Chen Song steadied his newly attained Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and felt utterly refreshed. The Dharma power throughout his body surged without end, and his perception of the laws of heaven and earth had become more than ten times clearer!
He happily savored this newfound strength. As the Qiantang River tide rose, only today did he truly know himself!
Pah!
Anyway, it felt incredible!
He glanced at the Green Ox and Kui Ox obediently lying in the corner of the courtyard, unusually well-behaved under the pressure of the Big Bosses. Oh, right, there was still unfinished business!
His eyes spun, and he put on a fawning smile as he bowed to the Three Pure Ones.
"Master, two Martial Uncles, during this trip, aside from making some minor progress in cultivation, this disciple also happened upon some... well... small opportunities." He deliberately kept it vague.
Laozi did not even raise his eyelids, as though he had long seen through everything. Tongtian, however, was impatient by nature and asked curiously, "Oh? What good treasure did Senior Disciple Nephew acquire this time? Hurry and show us! Are these two cows? They're quite nice. Is that dog one too?"
Chen Song cleared his throat and first walked before Laozi, pointing at the Sacred Water Green Ox with its indigo hide and gleaming white horn.
He said solemnly, "Master, you are the foremost of the Three Pure Ones. This prehistoric variant Green Ox has steady footing, loves tranquility, and can command all waters. It perfectly suits your Dao realm of governing through non-action and the highest goodness being like water. So I had it come serve as your mount. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, the Green Ox hurriedly rose and gently walked to Laozi. It lowered its enormous head, lightly touched the ground with its horn, and let out a deep, respectful moo. The pure water-spirit aura around it indeed faintly resonated with Laozi's unfathomable presence.
Laozi swept his gaze over the Green Ox, then looked at Chen Song, whose face practically said, "Praise me already." His expression remained as calm as an ancient well, but he nodded slightly and blandly uttered one word: "Good." That counted as accepting it. With a sweep of his sleeve, a ray of clear light enveloped the Green Ox, imprinting it with the mark of the Supreme Pure lineage.
A weight lifted from Chen Song's heart. Master, taken care of! He immediately turned to Tongtian, his smile growing even brighter. "Third Martial Uncle! You are bold and forthright, your sword qi soaring to the heavens. Look at this Kui Ox—it is a strange beast of Leize, accompanied by wind and thunder, incredibly swift and imposing! This Martial Nephew thinks it is simply a match made in heaven for you, Third Martial Uncle! I found it especially for you!"
Hearing itself introduced, the Kui Ox immediately raised its head and puffed out its chest. Lightning crackled around its single foot as it let out a bellow like rolling thunder. It looked mighty and brimming with fighting spirit, perfectly complementing Tongtian's razor-sharp temperament.
Tongtian's face lit up with delight, and he burst into laughter. "Good! Good! Senior Disciple Nephew, you really understand me! This Kui Ox looks exciting! It's much more interesting than those soft, fluffy auspicious clouds! From now on, whenever I go out to chop... uh, discuss the Dao, I'll ride it!" Happily, he patted the Kui Ox's neck, and a ray of Supreme Pure immortal light entered its body, instantly completing the bond of ownership.
Chen Song was overjoyed. Two major matters, done! He secretly glanced at Yuanshi beside him. His Second Martial Uncle remained expressionless, merely watching him quietly. His gaze was calm, yet it inexplicably made Chen Song feel pressured, as though it were saying, "Continue. I'm watching."
For a moment, the courtyard fell silent. Big White looked at the Green Ox beside Laozi, then at the Kui Ox beside Tongtian, before glancing at Yuanshi standing alone. Its dog brain turned over the situation, seeming to understand something. Covering its mouth with a paw, it let out a muffled snicker.
Wait! It seemed to have thought of another possibility. No way, right?
It did not want to become a mount for Chen Song's Second Martial Uncle, who looked extremely fierce!
Tongtian also caught on. He waggled his eyebrows at Chen Song, then looked at Yuanshi with an expression that said he was waiting for the show.
Chen Song's scalp tingled. He could only brace himself, rubbing his hands together as he gave Yuanshi an awkward smile. "Second Martial Uncle... this... this disciple... this disciple..."
Yuanshi finally spoke. His voice was even, devoid of discernible joy or anger, yet every word struck Chen Song's heart like a small hammer. "Senior Disciple Nephew, your filial devotion on this occasion is indeed commendable. The mounts you found for your Master and Third Brother are both quite good." He paused, his gaze passing over the Green Ox and Kui Ox before finally settling on Chen Song.
He slowly said, "But, Senior Disciple Nephew, with these arrangements, could it be that you believe... your Second Martial Uncle is only suited to riding a dog? Or do you think that, in your heart, your Second Martial Uncle should only... travel on foot?"
The moment those words came out, even Laozi slightly turned his gaze. Tongtian's shoulders shook as he struggled to suppress his laughter. The air filled with a faint sense of awkwardness and... jealousy?
Chen Song groaned inwardly. He knew this would happen! He hurriedly explained, "Second Martial Uncle, you misunderstand! How could this disciple dare harbor such thoughts? You are Pangu's True Lineage, the Jade Pure Daoist Master, your virtue matching heaven and earth. This disciple's admiration for you is as unending as Buzhou Mountain..."
"Get to the point." Yuanshi calmly interrupted his flattery.
Chen Song swallowed, his mind racing as he quickly said, "Second Martial Uncle, please hear my explanation! It is not that this disciple is playing favorites. It is simply that... simply that ordinary mounts would never be worthy of your regard!"
"Think about it. You place the utmost importance on origin and lineage, and you value rules and propriety. Look at that stupid dog—not to mention anything else, it is furred and horned, born of dampness and hatched from eggs. It has every one of those traits! How could it be worthy of serving as your mount?"
Polite Big White: Your mother?
As he spoke, he observed Yuanshi's expression. Seeing that Yuanshi seemed not displeased and even nodded faintly, he relaxed somewhat.
Feeling more at ease, he continued, "After much thought, this disciple believes that only a spiritual creature with a pure origin, born innately, and most compatible with your Yuqing Immortal Method would barely qualify to carry you!"
"But such spiritual creatures are difficult to encounter and impossible to seek. Although this disciple kept watch in many places during this journey, I have yet to find one that completely meets your requirements... That is why I was temporarily unable to prepare one for you."
"But this disciple promises you! From now on, I will pay even closer attention and certainly find you an unparalleled mount worthy of your status!"
These words both flattered Yuanshi, highlighted his "high standards," and attributed the reason for not finding a mount yet to those standards. They were flawless.
After hearing him out, Yuanshi fell silent for a moment. Naturally, he knew Chen Song's words contained excuses, but they were still pleasing to hear. In particular, Chen Song's emphasis on how he "valued origin" and "observed rules" truly struck home. Compared to a strange beast with a mixed aura, he really did prefer spiritual creatures of exceptional origin that matched the Dao essence of the Jade Pure.
Only after a long while did Yuanshi snort softly, his expression easing considerably. "Hmph. At least you have some insight. Since that is so, we shall set this matter aside for now. We can discuss it again when an opportunity arises." Though he still had a bit of a grievance, he had clearly accepted the explanation.
Chen Song immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly assured him, "Rest assured, Second Martial Uncle! This Martial Nephew will remember it at all times!"
Tongtian found the whole thing hilarious. He came over and threw an arm around Chen Song's shoulders. "Hahaha, Senior Disciple Nephew, that mouth of yours! You could talk the dead back to life! But don't worry. Second Brother is cold on the outside and warm on the inside. He won't truly hold it against you!"
Laozi also said lightly, "The matter of mounts is merely external. Cultivation is fundamental. Do not be lax."
Chen Song repeatedly agreed, but inwardly pondered, It seems I really need to put some thought into finding a mount for Second Martial Uncle... The Nine Dragon Agarwood Carriage? That seemed to be Lord of the Beginning's signature vehicle in the future. But where am I supposed to find nine dragons on the level of the Ancestral Dragon to pull it now? Sigh, the road ahead is long!
Chen Song remembered that among the Twelve Golden Immortals, there was a True Person Huang Long! If he made him pull a carriage for his Master in the future, he should be very willing, right?
However, Second Martial Uncle's standards seemed somewhat at odds with Third Martial Uncle's philosophy. Martial Uncle Tongtian's Interception Sect accepted all sorts, from fish and dragons to every walk of life. That was a problem too. He had to think of a solution!
Before you continue