Spring Gives Way to Autumn, Twenty Years Pass

"We should live our lives well and stay out of all that fighting and killing."

Chen Xun patted Big Black Ox and spoke seriously. The latter nodded as well; their lives were incomparably comfortable now.

"Old Ox, come on. Let's find some work in the village. How can we walk the world without mastering all eighteen martial arts?"

Chen Xun rose with a smile and tucked the Mountain-Splitting Axe at his waist. Now that they had rice, they no longer needed meals included, nor did they have to worry about being driven out again.

Moo~

One man and one ox began constantly taking masters throughout the village and learning trades. From full-service funerals to filling the skies with suona music, they learned with blazing enthusiasm.

Big Black Ox was even better than Chen Xun at carrying coffins. Whenever the villagers saw him, who wouldn't give him a thumbs-up?

Now, whenever there was a wedding or funeral, the local villagers would personally invite Chen Xun out of his cave. Two words: professional!

Chen Xun had always been an optimistic man. Skills never weighed one down, and because of his longevity, he was instead filled with hope for the future, every day brimming with purpose.

Ten years flashed by. In Chen Xun's eyes, there was now a trace of time's marks, and quite a few newborns had appeared in the village as well.

"How lonely it is to be invincible."

Chen Xun stood in the Mountain Cave with a broad grin, assuming a punching stance. Before him sat an enormous boulder.

Boom!

He threw a punch. The instant it touched the boulder, it shattered into pieces, turning into countless fragments of stone in a moment, while the bones in his hand remained completely unharmed.

Big Black Ox sat on the ground, staring at Chen Xun with a face full of awe. His bones had not even broken—terrifying indeed.

"Old Ox, what do you think?"

"Moo!"

"Hahaha..."

Chen Xun laughed with his hands behind his back, a look of disdain for the world in his eyes. "This is merely one-tenth, perhaps two-tenths, of This Seat's strength."

Big Black Ox actually believed him. The awe in his eyes grew even stronger, and Chen Xun found it immensely satisfying to watch.

Over these ten years, Chen Xun had put all his Longevity Points into strength. Carrying nine cauldrons was no longer difficult for him; he had already surpassed mortal strength.

Even when Xiao Heizi arm-wrestled him in the village, Chen Xun could easily pin him down with three fingers.

"Chen Xun!"

"Chen Xun!"

Urgent shouts came from outside the Mountain Cave. Big Black Ox jolted upright. Work had come! It swiftly scooped up its equipment with its horns and slightly raised its head.

It was now the divine ox of the village. Even the village's big yellow dog had to call it Brother Ox when it saw it—at least, that was what it thought in its heart.

"Folks, what happened?"

Chen Xun walked out of the cave and saw that dozens of people had come. "Is it a wedding or a funeral? So I can prepare the proper clothes."

"The Old Village Chief... has passed on." Several villagers spoke gloomily.

"What?"

Chen Xun was shocked. The Old Village Chief had always taken good care of him and Old Ox. Something suddenly emptied inside him. "Let's go!"

The Spirit Hall in the village was packed with villagers. Chen Xun raised his suona to his lips. The autumn wind was bleak, and fallen leaves drifted through the air.

There was a sigh in his eyes. Mortals could never overcome partings in life and death. A mere hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

Big Black Ox carried several bells on its back, clanging loudly and complementing Chen Xun's suona. Together, they sounded like an autumn Funeral Song, sending the Old Village Chief into the distance.

On the country path outside the village, Chen Xun wore no expression as he personally carried the coffin. A long procession followed behind him, while yellow paper filled the sky.

"Lower the coffin~~"

Chen Xun and several others carefully lowered the coffin into the earth. He stood to one side and watched as all the villagers paid their farewells.

Some prayed for blessings, some prayed to get rich, some prayed to become immortals...

After everyone had left, Chen Xun silently bowed three times and murmured with a smile, "Old Village Chief, thank you for your care. Have a safe journey."

Moo~ Big Black Ox was downcast. It lowered its head three times beside him, imitating Chen Xun.

When they returned to the village, Xiao Heizi had now grown into an adult. Seeing Chen Xun, he smiled and said, "Xun-ge, you're still so young. You haven't aged at all."

"It's mainly because I have a good mindset."

Chen Xun gave a haha and patted Xiao Heizi. "Not bad, Young Man. Strong as an ox—you've got thirty percent of my skill from that year."

"Hehe."

Xiao Heizi smiled awkwardly. "My father dug up some things in the mountains before and gave me a good tonic."

"Be careful when you go hunting in the mountains. Your parents are getting old too."

"I know, Xun-ge. How about coming to my home for a meal?"

"No need. I still have things to do."

Chen Xun quickly shook his head. With his current appetite, he was afraid he would eat Xiao Heizi's family into ruin.

"Alright then, Brother Xun, I'll be going first." Xiao Heizi was still carrying a wild chicken in his hand as he bade Chen Xun farewell.

"Alright."

Chen Xun smiled. Smoke was already curling up from every household's cooking fires as they prepared to eat.

One man and one ox passed through the lights of countless homes and headed toward the Mountain Cave outside the village, leaving behind only their lonely silhouettes and the cold gleam of the Mountain-Splitting Axe at Chen Xun's waist.

Spring came and autumn went. Another ten years hurried past. Xiao Heizi now had two children. Chen Xun named one of the boys Da Heizi, and he often teased the child until he cried in the village, making Black Ox beside him laugh with repeated moos.

Chen Xun was now quite a prestigious figure in the village, yet there were still no signs of aging on him.

Quite a few people in the village had begun looking at him strangely. Because he was still a bachelor, idle gossip even began to spread, saying that he was impotent.

When Chen Xun heard this, rage shot to his head. He was a seven-foot-tall man, all three legs sturdy and strong—yet they said he was impotent!

He found Aunt Wang in the village and battled a whole crowd with his tongue, spittle flying everywhere as they argued until their faces were red. He nearly revealed his great treasure to prove himself. In the end, because Big Black Ox was not good with words, they were defeated and retreated.

Inside the Mountain Cave, Chen Xun was beside himself with anger and was still lecturing Big Black Ox. At the time, Black Ox had stood behind him like a complete coward, unable to squeeze out a single word.

"Forget it. They had strength in numbers."

Chen Xun let out a deep sigh. To suffer such a Great Humiliation and bear such an undeserved injustice... "Old Ox, it's not your fault. We can only blame ourselves for living too long."

Moo!

Big Black Ox nodded fiercely. It had revealed its great treasure at the time, only to be judged from every angle by that bunch of aunties and laughed at without end.

"But why did strength stop increasing once it reached 20 points?"

Chen Xun wondered aloud, as though he had hit a bottleneck. Big Black Ox agreed completely.

There was absolutely no difference between 21 points and 20 points. Helplessly, he added his Longevity Points to speed and gave Black Ox one point as well.

Their current Longevity Points: Strength, 21. Speed, 1.

They clearly felt that their walking speed had doubled. Wind rose beneath their feet—the supreme method for running away. After adding points, Chen Xun had attained enlightenment.

"Old Ox, it's time for us to leave."

Chen Xun sighed, reluctance still in his eyes. "This village can no longer contain you and me."

Aside from Xiao Heizi's family, more and more familiar people in this village were slowly disappearing. To mortals, a face that never aged was simply too terrifying. After all, this world had no skincare products or hormone injections.

And Big Black Ox looked far too extraordinary as well. Quite a few people in the village had already set their sights on it, wanting to catch and slaughter it to give their children a tonic.