The male supporting character was actually myself.

Mu Jiuxiu failed to stop the mule cart and was kicked so hard his leg almost broke. Then he heard faint voices, which sounded somewhat familiar but didn't seem like bandits. He mustered his courage and limped forward, his eyes immediately filled with tears. "Uncle Wang, brother, what brings you here?"

A man with a dusty face, looking as if he had just crawled out of scorched earth, walked towards them. The old hunter cautiously shone his torch on him, and Niu Da tentatively asked, "Niu Lang, is that you?"

"Who else could it be but me?!" The Cowherd felt that he was finally not too unlucky.

The cave was burned to the ground, and with darkness falling and exhaustion, I was too afraid to walk back to the village by mountain path. But then a villager came looking for me with a torch. What bad luck!

We can look for the old ox and the weaver girl after we've rested. The most urgent thing is to find a place where we can stay peacefully for the night.

They weren't worried about food; there were sesame cakes and steamed buns they'd bought in the mule cart.

"Why are you in such a sorry state?" Niu Dalue asked hastily, curling his lip in disdain. "Why are you all alone? Where is your sister-in-law? You should have informed your elder brother before you got married. You really don't know any manners!"

Hurry up and go to your cave dwelling—no, your mansion—to announce that your brother-in-law and the village elders have arrived. Tell your sister-in-law to treat them to good food and wine.

There's still a misunderstanding this afternoon that hasn't been cleared up. I'll act as a mediator and try to smooth things over. We're all family, after all! Have you forgotten how much the village elders have taken care of you? How can you let your wife cause trouble for the villagers?

Chapter Twenty-Six: Returning to the Village

Mu Jiuxiu: ? ? ?

No, what big house or sister-in-law? What nonsense are you spouting here?

"What? Still not happy?" Seeing this, Niu Da got even more excited, puffed out his chest and adopted the air of an elder brother, and said loudly, "I know that the woman you married is not human but a demon, but I, as the elder brother, will not look down on my sister-in-law, and the villagers will not treat her differently because of this."

"You're hiding this from your family, not letting them see you, and not letting them in even though it's so late!"

After checking that the mule was undamaged and the cart was bulging with goods, Brother Li was overjoyed. "Niulang, you've struck it rich! Is this the thank you for borrowing my mule and cart? Thank you, thank you! Remember to come find me next time you need the cart. I won't eat or drink anymore; my wife at home is waiting anxiously. I'll hurry home to let everyone know I'm safe!"

Cowherd: !!!

Holy crap! You're really going to take advantage of me. I only have that little bit left and you want to swallow it all?

"Brother Li, you've misunderstood..." Before he could rush forward to explain, he was stopped by Niu Da, who was excitedly giving him a bear hug. Niu Da scolded him with a long face, "You still don't know how to behave. You promised to borrow someone's things, but you don't know when to return them? The things in the car are only worth a few dollars. Is it worth your hurry? Hurry up and call your sister-in-law out to meet your brother-in-law."

Niu Da's heart is now completely absorbed in the story.

The countryside and rural villages are the most down-to-earth places, with vast fields and forests but lacking entertainment. Whether in the fields or deep in the mountains, one is bound to encounter some strange and unusual things, so with the blessing of legends, all kinds of wonderful stories about ghosts, monsters and fox spirits are created.

In those widely circulated stories, there is usually a large and specific place name, followed by a very common surname, such as Zhang Sheng, Wang Sheng, Zhao Dalang, etc. They are all honest children from poor families. Most of them meet a wealthy family while walking at night, are chosen as sons-in-law, and are supported by the whole family. From then on, they enjoy wealth and honor in the arms of the beauty.

Or perhaps there are beautiful female ghosts, fox spirits, or celestial beings who can't stand being alone and take the initiative to flirt with you, chat for a few words, and then sleep together. They give you gold and silver, and each one is virtuous and gentle, a million times better than any woman in the world!

Niu Da used to just listen to stories, but when he had nothing to do, he liked to fantasize about one night when he was going home late and suddenly encountered a beautiful woman and a rich man. He never expected that his dream would come true. Although it didn't happen to him, Niu Lang was his own brother!

He climbed the mountain to the top of the tree where the spirits dwelled, how could he possibly mistreat his only brother?

If the Cowherd were truly so ungrateful, I'd have to give him a lecture about how he cared for his younger brother after their parents' death. If it weren't for his older brother and sister-in-law feeding him, he would have starved to death long ago. How could he possibly have gotten this good fortune?

"Haven't you heard? There's a guy named Xi Sanlang in Gaomi who married a beautiful woman who turned out to be a rat spirit! But so what? At first, the Xi family was just a poor traveling merchant. But after marrying A-Qian, the family became richer day by day. Later, they heard rumors that the Xi family couldn't tolerate her and forced their good wife away. So the family became poorer day by day."

Now no one complains about Ah Xian being a rat spirit anymore, and everyone misses her.

Fortunately, by chance, Xi Sanlang found A-Xian again, and the family's granary was soon filled with grain, making the whole family rich and powerful. No one said she was a rat spirit anymore.

It's clear that all people are the same; as long as they have money and can enjoy life, they won't even look down on demons and monsters!

Erlang, listen to your brother's advice. Now that you've married into a wealthy family, be more generous. Otherwise, you'll be laughed at and your wife will be seen as stingy, which would be a disgrace to her."

Seeing Li Er happily driving the cart back, Mu Jiuxiu had no time to listen to his nonsense. The silk thread on the cart was worth several taels of silver, which was the foundation for making a fortune. How could he let Li Er take it for free?

There's also roast chicken, roast duck, meat buns, and sesame seed flatbread—all of these are our staple foods!

Those peasants in Taoyuan Village don't deserve to eat such good food!

He didn't know where the strength came from, but he suddenly shoved Niu Da aside and roared, "I only have those few things left in the car, give them back to me now!"

The protagonist's halo came into play at the crucial moment. Niu Da, who was only focused on seeing the witch get the large sum of money, reacted quickly, "What did you say? All that's left is what's in the cart? Damn it! You got kicked out by the witch?"

Those things were all bought with money. Even if he didn't get more benefits, he could at least get a share of the goods on the cart. He was so anxious that he jumped up and down and shouted to Li Er, "Stop! Those things aren't for you! Brother Li Er, those things on the cart belong to our Lao Niu family!"

The flickering firelight, the bustling crowd, and the hungry braying of mules created a chaotic scene in the deep mountains, which were still filled with the strong smell of ash from the fire.

It wasn't until midnight that Taoyuan Village gradually quieted down.

The old hunter sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), puffing on his pipe.

The cowherd sat on a small stool with his head drooping and remained silent, surrounded by the silk threads and bags of food he had reclaimed.

Besides the respected elders in the village, only Niu Da, who was still determined to get his share of the money, was left in the house.

“Cowherd, you’ve always been an honest and kind boy. Tell everyone what’s been going on these past few days. This female demon has caused panic throughout our village. We need to reassure everyone!”

Faced with the old hunter's question, Mu Jiuxiu, whose mind was full of questions, sighed and asked in return, "Grandpa, what exactly happened when you went into the mountains this afternoon? Tell me in detail first, so I don't know where to begin!"

It's all the fault of those lazy peasants who have nothing better to do. If they hadn't gone to the deep mountains to stir up trouble, I, such a beautiful and big living Weaver Girl, wouldn't have disappeared!

And then there's the old ox, damn it, it scared them all away. Something big must have happened back then, maybe the fire was started by these stupid peasants!

I've lost my biggest asset and my ATM, my angelic wife. I haven't even settled accounts with you yet, and you dare to ask me for an explanation?

Mu Jiuxiu clearly understood that the world in the mirror was merely a product of his fabricated story.

These villagers aren't even NPCs; they're more like freebies, background characters worth tens of thousands of dollars. All you need to know is what happened that afternoon to have clues to find the Old Ox and the Weaver Girl. As for the villagers, they're none of your business anyway, so stop making a scene!

Seeing that he still wouldn't speak, the old hunter exhaled a smoke ring and said in a deep voice, "Li Er is in a hurry to use the mule cart to go to town to haul goods and make money. When you borrowed the cart, you said you would return it early in the morning. Since they couldn't wait for you, they were afraid something might have happened, so they came to discuss it with everyone."

It was my suggestion to go to the mountains for a look.

You silly boy, what strange things haven't happened in those deep mountains? You didn't listen to the elders' advice that you could graze your old ox anywhere else, but insisted on going deep into the mountains to graze. Everyone was afraid that you would encounter something that would cloud your mind, have your life force drained, and die in the deep mountains without anyone knowing.

Everyone in the village was worried about your safety, so after discussing it, I decided to take you into the mountains.

We had no idea what happened. No one even got a clear look at the female demon's face. We had just seen your big yellow ox grazing under the tree when a woman dressed in silk and satin with gold and silver hairpins popped out. She waved her hand, and we couldn't hear what she shouted. Then the ball of fire exploded right in front of us!

In all my decades of life, I've never seen such a terrifying fire. It was as if the ground was covered in oil instead of grass, and the flames roared and burned a wall of fire.

Through the wall of fire, I couldn't hear what the female demon was saying. Seeing that she was about to raise her hand to set everyone on fire again, I drew my bow and shot an arrow at her shoulder. My intention was to scare her into hiding so that she wouldn't be able to set the fire, giving everyone some time to escape and avoid casualties. Even if I hit her, it wouldn't be fatal.

Who knew I saw it clearly: the arrow exploded into powder before it even touched her clothes—and that was an iron arrowhead!

The old hunter still felt lingering fear when he recalled what happened that afternoon.

He tapped his pipe and said in a muffled voice, "From the moment we saw the witch to the moment we drew our bows and shot arrows, and then to the moment we led everyone to escape, it wasn't a long time. We only had a brief encounter with her and didn't even get a clear look at her face, let alone say a word. The witch shouted a few times, but we couldn't hear her clearly. Nobody knows what we did to anger her."

“I was working in the fields this afternoon and didn’t hear the news, so I didn’t go with them.” Niu Da’s eyes lingered on the package of goods as he guessed, “Did you anger your sister-in-law? Look, she made a good deal with Brother Li when she borrowed the cart yesterday, and she returned the mule cart early this morning.”

You must have agreed with your sister-in-law to come back early, but you didn't return for a whole day. Your sister-in-law is a bit temperamental because she has some spiritual power. Not only did she not see you, but the villagers also came to her door, so she got angry and set fire to protest.

As the eldest brother, I have to say something to you. A real man like you is married and newlyweds, how could you lie to your sister-in-law and leave her alone at home? People will definitely think you've sold all the good stuff and are now fooling around in town with the money in your pocket..."

Niu Da was still seriously analyzing how the villagers had suffered innocently because of the breakup between the two, while Mu Jiuxiu glanced at him coldly and lowered his head to analyze in secret.

If the old hunter is telling the truth, the fire definitely wasn't started by the Weaver Girl. If she were that capable, what would she be afraid of? She would have escaped from the old ox long ago!

Moreover, given the temperament and personality of the Weaver Girl, she would never do anything to harm the common people. If she didn't start the fire, then why was she shouting at the crowd?

Should they call for help? Or have they sensed danger and are telling them to run?

The fact that the villagers saw the old ox grazing under the tree indicates that it was not threatened at the time.

In conclusion, there is only one truth—the fire was not set to attack the villagers, but to prevent the Weaver Girl from meeting and talking to them. The only person with this ability and purpose was the old ox who was present.

It's possible that the Weaver Girl saw the villagers entering the mountains and came out of her cave to call for help, and the old yellow ox that had been lurking beside her set fire to separate the two sides in order to stop them.

What about after that?

Will the Weaver Girl discover that the old ox has acted rashly?

Logically speaking, whether the Weaver Girl knew it or not, she was no match for the old ox. Don't forget that the Weaver Girl was knocked unconscious by it outside the cave before. If it weren't for her protective magic treasure, she would have succeeded long ago.

Even if his true form was exposed, the old ox would at most knock the Weaver Girl unconscious and wait for him to return. How could he have disappeared without a trace?

Mu Jiuxiu frowned as he recalled what he had seen in the mountains, when suddenly his eyes lit up!

The fire was too big, that's right! It must have been the wildfire that got blown by the wind and burned too fast to be controlled in a short time. The Weaver Girl's protective magic treasure was definitely not able to withstand the fire attack, otherwise she wouldn't have been separated by the wall of fire.

Based on the calculations, it's likely that the fire was too intense, so the old ox extinguished the flames while leading the Weaver Girl to retreat into the deep mountains where the fire wouldn't reach. Afterwards, fearing that the villagers would come looking for them again, they didn't dare return to the cave.

The old ox was still hoping to take advantage of the Weaver Girl, so he would definitely be waiting for her in a familiar spot in the mountain valley.

If we go into the mountains to look for it tomorrow, we'll definitely be able to return it to its rightful owner!

"Phew! Thankfully nothing irreparable happened." Mu Jiuxiu breathed a sigh of relief, stretched, and rubbed his rumbling stomach. "Grandpa, I'll stay at your place tonight. I'll go up the mountain early tomorrow morning to talk to her and clear things up. It's just a little misunderstanding between you two."

"What misunderstanding?" The old hunter frowned, looking at him with some doubt that Niu Da's guess was somewhat plausible.

Seeing this, Mu Jiuxiu had no choice but to make up a lie. "The woman I married is indeed no ordinary person. She was injured by a hunter and then fled to this area near the mountains. I happened to save her and that's how we fell in love and got married."

This afternoon, you went up the mountain with bows and arrows. Plus, you've been hunting for most of your life, so you must have some blood on you. That must have startled her, making her think that an enemy had come looking for revenge. That's why I couldn't find her when I came back after finishing my business.

She won't abandon me. I'll go into the mountains tomorrow to find her and explain everything. But..."

He deliberately brought up the fact that the old hunter was covered in blood and had been frightened by the bow and arrows, firstly to make the other party feel guilty and that he would have free lodging that night; secondly, to lay the groundwork for what he was going to say next.

“No one in our village goes deep into the mountains. I promise that we won’t bother our fellow villagers if we live in the mountains in the future. I hope that everyone will also stay away from the mountains and disturb our peaceful lives. Let’s keep to ourselves.”

Upon hearing this, everyone else in the room breathed a sigh of relief, except for Niu Da, who glared at him and scolded, "What are you saying? Does that mean that Erlang, now that you've gotten married, you don't even recognize your only brother anymore and want to sever ties with him?"

He didn't want to live in complete isolation from now on. If he couldn't even visit anyone's home, how could he possibly make any extra money?

Mu Jiuxiu knew his little scheme all too well, which was one of the reasons why he insisted on cutting off all contact with him—as the saying goes, "when one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

The Cowherd was only able to catch up with the Heavenly Court and become the Golden Ox Star Lord by forcing the Weaver Girl to have two children. He had no real power or title; he was just a freeloader who used the children to keep the Weaver Girl occupied and gain some benefits.

I went through so much trouble and hardship to finally achieve a position in Heaven, and what did you, Niu Da, do? Why do you get all the benefits more easily than me, the male protagonist?

You swallowed all the grudges from abusing male prostitutes for so many years?

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to." Mu Jiuxiu sneered, exposing Niu Da's thoughts. "Stop dreaming. The villagers have seen what kind of life I've lived all these years."

My not holding a grudge in the past was because I was magnanimous, but it doesn't mean I'm stupid or cowardly and would repay evil with kindness.

"If you behave yourself, we can keep to ourselves. But if you harbor any ill intentions, be careful, or I'll have my wife burn you alive to avenge the years of humiliation I've suffered!"

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Inside and Outside the Mountains

After Mu Jiuxiu uttered his harsh words, the room fell silent.

The old hunter gave Ambassador Niu a wink, signaling him to hurry up and leave without saying anything more.

"Grandpa, is it alright if I stay at your house for the night?" Mu Jiuxiu could clearly sense that the "female demon" who was exploiting their fear had completely intimidated the villagers. He stood up, hoisted the goods onto his shoulder, and arrogantly gestured for her to lead the way.

The old hunter's wife, a slightly plump and kind old lady, had often helped the cowherd out of pity. Seeing his state, she sighed, picked up the oil lamp, and said, "Come with me. The side room can be tidied up a bit and you can live there. I'll heat some hot water for you to wash up and tidy up; you're all covered in dust..."