Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 204 The Fate of the Black Horned Bull

Although the hot porridge and flatbread brought by the villagers were simple, they were a rare treat for the soldiers who had been marching for days.

After finishing the last mouthful of porridge, Zhu Ge returned the bowl to the wrinkled old woman and stood up, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, ma'am. We won't bother you for long."

The old woman waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Don't bother me, don't bother me. You're going to rescue people. There's nothing this old woman can do to help, except cook you a hot meal."

Zhu Ge nodded and turned to walk towards the edge of the camp.

Yu Xiucai followed behind him and said in a low voice, "This village is in a secluded location, so it should have escaped the monster tide, but I just walked around and there are very few young people in the village. Most of them are old people and children."

"All the able-bodied men have been conscripted to guard the city," Zhu Ge sighed. "Mengzi City has been besieged for months, and we are short of troops. All the able-bodied men from the surrounding villages have been conscripted."

The two then fell silent.

Zhu Ge didn't say anything and just casually strolled around the area.

The land was flat and spacious, with neat houses, fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, and bamboo groves.

The paths crisscrossed, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard from one another. People went about their farming, and the men and women dressed just like outsiders. The elderly and children alike were all enjoying themselves.

Shepherd Boy: An old ox, a yellow dog, a tabby cat — it truly looks like a paradise on earth.

However, at that moment, Zhu Ge's eyes narrowed.

Not far away, a large, dark blue water buffalo was eating rice, while a man beside it was nearly crying and whipping it repeatedly.

For every rice seedling eaten, that person gets a whipped.

But the water buffalo seemed oblivious, continuing to eat one coin at a time, chewing it for a moment before eating another.

Moreover, upon closer inspection, Zhu Ge noticed a faint hint of pleasure on the buffalo's face.

"Blackhorn cattle?"

Zhu Ge raised an eyebrow, suddenly thinking of that clever second-realm old ox from before.

When Zhu Ge softly uttered the words "black horned buffalo," the large water buffalo not far away suddenly raised its head and looked over.

"No way, they found me even though I was hiding here?" The black horned bull stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded.

The next moment, the black-horned bull shuddered and quickly fled into the distance.

He couldn't even defeat Zhu Ge, who was in the late stage of the first realm, let alone someone who was already in the second realm.

It is fully aware of the disparity in strength.

Must run!

"Oh ho." Zhu Ge chuckled. "You really want to run away? Stay here!"

The next moment, the Incense-Lighting Movement Technique naturally activated, and Zhu Ge darted out with a light touch of his toes.

They caught up with the blackhorn cattle in less than two minutes.

"Long time no see." Zhu Ge came to the side of the Black Horned Bull, turned to the side and waved to greet it.

"Moo!!!"

The black-horned bull was startled, as if it had seen a ghost, then it raised its head and bellowed loudly, its body rapidly growing larger, and its black horn came crashing down on Zhu Ge.

"Suppress!"

Zhu Ge smiled and reached out with her right hand.

Face the bull's horn with your palm!

Waist and stance training!

The chassis exerted force, and the bull's horn held in the palm couldn't pierce Zhu Ge's skin at all; instead, Zhu Ge held it firmly.

A torrent of demonic energy erupted from the tip of the bull's horn, transforming into sharp spikes that lashed wildly at the singer, yet still failed to break through his defenses.

"I'm giving you a chance to pledge your loyalty to me."

Zhu Ge smiled lightly.

The black-horned bull roared, "The demon race will never be slaves!"

Its demonic heart pounded, and it exerted force with its feet. The dark blue demonic energy surged like waves, but Zhu Ge stood firmly in a horse stance, completely still.

At that moment, the troops stationed there seemed to have sensed the commotion and all rushed over.

The one leading the group was Liu Jianjian.

"Blackhorn cattle?"

Seeing Zhu Ge wrestling with the black-horned bull, Liu Jianjian's eyes immediately lit up: "Come out, all of you! Don't let the black-horned bull get away!"

The previous siege of Zhu Ge was carried out by Heijiao Niu, Liu Jianjian, and others.

If Zhu Ge hadn't suddenly awakened his martial arts fanaticism, he probably would have been defeated.

At that time, it wasn't easy for Zhu Ge to defeat the Black Horned Bull.

Who knows how much time has passed?

Summer is just beginning, and they've already single-handedly subdued the Blackhorn cattle.

"Hahaha! Blackhorn cattle?"

"Sure, sure, let the Blackhorn bulls come and keep the brothers company!"

"That freakish old ox is perfect for plowing the fields!"

"My goodness, what is the blackhorn bull doing? Is it comparing its size with its master?"

Liu Jianjian's hair flew wildly, its tips shining brightly, and then all the second-realm demonic beasts except for the axe-wielding mantis emerged.

As a member of the second-realm demon beasts, the Black Horned Bull is recognized by many demon beasts.

Upon seeing so many demonic beasts, the Black Horned Bull felt its limbs go weak and immediately knelt down.

It recognized Liu Jianjian, and also the second-realm demon beasts that emerged from Liu Jianjian's hair.

During the battle to besiege Zhu Ge, it witnessed firsthand how this madman of a human race went from the first realm to the second, beating them to a pulp.

Back then, they could rely on their superior numbers, but now?

The black-horned bull glanced at Zhu Ge's hand holding its horn; that hand was as steady as a rock, not moving an inch.

Its demonic energy transformed into sharp spikes that frantically stabbed at Zhu Ge's palm, yet they didn't even break the skin.

"You—what kind of body is this?" The Black Horned Bull's voice trembled as it knelt on the ground.

"I'm just an ordinary body-refining martial artist," Zhu Ge smiled. "A little tougher than you."

A little bit? This is a billion bits! Blackhorn Bull internally screamed.

Liu Jianjian led a group of demonic beasts to surround the black-horned bull, their eyes shining as they stared at it like it was a rare treasure.

"Black Horned Ox, stop struggling." A second-realm deer demon shook its head and said, "Our master can now fight even a third-realm opponent. What can you, a mere second-realm cultivator, possibly use to fight?"

"Exactly, exactly." A second-realm pig demon smacked its lips. "A wise man submits to circumstances. Surrendering when necessary is not shameful."

The black-horned bull trembled with rage, its demonic heart pounding wildly, and its demonic energy surged forth like a tidal wave, attempting to shake off Zhu Ge.

Zhu Ge remained completely still.

"Demons will never be slaves!" the black-horned bull roared, its neck stiff. "I'd rather die than be a beast of burden for humans!"

"What if I make you plow the land?" Zhu Ge suddenly asked. "I'll whip you."

The black horned bull was taken aback.

"My Six Paths Palace has a thousand acres of fertile land, but we lack an ox to plow it." Zhu Ge said, "When you go, I'll give you a plot of land all to yourself, and you can plow it however you like."

The black-horned bull blinked: "Ahem, circumstances are beyond my control, and it's not that I can't accept it, but you have to respect me! I have a lot of pride."

The blackhorn's face visibly turned red.

Zhu Ge released her grip and took a step back: "You decide for yourself. Do you want to follow me and have endless fields to cultivate and endless whippings every day, or do you want to be beaten to death here and have your body dragged back to feed the fields?"

The black horned bull remained silent for a long time.

The surrounding demonic beasts chimed in, offering words of comfort: "Black Horned Ox, your luck is a blessing from your past life!"

"From now on, we're colleagues. I'll protect you, brother!"

"You have no idea how delicious the master's spiritual meal was!"

"What's a spirit meal? The Great Master's Six Paths Palace is guarded by three realm demon beasts; it's safe!"

The black-horned bull's face turned red and then black, and finally it let out a long sigh, its huge body shrinking to the size of an ordinary water buffalo.

"I submit." It lowered its head, its voice muffled. "But you must keep your word. You must respect me and not mistreat me."

"I keep my word." Zhu Ge patted its cow's back.

Upon seeing this, Liu Jianjian immediately rushed forward, and a strand of her hair fell down, turning into a thin thorn that pierced the black horned bull's forehead.

"This is a restriction from the 'Demon Hunting Divine Technique'," Liu Jianjian said with a grin. "As long as you are loyal, it's just for show."

If you are not loyal—”

She didn't finish her sentence, but the black horned bull already felt the faint, almost imperceptible, constraint in its mind.

"I give up." The black horned bull completely resigned itself to its fate.

The surrounding monsters swarmed forward, greeting the black-horned bull in a cacophony of voices.

Some offered congratulations, some made jokes, and a few who had old grudges against the Black Horned Bull took the opportunity to say a few sarcastic remarks, only to be glared at by Liu Jianjian and immediately shrink back.

Zhu Ge turned and walked back to the camp: "Let's go. It seems that we are safe here because of the presence of the black-horned cattle and the good geographical location."

"Let's keep moving forward and defeat the monsters outside Mengzi City as soon as possible!"