Everyone Heard It—This Man Refused to Reason

It was the end of another year. At night, Pan Ning City remained as bustling as ever, just as it had been when they first arrived.

Chen Xun's eyes brimmed with curiosity as he led Big Black Ox slowly down the streets, stopping here and there to look around. His hands were full of all sorts of food. Now that they had money, they naturally had to splurge a little.

It was still one bite for him, one bite for the ox, making the people around them laugh and say that this young man was rather interesting.

Only, there was a little accident this time. When they watched the acrobatic performance, Chen Xun could not drag Big Black Ox away no matter what he did. They only continued onward after it had watched to its heart's content.

Big Black Ox always thought cultivators were performing for them. It watched in utter fascination, mooing without pause.

"Boss, do you remember us?"

Chen Xun walked up to a vendor's stall and smiled faintly. "We're here to buy wooden carvings."

The difference was that there was now a child sitting beside the boss, playing with wooden carvings. The stall had also moved, though it was not far from its original spot.

"Yi, little brother, it's you."

The vendor froze for a moment before suddenly realizing who he was—the young man who had traded rice for his wooden carvings. "You really haven't changed at all."

"Do you have any wooden carvings of oxen? We'll buy two."

"Sure thing!"

The vendor smiled and searched around before finding two lifelike wooden ox carvings, flawless in every way. He handed them to Chen Xun. "Here you go, little brother."

After paying, Chen Xun waved the carvings in front of Big Black Ox, teasing it until it grew anxious. Chen Xun burst into laughter.

They went to the riverside and released Wishing Lanterns again. No matter what Chen Xun said, Big Black Ox refused to let him see its wish, using its entire body to block Chen Xun's line of sight.

Chen Xun led Big Black Ox toward South City of Pan Ning. There were many medical clinics there, while the blacksmith shops were in North City. It was simply too far away—walking there would take several days.

Two days later, they arrived before a shop. Its signboard read Pingtai Medical Clinic, with a couplet written on either side.

Upper line: May all people under heaven be free from illness. Lower line: Why worry over dust gathering on the medicine racks? Horizontal inscription: Peace Under Heaven.

People came and went from the medical clinic, all with worry written across their faces. The doctors of Pingtai Medical Clinic had an excellent reputation here and were praised by the nearby people as World-Saving Physicians.

The attendants inside were extremely busy, constantly preparing medicine for those coming and going. Several doctors were also tending to the sick and saving the dying, and cries of suffering often rang out.

"Old Ox, I'm going inside to see what's going on. I'll tie you up outside the door. You're grown now—you need to learn how to protect yourself."

Chen Xun said seriously, "If a stranger tries to lead you away, shout loudly and kick him, but don't use too much strength."

"Moo!"

Big Black Ox nodded, giving him a look that said, Don't worry, I know my limits.

"What does little brother need?" An attendant casually called out.

"I'm looking for Ning Si, Doctor Ning."

Chen Xun gave a cupped fist salute. He had asked around and learned that Ning Si was the boss here. He had a gentle temperament and a healer's benevolent heart, and was widely praised by the people.

"Little brother, you're looking for me?"

Ning Si walked over from another hall. His thick, jet-black hair was tied atop his head, and he wore a Walrus Mustache. There was melancholy in his eyes, and he was already middle-aged.

Yet in Chen Xun's eyes, this man clearly knew how to preserve his health. His actual age might have been greater than he seemed.

"Doctor Ning, I came to study medicine."

Chen Xun gave a cupped fist salute. His sleeve slipped down inadvertently, revealing tightly packed muscles. Ning Si's eyelid twitched. What a burly body.

"Hehe, I'm not taking apprentices for the time being. Little brother, you should try somewhere else."

Ning Si spoke peacefully. For now, he had no intention of accepting an apprentice.

"Doctor Ning, I sincerely came to learn medical skills. I can endure hardship better than anyone."

Hope filled Chen Xun's eyes as he pleaded bitterly. "Even if I can only do odd jobs here, that's fine. As long as I can learn something."

"Ah."

Struggle flashed through Ning Si's eyes. Suddenly, loud mooing erupted outside, startling everyone. A gust of wind swept past, and Chen Xun charged out in an instant.

What agile movements. Admiration flashed through Ning Si's eyes as he hurried outside to see what had happened.

"Ah, this black ox of mine has such a stubborn temper. I can't pull it away no matter what."

A thug chuckled and explained himself to the surrounding people. His face was ugly. For the first time, he understood what it meant to possess the strength of an ox.

Moo! Moo!

Big Black Ox bellowed furiously and was just about to raise its hoof when it saw Chen Xun emerge. It immediately cried out loudly.

"What are you doing?! That's my ox!"

Chen Xun's eyes went wide as he shouted angrily, "Let go!"

"You say it's your ox, and that makes it your ox?"

The thug sneered, sizing Chen Xun up and down. He was nothing more than an inexperienced young brat.

"So you don't want to reason, then?"

"Heh, ridiculous. This is my Big Black Ox. What, do you want to fight?"

The thug spat on the ground, lowered the hand holding the rope, and slowly rolled up his sleeves. He even pulled out a dagger and waved it around.

He had ruled these streets for years. Taking care of some green-haired brat would be as easy as taking something from his pocket.

"Everyone heard it—this man refuses to reason."

Chen Xun frowned slightly and shouted to the surrounding people. Inadvertently, the three Mountain-Splitting Axes at his waist were revealed.

The thug's steps halted, and his pupils shrank. What the hell was this?

Chen Xun stamped his foot and slowly undid the buttons of his clothes, inadvertently exposing his Eight-pack abs. His body looked as though it had been tempered by a thousand hammers, incomparably strong.

A commotion rose from the surrounding people. This young man had seemed utterly ordinary, yet he was actually a martial artist.

"Wait! Little brother, I suddenly realized I was mistaken. This isn't my ox, heh... heh."

The thug's pupils trembled. This young man was too fierce. He slowly edged backward. He had kicked an iron plate this time. "I'll go. I'll just... go."

"Go to hell! You're asking for a beating!"

Chen Xun suddenly let out an angry roar and charged forward. He moved so fast that only an afterimage remained where he had stood. A fist the size of a sandbag was reflected in the thug's eye sockets.

"Ah!! Grandpa, stop hitting me!!"

The thug's miserable screams rang through the street. He rolled all over the ground, begging for mercy without pause. Big Black Ox kept spitting beside him, then finally sent him flying elsewhere with a toss of its head.

The thug's eyes were lifeless. His body felt as though it had fallen apart, blood covering the corners of his mouth and nose, while the stench of saliva clung to him from head to toe.

This young man had Eight-pack abs and an iron-walled body. Even if he called several brothers over, it would do no good. They would only get beaten for nothing. In the future, he would have to take a detour whenever he saw this man.

"Well beaten!"

"This thug deserved it!"

"He does nothing but loaf around all day. I've long found him an eyesore."

Cheers rose from the surrounding people. A hero truly emerged from the young—he had done what they had not dared to do.

Chen Xun snorted coldly. That man had even dared to touch Old Ox. If he dared to seek revenge, Chen Xun would unleash a massacre.

Moo! Moo! Big Black Ox nudged Chen Xun. Only with him by its side did it feel at ease.

"It's fine, Old Ox. I'm here."

Chen Xun wrapped one arm around Big Black Ox's head, his cold gaze still fixed on the direction the thug had fled.

He suddenly turned toward Ning Si, making the latter's skin crawl. This young man carried three Mountain-Splitting Axes and had Eight-pack abs. Was he really here to study medical skills...?

"Doctor Ning, please accept me. Let us do odd jobs at Pingtai Medical Clinic. My family's ancestral Big Black Ox can help as well."

Chen Xun lowered his head and gave a cupped fist salute, his words filled with intense sincerity.

Moo! Moo! Big Black Ox also pleaded with Ning Si.

"Doctor Ning, take him in. Young men with such a sense of justice are rare."

"That's right, Doctor Ning. This little brother is pitiful too. He came to the city with his family's ox just to make a living."

The surrounding people also spoke up for Chen Xun. At a glance, he seemed like someone with a bitter past.

"Alright, I'll take you in."

Ning Si nodded along with the flow. This young man did seem quite pitiful. If he wandered outside, it would be bad if those thugs retaliated against him. At least within the medical clinic, no one would dare touch him.

"Thank you, Doctor Ning." Chen Xun was overjoyed. He also gave cupped fist salutes to the surrounding people, thanking them for speaking on his behalf.

"Let's go."

Ning Si smiled, standing with his hands behind his back as he led them into the medical clinic's rear courtyard.