Chen Xun had picked up all sorts of wilderness survival skills along the way. He wasn't a master at any of them, but he knew a little bit of everything.
Moo~~
The big black ox stared anxiously toward their rice paddies—those fields had been plowed with endless toil and sweat.
"It's alright," Chen Xun reassured it. "We'll find ourselves a better plot of land someday—one several times bigger than this!"
Moo! Moo!
The ox nodded frantically, completely taken in by Chen Xun's tall tales.
"But first, we have an old score to settle. A true man never lets a grudge go unpaid."
Chen Xun stood up with a bang, spinning his hatchet around his hand a few times. "Those bastards must be old and decrepit by now. Old Ox, strike while the iron is hot—let's get our rice back!"
Moo!!
The ground trembled, and loose stones skittered about. The ox was seething with rage. Its broken horn had only grown back a tiny bit—who knew how many more years it would take to fully heal? Even the village heifers wouldn't give it the time of day anymore.
Inside the cave, they packed their belongings in a hurry. The suona and other tools were essential for wandering the world, so they strapped them all onto the ox's back.
With their current strength, lifting pots and pans was as easy as child's play. Anything they couldn't take with them, they left for Xiao Hei's family—including the entire rice paddy.
The next day, outside Xiao Hei's house, the blacksmith's, the carpenter's, and the homes of everyone else who had ever helped Chen Xun, there were sacks of rice left on the doorsteps. The recipients were overjoyed, thanking the heavens for their good fortune.
Xiao Hei's wife was still counting their unexpected gifts, a huge grin spreading across her face. Who would have thought such luck would come their way?
Inside the house, Xiao Hei was now a middle-aged man, his face etched with maturity. He held a letter in his hand. Chen Xun had taught him how to read, so he could understand every word.
Xiao Hei,
The rice paddy outside the cave is yours now. Take good care of Da Hei for me.
I'm leaving today, and we may never meet again in this lifetime. The world is vast and magnificent—one must go out and see it for oneself. Remember to always stay optimistic.
Your forever free-spirited Brother Xun.
Xiao Hei read the letter slowly, his eyes glistening with tears. He had run around after Brother Xun ever since he was a kid, and he had long since regarded him as an older brother.
Memories flooded his mind—the stolen rice, the burned-down thatched cottage, Brother Xun getting chased out of every job he took… Life had been tough, but Brother Xun had always faced it with such enthusiasm.
"Safe travels, Brother Xun," Xiao Hei smiled warmly, glancing out the window. The sky was clear and blue—a perfect day for a journey.
Three months later, outside the neighboring village, in a dirt pit.
Man and ox were covered in dust and grime, their robes tattered. Chen Xun held a flatbread in his hand, took a huge bite, then passed it to the ox for a mouthful.
"Just as I thought—we've scouted this village thoroughly. Let's start with the Wang family first."
A sharp glint flickered in Chen Xun's eyes. Patience and time were the two things he had in spades. He had mapped out every inch of the Wangs' ancestral graves, their farmland, and the faces of every man who had beaten them that day.
"Old Ox, move out!"
Chen Xun pulled a bandit's headscarf over his face, leaving only his eyes, nose, and mouth exposed. He even had a matching outfit for the black ox.
It was a dark and windy night. Man and ox stood atop a dirt mound, the wind howling around them, motionless—exuding pure bandit swagger.
They made their way up the mountain path, moonlight casting long shadows, and cold wind swirling around them. The graveyard loomed ahead, eerie and desolate—but compared to the grievances they had suffered, this was nothing.
"Tomb of Wang Defa."
Chen Xun's eyes lit up. "This is the one!" he growled. "Old Ox, dig!"
Moo!
The ox was trembling with excitement. It let out a roar, kicked up its heels, and dug like mad. Chen Xun kicked the tombstone to smithereens, yelling in triumph. Shovelfuls of dirt flew everywhere, and soon the coffin was exposed.
They flipped the coffin lid open with a single heave, revealing a set of bones. Then, without a moment's hesitation, man and ox turned tail and ran—disappearing in the blink of an eye.
In the Wang family's fields, the ox went on a rampage, plowing furiously, dirt flying in all directions as it vented years of pent-up anger. Chen Xun watched with his eyes twitching—this old ox held a grudge even better than he did!
The entire field was left in utter chaos, completely destroyed. Chen Xun and the ox stared proudly at their handiwork, a sense of satisfaction washing over them.
The next day, Chen Xun led the ox straight into Old Wang's house.
"Who goes there?!"
A man in his fifties, leaning on a cane, shouted in alarm. The intruder was masked—truly terrifying to behold.
"I'm the long-lost father you never knew you had!"
Chen Xun roared, instantly recognizing the man: Wang Tianming, the very same bastard who had beaten him the hardest that day. With one swift kick, he shattered Wang Tianming's cane into splinters.
He took a step forward, controlled his strength perfectly, and slapped Wang Tianming across the face. The few remaining teeth in the old man's mouth went flying.
"Mercy! Spare me, hero! Mercy!"
Wang Tianming spat out a mouthful of blood and broken teeth. They were being robbed!
"Twenty years ago, you led a bunch of thugs to steal my rice! Today, I've come to collect what's mine!"
"Aah?!"
Wang Tianming's eyes widened in shock. He had all but forgotten about that incident. Then he caught sight of the black ox standing outside the door—and suddenly, everything came flooding back to him.
Moo!
A yellow dog wandered past the Wangs' house. The ox charged at it, sending the dog flying through the air with a single butt of its head. The dog hit the ground with a yelp and scrambled away as fast as its legs could carry it.
Chen Xun wasn't about to let the Wang family off easy. He shook every single egg in their house until the yolks and whites were mixed together. He chopped every earthworm in their yard into eight pieces with his hatchet.
Wang Tianming collapsed to the ground, screaming and crying, and began shouting for help.
"Father! Who's causing trouble?!"
"How dare you break into our house and attack us?!"
Shouts of anger and outrage erupted outside as a mob of young men, armed with hoes and kitchen knives, came charging into the yard.
"Old Ox, retreat!"
Chen Xun yelled. Man and ox leaped over the wall in a single bound—with Chen Xun giving the ox an extra push on the rear for good measure.
"Stop, you thieves!"
"Cowards! Come back and fight us one on one!"
"If we catch you, we'll skin you alive! Despicable scoundrels!"
The commotion had woken up half the village. Several hundred men, all armed to the teeth, chased after them, kicking up clouds of dust as they ran.
"Hahaha! Can't catch us!"
Chen Xun laughed, looking over his shoulder as he and the ox sprinted away. He glanced at the mob of pursuers behind them, sneering. "Is that all you've got?!"
Roar! Roar!
Insulted beyond measure, the men roared with rage, picking up their pace and chasing even harder. But no matter how fast they ran, they couldn't catch up—they could only watch as Chen Xun and the ox disappeared into the distance.
To add insult to injury, even the black ox was faster than all of them!
Moo! Moo!
The ox let out a thunderous fart—a stinker that had been building up for days. The stench was absolutely unbearable, suffocating even. Chen Xun's face twisted into an expression of pure disgust, as if he'd just eaten a mouthful of dung.
"Ugh! It stinks!"
"Damn it!"
Gag!
The pursuing villagers stumbled to a halt, doubled over, retching uncontrollably. They couldn't believe such a foul smell existed in the world.
Wang Tianming hobbled over, completely livid. If he were twenty years younger, he would have torn Chen Xun limb from limb with his bare hands!
"Old Wang! Your ancestral graves have been dug up! The coffin lids are all pried open!"
"Aah?!"
"Old Wang! Hurry back and check your fields! They've been trampled to pieces—like a herd of pigs ran through them!"
"Aah?!"
The moment Wang Tianming heard those words, his vision swam, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Meanwhile, man and ox were long gone, vanished without a trace—leaving behind nothing but a legend of two fearsome bandits in that village.