"Woof woof..."
Looking at the big black dog that had chased me all over the mountains just the day before yesterday, its tongue hanging out so far that its saliva sizzled on the ground, I was so scared that I jumped behind Fifth Sister and shouted, "Fifth Sister, this is no good creature. Hurry and catch it, skin it, and eat its meat. It'll be good for your beauty and complexion." Actually, when the big black dog barked, I knew it had already been subdued by Fifth Sister. My suggestion to eat dog meat was just a joke, to get back at it for chasing me before, but it only made the big black dog bark incessantly.
"Woof woof..." The sound was so loud it almost blew off the roof. Its pair of pale red eyes turned crimson, and its front paws kept scratching the ground, looking as if it were about to pounce and bite me at any moment.
Fifth Sister put down her needlework, glared at the big black dog, and instantly its barking turned into whimpering sounds of grievance, like a child complaining to an adult.
"He was just joking. You chased him so far yesterday and almost died in your mouth. It's normal for him to have some resentment. If you continue like this, I really can't be at ease letting you protect him."
The big black dog whined, its dog eyes glistening with tears as if it were deeply wronged, but Fifth Sister remained unmoved. She picked up her needlework again and continued.
Seeing this, I realized she was waiting for me to smooth things over. Dogs are one of the most loyal animals in the world, and this big black dog possessed the strength of a Ghost General. If cultivated properly, it would be a great asset. To not have such a good helper would make me a complete fool.
I chuckled and said to Fifth Sister, "Fifth Sister, it's all my fault for this loose tongue. I completely forgot that the big black dog could understand words, it just couldn't speak them. It chased me all over the mountain before because it was instigated by that scoundrel Hu Yuan. Otherwise, with its intelligence, how could it have chased me like that? Don't you think so, Da Hei?"
I directly gave the big black dog a name. Indeed, upon hearing this, the big black dog nodded quickly, its front paws clasped together as if in a bow, looking quite comical.
Fifth Sister didn't even look up and said, "Since someone is pleading for you, I'll spare your life. Considering you were mentally controlled before, you shall follow him well and protect him from now on. If anything happens to him, I will skin you and make a cushion out of your hide."
The big black dog barked twice in agreement, then walked up to me, nuzzling its head against my thigh in a fawning manner.
After patting its large dog head, I said to Fifth Sister, "Fifth Sister, who exactly wants to harm me? Could it be the Hu family?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" I was stunned. Logically, the only ones who had a grudge against me were the Hu family, as they had stolen the Tiger Kui Seal. And the only one who knew this was me. Therefore, to prevent the news from spreading, the best method was to silence me. After all, dead men tell no tales.
"This is a divination result that Master obtained spontaneously while practicing calculations. For this reason, she specifically asked me to capture Da Hei, remove the control over it, and elevate its strength by one level. As for who specifically wants to harm you, Master didn't say, only that I should give Da Hei to you and warn you to be careful."
My heart leaped with joy. Elevated by one level, didn't that mean the big black dog was now close to the strength of a Ghost Emperor?
Fifth Sister seemed to read my mind and poured cold water on my excitement, saying, "Don't get happy too soon. Becoming a Ghost Emperor is not that easy. It requires reaching a certain level of understanding of the Dao. It's still a Ghost King, just at the late stage. Whether it can be cultivated into a Ghost Emperor depends on its fortune."
"Alright, I've given you the warnings. I've also arranged for protection, but ultimately, it's up to you how you proceed. However, I advise you, sometimes beautiful girls can be deceiving?"
Beautiful girls can be deceiving? What did she mean? Was she referring to Chen Yun? Before I could even ask, Fifth Sister waved her sleeve, and I was sent out of the wooden house.
When I opened my eyes, the sky was already bright. The sound of Sister Zhang cooking could be heard from the kitchen. I stretched and got out of bed to wash up. As for the meaning of her words, I needed to ponder them carefully. Was there really danger lurking around me, or did she mean something else?
As I put on my shoes, I didn't feel the familiar texture of slippers. Instead, I felt a furry, fleshy sensation.
"What the heck?"
The last vestiges of sleepiness were completely scared away by this unknown feeling. Grabbing the Yin Ironwood ruler by my bedside, I prepared to strike when a furry face appeared before my eyes.
"Woof woof..."
"Da Hei? When did you get here?"
The big black dog before me had shrunk from the size of a calf to its normal size. Perhaps I had woken it up with my foot, and it was now yawning at me. If it weren't for its black fur and the red Ghost King markings in its eyes, I wouldn't have recognized it.
"Woof woof..." Da Hei cheerfully answered my question, though I still couldn't understand its language. However, knowing it was Da Hei put me at ease.
If Hu Yuan had secretly sneaked in another big black dog, today would have been dangerous. But that was just a thought. Although the courtyard looked normal during the day, at night, no matter what kind of ghosts or monsters, they couldn't get in. This was the unique advantage of the courtyard.
"Brother, where did you get that black dog? Are you preparing to draw its blood to guard against emergencies?" Zhang Dabiao asked excitedly when he saw Da Hei run out of my room during breakfast.
After all, pure black dogs had become a rare animal, so finding one now cost more than double the previous price.
As soon as Zhang Dabiao spoke, I felt a sense of unease. Da Hei wasn't a real black dog, but a genuine ghost with the strength of a Ghost King.
"Brother Zhang, be careful..."
"What?" Zhang Dabiao blinked, and then he saw a black shadow pounce towards him. Although Zhang Dabiao usually acted nonchalantly, he never neglected his cultivation.
According to him, it was his foundation for survival. The moment I warned him, he retreated, bent his knees, and kicked fiercely at Da Hei. But how could Zhang Dabiao possibly kick Da Hei? It twisted its body and moved behind him, about to bite his backside.
"Da Hei, that's my elder brother, don't bite..."
Da Hei shook its head, retracted its gaping maw, barked at Zhang Dabiao, and then reluctantly lay down by the dining table, its dog eyes fixed on the food above, drool dripping from its mouth.
All this happened very quickly. It was only after Da Hei lay down at the table that Zhang Dabiao felt a cool breeze on his backside. He turned around and saw that a large chunk of his loose pajamas was missing, and his red boxer shorts were flapping in the wind.
"You damned dog, how dare you bite me! You just wait!" Zhang Dabiao's face turned red. He couldn't believe he had been outdone by a dog's mouth. He quickly went back into the house to change his pants.
When he came out again, he saw his wife and Chen Yun feeding Da Hei, calling it "Xiao Hei" affectionately. Da Hei ate whatever they gave it and even fawned over them, making them laugh heartily.
Zhang Dabiao was so angry his eyes were spewing smoke. In all his years, he had never suffered such a setback. He shouted that he would skin Da Hei and eat its meat.
I was already accustomed to Da Hei's miraculous abilities. How could the guardian sent to me by the black-robed senior be an ordinary being? It was best not to provoke it.
"Brother Zhang, calm down. You cannot kill this black dog, nor should you."
"What do you mean? You're still reluctant?" Zhang Dabiao's eyes widened, almost to the point of smoke puffing from his nostrils.
"Fifth Sister gave it to me. It's a Ghost King, about to break through to Ghost Emperor."
"I don't care if it's a Ghost King or a Ghost Emperor. My... You said it's a Ghost King?" Zhang Dabiao's eyes almost fell to the ground as he asked incredulously.
"I nodded and said it's a Ghost King, specifically to protect the safety of the house." I didn't say it was to protect me, but to protect the house.
Forget about Ghost Emperor, even a Ghost King was more than enough to handle. Zhang Dabiao rubbed his nose and said somewhat dejectedly, "Then... then forget it. Let's eat..."