Chen Xun had learned a fair share of various wilderness survival skills, though not expertly, he knew them all.
Moo~~
The big black ox looked anxiously towards the farmland, which it had painstakingly plowed.
"It's alright, we'll find another fertile field later, several times bigger than this!"
"Moo! Moo!"
The big black ox nodded frantically. Chen Xun began to paint a rosy picture, completely enticing the ox.
"However, we still have a great grudge to settle, which is not the act of a gentleman."
Chen Xun abruptly stood up, his axe spinning a few times. "Those people must be old and frail by now, old ox, strike while the iron is hot, and give us back our rice!"
Moo!!
The ground shook, pebbles flew everywhere. The big black ox was enraged. Its horns had only grown a little, and it was unknown when they would fully recover. Even the village heifers barely acknowledged it.
Inside the cave, they quickly packed up, carrying essential items like the suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) on Black Ox's back.
With their current strength, handling pots and pans was child's play. What they couldn't take, they left to Little Blackie's family, including the fertile field.
The next day, outside Little Blackie's house, the blacksmith's house, the carpenter's house, and other homes of those who had helped Chen Xun, there were piles of rice at their doors. They were all overjoyed, marveling at the good fortune.
Little Blackie's wife was still counting the things, her face beaming with happiness. Such a good thing!
Inside the house, Little Blackie, now middle-aged and more mature, held a letter in his hand. Chen Xun had taught him to read, so he could understand it.
"Little Blackie, the fertile fields outside the cave are yours to manage. Take good care of Big Blackie."
"This is a journey you may never see again. The world is vast and beautiful; you should always go out and see it. Remember to always be optimistic. From your ever-carefree Xun-ge'er."
Little Blackie read it word by word, his eyes slightly misty. He had followed Xun-ge'er around since childhood, and in his heart, he already considered him his older brother.
Memories flooded his mind: the stolen rice, the burned-down thatched hut, being constantly chased out of the village to work—things that, though bleak, showed Xun-ge'er's unwavering enthusiasm for life.
"Xun-ge'er, have a safe journey."
Little Blackie smiled warmly, looking out the window. The sky was clear and blue; a good day to set off.
Three months later, outside the next village, in a pit.
A man and an ox, weathered and covered in dust, stood side by side. Chen Xun held a large flatbread in his hand, took a big bite, and then handed it to the ox.
"Just as I expected, we've figured out the next village. Let's start with the Wang family."
Chen Xun's eyes sharpened. He had no shortage of patience and time. The Wang family's ancestral graves, their fields, and all those who had wronged them—he had investigated them all thoroughly.
"Old Ox, let's do it!"
Chen Xun covered his head with a bandit's hood, leaving only his eyes, nose, and mouth visible. He also prepared a set of clothes for the ox.
The moon was dark and the wind was strong. The man and the ox stood on the earthen slope, unmoved by the strong wind, displaying the demeanor of ruthless bandits.
They walked up the mountain. Moonlight streamed down, and a chilling wind swirled around them. The graves were eerily quiet, but compared to the grievances they had suffered, this was nothing.
"The Tomb of Wang Defa."
A glint flashed in Chen Xun's eyes—this was it! He growled, "Old ox, dig!"
Moo!
The big black ox, brimming with excitement, roared and plowed furiously, its hooves moving like the wind. Chen Xun kicked the tombstone, shattering it, and shouted with satisfaction. Countless clods of yellow earth were unearthed, revealing the coffin.
He simply ripped it off, exposing a skeleton. Man and ox ran away in an instant, disappearing in a flash.
In the Wang family's field, the big black ox frantically plowed the land, mud flying everywhere. It was venting its anger, and Chen Xun's eyelids twitched. This old ox was even more vengeful than he was!
The entire field was a mess, completely ruined. Chen Xun and the big black ox looked at their handiwork with satisfaction, feeling quite pleased with themselves.
The next day, Chen Xun led the black ox into Old Wang's house.
"Who goes there!"
An elderly man, over fifty years old, cried out in alarm, leaning on his cane. The man was wearing a headscarf, making him quite frightening.
"I am your long-lost father!"
Chen Xun roared, instantly recognizing the man as Wang Tianming. Back then, Wang Tianming had been the one who had beaten him the most. Chen Xun kicked out, instantly breaking his cane.
He took a step forward, controlling his strength, and slapped Wang Tianming across the face, knocking out his few remaining teeth.
"Good sir, spare my life! Good sir!"
Wang Tianming spat out a mouthful of blood; he had been attacked by bandits.
"More than twenty years ago, you led men to steal our rice, and today we've come to settle the score!"
"Ah?!"
Wang Tianming was shocked. Twenty years ago, he had almost forgotten about it. Looking at the black ox outside the door, he suddenly remembered something.
Moo!
A large yellow dog walked past the Wang family's house, only to be charged at by the black ox! The dog was sent flying, crashing to the ground with a pitiful yelp before running away.
Chen Xun wasn't about to let the Wang family off the hook. He'd shaken all the egg yolks in their house, and chopped the earthworms on the ground into eight pieces with his axe.
Wang Tianming sat on the ground, wailing and screaming, desperately calling for help.
"Dad! Where did these villains come from!"
"How dare they come to the Wang family's house to commit violence!"
...
At this moment, shouts and yells erupted from outside, and countless strong young men rushed in, wielding pickaxes and kitchen knives.
"Old Ox, retreat!"
Chen Xun shouted, and he and the ox leaped over the wall and fled, Chen Xun even giving the ox a push on the rump.
"Don't run, you little thief!"
"Stop and fight me one-on-one if you dare!"
"Don't let us catch you, you cowardly rat, utterly despicable!"
...
Many villagers were alarmed, and hundreds of people chased after them in a massive wave of dust, all armed with weapons.
"Hahaha, sigh, we can't catch them."
Chen Xun turned back and laughed loudly, fleeing madly with the black ox, looking at the dust cloud behind him with disdain, "Is that all?!"
Roar!
Roar!
This is outrageous! Countless men roared, quickening their pace in the frantic pursuit, but no matter what they did, they couldn't catch them, and could only watch helplessly as they ran further and further away.
The most outrageous thing was that even a black ox was faster than them!
Moo! Moo!
A deafening fart, as if the black ox had been holding it in for days, filled the air with a stench that made Chen Xun feel suffocated; his face turned ashen as if he had eaten excrement.
"Ugh! It stinks!"
"Damn it!!"
Ugh!
The villagers chasing him went limp, bracing themselves on the ground, retching repeatedly, their eyes wide with disbelief. Could there really be such a foul-smelling fart in the world?
Wang Tianming caught up from behind, furious. If he were twenty years younger, he would have torn this man to pieces!
"Old Wang, your family's ancestral graves have been dug up! The coffin lids have been ripped off!"
"Ah?!"
"Old Wang, hurry back and check your fields, it looks like pigs have rooted them up!"
"Ah?!"
Hearing the voices behind him, Wang Tianming felt dizzy and fainted.
The man and the ox had already disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a legend of a notorious bandit in the village.