Panning City: A New Life Was About to Begin

A murderous glint flashed through his eyes as he raised his hand.

Bang!

Black Bull suddenly rose to his feet and viciously kicked him in the back with both hooves. It was like being struck by a boulder; bones cracked with sharp snaps.

The man's face drained of color. With a cry, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The kick had left his head spinning, and his body pitched forward.

Chen Xun's chest rose and fell as adrenaline surged through him. Yet he became calm to the extreme. He pulled the Mountain-Splitting Axe from his waist and brought it down viciously on the man's neck.

Though he had held back his strength, the wound still cut to the bone. The Mountain-Splitting Axe lodged in the bone itself. Chen Xun's face was smeared with blood as he panted heavily.

"Old Bull, get to work."

Chen Xun's pupils trembled slightly as he took out a firestarter. Dry firewood lay scattered all around, and Black Bull dared not waste time, immediately digging a pit nearby.

A blazing fire burned across the ground, destroying the corpse and erasing all traces. Even the ashes were scattered away. Man and bull swiftly wiped out every scrap of evidence and even arranged the scene a little. They did not dare take a single thing from the man's body.

Then they ran, faster and faster...

Chen Xun swore that in all his life, he had never run so fast. Black Bull even ran faster than he did.

Two hours later, several people arrived at the scene of the crime, all frowning. "Sect Master, Liu Tian stopped here at the time."

"Why?"

"A young boy was leading a Black Bull. Senior Brother Liu likely wanted to buy the bull to nourish the newly inducted disciples."

"Hmph."

The sect master stood on a tree branch with his hands behind his back, surveying the ground. "There are burn marks, and the footprints are a mess. The direction cannot be determined."

"Sect Master, could Liu Tian have been killed...?"

The man's heart jolted. Liu Tian was an expert of the Hundred Profound Sect. If something had truly happened to him, there should have been some reaction.

"The one who acted was meticulous and left behind few traces. That young boy is the key."

The sect master frowned. "Did anyone remember what he looked like?"

"Reporting to Sect Master... no."

The man lowered his head and clasped his hands. Who would remember the face of a cowherd, especially while carrying out a mission?

"Useless."

"Please calm your anger, Sect Master."

The people beside him all lowered their heads and clasped their hands. Liu Tian's death was indeed far too strange.

"Let's go. We won't find anything else here. Take good care of his family. We have not seen his body yet, so he may not necessarily be dead."

The sect master let out a soft sigh. There were burn marks on the ground, but he did not believe that anyone could have killed someone and burned the body in such a short time.

"Yes, Sect Master."

With a light step, they moved as swiftly as swallows, darting through the trees and vanishing in the blink of an eye.

By a river, Chen Xun lay flat in the water, washing the blood from his body. He looked up at the sky, slightly lost in thought.

Black Bull was playing in the water nearby. Suddenly, he splashed water onto Chen Xun's face. Chen Xun jolted and instantly came back to his senses.

"Old Bull, you did well this time. Remember, when you're ambushing someone, don't waste a single word."

Chen Xun spoke coldly. Those who killed would one day be killed themselves. He was no Sage. "We won't provoke anyone, but if someone intends to kill us, we'll grind their bones to dust and scatter their ashes!"

Moo! Moo!

Black Bull snorted fiercely. Whoever dared touch Chen Xun, he would dare kick them. He would kick them to death if he had to.

They burned all their clothes by the river. Chen Xun changed into a fresh set, and they spent the night beside the water.

The night passed without incident. They continued on their journey, heading for a great city. They had heard that quite a few cultivators lived there, making it much safer than the wilderness.

More than half a year later, it was already the end of the year. The sun set in the west, its dying rays red as blood. A young man leading a Black Bull appeared on the horizon.

In the distance, a colossal city sprawled across the land, like a ferocious beast glaring hungrily at all who came and went.

Panning City had endured countless years and possessed a long history. People flowed in and out of its gates, and the place was bustling beyond measure.

Fighting was forbidden within the city. It was an exceptionally orderly great city, prosperous in trade and backed by the Ningyun Mountain Range. The city's people often went into the mountains to gather spirit herbs and sell them to cultivators.

The Ningyun Mountain Range was vast beyond measure, with no end in sight. It was said that Immortal Sects even stood within its depths, hidden in the sea of clouds and never revealing themselves to the Mortal Realm.

"Wow, this is the first time I've ever seen city walls this magnificent."

Chen Xun exclaimed in admiration as he looked at the somewhat weathered giant city from afar, a smile appearing on his lips. "Old Bull, our new life is about to begin."

Moo!

Black Bull jumped about in delight. He too had been stunned by the massive city. It was much bigger than the few fences in their village.

"In a world this vast, to see a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers, to experience all the splendor of the world—this is the meaning of Longevity."

Anticipation filled Chen Xun's eyes. "Old Bull, charge!"

Moo!

Man and bull broke into a jog, kicking up clouds of dust. Chen Xun held the rope and laughed continuously while Black Bull kept mooing.

The commoners by the roadside shook their heads and smiled at the sight, though envy also stirred in their hearts. Being young really was wonderful.

The gates of Panning City were enormous. Countless carriages and commoners leading cattle and sheep passed in and out, yet the entrance did not seem crowded in the slightest.

Chen Xun's eyes were full of wonder as he looked around. Whenever anyone looked at him, he answered with a smile, making it hard for others not to like him.

When he saw the soldiers guarding the gate, he clicked his tongue in amazement. It was his first time seeing ancient soldiers. They truly looked imposing and extraordinary, clearly vigorous men filled with hot blood.

The city guards frowned. A young man seemed to have been watching them the whole time, and they were about to step forward and speak.

But the young man unexpectedly raised a thumb and gave them an approving look. The city guards stopped, smiled, and nodded. They understood what he meant.

The moment they entered the city, everything opened up before them. Man and bull froze where they stood as a picture of a flourishing age slowly unfolded before their eyes.

The streets were remarkably broad. Countless roadside vendors cried out their wares, while street performers displayed their skills. Crowds surrounded them, shouting praise and tossing copper coins.

Countless pedestrians passed along the streets, dressed in silk. Every gesture they made carried the charm of ancient days, displaying an air of grandeur.

Looking up, they saw pavilions and towers everywhere, lanterns hanging high. Talented scholars and beautiful ladies composed poems and matched couplets from the upper floors. A riot of flowers dazzled the eye, and Chen Xun and Black Bull stood dumbfounded.

"Excellent!"

Moo!

Chen Xun and Black Bull stood at the edge of the crowd watching the street performance, doing their part to liven the atmosphere. Suddenly, conflict appeared in Chen Xun's eyes. It was not right to watch for free.

He fumbled around at his waist for a long while, then tossed a copper coin into the gong. Hearing the sound, the performer immediately turned toward Chen Xun and breathed flames from his mouth, putting on an extraordinary display.

"Excellent!"

Chen Xun laughed happily and clapped. Black Bull, however, was startled. He thought the man was a cultivator, actually performing for them. As expected of a great city.

After watching for a while, they left the crowd and bought two sticks of candied hawthorn. Chen Xun took one bite, Black Bull took one bite, making the young ladies passing by giggle sweetly.

"These crafts are truly exquisite."

Chen Xun's horizons broadened as he looked over the roadside stalls. Everything had been made by hand. These people relied on this trade to feed themselves for their whole lives, so there was no room for fakery.

"Young man, see anything you like?" the vendor called out kindly.

"I'm just looking. Once I have money, I'll definitely come back to buy something."

Chen Xun smiled sheepishly. He truly meant it.

"It's all right. I have a wooden carving here that came out wrong. If you like it, take it."

The vendor took out a tiger figurine from beside him. It was lifelike, except its tail seemed to have been carved incorrectly.

"Boss, let us trade you some rice for it. I really like this carving."

"Sure!"

The vendor directly handed it to Chen Xun, who gave him some rice in return.

Back on the street, Chen Xun held the figurine in both hands, unable to put it down. Black Bull was green with envy. Why had this stall owner not given him one too?