Chapter 24: The Great Way is Extremely Simple

Chu Feng looked at the yellow ox with a strange expression. He had expected the ox to employ some bizarre technique and was ready for an eye-opening display. Who would have thought it would be like this!

"Are you sure it's that simple?" He was a bit skeptical. Could such a crude and unsophisticated method actually work? He always felt the yellow ox was unreliable.

The yellow ox, remarkably composed, slowly scrawled a few incredibly ugly characters on the ground: "The Grand Dao is simplicity itself."

Chu Feng was dumbfounded, completely speechless. In the end, he really wanted to swear.

You just brought your hooves down twice, so crudely—yes, it's simple, but... can that truly be called "the Grand Dao is simplicity itself"?!

"I... my head was crushed by a mountain, I... I'm going to die." On the ground, Zuo Jun was foaming at the mouth, muttering incoherently.

It was clear how severe the damage from those two kicks was. His thoughts were muddled, and even in his daze, he cried out in pain, feeling as though his head was shattered.

"Is he alright? Will there be any lasting effects? It would be troublesome if he didn't wake up." Chu Feng was slightly worried.

Earlier, he had been questioning the yellow ox's methods, but now it seemed he should be more concerned about the extent of Zuo Jun's injuries.

The yellow ox had no sense of moderation, and more importantly, it wasn't exactly a good creature. He genuinely wondered what the consequences of those two kicks would be.

Just looking at Zuo Jun, Chu Feng felt a pang of sympathy.

Although Zuo Jun had passed out, he lay on the ground convulsing and shivering uncontrollably.

"Is this what they call 'evil men meet their match'?" Chu Feng muttered, rummaging through Zuo Jun's belongings to see if there were any unusual items.

There were daggers and swords, all made of refined alloy. While extraordinary, they couldn't compare to the black short sword. Besides these, there were also some miscellaneous items like food.

Finally, Chu Feng pulled out a beast-hide map from Zuo Jun's clothes. It didn't look old and was likely drawn recently.

He figured paper maps were easily damaged, while leather ones were more durable.

This was especially true for Zuo Jun, whose body could instantly mutate into a nearly three-meter-tall giant, surrounded by an earthy yellow mist, making it easy to damage items he carried.

The beast hide had been specially treated, making it very soft. It was neatly folded, and when unfolded, it was surprisingly large, covering a significant area of the ground.

It was a partial topographical map of the Taihang Mountains, meticulously detailing the surrounding hundreds of miles, with each peak clearly marked.

"I've never seen some of these peaks before."

Chu Feng's home was located there, so he was naturally very familiar with the Taihang Mountains. He deduced the map must have been drawn recently, as it included the suddenly appearing primeval mountains.

He looked delighted; this map would be very useful to him.

Examining it closely, he noticed special markings on the hide map. Some areas were marked with black skulls, while others had the characters "picking" or "harvesting" annotated on them.

Additionally, some mountainous regions were circled in red ink.

There weren't many markings, but they were conspicuous, immediately drawing attention. Without needing to think much, he knew those places must be unusual.

Should he keep the beast-hide map? Chu Feng pondered, then decided against it. He took out some paper and quickly traced a copy of the map.

"Let's get rid of this nuisance quickly." Chu Feng hoisted Zuo Jun and headed out into the nearby orchard, located on the easternmost edge of the town where few people passed, making it convenient.

Given Chu Feng's current strength and speed, carrying a person while running was effortless. He ran for over twenty *li* in one go, through the woodland, and dumped Zuo Jun onto a broken asphalt road.

Zuo Jun remained unconscious.

Chu Feng looked around. Wheat fields lined both sides of the road, and it was far from the mountains, so wild beasts were unlikely. He then turned and left.

The town was quiet, as people were no longer in a state of panic.

In recent days, some young people had started looking for solutions, arming themselves with knives and other protective gear, and attempting to travel towards the county seat and other towns.

They believed that county and provincial capitals, being more populated, might be safer.

However, once some people successfully reached the county seat, they changed their minds. Two primeval mountains, towering into the clouds, stood right next to it, far too close for comfort.

Faintly visible, the giant mountains harbored various ferocious birds and strange beasts, such as two-meter-long silver centipedes resembling white snakes, causing all other creatures to retreat.

People had also witnessed fiery red raptors snatching tigers and leopards for food, a gory sight.

Others had seen house-sized spiders weaving webs between the two mountains, then suddenly spitting silk to pull down ten-meter-long giant birds from mid-air, a bloody and brutal scene.

Many creatures previously unseen had now appeared on the mountains outside the county seat.

How could this not be terrifying?

Many residents of the county seat had recently begun to flee, fearing that one day these monsters would descend from the mountains.

As for the city and provincial capital directions, reports suggested things were no better, perhaps even worse. It was as if an ancient era had returned, with endless forests emerging across the land, teeming with fierce beasts.

After some exploration, the young people of Qingyang Town became discouraged and retreated from the county seat.

During this time, many pragmatic older residents began cultivating crops outside the town, hoping to achieve self-sufficiency.

They already had farmland, and now the territory had expanded tenfold. Even though some areas were mountainous, the arable land had become much more extensive.

It was already late autumn, yet the tree leaves hadn't yellowed, nor had the vegetation withered. Everything was still vibrant, and the weather was warming up, as if early summer had returned.

This created a peculiar sight: on the east side of Chu Feng's yard, some fruit trees still bore ripe red fruits, while others were beginning to blossom again.

The fragrance of fruit mingled with the scent of flowers. Some trees were laden with bountiful fruits, while others were covered in petals, a truly beautiful spectacle.

Autumn held a special significance for the people of this world.

This was because a war had once occurred, nearly destroying the land. During that period, the soil was barren, food was scarce, and people struggled immensely.

In the post-civilization era, everyone participated in harvesting crops every autumn.

Later, even after the harsh conditions changed and prosperity returned, it gradually became a habit. Autumn became an exceptionally significant period, turning into the longest holiday.

Therefore, the town was now bustling with people, including students on holiday and workers on leave who had returned from other cities. With some now organizing cultivation efforts, there was no shortage of labor.

Chu Feng glanced at the cold storage room. The food, once piled high, was now almost empty, primarily because the yellow ox ate so much.

"All the major supermarkets have been cleared out, and supplies are scarce. I need to find a solution." Chu Feng decided to practice his boxing first to ensure he could safely enter and exit the mountains.

He wanted to hunt some game. In an era where basic sustenance could become a major problem, nothing replenished the body's needs more effectively than meat.

He practiced boxing in the courtyard, moving with vigorous power. The first stance of the Ox Demon technique gradually took shape; he was finally close to mastering it. Its power was fierce and unyielding, occasionally emitting a thundering sound.

A layer of mysterious power covered the surface of his fists, capable of unleashing terrifying force.

Bang!

Chu Feng tried it out, smashing the large bluestone outside the courtyard gate with a single punch.

"Is this still a human hand?" Chu Feng stared in shock. The half-meter-tall bluestone had cracked and shattered on the ground. How terrifying was such a punch?

He carefully examined it. The power wasn't the "internal energy" described in novels; it was more like a thin veil enveloping his fist.

At the same time, he discovered that if combined with the strange breathing technique, its power would double, becoming even more terrifying.

Chu Feng vaguely surmised that the breathing technique must be extraordinary and very mysterious, as it could further enhance the power of an already remarkable boxing technique.

No wonder the yellow ox practiced it once every morning and evening, even more diligently than its own Ox Demon Fist.

In the morning, the golden sun rose, casting its radiant light.

Zuo Jun felt an intense throbbing pain in his head. He slowly regained consciousness, and with a slight shake of his head, it felt as if his brains were about to splatter out.

"Where am I?"

He swayed, struggled to his feet, his face pale and eyes vacant. He was utterly bewildered, having no idea what was going on.

He looked down at his tattered clothes. Had he been in a fight?

After a long time, he gradually recalled a few things, muttering to himself, "The one from the Mu family hinted that if I passed through Qingyang Town, I didn't need to truly look after that mortal; I could teach him a lesson."

Zuo Jun recalled that he should have gone to Qingyang Town. How had he ended up unconscious here? He couldn't remember anything.

He felt as if his thoughts had been interrupted, his memory hazy, unable to recall subsequent events.

"Was I ambushed when I got here?" he wondered suspiciously.

Finally, he staggered and stumbled towards Qingyang Town, sneering as he walked, "He's just a mortal. Even if I'm a bit off right now, I can easily deal with him."

The sun was bright and warm. Chu Feng's breathing rhythm was unique, inhaling and exhaling the morning glow. After a long time, he completed his breathing technique for the day.

Just as he stood up, he saw Zuo Jun swaying unsteadily, holding onto the courtyard gate as he entered.

Chu Feng was startled. How did he get back?

His first thought was that the yellow ox was unreliable; it hadn't made Zuo Jun lose his memory, and now he was back for revenge.

"Ox Demon King, look what you've done!" Chu Feng exclaimed.

"Just a mortal. Don't shout and bother me!" Zuo Jun said with annoyance and impatience.

He was more direct and undisguised than yesterday, speaking very rudely, agitated by his severe headache.

Chu Feng was surprised. "You really can't change your nature, can you? Did you forget your lesson?"

"You know me?" Zuo Jun was suspicious but quickly his face darkened. "No matter what, you're going to suffer. Some people you can never hope to reach; even those close to her can easily crush you."

Chu Feng's expression was odd. He could confirm that Zuo Jun had indeed lost his memory, yet he still remembered earlier intentions, such as coming here to cause trouble.

This was truly troublesome, and he felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

"My head hurts so much. What happened? Who attacked me on the road?" Zuo Jun rubbed his forehead, puzzled and annoyed, which was also why he was more irritable today.

"I feel like I've been kicked by a donkey; my whole head aches," he muttered to himself.

Chu Feng wanted to laugh upon hearing this. "You were indeed kicked by a donkey."

At that moment, the yellow ox happened to walk out of the room, heard what was being said, saw the situation, and its face immediately darkened.

Zuo Jun didn't notice the yellow ox. He sneered, stumbled, and charged at Chu Feng, ready to strike.

Bang!

Chu Feng delivered a side kick, sending him flying to crash against the courtyard wall. Then he turned to the yellow ox and asked, "What do you suggest? He still remembers coming here."

The yellow ox slowly pointed with a hoof to the word "simple" that was still un-erased on the ground.

Then, it walked towards Zuo Jun.

Zuo Jun was bewildered and disoriented. Had he really been sent flying by a mere mortal's kick? At that moment, he also saw a small, golden-yellow ox approaching slowly, its face full of disdain, seemingly mocking him.

What was going on? Was this an illusion? He felt it was highly unreal. An ox despising him? And it looked so strange. Was he dreaming?

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

This time, the yellow ox remained simple and crude, stomping Zuo Jun's head four times with its hooves—two more kicks than last time.

Afterward, it slowly turned, composed like a wise master, and calmly ambled away.

Zuo Jun's face was filled with shock. He froze, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing until the last moment. Then, with eyes rolling back, he slowly collapsed, his legs twitching and convulsing before he finally lost consciousness.

"It's solved like this again. Will it actually stick this time?" Chu Feng worried. If he threw Zuo Jun away again, would he still come back?

The yellow ox extended its hoof twice, indicating that this time, with two extra kicks, there would definitely be no problem!

Chu Feng remained silent for a long time, then finally couldn't hold it in and blurted out, "Can't you try a different method?"

The yellow ox didn't make a sound. Very composed, it pointed to the other four characters still on the ground from yesterday, written in particularly ugly script: "The Grand Dao is simplicity itself."

Chu Feng was about to take a sip of water but nearly choked, spewing it all out with a *Pfft!*