Chapter 70: Ox: Master, Please Take The Seat!
（Something happened last night. Sigh, it got even later!）
……
In legends about spirit beasts related to the Daoist sect, many are filled with a miraculous aura.
For example, the ox bowing its head to the Dao right before his eyes.
And the crow praying for food to the Dao.
And so on.
These are roughly continuations of stories like the green ox and the old lord, and the crow deity and Emperor Zhenwu.
These two types of spirit beasts gained their later immortal destiny because they formed bonds with two great figures of the Daoist sect.
So there has always been a rumor in Daoism that if you encounter an “ox bowing to the Daoist” or a “crow praying to the Daoist for food,” that Daoist must surely be a true expert.
It is just that nowadays all these things have scientific bases and explanations from many professors and experts, which in the end can be summed up in one sentence: “believe in science,” and so no one pays attention to such rumors anymore.
Chen Han did not know whether those experts and professors could explain the scene of the two old oxen kowtowing in front of him.
But he could be certain of one thing, that it definitely had to do with the rat spirit fruit given by the game.
Besides proving that these two old oxen truly possessed a spiritual wisdom root, it also proved how great the temptation was of items produced by the system.
Only, there were two old oxen, and only one rat spirit fruit…
Which one should he give it to?
He did not particularly understand how to handle something like this.
Should he put the rat spirit fruit on the ground and let the two old oxen choose for themselves?
If so, would the two old oxen end up fighting?
You had to know, one was male and one was female, and they had produced a calf together, so they should be a couple.
If it were a human couple instead, with immortal destiny right in front of them, or even without calling it immortal destiny, say ten million laid before them that could only be deposited into one person’s account, with the restriction that only that one person could spend it and the other could not, then out of ten couples, more than half would probably break up.
It could even lead to a gruesome tragedy like dismemberment and dumping the body into the sewer.
He did not know what these two old oxen would do.
But just as he was thinking about it, the two old oxen suddenly rose up in unison, then, under his astonished gaze, they both went and bumped the calf that was still lying down.
The calf let out two dissatisfied calls, then received a kick from one of the old ox’s hind hooves.
It was aimed at the calf’s head!
After one finished kicking, the other seemed to see it was dazed and also kicked once.
The calf was clearly confused, not understanding why it had suddenly suffered such a ruthless beating from its parents for no reason.
Then came the mooing of the two old oxen.
A moment later, when Chen Han saw the calf in front of him make the same kowtowing movement as its parents, forelegs bent and kneeling, head pressed to the ground, he could not help but be moved.
At this moment, the two old oxen had already lain back down as at the beginning, as if they had never just been tempted by the rat spirit fruit.
Had he just witnessed the most moving form of parental love?
In the words of novels and film and television: the two old oxen had encountered a chance, yet were willing to give it up for their offspring and yield the opportunity to their only child.
This should be one of the purest displays of emotion in the world.
Under this kind of emotion, there is no difference between people and animals, only between parents and children.
Chen Han really had not expected to see such a scene in these two old oxen.
You had to know that among humans nowadays, many parents cannot do this.
Many parents are not as good as these two oxen.
Now he finally understood the words of that Daoist priest who was fiercely scolded. If there truly were a way to cultivate into an immortal, he would rather accept a few animals with spiritual wisdom roots as disciples than accept people, because people are entangled with too many desires, cravings, and ambitions.
Having seen the pure emotion of the two old oxen today, Chen Han truly felt that that Daoist priest might have had a point.
Sometimes the emotions of animals really can be purer. By contrast, in modern society, human hearts are filled with too many stray thoughts and rampant desires. If cultivation were really possible, many people might fall into the demonic path because of those stray thoughts and desires, turning into fiends.
Think of gutter oil, fake vaccines, big-head baby formula, toxic clothing, toxic tissues, imitation porcelain bowls, poisonous cling film, lead-containing glass cups…
Chen Han shook his head. If there really are demons, those people are demons.
He stopped thinking about that and instead looked at the kowtowing calf. With a bit of understanding in his heart, he walked forward and placed the rat spirit fruit by the calf’s mouth.
Since the two old oxen had given this chance to it, perhaps this was fate, this calf’s opportunity.
As for the spiritual wisdom root, the fact that it could kneel meant it most likely had it, even if its parents had beaten it into kneeling.
Although it was born into the animal realm in this life, it had met the best parents in the world, who gave it the best thing. Perhaps this was more fortunate than being born human into an unfortunate original family.
After all, there are parents who kill their own children, who drive their own children insane…
So he had no reason to ruin the calf’s opportunity, even though he was the one granting it.
At this moment, the calf also seemed to understand the benefit of this fruit. It decisively opened its mouth, took it in with a lick, chewed, and swallowed.
And in that instant, the calf collapsed to the ground, motionless. But from the soft, contented hums from its nose, it was clear that nothing was wrong.
Chen Han waited for a while. Seeing no reaction from the calf, he left the cattle shed as well to wait.
In a situation like this, the calf should have gained some benefit from eating the rat spirit fruit.
“Patriarch, what are you looking at?” Fifth uncle walked over, and two other elders were pushing a trolley loaded with carved bamboo tubes to soak them by the pond.
These bamboo tubes were to be used as packaging for the thunder bamboo spirit tea. Of course they could not just cut bamboo, carve it, and be done; they also needed to be washed, carbonized, smoked, polished, and oiled.
Only then would they have more artistic appeal, and better protection, sealing, and preservation.
Fifth uncle had formally apprenticed to learn carving skills and was naturally very adept at handling such things.
“I think this calf and I share a bond,” Chen Han explained with a smile.
He definitely could not mention anything about the rat spirit fruit. And since he would surely need to take the ox out more in the future after using the rat spirit fruit, saying they were connected by fate was a very good excuse.
His words drew the attention of fifth uncle and the two elders.
The young patriarch could even tell that he and the calf shared a bond?
A bit miraculous.
Fifth uncle, however, thought of the serious matter and, hesitating slightly, asked, “Patriarch, Xiaolin and the others said that now there are big bosses placing orders for thunder bamboo spirit tea, and that it is selling very well?”
“Fifth uncle, that’s right,” Chen Han nodded.
With Chu Hao, that demonic cult rogue, making the move, and with the effect of those thunder bamboo spirit teas, there would be no worry about sales. Once the reputation spread, there would surely be more follow-up orders.
Hearing this, fifth uncle said a little embarrassedly, “Patriarch, you know my carving skills have never had anyone to pass down to. Lately I finally managed to persuade my little grandson and want him to come back to learn this craft…”
The rest he found hard to say. At his age, he had truly never done something like begging for a favor.
Chen Han understood what fifth uncle meant. Saying “learn a craft” was really asking for a position for his grandson, so he could return to the clan to work.
He remembered fifth uncle’s grandson. When they were young, he had been one of his and junior sister’s little tagalongs.
He was just a bit simple and always laughing no matter how they teased him. With that sort of personality, it would be good for him to come back and learn carving from fifth uncle instead of suffering and being bullied while working outside.
So he smiled and said, “Fifth uncle, later there will be more thunder bamboo spirit tea orders, and the clan will also need more people. Ask him if he is willing to come back.”
“Of course he is willing,” fifth uncle blurted out, then his old face flushed. His thoughts had been seen through at a glance by a junior, yet his dignity had been kindly preserved, which left him a bit embarrassed.
But a moment later, he was full of relief and emotion. “Xiao Han, it is truly good that our Chen clan has produced a patriarch like you in this generation.”
This made the two elders washing the bamboo tubes subconsciously nod.
Since Xiao Han had returned to take over the Chen clan, the whole clan had really changed a lot. As old folks, they could feel it.
At the very least, they had work to do every day, and the Chen clan was no longer as lifeless as before. It felt as if the whole place had come alive.
So although they were very old, when they called him patriarch, there was genuine respect in it.
Moo!~
Moo!~
As the two were talking, two ox calls rang out.
Chen Han looked over and saw that the calf had stood up. To his surprise, its gaze was clearly different, more spirited.
How to put it? There was light in its eyes, no longer that hazy, lifeless look.
Fifth uncle and the two elders also looked toward the calling calf, and were then amazed to see it walk out of the cattle shed, slowly come over to Chen Han, let out a moo to him, rub against him, and stretch out its head like a child asking to have its head patted.
Chen Han sensed this, reached out to stroke the calf’s head, and heard it moo twice more, with a faint note of joy in its voice.
Then, under the astonished gazes of fifth uncle and the others, it slowly crouched down on all fours beside Chen Han’s feet, and even turned its head to moo at him twice again.
“???” Fifth uncle stared at this scene in surprise, clearly realizing something.
Was this ox asking Xiao Han to sit on its back?
The fourth round PK needs read-through data!
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Please don’t stockpile, please don’t stockpile!
