"Hmm?!"
The white bull, feeling deceived, snorted hot air from its nostrils onto the creek, creating ripples, and after glancing around, began muttering about hiring security personnel for foxes.
It seemed to have noticed something and locked its gaze onto a girl hanging on the rock wall.
"Me?"
Mo Yiqing, who was clinging to the rope hanging from the wall, was very sensitive to external gazes. She could clearly sense that after occupying the creek, the white bull glanced around.
Then, its gaze fell on her, and Mo Yiqing was slightly startled for a moment and climbed up the rock wall a bit.
"Wow! What a big bull!"
Ah Qing was surprised upon seeing the four-horned white bull, never having seen such a strange and robust large water buffalo.
Its biceps alone could be about a meter thick, as if a single kick could kill someone.
"Ah Qing!?"
Emerging from the dense forest, Ansheng immediately noticed Ah Qing heading towards the upstream of the creek.
"Ansheng is back?" Ah Qing waved to the little fox with a smile and said, "Wait for me, we have a big guest in the class. I'll go over to greet it and see what the bull wants."
Finishing her words, Ah Qing walked towards the creek.
"...This might be a bit challenging, Ah Qing." Ansheng shook his head at the sight, knowing that Ah Qing had the unique ability to communicate with animals to a certain extent, using powers even she couldn't fully explain, allowing her to engage in real-time interaction with her animal friends.
Spirit Beasts possess wisdom.
They just cannot speak human language or understand human society.
Ah Qing had the right to suggest, but Spirit Beasts also had the right to get upset and headbutt Ah Qing in response.
When it came to dealing with Spirit Beasts, Ansheng felt more experienced.
Unfortunately... Ah Qing was also here, making it inconvenient to pick up a rock pillar and smash it against the bull's head.
"Ying Ying~"
The little fox joyfully followed behind Ah Qing, moving its limbs briskly towards the creek.
"Dude, you're so strange!"
"Did they shave all your fur? Why do you seem different from the wild monkeys in the mountains?"
"By the way, where's the food they talked about? That rabid old ibex, I don't know what it ate. When a Spirit Beast went up, it charged like a raging bull, almost ramming me off..."
The giant white bull came wading through the waves, mooing towards Mo Yiqing, seemingly taking her as a peer, and started complaining.
"Hello?"
"Did you just say you were hungry? Is there anything you'd like to eat? I have some cowpea melons here."
Ah Qing stopped about ten meters away from the white bull and asked, holding up some fruits she had just picked from the forest.
Meanwhile, unnoticed by Ah Qing was the little fox happily sticking close to the rock wall and moving towards the white bull.
"Moo?"
At the moment Ah Qing spoke, strange images suddenly appeared in the white bull's mind.
The first image showed Ah Qing cautiously approaching the white bull, offering food and drink, with the bull happily nuzzling against Ah Qing, and then students, as if in worship, scoured the hills to find tasty fruits for the white bull.
In the second image,
The white bull sat on a throne, before it were countless students bowing with hands raised, offering salt, clear cool stream water, and delicious fruits.
In the third image,
The white bull was being bathed like a person, with students reverently washing its fur and trimming its hooves.
And the key to it all,
Was to eat the fruits held by the girl in front of it, and to nuzzle her arm to gain these privileges.
The strong-willed brain of the white bull froze, displaying a shocked expression as it looked towards Ah Qing: "Moo???"
Is...is it really that enjoyable?
Are those things you said true?
Are you not tricking me into eating poisonous mushrooms?
"Do you know who I am?"
As the white bull daydreamed about becoming an emperor, it suddenly felt a tightness around its neck. It noticed that a white fox had somehow approached the base of its neck, squatting on the ground, slowly raising its small fox paw.
The little paw extended, with its tiny fingertips lengthening slightly, gaining the ability to grip.
Master Fox grasped the collar of the white bull, pulling its big bovine head down, and whispered:
"It's okay if you don't know who I am."
"In Chang'an City, the folks on the streets call me Master Fox. You should know about that dark ibex, right? Ansheng's defeated opponent..."
The mention of the dark ibex triggered something in the heart of the white bull, shocked to its core.
"Standing before you is Ah Qing, and the fruit in her hand is a tribute for me. All the students around are all under the protection of Master Fox!" At this moment, the slight pressure in Master Fox's arms nearly pulled the entire giant white water buffalo off its feet.
Even if instinctively trying to escape, its hooves scratched white marks on the rocky ground, but to no avail.
"Is it...you don't like eating peels, so, you're unwilling to accept the fruit?"
"It's okay, I'll peel the fruit for you." Seeing the little fox hanging from the bull's neck in playful banter, and witnessing the bull's expression change, Ah Qing felt a sudden panic, not understanding why the bull seemed agitated.
Typically, making friends was easy; as long as you fed the beasts well, they could be coaxed into bathing in the river, getting rid of their stench for everyone to pet them.
The big friend was happy, and classmates were glad as well.
But for some reason, it didn't work today, especially seeing Ansheng trying to befriend the bull, Ah Qing felt an instinctive tightness and hurriedly attempted to soothe the situation.
Ah Qing put down the fruit she was holding, taking out a common August-burst sweet fruit, and handed it to the big friend.
"That's a tribute for me!"
"Tribute for Master Fox!"
"Moo!"
Master Fox's warning whispers reverberated in the white bull's mind repeatedly, frightening the white bull to the point of emitting panicked mooing sounds, tightly shutting its mouth.
Master Fox...
Isn't that the monster the ibex mentioned?
The purpose of the ibex bashing Spirit Beasts in the forest was said to be to drag them away for Master Fox to feast on.
Master Fox... Initially, it thought the ibex's Master Fox was some large wildcat.
Who would have thought it was a fox's blessing!
"Come eat!"
Seeing the white bull sitting down on the ground with an isosceles triangle posture, appearing relaxed, Ah Qing's eyes lit up, offering the fruit in her hand to the white bull.
The white bull turned its head away, stubbornly keeping its mouth shut.
Ah Qing offered again, and the white bull lay down on its side.
"Huh?"
By the third offering, the white bull was already trembling all over, lying with its four legs up in the air, pretending to be dead.
"Eat...beef?"
"How could we eat beef? That's impossible! We're all friends!"
Seeing the bull flipping its belly and muttering nervously, Ah Qing was full of questions.
Did someone say they'd butcher the bull to scare it just now?
It didn't seem like it, right?
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Ah Qing, the little fox beside the bull had somehow dragged over a large iron hammer.
The little fox squatted behind Ah Qing, tilting its head adorably, smiling like a protective spirit.
Dude, there are too many people around here, not a good place to beat you up.
I suggest you'd better speak carefully.
Otherwise, the hammer could be used to make beef balls!