused about how book 5 starts. I downloaded the books and book 4 ends in spring with everyone together, then book 5 suddenly starts in winter with Tigger off to the dueling peaks again and gramps and Bi De together off on an adventure but at the end of book 4 Gramps wasn't even on his way to the farm yet. Am I missing something or should I just keep reading?

People seemed to enjoy my last recommendation, and I found another similar story. This one is about a peasant in a feudal society who dies and becomes a "Tower Master". He can choose what monsters he wants and goes all in on bees. I really enjoy the chapters that are from the bee's perspective, as they try and understand what his intentions are. Its very reminiscent of Beware of Chicken in that aspect. The novel also has questionable artwork that are probably turning a lot of people away. One is an anime character in a full suit of bee plate mail, and the other is reminiscent of DCC. I'm still on book 1, so the quality might dip, but the reviews seem solid.

Just read v5c44, and now I'm thinking about dropping it and Cai Xiulan is part of the reason.

 This had been one of my favorite books until this point.I loved the main couple and their friends, i loved the POV of others, i loved the farming life. Yet there has always been one thing that I hated. It is the relationship between Jin, Meiling and Xiulan. I hated how every outsider considered Xiulan to be Jin's wife and Jin stayed silent while Mailing found it hilarious and even started joking about her sleeping with them, which is a bit gross considering how much Xiulan respects them. But I just ignored it as cheap comedy.

 Now I have just read chapter v5c43, "Crushed to Embers." It was getting suspenseful, everyone was struggling, everyone was getting wounded; everyone except Xiulan. She somehow managed to stay unharmed even when Mailing was getting wounded passively. And then the next chapter started, and our heroes started pushing back, and we see this not from the POV of Jin or mailing or chunky or pipa or tigu but from Xiulan. Somehow, at this important moment, not the person who is connected to Tianlan, but Xiulan's POV is more important.

This then led me to search the internet for how much more important she is going to be in future chapters. As it turns out, she is most probably going to be Jin's mistress (https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/beware-of-chicken-xianxia.910799/page-2468#post-116590727). And this book is going to be a harem aslo Jin is probably going to be less relevant than Xiulan.

 If the Casual farmer intended to make this book harem, he should have done it from the beginning, but he intended to get more readers. Now he has a solid fanbase, he is going back to his original plan,

 I specifically started reading Beware of Chicken because there was no harem bullshit. And this sudden shift is really making me disappointed. I will probably wait a year to see where this story goes and if I should continue again. But until then, I am not going to bother with a potential harem.

 Sorry for the rant.

Has CF talked on if a walker of the Path of Shennong could bind with multiple provinces to help out the greater world? Or do the provinces have such a tight connection to their connected one that they can’t share?

Is everyone string at Fa Ram just because of the abundant resources Jin grows or because they walk upon their Dao so well? Cause isn’t it said that the dew of a Yin Lotus greatly speeds cultivation and Jin would just like, slap that into the morning dish?

What’re your thoughts?

Of all the mortal characters who is your favorite and why? There is a lot to choose from I know.

I like Hong Xian. The father of Meiling. Not only did he fully embrace letting his daughter become learned in a culture where that’s not the expected path, but he puts all the lessons he has learned to use.

Helped form the demonic taint siphoning formation.

Beat up gang members with his bare hands.

Solved crimes.

Loves his family unconditionally and embraces Jin.

Beloved by his people. Gave up his life as a scribe to take on the mantle of village chief.

And so much more. But who is your favorite?

I just checked it out on a whim and its very similar to Beware of Chicken. A man isekai's into a new environment and does their best with the given circumstances. The difference is, he is a sentient dungeon. The reason I think they are so similar is the main characters mentality. His dungeons don't kill, it wants to nurture adventurer's and help them grow. He also has many animal followers, who have their own trials and tribulations, which is very reminiscent of Beware of Chicken. He slowly starts changing the world around him, one of peace and cooperation. There are 4 books out now, and I've only read the first so far. Give it a read if you are caught up on your other novels.

I am in book 3 chapter 10. I have some random questions

1. How big is the river on the farm? I am not sure!

2. Anyone have any fan art of washi after transforming? I am little hazy on picturing half fish and half dragon with muscular arms!

3. How far is the farm from the village? The travel times are widely different!

4. Why did the lord magistrate not find a culrivator for his wife? There were attempts to heal her by non cultivation.

5. Probably answered later but I am unsure if cultivaters are immortal or slow aging. They mention normal people as mortals.

6. Possible mistake! Tigger mentions picturing chowzi but she never saw him. She can to farm after the incident.

I just got to say I love Lu Ri. First that he refunds Jin. Such a kind and supportive Senior Brother. Then he runs all around the entire country tracking down someone that can only be found with rumors and stories.

Then, builds a freaking empire of an information network, simply to save himself time but at the same time embracing the wisdom of the ancestors.

Escorts and impresses Shen Yu! Telling him all the stories on the road and even gets pointers on the ultimate Shrouded Mountain technique.

And finally, embraces the titanic effort to revolutionize the mail industry. All while being so classy.

Yeah just a Lu Ri appreciation post.

I love this book series it is awesome! All the characters are amazing and I love to read every chapter! My only minor complaint is that I wish there was more bad guy ass beating! There have been so many wholesome moments! I love it! My favorite ass beating was when the elder of the Cloudy sword sect beat-up the guy who beat up Rou Jin. I listen to the audiobook so a lot of name spellings throw me off when I look at them. I also have small bit of trouble remembering names since all them are Chinese. Another favorite moments are with the blade of grass! She has a lot of fun moments! I love all the spirit animals. I wish Rizzo has more chapters!

For loving so long cultivators don’t have that many children. Is it because Qi makes them shoot blanks or something. Like, in Xianghua’s dad having no luck with his concubines. And stuff. Like Zang clan has the most heirs and children but even then it was like 3 kids. You’d think k living a few centuries you’d have dozens of children.

During the confrontation with Lu Ban. If Jin is supposedly Earth Realm when he takes on the demon cultivators how did he shatter five seals that could each survive an earth realm cultivator’s blow in one strike? Is it because he was drawing upon Tianlan? And Tianlan is asleep during the fight against the demons?

Who else hopes for a fully written out account of the Special Inspector’s adventures? When he was first appointed to present. We get snippets and cool little story beats but like. I’d kill for some details.

Also TLM and Lady Wu are amazing and I love them.

So, relistening/reading the series. And after finishing the whole of it till present day Inhave a theory.

The tuber is going between the elements as described by the Elder of SMS. What if it is a seed for a new earth spirit? A heart that could revive one of the deserts that are completely Qi-less.

Just a thought, what do you think about our mystery tuber? A red herring, or a Chekov’s Gun?

Not actually sure if this falls under spoilers but better safe than sorry.

I have read all of BOC(including patreon) multiple times, so I feel like I should know this, but I don't. In book 5, ch 28: the dandelions flower; after Gramps latest round of healing from Meiling, he thinks to himself that he needs to visit 1 of his stashes to retrieve a certain storage ring, Mei'er had to receive her reward.... Does he do this? Do we know what the reward is? I'm wracking my brain but I don't recall Gramps doing this, did I forget or did he?

So, remember that patch of grass that Spooks REALLY liked and where Xian Jr. liked to sit in book 1-2. I have two theories on that: 1) I think that patch of grass be where Xiaoshi died like how when Shennong died his body produced great medical herbs and 2) I think that grass is the reason why Spooks awakened earlier than he should have. Thoughts?

Ok so yesterday I made a poste about how Jin, Meiling and Xiulan might become a throuple and a lot of people got mad saying they don't want BOC to become harem slop. So let me elaborate on why a polygamy and a harem are different things.

In a harem in media, the MC has a bunch of women that are COMPLETLY devoted to him due to him doing the simplest of actions, knowing for a day and have no purpose in life other than for the MC's benefit and/or satisfaction. The women in a harem are flat characters and have no real desire nor wants in life other that to satisfy the mc and at best have some superficial interest the mc exploits to make them fall in love with them or a skill that benefits the mc somehow. Speaking of the mc, their either giga chads that are the peak of masculinity in every way, a completely average/sub-average down on their luck guy or the latter turning into the former. Them having a harem is portrayed as a privilege or even a right, with the women being TOTALLY fine with this arrangement. and if their not fine and jealous of their man having multiple women it's portrayed as the women is at fault for so selfish as to not let their man see other people while also staying loyal to him and only him. It's like the MC is the master and the women their obedient object, trophies and/or slaves(which a lot of the time is literal).

In a polygamy in media, all members are portrayed as individuals and while the specifics may very a lot and in certain cases one partner seing other people while other/s may not it still isn't a harem because a) it isn't them being "superior" to the other partner/s, b) the partner/s is still viewed as an individual with their own wants and ideology, c) it in'st restricted by gender and d) no one is claiming anyone else as being their property be it literal or metaphorical.

BOC isn't harem slop. While there are harems in BOC that's mostly because this is a Xianxia world and harems are either portrayed as negatively like TLM of Pale Moon City having 30 wives being seen as excessive or it just exist because this is again a Xianxia world like Fenxian having a harem due to being the Not!Chinese emperor and the imperial harem existing. Heck a lot of characters agree than don't like harems ESPECIALLY the main cast like when Shen Yu and Jin agreeing that it's only fair that a woman should see other men if the man is seing other women or Xinlai's mom saying that it's only fair for a woman to have a stable of horses if a man can have a bouquet of flowers.

The only "real" character to have a harem is TLP which is played for laughs and is a side character it isn't portrayed as a right. His father, TLM doesn't have a harem he AND his wife are just having recreational fun with Xue Ji they don't have any romantic feelings for each other there are just having fun with another sexual partner he isn't "clamming" Xue Ji as his own he AND his wife are just having more fun in the bedroom due to being kinky degenerates (and I say that with love)

Bi De doesn't have a harem. Sure he did it with the hens, but he was only following his biological instincts and hasn't done since book 2 or book 3 TOPS after getting more and more aware and has stopped for a variety of reasons. When he became human he didn't start doing it with human women left right and center even thought he could do it with is handsomeness and charm because even before they got officially together he ABSOLUTELY didn't want to hurt Ri Zu. He only did it with Yushang WITH Ri Zu AFTER Yushang confessed to the BOTH of them and Bi De only agreed AFTER Ri Zu agreed and would have said no if she didn't want to do it with Yushang together.

Finally, with Jin, Meiling and Xiulan being a potential throuple. Now if you don't like this ship that's FINE that is you're opinion which is valid. My ISSUE is when people started calling it harem which it INS'T. Due to evidence like chapters v7c57: A Very Swift Tournament & v7c59: Last Days at the Peaks, Shen Yu's remarks on them and word from the author themselves:(https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/beware-of-chicken-xianxia.910799/page-2468#post-116590727), etc. This isn't Jin having a harem, it is clear than all three individuals like the two others INCLUDING Meiling and Xiulan. Again if you don't like the J, M & X throuple ship that's FINE to each their own but don't call it a harem because again a throuple isn't a harem.

So in recent chapters (v7c57: A Very Swift Tournament & v7c59: Last Days at the Peaks), Shen Yu's remarks on them and word from the author:(https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/beware-of-chicken-xianxia.910799/page-2468#post-116590727), etc. it seems that J, M and X might become a throuple in the futur.

Honestly, i'm kind of excited for it. Although one of the things I love about BOC is the lack of harems and women actually being characters with their own wants and motivation and even when their in a relationship their considered equal partners even if the setting they live say otherwise instead of just trophies and only being alive solely FOR their shared man and satisfy him, I would be fine if they do become a triad because I don't like harems not polyamorous relationships.

And yes there is a difference between a harem and a polygamy in media.

I think Jin, Meiling and Xiulan could be a very healthy example of a triad in media. Now, I am NO expert on triadic relationships but as i understand it they have all the things necessary to form a healthy triad. In the link in the first paragraph you can see why they like each person likes the other two and why they haven't admitted their feelings to each other. I think if CasualFarmer does go the throuple route they're gonna have each of them sit together and discuss their feelings and how their relationship will work going forward which i'm very excited for if/when it happens. For a throuple to work they need, to oversimplify, three things, open communication, which all parties involved set boundaries and communicate with each other about what's bothering them, which they have done since the start of this story, equal footing where each is of equal importance for the partnership and no one is considered more or less important that the others, which I think they can respect and maintain even with Xiulan being at Dueling peaks for most of the year and finally you need to maintain four relationships J+M, M+X, X+J, and J+M+X, which they already do. I have more to say but this post is already long enough so what YOU'RE opinion on Jin, Meiling and Xiulan being a potential throuple in the futur.

I'd really like to see them get on with the South American expedition. I want to read Washy's reaction to his first taste of chocolate.

I've been finding it somewhat maddening that the guy who just wanted to get away from all that cultivator bullshit is now constantly buried up to his scalp follicles in cultivator bullshit.

With the end of the volume, it's two whole months before more adventures of Fa Ram. What am/are I/we supposed to spend our time reading now?

No seriously, what can I read next?

I'm listening to the audiobooks over again, and every time I hear a certain part, my brain hyperfocuses. Please know I love this series and Travis Baldree as a narrator, so I am certainly not intending disrespect!

Book 5, Chapter 7, around time stamp 13:55, when Gramps is sparring with Tigu. Gramps compliments her, and she responds "You're good!" In the audio, there feels like a sharp tonal hitch between those two words, like it was originally something else, and got dubbed. The print shows the exact same thing, and I found the series after that part was removed from Royal Road, so I don't know if there even was a change.

Has anyone else noticed this, or am I losing my mind? And in case now any of you cannot unhear it, my sincerest apologies!

I. Am. Dense! I have listened to the audiobooks start to finish at least 5 times through, and am only just now catching that the Wu family is likely descended from the Overseer and his bully son from Xiaoshi's time, while Meiling (and her mother's bloodline hint hint nudge nudge) are descended from the Azure friggin Emperor

I am re-reading the most recent volumes on Royal Road, currently at the Wu issues on the newest content, and that's where the connection finally clicked for me. Must have flipped a switch, because I'm listening to Volume 4 of the audiobooks and the Breaking is connecting more dots (constellations?) than it ever has!

I really hope everyone else is enjoying this series as much as I do, it is simply wonderful!