Eternal Tale
chapter-5

Half a month later.

A vast forest could be seen sprawling, its woods extending almost endlessly into the distance, with mountain peaks rising and falling. The roars of wild beasts could be heard traveling from its depth.

**_Chop!_**

With a swing of an axe, several streams of blood spurted out of a brown bear as it fell dead on the spot.

A large pot was set up, filled with water, and left to boil. And shortly after, a feast was prepared.

"Big ox, how do you like my Unparalleled Axe technique?" Chen Xun shook the axe in his hand, looking at his companion.

"Moo…."

The big black ox gave a perfunctory moo. It was busy using its hooves to cover up the bloodstains. Safety was its top priority when outside.

"My strength is really inhuman!" Chen Xun tightened his fist, constantly exclaiming. Facing the brown bear, he had stunned it with a single punch, breaking several of its ribs.

The man and the ox gathered around the pot, and enjoyed their meal enthusiastically. The wild meat was delicious, bringing immense satisfaction.

"Damn it, old ox. Although we are powerful, there are those cultivators too…." Chen Xun said while eating the bear's paw, clicking his tongue. "Any seemingly honest person could turn out to be some vicious ancient demon. We need to be careful when dealing with people."

"Moo."

The big black ox mooed in understanding as it enjoyed the food.

"Even if we kill a chicken in the wild, we must erase all traces and not leave behind any evidence."

"Moo?"

"After all, there might be a group of chickens following right behind. They could easily find us through scent or whatever other means."

"Moo…?"

The big black ox didn't understand, and a piece of meat fell from its mouth, but it quickly picked it up again.

"And what if the group of chickens finds us, you might ask? Well, we'll just have to kill them then!" Chen Xun sneered, his mouth full of oil.

"Moo."

The big black ox nodded.

"But now, what happens if those chickens are raised by cultivators?" Chen Xun said mysteriously, "Then those cultivators might come looking for trouble!"

"Moo!"

"And if we fight those cultivators, wouldn't their masters come looking for trouble next?"

"Moo! Moo!"

The big black ox froze as it all made perfect sense.

“In the end, this might lead to a major sect war! All because of a chicken! How many people can we fight?"

Chen Xun raised an eyebrow, tearing the bear meat. "If we happen to be killed carelessly, how many little cows would suffer?"

"Moo!"

The big black ox was enlightened. Its bell-like eyes stared at Chen Xun, admiration flowed through its heart, gushing like a river.

"The young can still be taught," Chen Xun threw praise and laughed heartily. He loved that look of admiration on the big black ox’s face. "Therefore, we must be cautious in the future. We can’t act brazenly."

"Moo!"

The big black ox nodded.

"Now, here comes the question…."

Chen Xun's expression turned solemn, saying, "If you stumble upon a little cow confronting another cultivator, and they are fighting over a spiritual herb in a big fight, how should we handle it?"

"Here, let me help you. Is it answer one: as a hero, saving the beauty is only natural, who else would do it? Answer two: pick the stronger side and join forces, bullying the weaker side in order to ensure our own survival. Answer three: avoid getting involved. Turn a blind eye to the situation, and quietly pass by. Or is it the fourth answer: with me present, no adversary is worth mentioning. I am invincible and all-powerful. They all have to die, and the spiritual herb will belong to me in the end…. Alright, give me your answer."

Chen Xun looked at the big black ox with a penetrating gaze, and it was sweating slightly, finding the question quite difficult.

The black ox struggled; how could it watch the little cow fall into the enemy's hands? It came to a decision before giving a moo.

"Moo!"

"Answer one? Wrong!"

Chen Xun sneered. "How can a little ox compete with a cultivator? If you charge forward, it’s only one more corpse added to the pile."

"However, choosing two is also a big mistake."

Chen Xun narrowed his eyes slightly and explained, "You already know that they are fighting over the spiritual herb. The more people know about it, the higher the risk for the cultivator. After the cultivator deals with the enemies, they won't spare you."

The black ox's pupils contracted, and beads of sweat formed on its forehead. It had already died twice!

"Moo, moo, moo!"

"Hahaha, you chose answer three, and that’s even worse!"

Chen Xun laughed wildly, his eyes cold. "It doesn’t matter whether you got involved or not, those savages will still kill you anyway. In this world, there is no law. And without strength, you can never be sure if you were discovered or not."

The black ox went weak all over, trembling in fear from Chen Xun's words. Its heavy breath sprayed on the ground.

"Moo, moo, moo, moo!"

"What a surprise! You actually chose answer four."

Chen Xun stood up slowly, a shadow casting over his face. The big black ox suddenly felt extremely small. It was frightened, thinking that it had died again….

"Congratulations...."

"Moo?!"

After hearing Chen Xun's words, the big black ox suddenly felt its strength returning. Its four hooves gradually lifted, and hope ignited in its eyes. Could it be that it was right, and it would be resurrected from the dead?!

Chen Xun's pupils slowly widened as he looked down at the big black ox, and he chuckled darkly, "You chose the most tragic way to go, old ox! You are dead, again!"

"Moo~~!!"

The big black ox's pupils trembled, and with a bang and a cloud of dust, it collapsed on the ground. It had gotten it all wrong….

After a moment of silence, the black ox realized something was wrong. Why were all the answers wrong? The more the ox thought about it, the more something felt off. As it looked at Chen Xun, who was still eating the bear's paw, it suddenly understood that it had been deceived!

"Moo!!!"

"Holy crap…!"

Chen Xun was instantly sent flying into the air by the ox, still tightly gripping the bear's paw. As he felt the wind rushing past him, he caught a glimpse of people fighting in the distance.

His eyes narrowed, and his two feet landed steadily, creating two large craters. The big black ox continued to eat the bear meat and drink the soup, refusing to give Chen Xun any face.

"Old ox, hurry and tidy up. There's a fight nearby." Chen Xun said seriously, patting it.

"Moo!"

The big black ox obeyed; when Chen Xun wore this expression, he never joked. They packed up the meat, dug a pit, and quickly buried the traces; all done with practiced skill.

Chen Xun walked silently in the opposite direction as he lead the black ox without saying a word, like some rural youth.

Behind them, in the air, three figures moved swiftly through the trees, and the rustling of leaves filled the vicinity.

Chen Xun and the black ox strolled along under the trees, looking mundane and unremarkable.

Suddenly, one of the figures stopped. His black hair fluttered behind him as he squinted at the young man.

"Hold on."

A voice came from the tree, and Chen Xun tensed up. The heavy breathing of the big black ox gradually quieted down as its hooves were ready to strike.

The man jumped down from the tree, sizing up Chen Xun and asking, "Have you seen what happened ahead?"

Chen Xun was startled. Covered in cold sweat, he replied with a bow, "Hello, senior. What happened...?"

He couldn't tell if this person was a cultivator or a martial arts expert. He also had no idea how many people were nearby. It was better to be cautious.

The man glanced at Chen Xun's hands, which showed no signs of training, proving he was not a martial artist. He then said, "I see. Leave the ox here."

The big black ox had strong and robust muscles, which would be beneficial to martial artists.

"Senior... my family only has this one ox. You are obviously a martial arts expert. There's no need to specifically come and take _our_ ox."

Chen Xun's face turned ugly, his fingers trembling slightly. His expression and actions were spot on.

The man’s gaze turned sharp. He unsheathed his sword and coldly chuckled. "The prestigious Bai Xuan Sect would not stoop so low. Don’t make me repeat my words."

"Alright. Fine." Chen Xun let go of the rope, looking lost as he stared at the big black ox. He secretly confirmed that the man wasn't a cultivator after all.

The man took the rope and suddenly smiled, "Actually, isn’t this weird? After all, this is not the place for a man to be tending cattle."

"You can only blame your bad luck. You are exhibiting suspicious behavior, after all."

The man turned his back to the black ox and spoke to Chen Xun.

He had already figured everything out; this person was most likely a spy.