"Kill..."
The stout man's whistle abruptly stopped as a shadow lunged at him. A sharp, searing pain erupted in his throat.
Warm blood gushed out like a fountain.
"W-what..."
He staggered backward, clutching at his neck. A black wolf dog clung to his throat, its sharp fangs embedded deeply.
In panic and fury, the man drove his boning knife into the wolf dog's thin, emaciated body. Blood splattered everywhere.
He stabbed it again and again, but the wolf dog refused to let go. Its teeth tore through his flesh, soaking him in crimson. Only a raspy wheeze escaped his throat as he fell to the ground, locked in a macabre embrace with the dog.
Without his commands, the spectral Yin Dogs froze in place.
"Where did that dog come from?" Jing Jian asked, his voice trembling as he stared at the blood-soaked scene.
The wolf dog's skeletal frame was covered in scars, its body battered and broken.
"It must have been one of the stray dogs we released earlier," Lu Fei said, his voice tinged with surprise and realization.
"Animals have a deep sense of justice. That guy must've abused the dogs terribly for this wolf dog to hold such a grudge, willing to risk its life to take him down. Retribution," Jing Jian muttered, shaking his head.
"Don't just stand there—let's finish off the Yin Dogs," Lu Fei said.
Together, he and Jing Jian quickly destroyed the remaining spectral creatures with the lightning-struck jujube staff and peachwood sword.
Meanwhile, the monstrous red-eyed dog finally succumbed to the poison, collapsing to the ground.
Tiger and A-Long, bruised and covered in dust, joined them. Fortunately, their injuries were only superficial.
The stout man lay lifeless on the ground, his eyes wide in disbelief, staring blankly at the sky.
The wolf dog, mortally wounded from the repeated stabs, was barely alive. Its insides were ruptured, and survival was impossible. Yet, it dragged itself to its feet, its feeble eyes glancing at Lu Fei before turning toward the dog pens.
It limped painfully forward, collapsing repeatedly but continuing to struggle onward.
"Why's it heading back there?" Jing Jian asked, puzzled. "I've heard dogs find a place to die peacefully, but surely it doesn't want to die in this wretched farm."
"Maybe there's something in the factory it cares about," Lu Fei speculated, following the wolf dog.
The dog turned its head briefly to look at him, its eyes reflecting a flicker of determination. Dragging its broken body, it crawled into the factory and stopped in front of a cage, staring into its depths.
Lu Fei switched on the lights.
In the corner of the cage, a tiny black puppy shivered, its small body trembling as it let out faint whimpers.
"Your child?" Lu Fei murmured.
As he stepped closer, he noticed there were three puppies in the cage. Two of them lay motionless, lifeless.
Sighing softly, he removed his jacket and gently wrapped all three puppies inside, carrying them to the wolf dog's side.
The wolf dog sniffed the living pup with great effort before collapsing entirely. Its head fell to the ground, its eyes fixed on Lu Fei as if unwilling to die just yet.
Lu Fei looked at the tiny pup, then back at the wolf dog.
"Alright, I'll take care of this one."
A single tear slid down the wolf dog's cheek before it finally closed its eyes, breathing its last.
With the ordeal over, A-Long called in the backup to clean up the scene.
Under the night sky, flames engulfed the dog farm, consuming it entirely. Three vehicles sped away, silhouetted against the inferno.
The Next Day
Lu Fei saw the news on his phone:
*"Illegal dog farm in the outskirts mysteriously caught fire. Owner and his aggressive, illegal dogs perish in the blaze..."*
Jiang Hao and his wife, now completely at ease, transferred another million yuan as promised and invited Lu Fei, Chen Jinfa, and the others to a celebratory meal.
Jing Jian didn't attend, and Lu Fei declined as well. He found such gatherings tedious. The biggest reward for him was solving the issue and adopting the tiny black puppy.
The puppy, with its fluffy black fur and clumsy demeanor, brought Lu Fei great joy.
As a child, he had always wanted a dog, but his grandfather had refused. Now, he finally had the chance.
The little pup was a voracious eater, devouring food until its belly was round like a ball, yet still wanting more. Lu Fei often worried it might overeat.
"Boss, did we adopt a food vacuum?" Tiger joked, squatting beside the puppy and watching it eat with amusement.
The puppy's messy black fur and silly expression made it both scruffy and endearing.
"Tiger, what should we name it?" Lu Fei asked, stroking his chin.
"With an appetite like that, let's call it Rice Bucket."
"No way. This is my first dog. It needs a powerful, majestic name."
"How about Sky Tyrant?"
"Nope."
"Fierce Fang?"
"Tiger, just stop talking."
Having the little dog around brought Lu Fei unexpected joy. Apart from eating, drinking, and sleeping, the puppy had one more quirk: it insisted on sleeping next to Lu Fei at night. Otherwise, it would whimper pitifully.
It also displayed a clear sense of hierarchy, showing affection only to Lu Fei while largely ignoring Tiger, much to his frustration—especially since he was stuck cleaning up after it.
That Evening
Jing Jian visited again, his injuries still not fully healed but his spirits high.
"Shopkeeper Lu, why don't you reconsider helping me catch the fish demon at Fuxian Lake? We worked great together at the dog farm!"
"You're still hung up on that?" Lu Fei asked with a raised brow.
"What? Are you expecting me to hand over the inner core too?" Jing Jian grumbled.
"Why not?"
"Why are you so obsessed with inner cores? Think about the Fish Fright Stone! It might enhance your lightning wood staff."
"And the inner core can't?"
"It can't! Inner cores are for improving cultivation, not crafting tools. So, what do you say?"
"Really? I don't believe you."
"...Forget it. Just think it over. When my wounds heal, we can team up again if you're interested."
Jing Jian left, leaving Lu Fei pondering. Though Jing Jian seemed reliable, Lu Fei decided against leaving Jiang City for now. The mystery of the Yin Runes remained unsolved, and Red Sister hinted that Jia Banxian's whereabouts were close to being uncovered.
Later that night, Lu Fei took out the small black core he had obtained from the man-faced eel and placed it on the table. Holding his lightning wood staff, he gently tapped the core.
It quivered slightly but showed no other reaction.
"Is it incompatible, or am I doing something wrong?" he wondered aloud.
Just then, the puppy began barking in its tiny voice, drawing his attention to the shop door.
Knock, knock.
"Already playing guard dog, huh? You're pretty sharp," Lu Fei said, scooping up the puppy and heading to the door.
"Who would visit the Evil Pawnshop this late?"
The wind chime jingled incessantly as Lu Fei peered through the window, spotting a faint, shadowy figure outside. His heart skipped a beat.
"A night pawn!"
Suppressing his excitement, he opened the door.
"Come in."
The figure floated inside, its body broken and fragmented.
When Lu Fei saw the bloodied, disfigured face, he froze in disbelief.
"Hai Tao?!"