74: Qingtian Mongol: I despise myself now!

Gu Changge had just stepped back onto Zizhu Peak when he heard a resentful "Moo—" from the direction of the spiritual fields, mixed with a young man's urgent defense, sounding just like the daily chaos of a household.

Following the sound, he walked over and saw a comical scene from afar—

Xiao Ruobai was clutching the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd, the tip of the halberd swaying in the air, looking as if he were defending against an ox's charge.

Fang Hanyu was guarding to the side, his hand pressed against his sword hilt, but his face was tense and cold, looking awkward like someone "mediating a fight but wanting no part in it."

In the middle, the Azure Sky Python Ox was craning its cyan-gold neck, its ox eyes wider than copper bells, nostrils puffing out white Qi, hooves digging into the mud until dirt flew everywhere; it looked even more aggrieved than if it had lost half its life.

The Little Black Bird landed on the horns of the Azure Sky Python Ox, tilted its head, and chirped "Chirp, chirp," looking as if it were just watching the fun.

"Moo—! You brat, you stepped on my spiritual rice and you still think you're in the right?"

The Azure Sky Python Ox's rough, gravelly voice carried a sob, and it threw its head toward the spiritual field.

"See that? Those few stalks that were trampled! It was hard enough for me to scrape out some space from the corner of the field to grow some private rations. It was already miserable enough when your Master took away ninety percent of the spiritual rice before, and now you won't even leave me this little bit of hope!"

Xiao Ruobai's face flushed red, and he pressed the tip of the halberd down.

"I saw Master coming to this spiritual field every day before. Master hasn't been around these past few days, so I came to help look after the Spiritual Plants! Who knew you, this old ox, were skulking around?"

The more he spoke, the more he felt he was in the right: "Besides, what right do you have occupying Master's spiritual field? You're probably here to steal Spiritual Plants!"

"Steal Spiritual Plants?!"

The Azure Sky Python Ox was so angry that its tail whipped the bamboo until it made a "swish-swish" sound, and tears were almost welling up in its ox eyes.

"I've been treated as a 'mobile meat locker' by you Master and Disciple, getting my tenderloin sliced for ten years! Now I grow a bit of spiritual rice and I'm being slandered? This life is impossible to live—"

Fang Hanyu frowned: "Senior Ox, slicing meat?"

The Azure Sky Python Ox was just about to complain, but caught sight of Gu Changge's leisurely approaching figure, and swallowed the words that were on the tip of its tongue. It just drooped its ears aggrievedly, looking like a little daughter-in-law who had been bullied severely.

"Gu Changge, your Disciple stepped on my spiritual rice and then turned the tables on me..."

Gu Changge held back his laughter and walked to the edge of the spiritual field to take a look—the trampled spiritual rice was crooked, and a few plump grains had fallen onto the ground; it was indeed pitiful.

He turned his head to look at the Azure Sky Python Ox, and seeing the old ox's eyes were red and it was secretly wiping away tears with a hoof, he teased it on purpose: "Old Huang, it's no big deal, just plant it again."

"Plant it again?"

The Azure Sky Python Ox raised its head abruptly, its ox eyes wide and round, "It's not like you don't know how hard this stuff is to grow?"

Gu Changge took a milky-white porcelain bottle out of his storage ring and tossed it to the Azure Sky Python Ox: "Here, Innate Spirit Marrow. It's ten times more effective than Innate Spirit Spring, enough for you to grow a whole field of spiritual rice."

The Azure Sky Python Ox caught the porcelain bottle. As soon as its fingertips touched the bottle body, it felt the warm, moist Spiritual Qi inside. Its ox eyes brightened instantly, and most of its grievance vanished, though it still stubbornly retorted.

"This is more like it... Next time your Disciple steps on my spiritual rice, I won't just glare!"

Gu Changge then said to Xiao Ruobai: "This is Old Huang, an old partner who specifically helps me manage the spiritual fields. Its temper is a bit explosive, but it grows spiritual rice more meticulously than those people at Dan Ding Peak."

Xiao Ruobai scratched his head and said softly: "Um... Senior Old Huang, how about I help you replant the trampled spiritual rice?"

The Azure Sky Python Ox gave a huff, and its ox tail flicked: "I suppose you brat still have a bit of conscience."

It suddenly remembered something, and its ox eyes widened: "Wait! Do you even know how to plant spiritual rice? Forget it, don't ruin the rest of my seedlings!"

After saying that, it hugged the porcelain bottle and ran toward the corner of the spiritual field, its hooves so light it almost skipped, where was there any sign of grievance left?

"However, Ruobai, it's good of you to help Master look after the spiritual fields, but next time you must figure out the layout of the spiritual field first, and don't be so reckless again." Gu Changge said.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ruobai let out a sigh of relief, but then felt a bit guilty: "Master, this Disciple knows he was wrong; in the future, I will definitely ask clearly before taking action."

Gu Changge looked at the still somewhat reserved Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu, and waved his hand with a smile.

"If you are interested, you can also chat with Old Huang more often, learn how to manage the spiritual fields from it, and take care of this plot of land together; that way I can save a lot of worry."

As soon as these words fell, the Azure Sky Python Ox, which was hugging the porcelain bottle and secretly licking the Innate Spirit Marrow in the distance, started muttering softly, its ox mouth moving rapidly.

"You save worry? You haven't worried about anything at all! Every time you enter the spiritual field, it's either to slice my meat or take the spiritual rice, you haven't even weeded once! Try to act like a human for once, Gu Changge!"

While it complained harshly, it was quietly calculating other things in its heart.

Ever since it was "invited" to Zizhu Peak by Gu Changge, it had soared from the Early Stage of the Saint King Realm to the current Great Saint Realm, and even its Physical Body, which had been stuck at a Bottleneck for many years, had improved significantly.

Although it hurt so much that it grimaced every time its meat was sliced, on second thought, trading a few pieces of meat for Great Saint Realm cultivation didn't seem like a bad deal.

Thinking this way, it was actually looking forward to the next time Gu Changge came to slice its meat, and even secretly pondered: "Should I fatten up my tenderloin a bit more next time..."

"Moo?"

Just as it thought of this, the Azure Sky Python Ox suddenly shuddered, lifted its head abruptly, and slapped itself with a hoof with a "pop," the force so great it almost stunned itself.

"Have I gone crazy?!"

It widened its ox eyes, staring at its own hoof in disbelief.

"I'm actually looking forward to being sliced? I'm so damn cheap! I despise my current self!"

Xiao Ruobai, who was nearby, vaguely heard the ox's cry and looked over curiously: "Master, what's wrong with Old Huang? Why is it hitting itself?"

Gu Changge looked in the direction of his gaze and happened to see the Azure Sky Python Ox covering its face with its hoof, looking "life-weary," and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"It's nothing, it probably thinks the spiritual rice isn't planted well enough and is getting frustrated with itself."

Fang Hanyu looked at the funny-acting old ox, and a trace of a smile appeared on his cold face—this "old partner" seemed to be much more interesting than he had imagined.

Just as the smile on Fang Hanyu's lips hadn't faded, a crisp sound of a sword rang out from the bamboo path in the distance, accompanied by two familiar figures walking quickly toward them.

It was none other than the Master of Jianxiao Peak, Ye Guying, followed by Mu Chenyu in white robes.

Gu Changge saw them, and his just-relaxed expression instantly darkened. He couldn't help but complain in his heart: Just finished dealing with the Old Ancestor and the Secret Realm matter, and here comes more trouble; can't you just let me have a moment of peace?

Ye Guying shouted from afar: "Junior Brother Changge! I finally found you! I've really missed you to death!"

Mu Chenyu behind him also bowed in salute, but his eyes were secretly peeking inside, obviously following the Peak Master to "mooch an Opportunity."

Before Gu Changge could speak, a short, sharp "Moo—" came from the side.

The Azure Sky Python Ox's hoof holding the porcelain bottle stiffened abruptly, its originally light footsteps stopped instantly, its ox face crumpled into a ball, and it subconsciously touched its own tenderloin.

Muttering softly: "Something's not right... Why does my whole body suddenly hurt?"