"Let's just live a peaceful life and stay out of all that fighting and killing," Chen Xun patted the big black ox earnestly. The ox nodded in agreement—their days were more than comfortable now.
"Old Ox, let's head to the village and find some work. In a world like this, how can you get by without mastering a few skills?" Chen Xun stood up with a grin, tucking his hatchet into his waist. Now that they had plenty of rice stored away, they no longer needed to beg for meals or risk getting chased out of places.
Moo~
Man and ox set off to learn every trade they could in the village—from funeral services to suona playing, they threw themselves into their studies with gusto.
The black ox was even better at carrying coffins than Chen Xun, earning thumbs-up from everyone who saw it.
Nowadays, whenever there was a wedding or a funeral in the neighboring villages, folks would personally come to the cave to invite Chen Xun. In two words: he was professional.
Chen Xun had always been an optimistic soul, and he believed that mastering more skills could never hurt. Thanks to his immortality, he felt nothing but hope for the future, filling his days with purpose.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. Faint traces of time began to show in Chen Xun's eyes, and many new babies had been born in the village.
"To be invincible is to be truly lonely."
Chen Xun stood in the cave, grinning widely as he struck a boxing pose. In front of him lay a massive boulder.
Boom!
He threw a punch. The moment his fist made contact, the boulder shattered into countless pieces, yet his hand remained completely unbroken.
The black ox sat on the ground, looking on in admiration. No broken bones this time—truly terrifying power.
"How was that, Old Ox?"
Moo!
"Hahaha…" Chen Xun clasped his hands behind his back and laughed loudly, his eyes brimming with arrogance. "That was barely one-tenth of my true strength!"
The black ox believed him wholeheartedly, its expression growing even more awestruck. Chen Xun relished every second of it.
Over the past ten years, Chen Xun had poured all his Immortality Points into Strength. He could now lift nine tripods with ease, his power far surpassing that of any ordinary mortal.
Even Xiao Hei, now a strapping young man, was no match for Chen Xun in an arm-wrestling contest—Chen Xun could pin him down with just three fingers.
"Chen Xun!"
"Chen Xun!"
An urgent shout echoed from outside the cave. The black ox perked up instantly—business was here! It quickly used its horns to hoist its gear, holding its head high with pride.
It was now the village's divine ox. Even the village's yellow dog would have to call it "Brother Ox" if it knew what was good for it—or so the ox liked to tell itself.
"Folks, what's the matter?" Chen Xun stepped out of the cave to find dozens of villagers gathered outside. "Is it a wedding or a funeral? I'll get the right clothes ready."
"The old village chief… he's passed away," several villagers said, their voices heavy with grief.
"What?!"
Chen Xun was stunned. The old village chief had always taken good care of him and the ox. A hollow feeling settled in his chest. "Let's go!"
The village mourning hall was packed with villagers. Chen Xun picked up his suona and began to play. The autumn wind howled, and fallen leaves danced in the air.
A sigh escaped his lips. Mortals were always powerless against birth, old age, illness, and death—their fleeting hundred years of life passed by in the blink of an eye.
The black ox wore several bells around its neck, their clanging blending with the mournful suona tune, like an autumn funeral dirge, guiding the old village chief on his final journey.
On the country path outside the village, Chen Xun's face was expressionless as he personally carried the coffin. A long line of mourners followed behind, and yellow funeral paper fluttered in the sky.
"Lower the coffin~~"
Chen Xun and the others carefully lowered the coffin into the grave. He stood aside, watching as the villagers bowed to bid their final farewells.
Some prayed for blessings, others for wealth, and a few even begged for immortality…
Once everyone had left, Chen Xun silently bowed three times, murmuring with a faint smile: "Old Chief, thank you for all your care. Rest in peace."
Moo~ The black ox, feeling low, imitated Chen Xun and bowed its head three times as well.
Back in the village, Xiao Hei was now a grown man. He smiled when he saw Chen Xun. "Brother Xun, you're still as young as ever—not a single wrinkle on your face."
"It's all about having a positive mindset," Chen Xun chuckled, patting Xiao Hei on the shoulder. "You're looking mighty strong, kid—got about a third of my power back in my prime."
"Hehe."
Xiao Hei scratched his head sheepishly. "My dad went into the mountains to dig up some herbs a while back. They gave me a real good boost."
"Be careful when you go hunting in the mountains. Your parents are getting old," Chen Xun reminded him.
"I will, Brother Xun. Why not come to my place for dinner?"
"No thanks, I've got things to take care of." Chen Xun shook his head quickly. With his current appetite, he was afraid he'd eat Xiao Hei out of house and home.
"Alright then, I'll be off, Brother Xun." Xiao Hei, carrying a pheasant in his hand, waved goodbye.
"Take care!"
Chen Xun smiled. Smoke was curling up from the chimneys of every house—dinner was about to be served.
Man and ox walked through the sea of warm lights, heading back to their cave outside the village, leaving nothing but a lonely figure and the cold glint of the hatchet at Chen Xun's waist.
Seasons came and went, and another ten years slipped away in a hurry. Xiao Hei now had two children. Chen Xun had named the boy Da Hei, and he loved teasing the little one until he cried, much to the black ox's amusement—it would let out loud moos of laughter every time.
By now, Chen Xun was a highly respected figure in the village, yet he still showed no signs of aging.
More and more villagers were casting strange looks his way. Even his bachelor status had sparked gossip—some whispered that he was impotent.
When Chen Xun heard the rumors, he flew into a rage. He was a strapping seven-foot-tall man, with a perfectly healthy third leg—how dare they call him impotent!
He tracked down Aunt Wang and the other village gossips, arguing fiercely, spitting as he spoke, his face turning bright red with anger. He'd almost whipped out his manhood to prove himself, but in the end, he'd lost the argument because the black ox was too tongue-tied to defend him.
Back in the cave, Chen Xun was still fuming, ranting at the black ox. The ox had stood behind him, cowering in fear, unable to utter a single word of support.
"Forget it—they outnumbered us," Chen Xun sighed deeply, humiliated by this great injustice. "It's not your fault, Old Ox. We just live too long."
Moo! The black ox nodded vigorously. It had actually whipped out its manhood to help Chen Xun's case, only to be mocked and criticized by the aunties.
"Why did my Strength cap out at 20 points?" Chen Xun muttered in confusion, like he'd hit an invisible bottleneck. The black ox nodded in total agreement.
There was absolutely no difference between 21 and 20 points of Strength. Helplessly, he allocated his next Immortality Point to Speed, and gave one to the ox as well.
Their current Immortality Point stats: Strength 21, Speed 1.
They immediately felt their walking speed double, as if they were gliding on wind—a perfect skill for making a quick getaway. Chen Xun had an epiphany after allocating the point.
"Old Ox, it's time for us to leave," Chen Xun sighed, a tinge of reluctance in his eyes. "This village can no longer hold us."
Besides Xiao Hei's family, more and more familiar faces were fading away. To mortals, eternal youth was far too terrifying—after all, there were no skincare products or hormones in this world to explain it.
And the black ox was far too extraordinary-looking. Rumors were spreading that some villagers were plotting to catch and kill it, hoping to use its meat to nourish their children.