Chapter 5

The green ox did not respond, closing its eyes.

Li Qingshan lay flat on the bed, maintaining a calm expression, but his heart was surging uncontrollably, and he did not fall asleep until late at night. But once the tension in his heart eased, he felt more exhausted than after a day of farm work, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

That night, he dreamed of fighting against thousands, the bodies piling up to block the sun, the blood forming a sea that drowned the stars.

When he woke up, the dream receded like a tide, and the bright sunlight shone through the window, already high in the sky.

Liu Laizi's death was like a drop of cold water in a pot of oil, causing a great stir in the village. This scoundrel had committed countless evils in the village, and now that he was finally dead, the ordinary villagers all clapped their hands in joy, calling it retribution.

But then came the speculation about who did it. Although many had a grudge against Liu Laizi, few dared to take revenge. In the small village, there were no secrets, and the villagers immediately thought of what happened in the ancestral hall yesterday. The fact that the person involved had not come to see the commotion made people even more convinced of their guess.

"Li Erlang killed someone."

"Looking at him, so quiet and unassuming, he actually had such courage."

"He must have already fled."

Amidst the low murmurings, Li Da and his wife were pale-faced, Liu Guan and Li Cunzhang had dark expressions, and the ruffians were so frightened that their legs turned to jelly. If they had gone out last night, would they be lying here now?

Suddenly, someone cried out, "Li Erlang is here." The crowd automatically parted, and Li Qingshan, under everyone's watchful eyes, strode to Liu Laizi's corpse. The darkness of last night had not revealed the horror of the death, but today, it was clear. However, his face showed no emotion, and he said, "He deserved to die." His gaze swept across the crowd from left to right.

Everyone felt that Li Qingshan seemed to have changed overnight, becoming somewhat intimidating. All those who met his eyes felt a chill down their spines, and the few involved were even more frightened.

Li Cunzhang said, "Tie up Li Erlang and take him to the ancestral hall."

The villagers were in an uproar. Li Qingshan raised his eyebrows and shouted, "Who dares?" Even without a weapon, the aura of a killer made him seem like a sword drawn from its sheath, sharp and menacing.

No one stepped forward, but it was not just out of fear of Li Qingshan. Everyone had their own sense of justice. The villagers thought: Village chief, you collude with the powerful and bully the good, what right do you have to command us? Li Erlang grew up with us, and you even call him grandpa, yet you can bring yourself to do this. Liu Laizi deserved to die, and Li Erlang did a service to the village.

"This Liu Laizi fell and died after drinking too much, what does it have to do with Li Erlang?" It was Zhang Wuge, who had a deep grudge against Liu Laizi. Liu Laizi had once tried to bully his wife while he was working in the fields, and he had wanted to fight him then, but his wife had persuaded him. Now, seeing Liu Laizi's corpse, he felt an indescribable sense of relief.

Immediately, someone echoed, "Yes, yes, he fell and died, it's the will of heaven."

For a moment, the crowd was in an uproar, all saying that Liu Laizi died by accident, ignoring the wounds on his body. The way they looked at Li Qingshan was filled with more respect.

Li Qingshan was moved. This was the voice of the people.

Li Cunzhang knew that if this continued, his authority in the village would be greatly affected, and he was also afraid of Li Qingshan's retaliation. If he had known how fierce this boy was, he would not have taken the few silver coins and done this. The villagers did not listen to him, and the ruffians, who were even worse than ordinary people, had already sneaked away.

He could only look at Liu Guan, who should be able to command the servants and laborers in his household, but Liu Guan pretended not to see. After all, it was Li Da who insisted on selling the land to him, and he had not been involved. His family was large and powerful; why should he risk a conflict over such a small matter, especially when it might incite the villagers' anger, which would be a loss.

Unconsciously, he had already treated Li Qingshan as a formidable opponent.

"Evil spirit possession, evil spirit possession, I told you, I told you." The shaman suddenly pointed at Li Qingshan and howled.

The villagers' expressions changed, and they involuntarily moved away from Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan stepped forward and kicked her down, "You old hag, how long will you keep framing me? If you say another word, I'll tear your mouth apart."

The shaman "ah" and did not dare to speak, only staring at him with a venomous look.

Li Qingshan was undaunted, "If you really have supernatural powers, let your gods and spirits come after me. Let's see if I'm afraid." With that, he raised his head and walked out of the crowd, heading to a place where no one was, and his momentum finally dissipated. His heart was pounding, but he knew he had made the right move.

If he had hidden at home out of fear, giving Li Cunzhang time to mobilize the villagers, someone would have come for him by nightfall. With his current physique, he could not possibly fight off three or five strong men. Only by taking a risky move, overwhelming others with his aura, and gaining the moral high ground could he truly be safe.

Back at the thatched cottage, the green ox had been waiting for a long time, sizing up Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan also sensed the unusual atmosphere, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully, then asked with a smile, "Brother Niu, do you still need to hold a grand ceremony for the apprenticeship?"

The green ox said, "Your wine and meat, which one did I not provide? What do you mean by a grand ceremony?"

Li Qingshan spread his hands, "Can I bring you some tender grass?"

The green ox's eyes darkened, "Don't joke around. Since you have the heart to kill, I will teach you the art of killing. In the future, you will have to fight and struggle, and there will be no peaceful days. If your skills are not enough, and you are killed by others, you should have no regrets."

"Weak meat, strong eat, it's the same everywhere. I can't say I have no regrets, but I have no regrets."

The green ox said, "Good, no regrets. Since you have made up your mind, I will teach you a set of 'Ox Demon Great Strength Fist.' Once you have the strength of an ox, I will teach you the 'Tiger Demon Bone Strengthening Fist.' Practicing both, you can achieve the Daoist power of 'Nine Ox and Two Tigers Strength,' and then you can dominate the world."

"Nine ox and two tigers?" Li Qingshan initially thought it was ordinary. Nine oxen and two tigers, what was so special? They were the most common domestic and wild animals, and they were called powers. Could they really dominate the world?

But as he thought about it, he felt a great shock. He had herded oxen for over ten years and knew how strong an ox was. A bull's strength could match ten strong men. With the strength of an ox, he could wear armor and wield weapons, charging into battle, worthy of the title of a mighty general.

Nine oxen and two tigers were not special, but if all this strength was combined in one person, a single movement could have the power of a thousand pounds. Who could stand against it? Even if Lu Bu or Li Yuanba were reborn, they could not withstand his light punch.

"But since it's a Daoist power, why is it called Ox Demon and Tiger Demon?"

"This power is an ancient one, now lost."

Li Qingshan was excited when he heard the words "ancient." In his mind, any miraculous medicine, secret manual, or magical treasure associated with these two words was incredibly powerful.

But the green ox's next explanation disappointed him. The reason this power was lost was that it was too difficult to use, and it was replaced by other powers and spells created by later geniuses, in short, it was eliminated.

The ancient sages were indeed powerful, but later generations were not necessarily inferior, especially when standing on the shoulders of their predecessors.

"Contemporary practitioners value cultivating qi and devalue strengthening the body, even considering the physical body as a stinking bag of flesh. This power, which pursues brute strength, is naturally no longer valued."

"Haha, you don't have to be too disappointed. The power I teach you is not the original version but has been improved by a powerful demon, hence the name Ox Demon and Tiger Demon. Ox Demon strengthens the body, Tiger Demon strengthens the bones, and from demon to Dao. As the saying goes, 'The Dao rises a foot, the demon rises a zhang,' and its power is much stronger."

"Will there be any drawbacks for me, a human, to practice this power?"

"Unknown, because no one has tried it. You might go mad and turn into a demon."

The green ox spoke casually, but Li Qingshan could only smile bitterly. Practicing an ancient lost power was one thing, and at worst, he would become a "strange person" and be mocked by other practitioners. Practicing a power modified by demons, however, could turn him into a "monster" and possibly be hunted down.

But he was not in a position to be picky. After a moment of thought, Li Qingshan took a deep breath, "Please, Brother Niu, teach me this power." If anyone understood his desire to change his fate, they would know that even the devil's help would be accepted.

The green ox then explained the essence of the "Ox Demon Great Strength Fist" to him in detail. Li Qingshan immediately began to practice, moving his limbs and stretching his muscles.

Under the bright sunlight, amidst the swaying tree shadows, an old ox and a young man. The old ox lay leisurely, giving instructions, while the young man had a solemn expression, listening intently.

Although the green ox could not demonstrate in person, every word it spoke hit the mark, making Li Qingshan suddenly enlightened and gaining a deeper understanding of the "Ox Demon Great Strength Fist," practicing even more enthusiastically.

The green ox, though speaking casually, was very satisfied with this "disciple's" insight. Not for nothing was he someone who had awakened his past wisdom. Such a person would not remain in the wilderness for long. Unfortunately, he was born in this remote mountain village, a dragon in shallow water, a tiger in a flat place.

Otherwise, in any bustling city, whether learning martial arts or literature, he would have stood out and become a hero, not suffering the insults of a few ignorant villagers.

But precisely because of this, this excellent material fell into its hands. What it wanted to teach was not just a hero.