The Company

Chapter 7: Dumb Shop · Classic of Mountains and Seas

"I heard this is an antique shop. Do you buy things here?"

Fang Qiu pushed open the carved door that was heavier than she had imagined. It took her a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. Behind the counter, which exuded a classical atmosphere, sat a young man under the flickering candlelight.

He wore a black Mao suit with an ordinary appearance. Embroidered on his right shoulder was a vivid crimson dragon head, its piercing eyes seeming to slowly follow her movements as she walked.

"We do buy," the young Boss said, putting down the book in his hand and looking up to smile at her.

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that when the Boss smiled, he seemed like a completely different person, radiating an mysterious aura.

Fang Qiu quickly lowered her head to avoid his gaze and walked over to place the newspaper she was carrying on the counter.

"I found these in an old box while moving. I'm not sure if they have any value. I didn't feel right keeping them at home, but throwing them away seemed like such a waste... Um, why don't you take a look first, Boss." As she spoke, Fang Qiu unfolded the newspaper to reveal some scattered bamboo slips inside.

Just as she was about to fully spread open the newspaper, she felt the Boss's breath catch. He suddenly pressed his hand over hers. Startled, Fang Qiu looked up and found that he wasn't looking at her at all, but was staring intently at the bamboo slips in the newspaper.

Fang Qiu pulled her hand free and watched as he carefully cut open the newspaper. She suddenly recalled that the hand she had just touched was unusually cold, unlike a normal person's body temperature.

"How much would you sell these bamboo slips for?" the Boss asked calmly while carefully examining the bamboo pieces lying quietly in the newspaper.

Fang Qiu was taken aback. She hadn't expected these broken bamboo pieces to be worth much money. She was more curious about their origin.

"What's written on these bamboo slips?" After asking, she couldn't help but laugh at herself. The characters on the bamboo slips were in seal script - how could an ordinary person recognize them at a glance?

But the young Boss quickly gave her an answer: "This is the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Judging by the content, it should be the 'Northern Classic of the Regions Within the Seas' section."

Fang Qiu felt slightly disappointed. She had thought they might contain martial arts secrets or treasure locations! Turns out they were just fragments of an ancient book that has been passed down for ages.

"Well, Boss, you name the price. I accidentally broke three pieces while packing, and the remaining ones are probably incomplete anyway, just scattered fragments..."

Before Fang Qiu could continue, she heard a number from the Boss that far exceeded her expectations. It made her gasp in shock - for a student like her, this amount was simply unimaginable.

"How about it? Is that acceptable?" The Boss looked up, for the first time directing his serious gaze toward her.

Fang Qiu had originally planned to bargain before coming, but at the thought of that astronomical figure, she shamelessly nodded, afraid he might change his mind. These were practically household trash! If she hadn't insisted on bringing them, her mother would have thrown them away long ago!

Before she could collect her thoughts, Fang Qiu noticed the young Boss take out a black pottery jar from somewhere. He poured it onto the counter, and bundles of tightly wrapped hundred-yuan bills came clattering out. Fang Qiu's eyes nearly popped out of her head - who would keep such a huge amount of money so casually in their shop!"Rest assured, this money is all currently in circulation. The gold ingots I used to keep in the shop are all gone, but even if I gave you gold ingots, you wouldn't know if they were real." The Boss pushed the money on the counter toward Fang Qiu's direction, then turned to study the bamboo slips.

Fang Qiu was speechless for a long moment. She reached out to confirm that the money was real, which only made her more anxious. Was she supposed to carry this large sum of money all the way home?

The Boss noticed she had been standing there frozen for a while. He looked up and asked puzzled, "Is there anything else?"

Fang Qiu cleared her throat awkwardly and tentatively asked, "Could... could you give me a plastic bag?" Otherwise, how was she supposed to carry all this money!

"Hello! I'm here! When I passed by the soup dumpling shop today, I noticed they had a new type of juicy bun, so I bought some to try! Huh? Where is everyone?" The Doctor carried two boxes of steaming hot soup buns, surprised not to see the Boss behind the counter.

He casually placed the food containers on the counter. One of the stacked containers fell over, landing on the newspaper wrapping the bamboo slips, immediately producing a faint cracking sound.

"What are you doing?" A sinister voice came from behind the screen. Before the words faded, the Boss appeared like wind behind the counter, glaring displeased at the food container pressing on the newspaper.

The Doctor felt a chill down his spine and hurriedly apologized, "I thought it was just newspaper, I didn't realize there was something inside! How, how much is it? I'll pay for it!" The Doctor clasped his hands together, gritting his teeth. If he knew the true value of these bamboo slips, he would be devastated - it would take him years to pay off the debt.

The Boss carefully moved the food container aside and discovered one bamboo slip had broken. He sighed helplessly; actually, it was partly his fault for not storing the bamboo slips properly in time. The dehydrated bamboo slips were extremely fragile, each only one centimeter wide and over twenty centimeters long, their texture already soft as noodles, impossible to lift as whole pieces. He had gone to the inner room to find a box to store them, never expecting that in just this short time, this guy would show up.

The Boss narrowed his phoenix eyes, then sighed helplessly again, "Forget it, broken is broken, it was its fate." In his lifetime, he had seen countless antiques break and get destroyed. If he obsessed over every piece, he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else. Besides, the Doctor didn't do it intentionally - getting angry wouldn't help matters.

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. He understood the Boss's temperament - if he said it didn't matter, then it truly didn't matter. But he still felt guilty about breaking one of the bamboo slips and began thinking about how to make it right. He carefully examined the broken slip and asked, "This should be repairable, right? By the way, what's written on these?"

The Boss leaned over to look and slowly read, "'Huán gǒu, beast head with human body. Some say it looks like a hedgehog-dog, yellow in color.' This is from the 'Classic of Regions Within the Seas: North' chapter of the Classic of Mountains and Seas."

"Beast head with human body? Isn't that a monster? That doesn't make sense scientifically!" The Doctor frowned, imagining what a dog head on a human body would look like, then shrugged and said, "Anyway, it's just legends. Nothing surprises me anymore."

The Boss was about to say something but suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed intently behind the Doctor.The Doctor was baffled by the stare. Just as he was about to glance back, the Boss grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the shop's corridor. Unable to resist, the Doctor ran alongside him. He had never seen the Boss so frantic—as if... as if something were chasing them.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he heard heavy footsteps behind them.

Someone really was there! But no one had entered earlier! The antique shop’s corridor was pitch-black, with no light source in sight. The Doctor couldn’t help but pull out his phone to use as a flashlight, shining it behind him. He glanced back, and his mind went blank with a buzzing sensation.

Though he hadn’t seen clearly in the rush, the blurred shadow unmistakably had a human body paired with a terrifying, dog-like face!

A dog-headed humanoid! The Huan Gou! This monster actually existed—and it was right behind them! The Doctor’s legs instantly turned to jelly.

"Don’t faint, or I won’t be able to carry you," the Boss’s calm voice came from the darkness. "Speaking of which, this is actually your fault."

Hearing the lack of emotion in the Boss’s voice, the Doctor felt somewhat reassured. "Could it be... that bamboo slip I broke?"

"Yes. I’d long suspected these bamboo slips were unusual, but I never imagined they were the original draft of the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Each slip inscribed with a monster’s name seals one of these creatures. Luckily, you didn’t break one marked with a location, or you’d have been instantly transported to places like Kunlun or Qingqiu Kingdom—never to return," the Boss explained coolly.

Terrified into silence, the Doctor wondered if the Boss secretly wished he had been teleported away.

It was then that he realized the corridor behind the antique shop was unexpectedly long and narrow. They had been running for what felt like ages without reaching the end. After a while longer, the Boss finally stopped at a room’s entrance, pushed the door open, and led the Doctor inside.

Relieved, the Doctor moved to shut the door firmly, but the Boss stopped him, leaving only a crack.

"Stand in the corner and don’t move, or I won’t save you if anything goes wrong," the Boss ordered coldly. "Also, you’d better close your eyes."

The Doctor hurriedly obeyed, pressing himself against the corner, though he couldn’t bring himself to shut his eyes and instead glanced around. He noticed the room wasn’t large—quite similar to the one where he’d discovered the mermaid candle, Zhu—but this one was empty and held nothing remarkable. As the footsteps in the corridor drew nearer, the Doctor watched the Boss standing idly in the center of the room. Despite his confidence in the Boss, he couldn’t help but grow tense.

Thud! The door was slammed open by a hairy hand, and a dark shadow appeared in the doorway, stepping into the room without hesitation. The Doctor estimated it was at least two meters tall, with a terrifyingly robust build. Holding his breath nervously, he began to wonder if playing dead would work.

Ding… A faint, ethereal bell chime suddenly rang out, and the entire floor beneath them lit up in response to the sound.The doctor finally noticed that the floor of the room they were in was made of a single, solid piece of glass. Beneath the glass lay a vast expanse of ancient-looking bricks and stones. The source of the light was the bizarre symbols and images carved into these bricks, glowing with a phosphorescent green hue in the darkness. It was unclear what kind of pigment had been used to create them.

It was then that the doctor got a clear look at the Huan Dog. Its body resembled that of a large, hairy gorilla more than a human, while its head was distinctly wolflike, with a pair of green-glowing eyes fixed menacingly on the Boss standing in the center of the room.

"Ding…" The bell chimed again, and the bricks beneath the glass suddenly blazed with intense light, instantly illuminating the entire room as bright as day.

The doctor couldn't understand how those bricks could emit such a powerful glow. As a medical professional, he knew the brightness was already threatening his vision. Without waiting to see more, he quickly shut his eyes. After a flash of white light, he reopened them to find the bricks beneath the glass glowing faintly green again, slowly dimming.

The Boss remained standing where he was, but the terrifying Huan Dog had vanished.

"What... what just happened?" The doctor spoke, only to realize his voice was alarmingly hoarse.

"It's over now. The bricks beneath this room are remnants of an ancient altar. Each brick seals an ancient monster, meaning they possess the power of containment. I didn't have much hope, but fortunately, the Huan Dog had been sealed for thousands of years and had lost most of its power." With that, the Boss turned and walked out without looking back.

By now, the bricks beneath their feet had completely darkened, plunging the room into total blackness. The doctor had no time to check if the Huan Dog had become one of those bricks, but the thought of the countless monsters sealed beneath his feet made him too uneasy to stay. He hurried after the Boss.

Unbeknownst to the doctor, one brick right where he had been standing hadn't fully dimmed. As he moved, a speck of light pierced through the thick glass, trailing after him like a firefly before settling on his shoulder.

The Boss seemed to sense something and glanced back, but the light instantly hid behind the doctor, escaping his notice.

Watching the Boss's retreating figure, the doctor muttered under his breath. Though the ancient ruins had been a great help, the ease with which the Boss had sealed a millennia-old monster made him wonder—who was the real monster here? Still, the Huan Dog was terrifyingly ugly, far from aesthetically pleasing. If it had a face like a Husky... The doctor shuddered at the absurd thought.

As if understanding his words, the speck of light on his back flickered once.

The Boss walked swiftly. By the time the doctor circled around the jade screen and returned to the shop, he found the Boss staring grimly at the bamboo slips on the counter. The doctor then remembered—more than one slip had been broken.

"Three-legged Azure Bird, Jiliang Horse, Qiongqi..." the Boss murmured. "These three slips were all broken by that girl just now. It seems we have our work cut out for us."The doctor pulled out his phone to search and immediately found information on these three monsters. "Oh! The Three-legged Azure Bird is a small blue bird with three legs, and the Jiliang Horse is a white horse with a fiery red mane and golden eyes—both are quite gentle. But that Qiongqi... wow! It looks so fierce! A winged tiger that eats humans? If that appeared in this city, it would definitely make headlines!"

The Boss, however, shook his head. "Not necessarily. Qiongqi can understand human speech and has been sealed away for thousands of years. Its appearance might have changed, and its power has likely weakened."

As they were discussing, Fang Qiu was carefully carrying a plastic bag full of money home. Suddenly, a faint cry came from her doorstep, and an adorable, fluffy white kitten stumbled out.

Fang Qiu couldn't help but stop in her tracks.

Qiongqi raised its frail paw, wanting to leave a mark on this woman who had picked it up without permission. But it sadly realized that after being sealed for thousands of years, Emperor Shun had stripped it of almost all its power. Now, it was nothing but a harmless young beast.

"Meow—" Damn it! Even its originally mighty and powerful cry had become as weak as a kitten's!

But Qiongqi was frustrated to find that this woman was unusually delighted by its cries. Ignoring its strong objections, she carried it into the house.

Meow, meow, meow—it didn't want this! It had worked so hard to climb out of that high window! This woman wasn't going to imprison it again!

Moreover, this woman looked exactly like the witch who had served Emperor Shun thousands of years ago. Could it be that she hadn't died all this time?

Remembering the humiliation it had suffered back then, Qiongqi twisted its body, trying to escape. But its strength had been drained over the millennia, and there was no way it could break free.

However... Qiongqi couldn't help but swallow. As the witch held it in her arms, a tantalizing scent rushed into its nostrils.

It seemed... it had been thousands of years since it last tasted human blood... It was so hungry... It really wanted a drink...

Qiongqi rubbed against Fang Qiu's embrace, unwilling to let such a good opportunity slip away. It turned its head and chomped down on her wrist.

The moment its teeth touched the blood, Qiongqi immediately perked up.

Mmm... so fresh and delicious...

Qiongqi cautiously retracted its fangs, stealing a glance to see if the witch would attack it. Instead, it found her smiling indulgently and quickening her pace into the house. Only then did she set it down and hand it a small dish of water.

"Meow..." Whimper... It didn't want water—it wanted blood! It had only managed a tiny lick earlier!

The dish was pushed closer, but Qiongqi kept its eyes fixed on the bleeding wrist that had offered it.

"Meow..." Let it have another lick! It was so hungry!

The dish was pushed forward again, but Qiongqi didn't even glance at it. It stretched its neck closer, inch by inch, almost able to smell the fragrant scent of human blood...

Smack! Qiongqi felt its head being pressed into the water by that hand, as if it wouldn't be allowed to lift its head until it drank.

Whimper... Don't press it down so hard! Didn't she know its nose and mouth were close together? Sob, sob... It was going to become the first Qiongqi to drown! Someone, help! Sob... It would rather be back in the sealed bamboo scroll now!

This treacherous witch! She was getting back at it for biting her earlier, wasn't she?At the same moment, the Doctor walked out of the Dumb Shop carrying a birdcage and a bag of trash. As he passed the garbage pile in the corner, he tossed the bag in. The faint green glow that had been lurking behind him quickly attached itself to the plastic bag. Only when the surroundings fell silent again did the glow drift upward once more. While floating past a discarded pet magazine, it illuminated the cover featuring a majestic Husky lying solemnly on the ground.

The glow circled around the magazine, as if studying what this Husky looked like. Then, in a burst of green light, a beautiful and fierce Husky emerged from the alley, its eyes faintly gleaming with a green radiance.

The Husky held in its mouth the newspaper that had originally wrapped the Classic of Mountains and Seas, sniffed it to memorize the scent, identified the direction, and trotted off briskly...

Qiongqi was pressed sulkily onto the sofa, its fur completely soaked. Its already small frame now seemed like nothing but bones, making it appear even more pitiful.

After nearly drowning in a shallow dish, it had been taken to a deeper basin where the witch soaked it in hot water for a while and scrubbed its entire body with something foamy. Now, she was drying it with a towel in one hand while aiming a noisy, hot-air-blowing device at it with the other.

Hah! This witch, after thousands of years, had even upgraded her magical tools! Had she deliberately waited for its seal to break so she could torture it to death in every possible way?

Qiongqi almost shed tears of self-pity. Why was it so unfortunate? It only enjoyed drinking human blood—it never took lives! For this mere preference, Emperor Shun had hunted it for years, eventually sealing it in bamboo slips for millennia. Finally freed, it had fallen into this witch’s hands. Meow... it felt like crying! It had to escape immediately!

Lost in self-pity for a long time, Qiongqi didn’t notice its fur had dried completely. When it came to its senses, it found a plate of pink stuff in front of it... sniffing the scent, it seemed to be meat...

"Little one, you must be hungry. I’m not sure if you can eat sausages, but judging by how you bit through my wrist, you must have teeth already!"

Qiongqi tilted its head, listening. Though it didn’t know what sausages were, they smelled delicious... Aww, Qiongqi discovered it was drooping shamelessly, then couldn’t resist taking a bite.

Wow! So tasty!

"Little one, eat slowly. There’s plenty more if you want it!"

Qiongqi felt the witch’s hand stroking its back. Though it hated being touched, for the sake of such delicious sausages, it would endure it for now!

"What should I call you? You’re so white—how about Xiao Bai?"

Qiongqi nearly choked on its own drool.

Xiao Bai? It was the renowned Qiongqi! The Qiongqi that struck fear into humans thousands of years ago! How could it be given such a tasteless name? No! Wait! What right did she have to name it? Qiongqi immediately forgot about the sausages, lifted its head, and waved its paws in protest.

"Haha! It seems you really like this name. Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai!"Exhausted from protesting, Qiongqi rolled its eyes helplessly and decided not to argue with the witch anymore. After all, it planned to slip away once it finished this plate of sausages—why bother what she called it? So it lowered its head and silently continued eating.

"Xiao Bai, I need to go out for a while. Be good at home! Oh, and I heard it might rain today—remember to close all the windows..."

Qiongqi didn't pay any attention to Fang Qiu's words, focusing entirely on devouring the sausages on the plate. Finally, after licking the plate clean, it contentedly washed its face with its paws and prepared to swagger out the door.

The moment it passed through the doorway, it suddenly came face to face with an incredibly adorable, fluffy white kitten. Qiongqi immediately went on high alert, arching its back and raising its tail as it stared intently for a long moment—before realizing it was looking at its own reflection!

"Wow! This witch is really powerful! To actually possess such a powerful demon-revealing mirror!

But when did I become so small and cute?" Qiongqi lifted its paw and sniffed it, its whole body emitting a sweet fragrance.

This wasn’t intimidating at all! But… it seemed… it actually felt pretty good.

Qiongqi patted its head, thinking it should sneak away while no one was around! But after running around the room for a long time, it sadly realized that all the windows were tightly shut—it was imprisoned here once again!

Hmph! Bullying it just because it had lost its powers? But it shouldn’t be underestimated when it came to destruction!

Qiongqi raised its tiny paw, revealing sharp claws, and licked its pink little nose.

"Ah! What happened to the house? Could it be that we’ve been robbed?"

Qiongqi lay lazily on the sofa it had shredded beyond recognition, stretching lazily. Hehe, it had torn up everything in the room that could be torn and knocked over everything that could be broken. Surely, the witch would kick it out now, right? Just as Qiongqi was smugly scheming, it noticed the witch bringing in a beautiful, soft little house and placing it neatly right in front of it.

"Xiao Bai, this is the bed I bought for you! And here’s the cat litter and litter box I got you. Remember to use this when you need to go to the bathroom..." Fang Qiu beamed with a sunny smile, seemingly having completely forgotten the mess Qiongqi had made of the room.

Qiongqi helplessly covered its face with its paw and curled up. It seemed this witch was determined to keep it imprisoned! Just as it was contemplating whether to try another escape method, a plate of grayish stuff was placed in front of it. Swallowing its saliva, it listened as the witch called this enticingly fragrant thing "cat food."

Uh… it had just been running and jumping around for a long time, and now it was hungry again... Qiongqi, with no backbone, once again abandoned its escape plan and happily lowered its head to munch on the cat food.

"Good, so good..." Fang Qiu affectionately stroked Qiongqi’s back.

"Ow... meow meow..." Qiongqi purred contentedly while continuing to eat nonstop.

"Hmph! Look what we have here—isn’t this Qiongqi? Actually meowing like a cat! You’ve completely disgraced the dignity of us ancient divine beasts!" A cold, harsh voice suddenly rang out, and Qiongqi’s fur bristled in alert. Who was it? Qiongqi scanned the surroundings and noticed a tall, imposing dog emerging from behind the witch.

"Huangu? You’re here too? This is my territory! Get lost!" Qiongqi arched its back, filled with hostility. Even though it had been scheming to escape just moments ago, its first instinct when faced with an intruder was to drive them away.

"Your territory? Hehe, sorry, but I’ve also been picked up by this witch from Emperor Shun’s side. So, this is my territory too." Huangu lowered its head and rubbed against the witch’s leg with a level of flattery Qiongqi couldn’t even imagine.

Shameless! Qiongqi cursed furiously in its heart.

Fang Qiu giggled, rubbing Huangu’s head as she led it to the bathroom for a bath. Remembering the torture it had just endured, Qiongqi crept over to the doorway and lay down, curious to see how Huangu would resist. To its surprise, Huangu remained completely still, allowing the witch to spray it with hot water, lather it with strange, fragrant foam, and even blow-dry it with a hot air blower...Qiongqi noticed Huangou giving it a meaningful smile before seizing the opportunity to lick the witch's hand, deliberately lingering over the spot on her wrist where it had previously bitten her...

A shiver ran down Qiongqi's spine.

How could it have forgotten? Huangou was notorious for its cunning—it must have deliberately approached the witch for her blood too. Just tasting a tiny bit earlier had given Qiongqi immense power; imagine what drinking a mouthful could do... With an angry roar, Qiongqi suddenly lunged at Huangou!

It had discovered the witch first!

The fierce battle between Qiongqi and Huangou in the bathroom would have shaken heaven and earth thousands of years ago when they were both at full magical strength.

But to Fang Qiu's eyes, it was merely a cat and a dog fighting. One moment the large dog pinned the small cat down, the next the cat clawed at the dog's ears and leaped onto its back, then they both tumbled into the water becoming equally drenched, only to jump out again shaking off water and continuing their scuffle... Endless meows and barks echoed through the cramped bathroom.

"Enough! Stop fighting! Xiao Bai, do you need another bath too?" Splashed with water, Fang Qiu finally lost patience and separated them by grabbing Qiongqi by the scruff of its neck.

"Xiao Bai? Heh, that name suits you perfectly!" Huangou grinned, silently mocking.

Qiongqi sneered, "Don't get your hopes up about your name either. This witch's taste isn't exactly refined!"

As the cat and dog engaged in a visual standoff, Fang Qiu chided, "Da Hei, stop bullying Xiao Bai! We're all family now, you should get along well!"

Da Hei? Huangou's eyes widened in disbelief that the witch would give it such a name!

Qiongqi rolled on the floor laughing uncontrollably.

"Got it! Got it!" The Doctor's excited voice came from the tree as he jumped down holding an ancient birdcage. Inside was a small azure bird with three legs, its plumage vibrant and form graceful, singing with crystalline clarity.

Though it was deep night, the Three-legged Azure Bird's song carried far, its melody lingering in the air. The Doctor observed curiously that most of its feathers were azure, but its head and wingtips were crimson, with pitch-black eyes. Only palm-sized, the third leg on its abdomen was nearly invisible unless examined closely.

"Boss, how did you know hanging a birdcage on the phoenix tree would catch the Three-legged Azure Bird?" The Doctor reached to touch the divine bird's feathers but nearly got pecked, barely retracting his hand in time.

The Boss chuckled softly, "The Three-legged Azure Bird is the predecessor of the phoenix. Phoenixes roost on phoenix trees, and there happens to be only one ancient phoenix tree in this park. This birdcage was bound to attract it."

The Doctor hesitated while examining the cage, "Such a beautiful bird... must it be sealed too? The records say it was merely the Queen Mother of the West's messenger dove, didn't it?"

"Legend says Emperor Shun eliminated all mythical beasts, monsters, and non-Huaxia races to consolidate his rule. Thus our history transitioned from the mythical era to the human era. But I never imagined even Emperor Shun's power could only seal these wonders within the original version of the Classic of Mountains and Seas."The Boss sighed inwardly, thinking that what he had obtained was merely one volume of the "Classic of Mountains and Seas"—the "Classic of Regions Within the Seas: The North"—while the other seventeen volumes remained scattered who knows where. It would be best if they were buried deep underground, never to be discovered.

Watching the Doctor gleefully teasing the Three-legged Azure Bird, the Boss subtly furrowed his brow.

"I want to keep it," the Doctor said, noticing the Boss's gaze. He quickly hugged the birdcage to his chest, afraid it might be taken away.

As if he had anticipated this, the Boss replied with some resignation, "This bird was once attended by dedicated servants under the Queen Mother of the West and has been thoroughly pampered. It's nothing like the dog you keep at home. With your round-the-clock work schedule, do you really have the time to care for it?"

The Doctor hesitated but still refused to hand the birdcage back. The Three-legged Azure Bird seemed to understand their dispute, blinking its small green-bean-like eyes affectionately at the Doctor and rubbing its red head against the Doctor’s hand resting on the cage.

The Doctor held the cage even tighter. Seeing him so guarded, the Boss couldn’t help but smile. "Fine, this cage has been empty for over a thousand years anyway. I’ll help you raise it in the Dumb Shop, but you’ll have to cover the cost of its food."

The Doctor nodded eagerly. How much could such a tiny bird possibly eat? He could afford it!

"But for now, lend me the bird. I need its help to find the Jiliang Horse." The Boss approached the Doctor and spoke to the Three-legged Azure Bird in the cage, "You must know Jiliang, right? It’s dangerous for it to be wandering around here. If it’s willing, I have a bamboo slip from the Kingdom of Dogs that can help it return to its homeland."

The Doctor’s heart raced at the words, thinking how fortunate it was that he had broken the bamboo slip of Huangui. If it had been a slip inscribed with a location, it would have been like a sealed alternate dimension—once entered, escape would be nearly impossible. Of course, for him, that would have been a disaster, but for the Jiliang Horse, it was the best option.

The Three-legged Azure Bird tilted its head, pondered for a moment, then spread its wings and fluttered them twice, letting out a clear, melodious cry that pierced the sky.

Fortunately, they were in a remote suburban park surrounded by woods, with the deep silence of night—otherwise, they would have drawn attention. Before long, the sound of hoofbeats echoed from afar, and a white horse emerged through the gaps in the trees. With its red mane and golden pupils, it was unmistakably the Jiliang Horse they were seeking.

Yet, no matter how the Doctor looked at it, the Jiliang Horse’s face bore an uncanny resemblance to the legendary mystical creature, the Grass Mud Horse... He shook his head, dismissing the absurd thought.

"Now we’re just missing the Qiongqi, right? Strange—a winged tiger should be even more conspicuous in the city than a bird or a horse. Why haven’t there been any related reports?"

The Boss narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "I’ve looked into some additional records and found that Qiongqi is no ordinary being. It was originally the unfilial son of the Western Emperor Shaohao, which means it can take human form."

The Doctor was taken aback, a chill running down his spine. "It can turn into a human? That’s terrible. No wonder there’s been no trace of a tiger in the city—it must have transformed. Searching for a person in a city is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

The Boss pondered deeply for a long moment, frowning as he said, "Perhaps... perhaps it might be in that place."Qiongqi lay quietly in its new nest. Though it was already midnight, the creature felt no trace of drowsiness. Its round eyes wide open, it was lost in thought.

It was certain this witch possessed many powerful magical artifacts. For instance, that platform which produced flames with a simple rotation, the large cabinet capable of freezing objects, and that small box imprisoning countless people—the witch had sealed them inside just to force them to sing, dance, and perform plays for her amusement! How wicked!

What should it do? Stay here obediently? But it refused to accept that!

Not far away, Huangou, now transformed into a husky, was equally sleepless. In the darkness, its eyes glowed with a greedy green light as it stared at Fang Qiu sleeping on the bed.

"Hey, Big Black, how about we call a truce?" Qiongqi licked its paws and stood up.

"Who are you calling Big Black? You and your whole family are big and black! Speak! What kind of truce do you have in mind, Little White?" Huangou also rose, shaking its fur with imposing fierceness.

"Our goal is the witch's blood. We don't need much, so why should we be enemies? She is our common foe, isn't she?" Qiongqi said with a sly smile.

After some thought, Huangou had to admit Qiongqi made a valid point.

"I'm smaller, so I'll go first!" Seeing Huangou still processing this, Qiongqi leaped onto Fang Qiu's bed with a swift movement and began crawling toward the slumbering witch. A person is most defenseless while asleep—this was its chance to drink a few mouthfuls of her blood. Though the sausages and cat food she'd provided were delicious, they paled in comparison to the allure of her fresh blood!

Though Huangou sensed something amiss, it feared waking Fang Qiu and could only pace anxiously around the bed, unable to stop Qiongqi's advance.

Closer, ever closer... Just one more step... Qiongqi reached Fang Qiu's shoulder and prepared to lean down for a bite at her neck. But it misjudged the pillow's softness, its paw sinking deep into the cushion. Its entire body tumbled into the hollow of Fang Qiu's neck, successfully rousing her.

Huangou hastily covered its eyes with its paws.

Awoo! It's doomed! Qiongqi trembled in terror as it felt the witch's hand grasp the scruff of its neck.

"Little White, you want to sleep with me? Hehe, come on then!" Fang Qiu murmured drowsily, giggling as she tucked Qiongqi under the blankets to share her pillow.

Wait... is this really happening? Qiongqi's face darkened with disbelief, its body rigid with tension, terrified this might be some trick of the witch's.

Meanwhile, Huangou stamped its paws in frustration beneath the bed, inwardly cursing Qiongqi for its cunning deception!

After lying stiffly for what felt like an eternity without detecting any unusual developments, Qiongqi's courage gradually returned. It shifted under the covers, locating the wound on Fang Qiu's wrist where it had previously bitten her, and gently bit down again.

So exquisite... Qiongqi greedily suckled, realizing with just one lick that its body seemed to be undergoing some transformation.

Truly, this was a witch who had served Emperor Shun for millennia—her blood was far more potent than any spiritual elixir or celestial herb! But this made sense. With so many magical artifacts in her possession and even bamboo scrolls of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, she was likely a descendant of Emperor Shun himself.Qiongqi eagerly burrowed out from under the covers. By the moonlight, he noticed black stripes beginning to appear on his body, and the wings on his back seemed ready to emerge. It seemed the witch's blood truly held immense magical power. Ignoring the dissatisfied growls of Huangou, Qiongqi burrowed back under the covers to lick another drop of blood.

Moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains. In the hazy glow, Fang Qiu's blanket suddenly bulged, and then a handsome man with silver-white hair threw off the covers and emerged. He shook his smooth hair, a wide grin spreading across his face.

It had been so long since he last returned to human form! Qiongqi flashed a bright smile, revealing two small fangs. He touched his head and found two fluffy tiger ears still there, with a tail trailing behind him—though not fully human yet, this already made him incredibly happy! Looking down, he realized he was naked, so he casually grabbed a towel from nearby and wrapped it around his waist. Patting the snarling Huangou beside him, he bent down to study the sleeping witch.

This witch's blood was truly strange! His magical power hadn't recovered, yet it could break the beast seal on him... Qiongqi stroked his chin thoughtfully when he suddenly noticed how exceptionally beautiful the witch seemed. He recalled that her name was Fang Qiu.

Hehehe... After all the torment she put him through today, he'd make sure to pay her back!

Baring his two sharp little fangs, Qiongqi deliberately made a ferocious face and slowly crept closer to the sleeping Fang Qiu, glaring at her in anticipation of her eyes snapping open in terror.

But after waiting what felt like forever, she remained peacefully asleep, even drooling slightly from her slightly parted lips... Meanwhile, Qiongqi maintained his menacing pose until his neck began to ache.

Damn! Does this witch really possess such powerful magic? Why does she seem increasingly foolish? She's completely different from how she was thousands of years ago! Qiongqi couldn't resist poking Fang Qiu's cheek with his long-nailed finger, only to have her roll over and continue sleeping.

"Qiongqi! Move aside, it's my turn!" Huangou planted his front paws on the bed, growling at Qiongqi.

Qiongqi rubbed his chin, naturally unwilling to yield. Taking advantage of Huangou's reluctance to wake Fang Qiu and his own restored human form, he grew even more bold. Just as Qiongqi planned to continue teasing Huangou, his tiger ears twitched—there seemed to be unusual movement in the garden outside. Qiongqi easily opened the window and leaped down toward the ground, completely unconcerned that they were on the third floor.

Qiongqi landed soundlessly on the grass, striking a majestic pose with hands on hips. He glanced up at the height he'd jumped from, forgetting how ridiculous he looked posing like this while wearing only a towel.

He thought triumphantly, So escaping from that witch wasn't so difficult after all! Maybe he should just leave like this, though he'd miss those sausages and cat food she gave him...

"Qiongqi, it really is you." A voice tinged with laughter suddenly came from the darkness."Who?" Qiongqi raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had regained human form—could someone still recognize him? He completely failed to notice the tiger ears on his head and the tail behind him, which easily betrayed his identity. He looked toward the source of the voice but saw only pitch blackness. Taking a step forward, he barely discerned a crimson Dragon in the darkness, staring at him with ill intent.

"Who are you?" Qiongqi growled softly. The feeling of being watched from the shadows grated on him.

"Who I am is unimportant," the figure chuckled lightly in the darkness. "But you should recognize this, shouldn’t you?"

A pale hand emerged from the shadows, holding a radiant jade seal whose brilliance he could never match. Qiongqi’s face turned icy. "Emperor Shun’s jade seal? Are you here to seal me away?"

Clenching his teeth, Qiongqi stalled for time while scanning his surroundings, using peripheral vision to identify escape routes. To his dismay, he spotted a white robe hem near the only exit—this person had an accomplice!

If his powers were restored, he might have stood a chance against Emperor Shun’s jade seal. But now, merely facing it made it hard to breathe. Damn it, he should’ve drunk more of that witch’s blood! He had no desire to be imprisoned for another few millennia.

"Seal you away?" The figure in the darkness laughed. "The princess released you from the seal for a reason. How could I defy her wishes?"

Qiongqi froze. Huh? That witch was a princess? No wonder her blood was so unique... Was she truly Emperor Shun’s descendant? And these two were her attendants? Had they appeared because he tried to escape? Qiongqi’s mind, already dulled from millennia of confinement and recent treatment as a house cat, struggled to process this. But he sensed an opportunity and hurriedly asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"Simple. Swear a blood oath never to harm anyone, to obey the princess’s commands unconditionally, and to never defy her will. If she dies, you must find her reincarnation and protect her eternally." The voice in the darkness replied without hesitation.

Qiongqi stared at the shimmering jade seal, its colors vivid even in the dark. Weighing millennia of imprisonment against becoming someone’s pet, he sold himself out in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, and Huangou is here too." Unwilling to suffer alone, Qiongqi betrayed Huangou without remorse, pointing and shouting, "There! Right over there!"

"You little brat!" Huangou, who had been sneaking away through the corridor, stormed out in fury. After licking Fang Qiu’s blood, he had fully regained human form—unlike Qiongqi, he bore no animal features. No one would believe this cold, imposing man was once a hairy, dog-headed monster unless Qiongqi exposed him.

In the darkness, the figure chuckled again and aimed Emperor Shun’s jade seal toward Huangou.When Huangou saw the radiant imperial jade seal, he felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, cold sweat trickling down incessantly. Earlier in that peculiar antique shop, he had nearly been sealed away. If not for the presence of an ordinary person whom he could attach himself to, he would likely have turned into a cold, lifeless stone by now. Thus, he had no doubt that the power before him was capable of sealing him once more, and he immediately followed Qiongqi's example by swearing a solemn oath.

No sooner had Huangou finished his oath than Fang Qiu's anxious voice echoed from the stairwell, her affectionate calls for "Xiao Bai" and "Da Hei" ringing out.

Upon hearing this, Huangou promptly transformed into the form of a Husky, his tail drooping low.

Qiongqi also morosely transformed back into a delicate little white cat, then unhappily discovered that the person emerging from the darkness was just an ordinary-looking young man.

The deep red dragon he had seen earlier turned out to be merely an embroidery on the man's black clothing. Qiongqi bared his teeth, beginning to suspect he had been deceived.

But when this person effortlessly picked him up, the other's icy body temperature made him shiver uncontrollably.

—This person was definitely not ordinary!

Qiongqi immediately felt his earlier decision had been extremely wise.

"Xiao Bai? How did you get out? Da Hei ran out too? Huh? Boss?" Fang Qiu ran into the garden and found her Xiao Bai actually in someone's hands—and that person turned out to be the antique shop owner from this morning.

The Boss smiled warmly as he handed Qiongqi over. "I was just passing by and found this little white cat looking pitiful. I didn't expect it was from your house. Xiao Bai? Hmm, the name suits him."

Qiongqi speechlessly buried his face in Fang Qiu's arms. The thought that this foolish name would follow him for life made him feel utterly powerless. Huandog was equally depressed, hanging his head listlessly.

"Um... thank you..." Though Fang Qiu felt something wasn't quite right, since both Xiao Bai and Da Hei were found so late, she said, "I'll head home first then."

Watching Fang Qiu's retreating figure, the Boss kindly suggested, "That kitten and puppy will grow up in a few months. Remember to have them neutered then! Otherwise, your home will become quite chaotic."

Then, as if worried Qiongqi and Huandog wouldn't understand, he added a classical translation: "You see, neutering is like 'castrating a boar's tusks—auspicious.'"

"Yowl! Yowl! Woof! Woof! Awooo—" Qiongqi and Huandog's miserable cries echoed through the night sky...

"So that's it? No need to seal them?" The Doctor's voice came from the garden entrance as he wiped his sweat.

The Boss smiled faintly. "Seal them? Using those remnants of ancient ruins failed to seal Huandog. As for Qiongqi, he's the son of the Western Heavenly Emperor Shaohao—I alone couldn't possibly seal him. But don't worry, their sworn oaths carry contractual effects. If they break them, they'll suffer backlash: their bodies will perish, and their souls will never be reincarnated."

"Huh? I thought you relied on that Shun Emperor's seal..." The Doctor sounded puzzled.

"This?" The Boss turned his palm over, revealing the Shun Emperor's seal resting quietly in his hand. In the darkness, his smile grew increasingly enigmatic.

"Heh, who told you there are no fakes in the Dumb Shop?"

"..."

(End of chapter)