The livestock market in the county seat was a chaotic symphony of lowing cattle, bleating sheep, and the sharp cries of haggling traders. But in the corner where the "demon beast" stood, a ring of silence had formed.
The bull was a monster. Standing nearly five feet at the shoulder, it loomed over the local yellow cattle like a wolf among dogs. Its coat was a mottled, ashen grey, short and sleek, highlighting the rippling muscles beneath. But it was the hump—a massive, muscular peak rising from its shoulders behind the neck—that terrified the locals. To them, it looked like a tumor, a deformity of nature.
To Lin Chen, it was perfection.
**[System Analysis: Bos indicus x Local Cross.]
[Age: 4 years.]
[Weight: Estimated 1,600 lbs (Severely underweight).]
[Temperament: Feral (High Aggression).]
[Genetic Traits: Brahman Dominant. Heat tolerance: S-Class. Parasite resistance: A-Class. Maternal Instinct: High.]
[Warning: Animal is currently in 'Fight' mode. Approach with extreme caution.]**
"He's killed two men who tried to rope him!" a merchant in the crowd shouted. "Don't be a fool, let the butcher take him!"
The trader, a greasy man with a panicked look, wiped sweat from his forehead. "Five taels! I just want him gone! Butcher is taking too long! Whoever buys him takes the risk!"
Lin Chen stepped forward, his bamboo hat dipping low over his eyes. He ignored the gasps of the crowd.
"I'll take him," Lin Chen said.
The trader blinked. "You? Scholar Lin? You want this... demon?"
"He's not a demon. He's a King," Lin Chen said, his voice projecting clearly. He pulled the heavy pouch of silver from his bosom—his entire profit from the jerky sale, plus the savings meant for spring seeds. He counted out five taels and placed them on the railing.
"He is mine."
The trader grabbed the silver instantly, fearing Lin Chen would change his mind. "Done! But he's your problem now. No refunds if he gores you!"
Lin Chen turned to Dahu and Zhao Hu. Dahu was trembling, his eyes wide as saucers. Even Zhao Hu looked wary, his hand gripping his spear tightly.
"Boss..." Dahu whispered. "He's huge. Old Grey will faint just smelling him."
"We don't need Old Grey to like him," Lin Chen said, untying the long, thick hemp rope from his belt. "We need to move him. Zhao Hu, clear the path. Dahu, open the gate of the pen—don't go inside."
Lin Chen climbed onto the wooden railing of the pen. He didn't jump in. He stood there, staring at the bull.
The bull snorted, pawing the muddy ground. It lowered its head, presenting its thick, bony forehead. The hump twitched. It was preparing to charge.
*System, activate Animal Empathy (Passive Skill).*
A calmness washed over Lin Chen. He didn't see a monster; he saw a terrified, confused animal that had been beaten and starved. He understood the body language. The bull wasn't just angry; he was defensive.
"Hey," Lin Chen said. Not a shout, but a low, guttural sound.
The bull froze. It snorted, shaking its massive head.
"I'm not going to hit you," Lin Chen murmured. He took the rope, forming a large loop. He didn't swing it wildly. He held it still, a clear signal.
"We are going to walk out of here. You and me."
The bull charged.
It was shockingly fast for a beast its size. The ground shook.
"Lin Chen!" Zhao Hu roared, vaulting the railing to intervene.
"Stay back!" Lin Chen commanded.
He didn't run. He stood his ground until the last second. Just as the bull lowered its horns to skewer him, Lin Chen side-stepped, moving *with* the animal's momentum. He slapped the flat of his hand against the bull's flank—hard. Not a strike of pain, but a touch of redirection.
Simultaneously, his left hand flicked the rope.
The loop sailed through the air.
The bull's head snapped up, trying to find the target. The rope settled perfectly over its massive horns and tightened around its thick neck.
The bull jerked to a halt, the rope snapping taut. Lin Chen was pulled forward, his boots sliding in the mud, but he had wrapped the other end of the rope around the sturdy railing post.
The bull pulled. The post groaned. Lin Chen leaned back, using his entire body weight.
"You are strong," Lin Chen gritted out, his muscles screaming. "But I am stubborn."
The bull bellowed, a sound that vibrated in Lin Chen's chest. It turned, eyeing the human who dared to hold it.
"Look at me," Lin Chen said. He didn't look away. He didn't show fear. In the wild, the one who looks away loses. "I am not your enemy. I am your provider. I have food. I have land. You will be the father of a thousand calves."
The bull huffed. The fire in its eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by calculation. It realized the rope wasn't choking it, just holding it. And the human wasn't screaming or beating it.
"Walk," Lin Chen commanded, tugging gently.
The bull resisted for a moment, then took a tentative step forward. Then another.
"Open the gate, Dahu!" Lin Chen shouted.
Dahu scrambled to push the gate open. The massive grey bull, wearing a rope halter like a crown of captivity, walked out of the pen. The crowd scattered like leaves in the wind.
***
The journey home was a battle of wills.
Every hundred feet, the bull would stop. It would lower its head and refuse to move. Lin Chen didn't whip it. He didn't shout. He simply stood there, waiting.
He used the **[Cowboy Skill: Pressure and Release]**. When the bull pulled, he held firm (pressure). The moment the bull relaxed or stepped forward, he instantly slackened the rope (release).
The bull, being intelligent, quickly learned the language of the rope.
"Dahu, walk behind him, but don't stare at his eyes," Lin Chen instructed. "Just guide him. Zhao Hu, take Old Grey and the cart ahead. If we stop too long, we lose daylight."
They moved slowly, a strange procession. The donkey, terrified of the beast, kept a wide distance, but Old Grey seemed to sense that Lin Chen was in control.
As they climbed the mountain path, the bull's attitude changed. The air grew cleaner, the smell of the city faded. The bull lifted its head, sniffing the scent of pine and melting snow.
"Smells better than the city, doesn't it?" Lin Chen asked, walking beside the bull's shoulder. He reached out a hand, slowly, letting the bull sniff it.
The bull's nose was wet and warm. It blew air onto Lin Chen's palm.
"No salt today," Lin Chen said softly. "But tomorrow, if you behave, you get the best hay."
It took them four hours to reach the clearing. By the time they arrived, the sun was dipping below the horizon.
The sheep in the main shed bleated in alarm as the massive shadow entered the yard.
"Put him in the isolation pen," Lin Chen ordered. "The one we built for the sick cattle. Double check the fence posts. He can test them."
Dahu and Zhao Hu guided the bull into the sturdy wooden pen. Lin Chen untied the rope from his own waist, keeping the loop around the bull's neck for a moment longer.
He looked the bull in the eye.
"You are not a demon," Lin Chen said, naming him. "You are *Tie Shan*. Iron Mountain. Because you will not break."
Iron Mountain huffed, bending his head to sniff the pile of fresh silage placed in the trough. He took a tentative bite. His eyes widened. He chewed vigorously.
The sour, sweet grass was exactly what his starved body craved.
"He eats," Lin Mu said, peering out from the hut door, his voice trembling with awe. "Brother, he is... huge. He looks like he could pull a plow through stone."
"He will do more than pull a plow," Lin Chen said, wiping mud and sweat from his face. "He will breed. His bloodline will turn our local scrawny cows into beef cattle that the Emperor himself will eat."
***
That night, the mood in the ranch was electric. The presence of the giant bull changed the atmosphere. The ranch no longer felt like a small farm; it felt like a fortress with a guardian.
Lin Chen sat inside the hut, counting his remaining money. It was pitiful. Less than one tael of silver.
He had spent everything. The jerky money, the savings. He was betting the entire future of the ranch on the genetics of one angry bull and a handful of sick sheep.
"Brother," Lin Mu said, placing a bowl of hot broth on the table. "The villagers... they saw us walking the bull up the path. They were watching from the trees. They looked scared."
"Good," Lin Chen said, sipping the broth. "Fear is better than pity. They feared the bull, but they saw us controlling it. They saw that we are not playing at farming."
He looked at the **[System Interface]**.
**[New Livestock: Tie Shan (Brahman Cross).]
[Status: Acclimating.]
[Breeding Readiness: High.]
[Mission Update: The Spring Breeding.]**
**[New Objective: Prepare the breeding shed. Improve local cow health to receive the bull.**
[Reward: Genetic Stability Serum x1 (Ensures first-generation traits hold).]**
"Zhao Hu," Lin Chen called out.
The soldier was sitting by the fire, mending a tear in his vest. "Hmm?"
"Tomorrow, we build a breeding chute," Lin Chen said. "A special pen. We need to make sure the local cows can accept him safely. He is heavy. If he mounts a weak cow, he could break her back."
"We need to sort the cows," Zhao Hu nodded. "The two we bought from Wang Da are recovering, but they are small. And Hope... she is sturdy."
"Hope is the priority," Lin Chen said. "She has the best temperament. If Iron Mountain breeds with her, the calf will inherit her docility and his muscle. That is the combination we need."
He leaned back, exhausted. His body ached from the tug-of-war with the bull.
"Also," Lin Chen added, a small smile playing on his lips. "We need to spread a rumor."
"A rumor?"
"Yes," Lin Chen chuckled. "Tell Dahu and Er-Leng to let it slip in the village. Tell them that the 'Demon Bull' only eats meat and drinks blood, and that we captured it to guard our wealth. It will keep the thieves away."
Zhao Hu laughed, a dry, raspy sound. "You are a schemer, Lin Chen. Fine. I'll tell them the bull eats ghosts too."
Lin Chen looked out the window. In the darkness of the yard, the silhouette of Iron Mountain was visible against the snow. The bull was standing proud, chewing his cud.
It was a gamble. A massive, expensive, dangerous gamble.
But looking at the system's genetic profile for the Brahman—*resilience, heat tolerance, parasite resistance*—Lin Chen knew he had just bought the cornerstone of his empire.
The empire wouldn't be built on gold or silk. It would be built on beef. Tough, marbled, delicious beef.
And it started with the beast in the pen.