Old Ox

Biodata

Background / History

Early Life with Li Ping'an

Li Ping'an raised Old Ox from calfhood. By the beginning of the story, the ox was his only possession and had already been stolen several times, always returning unharmed. Li Ping'an fiercely resisted attempts to take him: townspeople remembered him pursuing a would-be thief for two li while riding Old Ox and wielding a kitchen knife. When Niu Er suggested selling the animal, Li Ping'an refused, calling him a family inheritance 1.

Old Ox accompanied Li Ping'an's street performances and shared his precarious livelihood. After the killings at the Mandarin Duck Tower made Li Ping'an a wanted man, the pair traveled through the snow to Luoshui City. Bounty earnings later allowed Li Ping'an to rent accommodation for both of them 1 5 7.

The finale further reveals that their life together began in winter, when the newly transmigrated, blind Li Ping'an found an abandoned little black calf. Both had been abandoned, and they thereafter depended on one another for survival 813.

Luoshui City and Liu Yun

Old Ox gave an uneasy warning immediately before the princess's treasure ship exploded. He later dragged the unconscious, blade-wounded Liu Yun into Li Ping'an's courtyard and insisted that she be treated. Li Ping'an agreed because Old Ox's predictions had previously helped him evade authorities and civilian bounty hunters 8 10.

After months of shared domestic life, Old Ox foretold a major battle involving Liu Yun. During the snowy New Year's escape, he defended her from attackers and helped Li Ping'an overcome the cultivators blocking their way. He was knocked down by Wu Shishun but subsequently crushed him after Li Ping'an created an opening. Following Li Ping'an's farewell to Liu Yun, man and ox resumed traveling together 21 23 24 25 26.

Anbei Four Garrisons

Old Ox insisted that Li Ping'an rent the courtyard beside Duha and Aliya, a choice Li Ping'an later recalled during his encounter with their father, Hammud. At home, Old Ox read the official gazette aloud through his moos, opened the door for visitors, and looked after Aliya while Li Ping'an took his medicine 28 31.

He also served as Li Ping'an's mount during the commission involving Pei Zhuxuan, carrying both riders through the desert and helping them escape pursuers and the Corpse Ghoul Army. Later, he reacted excitedly when Monk Jiyan's Sharira restored Li Ping'an's missing arm 35 42 49.

His practical assistance extended to burying Kong Yang's corpse after Li Ping'an and the others left. Old Ox privately sighed that the household would not last a day without him 62.

On a later return, Old Ox and Li Ping'an found the Anbei Four Garrisons devastated by war between Great Sui and the Turkic Lands. Their courtyard and Aliya's house had been destroyed, and Duha had departed for Yumen Pass with the Wang Family. After spending a final night among the ruins, the pair left to seek a quiet place to rest and cultivate 200.

Wandering and the Journey to Demon-Suppressing Pass

During their travels, Old Ox described Guangling Prefecture's streets to Li Ping'an and later prepared an elaborate written battle plan for the attack on Gan'ye Temple. The plan covered advancing, killing, retreating, contingencies, and a detailed map. After Li Ping'an returned with blood on his Staff-Sword, Old Ox ate the pages, privately concluding that they had been useless 108 120.

Old Ox befriended Xiong Da while guarding Li Ping'an during cultivation. They shared radishes and spent a night playing games, including Gomoku, Tic-Tac-Toe, riddles, and Old Maid 137.

He survived the destruction of a passenger ship alongside Li Ping'an, Zhou Youcai, and Wen Tao. Zhou Youcai climbed onto his back during the storm, and Wen Tao later carried the survivors to an island after Li Ping'an calmed the sea. In Cloud Province, Old Ox helped their street performance by executing a backflip and dancing upright, drawing an enthusiastic crowd 158 161.

During fighting against Turkic soldiers, Old Ox carried Li Ping'an in a charge that scattered and trampled the enemy. The spears thrust at him appeared to do no more than tickle him 197.

Li Ping'an later remembered the journey from Great Sui to Demon-Suppressing Pass as their first truly long expedition. After taking Aliya and the other children to the Academy, he and Old Ox had set off to see unfamiliar scenery, without expecting their travels to become a continuing way of life 756.

Shushan and Heaven-Reaching Peak

Li Ping'an gave Old Ox the Magical Brick because he already possessed several magical treasures while Old Ox had none. Old Ox was deeply moved by the gift 266.

In Medicine Valley, Old Ox researched medicinal baths with Li Ping'an, with Run Tu assisting. After two and a half years, Li Ping'an completed the bath and gained control over his newly strengthened body. The three celebrated with hot pot and a poetry competition 279.

Old Ox also supported Li Ping'an's tribulation preparations. When Li Ping'an signaled for his hidden reserve, Old Ox activated the mechanism exposing a stockpile of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. He and Run Tu cheered from outside, although Old Ox had also prepared a coffin, shroud, and paper effigies in case the attempt failed 315.

He accompanied Li Ping'an to the exchange tournament in Wuling Valley, where they watched Wang Yi's victories and the other matches. On returning to Heaven-Reaching Peak, Old Ox recounted their adventures to Run Tu. Later, he joined Run Tu in forging armor 331 335 337.

Old Ox helped prepare a Faraday Cage and other protections for Run Tu's tribulation at Sky-Reaching Mountain. After Run Tu successfully formed his Dao Foundation, they celebrated with barbecue and drinks 415.

Great Yu Campaign and Alchemy

Old Ox and Li Ping'an fought back to back on the Great Yu battlefield, watching for surprise attacks and seeking an enemy officer. Their subsequent efforts to escape from behind enemy lines were repeatedly frustrated by Old Ox's mistaken route choices, which led them toward an enemy base, through a camp's defenses, and eventually into further confusion 364 366 368.

During the pursuit, Old Ox recorded a fight in a notebook, warned Li Ping'an that reinforcements were approaching, and carried him away at high speed. They eventually escaped the battlefield, although prolonged fighting and running left both wounded and exhausted 367 368 369.

While staying in Great Yu, the pair gathered old books and began studying alchemy. Old Ox controlled the Pill Fire with a Fire-Control Spirit Fan while Li Ping'an examined and separated the medicinal ingredients. After three days of work, they produced pills with fewer impurities than Li Ping'an's earlier attempts 372 375.

Tengchong City and Jumeng

At Tengchong City, Old Ox continued gathering battlefield spoils despite his battered condition. His toughness and willingness to search for treasures remained evident even after he had lost every presentable patch of hide 544.

Inside the Minor World, he helped Li Ping'an stall Demon Sage Jumeng. Old Ox prepared layered formations around a Bamboo Forest, using talismans on his forehead and hooves while maintaining the formation. It delayed Jumeng for half an incense stick before the pair separated and fled 550.

Jumeng pursued Old Ox in the hope that threatening Li Ping'an's supposed spirit pet would force Li Ping'an into a disadvantageous rescue. Instead, Li Ping'an calmly replenished his strength while Old Ox survived the attacks. Old Ox dug out from beneath two mountains, endured repeated falls from ten thousand li in the sky, and withstood high-speed water strikes. Although battered, his cries became more vigorous rather than weaker 550.

Old Ox subsequently charged Jumeng with his horns. The Demon Sage knocked him down, but he quickly climbed back to his feet 551.

Travels with Kitten

Old Ox became a regular companion and teacher to Orange Cat, later called Kitten or Cat Immortal. During their snowfield travels, she continued learning spells from him; she later explicitly identified him as the source of her alchemy and spell instruction 570 612 773.

In Yong Province, Li Ping'an left Kitten with Old Ox while he confronted the greater demons. Kitten defeated a wolf demon, only to discover that a large swath of other demons had already fallen around Old Ox. The two then exchanged increasingly elaborate praise before the group departed for Shicha Sea 630.

Old Ox later used talismans to redirect flowing Dragon Vein qi underground and seal the Dragon Vein again while Li Ping'an fought nearby enemies. Afterward, he charged through obstructing Yaomo, crushing them with his body 657.

The group returned to Heaven-Reaching Peak and reunited with Run Tu and Qingfeng. Their subsequent journeys included a four-month ascent of the highest snowy peak in the east, a visit to the Three-Headed Kingdom on a giant turtle's back, and exploration of eastern sea islands using the Dragon Lord's map 660 694 719 725.

In the Eastern Snowfield, Old Ox worked on a talisman formation to stabilize the disturbed energy of heaven and earth. He activated it while calling upon mountain and earth gods for assistance 710.

Return to Demon-Suppressing Pass

After Li Ping'an discovered that Jing Yu had died months earlier, he told Old Ox that they would visit Demon-Suppressing Pass after the New Year 754.

At the pass, Old Ox protected Kitten from a sudden attack, pulling her back before kicking the attacking creature away. When Li Ping'an later became surrounded by Demon Race cultivators, he hurled Old Ox into their ranks as a “Combination Technique.” Old Ox returned to Li Ping'an's back and shook off a Demon Race cultivator clinging to his rump 773 774.

Li Ping'an subsequently arranged for Zhou Wu to fight Old Ox at the Faraway Inn. Old Ox endured Zhou Wu's punches and kicked him through the roof. When Zhou Wu insisted on continuing outside, Old Ox later returned carrying him battered and defeated. Zhou Wu remained eager for further combat and brought beef jerky before another bout 779 782.

During the prolonged fighting on the southeastern battlefield, Old Ox and Li Ping'an divided their duties into shifts. Li Ping'an fought during the day and slept at night, while Old Ox fought through the night and slept during the day. This arrangement allowed Li Ping'an to return fully restored each morning and denied the two watching Demon Sages an opening 795.

Merger with Demon-Suppressing Pass and Apparent Return

When Li Ping'an dissolved into golden threads as a new Demon-Suppressing Pass formed, a distant sword strike attempted to destroy the unfinished barrier. Old Ox gave a long bellow, lay down, closed his eyes, and merged his body with the pass. The attacking sword qi vanished, and the new Demon-Suppressing Pass completed its formation as the Human Race's fortune gathered again 813.

The narrative subsequently describes the pass being relocated to its original northern position three hundred years later. Li Ping'an then experiences a familiar scene beneath a tree with Old Ox. Old Ox smiles as though saying farewell and gradually disappears in the wind 813.

After awakening among several children, Li Ping'an hears a calf lowing. The calf's coat has not fully grown in, but he bears traces of Old Ox's appearance and instinctively approaches Li Ping'an. Li Ping'an knowingly smiles and gathers him into his arms, echoing their first meeting. The text does not explain the precise nature of the calf's identity or the process behind this reunion 813.

Power Progression

Appearance

• Large black body: Described as a great black ox; the enormous tiger in Redwood Forest was almost his size 16 23 47.
• Enormous, pointed horns: Used both to carry Li Ping'an's stool and to defend against attackers 1 23.
• Expressive tail: Raises it in delight when offered wine and swishes it while urging Li Ping'an to rescue Liu Yun 8 10.
• Clothing and storage: Wears cowhide clothing during the Great Yu campaign and later carries belongings in pockets and robes, including a Storage Ring and beef jerky 366 652 657.
• Final calf appearance: The calf found by Li Ping'an is dozens of times smaller than Old Ox, with an incompletely grown coat and recognizable traces of his appearance 813.

Personality

Old Ox combines an easygoing manner with decisive intervention. He lounges in the sun and responds languidly to the tiger demon's threatening cry, yet persistently nudges and calls at Li Ping'an until he agrees to save Liu Yun. In battle, he actively protects her rather than merely following his companion 10 16 21 23.

He displays pride, irritation, and a dry sense of humor. He lifts his head proudly after exposing a vendor's dishonest price, sees through Li Ping'an's attempt to reserve the last cup of liquor, and privately complains that he is the one keeping the household afloat when assigned childcare 14 17 28.

His complaints recur as a comic expression of his substantial contribution to their shared life. He lists burying bodies, preparing ingredients, rowing, and predicting opportunities among his responsibilities. He also reacts directly to Li Ping'an's teasing and double standards, throwing a snowball at him during one argument and kicking him after a disputed board-game victory 192 294.

Food, especially beef jerky, is a powerful incentive for him. He exploits would-be owners competing to feed him, readily accepts food from thieves without remaining their captive, and reverses his disdain for carrying caravan goods when offered beef jerky 88 287 605.

Despite his toughness, Old Ox is afraid of heights. He initially distrusts Li Ping'an's ability to fly on Fine Rain, clings to him during flight, and later explicitly protests that he fears heights 280 319 335.

He is attentive to others' needs. He offers a chicken leg to a hungry dog, notices True Person Wushan's fondness for pickled cabbage, and gives Kitten the extended praise she wants after her first successful demon battle 454 518 630.

Abilities & Skills

Foresight

Old Ox possesses a measure of foresight that Li Ping'an interprets through his calls 8.

• Immediate warnings: Signals unease just before the treasure ship explosion 8.
• Route assessment: Warns of danger in Redwood Forest before the caravan encounters the tiger demon 15 16.
• Future events: Foresees a major battle specifically involving Liu Yun 21.
• Beneficial guidance: Li Ping'an credits his predictions with helping him escape pursuit and regards his recommendations as consistently beneficial 10 21.
• Limited future perception: Can foresee a limited stretch of the future, helping identify opportunities to find silver and checkpoints with strict military inspections 121.
• Unspecified mechanism: No named technique, cultivation realm, or numerical limit is given for this ability 8 21 121.
• Not equivalent to infallible navigation: His later map-reading and route choices repeatedly lead the pair into enemy camps or leave them lost. These incidents establish practical mistakes without explaining whether he used foresight on those occasions 366 368 456.

Intelligence, Literacy, and Communication

Old Ox understands human situations and conveys detailed information without human speech.

• Reading: Identifies a watermelon price sign and reads the official gazette, informing Li Ping'an that Liu Yun has returned safely to the palace 14 28.
• Communication: Uses moos to express warnings, hunger, and reminders that it is time to head home. Liu Yun gradually learns to understand some of his meaning 1 18 21.
• Household assistance: Opens doors and supervises Aliya 28.
• Handling belongings: Expertly lifts Li Ping'an's stool with his horns after a performance 1.
• Writing and cartography: Holds a brush in his mouth to write an extensive battle plan and draw a map; later studies maps and sketches proposed routes 120 366 686.
• Description for Li Ping'an: Describes city streets, people's clothing, and natural scenery to his blind companion 108 136.
• Combat observation: Takes notes while consulting a book during a tournament and records the course of a later fight in a notebook 277 367.
• Book copying and collection: Helps copy more than half of the large collection of ancient books carried by the pair, effectively transporting a mobile Scripture Pavilion 652.
• Games and storytelling: Plays multiple board and card games, exchanges riddles, and recounts lengthy travel stories to Run Tu 137 138 335.

Physical Strength and Combat

Old Ox fights with his hooves, horns, and charging weight.

• Lethal kicks: Shatters an attacker's breastbone with a hind-leg kick, killing him instantly 23.
• Horn defense: Uses his enormous horns as natural shields with deadly points while protecting Liu Yun 23.
• Breaking defenses: Nearly bursts a cultivator's curtain of qi with a charge, allowing Li Ping'an to deliver a fatal saber strike 24 25.
• Finishing Wu Shishun: Crushes the Qi Refiner after Li Ping'an distracts him 26.
• Vulnerability: Wu Shishun can knock him to the ground with a palm strike 25.
• Battlefield charge: Sends Turkic soldiers flying or tramples them beneath his hooves while their spears fail to meaningfully hurt him 197.
• Extreme durability: Survives Jumeng's crushing mountains, repeated falls from ten thousand li in the sky, and water projectiles capable of piercing stone and breaking wood. Jumeng deliberately holds back while trying to provoke Li Ping'an into intervening 550.
• Recovery after knockdowns: Quickly rises after Jumeng knocks him from the air 551.
• Crushing Yaomo: Smashes obstructing Yaomo to pulp during a charge 657.
• Overcoming magical defenses: Breaks the defense of Cao Gui's heaven-blessed magical treasure with his horns. Further treasures fail to stop his repeated attacks 693.
• Protecting Kitten: Pulls her away from danger and kicks an attacking creature back into the clouds and mist 773.
• Withstanding battlefield spells: Endures ice arrows, Astral Wind, true fire, and lightning striking his body while Li Ping'an carries him 775.
• Defeating Zhou Wu: Takes Zhou Wu's punches before kicking him through the Faraway Inn's roof, then defeats him again outside 779.
• Sustained combat: Fights through entire nights against the Demon Army while Li Ping'an rests 795.

Speed and Transportation

• Desert travel: Gallops rapidly across sand while carrying Li Ping'an and Pei Zhuxuan 35.
• Exceptional pace: Su Yun loses sight of Li Ping'an despite pursuing on an Ink Dragon Steed reputed to travel a thousand li a day 36.
• Escape support: Accelerates away from armed mercenaries before carrying his riders through the Corpse Ghoul Army 42.
• Carrying cargo: Transports a twitching burlap sack on his back during Li Ping'an's bounty work 27.
• Extended running: Ordinarily can run at full speed for a day and night without the exhaustion caused by their simultaneous fighting during the Great Yu escape 368.
• Rowing: Rows while Li Ping'an fishes and later accelerates their boat sufficiently to escape pursuers using the Water Escape Technique 192 401.
• Rapid hunting: Seizes two rabbits with a sudden burst of speed that surprises Orange Cat 567.
• Aerial movement: Flies close to the ground during Jumeng's pursuit and later descends from the sky to work on a Dragon Vein, though no named flight technique is given 550 657.
• Reversed carrying arrangement: Li Ping'an frequently carries Old Ox when he is tired or during sword flight 319 454 477.
• Combination Technique: Li Ping'an throws Old Ox into enemy ranks to create an escape opening; Old Ox returns to his back afterward 774.

Formations and Talismans

• Layered formations: Establishes an Illusion Formation and a further formation around a Bamboo Forest to delay Jumeng. He uses talismans on his forehead and each hoof, mutters incantations, and sustains the formation for half an incense stick 550.
• Dragon Vein manipulation: Forms seals with his hooves and deploys successive talismans to guide Dragon Vein qi back underground and seal it away 657.
• Environmental stabilization: Works on and activates a talisman formation to stabilize disturbed energy in the Eastern Snowfield, calling on mountain and earth gods for aid 710.
• Preparation assistance: Retrieves high-grade yellow talisman paper and grinds ink in coordination with Li Ping'an's use of the Knight-Errant Brush 523.

Alchemy, Crafting, and Domestic Skills

• Medicinal research: Studies medicinal baths alongside Li Ping'an over several years 279.
• Pill-fire control: Channels spiritual energy into a Fire-Control Spirit Fan to regulate the strength of the Pill Fire 375.
• Continued alchemy assistance: Tends the fire while Li Ping'an researches new pills 410.
• Teaching: Instructs Kitten in spells and alchemy 612 773.
• Armor forging: Works with Run Tu to forge armor 337.
• Tribulation preparations: Operates Li Ping'an's reserve-Spirit-Stone mechanism and helps prepare protective equipment for Run Tu 315 415.
• Cooking and food preparation: Prepares ingredients, cooks porridge, sharpens knives for meals, and considers guests' food preferences 192 410 516 518.
• Performance skills: Executes backflips and dances on two legs, attracting a crowd during a street performance 161.

Equipment

Merger with Demon-Suppressing Pass

Old Ox can merge his body with the newly forming Demon-Suppressing Pass. In the finale, this causes an incoming sword strike aimed at destroying the unfinished pass to disappear without further effect. No named technique or explanation of the ability's mechanism is provided 813.

Relationships

• Li Ping'an — Raised him from calfhood and treats him as an old friend and brother. They share food, wine, lodging, and travel; Li Ping'an trusts his warnings and refuses to sell him 1 5 7 8 24. Their partnership expands to joint research, alchemy, battlefield shifts, and coordinated combat. Old Ox ultimately merges with the pass after Li Ping'an's dissolution, and Li Ping'an later embraces the calf resembling him 279 375 774 795 813.
• Liu Yun — Rescues her and insists on her treatment, then protects her during the escape from Luoshui City. She feeds him and learns to interpret some of his calls 10 18 23.
• Aliya — Neighboring child whom he looks after while Li Ping'an takes Life-Pulse Powder 28.
• Pei Zhuxuan — Carries her during Li Ping'an's commission. She marvels at his desert speed; he reacts indignantly to her questions about where he was bought 35.
• Chen Chusheng — Accidentally becomes the victim of the boy's failed privy ambush. Chen Chusheng's sudden emergence frightens him enough that he avoids the privy for several days 44.
• Xiong Da — Befriends him through shared food and an overnight session of games and riddles 137.
• Run Tu — Close companion at Heaven-Reaching Peak who calls him Brother Ox. They research medicine, celebrate together, forge armor, and share travel stories. Old Ox helps prepare the protections for Run Tu's tribulation 279 280 335 337 415.
• Wang Yi — An old acquaintance whose tournament victories he enthusiastically supports. Old Ox later recognizes him when Li Ping'an is initially uncertain 331 467.
• Kitten / Orange Cat / Cat Immortal — Traveling companion, pupil, and recipient of his protection. She learns spells and alchemy from him and calls him Niu Niu. Their relationship includes teasing, mutual praise, shared meals, and reciprocal care: she covers him with a blanket, helps keep him from rolling into the sea, and shares his covering afterward 570 612 630 694 725 773.
• Qingfeng — Welcomes him and Li Ping'an back to Heaven-Reaching Peak alongside Run Tu 660.
• Jumeng — Demon Sage opponent whom Old Ox helps delay. Jumeng unsuccessfully attempts to use attacks on Old Ox to force Li Ping'an into a rescue 550 551.
• Zhou Wu — Repeated sparring opponent arranged by Li Ping'an. Old Ox decisively beats him, but Zhou Wu remains eager to continue and brings beef jerky before a later bout 779 782.
• Floating Jade Mountain — Its Ancestral Shrine honors Old Ox beside Li Ping'an, identifying him as the Grandmaster Ancestor's lifelong friend 648.

Trivia

• Li Ping'an teaches Old Ox to drink wine; the ox later demands his share of the final cup 2 17.
• His diet includes roast duck and beef, surprising Liu Yun 5 12.
• At a desert inn, Li Ping'an orders Old Ox his own noodles, meat dish, and pot of wine 27.
• He tricks competing claimants into feeding him sausage and meat buns, then leaves after eating his fill 88.
• He is especially pleased by an unlimited supply of beef sent from the Duke of Southern State's Residence 120.
• After Li Ping'an uses him to test unfamiliar fruit and the fruit proves poisonous, Old Ox refuses to let him ride for several days 141.
• His acrobatics prove more popular with a Cloud Province crowd than a stone-breaking demonstration 161.
• He becomes selective about wine after their finances improve, prompting Li Ping'an to warn him not to forget his roots 284.
• An elderly hunter offers him hay and encourages him to grow fat, much to Old Ox's displeasure 688.
• He sleeps comfortably under accumulated snow and snores loudly enough to be described as shaking the heavens 694.
• Li Ping'an blames one of Old Ox's sleeping farts for blasting a hole in their boat near Cloud Province 763.