Chapter 976: Chapter 950: Taking Turns Calling Out
“The Immortal has descended!” The village chief suddenly knelt down.
The villagers of Shoushan Village also followed suit, kneeling down one by one, expressing their heartfelt gratitude to Tangyu.
“Thank you, Immortal, for your life-saving grace!”
In the eyes of these ordinary people, a strong cultivator like Tangyu is equivalent to an Immortal.
Tangyu turned around and immediately waved his hand, saying, “No need for such courtesy, please rise quickly. I am not worthy of the title of Immortal; we are merely cultivators. These bandit leaders were evil beyond redemption, and their punishment was deserved. Rest assured, the Yanshan Sect is already aware of this matter. We have come here to eliminate the bandits of Ox Demon Mountain and restore peace to everyone.”
Everyone expressed even greater gratitude and placed deeper faith in the Yanshan Sect.
Zhuang Qian and the other two approached, and Zhuang Qian smirked, “We’re quite lucky; we managed to take out a group before even reaching Ox Demon Mountain. I reckon there were about a third of the mountain bandits here.”
This place is less than twenty li away from Ox Demon Mountain.
The village chief of Shoushan Village approached Tangyu and the others, bowing deeply and expressing immense gratitude; the joy of escaping from death was evident.
“Honorable Immortals, thank you for saving the lives of over a hundred people in Shoushan Village. Such kindness is greater than the sky itself, and Shoushan Village will remember it for generations, never daring to forget. The might of the Immortals, the heavenly grace, thank you, Immortals, and the Yanshan Sect.” The old village chief was moved, with tears glistening in his eyes.
Tangyu smiled faintly and said, “It is no trouble. Please handle these fine horses and the bandits’ corpses. Don’t worry; Ox Demon Mountain will soon be destroyed by us.”
“Yes, Immortal, I know what to do.” The old village chief nodded heavily.
Tangyu and the group were about to leave when a somewhat young voice suddenly called out to Tangyu, “Immortal—”
Upon hearing the voice, Tangyu knew who it was and stopped to look at Niu Hong. Niu Hong knelt down with a thud, his young face full of determination, “Immortal, I, Niu Hong, boldly ask you to accept me as a disciple.”
Niu Hong’s eyes were very clear, a gaze inappropriate for someone of his age. Seeing this gaze, Tangyu couldn’t help but think of himself. In him, Tangyu somewhat found his own shadow, which resonated with him.
The village chief and others saw Niu Hong’s bold action and looked at Tangyu with some concern. Although a bit worried, their hearts secretly hoped that the Immortal would agree. If that happened, Niu Hong would have a good mentor and might accomplish something great in the future.
“Taking a disciple?” Tangyu shook his head with a bitter smile, “I am still just a disciple myself; what right do I have to take on a disciple? My strength is weak and I can’t teach you anything.”
Hearing Tangyu’s hesitation to accept him as a disciple, Niu Hong showed no sign of disappointment; instead, he was still full of determination and said, “Immortal, you’re like an Immortal in my eyes. You’re definitely capable of teaching me. I hope the Immortal will accept me as a disciple.”
“Haha, Brother Tangyu, didn’t you just appreciate this kid earlier? I think you should take him in; maybe he’s a good seedling,” Zhuang Qian teased.
Tangyu was helpless, “Niu Hong, let me ask you a few questions. Why do you want to practice Immortal Cultivation?”
Niu Hong, without hesitation, firmly said, “Because I know that weakness leads to being bullied, having no human rights, and one’s life could be taken by beasts, eaten by wild animals, or even killed by others at any moment. So, I want to practice Immortal Cultivation, to become strong. That way, no one can bully me. Moreover, I want to protect Grandpa Village Chief and the others, ensuring they aren’t harmed by evil people. If I were a powerful cultivator, those mountain bandits wouldn’t have been able to kill us today.”
“Becoming strong is the only way to protect those I want to protect.”
Tangyu felt a slight stir in his heart, so similar to his own desires. He wanted to become strong, in part, to protect those around him. Of course, now, there is also the goal of seeking Immortality, asking the Dao for immortality. But the foundation of it all still starts with the desire to protect those around him.
Without this starting point, everything would be meaningless.
Tangyu felt slightly moved, thinking that although he had nothing good to teach Niu Hong, leaving him in this small village would be a waste of his potential. Judging by Niu Hong’s disposition, he seemed suitable for Immortal Cultivation and might turn out to be a promising disciple.
The so-called talent, Tangyu believed, most importantly lies in one’s disposition. Without a good disposition, no amount of talent would be sufficient.
Tangyu’s heart was also moved with a bit of empathy.
But taking a disciple—
Made Tangyu want to laugh at himself. If he were on Earth, he might feel justified in taking a disciple. After all, his strength on Earth would be considered at the peak. But in the Cultivation World, it made Tangyu feel a bit self-deprecating. With this level of strength, if he took a disciple, would he be laughed at by others when the news reached the sect?
Moreover, for the time being, Tangyu was a direct disciple of the sect master. If he took on a disciple now, wouldn’t that be equivalent to giving the sect master a grand-disciple? Wouldn’t this upset the master?
With these considerations, Tangyu still shook his head and said, “Niu Hong, I cannot accept you as a disciple.”
Niu Hong stared at Tangyu, still not giving up or feeling defeated; his eyes remained determined, hoping Tangyu would accept him as a disciple.
The village chief and the others shook their heads in disappointment. However, they dared not hope for too much. It was expected that he wouldn’t accept them. If he did, that would be a true surprise and joy.
Zhuang Qian naturally understood Tangyu’s concerns and difficulties, and he smirked a bit, saying, “Niu Hong, don’t make it hard for him. He really can’t take you as an apprentice. Don’t look at me either; I definitely can’t, as I haven’t even found my footing. Alas, this matter depends solely on you.”
Niu Hong looked at Tangyu once again and said, “Immortal, even if you won’t accept me as your disciple, please let me follow you.”
Tangyu thought for a moment and said, “Alright, Niu Hong, I’ll first bestow upon you a cultivation technique and some resources, and later I will take you along. We still have a mission at hand and won’t be returning to Yanshan Sect for the time being.”
Upon hearing this, Niu Hong was overjoyed and said, “Thank you, Immortal.”
Tangyu waved his hand and said, “Don’t call me Immortal; my name is Tangyu. If you don’t mind, you can call me Brother Tang.”
“Haha, Niu Hong, hurry and call him that. He’s practically taking you as his little brother; you’ve struck great destiny.” Zhuang Qian laughed and said.
“Brother Tang,” Niu Hong immediately called out.
Tangyu shook his head and handed a Qiankun Bag to Niu Hong, saying, “Inside this bag are some items for you. Use them to cultivate in these upcoming days. I will return in half a month at the earliest, a month at the latest. Alright, we’re leaving.”
After saying this, Tangyu glanced at the three of them, who immediately departed. In the blink of an eye, Tangyu and the others’ figures had vanished from everyone’s sight.
“The Immortal, truly formidable!”
“Indeed, so formidable. This is the real Immortal.”
“Tsk tsk, it’s something you must see to believe; just knowing how formidable an Immortal is. If only our Shou Mountain Village could produce such an Immortal.”
“Xiao Hong, this time you’ve struck great fortune by encountering such a splendid Immortal.”
“Yes, Xiao Hong, make sure to cultivate well in these days and not let the Immortal’s expectations down.”
Everyone expressed their joy for Niu Hong, each speaking in turn.
Niu Hong nodded heavily, full of determination: “Yes, I will cultivate diligently and not let Brother Tang down.”
Everyone laughed; after surviving such a perilous situation, Xiao Hong now had the opportunity to follow the Immortal to Yanshan Sect. It was a major blessing.
After leaving Shou Mountain Village, Tangyu and the others headed straight to the foot of Ox Demon Mountain. From a distance, they saw a cluster of palace buildings, deducing it to be the lair of the Bull Demon King. Ox Demon Mountain was heavily guarded, with bandits seen standing guard everywhere. A path leading up the mountain led directly to Ox Demon Mountain.
At about a mile away from Ox Demon Mountain, Tangyu and the others stopped at a mountain valley. Zhuang Qian said, “Let’s make this our battleground. It’s a perfect spot for burying bodies. Haha, I’ll go challenge them first and set an example for you.”
With a laugh, Zhuang Qian swiftly moved toward Ox Demon Mountain.
In front of the mountain gate of Ox Demon Mountain, several bandits were patrolling, preventing any unauthorized individuals from intruding.
“Wang, why do you think the Bull Demon King wants us to capture so many people? We’ve taken over a thousand by now, yet we still need to capture more? And we haven’t seen any food or water sent to these captives. Are they being eaten as human meat?” a bandit said to his companion.
The one dubbed Wang replied, “Isn’t that typical of the Yao Race? They likely ate all those captured people. Tsk, just thinking about it is terrifying. Eating so many people—it’s horrifying.”
“Both of you, shut up! If someone else hears this, you’ll have a lot to answer for.” A voice came through, promptly silencing the two, who dared not speak again.
The Bull Demon King was unpredictable and could easily kill them, making even them unsafe.
Suddenly, Wang’s eyes moved, and he looked over sharply, barking a question: “Who’s daring enough to trespass on Ox Demon Mountain? Do you have a death wish?”
When Zhuang Qian arrived, the bandits immediately yelled fiercely at him, attempting to intimidate him with their imposing manner.
Zhuang Qian grinned at the bandits and said, “Relax, relax, I’m on your side. I’m here to greet the Bull Demon King, so take me to him quickly.”
“Greet the Bull Demon King?” The bandits were taken aback. Who was this guy that dared to demand an audience with the Bull Demon King, and he didn’t even seem that respectful? This made the bandits warily scrutinize Zhuang Qian; he clearly had the aura of a human and not of the Yao Race.
No one had ever heard of the Bull Demon King having a human friend.
“Hmph, the Bull Demon King isn’t someone you can just greet as you please. Kid, if you don’t want to die, you better leave quickly, or you’ll regret coming here,” a bandit said.