Chapter 139: The Green Ox in the Vegetable Garden
Dan Yangzi and Lin Xuan Daozi walked one behind the other, unhurriedly leaving the capital city. They reached a spot over a hundred li outside the capital, where they saw the Tu River surging. An old monk and a young monk were walking downstream atop the waves.
Dan Yangzi and Lin Xuan Daozi stopped, standing on the riverbank as they saluted the old and young monks with a bow: "Senior brother."
The two monks quickly halted on the river's surface, pressing their palms together in return: "Senior brother."
The old monk's white brows drooped low as he said, "Senior brother, have you returned from the Grand Academy? Has it been a full three days?"
Dan Yangzi shook his head: "Not yet three days."
The old monk's brows twitched, clearly unsettled inside, and he said, "Does the Grand Academy truly have such ability to rival a Daozi? I must go with the Buddha Son to see what happens, though I do not know how our encounter will turn out."
Dan Yangzi bowed to take his leave, and the old monk also bowed in return. They each departed.
After Dan Yangzi and Lin Xuan Daozi left, everyone in the Grand Academy, from the Chancellor down to the scholars, let out a long sigh of relief. But no one could say for certain who had actually defeated Lin Xuan Daozi.
Strangely enough, defeating Lin Xuan Daozi was a great achievement, yet that expert did not step forward to claim credit for striking down Lin Xuan. This was very peculiar.
Everyone began to speculate. Some said a prince from the Princes' Courtyard had secretly intervened, forcing Lin Xuan Daozi to retreat. But because of the covert struggles among the princes, this prince chose to conceal the matter to avoid being targeted by others.
Others said it was Xiao Yin, the Sword Fanatic of the Divine Abode, who had made his move. Xiao Yin was obsessed with the way of the sword, single-minded and indifferent to fame or fortune.
Still others claimed that former graduates of the Grand Academy, upon hearing the news, rushed back in haste, defeated Lin Xuan Daozi, and then hurriedly returned to the front lines. Many graduates of the Grand Academy had become generals at the front, leading troops into battle.
There was also speculation that a disciple of the National Teacher had entered the Grand Academy on orders, become a Grand Scholar, defeated Lin Xuan, and then withdrawn from the academy.
All sorts of theories circulated.
In the Scholars' Residence, a lively crowd gathered in Shen Wanyun's courtyard, chattering as they questioned him: "Big Senior Brother, everyone on the mountain is guessing who defeated the Dao Sect's Daozi. Could it be you?"
Shen Wanyun yawned, fighting off drowsiness, and said, "It wasn't me. Though I wanted to contribute to the Grand Academy, I was training too hard and unknowingly fell asleep in the yard. If you hadn't made such a commotion, I wouldn't have woken up. I have no idea who defeated Lin Xuan Daozi."
The crowd was skeptical. Qu Ting laughed and said, "Could it be that Big Senior Brother intends to hide his merit and fame?"
Shen Wanyun was caught between laughter and tears. "I spent two days and nights without sleep, comprehending the three sword techniques the National Teacher taught me. My mind was overworked, my spirit damaged. I couldn't even bring out eighty percent of my strength. How could it be me? If I had defeated Lin Xuan Daozi, would I hide it from you all?"
Suddenly, the monk Yun Que's expression shifted slightly. "Could it be that outcast?"
Yue Qinghong's heart also stirred. Though she had been humiliated when Qin Mu slammed her into a bronze pillar, she still greatly admired his skills. "That outcast possesses remarkable abilities, whether in combat techniques, spells, or swordsmanship. Could it be him?"
Shen Wanyun hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "To be honest, I saw him training tirelessly without sleep, and that inspired me to work hard myself, hoping to defeat Lin Xuan Daozi. He trained no less than I did. He's probably still sound asleep now and must have missed the fight with Lin Xuan Daozi as well."
A scholar said angrily, "This fellow has led Big Senior Brother astray! When the National Teacher was teaching, he was shouting about having mastered the Qi Thread. Having just mastered Qi Thread, how could he possibly defeat the Dao Sect's Daozi?"
The other scholars nodded in agreement, laughing. "He made a fool of himself in front of the entire academy at the Grand Academy Hall. We all felt quite satisfied, as if the places he hit us felt better!"
Just then, a commotion arose from the foot of the mountain. Someone shouted, "An old monk has come down the mountain, with a young monk beside him. They've sat down at the mountain gate!"
The scholars exchanged glances. Shen Wanyun's eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice, "The Dao Sect's expert has just left, and now the monks of the Great Thunderclap Temple have arrived! These two monks—the young one is likely the Buddha Son of the Great Thunderclap Temple! I missed my chance to fight Lin Xuan Daozi, but I must definitely meet the Buddha Son of the Great Thunderclap Temple! Fellow junior brothers and sisters, I need half a day to rest and gather my strength."
The scholars took their leave one after another.
Shen Wanyun lay down fully clothed and soon fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Shen Wanyun woke up refreshed. He washed, ate his fill, and immediately went down the mountain. There he learned that the Buddha Son of the Great Thunderclap Temple had already defeated many experts of the Grand Academy.
This Buddha Son cultivated the Tathagata Great Vehicle, the Vajra Body Protection, and the Buddhist Battle Victory Method. When he cast spells, his body expanded several times, granting him immense strength. He also had Buddha Light Fluid, which could transform into a bell or a pagoda to suppress enemies. With one hand, he would produce a golden alms bowl to collect people, and with the other, he would summon a Mount Sumeru to crush them.
Shen Wanyun stepped forward to fight. After more than ten exchanges, he used the Drilling Sword Technique to break through the Buddha Son's Vajra Body Protection, injuring the Buddha Son. However, the Buddha Son's strength was still formidable, and he defeated Shen Wanyun in the end.
Many scholars from the Divine Abode and the Princes' Courtyard looked at him with newfound respect. The scholars of the Scholars' Residence were mostly at the Five Luminaries Realm, with lower cultivation. That Shen Wanyun could exchange more than ten moves with the Buddha Son of the Great Thunderclap Temple before losing was a record that placed him among the top-tier experts, even in the top ten of the Divine Abode and the Princes' Courtyard.
Immediately, princes and princesses from the Princes' Courtyard came forward, showing signs of wanting to recruit him. Shen Wanyun neither agreed nor refused, not wanting to offend too many people. He thought to himself, "It seems my record is decent enough to attract attention. I wonder how Junior Brother Qin fared against this monk. How many moves did he last against the Buddha Son?"
"That green ox you mentioned, young master—I've seen it a few times."
In the Grand Academy, Hu Ling'er led Qin Mu toward the back mountain. "There's a vegetable garden in the back mountain. A few days ago, I was wandering around looking for some spiritual herbs and rare flowers. I passed by there and saw a few spirit plants in the garden. I ran into that ox, and it bellowed at me several times. It was guarding those spirit plants, which annoyed me. I've wanted to eat them for a long time."
Qin Mu was surprised. "In a vegetable garden? It's probably a wild ox. Otherwise, who would put an ox in a vegetable garden to eat the vegetables?"
"That makes sense. Young master, why would that dragon-qilin at the mountain gate want to eat this ox?"
"I don't know. I guess the ox might have offended the dragon-qilin. Maybe it was annoyed by the ox sneaking into the garden to eat vegetables." Qin Mu speculated.
Hu Ling'er led him to the back mountain. Few people came here, except for couples meeting in secret.
In the back mountain, there were several courtyards. It was said that a few National Academy Overseers who preferred the shade lived here. Besides their courtyards, there was also the dwelling of the Mountain Guardian Elder.
Several vegetable plots had been cleared in the back mountain. Qin Mu and Hu Ling'er followed a winding path downhill. After walking for a while, they saw a courtyard with red tiles. To its left front, a flat area of about five or six mu had been fenced off and planted with many vegetables.
At that moment, a green ox stood in the vegetable field, eating the crops, lazily swishing its tail to drive away insects.
Qin Mu took one look and shuddered.
This ox was indeed green, and Qin Mu was certain that even on Jade Mountain, there was only one such ox. But he wasn't sure he could beat it!
This green ox was all muscle, incredibly robust. It stood on its two hind legs like a human, leaning against a post. Its front hooves had turned into hard, horn-like hands, clutching a handful of lush green vegetables as it ate leisurely.
Qin Mu estimated that this ox was two or three times his height, with almost no fat—just solid muscle. Moreover, its green hide had a jade-like sheen, glossy and polished, as if it had been rubbed like fine jade for over a decade.
Most terrifying of all, when the ox breathed, its breath came out as two white streams, in and out. Combined with the dragon scales on its neck, Qin Mu was certain this ox had been cultivating on the mountain for many years, breathing the Nine Dragon Qi, undergoing draconification, and growing dragon scales.
"Who dares spy on me?"
Suddenly, the green ox spoke in human voice, stuffing a peony into its mouth. The white light from its nostrils was drawn back into its body. Its eyes flashed like lightning as it looked toward Qin Mu, then it strode over, its muscles bouncing with each step.
Qin Mu exhaled a breath of turbid air and said to Hu Ling'er, "It's just an ox, isn't it? I grew up herding cattle. I can handle it. Ling'er, step back first. If I tell you to run, run quickly. Understand?"
Hu Ling'er nodded and retreated.
Qin Mu took a deep breath and walked toward the green ox, smiling. "Brother Ox—"
The green ox had a fiery temper. Without a word, it charged forward and attacked, sneering, "You've got a sly look on your face, definitely no good person. Who's your brother?"
Hu Ling'er retreated up the mountain when suddenly a thunderous crash came from the vegetable garden, followed by continuous booming vibrations. After a moment, Qin Mu came sprinting back, shouting, "Ling'er, run!"
Hu Ling'er immediately took off running. She glanced back and saw Qin Mu with a swollen eye and a bruised nose. Clearly, in just a short time, the cowherd from Cripple's Village had been thoroughly beaten by this green ox.
Hu Ling'er was secretly astonished. "Young master is usually so formidable, beating this one and that one at the Grand Academy. How did he end up getting beaten by an ox?"
Behind them came the thunderous sound of hooves, clearly the ox chasing after them relentlessly, refusing to let go.
Qin Mu grabbed Hu Ling'er, placed her on his shoulder, and sprinted desperately up the mountain.
After a while, the green ox, unable to catch up, cursed and turned back.
As soon as the green ox reached the vegetable garden, the voice of Ba Shan, the Sacrificial Wine Officer, came drowsily from the red-tiled courtyard next door. "Why is it so noisy outside?"
"Master, someone was bullying your little ox!"
The green ox quickly bent over and said ingratiatingly to the courtyard, "He was trying to steal from master's vegetable garden, so the little ox chased him away."
"Is that so?"