The male supporting character was actually myself.

They'll find us sooner or later, no need to rush.

Sure enough, as the sun was setting, the young man anxiously arrived and breathed a sigh of relief upon finding the girl and the old ox by the mountain spring. "Miss, the forest fire has been extinguished. May I ask why you are alone in these deep mountains, and what about the monster you mentioned earlier?"

"I..." The Weaver Girl hesitated for a moment before lying, "I was originally from the capital, but my family fell into poverty and I went to seek refuge with relatives, only to be sold to the deep mountains and imprisoned in a cave by the Cowherd of Peach Blossom Village. Thank you for your righteous rescue, young man. I... I was just frightened by the sudden appearance of a wildfire and thought there was a monster. I was afraid that you would also suffer, so I said those words in a moment of panic."

Jiang Chen, finding her lies to be fairly plausible, feigned ignorance and downplayed the issue, saying, "Wildfires occasionally break out in the mountains. Perhaps it's due to dry weather, or maybe someone left behind a tinderbox. There's no need to be afraid, young lady. Mountain fires have nothing to do with monsters."

"But about your being bought, sold, and imprisoned..."

He seemed reluctant to get involved in worldly affairs, his expression showing some hesitation.

The Weaver Girl pleaded desperately, "Please, brother, save me! That Cowherd is fierce and cruel. I had to deal with him for a long time to avoid being violated. He imprisoned me in a cave, making me weave day and night. He beats and scolds me severely if I do anything that displeases him. I've had enough of this life! I just want a peaceful place to stay where I won't be beaten and scolded every day. Please, brother, have pity on me."

As the sun dipped below the horizon on the other side of the mountain, the twilight deepened in the deep mountains. In the far distance, the howling of wolves could be heard. Her delicate, pitiful appearance, feigning fear and trembling as if about to weep, was truly endearing.

"Alright then, I live in seclusion in the mountains and only have a thatched hut for shelter. If you don't mind, young lady, you can rest at my place tonight and we can make plans tomorrow." Jiang Chen pretended to hesitate and turned to look at the old ox.

The Weaver Girl quickly and tacitly explained, "This old ox is the Cowherd's only property. I heard him say that he and the ox have always depended on each other for survival and have a close relationship, like brothers."

Taurus Star Lord: (￣(∞)￣)

You think you can believe his nonsense? Like brothers? Humph! He's just a workhorse who earns money to support him, which is good for him!

I've seen through him. The Cowherd is a bastard who'll do anything for money!

Jiang Chen nodded in agreement, "In that case, I'll return the old ox to him. I met that cowherd once before, and it's really not right for him to end up with nothing."

Taurus Star Lord: Σ(｀艸'；)!!

Holy crap! I forgot you're a kind-hearted, polite, and honest young man who returned lost money! What am I going to do now? Damn it, I'm not going back, not even if you kill me! I never want to see that absolute idiot, Niulang, again!

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Difficult Life of a Cowherd...

To avoid being sent back, the old ox went all out.

"Moo~" it hummed softly and rubbed its horns against the young man. As long as he tried to lead it back, it stood still and refused to move. If he forced it, it simply lay down and rolled around, twisting its head and insisting on going deep into the mountains.

"It's strange. Logically speaking, older livestock should know the way, so why does this old ox seem unwilling to go back at all?" Jiang Chen really used all his strength to drag it, but he was panting heavily and it was no use at all.

Taurus Star Lord raised his big eyes and glanced at him, secretly chuckling to himself, "Tch~ You think you can drag an old bull like me? Absolutely not!"

Whether you take me in or not, I'm sticking with you!

“Perhaps… the Cowherd wasn’t good to it either, so even though the old ox escaped, it doesn’t want to go back?” The Weaver Girl knew that the Golden Ox Star Lord would never give up monitoring her, and seeing that it was getting late, she was afraid that the Cowherd would catch up and cause further trouble, so she gave her a way out, “Why don’t we take it with us for now and make a decision tomorrow?”

Jiang Chen nodded with some difficulty, stroking the old ox's forehead helplessly, and said, "The fire over there was indeed quite severe, and the Cowherd wasn't home. You were left there without food or water."

Besides, it's getting late. If the Cowherd doesn't return tonight, and wolves might appear in this deep forest, you'll be in trouble. "Then come back with me first, and I'll take you back tomorrow..."

"Moo~" Before he could finish speaking, the old ox let out a loud bellow and tilted its head to indicate that it didn't want to go back tomorrow either.

Leading the Weaver Girl into the deep mountains, Jiang Chen advised, "No matter what, the Cowherd is still your master. I can't just take his cow and not return it, can I? Don't worry, when I take you back tomorrow, I'll definitely have a good talk with the Cowherd and make him treat you better."

I met him once at the mountain spring, and I even gave him a large gourd to hold water. I suppose I have some influence with him and he'll listen to my advice.

As he spoke, he glanced back at the Weaver Girl and said with a bitter smile, "That girl is different from you. She is a pitiful person who was sold into the deep mountains and has nowhere to escape..."

"Moo?" The old ox was displeased upon hearing this.

What do you mean by "different"? You're willing to take her in just because she's a pretty girl, but not an old ox? What kind of logic is this to discriminate against her?!

Does her pitifulness make me pitiful? When you encounter a poor and lazy bachelor like a gigolo, whoever is by his side is pitiful!

“If I hadn’t taken her in, she might have been tortured to death by the Cowherd. That would have been a human life.” Jiang Chen teased the Taurus Star Lord with amusement, then said seriously, “But you’re different. Would the Cowherd beat or abuse you?”

The old ox immediately stopped, blinked its eyes, stretched its neck, and bellowed.

Jiang Chen: ╮(oωo)╭

I never would have guessed. The dignified Taurus Star Lord is trying to shake off Mu Jiuxiu by acting cute and charming. He's such a failure as a male escort...

"Alright, alright, since he's also mistreating you, then you can stay with him too." He led the woman and the ox deeper into the forest into the deepening twilight, sighed, and said, "The girl was bought by the Cowherd, and this old ox of yours is worth a few taels of silver. Since you've both come to me for help, I can't just leave without giving you anything in return."

"But I'm currently in seclusion in the mountains and have no money to give to the Cowherd. I'll have to go deep into the mountains tomorrow to find some valuable treasures like ginseng or lingzhi mushrooms and secretly deliver them to him, just to sever your ill-fated relationship."

The old ox felt very pleased to hear this.

Indeed, the young man was a good kid who made many good connections and didn't want to get involved in any karmic entanglements.

I'll just sever all ties with the Cowherd with something. I can't count on him anyway. From now on, I'll stay by the side of the young man and the Weaver Girl and not go anywhere else!

It refused to believe that a young man and woman, at the tender age of first love, couldn't spark a romance between them.

"Squeak squeak squeak~" The deep mountains where the locust tree spirit lived were very quiet. After night fell, in addition to the chirping of insects, many fireflies could be heard dancing in the grass.

Both he and the old ox possessed magical powers and could see in the dark, while the Weaver Girl, lacking magical powers and wearing layers upon layers of silk and satin, found it inconvenient to walk through the mountains and forests.

Jiang Chen, intending to tease Taurus, said sincerely, "Brother Taurus, look at this Weaver Girl, she's so delicate and it must be hard for her to walk through the forest at night. Why don't you take the trouble to carry her for a while?"

He pointed ahead and said, "My place is over there; it won't be long before I get there."

Taurus Star Lord: Σ(｀艸'；)!!

What did you say? You want me, the mighty Taurus God, to be the Weaver Girl's mount? Dream on! Absolutely no way!

"Moo~" The old ox turned its head and angrily puffed out a loud breath from its nostrils.

Weaver Girl hurriedly gave the little tree spirit a look, afraid that he would anger Taurus Star Lord and suffer misfortune. Jiang Chen sighed and said, "You old ox are too stingy. How much can a girl weigh?"

It's much faster for you to carry it and me to lead it than to move forward slowly like this.

Going back early means cooking, eating, and resting. She's already suffered at the Cowherd's place, been frightened by the fire, and is exhausted and sleepy. A simple act of kindness could make the Weaver Girl more comfortable—why not?

He patted the ox's head and laughed, "If you're willing to carry her for a while, I'll find you even better tender grass and spring water, how about it?"

"Never mind, the old ox is probably tired too. Since it's so intelligent and can understand human speech, it might not be familiar with me yet, so it's unwilling. I can walk slowly." The Weaver Girl softly refused. Having finally gotten rid of the Cowherd and was able to stay with the little tree spirit, she didn't want any more changes.

However, the guilty-hearted Taurus Star Lord was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Is it extremely intelligent and able to understand human speech?

Oh no! Was my behavior too obvious? Will I give myself away?

In the mortal world, livestock are only meant to work hard; they can't be picky. If they're told to carry heavy loads, they have to carry them; if they're told to plow the fields, they have to plow the fields. If they're disobedient, who asks for their opinion before whipping them?

The young man is a mountain spirit with a kind heart, and his thoughts are not the same as those of humans. Therefore, he is gentle and reasonable with even an ordinary old ox. But the Weaver Girl is different!

She is meticulous and incredibly intelligent. If she arouses suspicion and becomes a suspect herself, wouldn't the answer to revealing her true identity be obvious?

No! Absolutely not!

After completing this job, he still needs to rely on the magic weapon given to him to suppress his aura, disguise himself as an ordinary old ox, and evade the investigation. He'll just have to wait for the Heavenly Laws to be amended so he can pretend to be unaware and return to Heaven.

If her behavior is too unusual and arouses her suspicion, she can't stand being watched and scrutinized!

"Moo~" Reacting quickly and having thought it through, Taurus Star Lord acted more like an ordinary animal, rubbing against the young man's clothes in a憨憨 (憨憨 is a Chinese idiom meaning simple and honest) manner.

Jiang Chen, however, refused to fall for his teasing. After finishing his attempt, he pretended not to care at all and didn't mention having the old ox carry the Weaver Girl anymore. He simply made sure the panting Weaver Girl walked even slower.

This whole affair left the already suspicious Taurus Star Lord feeling frustrated and upset, yet he couldn't show it at all.

A demon, a fairy, and a cow strolled leisurely through a quiet, pathless forest, fireflies twinkling in swarms; the wind rustled the leaves, a scene of serene tranquility.

Meanwhile, Mu Jiuxiu, who had rushed back from the town as evening approached, was dumbfounded.

As the last rays of the setting sun shone through the woods, the mule cart, urged on by him, hurried along to the mountainside.

"Holy crap! What's going on? What happened?!" Before even reaching the cave, the thick smell of smoke and ash from the fire left Mu Jiuxiu dumbfounded and shocked. "The mountain is on fire?"

In the afterglow of the setting sun, he could see large swathes of trees standing in place, burned to a dark charcoal. Although there was no visible smoke rising from them, the air was filled with the unpleasant smell of burning.

He paused for a few seconds, then cracked his whip to make the mule, which hadn't eaten much all day, run faster. He had to see the old ox as soon as possible and ask it what had happened. And the Weaver Girl... he wondered how such a big fire had broken out, but he hoped it hadn't delayed her weaving.

As for their safety, Mu Jiuxiu was not worried at all.

The old ox is the reincarnation of the Golden Ox Star Lord who has regained his magical powers. In the entire story he entered, there is no one in the mortal world more powerful than the old ox. How could a mere mountain fire fail to protect the Weaver Girl?

What a joke!

It's true that all the gods in heaven are vegetarians.

The mule cart, whipped wildly, galloped toward the cave. Before it had come to a complete stop, Mu Jiuxiu jumped off and rushed into the cave, only to find that the old yellow ox, which usually lay in the grass under the big tree, was gone!

Of course, the grass and trees were also burned to ashes. He rushed into the dimly lit cave in a panic and found traces of fire everywhere.

The brand-new wooden loom was reduced to a broken, almost charred frame; the bolts of cloth that the Weaver Girl had woven were also burned to ashes, and even the haystack she had made herself was reduced to ash.

A strange smell permeated the cave, and the wind blowing through it felt cold and desolate.

The old ox was gone, and the Weaver Girl had vanished without a trace. Mu Jiuxiu, who had never imagined the plot would develop to this point, was completely dumbfounded. He hurriedly walked to the cave entrance and peered out.

The last rays of the setting sun disappeared behind the mountains and forests, leaving the sky dark and the landscape desolate.

The silence was eerily profound; the fire had burned down trees and grass, and not a single bird could be seen in the sky.

He didn't know where the old ox and the weaver girl had gone; he didn't know if there had been an unimaginable and terrifying battle here, which forced the old ox to take the weaver girl with him to move away.

Where will they go?

Mu Jiuxiu never considered that the old ox would betray him. In his mind, the Golden Ox Star Lord in the story treated the Cowherd better than the Cowherd's father did. Before he died, the Cowherd found him a celestial fairy as his wife. In his final moments, the Cowherd even offered his oxhide so that he could wear it and fly to heaven to chase after his wife and children.

"Damn it! Why is being a gigolo so difficult for me?!" he roared helplessly at the aftermath of the fire.

At the same time, tension and fear permeated the air in Taoyuan Village.

Every household burned incense and prayed to the gods and Buddhas for protection. They gathered in small groups, sighing and discussing countermeasures.

"That demon has such a cruel temper. We were enraged before we even reached her cave. With such a fiery temper, how could we not retaliate?"

"The village chief has already driven the horse-drawn carriage to Nanlang Mountain to invite a Taoist priest to exorcise the demon. He should be back by tomorrow afternoon at the latest! As long as we get through tonight peacefully, everything will be fine."

"If you ask me, it's all the Cowherd's fault!"

"That's right, it's all his fault! He's always idling around and running off into the deep mountains and forests, attracting powerful monsters that are causing trouble for our village."

"To be fair, we've really treated Niulang well over the years. Whenever someone has a wedding or funeral, he doesn't have to give any gifts and can eat and drink for free. Whenever someone has some odd jobs, we always make sure he earns a few meals. How could he repay kindness with enmity?"

"Poor Li Ercai! He kindly lent his cooking utensils to the Cowherd, but not only did he not get his carriage back, he also angered the monster. What a case of good deeds going unrewarded!"

…………

The villagers whispered amongst themselves, their faces filled with deep anxiety.

Li Erge sat listlessly on the threshold, muttering under his breath, "It's all my fault. I was just trying to help the Cowherd, but he tricked me out of my mule cart. I even asked everyone to go into the mountains to look for it, and that offended a monster. Why am I so unlucky? What did I do wrong to deserve this bad luck!"

"This mule cart matter can't just end like this." The old hunter, who had been listening to the villagers' murmurs for a long time while smoking his pipe, stood up and said in a strong voice, "Li Er's willingness to lend the cart to Niulang was a kind gesture, but it has brought trouble upon him."