Chapter 627: Strange Dog Barking


    After this case, I felt the difficulty of being a parent one more time. I couldnt help but think about Yin Xinyues parents. They hadnt gotten rid of the shadow of the Eight-hundred-mile Scaled Dragon yet.


    When we left the He family, He Kuiofferedme five thousandrenminbi. I didnt receive it. I didntck money, and his family was really poor.


    I decided to make it an act of kindness!


    Although Li Mazi didnt mind helping people, we hadnt earned much this time.Around two or three days after we returnedhome, he encouraged me to go out and see if we could find any new cases.


    Youcan findotherworldly items only by chance,andneverif you look for them actively. What the heck are you rushing for?


    I was pissed off, but Li Mazi didnt listen to me. As he was enthusiasticaboutsearching for otherworldly items, I didnt want to care about him anymore.


    During the next two or three months, Li Mazigota few cases. I couldnt persuade him, so I had to follow him. They were just minor cases or some ghost-haunting cases. We didnt earn much from those cases but exhausted ourselves instead. Li Mazi finally epted his fate. He didnt urge me to go outto seek businesscases anymore. I finally had peace for myself. I spent timepracticingdrawing spiritual talismans,spells,and mantras.


    A few days ago, Chuyi called me. He told me he had left Dragon King Vige, so I shouldnt worry about him anymore. And, hetoldme that wemightmeet the people from Longquan Viatthe trade conference. I should practice my skills to prepare beforehand. He didnt mention my parents incident, so I had to keep it at the bottom of my heart and prepare myself as he had instructed.


    However,the old saying was always right. You dont seek trouble, but troublees to your door.


    Li Mazi had stayed still for a few days, and someonehadeto our door. Moreover, this time, our client had a special profession. He was an old manthat soldtofu. He asked us to call him Chen Tofu.


    That afternoon, I was wiping a kiln vase that dated back to the Ming Dynasty, when uncle Chen came in with his pole and baskets. I thought hehadein to invite me to buy his tofu, so I decided to ask him aboutit. Unexpectedly, he put down his heavy baskets and asked me curtly, Little brother, is Immortal Zhang in the shop?


    I was speechless. I thought to myself,Who the heck is spreading the word that Im an immortal?


    Moreover, I couldnt stand it when an old man in his fifties or sixties called melittle brother.


    Uncle, I am Zhang Jiulin. What do you need?


    Uncle Chen shot me a surprised nce. Perhaps it was because I looked so young.He thenstarted to tell me his story.


    Uncle Chens real name was Chen Jiefang.Since he had sold tofu for almost his whole life, people called him Chen Tofu.The name then becamehis alias. Hehadeto mebecausehe thought that something foulwaspesteringhim.


    However, when he said that, he didnt look scared at all. I became curious. Uncle, could you tell me more about it?


    Itsnotthatscary, but every time I pass by a vige tosell tofu, all the dogs in the vige bark at me non-stop! At first, the people there thought it was fun. But after a while, they recognized that every time I walked by the vige, all the dogswouldbark crazily. Moreover, they dont bark normally. They cryand howl. The people there said that Ihavesomething foul with me. They even said that Im evil and dont want me toe or walk by the vige anymore


    Uncle Chen sighed and said, Im old already, so Im not afraid of foul things. I dont need to go to that vige to sell tofu, either. But I dont feefortable living like this, and I want to get to the bottom of the problem.Ilearnedabout youwhile talking with a friend. Thats why Ive here to ask for your help.


    Have you ever kept a dog? What happened when you passed by other viges? I thought it was an interesting case.


    If only the dogs in that vige barked at him, it could beaproblem within that vige.


    Uncle Chen shook his head. I have never kept a dog. I like the quietness, andI cant stand dog barking.Nothing strangehappenswhen Igoto sell tofu in the other viges. Only the dogs in Xiaoliu Vige act strangely.


    If it isas yousay, youre notthe problem Iforted Uncle Chen. Then, I closed my shop to go to his house to take a look.


    Uncle Chen lived in a small courtyard. I saw arge stack ofdried grass and a donkey.


    If its a rainy day, I use this donkey to pull my tofu cart.


    I nodded and carefully observed his yard. There was nothing strange aboutit. And, with the presence of the donkey, his courtyard looked even livelier. His house had three rooms: his bedroom, his kitchen, and the roomwherehe made tofu. Ithad a small electric mill and a few bags of soybeans.


    After checking the whole ce, I told him, Uncle, theres no problem in your house.


    Hewasnt convinced, soI had to take out thepass and check his house one more time. Thepass didnt show any strange reaction.


    In the end, to assure his mind, I went to his neighbor and borrowed a dog. At first, the dog barkeda bitbecause it was in an unfamiliarhouse.However, after a while, it calmed down. It meant that Uncle Chens housedidnt haveaproblem.


    What happened to me, then? asked Uncle Chen.


    After I had proven that his house was okay, Uncle Chen was still skeptical.Old people didnt like trouble, and if he couldnt solve the problem, he would never sleep well.


    Ididnt haveanything important to do these days, so I askedhimto take me to Xiaoliu Vige to take a look.


    Uncle Chen was happy. He immediately prepared hisdonkey-drawncart and put his pot of tofu on it. I got on the donkey cart and observed the scene at twilight. I feltthat I had just time-traveled to ancient times.Itfelt good.


    After half an hour, Uncle Chen turned andsaid,Immortal Zhang, sir. Look, thats Xiaoliu Vige.Please listen ifthedogs are barking.


    I nodded andpricked my ears up to listen. At the same time, I craned my neck to see.


    The said vige was still far awayfromus. The outermost house was around five or six hundred meters away. Thatwas why I thought Uncle Chenwas paranoid. It was too far;how could the dogs see him now?


    Unexpectedly, after we moved dozens of meters more, we heard the dogs in the vige barking!


    Usually, one or two dogs would bark first. Then,theother dogs would followas though they had received the signal. But this time, it sounded like all the dogs in Xiaoliu Vige had started barking at the same time!