"Secondly…" The dog scratched its eye deliberately, as if trying to antagonize him. The more anxious Lin Suqing got, the slower the dog intentionally dragged on, "Secondly… Tsk tsk tsk, it's difficult~"
The dog shook its head and leisurely lifted its hind leg to scratch at the itchy spot on its neck.
This made Lin Suqing anxious to the extreme. If this dog were at his home, he would have shaved it bald by now. What was it so proud of?
Considering he needed its help and couldn't beat it anyway, Lin Suqing had to suppress his rising anger and desire to pull out its fur, asking miserably, "What is the second thing?"
The dog surprisingly sat straight, wearing a serious expression: "The second thing is, in your original world, there must be a Divine Holy Monarch of a godly rank like the Lord who sets up a spell array for you. When the array calls you, you can go back!"
"Huh?" How was this any different from not saying anything at all...
In his original world, the most powerful "immortals" he knew were just the charlatans at the bridgehead who told people's fortunes, but those scammers couldn't even trick elementary school kids, let alone summon him like an immortal.
"However..." The dog turned its head and shot Lin Suqing a sideways glance, its eyes glinting with amusement: "An immortal's spell array can only summon immortals. Hmm... you're just an ordinary mortal~~"
Wasn't it just telling him to hurry up and find a tree to hang himself from and die early to go home? What a vindictive dog.
Forget it. Lin Suqing let out a heavy sigh, feeling an unprecedented sense of exhaustion.
Propping himself up on his knees, he slowly stood, deciding not to talk to the dog anymore. It was deliberately teasing him, and there was no point in continuing. He might as well use the time to see if there were other ways out.
Seeing him about to leave, the dog jumped in front of him, raising its fluffy little face to ask, "Where are you going?"
Lin Suqing lowered his eyes, rolling them at the dog in frustration, and said deliberately, "To find a good spot to hang myself."
"Giving up already?" The dog was unexpectedly surprised, then sneered disdainfully, "I thought you would decide to cultivate diligently, transform, and ascend to become an immortal someday. Turns out I overestimated you. You're just a worthless person with no ambition."
These words felt like a bone-scraping dagger cutting deep into Lin Suqing's heart. Once upon a time, in his original world, someone had also defined him with similar words.
Directionless, only eating and waiting to die, a completely useless waste...
No one ever wanted to hear his explanations, so he eventually gave up on explaining. He knew in his heart that he wasn't the so-called useless waste. Though he often lacked motivation, he never wanted to fall into decay.
He was just waiting for an opportunity. Like a crocodile with its mouth open, waiting for its prey to approach. Once the time was right, he would surely bite and never let go. He was just waiting for an opportunity.
Lin Suqing quickly caught up with the dog, blocking its way and asking, "Are you saying… I can cultivate to become an immortal?"
The dog, still lazily looking at him, said patiently, "All living beings can cultivate. Among them, humans have the highest spirituality, so cultivation is easier compared to other beings. But you..."
It pouted, shook its head, and rolled its eyes: "Mainly because you're too stupid, hmph~" The dog snorted, held its fluffy head high, and arrogantly brushed past Lin Suqing.
After walking a few steps, it suddenly turned back to Lin Suqing and said, "Hey, what's your name? Since we've met, if you die, I'll at least burn some paper money for you, and bribe the underworld's little ghosts a bit. You wouldn't have come to Danxue Mountain for nothing~"
Lin Suqing, who was still reflecting on the dog's earlier words, didn't have time for its jokes, so he casually responded, "Lin Suqing."
"Sounds like a girl's name?" The dog was stunned and immediately rolled on the ground laughing, "Your father must have been very literal with names, hahaha indeed it suits you well, who told you to look like a delicate little girl, hahaha~"
Already troubled, Lin Suqing was even more distressed. Now, mocked by the dog, he couldn't help but solemnly explain.
"It's Suqing… It's a combination of two herbs. These two herbs have the effect of opening the senses, warding off evil, harmonizing the atmosphere, and expelling wind evil. The medicinal effect matches the meaning of the name…"
He seriously explained, using eloquent ancient phrases, confusing the dog, which only recovered after a long while.
The dog, furious at being schooled by a mortal, frowned and snapped, "Woof! You think you know so much! Since you're so capable, figure it out yourself!" With that, the dog ran off like a streak of lightning.
Lin Suqing stood there stunned, wondering—Did I say something wrong?
Although puzzled, he had no time to dwell on it. He glanced around, seeing green mountains and rivers, a sense of isolation from the world. Even the sound of insects seemed terrifying due to its unfamiliarity.
A divine young man who could use spells, a talking red-furred dog, what kind of place was this?
His heart pounded as panic set in. This world had too many unknowns, unclear future, life and death uncertain.
He didn't want to become like one of those novel protagonists who astonish the world and create legends. He just wanted to return home safely as soon as possible. His elderly mother was alone at home; he couldn't rest easy.
If he didn't die, he would choose to cultivate diligently. By the time he became an immortal, his mother might also...
Was there really no other way to go back…?
While he was wandering aimlessly, a roar of a tiger echoed in the distance.
Suddenly, a scarlet panther with a single horn on its head and five tails sprang out of the woods beside him!
Frightened to the core, Lin Suqing's legs froze in place.
Seeing Lin Suqing's strange attire, the scarlet panther was suspicious and didn't pounce on him immediately. Instead, it circled around him, observing closely, its throat making stone-knocking sounds.
What kind of place is this? Lin Suqing held his breath, heart pounding, trying to stay calm as he quickly pulled out his keys, waving them in the panther's face, reflecting the glaring sunlight and making the panther squint and scratch its eyes. Good timing!
He threw the keys with all his might and turned to run for his life. He swore his sprint was so fast even Liu Xiang had to bow down.
But soon, the panther lost interest in the keys and, with a few strides of its five tails, easily blocked Lin Suqing's path.
Lin Suqing hurriedly stopped, sweat pouring, and tremblingly pulled out a transit card, repeating his tactic and tossing it at the panther.
Yet, the panther remained unfazed, bowing its head and arching its back, inching closer, its fierce red eyes staring, making him too scared to move.
Swallowing hard, he stammered, "Look at me, I'm all bones. Hard to chew, makes your gums hurt. How about… you find something juicier… or wait here, I'll find one for you…"
Before he finished, the panther's angry roar interrupted him, and it retreated a couple of steps, charging towards him!
"Help!" Lin Suqing struggled to resist the panther's massive jaws pressing down. Its head was as heavy as a gong, and soon he was out of strength, using his elbow to press against its throat.
The panther's saliva dripped onto his face, sticky, foul-smelling.
As he feared he couldn't hold on, the panther's deadly fangs about to pierce his throat... suddenly, a wild fruit flew in, hitting the panther's head with great force, making it fall back.
"Woof!"
The dog leaped out, biting the panther's neck, and using its momentum, it circled the panther once. When the dog let go, the huge panther was thrown to the ground.
The dog landed, sliding a few feet before stopping. In a blink, it exploded into a white mist, revealing a giant dog as tall as a mountain. Without even looking, it stepped on the panther's gong-like head, grinding it like a cigarette butt.
Bang! The dog burst into a white cloud. As it fell, it returned to its fluffy little dog form, sitting on the panther's back like a person with crossed arms.
The panther's head was firmly buried in the ground, only its body lying outside.
Lin Suqing, still shaken, was dumbfounded by the dog's transformation.
At this moment, the divine young man—the Crown Prince, approached casually, fanning himself leisurely.
Lin Suqing quickly crawled up and knelt before the Crown Prince, sincerely pleading, "Your Highness, do you need a leg accessory? I'm hardworking like an ox, loyal as a dog! Please let me follow you!"
Though he pleaded earnestly, he was calculating in his mind. With his weak body, he would surely be prey in this world. Since he couldn't return home for the time being, it was better to find a way to survive first.
The Crown Prince looked down at him condescendingly, "One dog is enough. And you are not even as good as a dog. Why should I keep you?"
Such words were infuriating, but the situation was dire. Lin Suqing had to grit his teeth and humbly say, "How does Your Highness know I'm not better than a dog? In 360 trades, every trade has its master. What I'm good at, the dog may not be."
Hearing this, the Crown Prince chuckled, unable to hold back his laughter, "Are you comparing yourself to a dog?"
Such contempt and mocking tone. Lin Suqing had experienced similar disdain several times in his previous world. The more others looked down on him, the more he wanted to prove them wrong—You don't recognize a gem when you see one.
"Your Highness's dog is extraordinary, comparing myself to it doesn't hurt my dignity." He had been reckless and arrogant in the past, but after many encounters, he knew that the more others underestimated him, the more he needed to stay calm and composed, "But who knows what I'll become in the future?"
Enduring temporary humiliation for a future breakout. He couldn't die; he had to go back.
Lin Suqing craned his neck, pledging his loyalty. The Crown Prince ignored him, plucking a green leaf and with a flick of his wrist, the leaf flew out, transforming into a double-edged dagger, piercing the ground beside the panther's neck.
The Crown Prince's eyes were cold as the wind, "Tonight, we'll eat Zhen." Then he left, with the dog quickly following him.
Lin Suqing, still kneeling in bewilderment, stared for a long time, unable to understand.
The wind swirled fallen leaves, stirring up tiny dust, brushing against his ankles before evading. Only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind broke the quietness.
As an eagle's cry pierced the sky, he finally realized—Did he agree to it? The first task is to kill this panther? No, Zhen?
Zhen? His mind buzzed; it sounded familiar.