Chapter 105: Ox-King

"Wait a minute! Put down the axe first..."

Seeing the Ox-King's unfriendly tone and realizing that if things went wrong, that massive axe, which was half the size of Yamiru's body, might come crashing down on him, Yamiru quickly raised his hand.

He wasn't the type to let misunderstandings linger without clearing them up.

Before the Ox-King could react, Yamiru spoke rapidly: "My name is Sato Yamiru. I traveled here from the southern capital. Not long ago, at the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament, I met Master Mu Taro, the Martial Arts God. He gave me some guidance, so I decided to seek out Mr. Son Gohan, who lives in seclusion on Mount Paozu, to become his disciple and learn martial arts!"

"Master Mu? Son Gohan?"

As expected, when the Ox-King heard these two names, his previously agitated demeanor instantly calmed down.

He lowered the massive axe and asked, "You really met Master Mu?"

Yamiru nodded and described him plainly: "Bald, wearing sunglasses, with a mouth full of white beard, a small, stooped frame, carrying a turtle shell on his back, and an old sea turtle by his side."

"That's him!" The Ox-King's rough, bearded face broke into a smile, delighted. "I haven't seen him in years. How's he doing?"

Yamiru replied, "That old hermit is living his best life. His health is much better than yours, I'd say."

The Ox-King, instead of getting offended, nodded in agreement, clearly pleased.

"He's lying!" The two bandits at the Ox-King's feet suddenly cried out, still struggling. "If you've met the Martial Arts God, why not just become his disciple? Why go searching for... Rice?"

(Gohan means rice)

The Ox-King immediately stomped on them, his voice booming with anger. "It's Son Gohan, not 'Rice'! Watch out, or I'll crush you!"

Before the Ox-King could ask more, Yamiru preemptively explained, speaking straightforwardly: "It's probably because he doesn't think I'm good enough. Master Mu is the Martial Arts God, and he hasn't taken on a disciple in years. I'm sure he doesn't have the interest in teaching someone like me, who isn't particularly talented."

The Ox-King nodded in agreement, puffing out his chest proudly as he said, "That's right, Master Mu is very strict!"

Yamiru was obviously flattering him, and the two bandits beneath the Ox-King immediately started pounding the ground in frustration.

"So, I thought I'd go and learn from Master Mu's eldest disciple, Mr. Son Gohan," Yamiru continued, speaking more slowly. "It's been tough, crossing mountains and valleys along the way, but I won't give up."

The Ox-King gave a thumbs-up, clearly impressed. "Kid, I admire you!" Then, he added, "But Son Gohan has been living in seclusion for a long time. Even I don't know where he's hiding..." Then, he suddenly slapped his forehead and burst into laughter. "Ah, I'm so dumb! If you've met Master Mu, he must have told you where Son Gohan is!"

"Well... the old man did tell me," Yamiru replied vaguely, "but only the general area." He wasn't lying. He had gotten a rough direction of where Mount Paozu was, but the "old man" who gave him that information wasn't the same one they were referring to.

"So, Uncle Niu... would you let me go? I still have a long journey ahead," Yamiru added politely.

"No way!" The Ox-King said firmly.

"Exactly! You think you can just walk through the Ox-King's territory so easily?" The two bandits, still pinned under his foot, muttered resentfully.

"Did I tell you to talk?" The Ox-King roared at them, stomping his foot. "Go back to the castle and work as servants! How dare you try to rob me?!"

Turning back to Yamiru, his tone softened as he said, "Why are you in such a hurry? You look like you're about to collapse. Your lips are cracking from dehydration, and your clothes are in tatters. Come to my castle, get something to eat and drink, and rest for a few days!"

Yamiru, relieved at last, smiled.

Although his "Golden Veil" had long been deactivated, the energy he initially sensed from the Ox-King was enough to make Yamiru believe a single kick could end his life. And that massive axe the Ox-King wielded? Ten Yamiru's wouldn't even be a match for it. Yamiru beamed and said, "That sounds great, I'm really hungry. If I can find Mr. Son Gohan, you'll be my future 'uncle'"

The bandits, utterly frustrated, dared not speak, fearing the Ox-King's wrath.

"Haha! Uncle? Hahaha… okay! I wish you success." The Ox-King laughed, sheathed his axe behind his back, and, with a flick of his fingers, grabbed both bandits, lifting them effortlessly. "Come on, let's go to the castle. I'm going to treat you well."

Yamiru followed along, taking in his surroundings.

Though Yamiru couldn't know what the environment would be like after the mountain became known as Fire Mountain, what he saw now was still the beautiful scenery of Fry-Pan Mountain—lush, with clear waters and a distinctly Eastern charm.

As he admired the view, Yamiru mused that the rugged Ox-King seemed completely out of place in such an idyllic setting. Perhaps it was the choice of his wife, the yet-unseen Ox-Lady, who had picked this charming spot for their castle... Considering the delicate elegance of Chi-Chi, this possibility seemed likely. Yamiru's mind wandered, and before long, the massive castle perched on the mountainside came into view.

"Get to the kitchen and cook!"

Upon reaching the castle gates, the Ox-King tossed the two bandits to the ground with a kick, sending them on their way with a threat: "If you try to run, I'll chop you up and throw you in the pot!"

Servants came forward to guide the newcomers to the kitchen, while the two bandits, now crying in humiliation, obediently made their way to the back of the castle.

Yamiru, curious, asked, "Uncle Ox, those bandits who were after your treasure, they weren't..."

The Ox-King chuckled. "Exactly! They're all working in the castle now!" He paused, scratching his head. "Some of them still resist, but they've all ended up as fertilizer in the garden."

Noticing that Yamiru didn't seem frightened by his words, the Ox-King raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Aren't you scared?"

Yamiru replied, "They're just people who deserved it." Even as he said it, he was slightly surprised by his own words. Yet, thinking it over, he didn't feel he was wrong.

The Ox-King nodded approvingly. "Exactly! Anyone who tries to steal my treasure deserves to die! They were bandits to begin with, so they've long deserved their fate!"

With that, the two entered the castle.

The large, spacious castle hall stretched before them, resembling a palace. Red carpets, golden decorations, bright lights, and floating scents filled the air.

From one of the hall's corners, a woman dressed in elegant home attire with black long hair stepped out. She exuded grace and beauty, flanked by maids as she gracefully approached them.

Yamiru thought to himself, "This must be Chi-Chi's mother! So this is what she looks like..."

"Dear! I'm home!" The Ox-King laughed heartily, running over to pick up the elegant woman in black with long hair as if she were a figurine. The woman, caught off guard by his rough handling, lost her composure and grabbed onto the Ox-King's horns in frustration. After a failed attempt to twist them, she sighed and looked at the young boy behind him, who, despite his disheveled appearance, had clear and lively eyes. She asked, "Aren't you going to introduce him?"

"Oh, oh..." The Ox-King finally put his wife down and started the introduction.

During the banquet preparations, Yamiru enjoyed the snacks and treats brought in by the maidservants under the Ox-Lady's orders. He chatted with them about everything and nothing—eight parts truth, two parts fabrication. The real reason Yamiru decided to go to Paozu Mountain had little to do with Master Mu; in fact, Master Mu didn't even know about it. Yamiru fabricated his backstory, claiming to be a wandering orphan, and when pressed for more details, he simply shrugged and said, "I forgot."

This tragic backstory mixed with motivational development was so moving that even Yamiru felt a little touched by his own tale.

The Ox-King, wearing his helmet with glasses, showed no reaction, but the Ox-Lady had already become emotional, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at her husband.

Yamiru desperately shoved more snacks into his mouth to hide his embarrassment, but upon reflection, he realized that his past had been difficult, and his story was indeed inspiring—not exactly a lie.

"Don't fill up too much, there's a big feast coming later!" The Ox-King reminded Yamiru, raising his hand to pat him on the back, only for Yamiru to instinctively block it. Surprised, the Ox-King raised an eyebrow. "You've got some strength!" Yamiru laughed and said, "Well, I wouldn't be foolish enough to try to learn from Master Mu if I didn't have a bit of strength." The Ox-King burst into laughter, genuinely happy. He even turned to the Ox-Lady and said, "Dear, if we had a daughter, this kid wouldn't be a bad choice for a husband!" The Ox-Lady just gave her husband a pointed look.

"Not a chance, not a chance..." Yamiru waved his hands in denial.

But thinking about Chi-Chi made Yamiru recall that this place would eventually become Fire Mountain. And with Fire Mountain in mind, he couldn't help but think of the Dragon Balls that were originally kept in the Fire Mountain castle. Yamiru remembered back in South City, someone had summoned Shenron, so he asked, "Uncle Ox, do you happen to have any...?" He described the Dragon Balls, "Like these?"

The Ox-King scratched his head, saying he couldn't remember.