The Emperor Who Scrapes By

Chapter 3 Twenty Years Later

"Let's just live a good life, you and me—no getting mixed up in all that fighting and killing."

Chen Xun patted Big Black Ox and said earnestly. The latter nodded in agreement—they were living a perfectly content life now.

"Old Ox, let's head to the village and find some work. In this world, if you don't master eighteen kinds of skills, how can you get by?"

Chen Xun stood up with a smile and tucked his felling axe into his belt. Now that they had rice, they didn't need meals provided anymore—no risk of getting thrown out again.

Moo~

The man and the ox began going from door to door in the village, learning all sorts of trades—funeral services from start to finish, suona horns blaring to the skies—they threw themselves into it with gusto.

Big Black Ox was even better at carrying the coffin than Chen Xun. Every villager who saw him gave a thumbs-up.

Now, whenever there was a wedding or a funeral, the neighbors would personally come to invite Chen Xun to handle things. In two words:professional.

Chen Xun had always been an optimist. More skills never weighed a man down, and because he was immortal, he felt nothing but hope for the future. Every day was full and fulfilling.

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. A trace of time's weariness had crept into Chen Xun's eyes, and many new babies had been born in the village.

"How lonely it is to be invincible."

Chen Xun stood in the cave, grinned, and struck a boxing stance. Before him lay a massive boulder.

Boom!

He threw a punch—the moment his fist made contact, the boulder shattered into countless fragments, exploding in all directions. His hand bones were completely unharmed.

Big Black Ox sat on the ground, looking at Chen Xun with an expression of sheer awe—no broken bones? Terrifyingly formidable.

"Old Ox, how was that?"

"Moo!"

"Hahaha..."

Chen Xun laughed heartily with his hands behind his back, a look of disdain for the world in his eyes. "That was merely one-tenth or two-tenths of my true power."

Big Black Ox actually believed him, and its awestruck expression grew even more intense, which Chen Xun found immensely satisfying.

Over those ten years, Chen Xun had poured all his longevity points into strength. Lifting a nine-ton cauldron was no longer a challenge—his power had surpassed that of ordinary mortals.

Even when that young fellow Blackie in the village arm-wrestled with him, Chen Xun could easily pin him down with just three fingers.

"Chen Xun!"

"Chen Xun!"

...

Urgent shouts came from outside the cave. Big Black Ox perked up—a job was coming! It quickly used its horns to nudge the equipment into place and raised its head proudly.

It was now the village's divine ox. Even the village's big yellow dog had to call it "Brother Ox"—though that was just in its own imagination.

"Fellow villagers, what's the matter?"

Chen Xun stepped out of the cave and saw that dozens of people had gathered. "Wedding or funeral? So I can dress accordingly."

"The old village chief... has passed away," several villagers said somberly.

"Ah?"

Chen Xun was taken aback. The old village chief had always been kind to him and the ox. His heart suddenly felt empty. "Let's go!"

Outside the village funeral hall, all the villagers were gathered. Chen Xun played the suona, while the autumn wind rustled and leaves drifted down.

There was a sigh in his eyes—mortals could never escape the sorrow of parting, life and death. A mere hundred years, gone in a flash.

Big Black Ox wore several bells that clanked rhythmically, complementing Chen Xun's suona like an autumn dirge, carrying the old village chief far away.

On the country path outside the village, Chen Xun's face was expressionless as he personally carried the coffin. A long procession followed behind him, while yellow funeral paper fluttered through the air.

"Lower the coffin~~"

Chen Xun and a few others carefully placed the coffin into the earth. He stood aside and watched as all the villagers paid their final respects.

Some prayed for blessings, some for wealth, some for immortality...

After everyone had left, Chen Xun silently bowed three times and murmured with a smile, "Old village chief, thank you for your care. May you rest in peace."

Moo~Big Black Ox, feeling low-spirited, imitated Chen Xun and lowered its head three times as well.

Back in the village, Blackie had now grown into a young man. He saw Chen Xun and laughed, "Brother Xun, you're still so young—you haven't aged a bit."

"It's all about having the right mindset."

Chen Xun chuckled and patted Blackie on the shoulder. "Not bad, young man—strong as an ox. You've got about a third of my prime strength."

"Hehe."

Blackie smiled sheepishly. "My dad once dug up some things in the mountains and gave them to me as a tonic."

"Be careful when you go hunting in the mountains. Your parents are getting old too."

"I know, Brother Xun. How about coming to my place for dinner?"

"No need, I've got things to do."

Chen Xun quickly shook his head. With his current appetite, he was afraid he'd eat Blackie's family out of house and home.

"Alright then, I'll be going, Brother Xun." Blackie had a wild pheasant in his hand and said goodbye to Chen Xun.

"Take care."

Chen Xun smiled. Smoke was already rising from the chimneys of every household—dinner was about to be served.

The man and the ox walked through the warm lights of all the homes, heading back to the cave outside the village, leaving behind only their lonely silhouettes and the cold gleam of the felling axe at Chen Xun's waist.

Spring came and autumn went, and another ten years passed in a hurry. Blackie now had two children—a boy, whom Chen Xun named Big Blackie, and he often made the boy cry when playing in the village, much to the amusement of Big Black Ox, who would moo with laughter.

By now, Chen Xun had considerable prestige in the village, yet there was still no sign of aging on him.

More and more villagers cast strange looks at him, and because he remained a bachelor, some gossip spread that he was impotent.

When Chen Xun heard this, he flew into a rage. He was a strapping seven-foot man with three strong legs—how dare they say he was impotent!

He went to find Aunt Wang in the village and argued with a group of women, spit flying, faces red, nearly pulling out his "treasure" to prove himself. In the end, because Big Black Ox was no good with words, they lost the battle.

Back in the cave, Chen Xun fumed and kept complaining about Big Black Ox—the ox had cowered behind him, not uttering a single word the whole time.

"Forget it, they had strength in numbers."

Chen Xun sighed deeply. To suffer such a humiliation, to be wrongfully accused like this! "Old Ox, I don't blame you. It's just that we live too long."

Moo!

Big Black Ox nodded vigorously. It had actually flashed its own "treasure," only to be jeered and mocked by those aunties.

"But why does strength cap out at 20 points?"

Chen Xun was baffled—it felt like hitting a bottleneck, and Big Black Ox fully agreed.

21 points and 20 points made absolutely no difference. So he reluctantly added his longevity points to speed, and also gave one point to the ox.

Their current longevity stats: Strength, 21. Speed, 1.

They clearly felt their walking speed double—wind beneath their feet, the ultimate skill for making a getaway. Chen Xun had an epiphany after allocating the points.

"Old Ox, it's time for us to leave."

Chen Xun sighed, reluctance in his eyes. "This village can no longer hold us."

Apart from Blackie's family, more and more familiar faces were slowly disappearing from the village. An unaging face was simply too terrifying to ordinary folks—after all, in this world, there were no skincare products or hormones to explain it.

And Big Black Ox seemed too divine and extraordinary. Many villagers had already set their sights on it, wanting to catch and s*******r it to nourish their own children.