Hearing the old ox say this, Blind Man's expression instantly turned strange. "Bowing your head, willing to serve as an ox for the children?"
"That's what I mean."
"Old Ox, you're a great sage of the Demon Race, yet you're serving humans?" Blind Man did not understand.
The old ox shook his head. "If the Demon Race had won back then and established the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, I would have served all the demons under heaven too.
"We lost, so there was nothing to be done. Xia Yu gave me a chance, and I had to consider whether it might be the only chance of my life. Besides, at our level, is there really much difference between humans and demons?"
"Not much, true." After a moment's contemplation, Blind Man agreed with the old ox's choice. "After entering the Celestial Phenomena Realm, I stopped thinking of myself as human too."
A thousand years ago, the Celestial Phenomena Realm had another, plainspoken name: the Immortal Realm!
Those who numbered among immortals stayed out of the mortal dust, already separated from ordinary mortals by a sorrowful, thick barrier.
Instead, immortals began gathering other immortals as friends, rebuilding their networks and factions.
Blind Man was human, and the old ox was a demon, but over these thousand years, their contact and friendship with each other had far exceeded what they shared with members of their own races.
"Why are you suddenly so talkative today?" Blind Man continued asking.
The old ox looked toward Jiangzhou. "It seems an old friend has made a move."
Blind Man was instantly moved. "An old friend of yours? The Dao Ancestor or Shakyamuni?"
The old ox shook his head. "They were never my friends, only my opponents."
Blind Man was moved once more. "Old Ox, I know you're