"Second Uncle, you're back…"
A child with an old tiger-head hat on his head, wearing a short coat and with a runny nose, kicked off his little legs and pounced toward Chen Ku.
"Hey!"
Chen Ku lifted his nephew over his head, took a good look at him, and asked, "Does your stomach still feel uncomfortable?"
This child was the only son left by his elder brother. His formal name was Yin Hu, and his nickname was Hu Zi.
Hu Zi's face was somewhat sallow, and he said aggrievedly, "I had diarrhea again today. It's uncomfortable, and my butt hurts."
He touched his belly with his small hand.
Chen Ku put his nephew down, walked into the kitchen, and saw his sister-in-law cooking. Helplessly, he said, "Sister-in-law, didn't I tell you to boil water for Hu Zi to drink? His upset stomach is because he drank cold water, and now his butt is aching from diarrhea."
The woman in the kitchen, who had a set of fairly regular features and a slightly stout figure, hurriedly shook her hands, wiped them on her apron, and came forward to take the basket off Chen Ku's back. But she lowered her head and said, "There's not much firewood left in the house; we have to use it sparingly. We can't afford to drink boiled water every day. I boiled him some yesterday while making rice."
Chen Ku shook his head and said, "It's alright. This time I found a valuable medicinal herb. I will go to town with Master Li tomorrow to buy some firewood, and also get some antidiarrheal medicine. Boil more water today; I want to drink some too."
Hearing that Chen Ku wanted to drink, the woman named Xu Lan quickly nodded. "Alright, Ku, it's not easy for you to go into the mountains. I'll boil a pot of hot water for you right away."
Chen Ku nodded and turned to look at his mother.
Lying on the bed was an old woman, coughing slightly.
"You're back."
"Mother, your cough hasn't gotten any better?" Chen Ku stepped forward and asked.
Mother Chen, seeing her son return home, felt much relieved and said, "It's nothing. It's just that the weather has turned cold, and we don't have enough firewood, so I caught a chill. I'm afraid I won't be able to go to work at Brother Zhao's house today. Go tell them, so they won't think we're lazy—they do take care of our household registration."
"Big Brother Zhao is a good man. I'll go talk to him in a bit," Chen Ku said. "It's alright. Tomorrow I'll go to town and buy some more firewood and grain."
"Then you should go tell them right away."
"Let's eat first. It's mealtime for them too now. It wouldn't be good to go over."
Before long, the meal was ready.
Simple cornmeal cakes and a large plate of shredded potatoes.
Chen Ku could afford rice and white flour, but one part of rice or white flour could be exchanged for ten parts of cornmeal. Naturally, cornmeal was more cost-effective and filling.
Chen Ku alone could eat four cornmeal cakes in one meal.
Sister-in-law Xu Lan brought over some bowls of cooled boiled water during the meal. Chen Ku blew on his, then GULP GULP, drank a bowl and felt much better.
Then, he looked at the half-kettle of remaining boiled water and the kitchen chimney, from which smoke had long ceased to rise.
He sighed inwardly.
It's not just my family in the village that can't afford to drink boiled water; many people can't. Firewood is a huge expense. This problem must be solved. Otherwise, never mind Hu Zi; I spend all year in the mountains drinking raw water. Before long, I'm bound to have serious gastrointestinal issues.
He resolved that this time when he went to town, he would buy more firewood to ensure at least a month or two's supply of boiled water.
After a simple meal at home that filled his belly, though not very nutritious, at least he wasn't hungry.
He left home to talk to Big Brother Zhao about his mother taking a day off.
The distance wasn't far.
This Big Brother Zhao, named Zhao Bocai, had a good relationship with Chen Ku's elder brother. In the past, both their families were among the wealthiest in the village, which was why Zhao Bocai had been able to save a large sum of money and send his younger brother, Zhao Mengcai, to study at the martial arts school in the county town.
He was approaching Big Brother Zhao's house.
His house was obviously a size larger than Chen Ku's and was a brick-and-tile structure.
But he hadn't reached it yet. When still some distance away, he heard a series of children's cries and the very urgent barking of a dog.
Chen Ku looked toward the noise.
On the village path, a few children, about half grown, were crying their eyes out and running wildly with all their might.
That's Big Brother Zhao's child, Zhao Bao.
Chen Ku immediately recognized the smallest child among the wildly crying and running group. This boy, about six or seven years old and running at the very back, was Zhao Bocai's only child, Zhao Bao.
Are they being chased and beaten by the older kids again?
Chen Ku frowned.
Fights among village children were common.
But he quickly noticed that something was amiss. The children were running towards him, each with an expression of sheer terror, as if fearing for their lives.
AWOOO!!
And soon, Chen Ku saw what was chasing these kids.
He saw that behind the children, especially behind the slowest-running Zhao Bao, and just beyond a courtyard's dirt wall...
a slim and agile white Skinny Dog, half as tall as a person, was incredibly fast!
Moving at a speed of nearly three to four meters per breath, it was rapidly pouncing toward Big Brother Zhao's child.
That's not a village dog; that's a wild dog from the mountains, almost like a wolf!
Chen Ku saw at a glance that the creature even had blood on the corners of its mouth.
Just as it was about to pounce on Zhao Bao, Chen Ku instinctively let out a roar:
"Beast!"
In a subconscious bid to save the child, he picked up a large stone from the roadside and hurled it at the white Skinny Dog.
BANG!
His aim was slightly off; it didn't hit the dog directly. But it immediately drew the attention of the half-person-tall, slender white Skinny Dog.
The children looked as if they had found a savior.
The white Skinny Dog noticed Chen Ku a dozen meters away. Spotting the stone that had just landed near it, it immediately crouched low, its eyes fierce, and it began to gnash its teeth and growl.
WAH...
Big Brother Zhao's child then tripped and fell right at the Skinny Dog's feet, crying hysterically in fear.
Seeing the Skinny Dog distracted by him, but the child now lying at its feet, Chen Ku grew anxious. Was this wild dog planning to carry the child off into the mountains like a chicken or a duck?
"Beast, get lost!"
Chen Ku reached for the sickle on his back, drew it out, and swung it while growling, hoping to scare off the wild dog.
But unexpectedly, WHOOSH—
Seeing Chen Ku draw the sickle, the slender white Skinny Dog bared its fangs with even greater ferocity, a savage light spilling from its eyes. It pushed off with its four paws and launched towards him like a gust of wind.
WHOOSH!
Chen Ku's vision blurred, and a foul, bloody stench assaulted his nostrils!
The white Skinny Dog had already appeared before him. It leaped up on its hind legs, its huge, blood-red gaping mouth filled with sharp canine teeth, lunging to engulf his throat.
In an instant, Chen Ku's mind buzzed.
This isn't a dog,
it's truly a wolf!
So ferocious!
In a daze, words flashed through his mind.
[Sensing Evil Qi approaching, Transformation Diagram activated.]
Evil Qi?
[That which is harmful to me is called Evil. Through suppression and killing, one can collect the Evil Qi of Heaven and Earth, leading to endless Transformations.]
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion.
But with such wolf-like murderous intent before him, Chen Ku had no time for other distractions.
His body tensed like a bow,
shoulder drove elbow,
elbow drove hand,
hand drove the sickle!
Instinctively, he fiercely slashed the sickle at the white figure before him!
WHOOSH—
The sickle flew from his grasp, but it struck true!
HMPH...
Chen Ku grunted, several bloody gashes torn into his chest. It felt as if he'd been harshly kicked, and he stumbled back half a step.
At the same time, as his sickle slashed past, dog blood splattered onto his face. He faintly heard the shrill yelp of the dog as it heavily fell to the ground.
He opened his eyes, blurred by the dog blood.
With his hand, he wiped off the blood.
Without checking the scratches on his chest, his first glance fell upon the white Skinny Dog, half a person tall and over a meter long.
The sickle was embedded in its neck, deep into the bone, and dog blood gurgled out.
The Skinny Dog convulsed repeatedly on the ground, then began to whimper, its breath growing fainter.
"Bao'er! Bao'er!"
At that moment, Zhao Bocai, having heard the commotion, rushed over anxiously with a pitchfork.
He arrived to see his son prostrate and crying on the ground.
Chen Ku was covered in dog blood, his chest scratched, while a huge, long white Skinny Dog lay on the ground.
"Brother Chen Ku, how are you?" Zhao Bocai, seeing his son was unharmed, immediately expressed concern for Chen Ku.
But Chen Ku, as if he hadn't heard, stared at the white Skinny Dog. He then saw a black, spectral puppy-like figure emerge from it and drill into his own body.
Is this... my golden finger?
Lines of text popped up in his mind.
Along with a diagram.]