Chapter 41: The Dog That Slipped Away Is Gone for Good
Chapter 41: Chapter 41: The Dog That Slipped Away Is Gone for Good
"Thank you for your kindness."
Scarface looked at the pork knuckle, then at the ever-fainter rise and fall of Xiao Si’s chest, his voice trembling.
All he knew was that he had raised Xiao Si himself.
He saw the boy as his own son, but now he was faced with the tragedy of an elder outliving the young. Watching Xiao Si about to breathe his last right before his eyes, he felt like he was suffocating. The pain was unbearable.
Grief welled up inside him.
Scarface stroked Xiao Si’s cheek, too consumed by anguish to understand what Gou Aotian was trying to do.
"WOOF!"
’Humans are so stupid.’
’Looks like it’s up to me.’
Gou Aotian rolled his eyes, then picked up the pork knuckle and tried to stuff it into Xiao Si’s mouth.
This act instantly enraged Scarface. He slapped Gou Aotian away, and the sting was so sharp Gou Aotian nearly bit him in retaliation.
But he thought of Boss Lu and held back.
Then he got up and walked away.
’You don’t appreciate a good dog’s kindness. Fine, I, Gou Aotian, am done serving you.’
As the prideful Gou Aotian left, he glanced at the pork knuckle on the ground but decided not to take it with him after all.
The group didn’t chase after him.
Right now, all their attention was on Xiao Si.
Scarface saw the meat juices on Xiao Si’s lips and wiped them away tenderly.
He could see that some of the broth had trickled between his lips and into his mouth.
Scarface grew even more furious.
Just as he was about to erupt, he saw Xiao Si’s throat bob with a slight swallow.
His breathing, which had been like a candle in the wind, suddenly seemed to gain new fuel and grew stronger.
His breaths became steady.
Even his eyelids began to flutter, showing signs of waking.
"How could this be..."
Scarface was stunned and uncertain. It was undoubtedly a good sign, but could it possibly be because of that yellow dog?
No, it was because of the pork knuckle.
"The pork knuckle! Quick, bring me the pork knuckle!"
Scarface shouted, diving to pick up the pork knuckle from the ground. He formed a hand seal, and the dirt and pebbles on it vanished.
Without a second thought, Scarface used his Spiritual Power to crush the pork knuckle into a meat paste, pried open Xiao Si’s mouth, and fed it to him with some water.
The boy’s swallows grew stronger.
It wasn’t his imagination.
"Quick, go find that dog!" the overjoyed Scarface ordered.
But Dahuang wasn’t a dog you could find just because you wanted to. The dog they’d let slip away was gone. His men searched the entire area but found no trace of Gou Aotian and had to give up.
As they waited, the blood on the snakebitten wrist returned to its normal color.
Xiao Si’s eyes opened.
"Huh? Uncle, are you making offerings to me already?"
Otherwise, why was there a meaty fragrance lingering in his mouth?
He couldn’t help but lick his lips. Even though it was diluted, Xiao Si couldn’t help but savor the taste of the meat.
"Is there more? Get me another one."
He held his hand out to Scarface.
’I’m dead anyway, so there’s no harm in having a few more offerings, right?’
Scarface had just managed to calm down, but Xiao Si’s words left him speechless.
"Get outta here! If you want to eat, go buy it yourself. Get up, we’re leaving."
A slap knocked Xiao Si’s head to the side. Only then did he realize he was still in the cave, and his companions were all there too.
He pinched his own arm.
The pain told him this wasn’t a dream.
"I’m not dead?"
Xiao Si was utterly astonished.
He was so sure he’d been having tea with King Yama.
He even managed to come back from that.
He wondered if King Yama would hold a grudge for losing a soul from his quota.
Xiao Si, covered in goosebumps, followed the group. After hearing a few words of explanation from his teammates, he finally understood that his life had been saved by a dog.
At the time, they were so focused on Xiao Si that no one got a good look at the pork knuckle.
The pork knuckle was gone now, but a meaty fragrance still clung to the broth-stained front of Xiao Si’s clothes.
The others, who were chewing on dry rations, felt a strong urge to hug Xiao Si just to get a whiff and satisfy their cravings.
Shuddering, Xiao Si didn’t eat his dry rations, afraid the taste of meat in his mouth would disappear.
"Are you sure it’s the same kind of pork knuckle sold outside the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons?"
"We’ll know once we go back and check. If it really is an antidote, I’m definitely stocking up on eight or ten of them for future use."
The team members were discussing it among themselves.
This pork knuckle was incredibly useful. To them, it was a life-saving medicine, worth more than gold.
It was a wonderful idea, but when they left the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons and rushed eagerly to buy more pork knuckles, they found the stall was gone.
"Where’d they go?"
Scarface was at a complete loss.
It was such a big stall.
"Yo, are you here looking for Boss Lu too?"
Someone saw the bedraggled-looking group and chuckled.
"We’re looking for the stall that sells pork knuckles."
They had never heard of any Boss Lu.
"That *is* Boss Lu."
The helpful person explained, "But you’re too late. Boss Lu’s business was so good that she sold out and went home."
"If you want to buy some, you’ll have to come early tomorrow."
"Oh, and that big yellow dog you were talking about? That’s Boss Lu’s dog."
"The pork knuckle really can cure poison. No idea why, though."
Those disciples from the Divine Doctor Valley were so determined to figure it out that they shamelessly followed Boss Lu when she was packing up her stall.
After these piecemeal explanations from various people, they were certain that the pork knuckle that saved Xiao Si’s life was made by Boss Lu.
Scarface let out a long breath, thought for a moment, and said, "Then we’ll come back early tomorrow. We have to apologize to Boss Lu and that big yellow dog."
He hadn’t held back earlier and didn’t know if he had injured Dahuang.
...
In the small courtyard, Lu Wu brewed a pot of tea for her guests.
The tea was provided by Qin Zhan.
Once the Spiritual Tea was steeped in boiling water, a refreshing fragrance filled the air.
Lu Wu held the cup and took a sip, feeling the fatigue wash away from her entire body.
"The pork knuckle can cure poison because my Cultivation Technique is special. When I prepare food, my Cultivation Technique activates, giving the food certain special effects."
"It was the same with the buns from before."
Lu Wu came up with an excuse.
’She couldn’t just tell them she was using a cheat, could she?’
"I see."
Jiang Yunhe didn’t press the matter. Many people in the Green Origin Realm had their secrets, and not every secret needed to be exposed to the world.
Jiang Yunhe wanted to befriend Lu Wu because of her food, not her secrets.
"As for your offer to join the Holy Sword Sect, Mr. Qin, I must also decline."
"I’m used to my freedom and don’t like being constrained."
’Who knew where the system’s next mission would require her to set up a stall? What would she do if she joined the Holy Sword Sect and couldn’t get out?’
’Ordinary cultivation methods were useless to her anyway. Why work hard when you could use a cheat?’
"That’s all right. I was just asking on behalf of my master."
The renowned Heavenly Wind Taoist had actually considered taking on a disciple just for a pork knuckle. But such matters couldn’t be forced.
After a bit more small talk, Qin Zhan and Jiang Yunhe stood up to leave.
After they left the alley, the two exchanged a look. A lingering terror remained in their eyes, and their backs were already soaked with cold sweat.
Ever since they had followed Boss Lu back, they had faintly sensed a gaze locked onto them.
The other party had deliberately let them notice it.
Yet, despite using every method at their disposal, they couldn’t find the person behind it.
That agonizing feeling was a constant warning.
If they had made any trouble for Boss Lu just then, the owner of that gaze would have likely annihilated them on the spot.
The hair-raising sense of danger didn’t vanish until they had left.
Having experienced the knocking incident before, Qin Zhan took it rather well.
’Boss Lu has a mighty expert protecting her. It’s only normal that she wouldn’t be impressed by the Holy Sword Sect.’
"Let’s go."
The two of them disappeared.
Back in the courtyard, Lu Wu looked at the tea cake on the table, seemingly forgotten by Qin Zhan. She smiled and put it away.
’Mission complete. Time to collect the reward.’