Half a month later, in a mountain forest, the mountains rose and fell, the forest vast and boundless, and even the roars of wild beasts echoed from its depths.
*Swoosh!*
With a single cleave of the axe, several streams of blood spurted out, and a brown bear lay dead on the spot. Sparks flew, a large pot was set up, water boiled, and a feast was served.
"Old Ox, how was my unparalleled axe technique?" Chen Xun flicked his axe, looking at the large black ox.
*Moo!*
The large black ox gave a perfunctory moo. It was currently digging at the ground with its hooves to cover the bloodstains; safety was paramount when traveling.
"Truly inhuman strength!"
Chen Xun clenched his fist, repeatedly marveling. He had fought the brown bear one-on-one, and a single punch had knocked it unconscious, breaking several of its ribs.
Man and ox sat around the pot, feasting heartily. Wild food was indeed delicious and satisfying.
"Old Ox, although we possess superhuman strength, you saw it yourself—damn, there are cultivators here."
Chen Xun, eating bear paw, clicked his tongue and said, "Don't act impulsively. Those seemingly insignificant people might actually be some kind of old monster."
Moo.
The big black ox responded, understanding, and ate with relish.
"Even if we kill a chicken in the wild, we must completely destroy the evidence and leave no trace."
"Moo?"
"Because there might be a flock of chickens behind them, and they'll find us by scent."
"Moo?"
The big black ox still didn't understand. A piece of meat fell from its mouth, which it quickly picked up with its beak.
"So what if a flock of chickens comes? Just kill them?" Chen Xun scoffed, his mouth full of oil.
"Moo." The big black ox nodded.
"What if these chickens are raised by cultivators?"
Chen Xun said mysteriously, "Wouldn't they come looking for trouble again?"
"Moo!"
"If we defeat those cultivators again, wouldn't their master come looking for trouble again?"
"Moo! Moo!" The big black ox was stunned; it made perfect sense.
"In the end, it might trigger a sect war over a single chicken. How many people can we fight?"
Chen Xun raised an eyebrow, tearing at the bear meat. "If we accidentally get killed, how many heifers would we lose?"
"Moo!~~"
The big black ox understood, its large, bell-like eyes gazing intently at Chen Xun, its admiration like a surging river, endless and boundless.
"You're teachable."
Chen Xun smiled approvingly; he loved the expression on the big black ox's face. "So, from now on, be careful in everything you do; you can't afford to be careless."
"Moo!" the big black ox nodded.
"Now, here's the question."
Chen Xun's expression turned serious. "If a heifer confronts a cultivator over a spiritual herb, and a great battle is imminent, how would you handle it?"
"Answer one: It's my duty to be a hero and save the damsel in distress; who else but me?"
"Answer two: Stand with the stronger party, bully the weak, and protect yourself."
"Answer three: Act as if nothing happened, quietly pass by, and avoid any entanglement."
"Answer four: I am invincible; everyone must die, and the spiritual herb is mine."
"Please answer."
Chen Xun's deep pupils stared at the big black ox, who was sweating slightly. What a difficult question.
The black bull's eyes showed struggle; how could he stand by and watch his heifer fall into enemy hands? He made his decision: "Moo!"
"Answer one? Wrong!"
Chen Xun sneered, "How can a heifer compete with cultivators? If you rush forward, you'll only become another corpse."
"Moo, moo."
"Choosing option two? A grave mistake."
Chen Xun narrowed his eyes slightly, explaining, "You already know you're competing for spiritual herbs. The more people who know, the greater the risk. Once the cultivators have eliminated their enemies, they won't spare you."
The black ox's pupils contracted, cold sweat pouring down its back. It had already died twice: "Moo, moo, moo!"
"Hahaha, choosing option three? An even bigger mistake."
Chen Xun laughed arrogantly, his eyes cold. "There are no laws in this world. Without strength, you can never be sure if you'll be discovered. They'll just kill you all at once, thinking you're a lucky ox."
The black ox went limp, trembling with fear at Chen Xun's words, a heavy breath snorting onto the ground: "Moo, moo, moo, moo!"
"I never expected you to choose answer four."
Chen Xun slowly rose, a shadow looming over his face. The big black bull suddenly felt incredibly small, paralyzed with fear. Had it died again…?
"Congratulations…"
"Moo?!"
Upon hearing this, the big black bull suddenly felt its strength returning. Its four legs slowly lifted, and hope ignited in its eyes. Had it finally gotten it right? Was it about to be resurrected?!
Chen Xun's pupils slowly widened as he looked down at the big black bull, a low laugh escaping his lips. "You chose the most gruesome way to die, old bull, die!"
Moo!!
The big black bull's pupils dilated. Thud, a cloud of dust, and it collapsed to the ground. It had been completely wrong…
After a while, the black ox realized something was wrong. Why were all the answers wrong? The more it thought about it, the more suspicious it became. Looking at Chen Xun, who was still eating bear paws, it realized it had fallen for the trap!
Moo!!!
"Holy crap..."
Chen Xun was instantly propelled into the air, still tightly gripping the bear paws. He felt the wind and... saw a group of people fighting in the distance.
His eyes narrowed, and he landed firmly on his feet, creating two large craters. The black ox was devouring the bear meat and drinking the broth, clearly not wanting to leave Chen Xun any chance.
"Old ox, hurry up and clean up, there's a fight in the distance," Chen Xun said seriously, patting it.
Moo!
The black ox responded. When Chen Xun showed this expression, he was never joking. They packed up the meat, dug the pits, and quickly covered the traces with practiced ease.
Chen Xun, leading the large black ox, walked silently in the opposite direction like a farm boy, without uttering a word.
Looking down from the sky, three figures rustled through the trees. Below, Chen Xun and the ox strolled aimlessly, their eyes lifeless and unremarkable.
One figure suddenly stopped. His black hair flowed behind him, and he squinted at the young man.
"Wait."
A voice came from the tree. Chen Xun tensed, and the ox's breathing gradually subsided, its hooves poised to pounce.
The man jumped down from the tree, looked Chen Xun up and down, and asked, "Did you see what happened ahead?"
Chen Xun was startled, cold sweat breaking out on his face. He bowed and said, "Greetings, senior. What is it…?"
He couldn't tell if this person was a cultivator or a martial arts master, nor did he know how many people were nearby. Playing it safe was the best course of action.
The man glanced at Chen Xun's hands; no calluses, clearly not those of a martial artist. He then said, "Understood. Leave the ox here."
This large black ox was massive and thick; its flesh would be highly beneficial to a martial artist.
"Senior… my family only has one ox. You're clearly a martial arts master; there's no need for you to come specifically to steal it."
Chen Xun's face darkened, his fingers trembling slightly, his expression and movements perfectly executed.
*Swoosh.*
The man drew his sword, his gaze sharp, and sneered, "My esteemed Hundred Mysteries Sect wouldn't stoop to such a level. I don't want to waste any more words."
"Sigh, alright." Chen Xun lowered the ox's rope, looking at the large black ox with a dejected expression, thinking to himself, "He really isn't a cultivator."
The man took the rope and suddenly laughed, "You see, this isn't a place for grazing cattle."
"Suspicious behavior? You can only blame your bad luck."
The man, with his back to the black ox, spoke to Chen Xun. He had seen through everything; this man was very likely a spy.