Chapter Thirty-Two: The Great River

On a night shrouded in darkness, with the wind howling, Wu Ming and his companions crept furtively through the fields, stumbling along the muddy country paths. The rural roads were treacherous, and to make matters worse, none of them had brought a lamp.

"Wu Ming, I'm scared of the dark," Music clung tightly to Wu Ming's wrist, trembling.

"Maybe we should go back and fetch a flashlight. It's pitch black, and I'm a little frightened too." The wind in the wilds was strong, whistling eerily as if a host of wandering spirits were wailing. Wu Ming felt uneasy, especially since they had no light. The most unsettling thing was the silence; at this time of year, even the insects had not begun their chorus. Aside from the wind and their footsteps, there was no other sound. The excessive quiet made their minds wander.

"Alright, let's wait here. Chief, could you go back and fetch the flashlight?" Lingmei Senior suddenly stopped, and Wu Ming, caught off guard, bumped into her ample hips. The soft sensation sent a thrill through him, making his nose feel warm.

"You're not getting a nosebleed, are you?" Wu Ming quickly wiped beneath his nose, relieved to find nothing damp.

Suddenly, a fragrance wafted toward him, and as Wu Ming reached out, he seemed to touch something elastic. The texture was pleasant, and he squeezed it twice in the darkness, finding it impossible to grasp fully with one hand.

"My dear junior, have you finished groping?" A cold voice whispered in his ear, and a tremendous force sent Wu Ming flying. He felt a sharp pain in his abdomen as he tumbled away, landing with a splash in the water channel by the field, gulping down two mouthfuls of icy, foul water.

"Damn!" Wu Ming staggered up from the ditch, spitting out mud and shivering in the wind.

"Senior, you’re ruthless! Just a little squeeze and you’ve beaten big brother so badly." Music produced a towel from somewhere and helped Wu Ming wipe the water from his head.

"If you like, you can squeeze Music’s chest in the future. Though mine isn’t as big as Senior’s yet, I eat papaya every day and practice swimming. One day, they’ll be much bigger!" Though her expression was hidden, the way she clenched her fists revealed her fierce determination.

Lingmei Senior couldn’t help but laugh, her waist shaking as she tried to stifle it.

Director Tyrannosaurus clutched his belly, roaring with laughter, startling a few wild birds from their slumber in the fields.

"Let’s head back for now and come again tomorrow. Wu Ming, you’d better go home and change before you catch a cold," Monk Lokong advised with the air of a high priest, his voice calm and body composed. Everyone knew his talent for putting on airs was unmatched.

"Whatever, it doesn’t matter. Some women are just heartless!" Wu Ming scowled, vowing that next time he would crush her... whatever.

"Music, don’t you have a glowing branch? Take one out for light!" Wu Ming suddenly remembered.

"Should I? Would Senior mind if I use it?" Music hesitated, worried that the differences between their worlds might cause trouble.

"It should be fine."

"Alright. Gourd, gourd, be good, just one piece," Music chanted, speaking to her mystical gourd—an artifact with its own spirit.

"Here you go!" As soon as Music produced the glowing branch, the ten square meters around them lit up like daylight, reminiscent of a game’s explored area. The small twig, no longer than a pinky finger, worked wonders. It was simply unbelievable.

"This is great! I’m the tallest here, so let me take it!" Director Tyrannosaurus eagerly took the branch from Music, held it high, and hurried ahead to clear the way.

"Is this the river?" Tyrannosaurus called from the front, pointing to a wide river, some forty or fifty meters across, its length unseen.

"Yes, that’s the river. I heard from the villagers it’s very long. The mud is so deep, no one farms fish here. Every summer, people come to dig for river clams." Wu Ming pointed to a makeshift sign beside Tyrannosaurus, painted with crooked words: "West Main River, Deep Silt, No Swimming."

The wind by the river was especially strong, flattening the reeds and wild grass. Something seemed to be stirring the reeds in the distance, making them sway. Director Tyrannosaurus parted the reeds and extended the glowing branch to illuminate the riverbank. Suddenly, a dark figure shot out from the reeds.

"Careful, something’s there!"

"Move aside!"

Director Tyrannosaurus rolled nimbly along the ground, dodging the shadow’s attack.

"What are you all doing here?" The gruff voice of Grandfather Dog rang out.

"You mangy mutt, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Lingmei Senior grabbed Grandfather Dog by the scruff and lifted him up.

Grandfather Dog’s stubby limbs flailed. "You little minx, watch out or I’ll scratch you!"

"Puppy, tell me why you’re here. Go home and I’ll give you some biscuits!" Music laughed, running over.

"I want two packs of cream-flavored ones," Grandfather Dog held up his paws to show ‘two packs.’

"Deal!"

"Let me down, you little minx!"

With a thud, Grandfather Dog landed face-first, eating dirt.

"You little minx, just wait, I’ll get you back someday!" Grandfather Dog spat mud, rolled his eyes at Lingmei, and made a canine gesture of disdain.

"Here, puppy, have some beef jerky first!" Music offered him a treat.

Grandfather Dog happily munched on the jerky and began his tale.

"I needed to pee tonight, and you all said I couldn’t do it at home. So I ran outside. Your rented place is awful. We should just move back!"

Earlier that month, Wu Ming had been evicted from the main sect for failing to pay rent. The elders claimed it was to help him gain worldly experience. Wu Ming had protested fiercely against their actions. Lingmei, Music, and Monk Lokong had also been left in his care as burdens.

Yet after returning to his old rooftop apartment, Wu Ming felt happy and carefree. He no longer had to worry about the sect’s exorbitant expenses.

"Stop rambling, get on with it!" Director Tyrannosaurus’s shout interrupted Wu Ming’s reminiscence.

"What’s with the attitude? Just because you practiced Lion’s Roar and have a loud voice? Fine, I’ll continue!"

"So I was halfway through peeing when I sensed a faint spiritual energy, so I followed it here..."

"Puppy, you just want to eat, don’t you!" Music pointed at Grandfather Dog’s head, seeing through him.

Grandfather Dog, with the bloodline of the ancient gluttonous beast, had an extraordinary sense for spiritual energy and an insatiable hunger for other spirit creatures.