The road to the Prefecture City was longer and rougher than the path to the county town.
While the county town was a bustling hub for local farmers, the Prefecture City was the heart of the region. It housed the magistrate's office, the military garrison, and the largest trading markets in the area.
Chen Yuan walked beside Xu Tie. They had left Willow Village before dawn, carrying light packs and a heavy purse.
The landscape changed as they traveled. Simple mud-brick villages gave way to tiled-roof estates. The farmers here looked better fed, and the fields were neatly irrigated.
"We are close," Xu Tie grunted, adjusting the long staff on his shoulder. He had traded his usual limp for a steady, rhythmic stride, his eyes constantly scanning the tree lines. "Stay close. The city gates are crowded."
As the sun reached its zenith, the walls of the Prefecture City appeared. They were imposing, stretching high into the sky, built of gray stone that had withstood centuries of war.
The queue at the gate was long. Merchants with carts, scholars in flowing robes, and soldiers in armor jostled for position.
"Two coppers for entry," the guard barked as Chen Yuan stepped forward.
Chen Yuan paid without haggling. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. He was dressed in his best, albeit patched, clothes, trying to look like a young steward for a rural estate rather than a poor farmer.
Inside, the city was a sensory overload. The streets were paved with stone slabs. Shops displayed silks, porcelains, and spices that Chen Yuan had only seen in museums. The smell of roasting meats, incense, and horse manure mingled in the air.
"The livestock market is in the West District," Xu Tie said, pointing with his chin. "Follow the smell."
* * *
The livestock market was a chaotic arena of dust and noise.
It was partitioned into sections: horses for the wealthy, donkeys for the merchants, and oxen for the farmers. The air rang with the lowing of cattle, the braying of donkeys, and the shouts of haggling traders.
Chen Yuan walked through the rows, his heart pounding with excitement.
*This is it,* he thought. *The beginning.*
He passed several pens of oxen. They were large, sturdy animals, the backbone of agriculture.
"How much for this one?" Chen Yuan asked a trader, pointing to a strong, glossy-coated ox.
"That one? A prime plow ox!" the trader grinned, revealing a gold tooth. "Six taels of silver. Broke to the yoke, gentle as a lamb."
Six taels. Chen Yuan frowned. That was double his budget.
He moved on. The prices were consistently high. The spring planting season was approaching, and demand for draft animals was at its peak.
"Looking for a plow ox?" a slick-looking middleman sidled up to them. "I have a pair of oxen, brothers, well-trained. Eight taels for the pair."
"I'm not looking for a plow ox," Chen Yuan said, his voice calm. "I'm looking for a cow. A female. For breeding."
The middleman paused, then laughed. "Breeding? Young master, good breeding cows are even harder to find. Farmers keep them. The ones sold here are usually old or... problem animals."
"Problem animals?" Chen Yuan asked.
"Yes. Barren. Or sickly. Or bad temperament." The middleman shrugged. "But if you want a healthy cow... five taels. Minimum."
Chen Yuan walked away. His budget was tight.
He drifted towards the back of the market, where the pens were dirtier and the animals looked less cared for. This was the "clearance" section—the place where animals were sold for slaughter or cheap labor because no one wanted them.
*System, scan the area.*
**[Scanning Livestock Market - Section D (Cull Pen).]**
**[Target: Female Bovine.]**
**[Criteria: Genetic potential for Brahman integration.]**
The system hummed in his mind.
**[Subject Found.]**
**[Location: Pen 42.]**
**[Species: Local Yellow Cattle (Heifer).]**
**[Age: 2 years.]**
**[Current Status: Malnourished. Infected with external parasites (Mange). deemed 'Ugly' and 'Stunted'. Market Price: Low.]**
**[Genetic Analysis: Excellent. Hidden recessive traits for muscle growth. Strong maternal instincts. High compatibility with Brahman upgrade.]**
**[System Recommendation: Buy immediately.]**
Chen Yuan's eyes locked onto Pen 42.
It was a small, muddy enclosure. Inside stood a yellow cow. It looked miserable. Its coat was patchy and dull, large scabs of mange marring its skin. Its ribs were showing, and its head hung low. It was smaller than the others, looking more like a large calf than a two-year-old heifer.
A butcher stood nearby, sharpening a knife and looking at the cow with calculating eyes.
"Fine day for a slaughter," the butcher muttered to the trader. "She's too thin to work. The meat will be tough, but the hide is good. I'll give you one tael of silver."
"One tael?" the trader, a burly man with a red face, spat on the ground. "I paid two for her as a calf! She just never grew right. Cursed beast. Fine! One tael, take her."
"Wait," Chen Yuan stepped forward.
The butcher and the trader looked at him.
"I'll buy her," Chen Yuan said.
The butcher scoffed. "You want her? Boy, that cow has the devil's bad luck. She won't pull a plow, and she's too ugly to breed."
"I'll breed her," Chen Yuan said firmly. He looked at the cow. Underneath the dirt and the sickness, the System showed him the blueprint of what she could become. A powerhouse. A mother to a new line of cattle.
"How much?" Chen Yuan asked the trader.
The trader's eyes gleamed. He saw a young, inexperienced boy.
"Three taels," the trader said, doubling the butcher's price.
"Three taels?" Xu Tie stepped forward, his voice cold. "That beast is half-dead. One tael and five hundred coins."
The trader looked at Xu Tie's scarred face and the military stiffness in his posture. He flinched.
"T-two taels," the trader stammered. "That's my bottom line."
"One tael and eight hundred," Chen Yuan cut in, his mind racing. "And you throw in a rope and a bushel of hay."
"Deal!" The trader wanted to be rid of the bad luck as fast as possible.
Chen Yuan counted out the silver—he had converted his copper to silver taels for easier travel. He placed the coins in the trader's hand.
It was a significant chunk of his capital. He had less than one tael left.
The butcher shook his head. "Boy, you just threw your money into the river. That cow will be dead by winter."
Chen Yuan walked to the pen. He opened the gate.
The cow didn't move. It just watched him with large, dark eyes. Eyes that were surprisingly clear.
"It's okay, girl," Chen Yuan said softly. He didn't grab the rope. He just extended his hand, letting her sniff his palm.
The cow slowly stretched her neck. She sniffed his fingers. Then, she licked his hand. Her tongue was rough and dry.
"Let's go home," Chen Yuan said. He tied the rope loosely around her neck.
* * *
The walk back to Willow Village was slow.
The cow was weak. She couldn't keep up the pace of a healthy ox. They had to stop every half-mile for her to rest.
Xu Tie walked behind, keeping an eye on the road.
"You spent nearly all our money on a runt," Xu Tie said. It wasn't an accusation, just a statement of fact. "If she dies, we are back to zero."
"She won't die," Chen Yuan said. He handed the cow a handful of the Ryegrass he had brought with him in his pack.
The cow sniffed it. Her ears twitched. She took a bite. Then another. She ate greedily, a spark of life returning to her movements.
"Look at her eat," Chen Yuan pointed out. "She's not sick at heart. She's just hungry. And the mange is curable."
"I hope you know what you're doing," Xu Tie sighed. "I really do."
As they passed through a narrow valley, three men stepped out from behind a boulder.
They were dressed in ragged clothes, holding wooden clubs and rusty knives.
"Nice cow," the leader, a man with a shifty gaze, said with a grin. "Looks a bit sick, though. Why don't you let us put it out of its misery? And hand over that purse."
Bandits.
Chen Yuan's blood ran cold. He had been so focused on the cow, he hadn't thought about protection.
He looked at Xu Tie.
Xu Tie didn't say a word. He didn't draw a weapon. He simply stepped forward, placing himself between the bandits and Chen Yuan.
He tapped his wooden staff on the ground. *Tap. Tap.*
"Listen carefully," Xu Tie said, his voice low. "I am in a bad mood because my leg hurts. If you come closer, I will break your legs to match mine. Then I will leave you here for the wolves."
The bandits laughed. "One cripple and a boy? You think you're a hero?"
The leader lunged, swinging his club.
Xu Tie didn't block. He side-stepped with surprising speed. He swung his staff like a spear, cracking it against the leader's knee.
*CRACK.*
A howl of agony echoed through the valley.
The leader collapsed, clutching his shattered knee.
The other two froze.
"Next?" Xu Tie asked calmly, twirling the staff.
The two men looked at their leader, then at the terrifying veteran. They turned and ran, dragging the screaming leader behind them.
Xu Tie lowered the staff. He turned back to Chen Yuan.
"Let's move. They might come back with more."
Chen Yuan nodded, shaking slightly. "Thank you, Brother Xu."
"Don't mention it. That was for the cow," Xu Tie said. "She's too tired to run."
* * *
When they finally arrived at Willow Village, it was late afternoon.
The villagers were returning from the fields. They saw Chen Yuan and Xu Tie walking down the main path. Behind them, the scrawny, patchy cow stumbled along.
"Look! San Lang is back!"
"He bought a cow?"
"That thing? It looks like a skeleton!"
"Did he get cheated?"
"Ha! I told you he'd waste the money. That cow is on its last legs!"
Wang Shi was standing at the village well. She dropped her water bucket when she saw the animal.
"San Lang!" she cried out, rushing over. "You spent our savings... on *that*?!"
Chen Dazhong came out of the house. He looked at the cow. His face fell.
"San Lang..." he said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "This is a cull cow."
"Father," Chen Yuan said, stopping in front of the house. He met his father's gaze. "This cow is not for plowing. She is for the ranch. Trust me. In three months, she will be unrecognizable."
He led the cow into the yard. The family gathered around, looking at the pathetic animal with worry and despair.
Even Little Ming looked concerned. "Third Brother... she looks sad."
"She's just lonely," Chen Yuan said. He took a brush and began to work on her coat, removing the loose hair and dirt. "And she needs a name."
He looked at the cow's large, dark eyes.
"I'll call her 'Hope'," Chen Yuan said.
He mixed a paste of sulfur (bought from the village doctor) and lard, and began applying it to the cow's mange patches.
*System, initiate Brahman Gene Infusion.*
**[Infusion Initiated.]**
**[Target: 'Hope' (Local Yellow Cattle).]**
**[Process: This will take 3 months to show physical traits. Immediate effect: Appetite stimulation, immunity boost.]**
The cow let out a low, rumbling moo. It wasn't a sound of pain. It was a sound of relief.
She lay down in the clean straw Chen Yuan had prepared, chewing the Ryegrass he offered.
Chen Yuan sat next to her, covered in dust and medicine. He was tired, broke, and mocked.
But he looked at the system interface.
**[Ranch Livestock: 3 Sheep, 1 Cow.]**
**[Ranch Level: Level 1 (Startup Phase).]**
He smiled.
"Let them laugh," he whispered to the cow. "We'll have the last laugh."