The male supporting character was actually myself.

Fortunately, the small round mirror has a wide range of functions, allowing you to adjust the viewing angle and distance.

The camera slowly zoomed out, and the bird and cow, who were huddled together looking in the mirror, were stunned.

This is clearly not a respectable place!

The bed was partially obscured by pink curtains, but the embroidered peony bib, the exquisitely embroidered clothes, and the two slightly disheveled pairs of shoes lying on the floor spoke volumes in their silence.

"Those are the Cowherd's new shoes!" the old ox gritted his teeth and muttered angrily. "No wonder we can only see a patch of pink and a glimpse of something; what's behind the curtains is probably utterly disgusting!"

The small round mirror acted as a smart mosaic, protecting the male protagonist Mu Jiuxiu's privacy and preventing them from seeing any more indescribable scenes.

Even so, the old ox was so angry that it was snorting loudly from its nose.

"Oh dear, this Cowherd is really..." The magpie spirit instantly understood what that place was, blushed with embarrassment, and spat, "He's hopeless! Brother Cow kindly found him a celestial beauty, but instead of putting in the effort to win her heart, he willingly degenerates into that kind of place to find women who are ridden by thousands and straddled by tens of thousands. I really can't understand what's going on in the minds of ordinary mortals!"

Just as they were feeling indignant, the little round mirror, which also had a sound transmission function, heard a soft, delicate voice that could melt a man's bones coming from behind the pink curtains, "Brother Jiuxiu, you were so amazing last night!"

Old ox: (￣(∞)￣)

Who is Brother Jiuxiu?

Could it be that the magpie spirit made a mistake, and the person reflected in the mirror wasn't the Cowherd sleeping among the flowers?

"Nine cultivations?" The magpie spirit was also a little confused, tilting its head to ask, "How can a poor wretch like the Cowherd, who can't even afford to eat and is illiterate, actually have words?"

The other person said in a muffled voice, "Never heard of it. Are you sure you're not mistaken? Can you check who's inside? What if we've misunderstood and it's not a male prostitute at all?"

The magpie spirit hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll try again."

Meanwhile, Mu Jiuxiu, who had just woken up from his blissful night, was still savoring the memory of their time together. He pinched Zhu'er's soft, fleshy arm and chuckled, "Anyway, it's still early. I'll show you what it means to be powerful!"

When the bird and the cow huddled together looking at the "reboot" mirror image, they caught a glimpse of the cowherd's lewd smile, and then the camera zoomed out, revealing a completely white expanse.

"Oh dear!" The magpie spirit, embarrassed, quickly withdrew her magic and angrily put the small round mirror away, shouting, "What an ungrateful wretch! As the saying goes, one's actions are not altered by name or surname, yet he doesn't even dare to use his real name when visiting a brothel, instead using some alias called 'Nine Cultivators.' Is he afraid of being recognized? I think this Cowherd is utterly hopeless; there's no hope of him winning over the Weaver Girl's heart!"

The old ox frowned deeply.

The vivid and fragrant scene just now dealt it a heavy blow. Who would have thought that the honest and kind child I watched grow up would fall so low after getting a few taels of silver!

The important task of seducing the Weaver Girl and causing her to give birth to a mortal child must not be entrusted to him. Otherwise, if he couldn't resist the temptation and indulged in wine and women, the trouble would be immense.

Places like brothels and red-light districts are chaotic and often involve people who speak without thinking but are taken seriously. It's better to find an honest man who can live a simple life with the Weaver Girl, where they work the fields and do the weaving.

"How about we discuss it with the Third Holy Mother and find someone else?" After thinking it over, it lowered its voice and said the thought that had been wavering for a while. "The Cowherd is not up to the task. Time is of the essence. We need to find a suitable person to seduce the Weaver Girl as soon as possible."

The magpie spirit nodded hurriedly, "That's right, that's right, I agree with Brother Ox! It's hard to find a three-legged toad in the world, but there are plenty of three-legged men. Let's find someone more suitable to replace him! Anyway, the Weaver Girl doesn't like him at all, maybe she'll take the initiative to be with another man."

As soon as it finished speaking, it hesitated again, "Where are we going to find a handsome man who is more reliable than the Cowherd in this deep mountain forest? We can't just go to town and grab someone to force the Weaver Girl to be a couple, can we?"

The old ox chewed on the grass slowly and said in a low voice, "I do have a backup candidate, but I haven't met him yet and don't know what he's like. You go and send a message to the Third Holy Mother first, and I'll investigate further."

"Alright then, hurry up." The magpie preened its feathers and muttered, "The Third Holy Mother is also worried. Her son, Liu Chenxiang, caused a great disaster in the mortal realm recently, and Erlang Shen is ordered to capture him. Nowadays, heavenly soldiers and generals are frequently appearing in the mortal realm. We need to be careful, firstly to prevent the Weaver Girl from finding a chance to ask for help, and secondly to get her to sleep with a mortal as soon as possible!"

The mention of sleep brings to mind the image of the cowherd's sly smile, brimming with energy.

It couldn't help but look up at the sky and sigh, tears streaming down its face. If only that rascal could put his energy into the Weaver Girl, then it wouldn't be so worried that it couldn't even sleep.

The magpie spirit fluttered away towards the rising sun.

The morning sun shines through the woods, and a new day begins.

However, the bed curtains on Pearl's bed were not yet drawn, because Mu Jiuxiu, determined to make the most of the fifteen taels of silver he had spent, had been having a good time while the rooster was crowing proudly in the morning.

Spending the night among the flowers is a custom in brothels, where the gentlemen's sweet dreams cannot be disturbed early in the morning. Therefore, customers who book overnight can stay until before lunchtime.

Mu Jiuxiu was quite used to it; it was pretty much the same as staying in a hotel.

The stay is free until 11 a.m. on the second day, but if you want to stay longer after noon, you have to pay extra.

The unfortunate Cowherd's family was poor from a young age. He didn't even know what it felt like to sleep on a kang (a heated brick bed). Later, when he lived in a cowshed, he could only make do in a haystack. Even after he stole the fairy's clothes and forcibly kept the Weaver Girl, he still lived in a cave and slept on a haystack.

He had finally managed to get to sleep in a soft, fragrant, and incredibly comfortable bed, and with Miss Zhu'er serving him with gentleness, consideration, and patience, he was unwilling to leave until the very last moment.

Despite her dissatisfaction with getting up early and working hard, Pearl remained dutiful and showed no sign of discontent.

However, the scenario that Mu Jiuxiu had imagined—a girl becoming devoted to him after a night of passion, even willing to use her own savings to pay him back and insist on redeeming herself to go with him—did not occur. After all, the prostitute Zhu'er did not exist in the story he had entered.

The halo effect has some effect, but it's not as powerful as you can control.

Leaning back on the bed, enjoying the pleasure of having his hair combed by a beautiful woman, Mu Jiuxiu squinted his eyes, feeling quite content.

Last night, I played in a wooden tub with a beautiful woman, taking a bath with flower petals. After transmigrating here, I finally had a satisfying bath, washed my hair, and released all my pent-up anger. I felt incredibly refreshed and comfortable.

"Miss Zhu'er's bedding smells so good. I'm so tired from all that work, I really don't want to get out of bed." He stretched and casually patted the arm of the woman who was combing his hair.

Despite her disdain, the girl wore a faint smile and advised, "Brother Jiuxiu, you can nap a little longer. When it's time to leave, Zhu'er will naturally wake you up. But..."

She fiddled with the comb in her delicate hands, her head slightly lowered, a faint melancholy on her face. "Brother Jiuxiu left today. When will he come to see Zhuer again? You promised me last night that you would send me a bolt of fine silver-red gauze to make new clothes."

Remembering the gift he had casually agreed to last night in a moment of high spirits, Mu Jiuxiu pinched his brow and casually gave a perfunctory reply.

He spent all the 15 taels of silver he earned from exchanging 15 bolts of cloth on Zhu'er, letting her enjoy herself to the fullest. Now, he was completely broke.

Forget about buying high-quality silk threads to take back to the Weaver Girl, they don't even have money for lunch.

The five-tael banquet he ate last night wasn't enough to fill him up today. He managed to get two bowls of fine sesame and bean tea from Miss Zhu'er, which was enough to satisfy his hunger. But the thought that he couldn't even get a sesame seed cake made him feel annoyed.

But Mu Jiuxiu wasn't upset that he'd spent all fifteen taels of silver, since last night's experience was truly wonderful. What bothered him was why the Weaver Girl couldn't weave more cloth.

Even if I had just one more bolt of cloth, I wouldn't be so strapped for cash!

"I hope she can weave more cloth now..." Yesterday I begged and pleaded a lot to borrow the mule cart from Brother Li's house. We agreed that I would return it today and give her a reward after I sold the cloth. It's easy to borrow again if you borrow frequently and return it frequently.

But after a night of passion, they didn't even have money for food. Fortunately, the fifteen taels of silver weren't wasted; the servant took the mule to the backyard and cared for it all night, so they didn't go hungry.

It seems I can't return the car today; I need to hurry and bring over the cloth woven by the Weaver Girl to sell.

Although he was a little hungry after going back and forth like this, he could endure it. As long as he seized the opportunity to sell cloth again, he would have enough money for food and drink, and he could also buy his own carriage...

Mu Jiuxiu lay on the fragrant bed with his eyes closed, plotting his plans, completely unaware that the old ox was determined to find another man for the Weaver Girl!

On a quiet summer morning, the deep forest is quiet except for the sound of the wind rustling the leaves.

The old ox was grazing when it suddenly heard a noise from the bushes not far away. It looked up alertly and its eyes lit up. At the same time, it was glad that it had a magic item that could conceal its aura and prevent the other party from noticing anything unusual. The newcomer was a handsome young man of about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a light green robe and with bright eyes and a handsome face.

The old ox could vaguely sense a faint demonic aura emanating from the other party, and he was overjoyed: This must be the spirit that the cowherd encountered in the mountains. There was a faint woody scent emanating from it, so it must be a tree-like spirit that had cultivated into human form.

The young man emerged from the bushes looking rather disheveled. Seeing a large yellow ox staring at him, he laughed and said, "Old ox, you're grazing here so leisurely, while I've been disturbed so early in the morning that I can't get any peace. Do you know where I can find some white wormwood? I'll find some, dry it, and use it to drive away those annoying mosquitoes and flies."

"Moo~" The old ox pretended to be simple-minded and blew its tail as it continued to eat grass.

Jiang Chen shook his head with a hearty smile and said, "Cultivating in the mountains is really boring. I would even like to talk to an old ox. It's a pity that although you have intelligence, you have not yet attained enlightenment and are probably unable to understand human language."

Jiang Chen casually picked some fresher grass and handed it over to feed it. Pointing to the shade of a tree not far away, he patiently said, "The grass over there is fresher. Don't eat this kind that's been exposed to the sun; it doesn't taste good."

"Where is your owner? How could he be so irresponsible, just tying the old ox up here and then abandoning it? Seeing that you're old, your stomach probably isn't strong. Come, come, let me help you move around; some fresh grass will be better for you."

He untied the reins and pulled the grass a little further away, then pretended to be cautious and looked around to make sure no one was watching before making a hand seal with his right hand and casting a small spell on the green grass. The grass instantly grew lush and green.

The tender green grass leaves are much plumper, and many small grasses have even sprouted flowers.

"Eat up. The green grass I've enchanted will make your stomach feel better and you're less likely to get sick." Jiang Chen patted the ox's head, then found some dry grass, tied it into a bundle, and brushed off the mud and dirt from its body. He said softly, "Look at your age. You must have worked hard for humans for many years, plowing the fields. Now that you're old, you're just tied up here to eat grass."

Sigh... You're quite pitiful. You might be sold and slaughtered soon. I can't help you much, I can only try to make you as comfortable as possible."

The old ox felt much more comfortable as the mud was gently brushed off its fur.

Chewing on the fresh and tender green grass, it suddenly remembered that before it encouraged the cowherd to steal the fairy robe, it had also taken such good care of itself!

Chapter Nineteen: He's been replaced!

Those days were tough, but we were able to help each other out.

One is a lonely child who suffers abuse from his elder brother and sister-in-law; the other is an old, frail, and neglected ox. They depend on each other for survival and huddle together for warmth on countless nights.

At that time, the old ox was just an old ox, and the divine consciousness of the Golden Ox Star Lord had not yet awakened; the Cowherd was just a Cowherd, a lazy but honest boy.

Lazy and clumsy as he may be, he wouldn't even let his brother and sister-in-law exploit him to death when he went to town to do odd jobs to earn money, but the Cowherd was still very good to the old ox.

Every day, he would find the best and tenderest grass and the sweetest spring water for it to eat and drink. Whenever he had time, he would brush its fur, hoping that the old ox could live a comfortable life.

Later, the great deity sent a magpie spirit with a specially bestowed elixir to help him recover his suppressed consciousness and a small portion of his magical power. Although the elixir didn't provide him with a good life, the old ox felt he had done right by the cowherd. After all, if he hadn't used his magic to till the land and earn a living, given his lack of skills, his own land to cultivate, and his reliance on odd jobs in the village instead of going to town, he would probably have starved to death long ago.

Everything changed completely a few days ago.

That day, the Cowherd was in a bad mood. He watched the villagers get married with envy, sighing and complaining to the old ox. He felt that he would never be able to find a wife and would grow old alone.

With a mission to complete and a slight bias towards him, she spoke up and told him the secret of the Seven Fairies descending to earth to play in the Jade Lotus Pond, and encouraged him to steal the fairy clothes with her help, so that she could force the fairy to stay and become her wife.

Taurus Star Lord did not want to recall what happened after that. After the Weaver Girl was successfully brought back, which also revealed that she had intelligence and magic, Cowherd no longer had the patience to take care of him.

They even said things like, "Anyway, you're smarter than anyone else, so you can just let yourself go from now on," and "You have such powerful magic, yet you're making me live this kind of life."

"Moo~" The Taurus Star Lord inherited all the memories of the old ox and the bitter experience of being livestock for many years. The more he thought about it, the sadder he became and couldn't help but sigh softly.

Jiang Chen uses a body that is a giant locust tree that has cultivated into a spirit. It is a naturally born and raised entity with a keen ability to observe the emotional fluctuations of animals and plants.

This is also one of the reasons why he came here today to get closer to the old ox—as the executor of the plan to imprison the Weaver Girl, the Golden Ox Star Lord is the Cowherd's biggest backer.

Previously, he had already planted a thorn between Mu Jiuxiu and the old ox by teaching the Weaver Girl to sow discord. Since asking the gods for help due to the time and information gap would not have any effect in the short term, he could only use Plan B to continue to sow discord between the two, so as to give the Weaver Girl more opportunities to escape.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Jiang Chen sensed the sorrow in the old ox's moo, so he stroked its head and sighed. "At such an old age, you must have worked hard for most of your life, leaving you with many ailments. We weren't born human, so we have to suffer some pain to cleanse ourselves of our sins. There's nothing we can do about it..."

He made a hand seal with his right hand and cast a small spell on the old ox, making the ox feel extremely comfortable, as if bathed in a spring breeze.

"This should make you feel much better, right? We've only met by chance and this is the best we can do. If it can make you feel comfortable for a moment, then all that magic power was wasted." Jiang Chen finished showering it with goodwill without any lingering affection, patted its forehead and chuckled, "You, after a lifetime of hard work, it's pitiful to be left here in your old age. I'll come see you again when I have time."

Unfortunately, I've only recently mastered human form while cultivating in the deep mountains, and I have neither wealth nor friends. I'm powerless to buy you from your heartless master. I hope we'll meet again someday. I must go find some white wormwood now. Goodbye!

The young man came and went in a hurry, quickly disappearing into the woods.

The old ox lowered its head and grazed, its heart filled with endless emotions.

Once upon a time, I was just a wild ox growing in the mountains. By chance, I attained enlightenment and cultivated diligently for over a thousand years before ascending to the celestial realm. The reason for my enlightenment was that cultivator who cultivated many good relationships. Otherwise, how could a creature from the mountains have attained enlightenment and become an immortal?

Recalling the gourd given to the Cowherd and how he helped the old, weak, and sick cows he encountered, the young man's kindness lay in his selflessness. Although he was just a little demon who had just cultivated into human form, he was full of compassion and kindness for all things in the world.

"Toiling all my life, only to end up like this..." The old ox chewed on the grass, no longer knowing what it tasted like, when it suddenly realized—the cowherd's kindness towards him had ulterior motives!

After all, he had no special skills and was unwilling to suffer like his neighbor Wangzi, working odd jobs in town to earn a meager living. He relied on the old ox pulling plows and carrying loads to plow fields for others to make a living. Naturally, he was considerate of the old ox that made a living for him.

If he really cared about himself as much as he always said, how could he bear to whip an old ox and make it pull the plow?

Ah, his past concern was probably just that he was worried about getting sick from stomach problems and not being able to earn money for him!

The more Taurus Star Lord thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed that the Cowherd's change of heart was. He used to serve the old ox like his own father simply because he needed it to work and earn money to support him. But once he discovered that the Weaver Girl could weave cloth and earn more money for him, he immediately turned his back on the ox.