The male supporting character was actually myself.

The message from above was sent back by the magpie spirit, instructing people to remain calm, observe the situation, and wait until the Weaver Girl could no longer activate the magic weapon before taking action.

But the Cowherd couldn't stand the loneliness and came over to discuss trying to harm the Weaver Girl. The result was that the miserable howling made him tremble.

Previously, I thought he was being too dramatic and making a mountain out of a molehill. Even if his hand was bleeding from the prick, he still forced himself to go forward and snatch the bracelet. How could a weak woman like the Weaver Girl resist?

So it encouraged and instigated it, and even secretly helped it with its magic.

Despite guarding the cave entrance, he couldn't sense any magical fluctuations. The Weaver Girl was so shocked that she fainted, and the Cowherd was stabbed and ran around on the ground, but he still couldn't remove the bracelet.

"Sigh... I really tried my best." It sighed heavily and stretched out its almost broken hoof, which was hastily bandaged, for him to see. "You dare not approach the Weaver Girl, and even when I tried to break my hoof myself, I still ended up like this. If it weren't for the magic protecting me, I would probably be a lame cow with a missing hoof by now."

The magical artifacts on the Weaver Girl's body are truly powerful!

The cave was dimly lit by firewood at night, and it was hard to see clearly. A faint golden light flashed, and the hoof had already become like this before it even touched the Weaver Girl's wrist.

Both the man and the ox were severely injured, and Taurus Star Lord himself would not dare to try again until he recovered.

Looking at its wounds and then at his own, Mu Jiuxiu felt much more at ease.

"Judging from these injuries, the magical artifacts on the Weaver Girl's body are quite interesting." He pondered for a moment and lowered his voice, "Think about it, at first I just tried to touch them tentatively, and although the pricks on my fingers hurt, they weren't that bad."

Last night I gritted my teeth and tried to take off the bracelet, but I used too much force and it got stabbed like this.

You have more magical power than me, yet you're injured much worse! Thinking about it, does that thing get stronger when it encounters a strong opponent, and weaker when it encounters a weak one?

The old ox, its ears drooping, sullenly chewed on the grass and nodded. "That makes sense, but I've never heard of any magic weapon with such power. It seems we can only wait. Perhaps the time is not yet ripe."

Mu Jiuxiu squinted at the blue sky and white clouds, his restless heart already drifting to the Wan Hua Lou in town.

Yesterday, with a combination of coercion and threats, the Weaver Girl worked until late at night and finally wove ten bolts of cloth. She got up early this morning to continue weaving until now. She figured that by the time her afternoon nap ended, she would have about fifteen bolts of finished cloth.

We can borrow a vehicle from the village and take it all to town to sell. Even if the price is lowered, we can still get five or six taels of silver.

Even if you don't spend the night with the most beautiful courtesan, it's better to find a pretty girl who matches your aesthetic to gain experience first. It's better than just looking at her but not being able to have her!

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, the old ox caught sight of the Weaver Girl squatting at the cave entrance, washing her hands with water from her gourd. It vaguely sensed a faint magical aura and immediately became alert. "Cowherd! Cowherd, wake up!"

Chapter Fifteen: The Old Ox's Crooked Thoughts

"What's wrong?" Mu Jiuxiu was suddenly awakened and sat up abruptly, all sleepiness gone. "What happened?"

The old ox lowered his voice and asked, "Where did you get that gourd?"

He thought something serious had happened, but it turned out they were just asking about the gourd's origin. He rolled his eyes in annoyance and replied dismissively, "Yesterday morning when I went to fetch water from the mountain spring, I met a polite young man who lived in seclusion in the mountains. He gave it to me. What's wrong? Is that gourd some kind of treasure?"

It's not uncommon for the chosen one to find rare treasures just by picking them up casually. Mu Jiuxiu's eyes lit up as he pressed on, "Is it valuable?"

I never expected that the first thing a poor person thinks of is money, money, money. What a loser!

"It's worth nothing, just an ordinary gourd." Taurus Star Lord rolled his eyes and said softly, "But there's a faint trace of magic attached to it, which I think is like a little gadget to keep water fresh and prevent it from spoiling. Where did you meet that young man? Be careful, he might not be human but some kind of spirit or monster."

Oh? It wasn't finding a treasure, but encountering a monster?

Mu Jiuxiu became even more interested. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio were full of such stories. The chosen one would accidentally meet spirits and monsters, and not only would he quickly become rich, but they would also come to his aid when he encountered difficulties. They were truly an essential companion for home and travel!

What kind of spirit was that boy?

Deep down, he hoped it was a fox spirit. After all, the young man in green was handsome and polite, and if he were a fox spirit, he would probably have even prettier sisters or brothers at home.

That's how stories are always written, isn't it? When someone accidentally encounters a kind and honest man while fetching water in the mountains, he thinks of introducing potential partners to his unmarried sisters.

Even if it's just a flower or tree spirit, that would do. While a flower spirit may not be as alluring as a fox spirit, it has the advantage of being pure, lovely, and gentle. Plus, a flower spirit definitely has a natural fragrance, making it more suitable for home and family than a slightly flirtatious fox spirit...

"Oh, it's not uncommon for spirits and monsters to live in the deep mountains and forests, is it?" Mu Jiuxiu continued to doze off in the shade of the tree. Before falling asleep, he thought that he should take a walk or stroll around the mountain spring when he had time. If he happened to run into one, he might have a wonderful encounter.

The snoring soon began. The old ox, its hooves aching terribly, listened to the cicadas chirping and looked at the poor, lazy man who was already fast asleep beside it, silently reflecting on whether it had really done something wrong.

If they had chosen a better-behaved young man back then, perhaps they would have succeeded much earlier?

That's not right either. If a man of good character heard that a young girl was bathing in the lake, adhering to the principle of not looking at or listening to anything improper, he wouldn't even approach her, let alone steal her fairy robes...

"Moo~" it let out a helpless moan.

The Weaver Girl, having lived in the Heavenly Palace since birth, had never had close contact with any man. If any man, like Liu Yanchang, were to lust after her beauty and use a combination of coaxing and deception, wouldn't that be enough to win her over? ①

For a fleeting moment, Taurus had a wicked thought.

The Third Holy Mother was suppressed under Mount Hua. Based on the male immortal's understanding of men, Liu Yanchang was not someone who could be content with loneliness. Why not have the magpie spirit find a way to bring him over and use the same tricks he used against the Third Holy Mother to subdue the Weaver Girl?

Or perhaps, since the Cowherd is useless, he might as well let the spirits in the deep mountains take advantage of him?

Imagine a delicate and beautiful young girl imprisoned and forced to work. In her lonely, frightened, and difficult situation, a gentle, considerate, and kind man suddenly appears and rescues her from danger. True feelings are revealed in times of trouble, and perhaps the Weaver Girl will be moved by worldly desires!

It doesn't matter whether the other party is human or demon. In any case, they are not a deity with official status. If a second-generation immortal born to a female immortal is born in the mortal world, it would be a violation of heavenly rules. This should not conflict with the original plan but rather make more sense.

"Liu Yanchang is skilled enough, but he's a bit too old." The old ox muttered to itself, chewing on grass, its tail slowly swishing to shoo away mosquitoes, while it casually counted its age by its hooves.

According to the magpie spirit's account, when the Third Holy Mother encountered Liu Yanchang, who was nearly falling from Mount Hua, and saved him from injury, he was only seventeen or eighteen years old. Subsequently, the two fell in love and secretly had an affair in the Mount Hua Palace, giving birth to Liu Chenxiang. When the child turned one month old, the news became known to everyone, and she was then suppressed under Mount Hua by Erlang Shenjun.

If you do the math, Liu Chenxiang is now a teenager, so his father Liu Yanchang must be over thirty years old.

Even if he was dashing in his youth, he's now older and has a child to support, so bringing him along to "rescue" and seduce the Weaver Girl seems a bit inadequate.

Liu Chenxiang inherited the best qualities of his father and mother, so he was naturally loved by everyone. However, he was being chased around by Erlang Shen, so he probably didn't have time to have a romantic relationship with the Weaver Girl.

As an old ox, he had never been able to leave the mountain village in his entire life. After regaining his memories and magic, the only person he knew was the Cowherd. He racked his brains but couldn't think of anyone more suitable to be a hero and save the beauty. After thinking it over, he began to set his sights on the spirits in the deep mountains.

The Cowherd spoke clearly and explicitly, and the other party was a polite young man.

Since they can cultivate and transform into human form, spirits are naturally more attractive than ordinary mortals. Spirits in the deep mountains of the mortal world rarely interact with humans and are mostly simple-minded and kind-hearted.

If the other party learns that an innocent girl is being held captive here, and in order to rescue her and form a good deed, perhaps...

Mu Jiuxiu, fast asleep and entangled in a dream with a courtesan, had no idea that while he was having a sweet dream, someone was trying to usurp his position as the male lead!

"Seventh Princess, are you still weaving?" Jiang Chen noticed from the first-person perspective of the Soul Weaver that she looked exhausted and listless, even her weaving seemed weak. He picked up the gourd vine and asked softly, "Are you too tired? Is there anything I can help you with?"

The Weaver Girl was caught off guard by the little tree spirit's voice. She had been weaving cloth for most of the night and had been woken up to weave again at the crack of dawn. She was indeed very tired.

However, the protective spells on her body might lose their effect at any time, so she dared not rashly become an enemy of the Cowherd.

What if the other party really gets serious and harasses you every day, and the spell just happens to fail? Wouldn't that mean you're completely finished?

The only solution the Weaver Girl can think of right now is to try to get along peacefully with the Cowherd. If he has money to spend and goes to other women for pleasure, he won't bother with her. As long as she can hold out until her sisters come to rescue her, everything will be fine.

"I'm fine, but I haven't had any spiritual energy to nourish me for a long time. I'm always forced to weave cloth by the Cowherd, so I don't have time to meditate, cultivate, and conserve my energy. That's why I'm a bit tired." She tried to keep her tone light so as not to worry the little tree spirit.

Jiang Chen had never really considered whether immortals ate or not. In his mind, fairies did not eat human food and had long since abstained from grains and did not need to eat. But when the other party mentioned the lack of spiritual energy, he instantly understood.

Even immortals need a sufficient source of energy!

Mortals gain strength by eating and digesting food, while immortals naturally rely on celestial energy.

If the Weaver Girl doesn't receive a replenishment of celestial energy for a long time, she definitely won't be able to cope. Once she starts eating mortal food, she'll probably become just like a regular mortal. Where can we find something containing spiritual energy that can help her recover?

"My cultivation is still shallow, and I know even less about immortals. Seventh Princess, could you tell me what I need to replenish my spiritual energy?" He asked while opening the food-making machine, hoping to see if any new recipes had appeared in the world of immortals, such as what immortals eat, like phoenix liver and dragon brain.

The Weaver Girl smiled helplessly.

She could sense the other person's good intentions, but how easy was it to find food containing spiritual energy in the mortal world?

What is commonplace in the celestial realm is nothing less than an incredibly precious treasure in the mortal world. Even if such things existed, they would be coveted by cultivators from various powerful forces. How could a mere tree demon possibly obtain them?

“In the deep mountains, any place with abundant spiritual energy has either already been harvested by cultivators. As someone who has cultivated to a high level, it would be difficult for you to find unclaimed items. Moreover, even if you did find them, it would be difficult to pass them on under the watchful eye of the Golden Bull Star Lord.”

The Weaver Girl sighed softly and comforted her, "I can hold on for a while longer, so don't worry. You should be careful not to get involved. Since it involves the Taurus Star Lord who was demoted to the mortal realm, this matter has probably become a power struggle within the Heavenly Court, something a little tree spirit like you can't get involved in."

Listen to me, and diligently cultivate yourself to avoid being implicated.

If I manage to escape and return to the Heavenly Palace, I will never forget your kindness and will report to the Jade Emperor to request a reward for you. If I am unable to escape, I will do everything in my power to prove my innocence with my death. At that time, please remember this matter and tell my sisters the truth when they come looking for me.”

Unable to find a suitable recipe in the food maker, Jiang Chen browsed through the piled-up system warehouse by category. Upon hearing this, he replied, "Seventh Princess, do not be discouraged. I have some pills here that were once given to me by a mortal cultivator. They contain a large amount of spiritual energy. I wonder if they can help you, Seventh Princess?"

These pills were probably from some cultivation world, or maybe the greedy little dumpling had scavenged them somewhere. Anyway, once he found the right type, he opened it and saw all sorts of elixirs and miraculous medicines piled up like mountains. The only problem was that he didn't know if the effects of these things were interchangeable.

"Pills?" The Weaver Girl was slightly taken aback. She rarely descended to the mortal realm and had not made many friends in the Heavenly Palace. She had only heard that mortal cultivators who wanted to attain immortality did indeed need pills to assist them.

It's just unknown what the effects of the pill the little tree spirit mentioned are, and how much spiritual energy it contains.

"No, no, no, the pills used by cultivators in the mortal realm are extremely precious. You should save them to increase your chances of success when you take them during the Heavenly Tribulation..." she hurriedly refused.

Although he desperately needed to replenish his spiritual power, he absolutely could not take the little tree spirit's pills. It had cultivated diligently for hundreds of years to achieve the ability to transform into human form. One pill could be equivalent to many days of arduous cultivation, making it a truly precious item. How could he possibly accept it?

Jiang Chen found a few pills to replenish spiritual energy, remotely manipulated his soul artifact to open a space, took them out and placed them next to the gourd. He then chuckled softly at the gourd vine, "I have a teleportation method, so there's no need to worry about being discovered. Seventh Princess, please see if you can use it."

"The cultivation gained from taking pills is not stable enough. I would rather use it to help the Seventh Princess maintain her energy to fight the villains to the end. When you return to the Heavenly Palace, any reward you give her will be much better than any pills."

The mirror world will most likely end after he stops the Cowherd from abusing the Weaver Girl. He doesn't need any compensation. He's just saying this to find a reason for the Weaver Girl to take the pill and recover, so that the beautiful fairy won't be tortured beyond recognition by Mu Jiuxiu.

All five pills were contained in an exquisite jade bottle, which firmly locked in the spiritual energy without leaking out at all.

The elixir that the Weaver Girl came into contact with most in the Heavenly Palace was the elixir refined by Laozi. The elixir given by the little tree demon could not be compared with it, but it could be seen that each one contained powerful spiritual energy. It was very likely that she could temporarily restore some of her magic power after taking it!

"These are too many. I only need one for now. You can take the rest back." She glanced at the cowherd who was still fast asleep not far outside the cave; the old ox also seemed to be dozing off with its eyes closed, unaware of the commotion inside the cave.

The Weaver Girl picked up a jade bottle and quickly opened it, letting the pills roll into her mouth and swallow them. Then she had the little tree spirit take away the jade bottle and the other pills. She felt a long-lost spiritual energy flowing through her body, and her face became as rosy as a peach blossom after being nourished. Even her skin was whiter and more delicate than before.

Unfortunately, the elixirs in the mortal realm only contained spiritual energy, not immortal energy. She sensed that apart from being able to maintain her optimal state for a period of time, she still couldn't use immortal techniques.

"Thank you, Jiang Chen! I will repay your great kindness a hundredfold in the future!" The Weaver Girl shook off her previous dejected state and was filled with gratitude for the little tree spirit.

If it weren't for his risky mission to deliver the message and his all-out effort to help him cast the spell, he would probably have been forced and humiliated by the Cowherd long ago, unable even to end his own life.

As long as I can hold out until my sisters come to my rescue, I will definitely petition the Jade Emperor to ask the little tree demon for a favor to help him attain immortality!

"Ha~" After sleeping until past noon, Mu Jiuxiu stretched, rubbed his eyes, and got up, muttering, "Brother Lao Niu, could you please get some more cotton thread so that the Weaver Girl isn't idle? I need to go sell the cloth so that soon we two brothers can eat and drink well!"

The old ox couldn't help but roll his eyes again, becoming even more determined to find someone else to carry out the task.

It had already figured it out. It would first find an opportunity to probe the spirit's true strength. If the spirit was more reliable than the Cowherd, it would have the magpie spirit deliver a message to the Third Holy Mother. It thought that in order to escape and be released without charge, she would agree.

That will be the time for the Third Holy Mother to fulfill her promise. She had only changed a few couples in the marriage register because she was drunk and got carried away. She could just ask the Old Man of the Moon to change them back.

Since immortals and mortals can marry, the small mistake I made is insignificant compared to violating the heavenly rules. If someone speaks up for me and I admit my mistake, wouldn't I be able to get rid of the punishment of being a bull for eternity and return to the Heavenly Court as the Golden Bull Star Lord?

He could not only humiliate the Heavenly Emperor's most beloved youngest daughter and vent his anger, but also use this opportunity to return to the Heavenly Court. Perhaps after intermarriage between immortals and mortals became popular, the old ox could even find some beautiful women in the mortal world to have children with.

In the future, they will all achieve enlightenment and increase their power in the Heavenly Court, so that they won't have no one to intercede for them even if they make a small mistake...

"The sun rises and climbs the hill!" The Cowherd, who wrote the story, was completely unaware of the struggle happening in the shadows. Relying on his protagonist halo, he quickly returned to the village, borrowed a mule cart, loaded it with fifteen bolts of cloth woven by the Weaver Girl without stopping, sang an adapted song, cracked the whip, and excitedly drove the cart to the town.

I just changed into a whole new set of clothes, shoes, and socks yesterday, and I looked very clean.

I sold fifteen bolts of cloth today and have money in hand. Let's see who dares to stop me!

I, Mu Jiuxiu, have been practicing vegetarianism for over twenty years. How could I not be excited and thrilled to finally be able to participate in the practical exercise?