Chapter 80: Master Niu

Wang Liang squeezed into the crowd, only to find them surging toward the center of the square. They pulled various spiritual herbs and immortal plants from their backpacks, shouting as they pushed forward.

"Master Ox, look here..."
"Master Ox, I have a thousand-year-old ganoderma..."
"Master Ox, I have just refined some spiritual elixirs; do try them..."

In the distance, Wang Liang saw a group of people clamoring around a specific spot. Amidst the crowd, there seemed to be a mountain-like shadow of azure.

Looking closer, he realized it was a cyan ox. Its body was as massive as a small hill, packed with solid muscle and devoid of any fat. Its hide shone with a glossy sheen, and its large black horns were adorned with red silk ribbons. Many players, disregarding everything else, were simply hanging their spiritual herbs directly onto the ox's horns.

The ox looked quite exasperated. It had only come out for a stroll to relax, never expecting to encounter such a scene. Fortunately, it had grown accustomed to this over the years. Every few steps, it would shake its head, tossing the herbs onto the ground, only occasionally extending its tongue to eat one if it smelled particularly good.

Whenever the ox consumed an herb, certain players would cheer, "It ate mine! It ate mine! I’ve been chosen..."

Such incidents only fueled the frenzy of the other players, who were desperate to throw everything they owned toward the beast.

Watching this scene, Wang Liang was at a loss as to what was happening. He shook his head and was about to retreat from the crowd when he suddenly noticed a scar near the ox's right eye.

A memory from an unknown lifetime flashed through his mind, and he spoke.

"Xiaoqing."

As soon as Wang Liang’s words fell, all the players turned to look at him.

A player nearby laughed, "Xiaoqing? Give me a break. I’ve never heard of a bull named Xiaoqing."
"Exactly. If Xiaoqing is an ox, then what is the White Lady? Princess Iron Fan?"
"..."

Before the players could finish their remarks, the cyan ox noticed Wang Liang. It shook off the items on its head and nudged its horns, causing the crowd to part.

The mountain-like ox then charged toward Wang Liang and rested its horns against his chest. Its movements were bouncy, like a child weighing thousands of pounds.

Wang Liang stroked the ox's horns and patted its head. "Long time no see. I didn't expect you to have grown so big."

Wang Liang then hugged the ox. "The meat looks good; you’re ready for the altar."

The ox let out a puff of white air from its nostrils, but one could see from its eyes that there was no anger—rather, it seemed to be joking.

All the players present were stunned. They were baffled by the situation; who was Wang Liang, where did he come from, and why did he have such a close relationship with the cyan ox?

Just as the players were speculating, the ox retreated a few steps. It stared at Wang Liang and said, "Little Yang, you’ve come too early. The Master hasn't yet... never mind. Coming too early is not good for you. Let me handle this. By the way, take this."

With that, the ox opened its mouth and spat out a golden nose ring.

The ox then scanned the grand square. A flash of white light streaked across its horns. Wang Liang felt a blinding brilliance before his eyes and could see nothing more.

When he regained his senses, the mountain-like ox had vanished. Even the chaotic crowd was gone. Wang Liang stood alone, looking somewhat bewildered at the golden nose ring in his hand.

[Cyan Ox Nose Ring (Quest Item)]
[Quality: Purple]
[Function: Upon activation, it opens a Purple-quality world related to keywords such as "Westward Journey," "Converting the Barbarians," or "Civilization."]
[Note 1: Squad entry; a maximum of 5 people can enter at once.]
[Note 2: Please activate within 12 hours.]

Seeing this description, a smile appeared on Wang Liang’s face. This was a favor from Xiaoqing the ox; it seemed it hadn't forgotten him.

Wang Liang turned and pushed open the gate of his own residence. This was the mystery of the Grand Square of the Eight Views Palace; as long as a player on the square wished to go home, the gate would appear behind them.

After Wang Liang left, the players on the square finally snapped out of their stupor. They were confused, wondering what had just happened. It felt as if some great figure had arrived on the square, yet they couldn't see who it was. No matter how they tried, they couldn't recall the details; even the slightest attempt to think about it made them forget what they were trying to remember. Before long, the disturbance vanished, leaving no trace in anyone's mind.

However, Wang Liang, back in his residence, was not like the other players.

Beyond the memory of seeing the ox, another small fragment of memory emerged in his mind. It was the ox talking to itself:

"Little Yang, it’s not that I want to lecture you, but why did you run over so early? Now is not the time for you to be here. It’s fortunate I found you; what if someone else had discovered you and chased you out? Forget it—since you're already in, I can't let you leave like this. I’ll arrange a destination for you; hurry in and claim the benefits there. No need to say anything else—find someone to protect you first. Your strength is still lacking. Take this and use it as soon as you get back. Don't worry about what it says on it; just choose 'Westward Journey' when you enter. Also, don't worry about your current strength. I’ve adjusted everything. As long as you don't cause trouble inside and keep heading west, someone will be waiting for you in the middle stages. Don't bring anyone else; go alone. Remember, don't bring any subordinates; they’re useless. Once you’ve consumed the items and secured the benefits, come back immediately. Whatever you do, do not cause trouble inside."

Then followed various complaints from the ox: about how its life was too idle, how it could only come out for a stroll once a month before having to return, how it was no longer what it once was, yet still had to stay in the stable eating ordinary grass instead of being able to go out and play. It also grumbled about Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin, who were inferior to it at the beginning but had somehow ended up by the Master’s side—a truly unreasonable state of affairs.

Furthermore, the Master seemed unwilling to leave the house, managing nothing and staying in the Eight Views Palace all day. If the gates of the Eight Views Palace didn't open so rarely, the players might have already stormed it. It had been forced to block the entrance every day, brainwashing the players who tried to sneak in and sending them away.

Listening to these words, memories flashed one after another in Wang Liang’s eyes.

At the same time, layer upon layer of memories were recovered. The purple aura on his body gradually thickened, eventually enveloping him completely and even shrouding the entire residence.