Chapter 4: A Gentleman’s Revenge Can Wait Twenty Years  

Chen Xun had mastered various wilderness survival skills, though not with great proficiency, but he knew them all. 

"Moo~~" The big black ox anxiously looked toward the farmland, the one it had plowed with painstaking effort. 

"Don't worry, we'll find a better field someday, one several times larger than this!" 

"Moo! Moo!" The big black ox nodded furiously as Chen Xun began painting grand visions, leaving the ox utterly bewildered. 

"But we still have a great grudge to settle. To leave it unresolved would be unworthy of a gentleman." Chen Xun rose with a roar, spinning the mountain axe in his hand a few times. "Those people must be old and frail by now. Old Ox, strike while the iron's hot—let's take back our rice!" 

Moo!! The ground trembled, stones flew, and the big black ox was enraged. Its horns had only grown back a little, and who knew how many years it would take to fully recover? Even the young cows in the village barely paid it any attention. 

Inside the cave, they packed up their belongings. The suona and other essentials for wandering the world were all loaded onto the black ox. With their current strength, pots and pans were like toys to them. What they couldn't carry, they left for Xiao Hei and his family, including the farmland. 

The next day, outside Xiao Hei's house, the blacksmith's house, the carpenter's house, and other homes that had helped Chen Xun, bags of rice appeared at their doors. Their eyes lit up with joy, marveling at the heavens' mercy. Xiao Hei's wife was still counting the goods, her face beaming with delight—what a stroke of luck! 

Inside the house, Xiao Hei, now middle-aged and more mature, held a letter in his hand. Chen Xun had once taught him to read, so he could understand it. 

"Xiao Hei, the farmland outside the cave is now yours. Take good care of Big Black." 

"As I leave, I may never return. The world is vast and splendid; one must go out and see it. Always keep a cheerful heart. Yours forever carefree, Brother Xun." 

Xiao Hei read the letter word by word, his eyes misting slightly. He had followed Brother Xun around since childhood and had long regarded him as an elder brother. Memories flooded his mind—the stolen rice, the burned thatched hut, the times he was chased away while working in the village. Though life had been bleak, Brother Xun always seemed to embrace it with enthusiasm. 

"Brother Xun, safe travels," Xiao Hei said warmly, looking out the window. Today's clear skies made it a perfect day to set out. 

Three months later, outside the neighboring village, in a dirt pit. 

A man and an ox, weathered and dusty, their clothes covered in dirt. Chen Xun held a flatbread in his hand, took a fierce bite, and then handed it to the black ox for a bite. 

"Just as expected, we've scoped out this neighboring village thoroughly. Let's start with Old Wang's family." Chen Xun's eyes gleamed sharply; patience and time were never in short supply for him. He had investigated everything—the Wang family's ancestral graves, their farmland, and the people who had once wronged them. 

"Old Ox, let's move!" 

Chen Xun donned a bandit's headscarf, leaving only his eyes, nose, and mouth exposed. He even prepared a matching outfit for the big black ox. 

Under the dark moon and high winds, man and ox stood on a dirt slope, unmoving against the gusts, exuding the aura of seasoned bandits. 

They ascended the mountain trail, moonlight spilling down, eerie winds swirling. The graveyard was chillingly desolate, but compared to the grievances they had endured, this was nothing. 

"Grave of Wang Defa." Chen Xun's eyes flashed with determination. "This is the one," he growled. "Old Ox, dig!" 

Moo! The big black ox trembled with excitement, letting out a roar, its four legs kicking up a storm as it dug furiously. Chen Xun kicked the tombstone to pieces with one foot, shouting in exhilaration. Dirt flew everywhere, revealing a coffin. Without hesitation, they pried it open, exposing a skeleton. Man and ox bolted instantly, disappearing in a flash. 

In the Wang family's fields, the big black ox plowed furiously, soil flying as it vented its rage. Chen Xun watched, his eyelid twitching—this old ox held grudges even more fiercely than he did. The entire field was left in ruins, unrecognizable. Chen Xun and the big black ox looked at their handiwork with satisfaction, their hearts filled with relief. 

The next day, Chen Xun charged into Old Wang's house with the black ox. 

"Who's there?!" An elderly man, over fifty, leaned on a cane and shouted in alarm. The intruder was wearing a headscarf, looking utterly menacing. 

"I'm your long-lost father!" Chen Xun roared, instantly recognizing the man—Wang Tianming, the one who had beaten him the hardest back then. Chen Xun kicked out, snapping the cane in an instant. He stepped forward, controlling his strength, and slapped the man across the face, knocking out his remaining teeth. 

"Spare me, good sir! Spare me!" Wang Tianming spat out a mouthful of blood, realizing he was being attacked by bandits. 

"Twenty years ago, you led people to steal our rice. Today, I've come to settle the score!" 

"What?!" Wang Tianming exclaimed in shock. He had almost forgotten about it, but seeing the black ox outside, something clicked in his mind. 

Moo! A large yellow dog passed by the Wang family's house. The black ox charged, sending the dog flying with a miserable yelp before it scrambled away. 

Chen Xun wouldn't spare the Wang family. He shook their eggs until the yolks were mixed, chopped earthworms into eight pieces with his mountain axe, and wreaked havoc everywhere. Wang Tianming sat on the ground, crying and wailing, calling for help. 

"Father! Who are these thugs?!" 

"How dare you come to the Wang family and cause trouble!" 

Outside, shouts and curses rang out as countless able-bodied men armed with hoes and kitchen knives rushed in. 

"Old Ox, retreat!" Chen Xun shouted. Man and ox vaulted over the wall and fled, with Chen Xun giving the ox a push on its rear. 

"Stop, you thief!" 

"Face us if you dare!" 

"Don't let us catch you, you cowardly scoundrel!" 

The village was in an uproar, hundreds of people chasing after them, weapons in hand, dust billowing. 

"Hahaha, you can't catch us!" Chen Xun laughed as he ran, glancing back at the dust cloud with disdain. "Is that all?!" 

Roar! Roar! The men growled in fury, quickening their pace, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't catch up. They could only watch as the man and ox grew smaller in the distance. The most absurd part was that even the ox ran faster than them! 

Moo! Moo! A thunderous fart erupted. The big black ox seemed to have been holding it in for days, releasing a stench so foul it was suffocating. Chen Xun's face twisted in disgust, as if he had eaten something vile. 

"Ugh! It stinks!" 

"Damn it!!" 

Ugh! The villagers chasing them collapsed, hands on the ground, retching uncontrollably, their eyes filled with disbelief—how could a fart smell this bad? 

Wang Tianming arrived, furious. If he were twenty years younger, he would have chopped this man into pieces! 

"Old Wang, your family's ancestral grave has been dug up! Even the coffin lid is gone!" 

"What?!" 

"Old Wang, go check your fields—they look like they've been ravaged by pigs!" 

"What?!" 

Wang Tianming staggered at the news, the world spinning around him, and fainted on the spot. 

Meanwhile, man and ox had vanished into the distance, leaving behind a tale of infamous banditry in the village.