Chapter 83: Drawing Out a Frying Pan...
Man and dog stared at each other in mutual confusion.
Facing the husky pup before him—its body, not counting the head, barely forty centimeters long and twenty-five centimeters tall, with thick brows and large blue eyes—Jiang Lin was momentarily dumbfounded. Those sparkling blue eyes, the bushy white brows, the black head, and the four short legs planted firmly on the battered floor—though its fur was a bit dirty, it was still soft and fluffy. The husky glared at Jiang Lin with an air of “ferocity.”
“Woof woo~~~ woof!”
“Ah!!!”
As the husky let out its menacing bark, the two fox-eared girls behind Jiang Lin shrieked instantly. Their piercing cries nearly shattered his eardrums.
“So this is the ‘magical beast’ you two spoke of?” Jiang Lin turned to look at the fox-eared girls.
The pair cowered behind him, nodding rapidly like pecking chicks, their bodies trembling. They desperately wanted to flee, but abandoning this young master would weigh too heavily on their consciences.
Moreover...
This young master was so handsome—obviously a talented and honest scholar…
Though he did seem a bit frail…
“Young master, don’t!”
“Young master!”
As Jiang Lin took a step forward, the fox-eared girls called out to him softly.
[Oh heavens, this young master is so brave! He looks gentle and sickly, yet he’s willing to confront such a savage magical beast for our sake!]
“Rest assured, though I am a Confucian scholar, I also have a sideline—I’m a disciple of the Agricultural and Livestock School!”
“Agricultural and Livestock School?”
“Yes, the kind that specializes in taming magical beasts. Please don’t worry, I will protect you two lovely ladies from the clutches of this ferocious creature.”
As Jiang Lin’s eyes shone so brightly that the girls had to squint, they longed to say, “We could just run,” but his righteous aura, as if the character for “justice” itself were etched onto his legs, made their hearts skip a beat. They nodded dumbly…
After calming the fox-eared girls, Jiang Lin pulled out the bag of pig feed that Ji Ji Bo had given him from his storage pouch.
“Come, don’t be afraid. Jin Kela contains no sugar…”
He scooped up a handful of pig feed and spread it on the ground, his tone as gentle as possible.
The little dog glanced at Jiang Lin’s glowing “Ultraman” eyes, then at the feed on the floor, and shuffled forward a couple of steps on its short legs.
“That’s right, don’t be scared. I’m not a bad guy,” Jiang Lin said, squinting, confident of his success.
This husky was definitely a rare breed! He’d transmigrated into this world at the age of eight, and in ten years of traveling far and wide, he’d never seen one like it!
He’d abduct it and take it to Twin Pearl Peak for Little Nian Nian as a pet—a perfect match for the adorable child! When the dog grew up, it could guard the mountain as their divine beast. Those other sects used flood dragons and double-headed tigers as guardian beasts—how unimaginative! His husky would rival them in sheer presence alone!
But while Jiang Lin was caught up in his own ridiculous fantasies, the husky suddenly leapt up and sank its teeth into the back of his hand…
“Young master!”
Another round of screams echoed through the dilapidated temple.
...
An incense stick’s time later, the temple flickered with firelight.
Jiang Lin’s arm was cradled in the fox-eared girls’ arms as they bandaged his hand, while the husky munched contentedly on the pig feed Jiang Lin had provided.
Although he’d been bitten, the “magical beast” was finally pacified.
After the bandaging, the fox-eared girls rose and bowed to Jiang Lin. “Thank you, young master, for saving our lives.”
Jiang Lin waved a hand. “Though I am but a humble scholar, I have a chivalrous heart. Think nothing of it.”
The two fox-eared girls exchanged glances, their cheeks flushing. With gentle voices, they said, “My sister and I owe you a debt of gratitude. If there is anything you desire…as long as it is within our power, we will give it to you.”
“Hmm?! Really?!”
They nodded, cheeks growing even redder.
“That makes things easy!” Jiang Lin patted the spot beside him and raised his eyebrows with a mischievous grin.
A quarter of an hour later…
Having spent fifteen minutes rubbing the girls’ fox ears, Jiang Lin wore a satisfied smile.
Though he couldn’t pet Little Nian Nian’s head, the beast-girls’ heads were also delightful to touch—especially those soft, furry ears, simply perfect!
The fox-eared girls, however, felt a little awkward after having their heads rubbed for so long… They wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Actually…I have one more request,” Jiang Lin said with sudden seriousness after a quarter hour of ear rubbing.
“Please speak, young master!”
Believing he was finally about to make a more intimate request, the two beast-girls gazed at him in anticipation.
“Well…” Jiang Lin scratched his face, “Would you two mind revealing your true forms? Petting actual foxes… I mean, petting you in your original forms would be much more enjoyable.”
“…”
Although the fox-eared girls wanted nothing more than to smack him, they had to admit he was skilled at stroking their fur. So, resigning themselves, they transformed into their true forms for him to pet.
“Does Young Master Jiang have no further requests?” After another quarter hour, the pet-shop-like atmosphere in the temple grew strange, and one of the foxes hinted again.
“Other requests?” Jiang Lin thought for a moment. “Actually, there is one.”
“Please, tell us.”
“Ladies, could you tell me which road leads to Eastwood City?”
“Young master, you wish to pass through Eastwood City?” one of the fox-girls asked, looking up.
“Yes, I must pass through Eastwood City to attend the imperial exam at the Great Xia Dynasty.”
“You mustn’t!” the other fox-girl exclaimed, reverting to human form in her worry. “You absolutely must not pass through Eastwood City.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“We’re not entirely sure of the details, but for several months now, families have been disappearing from Eastwood City. One night, while my sister and I were resting in the forest, we saw a grave with disturbed earth, and then a corpse crawled out.”
“Yes, hopping and jumping—it was terrifying. Some nearby sects were even hired by the city lord to investigate, but found nothing, and several cultivators have already died.”
“But there must be some cause. Has there been any other news?”
“Other news…” The fox-girl frowned in concentration. “There is a tower.”
“A tower?”
“Yes. My sister and I used to cultivate near Eastwood City and never saw anything strange. But after that tower was built, these occurrences began.”
As Jiang Lin pondered, one hand stroking a fox’s ear and the other stroking his chin, the two fox-girls suddenly placed their pale hands on his abdomen…
In a flash, their delicate hands became sharp fox claws, stabbing hard at Jiang Lin’s belly!
A resounding clang echoed through the dilapidated temple…
The husky looked up to see the young man slowly pulling their claws from his body.
Then, from within his robes, he drew out—a frying pan…