Ya She

Chapter 7 The Silent Shop: Classic of Mountains and Seas

"I heard this is an antique shop. I wonder if they accept items here?"

Fang Qiu pushed open the carved door, which was heavier than she had imagined. It took her a while to adjust to the dim light, the flickering candlelight, and the young man sitting behind the counter that exuded a classical atmosphere.

He was dressed in a black Zhongshan suit, with an ordinary appearance. On his right shoulder was embroidered a lifelike deep red dragon head, its piercing eyes seemingly moving slowly with her movements.

"Received." The young boss put down the book in his hand, looked up and smiled at her.

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that when the boss smiled, he seemed like a completely different person, exuding a mysterious aura.

Fang Qiu quickly lowered her head to avoid his gaze, walked over and placed the newspaper she was holding on the counter.

"I found these in an old box when I moved. I don't know if they're of any value. I don't think it's a good idea to keep them at home, but it seems like such a waste to just throw them away... Uh, boss, why don't you take a look?" Fang Qiu said, unfolding the newspaper to reveal some scattered bamboo pieces inside.

Just as she was about to unfold the newspaper completely, she felt the shopkeeper's breath catch in his throat, and he suddenly grabbed her hand. Fang Qiu was startled, and when she looked up, she found that the other man hadn't even glanced at her, but was staring intently at the bamboo strips in the newspaper.

Fang Qiu pulled her hand away from the boss and watched him carefully cut the newspaper piece by piece. Suddenly, she remembered that the other person's hand was very cold, unlike the normal body temperature.

"How much are you willing to sell these bamboo slips for?" the shopkeeper asked casually, carefully examining the bamboo slips lying quietly in the newspaper.

Fang Qiu was taken aback. She didn't expect these broken bamboo pieces to sell for much money; she was more interested in knowing the origin of these bamboo slips.

"What is written on these bamboo slips?" she asked, then couldn't help but smile. The characters on these bamboo slips were in seal script, so how could an ordinary person recognize them at a glance?

But the young boss quickly gave her the answer: "This is the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Judging from the content, it should be the Classic of the Northern Seas within the Seas."

Fang Qiu was slightly disappointed. She had thought it would contain martial arts secrets or the location of treasures! It turned out to be just an ancient book that had been passed down for a long time.

"Hey boss, name your price. I accidentally broke three while I was cleaning, and the rest are probably not all, just scattered pieces..."

Fang Qiu wanted to continue speaking, but then she heard a number from the boss that far exceeded her expectations. She gasped in shock; this number was simply unimaginable for a student like herself.

"How is it? Is it okay?" The boss raised his head and looked at her seriously for the first time.

Fang Qiu had originally planned to haggle over the price, but the thought of that astronomical sum made her reluctantly nod, afraid the other party would change their mind. These were originally household junk! If she hadn't insisted on bringing them, her mother would have thrown them away long ago!
Before Fang Qiu could react, the young shop owner pulled out a dark ceramic jar from somewhere, dumped it on the counter, and spilled out bundles of tightly bound hundred-yuan bills. Fang Qiu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets; who would just casually leave such a large sum of money in their shop like that!

"Don't worry, this money is all in circulation now. I used to keep gold ingots in my shop, but even if I gave you gold ingots, you wouldn't know if they were real." The shopkeeper pushed the money on the counter toward Fang Qiu and then turned to study the bamboo slips.

Fang Qiu was speechless for a while. She reached out to confirm that the money was genuine and became even more nervous. Was she really going to carry such a huge sum of money all the way home?

Seeing that she had been standing there for a long time, the boss looked up at her with a puzzled expression and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Fang Qiu coughed lightly and tentatively asked, "Could you... give me a plastic bag?" Otherwise, how was she going to carry so much money?
"Hello! I'm here! I passed by a soup dumpling shop today and saw that they had launched a new type of soup dumpling, so I bought some to try! Huh? Where is everyone? Where is everyone?" The doctor was carrying two boxes of hot soup dumplings when he was surprised to find no sign of the owner behind the counter.

He casually placed the lunchbox on the counter, and one of the stacked lunchboxes fell off, landing on the newspaper wrapped in bamboo strips, with a soft "crack" sound.

"What are you doing?" A sinister voice came from behind the screen. Before the words were finished, the boss appeared behind the counter like a gust of wind, looking at the lunchbox on the newspaper with an unfriendly expression.

The doctor felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly apologized, "I thought it was just a newspaper, I didn't expect there was more inside. This, this... how much is it? I'll pay you back!" The doctor clasped his hands together and gritted his teeth. If he knew the true value of this pile of bamboo slips, he would be spitting blood; he couldn't pay it off even if he sold himself for years.

The shopkeeper carefully moved the lunchbox aside and discovered that one of the bamboo slips was broken. He sighed helplessly; it was actually his fault for not putting the bamboo slips away properly in time. The dehydrated bamboo slips were incredibly fragile; each slip was only one centimeter wide and a little over twenty centimeters long, and the texture was as soft as noodles, making it impossible to lift a whole one. So he went to the inner room to find a box to put them in, but he didn't expect that this guy would come back so soon after he left.

The shopkeeper narrowed his phoenix eyes, then sighed helplessly, "Oh well, it's broken, that's its fate." He had seen countless broken and destroyed antiques in his life; if he were to nitpick over every single one, he wouldn't have anything else to think about. After all, the doctor's action was unintentional, and there was no point in him getting angry.

The doctor breathed a sigh of relief. He knew his boss's temperament; if he said it didn't matter, then he really didn't care. But he had still broken one of the bamboo slips, and he felt a little guilty. The doctor began to think about how to fix it. He carefully looked at the bamboo slip and asked, "This should be able to be glued back together, right? By the way, what's written on it?"

The shopkeeper leaned over for a look and slowly read aloud: "Ringed dog, with the head of an animal and the body of a human. Another description is that it is a hedgehog-like creature, yellow in color. This is the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas,' specifically the 'Classic of the Northern Seas.'"

"A beast's head and a human body? Wouldn't that be a monster? That doesn't make sense scientifically!" The doctor frowned, imagining a dog's head on a human body, then shrugged and said, "Anyway, it's just a legend, nothing to be surprised about."

The boss was about to say something, but suddenly stopped and stared intently at the back of the doctor.

The doctor was bewildered by the stare and was about to turn around when the shop owner grabbed his wrist and dragged him down the aisle. The doctor involuntarily followed him; he had never seen the owner so anxious, as if… as if something was chasing them.

The doctor had barely thought of it when he heard heavy footsteps behind him.

There really was someone here! But no one came in just now! There was no light source in the antique shop corridor, so the doctor couldn't help but take out his phone as a flashlight, shine it behind him, glanced back, and then his mind went blank.

Although I didn't see it clearly in the rush, the blurry shadow was indeed a human body with a face as terrifying as a vicious dog's!

Dog-headed human! Ringed dog! This monster actually exists! And it's right behind them! The doctor suddenly felt his legs go weak.

"Don't faint, or I won't be able to carry you." The boss's calm voice came from the darkness. "Speaking of which, this is all your fault."

The doctor felt relieved to hear that the boss's voice was devoid of emotion: "Could it be... that bamboo slip that I broke?"

"Yes, I noticed something strange about these bamboo slips a long time ago, but I never expected them to be the first draft of the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Moreover, each bamboo slip with the name of a monster sealed inside contains a different monster. Luckily, you didn't break the bamboo slip with the location written on it, otherwise you would have been teleported to places like Kunlun or Qingqiu and never been able to come back," the shopkeeper explained calmly.

The doctor was so frightened that he didn't dare to say a word, wondering if the boss actually wanted him to be teleported away.

It was only then that he realized the corridor behind the antique shop was unexpectedly long and narrow. The two of them had been running for so long without seeing the end. After a while, the owner finally stopped at the door of a room, opened the door, and led the doctor inside.

The doctor breathed a sigh of relief and was about to close the door tightly when the boss stopped him, leaving only a crack in the door.

"Stand in the corner and don't move, or I won't save you if something happens to you," the boss coldly ordered. "Also, you'd better close your eyes."

The doctor quickly did as he was told, standing close to the corner of the wall, but unwilling to close his eyes, instead looking around. He then realized that the room wasn't large, similar to the room where he had found the mermaid candle, but this room was empty and unremarkable. Hearing footsteps approaching in the corridor, and seeing his boss standing motionless in the center of the room, the doctor couldn't help but feel nervous, even with his complete confidence in his boss.

"Bang!" The door was slammed open by a hairy hand, and a dark shadow appeared in the doorway, stepping into the room without hesitation. The doctor estimated it to be at least two meters tall, and its physique was terrifyingly robust. He nervously held his breath, wondering if playing dead would work.

A faint bell sound suddenly rang out, and the ground where they were standing suddenly lit up along with the sound.

The doctors then discovered that the floor of their room was made of a single piece of glass, beneath which lay a large expanse of ancient-looking bricks. The glowing material was the strange symbols and images carved into these bricks, made of an unknown pigment, emitting a luminous green light in the darkness.

The doctor finally got a clear look at the ring dog. Its body was less like a human and more like a hairy gorilla. Its head looked like a wolfhound's head, and its green eyes were glaring fiercely at the boss standing in the center of the room.

"Ding..." The bell rang again, and the bricks under the glass suddenly shone brightly, instantly illuminating the entire room as if it were daytime.

The doctor didn't know why the bricks were emitting such a strong light. As a doctor, he knew the brightness was threatening his eyesight, so he didn't bother to see clearly and quickly closed his eyes. After a flash of white light, when he opened his eyes again, the bricks under the glass were emitting a fluorescent green light, which was slowly fading away.

The boss was still standing there, but the terrifying ring dog was gone.

"What...what happened?" The doctor asked, only to find his voice terribly hoarse.

"It's alright. The bricks beneath this room are the remains of an ancient altar. Each brick seals a strange ancient creature, meaning these bricks all possess sealing abilities. I didn't have much hope to begin with, but thankfully, Huan Gou has been sealed for thousands of years and has lost most of his magical power." After saying this, the shopkeeper turned and walked outside without looking back.

By this time, the bricks beneath their feet had completely collapsed, plunging the room into darkness. The doctor didn't have time to confirm whether the ring dog had become one of these bricks, but thinking of the sheer number of bricks beneath his feet and the many monsters sealed within, he dared not linger for a moment and quickly followed the boss out.

But the doctor didn't notice that right where he had just stood, a brick hadn't completely darkened. With his steps, that glimmer of light shone through the thick glass, following the doctor's back like a firefly, and finally landed on his shoulder.

The boss seemed to sense something and glanced back, but the light immediately hid behind the doctor, and the boss did not notice anything unusual.

Watching his boss's retreating figure, the doctor muttered to himself. Although the ancient ruins had been a great help, how could he have sealed away a monster that had existed for thousands of years so easily? Who was the real monster, anyway? But that ringed dog was terrifyingly ugly; not at all attractive. If it had a husky's face… the doctor shuddered, thinking it would be hilarious…

As if it could understand the doctor's words, the light behind the doctor flickered.

The shopkeeper walked quickly, and when the doctor returned to the shop after bypassing the jade screen, he found the shopkeeper staring solemnly at the bamboo slips on the counter. The doctor then remembered that he had broken more than one bamboo slip.

“Three Bluebirds, Jiliang Horse, Qiongqi…” the shopkeeper muttered to himself, “These three bamboo slips were just broken by that girl. Looks like I’m in for a busy day.”

The doctor pulled out his phone and searched, quickly finding all three monsters. "Oh! The Three Bluebirds are little bluebirds with three legs, and the Jiliangma is a white horse with a fiery red neck and golden eyes; both are very gentle. But that Qiongqi... wow! It looks so fierce! Is it a winged man-eating tiger? If it appeared in the city, it would definitely be big news!"

The boss shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. Qiongqi can understand human speech, and it has been sealed for thousands of years. Perhaps its appearance has changed and its power has weakened."

As they were discussing, Fang Qiu was carefully carrying a plastic bag of money home. Suddenly, a faint meow came from the doorway, and an extremely cute, fluffy white kitten wobbled out.

Fang Qiu couldn't help but stop in her tracks.

Qiongqi raised its thin paws, wanting to leave some mark on the woman who had taken the liberty of picking it up. But it sadly discovered that it had been sealed away for thousands of years, and Emperor Shun had taken away almost all its power. Now, it was just a harmless young beast.

"Awooo—" Damn! Even its normally majestic and powerful cry was as weak as a cat's!
But Qiongqi was dismayed to find that the woman was unusually pleased with its cries and carried it into the house despite its strong objections.

Meow meow meow—it doesn't want to! It finally managed to climb out of that high window! This woman can't keep it imprisoned anymore!

Moreover, this woman looks exactly like the witch who served Emperor Shun a thousand years ago. Could it be that she has not died all these years?
Qiongqi, remembering the fate of being tricked back then, twisted its body, trying to escape, but its strength had been exhausted over thousands of years, and it had no way to escape.

However… Qiongqi couldn’t help but swallow hard. It was being held in the witch’s arms, and a pungent smell filled its nostrils.

It seems... it hasn't drunk human blood for thousands of years... I'm so hungry... I really want to drink some...

Qiongqi snuggled against Fang Qiu's chest, unwilling to give up such a good opportunity. It turned its head and bit her wrist.

The moment the teeth touched the blood, Qiongqi shuddered.

Mmm...so fresh and delicious...

Qiongqi first moved its sharp teeth aside, while secretly glancing at the witch to see if she would attack it. However, it found that she was watching it with a indulgent smile and quickened her pace into the house. Only then did she put it down and hand it a small dish of water.

"Awooo..." It doesn't want water, it wants blood! It only licked it a little!

The plate was moved forward a bit, but Qiongqi kept staring at the bleeding wrist that had been pushing the plate.

"Aww..." Let it lick one more time! It's so hungry!
The plate was moved forward again, but Qiongqi didn't even glance at it. It stretched its neck, getting closer and closer, as if it could almost smell the scent of human blood…

*Smack!* Qiongqi felt its head being pressed into the water by that hand, as if it wouldn't be allowed to lift its head until it drank.

Waaah... Don't press it so low! Doesn't she know its nose and mouth are very close together? Waaah! It's going to become the first Qiongqi to drown! Help! Waaah... It would rather go back to the sealed bamboo slips now!

That wicked witch! Is she getting revenge for being bitten earlier?
At the same time, the doctor emerged from the silent shop carrying a birdcage and a bag of trash. Passing a pile of garbage in the corner, he tossed the bag in. The faint green glow that had been lurking behind him quickly attached itself to the plastic bag. Only after the surroundings quieted down again did the glow reappear. As it drifted past a discarded pet magazine, it illuminated a majestic husky on the cover, lying solemnly on the ground.

The fluorescent light swirled around the magazine, as if studying what the husky looked like. Then, after a burst of green light, a beautiful and fierce husky emerged from the alley, its eyes faintly glowing green.

The husky, with the newspaper that had originally wrapped the Classic of Mountains and Seas in its mouth, sniffed it, memorized the scent, then quickly headed away to find its way...

Qiongqi was pressed down on the sofa with a sour face. Its fur was all wet, and its already small body was now just a skeleton, making it look even more pitiful.

After nearly drowning in the shallow dish, it was taken to a deeper basin, where the witch soaked it in hot water for a while and washed its entire body with something that could produce foam. Now she was drying it with a towel in one hand and blowing hard on it with a magical contraption that could produce a loud noise and hot air in the other.

Ha! This witch, after so many thousands of years, has even upgraded her magical artifacts! Did she deliberately wait until the seal was broken before using every method to torture it to death?

Qiongqi almost shed a tear of sympathy for itself. How pitiful it was! All it did was like drinking human blood; it wouldn't kill anyone. Yet, even this simple hobby had led Emperor Shun to hunt it down for years, and it was eventually sealed in bamboo slips for thousands of years. Finally freed, it had fallen into the hands of this witch. Waaah… I really want to cry… I must escape right now!

Qiongqi wallowed in self-pity for a long time, not even noticing that all its fur was dry. When it came to its senses, it found a plate of pink stuff in front of it... and smelled it; it seemed to be meat...

"Little guy, are you hungry? I wonder if you can eat sausage. But judging from your appearance, you even managed to bite my wrist, which means you've already grown teeth!"

Qiongqi tilted its head and listened. Although it didn't know what sausage was, it smelled so good... Ooh, Qiongqi found itself drooling with pride, and then couldn't help but take a bite.

Wow! So delicious!

"Little one, eat slowly, there's plenty more if you want more!"

Qiongqi felt the witch's hand stroking its back. Although it hated being touched, it decided to endure it for the time being because of the delicious sausage!

"What should I call you? You're so fair-skinned, let's just call you Little White!"

Qiongqi almost choked on his own saliva.

Little White? It's the infamous Qiongqi! The Qiongqi that struck fear into the hearts of humans thousands of years ago! How could it have such a tasteless name? No! That's not right! What right does it have to name itself?! Qiongqi immediately forgot about eating its sausage and raised its head, waving its claws in protest.

"Haha! Looks like you really like this name, Xiaobai, Xiaobai!"

Tired of protesting, Qiongqi rolled its eyes in exasperation and decided to stop arguing with the witch. After all, it would run away after finishing the plate of sausages, so who would care what she called it then? So it lowered its head and continued eating in silence.

"Xiaobai, I have to go out for a bit. Be good at home, okay? Oh, and I heard it's going to rain today, so make sure all the windows are closed..."

Qiongqi didn't listen to what Fang Qiu said at all, focusing more on finishing the sausage on its plate. After finally finishing it and licking the plate clean, it contentedly washed its face with its paws and prepared to swagger out the door.

After it passed through the back door, it suddenly saw an incredibly cute, fluffy white kitten appear before it. Qiongqi was on high alert, arching its back and raising its tail, staring for a long time before realizing it was actually itself!

Wow! This witch is amazing! She actually has such a powerful magic mirror!

But when did I become so small and cute? Qiongqi raised its paw and sniffed, its whole body smelling delicious.

This isn't scary at all! But... it seems... it feels pretty good too.

Qiongqi slapped its forehead, thinking it should have slipped away when no one was around! But after running around the house for a long time, it sadly discovered that all the windows were tightly closed, and it was imprisoned here once again!

Hmph! You think you can bully it because it has no magic power? But don't underestimate its destructive power!
Qiongqi raised its little paw, revealing sharp nails, and licked its pink little nose. "Ah! What happened to the house? Was it burgled?"

Qiongqi lay lazily on the sofa, which it had scratched beyond recognition, and stretched. Hehe, it had torn everything in the house to shreds and knocked over everything that could be broken. Now the witch would surely kick it out, wouldn't she? Qiongqi was smugly calculating its next move when it noticed the witch had brought in a beautiful, soft little house and placed it neatly in front of it.

"Little White, this is the nest I bought for you! And this is the cat litter and litter box I bought for you. Remember to use the toilet here..." Fang Qiu had a bright and sunny smile on her face, seemingly having completely forgotten about the mess that Qiongqi had made of the room.

Qiongqi helplessly covered its face with its paws and curled up. It seemed the witch was determined to imprison it forever! Just as it was pondering whether to try another way to sneak away, it found a plate of grayish-brown stuff placed in front of it. It swallowed hard, and the witch told it that this plate of food, which smelled so tempting, was called cat food.

Uh... it seems it just ran and jumped around a lot and got hungry again... Qiongqi, without any backbone, once again abandoned its escape plan and lowered its head to happily gnaw on its cat food.

"Good boy, so good boy..." Fang Qiu stroked Qiongqi's back with affection.

"Aww... Meow meow..." Qiongqi hummed contentedly as it was being petted, and kept eating.

"Hmph! Look what I see! Isn't that Qiongqi? Meowing like a cat! You've completely disgraced us ancient mythical beasts!" A cold, hard voice suddenly rang out, and Qiongqi's fur stood on end in alarm. Who was it? Qiongqi scanned its surroundings and saw a tall, imposing dog emerge from behind the witch.

"Ringed Dog? You actually showed up here too? This is my territory! Get out!" Qiongqi arched its back, full of hostility. Although it had just gone to great lengths to escape, its first reaction to any intruder was to drive them away.

"Your territory? Hehe, sorry, I was also picked up by this witch from Emperor Shun's side. So, this is my territory too." Huan Gou lowered his head and rubbed against the witch's leg with an expression of obsequiousness that Qiongqi could not even imagine.

"Shameless!" Qiongqi cursed inwardly.

Fang Qiu chuckled, ruffling the ring dog's head as she led it to the bathroom for a bath. Qiongqi, remembering the torture it had just endured, crouched near the doorway, eager to see how the ring dog would resist. To its surprise, the ring dog remained completely still, letting the witch pour hot water over it, apply strange, fragrant foam, and even blow hot air on it…

Qiongqi saw the ringed dog smile meaningfully at it, then took the opportunity to lick the witch's hand, and then licked the spot on the witch's wrist where it had bitten her earlier...

Qiongqi shivered.

How could it forget that the Ring Dog was notoriously cunning? It must have deliberately approached the witch for her blood. It had only gone a little too far ahead before feeling an immense power; if it were to drink a sip… Qiongqi howled, suddenly lunging at the Ring Dog!
It discovered the witch first!
Qiongqi and Huan Gou were fighting fiercely in the bathroom. If this had happened thousands of years ago when they were both full of magic power, it would have been an earth-shattering battle.

But in Fang Qiu's eyes, it was just a cat and a dog fighting. One moment the big dog pinned the kitten to the ground, the next the kitten scratched the big dog's ear with its paws and jumped onto its back, then they rolled around in the water and became disheveled, then they both jumped out, shook off the water, and continued to fight... The meows and barks echoed back and forth in the small bathroom.

"Alright, stop fighting, Xiaobai, do you need to wash again?" Fang Qiu, who was soaked, couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed Qiongqi by the scruff of its neck, separating them.

"Little White? Hehe, that name really suits you!" Huan Gou grinned, silently mocking.

Qiongqi sneered, "Don't get your hopes up about your name, this witch's taste is pretty bad!"

A cat and a dog were locked in a fierce stare contest when Fang Qiu grumbled, "Big Black, stop bullying Little White! You're all family now, you should get along well!"

Big Black? The ring dog's eyes widened in disbelief that the witch would give it such a name!
Qiongqi laughed and rolled around without any restraint.

"Got it! Got it!" The doctor's excited voice came from the tree, and he jumped down a moment later, carrying an old-fashioned birdcage. Inside the birdcage was a small bluebird with three legs, brightly colored and light-bodied, chirping clearly.

It was late at night, and the call of the three-legged bluebird carried far and wide, its echo lingering in the air. The doctor observed the bluebird curiously and noticed that most of its feathers were blue, but its head and wingtips were red. Its eyes were jet black, and it was only the size of his palm. Without careful observation, the third foot on its abdomen was barely visible.

"Boss, how do you know that hanging a birdcage on a sycamore tree will catch the Three Bluebird?" The doctor reached out to touch the bird's feathers, but was almost pecked by it. Luckily, he pulled back quickly.

The shopkeeper chuckled and said, "The Three Bluebirds are the predecessors of the Phoenix. The Phoenix perches on the parasol tree, and there just happens to be this one ancient parasol tree in the park nearby. And this birdcage will definitely crawl in."

The doctor looked at the birdcage in his hand and asked hesitantly, "Such a beautiful little bird, must it also be sealed away? I read in the information that this bird was once just a carrier pigeon of the Queen Mother of the West, right?"

"Legend has it that in order to maintain his rule, Emperor Shun destroyed all the mythical beasts, monsters, and races and nations except for the descendants of Yan and Huang. Our history also transitioned from the mythological era to the human era. I just didn't expect that even with Emperor Shun's abilities, he could only seal all these strange things in the original version of the Classic of Mountains and Seas."

The shopkeeper sighed, thinking that he had only obtained one volume of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Northern Classic of the Seas Within. There were still seventeen other volumes, and he didn't know where they were scattered. It would be best if they were buried deep underground somewhere and never be discovered.

Watching the doctor playfully teasing the three bluebirds, the boss frowned imperceptibly.

"I want to keep it." When the doctor saw the boss looking over, he quickly hugged the birdcage to his arms, afraid that the boss would snatch it away.

The boss seemed to have known he was going to say that, and said with a hint of helplessness, "This bird used to be pampered by servants at the Queen Mother of the West's palace, unlike the dog you keep at home. You work day and night, can you afford to take care of it?"

The doctor hesitated for a moment, but still refused to return the birdcage to the owner. The three bluebirds seemed to understand what they were arguing about, blinking their small green beady eyes and looking at the doctor affectionately, then rubbing their red heads against the doctor's hand that was on the birdcage.

The vet hugged the birdcage even tighter. Seeing his wary expression, the shopkeeper couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, this birdcage has been empty for over a thousand years. I'll keep it for you in the Silent Abode. But you'll have to pay for the bird food yourself."

The doctor nodded hurriedly. "How much food can such a small bird eat? He can afford to keep it!"
"But lend me this bird for a moment, I need it to find Jiliangma." The shopkeeper approached the doctor and said to the three bluebirds in the cage, "You should know Jiliang, right? It's dangerous for it to run around here. If it's willing, I have bamboo slips from the Dog Kingdom here, which can help it return to its hometown."

The doctor was horrified, thinking how lucky he was that he had broken the bamboo slip containing the ring dog's name. If it had been a bamboo slip with a region written on it, it would have been like a sealed alternate dimension; once inside, it would have been difficult to escape. Of course, for him, that would have been the end of the world, but for Jiliangma, it would have been the best option.

The three bluebirds tilted their heads and thought for a while, then spread their wings and flapped them twice, their melodious and clear chirping piercing the sky.

Fortunately, they were in a park on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by woods, and it was late at night and quiet; otherwise, they would have certainly attracted attention. Not long after, the sound of hooves came from afar, and a white horse appeared through the trees. Red mane and golden eyes—it was the Jiliang horse they were looking for.

However, no matter how the doctor looked at it, he felt that the face of this Jiliangma looked a lot like the legendary mythical beast, the alpaca... He shook his head and banished this absurd idea from his mind.

"Now all that's missing is Qiongqi, right? Strange, a winged tiger should be more conspicuous in the city than a bird or a horse, so why isn't there any news about it?"

The boss narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "After doing some more research, I discovered that Qiongqi is not simple. He was originally the unworthy son of Shaohao, the Western Heavenly Emperor, which means that he can transform into human form."

The doctor was stunned, and a chill ran down his spine. "It can turn into a human? That's terrible! No wonder there's no trace of tigers in the city; it must have turned into a human. Searching for someone in the city is like looking for a needle in a haystack!"

The boss pondered for a long time, then frowned and said, "Maybe...maybe it's in that place."

Qiongqi lay quietly in its new den. It was already midnight, but it was not sleepy at all. It was staring at its big, round eyes, deep in thought.

It was certain that this witch possessed many powerful magical artifacts. For example, the platform that could conjure fire with a simple rotation, the large cabinet that could freeze things, and that small box that imprisoned countless people—the witch had actually sealed those people away to sing, dance, and put on shows for her! How wicked!
What should it do? Just stay here obediently? But it's not willing to do that!
Not far from it, the husky that the ring dog had transformed into was also wide awake, its two green eyes greedily staring at Fang Qiu sleeping on the bed in the darkness.

"Hey, Big Black, why don't we make peace?" Qiongqi licked its paws and stood up.

"You're the one who's black! Your whole family is black! Tell me! How do you want to settle things, Little White?" The ring dog also stood up, shook its fur, and looked fierce.

"Our goal is the witch's blood, and we don't need much, so why should we be enemies? She is our enemy, isn't she?" Qiongqi said with a smile.

Huan Gou thought about it and had to admit that Qiongqi was right.

"I'm small, so I'll go first!" Seeing that the ring dog hadn't recovered yet, Qiongqi leaped onto Fang Qiu's bed and crawled towards the sleeping witch. A person is most vulnerable when they're asleep, and she wanted to take the opportunity to drink some of her blood. Although the sausages and cat food the witch fed her were delicious, they paled in comparison to her blood!
Although Huan Gou sensed something was wrong, he was afraid of waking Fang Qiu, so he could only circle around the bed, but he couldn't stop Qiong Qi from advancing.

Closer, closer... just one more step... Qiongqi had reached Fang Qiu's shoulder, intending to lean down and bite her neck. But it misjudged the softness of the pillow, sinking its foot into it and then throwing its entire body into Fang Qiu's neck, successfully waking her up.

The dog quickly covered its eyes with its paws.

"Awooo! It's doomed!" Qiongqi felt the witch grab the back of its neck, and it trembled with fear.

"Little White, you want to sleep with me? Hehe, then come on!" Fang Qiu said sleepily, chuckling as he pulled Qiongqi into the quilt and they slept together.

"Hey... is this even allowed?" Qiongqi's face was full of black lines, his body stiff and he dared not move, for fear that this was some kind of trick of the witch.

Huan Gou was jumping up and down anxiously under the bed, cursing Qiongqi in his heart for being so cunning!

Qiongqi remained frozen for a long time, not noticing anything amiss, and grew bolder. It moved further into the bed, found the spot on her wrist where it had bitten her, and gently bit it again.

So delicious... Qiongqi greedily sucked on it, but after just one lick, he noticed that his body seemed to have changed.

As expected of a witch who served Emperor Shun for a thousand years, her blood is far more potent than any elixir or herb! But it's understandable, given the many magical treasures in her home and the bamboo slips of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, she might actually be a descendant of Emperor Shun.

Qiongqi eagerly crawled out of bed, and by the moonlight, he saw black markings beginning to appear on his body, and his wings seemed ready to sprout from his back. It seemed that the witch's blood indeed possessed great magical power. Ignoring the disgruntled growls of the ring dog, Qiongqi crawled back into bed and licked a mouthful of blood.

Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains. In the hazy moonlight, Fang Qiu's blankets suddenly bulged, and a handsome man with silver-white hair emerged from under the covers. He tossed his smooth hair and grinned broadly.

It's been so long since I've transformed back into human form! Qiongqi grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth. He touched his head and noticed two fluffy tiger ears and a tail trailing behind him—although he wasn't completely human yet, this already made him very happy! He looked down and realized he was naked, so he casually grabbed a towel from the side and wrapped it around his waist. He patted the baring, snarling ring dog beside him and began to study the sleeping witch.

This witch's blood is truly strange! His magic power hasn't recovered, yet he can break the beast seal on his body... Qiongqi stroked his chin, pondering, when he suddenly realized that this witch seemed to be very beautiful. He remembered that her name seemed to be Fang Qiu.

Hehehe... She tormented him so badly today, let's see how he gets back at her!
Qiongqi bared its two sharp little tiger teeth, deliberately making a ferocious face, and slowly approached the sleeping Fang Qiu, staring at her as she opened her eyes the next second, her face turning pale with fright.

However, after waiting for a long time, the other party was sleeping soundly with a saliva dripping from their slightly open mouth... while Qiongqi remained in a flailing posture, and even his neck started to ache.

Damn! Does this witch really have such powerful magic? The more I look at her, the more dumbfounded she seems! She's completely different from the one from thousands of years ago! Qiongqi couldn't help but poke Fang Qiu's cheek with his long fingernails, only to find that she had turned over and continued sleeping.

"Qiongqi! Move aside, it's my turn!" Huan Gou put his two front paws on the bed, showing off to Qiongqi.

Qiongqi stroked his chin, naturally unwilling to give way easily. Relying on the fact that Huan Gou wouldn't dare wake Fang Qiu and that he had returned to human form, he became even more emboldened. Just as Qiongqi was about to continue teasing Huan Gou, his two ears suddenly twitched—there seemed to be some unusual noises coming from the garden outside the door. Qiongqi easily opened the window and leaped downstairs, completely unconcerned that this was actually the third floor.

Qiongqi landed gracefully on the grass without making a sound. He stood with his hands on his hips, looking up at the height he had jumped from, forgetting how ridiculous it was to be in such a pose with only a bath towel around his neck.

He smugly thought to himself, "So escaping that witch isn't so hard after all!" He might as well just leave, though he did miss the sausages and cat food she used to feed him...

"Qiongqi, it really is you." A laughing voice suddenly came from the darkness.

"Who?" Qiongqi raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. He had returned to human form; how could anyone recognize him? He hadn't noticed the tiger ears on his head and the tail behind him, which easily gave away his identity. He looked towards the direction of the voice, but found it pitch black; he couldn't see anything. He took another step forward and could barely make out what appeared to be a deep red dragon staring at him menacingly in the darkness.

"Who are you?" Qiongqi hissed. He was extremely annoyed by the feeling of being secretly coveted and exploited.

"Who I am is unimportant." The person chuckled softly in the darkness. "However, you should recognize this thing, shouldn't you?"

A pale hand emerged from the darkness, and in that palm lay a radiant jade seal—something he could never possess in his lifetime. Qiongqi's face was cold. "Emperor Shun's jade seal? Have you come to seal me away?"

Qiongqi gritted his teeth, trying to stall for time while glancing around to find an escape route. But to his dismay, he saw a white hem of clothing clearly visible at the only exit – this person had accomplices!
If his magical powers had been restored, he might still have a chance against Emperor Shun's jade seal. But now, even just standing before it made him feel breathless. Damn it, he should have drunk more of that witch's blood! He didn't want to be imprisoned for thousands more years!

"A seal?" The figure in the darkness chuckled. "The princess has her reasons for releasing you from the seal. How could I dare disobey her wishes?"

Qiongqi was taken aback. Huh? Was that witch actually a princess? No wonder her blood was so special… She really was a descendant of Emperor Shun? And these two were her attendants? Did they appear because he wanted to escape? Qiongqi's mind wasn't very sharp to begin with, and being imprisoned for thousands of years had dulled it. Being raised like a cat for a while had further impaired its function. But he still sensed there was a chance for things to turn around, and quickly asked, "Then what do you want me to do?"

"It's simple. Make a solemn oath that you will never harm anyone in the world. From now on, you must obey the princess's orders and never disobey her wishes. If she passes away, you must find her reincarnation and protect her forever," the person in the darkness said without hesitation.

Qiongqi stared at the Emperor Shun's jade seal, which shimmered with iridescent colors even in the darkness. After struggling for a moment between the two choices—being sealed away for thousands of years or becoming someone's pet—it sold itself without hesitation.

"Oh right, Huan Gou is here too." Qiongqi, unwilling to be the only one imprisoned, betrayed Huan Gou without hesitation, pointing and shouting as if afraid the other person hadn't seen him: "Look, he's right there!"

"You brat!" Huan Gou, who was about to sneak away through the stairwell, rushed out in anger upon hearing this. After licking Fang Qiu's blood, he completely reverted to human form, unlike Qiongqi who still had animal ears and a tail. If Qiongqi hadn't pointed it out, no one would have believed that such a cold and dignified handsome man was a dog-headed, human-bodied, hairy monster.

In the darkness, the man smiled again and pointed the jade seal of Emperor Shun in his hand at Huan Gou.

When Huan Gou saw the radiant jade seal, he felt an immense pressure wash over him, and cold sweat poured down his face. Earlier, in that strange antique shop, he had almost been sealed away; if it weren't for an ordinary person present to whom he could cling, he would probably be a cold stone by now. Therefore, he had no doubt that the person before him possessed the power to reseal him, and immediately followed Qiongqi's example, swearing a solemn oath.

Just as Huan Gou finished making his solemn vow, he heard Fang Qiu's anxious voice coming from the stairwell. She called out the names "Xiao Bai" and "Da Hei" with deep affection.

Upon hearing the sound, the ring dog immediately transformed into a husky, drooping its tail.

Qiongqi also turned back into a weak little white cat in frustration, and then discovered with displeasure that the person who came out of the darkness was just an ordinary-looking young man.

The deep red dragon he had seen earlier turned out to be just an embroidery on the man's black robes. Qiongqi bared his teeth, beginning to wonder if he had been tricked.

But when this person easily picked him up, the other person's icy body temperature sent a chill down his spine.

This person is no ordinary person!

Qiongqi immediately felt that his decision was very wise.

"Little White? How did you get out? Big Black got out too? Huh? Boss?" Fang Qiu ran into the garden and found that her Little White was actually in someone's hands, and that person was the owner of the antique shop this morning.

The shopkeeper smiled warmly and handed over the Qiongqi (a mythical creature), saying, "I was just passing by and found this little white cat pitiful. I didn't expect it to have run away from your house. Little White? Hmm, that name suits him well."

Qiongqi was speechless, burying his face in Fang Qiu's arms. The thought of having this idiot's name follow him for the rest of his life made him feel utterly powerless. Huan Gou was also depressed, hanging his head listlessly.

"Uh... thank you..." Fang Qiu felt that something was wrong, but it was so late, and it was good that Xiaobai and Dahei had been found. "Then I'll go home first."

Watching Fang Qiu's retreating figure, the shop owner kindly advised, "These kittens and puppies will grow up in a few months. Remember to get them spayed or neutered then! Otherwise, the house will be a complete mess."

After saying this, fearing that Qiongqi and Huan Gou might not understand, he added a line of classical Chinese translation: "Look, sterilization surgery is 'the tusk of a castrated boar, auspicious'."

"Awooo! Awooo! Woof! Woof! Awooo—" The pitiful cries of Qiongqi and Huan Gou echoed throughout the night sky...

"Is that all? No need to seal them?" the doctor asked from the courtyard gate, wiping his sweat.

The boss chuckled and said, "Sealing? Even using that remaining ancient ruin to seal Huan Gou failed. As for Qiong Qi, he is the son of Shao Hao, the Western Heavenly Emperor. I cannot seal him by myself. But don't worry, the oaths they swore all have a contractual effect. If they don't abide by them, they will be devoured, their bodies will perish, and their souls will never be able to be reborn."

"With? I thought you relied on that jade seal of Emperor Shun..." the doctor said, puzzled.

"This one?" The shopkeeper flipped his palm over, revealing Emperor Shun's jade seal lying quietly in his hand. In the darkness, the shopkeeper's smile appeared even more unfathomable.

"Heh, who told you there aren't any fakes in the Silent Shop?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)