Chapter 697: Book in the River

All the foxes had fled. The warriors who had jumped out of the building were naturally unwilling to give up, but perhaps because they had been overwhelmed by the recent stench, they were still feeling lightheaded and had difficulty breathing.

It was not until more than ten breaths had passed that Tie Wen led his men, using their agility to leap onto various rooftops and other high vantage points to search for the foxes. However, despite their thorough search, there was no longer any trace of the fox group.

"Sir, they all seem to have gotten away!"

"What should we do?"

Tie Wen's expression was exceedingly grim, his iron-like hands, resembling eagle claws, clenched into fists that audibly cracked.

"They are indeed demons; no matter how skilled we are in martial arts, we still fell into their trap! This place is not suitable for prolonged stay. Let's first check the banquet hall, then leave immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

The men leapt across the rooftops and, before long, returned to where they had witnessed the fox spirits' night feast. Three individuals who had previously collapsed indoors had been rescued by their comrades who stayed behind, but they still lay on the ground outside.

"How are they?"

Tie Wen looked at the three men on the ground. Seeing their chests still rising and falling, indicating they were not dead, he asked, and Jiang Tong, who had also remained there, immediately replied.

"They are not seriously injured," Jiang Tong explained. "They merely fainted from the stench, and because they inhaled excessive foul gas while unconscious, they haven't woken up yet. However, their pulses are stable, and their breathing is strong, so they should be fine."

"Hmm..."

Tie Wen nodded and his gaze swept over his subordinates. Among them, only two were seriously injured: one with a leg injury, the other with a hand injury. Both were bite wounds, deep enough to expose bone, inflicted by the large black dog among the fox pack. Fortunately, for martial artists in public service, these were merely superficial wounds that did not damage tendons or bones. With medicine applied, their combat effectiveness would barely be compromised.

"What about that dog demon?"

"It must have run off with the foxes."

Looking back at the banquet hall again, Tie Wen couldn't help but sigh once more.

"Alas, the Heavenly Wordless Scripture was but a step away! If we could have obtained this scripture and presented it to the Emperor, promotions and nobility would have been easily within reach. Oh, what a pity!"

Tie Wen's words revealed profound unwillingness. Beyond his spoken words, there were unspoken thoughts in his heart: before presenting it to the Emperor, he might have secretly glimpsed the Heavenly Scripture, perhaps gaining a divine opportunity...

Unfortunately, the opportunity was lost. Even though Tie Wen and the other masters were extremely unwilling, they could only suppress their displeasure.

"Young Master Jiang," Tie Wen said, "although there was a minor incident tonight, our meeting can still be considered a success. This place is not suitable for a long stay, so we should part ways here."

Jiang Tong looked at the two injured Da Zhen secret agents and the three who had been overcome by the stench, then softly suggested:

"Some of the sirs are injured and inconvenient to move. Why not rest for a while at my Jiang family's residence and continue your journey once your injuries have healed?"

"Heh, there's no need," Tie Wen replied. "We will take them with us. It's not that we don't trust Young Master Jiang or the Jiang family; it's just that this is truly not a major issue, and we were already prepared for it before coming here. By the way, when I return to court, tonight's events will undoubtedly be recorded in a confidential scroll. Young Master Jiang will surely be a distinguished figure in our court someday, and I hope you can sign the scroll to help corroborate our account, proving that we did not fail to fight bravely."

Although Tie Wen's words seemed to be for his own benefit, aimed at proving his achievements, the underlying meaning delighted Jiang Tong.

"Certainly, certainly," Jiang Tong assured him. "I will certainly corroborate your account for Sir Tie in the future!"

Tie Wen nodded again and cupped his hands in salute towards Jiang Tong.

"Young Master Jiang, we shall meet again!"

"Sirs, we shall meet again!"

After both parties exchanged salutes, Tie Wen ordered his men to carry the three who had fainted from the stench, and together with the others, they left the Wei family estate, heading north into the distance, leaving only Jiang Tong and his group standing in place.

After a long while, a family master beside Jiang Tong softly reminded him:

"Young Master, they've all left. Should we go too?"

Jiang Tong nodded. His gaze swept over the surrounding buildings, and he narrowed his eyes.

"This abandoned Wei family estate is so vast," he mused. "Perhaps those foxes didn't escape far and are hiding nearby? What do you say, is that not possible?"

"Uh, there is indeed such a possibility," his subordinate replied, "but they are demons, after all. Without Sir Tie and his men, wouldn't it be too risky for us to stay here alone?"

There was indeed some truth in what the family master said, and Jiang Tong shivered upon hearing it.

"You have a point," Jiang Tong conceded. "I almost let greed lead me astray. A wise person does not stand under a tottering wall. Let's return first and then make our plans!"

Not long after, Jiang Tong and his group also left the Wei family estate. The vast estate once again fell silent. There were no banquets, no noisy foxes or wine-loving dogs, and no conspiring secret agents.

Ji Yuan was still reclining on the willow tree by the small river, continuously swinging the Thousand-Peck Pot in his hand. His gaze shifted from the stars in the sky to one side, where a large black dog was slowly approaching, with a small paper crane leading the way.

As the large black dog walked, it occasionally shook its head, clearly having been traumatized by the stench.

"Hahaha... that must have been quite unpleasant, wasn't it?"

Many animal spirits, such as foxes and weasels, after gaining sentience, choose to cultivate a special life-saving technique that is not considered elegant: "farting." Although many cultivators would find this technique utterly uncouth and it might have little effect on powerful cultivators, it must be said that it can be surprisingly effective when used unexpectedly, especially when a weak demon encounters a powerful mortal.

Ji Yuan, of course, understood the power of such a stench. As someone whose nose was even more sensitive than a dog's, even though he could tolerate most unpleasant smells, he would never willingly try to experience it.

Hearing Ji Yuan's jest, the large black dog looked even more aggrieved; it had been so overwhelmed by the stench that it almost felt its soul leave its body.

"Whine... whine..."

"Hahahaha, alright, alright," Ji Yuan chuckled. "I'll treat you to some wine. My wine isn't the common stuff served at that banquet. Open wide."

As Ji Yuan spoke, smiling, he tilted the Thousand-Peck Pot downwards, pouring out a thin stream of wine. The large black dog, which had been dispirited just a moment before, upon seeing Ji Yuan pouring the wine, transformed into a blur and instantly darted to the base of the willow tree, opening its mouth and accurately catching the wine Ji Yuan poured.

"Gulp... gulp... gulp..."

As the large black dog drank, its nose wrinkled and its eyes squinted, appearing to be in extreme enjoyment.

"Whine whine whine..."

Ji Yuan put away his wine pot. Looking at the large black dog below, shaking its head happily on the ground, he couldn't help but chuckle and playfully curse.

"What a drunkard among dogs!"

Although the large black dog below possessed extraordinary spiritual insight, it wasn't truly powerful in the end. The stream of wine Ji Yuan had just poured was a potent liquor mixed with ambergris, and he hadn't expected the large black dog not to collapse on the spot.

It was also amusing to note that while the large black dog had a very keen sense of smell and naturally often smelled alcohol, in its entire dog life, it had never tasted wine nor considered drinking it. Yet, after drinking it tonight, it immediately became uncontrollable, as if it had found the true meaning of dog-human life.

The large black dog staggered around under the willow tree for a while and eventually got drunk. It stumbled forward and bumped into the willow tree, believing itself to be a cat. It tried to climb the tree with all four paws, and after several attempts that tore off a few pieces of bark, the wobbly black dog then fell straight backward. Its four paws splayed out to the sides, and it lay on its back, completely passed out.

"A dog actually falling asleep in such a posture," Ji Yuan mused, "I've seen something new today..."

Ji Yuan watched the scene unfold under the willow tree, a smile playing on his lips, and his gaze then shifted to the nearby small river.

Because of Old Ox and his previous observations, Ji Yuan naturally felt an affinity for this large black dog. Plus, the dog was genuinely amusing. Since its disposition was good and he genuinely liked it, he was naturally happy to lend a hand.

Taking out his wolf-hair brush, with no paper or inkstone, Ji Yuan used his divine will as ink and the river as his canvas. Stroke by stroke, he wrote along the ripples of the water. The water flowed swiftly, and the characters appeared serene and unhurried.

The entire Wei family estate was now completely quiet, but it was not utterly silent. The croaking of frogs and the occasional calls of night birds drifted in, only adding to the sense of tranquility.

After a long while, Ji Yuan put away his brush. Holding the wine pot in his hand, he gazed at the stars in the sky and slowly closed his eyes, his breathing steady and even.

After waiting for about half an hour, the small characters circling the willow tree all became active. One of them cautiously inquired:

"Is the Great Master asleep?"

"I don't know..." "He should be asleep, shouldn't he?"

"What did he just write?" "Couldn't see clearly."

"Does this dog know it's incredibly lucky?" "It probably doesn't, right?"

"I bet it does!"

"By the way, Little Paper Crane, can you smell farts?"

"Chirp-chirp..."

"Looking at their expressions, perhaps none of us should try." "Good point!"

"Hush... quiet down..."

When dawn was just breaking, the large black dog woke up. Shaking its slightly groggy head, it looked up at the willow tree; the gentleman who had been sleeping there was gone.

"Woof... woof... bark bark... bark bark bark..."

Dog barks echoed by the river in the Wei family estate. But the vast estate, as always, remained desolate and dilapidated, with no one responding. Instead, it startled a flock of birds that had been catching insects by the river.

After barking wildly for a while, the large black dog felt a little disappointed. As its thirst grew stronger, it went to the riverside, lowered its head, and drank water to quench its thirst. After guzzling a large amount of river water, it finally felt somewhat better.

But when the large black dog looked clearly at the river surface again, it suddenly leaped back a step. It saw that at the very spot where it had just drunk, ripples on the water converged to form characters, and Ji Yuan's voice emerged with their appearance.

"Do you like drinking? Then strive diligently in your cultivation. Most fine wines in this world are brewed by ingenious human artisans and skilled cultivators. Brewing wine is a state of mind, and so is drinking it. Progress in your cultivation and walk the righteous path; this will certainly be most beneficial for your drinking!"

As Ji Yuan's voice faded, the ripples on the river surface also gradually vanished, becoming ordinary water ripples.

In his early years, Ji Yuan had already been researching whether he could attach his divine will to the wind, to the clouds, and to natural phenomena. He had indeed gained some insights now, and there was indeed a certain charm in delicately manipulating the clouds.

The large black dog stared blankly at the river surface, as if what it had just heard was not merely a brief sentence.