Where had Bull gone?

Li Changshou pursued into the Southern Sea, flying into the Three Thousand Worlds, constantly searching through the void, passing by more than ten Great Thousand Worlds.

The higher his Gold-Flashing Rope lifted, the closer he was to Green Bull.

‘Is this sightseeing, or a honeymoon?’

Li Changshou’s brows furrowed slightly, his heart tangled in knots.

Surely when he found the old bull, he wouldn’t see the silver-haired maiden Iron Fan holding a swaddled infant, while the old bull stood beside them chuckling, gently fanning with a plantain leaf fan…

Would he?

As he thought this, the Gold-Flashing Rope swayed gently.

Li Changshou looked up and saw a visible patch of light ahead. After careful sensing, he knew it was a prosperous world teeming with life.

Using his traversing technique to quietly approach, Li Changshou tied the Gold-Flashing Rope to his wrist to prevent it from flying out and binding Green Bull when they met.

It wouldn’t be good to disturb Green Bull’s good fortune.

But Li Changshou never imagined that when he found Green Bull, this bull would be…

About to make a mistake!

Most Great Thousand Worlds were a mix of immortals and mortals. This place was no different—the city where Green Bull was located was divided into upper and lower parts. Above was a majestic ‘Immortal Island’ with towering immortal pavilions forming its immortal city.

Below the Immortal Island was a lake matching the island’s outline, with rows of houses arranged in neat layers around the lake, quite prosperous as well.

When Li Changshou arrived, it was already nighttime.

In the immortal city above, music drifted from the brightly lit pleasure houses and alleys. The flowing immortal light of various isolation and protective formations obscured the crescent moon that resembled a woman’s delicate eyebrow.

Using transformation techniques to become a middle-aged Daoist, he landed outside the immortal city. Holding a precious immortal folding fan, he paid some spirit stones to enter smoothly, heading toward the pleasure house where Green Bull was located.

What was going on?

His immortal sense detected that Green Bull had transformed into human form, wearing horns and a long robe, drinking heavily in a private room of the pleasure house.

Before him, more than ten beautifully adorned women were dancing gracefully. Each was quite beautiful, and their cultivation was at the Origin Immortal realm…

Tonight’s expenses definitely wouldn’t be low.

Li Changshou couldn’t help but wonder inwardly.

Had Green Bull broken up with Iron Fan? Or had Iron Fan met another bull first? Or had the couple quarreled, and Green Bull came here seeking pleasure to dispel his anger?

Li Changshou found a simple teahouse and secretly observed Green Bull for a while, discovering that Green Bull was indeed drowning his sorrows in wine—his eyes hadn’t even glanced at the dozen immortal maidens before him.

“Ah…”

Green Bull lowered his head and sighed, looking at two small plantain leaf fans in his palm, his eyes full of melancholy as he muttered:

“Little Fan, what did I do wrong? Why did you suddenly drive me away?”

Li Changshou sighed inwardly, knowing this old bull must have lost in love and came to this place to indulge himself, only to find he couldn’t bear to look at other women or take them to heart.

A stone-hearted passionate bull.

Therefore, Li Changshou didn’t immediately reveal himself, just watched from the side for a while.

Half an hour later, those women, hoping to increase their earnings, actively stopped dancing and gathered around Green Bull.

Two courtesans called out “Great King” coquettishly and were about to lean into Green Bull’s embrace, but Green Bull frowned, for a moment wanting to open his arms, but ultimately jumped backward, leaving the two courtesans grasping at empty air.

The wine hadn’t intoxicated the bull, but the bull had intoxicated himself. His form swaying slightly, he frowned and tossed out a treasure pouch from his chest.

“All of you leave, let me be quiet for a while… Also, don’t call me Great King, I’m not of the demon race.”

These immortal maidens showed their professional quality, asking nothing and leaving with bowed heads and quick steps, leaving only the words: “Call us anytime.”

After the door closed, Green Bull sighed again, sitting cross-legged back in his original position, staring blankly at the cups and plates before him.

After a while, Green Bull muttered: “Should go back.”

Just as he was about to rise, uncertainty showed in Green Bull’s eyes again.

“But why did Little Fan drive me away? What did I do wrong?”

Then he let out a long sigh, looking at the two plantain leaf fans in his palm, lost in thought for a long time.

‘If only Senior Brother Changgeng were here.’

“What’s happened here?”

A gentle voice sounded in his ear. Green Bull first froze, then “whoosh” stood up, his thick brows and large eyes full of shock as he looked toward the window.

There, a green bird spread its wings and flew in, wrapped in a trace of primordial yin-yang energy that allowed it to easily merge with the formation walls of this place, transforming into the appearance of a young Daoist standing before Green Bull.

This aura, this Dao rhythm, and that Taiji Diagram power that Green Bull knew so well!

“Senior Brother Changgeng!”

Green Bull howled, stepped forward twice, directly falling to the ground and wrapping his arms around Li Changshou’s paper avatar’s legs, actually beginning to sob.

Li Changshou: …

As Lord Lao’s mount, what kind of bearing was this?

“What’s wrong with you?” Li Changshou sighed lightly and said: “Life always has its share of disappointments, and the same goes for bulls.”

“Then can you help me?”

Li Changshou helplessly said: “Brother, I’m here to take you back.”

“Then can you help me?”

Green Bull raised his head to look at Li Changshou, those large eyes brimming with tears, his vajra bracelet disguised as a nose ring covered in mucus.

“I!”

Li Changshou couldn’t help but hold his forehead, sighing: “Of course I’ll help you. First, get up and tell me what happened.”

Green Bull’s spirits lifted immediately. He quickly jumped up, ran to the side to fetch a wooden chair, and invited Li Changshou to sit.

“Don’t busy yourself,” Li Changshou lifted the hem of his Daoist robe and sat before Green Bull, “What exactly happened?”

“Well,” Green Bull sighed, “I don’t know. After leaving the Blood Sea, I just accompanied her walking around to lift her spirits. We went from the Eastern Sea to the Western Sea, then from the Western Sea to the Southern Sea, and finally left the Three Thousand Worlds.

Along the way, we got along very happily. I started calling her Little Fan, and she started calling me Little Bull Bull…”

“Pfft!”

Green Bull’s old face reddened, and holding back his embarrassment, he complained: “Senior Brother Changgeng, don’t laugh!”

“I just thought of something happy,” Li Changshou waved his hand, “Then what?”

“Then, there wasn’t much else,” Green Bull sighed, “Her mood would swing between good and bad, but her nature was quite gentle. Every time she saw some scenery, it would trigger memories.

I worried she might think too much, so I kept watching over her, until two years ago…

It was at a snow mountain. We watched the snowy scenery and spent a wonderful night.

Uh, sorry Senior Brother, I forgot you and Immortal Cloud Fairy Yunxiao are still at the ‘maintaining propriety’ stage.”

Li Changshou’s forehead sprouted a blue cross-shaped vein, and he suddenly wanted to leave immediately.

Never mind, for the sake of Lord Lao’s travels, he would endure it.

Li Changshou said: “I’m asking why you’re here today, how you had a conflict with Iron Fan, not what stage your relationship reached.”

“Oh, oh, right.”

Green Bull scratched his head, saying softly: “I don’t know why either. Originally we were getting along quite peacefully, walking and stopping through the Great Thousand Worlds, staying for a while wherever we liked.

But yesterday, in a lakeside cottage where we had lived for half a year, I had just made some grilled fish and was about to call her to taste it, when she…”

“What?”

Green Bull lowered his head and sighed: “She said I entered with my left foot first, that our destinies were incompatible, and she was breaking with me from that moment.”

“Hmm?”

Li Changshou’s forehead was covered in question marks, but then he thought of some possibilities. “Is she still in that cottage?”

“No,” Green Bull said quietly, “She scolded me, told me not to pursue her, and flew away by herself.”

“Is the Element-Severing Sword with you?”

“Yes,” Green Bull felt in his sleeve and took out a sheathed precious sword, cold killing Dao rhythms flowing over it—undoubtedly the Element-Severing Sword.

Li Changshou’s expression changed as he said softly: “Things have become somewhat troublesome.”

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

Li Changshou rolled up his sleeve, revealing the Gold-Flashing Rope, shook out Green Bull’s aura from it, and quickly said: “I’ll explain on the way, first infuse Iron Fan’s aura into this!”

“Alright,” Green Bull’s expression also became serious as he activated the Gold-Flashing Rope. Its tassel swayed gently, pointing southwest.

“Go!”

Li Changshou shouted softly, grabbed Green Bull’s arm to use the wind traversal technique, and their forms shot directly outward.

…

Saying they were incompatible because he entered with his left foot first—this was problematic!

From Green Bull’s description, his relationship with Iron Fan had been as close as glue. If not for some accident, Iron Fan wouldn’t have sent Green Bull away like this.

The best evidence was the Element-Severing Sword in Green Bull’s hand.

From Li Changshou’s perspective, Iron Fan’s actions might have had two reasons.

Either she hadn’t resolved her inner conflicts and sent Green Bull away to end everything herself;

Or she had suddenly detected powerful enemies approaching, facing enormous pressure, perhaps from the Asura clan or the Western Teaching.

The latter possibility was far higher than the former.

Judging from Iron Fan’s previously shown personality, it was highly likely that her thinking had reached a dead end. Unwilling to implicate Green Bull and overlooking his formidable strength, she had sent him away to face things alone.

Fortunately, although Green Bull had come to the pleasure house to degenerate, he had only drunk wine and watched dancing, without making any mistakes.

All along the way, wild winds swept as they headed toward the outer heavens.

At first, Li Changshou used wind traversal to carry Green Bull rushing forward, but after Green Bull reacted, he directly transformed into his true form for Li Changshou to ride, crashing through space-time to fly urgently beyond the heavens.

Green Bull kept muttering: “Little Fan, don’t let anything happen to you. I was too stupid, how could I let you leave alone.”

Li Changshou comforted him: “No need to hurry, heaven protects the fortunate. She has formed karmic ties with our Human Dao, and the fortune of the great teaching will naturally protect her.”

“If anything happens to her!”

Green Bull’s words became urgent, his bull eyes blazing with brilliant light, his nose ring flying horizontally as four white clouds appeared under his feet.

Whoosh!

Green Bull’s extreme speed surged again, his iron-cast body rubbing space-time into layers of ripples!

How could a Sage’s mount be merely steady and stable?

In less than half an hour, the Gold-Flashing Rope swayed gently, and Green Bull hurriedly braked, almost missing a small world.

“It’s here!”

Li Changshou declared firmly. Green Bull transformed into human form, grabbed Li Changshou’s paper avatar, and charged into this small world complete with the Five Elements, descending toward a valley in one corner of this small world.

Before they had landed, their immortal sense had already seen the situation deep in the valley.

Iron Fan knelt under several peach blossom trees, with a stone tablet placed before her. On it was carved a small plantain leaf fan, seemingly a gravestone prepared for herself.

She was now sitting among the romantic peach blossoms, combing her silver hair, having changed into her most beloved immortal dress.

“Little Fan!”

Green Bull roared, releasing Li Changshou’s arm and hurriedly descending.

Seeing this, Li Changshou shook his head, concealed his aura, and didn’t hurry to descend.

Iron Fan, who had been lost in thought facing the stone tablet, started, looked up, her mouth twitching as she cried out:

“Why did you come here!”

“I came to understand clearly,” Green Bull’s mighty form crashed among the peach blossoms, the fierce wind he stirred up lifting petals everywhere, “Do you truly tire of me!”

“Yes,” Iron Fan turned her head away, having suppressed her emotional changes by now, saying coldly, “I’m sick to death of you, you’re always clinging to me!”

Green Bull rushed two steps before Iron Fan, his expression somewhat excited.

“You’re lying. If you truly tire of me, why did you carve this fan on the stone tablet!”

Iron Fan’s pretty face was taut, but her eyes gradually reddened. Finally unable to hold back, she said softly:

“Why did you come looking for me? I’ve been content with our carefree time together, but now what needs to be settled must be settled.

I betrayed my clansmen, betrayed my teachers…

I should die here today…”

“Nonsense!”

Green Bull lowered his head and pulled Iron Fan up with one hand. Though the movement was somewhat rough, he didn’t use much force.

Green Bull stared into Iron Fan’s eyes and said firmly: “You saved your clansmen!

If you hadn’t pleaded with Senior Brother Changgeng, the Asura clan would have been eliminated by the celestial army and the netherworld long ago!”

“It’s not the same,” Iron Fan lowered her head and muttered, tears falling like broken strings of pearls, “And speaking of these things is useless, she has already come.

Back then when the Element-Severing Sword fell into the Western Teaching’s hands and they wouldn’t return it, I was ordered to go to the Western Teaching to take charge of the Element-Severing Sword, joining the Western Teaching as the Asura clan princess.

Now, I’ve betrayed them and offered the Element-Severing Sword to the Human Dao…

According to their rules, I won’t have a good end. You don’t understand their viciousness—the Western Teaching secretly harbors too many experts, too many primordial fierce beasts.

She’s about to arrive. Please leave, okay? This is what I owe them!”

Green Bull tightly pressed his lips together and forcefully embraced Iron Fan, his arms rippling with muscles.

“Whoever wants to harm you must first step over my body!”

Iron Fan cried: “You’re no match for them, why are you so stupid? Just leave…”

“If I’m not enough, there’s still—!”

“Oh my~”

Green Bull’s words were suddenly interrupted as gentle yet chilling laughter echoed throughout the valley.

The surrounding thousand li suddenly darkened as gusts of cold wind blew in their faces. Green Bull’s spirits lifted as he tightly embraced Iron Fan, white smoke puffing from his bull nose, already filled with fighting spirit!

Crack!

A blue-white lightning bolt crossed the valley, and in the east, south, and north directions, three ferocious figures were projected onto the three cliff faces.

But Green Bull and Iron Fan simultaneously looked west, Green Bull’s expression becoming much more solemn as he felt a faint pressure.

There, from a corner of strange rocks, a graceful figure slowly approached.

A blood-colored dress made her red lips seem like fire, and her waterfall-like black hair highlighted her peerless figure. Those jade feet wore no shoes or socks as she lightly walked three feet above the ground, her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, her lips showing a faint smile.

Green Bull released Iron Fan and stood before her, directly facing this figure.

Iron Fan’s legs weakened as she knelt on the ground, her eyes full of despair as she muttered:

“Aunt Wen, don’t hurt him, it’s all my fault…”

The arrival was Western Teaching’s Primordial Fierce Beast Grand Commander, Wen Jing!

“Heh~”

Cultivator Wen Jing’s smile was full of charm as another thunderbolt slashed across the sky vault. Behind Cultivator Wen Jing appeared several black and gold mosquito wings.

“How long has it been since you left the Blood Sea, and you’ve already forgotten your origins, forgotten your clansmen’s predicament, and learned the ways of the human race?

This man’s cultivation isn’t bad, it would be a pity to waste him here. I wonder how his blood essence would taste.”

At the same time, figures appeared on the three sides, two men and one woman, three primordial fierce beasts.

One fierce beast said coldly: “Commander, there’s no point in saying more to them. Retrieving the Element-Severing Sword is key.”

Green Bull said firmly: “You are fierce beasts raised by the Western Teaching?”

“Using the word ‘raised’ is too jarring,” Cultivator Wen Jing laughed lightly, her gaze falling on Iron Fan. As if deliberate yet seemingly casual, she asked about Green Bull’s background.

“What’s your background? Announce your lineage!”

Green Bull’s nostrils trembled slightly as he raised his hand and pulled off his nose ring. His aura began to surge madly as his form grew to thirty zhang tall, blue flames erupting all over his body.

Just then, a light laugh came from the sky as that white-haired, white-browed old immortal appeared without warning, descending on a cloud with the Dao rhythm of balanced great Dao flowing outward.

Cultivator Wen Jing and the other three fierce beasts’ expressions changed drastically.

Li Changshou’s gaze slid past Cultivator Wen Jing to the three fierce beasts at the side, his smile extremely gentle as he said:

“Hello everyone, meeting in such a remote place can be considered fate.

Finally, I have another reason to make Spirit Mountain uncomfortable.”

Green Bull’s deep and magnificent voice followed, answering Cultivator Wen Jing’s question.

“I am the bull raised by Lord Lao of Touslai Palace!”