The creature before them possessed the body of an ox, its scales indicating it belonged to the same species as the monstrous cattle they had just encountered.
However, compared to this behemoth, those previous beasts seemed almost delicate.
The monster stared fixedly at Zhang Qiling. Its head, crudely split in half and then stitched with human facial skin, was nearly as large as Zhang Qiling himself. Its gaping maw revealed not only terrifying fangs but also a second layer of human teeth further inside. Spikes covered its back and head.
Pangzi and Wu Tianzhen stood beside him, holding their breath, but as Zhang Qiling and the monster’s gazes locked for longer, their expressions grew increasingly peculiar.
“I say…” Pangzi whispered to Wu Tianzhen, “Don’t tell me Little Brother’s made eye contact with this thing?”
“Good heavens, now we’ve got the whole crew together. You marrying those snake-wives in the back, and him buddying up with this ox here. A reunion!”
“Get outta here!” Wu Tianzhen exclaimed in disgust. “You’re not getting off the hook either. You’ll be waiting to jump into the river and live out your days with those moon worms. None of us three are getting off easy!”
“No, that won’t do at all! How big a difference is there between me and worms?”
“Even if the size was similar, you think that would be okay???”
…
Zhang Qiling listened to the increasingly nonsensical chatter behind him, his expressionless facade about to crack.
How could these two turn any situation into a stage for their comedic routines?
The monster, following the sound, flicked its gaze towards Pangzi and Wu Tianzhen, the impromptu comedians, before quickly returning its eyes to Zhang Qiling.
Evidently, for some reason, Zhang Qiling had captured its complete interest.
Now, Zhang Qiling himself was unsure what to do.
The monster showed no signs of aggression, yet it also made no move to leave. Zhang Qiling observed it for a long while, finding its eyes particularly intelligent, unlike mere human skin pasted onto its face.
It was more as if a human skeleton was buried within its body, the two structures tightly integrated, gradually growing together and reforming into this monstrosity.
Human experimentation.
The truth was becoming clear: King Li had done something unethical to his herd of cattle.
Then, a problem arose.
This ox was likely alive, but he didn't speak ancient animal languages.
However, the human inside this ox, possibly present but with a low chance of survival… could perhaps communicate through corpse language?
So, while Pangzi and Wu Tianzhen were bickering, they heard Zhang Qiling suddenly begin to speak in a strange, eerie tongue.
His voice was hoarse and distorted, like the grinding of decaying wood, or the viscous entanglement of snakes, sending shivers down their spines.
Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi: Holy crap!!!
[? What’s wrong with Little Brother? Has he really reached an understanding with that thing?!]
[Damn, why does this sound make me feel like my closet door just moved? What is this?]
[Blanket protection!!! No ghost can attack someone inside a blanket!]
[I think I’ve heard of this. Legend has it there are people who can talk to animals, and their names are… Princess Di◎◎!]
[…Seems like something’s wrong, but also nothing’s wrong…]
[Hiss—Thinking about it, this scene actually has a fairy tale quality to it, hahahahahaha!]
…
Wu Tianzhen glanced at the comments, his face contorting.
He had truly underestimated the extent of modern netizens’ abnormality.
Pangzi leaned in for a look.
“Whoa! Princess Di◎◎!”
He then pretended to look at Zhang Qiling again.
“Don’t say it, but he actually looks a bit like one, at least from the face.”
“No, why are you joining in the teasing? Even if we take a step back, how is that ox anything like those cute little animals in the movies!? Is it going to conjure a pumpkin carriage later??”
“Tianzhen, Tianzhen!” Pangzi corrected him softly.
“It’s the fairy godmother who conjures the pumpkin carriage, not the little animals.”
Wu Tianzhen: …You just love to talk!
Zhang Qiling was unaware that the other two had spontaneously changed his set from the dark underground to a beautiful forest.
He was now making excellent progress communicating with the corpse inside the monster, specifically, he could finally understand what the corpse was saying.
…Thank goodness for Little Brother’s formidable learning ability, allowing him to quickly grasp how to understand corpse language mixed with ox bellows.
(Why are you paying so much attention to me.)
(…The aura of the Qilin…)
(…Did King Li turn you into this.)
(Li…)
The monster, which had been calm and docile moments before, seemed to have heard something deeply painful. It suddenly became agitated, its hooves slamming into the ground, instantly shattering the flagstones.
(King Li!!!!!)
(I poured my heart and soul into… my duty!)
(And he… stitched me onto an ox!)
(I hate him! I hate him!)
(Quiet.)
(Yes…)
(Do you know where King Li finally went?)
(…I, don’t know.)
(All I know is, he also, entered here… and put on, an ox head.)
(My kin… were all killed by him!)
(I want, to find him, I want, revenge!)
…
He ceased using corpse language, and the silence returned.
But within the monstrous ox, unknown to anyone, a skeleton was day and night recounting its hatred for its former lord, walking tirelessly through the secret realm, attempting to find the sinner who had betrayed his people.
Zhang Qiling felt a complex, indescribable emotion.
He reached out, attempting to comfort this poor soul who tormented himself, unceasingly for thousands of years.
…He reached out with the wrong hand.
But the arrow was already on the string and had to be fired. Zhang Qiling felt the corpse’s excited gratitude. Though he didn't understand why they revered the Qilin so much, it was clearly not the time to switch hands.
So, he calmly placed his cloth-wrapped hand on the monster’s spiked head and even patted it.
…At least the bandages would prevent him from getting pricked.
Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi didn’t know what agreement had been reached between the man and the beast, but seeing this scene, they understood that the two had decided to coexist peacefully.
As they let out a sigh of relief, the tension in their hearts eased.
…Things that might not have been funny before suddenly became hilariously so.
Thus, as Zhang Qiling, with a heavy heart, was stroking the monstrous ox, he heard the intermittent bursts of laughter from the two behind him.
Like a balloon deflating, or a tire blowing out.
Extremely arrogant.
Zhang Qiling: …
He had had enough of these bandages. The gratitude he felt when they were first wrapped was now replaced by sheer annoyance.
So, halfway through their laughter, Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi found that, for some reason, the monstrous ox suddenly started moving, charging forward with a fierce momentum!
Zhang Qiling’s hand was still on the ox’s head. The bandages there were snagged by the spikes and directly torn. Shredded strips of cloth fluttered in the wind on the ox’s skull. As it passed Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi, the strips even smacked them in the face. xxs壹贰
“Ah, it’s broken.”
Yet, the culprit, Zhang, looked bewildered, trying to play it off.
After so many times, how could they not see that this seemingly innocent person was completely intentional?
Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi: Fists clenched, ready to fight.
But what else could they do?
In the end, the two could only force out a strained, insincere smile.
“It’s… fine!”