Home Thieves Must Die

"Moo!" Big Black Ox called out to Chen Xun.

"Coming."

Chen Xun turned around, and his eyes lit up when he saw the silver. A wealthy customer had arrived. He smiled at Senior Brother Yu. "Young Master, my old ox has never seen silver before. Please don't mind him."

"No matter."

Senior Brother Yu blinked, taking the broken silver, though he still looked somewhat dazed.

He stood outside the crowd while his junior brothers and sisters went to eat. He frowned slightly as he looked at Big Black Ox, a glimmer flashing through his eyes.

"A mortal body. Nothing wrong with it."

Senior Brother Yu murmured, then looked at the stall boss. "Also a mortal body. It seems I was overthinking things."

Chen Xun's hand paused slightly as he stir-fried the rice. He sensed someone probing him; even the spiritual power within his body had stirred, but it was concealed by the Essence of All Things.

There are cultivators.

Chen Xun continued preparing the food with his usual carefree manner, though vigilance rose in his heart. He lifted his head and called out with a smile that the food was ready, sweeping his gaze across the people around him.

That Little Girl called him Senior Brother Yu. This group is very likely... Don't provoke them.

Chen Xun thought silently, his hands never slowing as he greeted everyone with a smile.

Near midnight, the nearby townspeople had gradually returned home, and the pedestrians on the streets had thinned out. Chen Xun was also preparing to close his stall.

"Esteemed Young Masters, Misses, we need to close up and sleep too. Please stop eating..."

Chen Xun said in shock. This group had actually eaten here all night. The ingredients he had prepared were nearly running out, though he had certainly made plenty of money.

Junior Sister Ye gave a delicate snort. "Boss, keep cooking. We have plenty of silver."

"Boss, your food truly tastes good."

Senior Brother Yu suddenly said. Seeing how highly his junior brothers and sisters praised it, he had given it a try himself. Now, he could not stop.

"That's right, Boss. It's not like we aren't paying." The others all chimed in, their eyes filled with praise.

"There are no ingredients left, everyone..."

Chen Xun's pupils widened slightly. Were cultivators really such big eaters? Mainly because his seasonings contained precious medicinal herbs they had cultivated; ordinary people did not have the means for that.

"Then, Boss, are you here every night?" Junior Sister Ye asked happily with a smile. "I haven't eaten anything this delicious in a long time."

"Not necessarily. My stall moves around."

"Moves around?"

"It means going with the flow. I set up wherever I feel like."

Chen Xun explained. Staying in one place for too long was not ideal.

"How about coming to our sect as a cook?"

"Qing Ling!"

Senior Brother Yu shouted coldly, "It's time to go. Say another word, and I'll send you back."

Junior Sister Ye's hairs stood on end at his words. The surrounding junior brothers and sisters were also startled. Senior Brother Yu was angry.

"Take care, everyone."

Chen Xun smiled and gave a cupped-fist salute, finally seeing off these Great Buddhas. He let out a slight breath of relief. "Old Ox, let's go."

"Moo!"

Big Black Ox ran out from the little house. Together, they began pushing it, easily enough, and stopped in an empty patch of grass.

"Old Ox, how much did we make today?"

Chen Xun wiped away his sweat and grinned. "You worked hard."

"Moo moo~~" Big Black Ox rubbed against Chen Xun. He was being far too formal.

"Let's earn some more money and save it. Everything we earned these past few years went toward arranging our friends' funerals."

"Moo."

Big Black Ox nodded. Their current life was quite good. They did not need to socialize or meet anyone, or else those people would always disappear from their lives.

It actually had many friends. Those neighbors often came to chat with it and pour out their worries.

The neighbors thought Big Black Ox could not understand them, but it could. It believed they were treating it sincerely, and it liked listening to stories too.

"Old Ox."

Chen Xun suddenly smacked the ox on the head. Big Black Ox cried out in pain, "Moo moo!" and looked at Chen Xun with puzzled eyes.

"Cheer up already. What are you pretending to be all profound for?"

Chen Xun said in feigned anger. He had rarely seen Old Ox smile this past month. "Why can't you get over it?"

"Moo~~"

Big Black Ox called softly, lying in the little house and licking its hoof. Sadness filled its eyes; it still had not recovered.

"Everything we've done is merit. Just silently recite it in your heart and give the merit to our friends. In their next lives, they'll definitely be wealthy families, living good lives every day."

Chen Xun said irritably, bringing out his trump card. "Heaven and the Buddha will bless them."

"Moo?"

A brilliant gleam emerged in Big Black Ox's eyes. Talk about merit, and it was instantly energized. It believed in merit without question. "Moo moo moo?"

"Really! I've already given mine away. Otherwise, do you think I'd be like you?"

Chen Xun spoke seriously, his words ringing with conviction.

"Moo moo moo moo~~" Big Black Ox immediately sat cross-legged, continuously making mooing sounds from its mouth, no one knew what it was muttering.

Chen Xun shook his head with a smile and let out a soft sigh. His state of mind was slowly changing. This mobile little house was already the first step he had taken.

The longer they stayed in one place, the more ties they seemed to form. They were not heartless people, after all. In the end, they were not suited to the Mortal Realm.

"Moo!"

"Finished?"

"Moo~"

Big Black Ox pressed itself against Chen Xun and grinned. It had already given all its merit to its friends. From now on, it would have to start accumulating it again.

"Haha..."

Chen Xun patted Big Black Ox with emotion. Leaning against each other, they gradually fell asleep.

In the days that followed, they went with the flow in Pan Ning City, wandering about and taking in the sights. At night, they made and sold snacks; during the day, they went shopping for supplies together, buying whatever they liked.

A year later, Chen Xun's mobile little house had truly earned quite a reputation in Pan Ning City. Many people came after hearing of it, all raising their thumbs in praise. Delicious!

Finally, on a bright, sunny morning, while they had gone to buy supplies, the mobile little house was stolen...

Chen Xun was carrying two sacks of meat when he looked at the empty grassland. The two sacks slowly slipped from his shoulders, crashing heavily onto the ground—and into their hearts.

"Where is our house?!"

"Moo moo? Moo!!"

Big Black Ox cried out anxiously, running everywhere across the grassland, yet it could not find their house anywhere.

Man and ox fell to their knees before the grassland, their eyes hollow, without the will to live. Their home was gone again...

"Damn it, damn it!"

Chen Xun's face twisted with rage, veins bulging on his forehead. "They could steal such a huge house?!"

Big Black Ox trembled with fury, continuously snorting at the ground as clumps of turf flew up. Too hateful—utterly hateful!

"A gang! It was definitely a large gang!"

Spittle flew from Chen Xun's mouth as he stared at the tracks on the grass. "Damn it, today we'll unleash a slaughter! Our pots, bowls, and utensils are all inside! They've been with us for so many years!"

"Moo~~!!!"

Big Black Ox rose to its feet. The muscles all over its body bulged as it stared in the direction of the wheel tracks. They could not have pushed it very fast; even they themselves had needed considerable strength.

Chen Xun pulled out the long-unused bandit face covering from his clothes, unfastened his buttons, revealing his eight-pack abs, then slowly drew two Mountain-Splitting Axes from his waist. Big Black Ox silently stood beside him.

Their eyes fixed on one direction. Chen Xun's chest heaved. "Old Ox, chase!"

"Moo!!"

The two figures became two hurricanes. Bloodshot filled their eye sockets as they chased after them madly. If they did not kill until heaven and earth overturned and sun and moon went dark today, no one was leaving!

All home thieves must die!

They crossed the grassland, crossed the great bridge, and saw it—they saw their little house. Chen Xun let out a roaring howl, leaping high, leaping far.

Bang!

Chen Xun landed firmly atop the mobile little house, peerless in bearing. He said coldly, "In broad daylight, beneath the bright heavens, what do you mean by this?!"

He slowly turned around, his gaze falling to the ground. His pupils contracted. Why were they all government soldiers?

"We've been wronged!!"

"Moo moo!"

Chen Xun and Big Black Ox were thrown into the Great Prison again. The reason was that his stall was far too large, taking up the places that many ordinary people had originally used. Others needed to make a living too; there were only so many spots in the bustling areas.

Countless vendors had reported them to the authorities, saying that Chen Xun's little house was truly against the rules. How were they supposed to survive?

Ten days later, Chen Xun and Big Black Ox emerged from the Great Prison in a bedraggled state. Prison life was no life for man or beast. They looked up at the sky and smiled. Freedom was wonderful.

Still, the authorities were reasonable. They returned their pots, bowls, and utensils, but the little house had to be dismantled. They also told them not to do this again.

Chen Xun was overwhelmed with gratitude, weeping bitterly as he hailed the Upright Official, promising that they would never affect others again. This matter had been their fault.