Eternal Tale
chapter-29

Chen Xun's heart shook with fury. “Damn these ruthless villains. They didn’t even spare the children.”

“Moo, moo!”

The big black ox continued to nudge the unconscious people, trying to wake them up.

“If they're not cultivators, then who are these wicked bandits?”

Chen Xun squatted down and looked into the distance. All the bodies here were of the elderly, women, and children. The killers must still be chasing after the men.

He put down the barrels of water and layed the clothes on the clean snow, and reached for the two axes at his waist, spinning between his fingers, and cutting through the falling snowflakes.

**_Swish!_**

**_Swish!_**

**_Boom!_**

The thick snow around them trembled suddenly, and a violent sound reverberated in the air. They were like giants walking on a snowy sea, creating massive waves of snow behind them, their momentum overwhelming.

In the distance, dozens of mountain bandits laughed, their large knives dripping with blood. Even Panning City had fallen into turmoil. As a result, a large number of warriors were conscripted. Who could stop them now!

"Big Brother, the number of refugees fleeing to Panning City is increasing." One bandit grinned wickedly. "They brought all their belongings with them. A walking bunch of fat-cats, these fellas."

"This is the good life!" The man shook his large knife and laughed maniacally. "We have finally ushered in our era! Boys, kill them all!"

"Yes, Big Brother!"

"Yes, Big Brother!"

The bandits raised their large knives and roared into the air. Behind them lay a trail of corpses. They reveled in the killing and looting. In the past, they had to evade the official troops, but now, everyone was on the battlefield, and no one could stop them.

Screams echoed, and more helpless civilians fell down and died. They looked deeply resentful. Unwilling to accept their impending fate.

The bandits laughed even louder. They looted the gold, silver, and jewelry from their victims. Refugees on the run always carried such valuables.

Suddenly, they heard a commotion behind them, and they all turned to look. They wondered why the snow in the distance was splashing to the sides and piling so high.

"What the hell is that?"

The man spat and stood at the forefront. He wore animal fur and held a knife in his hand. He tried to squint at the weird sight, but the snow was too heavy and it was too difficult to see ahead.

"Is that a person? Or a black ox?"

"Something doesn’t feel right, Big Brother."

"Run!"

The big brother's pupils contracted dramatically, and he roared suddenly. But by the time they saw the figure clearly, it was too late.

Chen Xun took a another step forward, still accelerating, and a thunderous sound boomed in the air

The big brother's mind was already in chaos. In the blink of an eye, the person was upon him, and the look in his eyes was the coldest he had ever seen in his life...

**_Swoosh! _**

The man they called Big Brother had his head soar into the sky followed by a stream of blood that flowed like a fountain. He then collapsed to the ground.

The black ox charged into the group of bandits, bellowing furiously. The bandits' expressions were filled with agony as the ox stamped over them. They felt as though they had been struck by a mountain and were killed on the spot.

Desperate screams followed one after another. They didn't even know who or what had killed them.

Smoke filled the air as the bodies of dozens of bandits were incinerated by fireball spells. Chen Xun and black ox gradually disappeared amidst the falling snow.

…

Chen Xun and the black ox went back and retrieved the water barrels and clothing before going back to the cave. They were both silent on the way. They realized that their good intentions had led to the demise of innocent people.

They hadn't dealt with the bodies; the thick snow had already buried them, and many people had disappeared without a trace.

If Chen Xun hadn't shown them the way, perhaps they wouldn't have encountered these ruthless mountain bandits.

"Old ox, some things are not within our control." Chen Xun sighed softly and patted the big black ox, "In this world, in this environment, we can't decide what happens and what doesn’t, nor do we have the power to change it."

"Moo~"

The big black ox put its head in Chen Xun's arms again.

"The only thing we can control is our own fates. And we should strive to have a clear conscience." Chen Xun looked at the big black ox and smiled slightly, "These things happen all the time. Take it easy"

"Moo~"

The big black ox nodded, but it still felt that those people were despicable for robbing and killing.

"Old ox, let's start cultivating. We haven't finished the Heavy Feather Pills." Chen Xun's expression changed, sweeping away the unpleasantness from earlier. "We should only look ahead. There are still many things to do."

"Moo, moo!" The big black ox's pupils widened slightly, and it became more alert.

They consumed the pills steadily. Initially, they took several pills at once, but now they only took one and meditated for several days, gradually assimilating the medicinal power and familiarizing themselves with the growing power.

As time passed with them meditating and consuming the pills, another year went by, and it seemed that it didn't snow this year.

By now, they had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. The Heavy Feather Pills were completely consumed, but they had already cultivated seven of the hundred-year-old spirit herbs and were ready to earn a fortune.

Chen Xun had also finally reached 20 points in the Essence of All Things, and they planned to start adding points to their Spiritual Energy next year to see if their internal power would increase.

More and more people were fleeing from the other side of the Ningyun Mountain Range. Some died of hunger on the way, their corpses scavenged by vultures. Some were killed by wild beasts, and others were robbed by mountain bandits.

There were also people passing by their cave, and it seemed that the outside world was becoming more chaotic.

If they saw any suffering commoners, Chen Xun and the black ox would give them some smoked meat, but they decided to avoid further contact. They didn’t want to form karma with anyone, since they didn’t know anything about such a thing.

The desire for strength among vagabond cultivators continued to grow stronger in the recent years, and they racked their brains for ways to enter the top ten Immortal Sects, rather than living aimlessly in the mortal realm.

Compared to the dire situation outside, the Immortal Ascension Conference was in full swing, even more so than in previous years.

Inside the cave, the man and the ox lived peacefully, each doing their own thing, unaffected by the outside disturbances.

"Old ox, I'm going to the Ascension Conference. Wait for me here."

This time, Chen Xun didn't plan to wear a disguise or bring the black ox with him. He didn’t want to attract attention.

"Moo, moo!"

The big black ox firmly held onto Chen Xun with its mouth. They had never been apart.

"I'll be back in a day. If I don't return, come find me."

"Moo?"

"Really, when have I ever lied to you? I might be back in half a day if everything goes well."

Chen Xun smiled. They had no more spirit medicine or alchemy furnace, and he had to make a trip back.

"Moo~"

The big black ox nodded and followed Chen Xun until they were far away, almost entering the depths of the mountains before it left, continuously mooing on the way back.

Chen Xun took three steps and then looked back, seeing the big black ox disappear from his sight, he quickened his pace.

"There are even more people now."

Chen Xun met many vagabonds. When they saw his cultivation at the seventh level of Qi Refining, they all showed respect and gave way for him.

In a world where strength was the most important, the strongest always came first. Chen Xun remained very low-key and didn't engage with anyone.

After entering the Nine Stars Valley, he walked confidently and was informed about the matter of selling guides. Chen Xun just smiled faintly in return, not surprised.

There were more vagabonds selling items, and were all engaged in barter to increase their chances of passing the trials.

He reached a small sect's pavilion and adjusted his mood before entering the pavilion with a mournful attitude.