“Entry tickets for sale here, come get it right now, just one hundred left, don’t miss this chance.” A familiar peddler could be heard once the trio got close to the entrance.
“Over here.” Li Qiye waved at the peddler.
“Sir, you want to buy some tickets?” Liu Sanqiang immediately ran over after seeing a waving hand.
“Ugh…” He immediately stopped after seeing that it was Li Qiye, realizing what Li Qiye wanted to do after seeing the black bull next to him.
“Not happy to see me?” Li Qiye smiled.
“Of course I’m happy, Sir. Welcome to our auction house.” Sanqiang put on a forced smile that was ugly than if he was crying.
“Why aren’t you coming closer to welcome me?” Li Qiye smirked.
Sanqiang had no choice but to close his eyes and jump into the fire. He got over and bowed: “Sir, I am ready to offer my assistance.”
“It’s nothing, I’m just missing one entry ticket.” Li Qiye took another ticket from Sanqiang’s stack.
“Sir, I’ve just started this morning and haven’t eaten a single grain of rice but now, you’re taking fifty coins from me. How can you be so cruel?” Sanqiang put on a pained expression after being robbed again.
“Oh? I don’t think that’s the price you said last time.” Li Qiye stared at him.
“Sir… it’s a misunderstanding.” Sanqiang put on a smile this time around: “I have to take care of my family, right? It’s so hard trying to survive nowadays especially when I haven’t sold a single ticket. My wife is waiting for me to buy and bring back rice. My aging mother hasn’t eaten for several days now…”
“Good!” He couldn’t finish the sentence before a hoof smashed down on his head. He got a big lump on his forehead now.
“Sir, why did you hit me? I, I never offended you before!” Sanqiang protested.
“I’m quite merciful for not killing your entire clan.” The bull posed arrogantly and looked down at Sanqiang.
“Sir, I don’t think my clan has offended you before. You’re a divine bull, the greatest in history…”
“Bam!” A second lump emerged after another kick.
“Your ass-kissing won’t work on me.” The bull looked at him with disdain and shouted: “Don’t you remember who I am? Your grandfather snuck into Sacred Mountain and that’s forgivable, but then your father did it, and a brat like you repeated the same thing. Don’t make me end your lineage.”
“The bull definitely wins in terms of ass-kissing.” Li Qiye told Jinning.
She almost burst out laughing but managed to restrain herself.
“No, Sir, definitely not. I have never been to Sacred Mountain before but I have indeed heard of you, the great bull, and have nothing but respect for you. My seniors said that you are the current number existence, so much stronger than the tree…” Sanqiang swore. He remained unaffected by the two stomps outside of the two big lumps on his forehead.
“Now that’s more like it.” The bull didn’t like the flattery in the beginning until Sanqiang brought up that it was stronger than its neighbor, the tree demon. It might be a one-sided enmity but the bull couldn’t do anything to the demon. Sanqiang’s flattery struck the perfect chord.
“Don’t you know that the old demon tree’s grand dao is finished and can leave Sacred Mountain whenever. What do you think he would do if he were to find out that you have put him down in order to flatter this piece of charcoal?” Li Qiye jumped in.
“...” Sanqiang turned pale; his eyes widened in astonishment.
“I’ll definitely let him know what you have said today.” Li Qiye added.
“Haha, brat, it’s fine. I am impressed by your wise words today so you are under my protection now. That tree demon is strong at the academy but this might not always be the case. If he dares to come here, I’ll take him down.” The bull placed his hoof on Sanqiang’s shoulder and patted him while smiling.
“Thank you, Sir.” Sanqiang had no choice but to pretend to be happy.
“Don’t thank him.” Li Qiye decided to dagger the bull again: “From what I know about this charcoal, it’ll be the first person to run away in dangerous moments. It won’t protect you.”
“Hey, stop it now, don’t rain on my parade please. I’m still a divine bull, special across the ages. I’m not afraid of heaven nor earth, so what’s one tree demon? I’ll really take him down, hmph.” The bull retorted.
“Really now?” Li Qiye replied: “He told me that you ate several leaves so he was thinking about how to punish you.”
“That’s just a misunderstanding.” The bull smiled wryly, looking a bit embarrassed before murmuring: “Hmph, what a stingy man, just a few leaves, nothing special. I’ll go pluck some now and give them back to him.”
“He’s a supreme bodhi tree. Those leaves were probably there at its conception. You can’t find them anywhere else.” Li Qiye chuckled.
“...” The bull didn’t know what to say.
The leaves were indeed special. It coveted them for a long time and eventually took advantage of a rare opportunity to eat several before fleeing.
The tree demon nearly killed it at that time, not a good feeling to have. Nevertheless, the demon couldn’t extract that leaves from its stomach and decided to spare it.
“Sir, you really ate those immortal leaves?” Sanqiang’s eyes lit up.
“You’re showing your true colors right now.” Li Qiye commented after seeing Sanqiang’s restless appearance, ready to stir trouble.
“What, you want some too?” The bull glanced at him.
Sanqiang swallowed his saliva repeatedly and revealed: “Our ancestors wrote that those leaves are incredible, hehe, even progenitors can’t get them.”
“Haha, that’s why I’m the coolest bull in the world, a few leaves are nothing to me. Hmph, I’ll eventually eat that demon down to the roots, we’ll see if he can act haughty afterward.” The bull proudly declared.
“Yes, you’re matchless. There’s no one else in history on the same level as you.” Sanqiang immediately nodded several times: “Sir, when you eat that tree later, how about giving me some leftover leaves, the bad golden ones?”
“Looks like you want to steal his young leaves.” Li Qiye gave him the side-eye.
“Absolutely not, I only want to collect a few.” Sanqiang wiped the saliva from the corner of his lips.
“Collect my ass!” The bull kicked him flying and scolded: “Your three generations have entered my mountain and stole stuff. Go away. If I ever meet someone from the Liu Clan again, I will make mincemeat out of them.”
“Sir, don’t be angry, remember to give me some leaves next time.” Sanqiang wasn’t angry at all and shouted among the crowd: “I’m going to sell some tickets now to make ends meet.”
Li Qiye shook his head in amusement while watching the guy escape.
“Damned brat.” The bull said with disdain but it clearly liked the style of the brat since they were similar.
“What did the leaves taste like?” Li Qiye asked.
“Mmm, I didn’t have time to appreciate them, just chewed a couple of times then swallowed.” The bull salivated again then answered.