Chapter 248: 'Subtlety' and 'Gradualness'

The more people you see, the more you come to love dogs. Not because dogs are particularly clever or considerate. But because dogs are pure! Pain is pain, hunger is hunger. If they're fond of you, they wag their tail; if they're wary, they show their teeth. People aren't like that. The human heart is hidden behind a belly. You can't see through it, can't guess it, can't figure it out. The three puppies huddled together drinking milk—one brown, one black, one white—their fur colors were all different. Zhu Biqiong watched for a while, then laughed and said, "Finding their father won't be easy." Perhaps they were full, because the black and brown puppies started fighting. The two little puppies tangled together, the black one losing ground, whimpering nonstop. Perhaps hoping the big dog would intervene, but the big white dog just lazily turned its head aside, looking into the distance. The white puppy hopped eagerly nearby a few times, but seeing no one paid it attention, lay down bored. After some yelping, the brown puppy pinned the black one down. Then the black one stopped whimpering. This was how puppies declared victory—the brown puppy was the winner, and the black puppy showed submission. The upright Jiang Chen couldn't stand it and extended a righteous foot to poke: "Don't bully your brother!" The brown puppy was flipped over with a light touch, lying on its back with all four paws in the air, eyes wide open in a dazed expression. The black puppy, carefree and happy, happily licked its own paw. The big white dog sprang to its feet, letting out a threatening growl at Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen fled with Zhu Biqiong and Dugu Xiaoluo in tow. ... "I thought you hated dogs!" Zhu Biqiong said, looking at Jiang Chen with those apricot-shaped eyes, a smile at the corner of her lips. She was delighted to see Jiang Chen chased around by the protective big white dog, as it helped relieve some of her resentment at being treated as a laborer. "I have no reason to hate dogs, as long as they don't eat human flesh." He didn't disguise his fondness, but before the bottom line, all fondness had to yield. Hu Laogen was now Village Headman Hu, but he hadn't built a new courtyard for himself, still living in the original old house with his supposedly fierce wife. This earned him more trust from the people of Green Goat Town. Seeing Jiang Chen arrive, he hurriedly instructed his wife to brew tea, then used his sleeve to vigorously wipe down a chair, inviting the cultivator master to sit. His wife was also subdued and docile at this moment, showing no sign of fierceness. "This month is almost over. Anything happen in the town?" Jiang Chen casually surveyed the room, finding the environment acceptable, not too shabby, and asked offhandedly. "There is actually something. I was about to go to the mine to report to you," the new Village Headman Hu said nervously. "In our town, two people have recently died!" "What happened? Who caused it? Do you want me to have Qianxiang investigate?" Jiang Chen glanced up at Zhu Biqiong, then added, "Heroine Zhu might be able to help as well." "What do you mean 'might'?" Zhu Biqiong jumped up. "If this lady takes action, wouldn't it be solved in no time?" Xiaoxiao looked at Zhu Biqiong with envy, admiring that she had value that Xiaoxiao couldn't replace. In Xiaoxiao's own world, there was a very clear value system. It stemmed from her past and influenced her life. "That's what I don't know," Hu Laogen said with a pained expression. "These two died of the same illness." "What did the doctor say?" Zhu Biqiong naturally slipped into investigation mode. But her first words revealed her unprofessionalism. There were no proper doctors in Green Goat Town—those few physicians could only treat minor ailments like headaches and fevers. For a fatal illness, they probably couldn't even determine the cause. Jiang Chen immediately straightened up; his family had run a medicine shop since he was young, making him sensitive to symptoms. "What symptoms did they have?" "Both had high fevers, pus and blood discharge..." Hu Laogen said with some grief. "They were both fine young men." "From the same family?" "No, one from the north of town, one from the south. They didn't know each other." Although he couldn't identify what it was, two identical cases of such an illness indicated the possibility of contagion. Jiang Chen asked, "Where are the bodies?" "Buried... buried already." It was unrealistic to expect this old man to explain the illness clearly. Jiang Chen asked directly, "What do they have in common?" Hu Laogen looked confused, "What in common?" Xiaoxiao interjected, "Where have they been recently?" "Oh, they went to the city!" For the people of this land, going to the city naturally meant going to Jiacheng. Jiang Chen immediately stood up and said, "I'm going to Jiacheng now." First, to determine whether the illness had originated from Jiacheng. Second, that Xi Zichu hailed from Eastern King Valley and was skilled in medicine. Moreover, as a member of the Xi family, contributing to the people of the Jiacheng region was only right. "Xiaoxiao. Stay here with Hu Laogen and isolate anyone who had contact with the deceased. If there's any obstruction, ask your Sister Zhu to help." Xiaoxiao was better at handling concrete tasks. Although Zhu Biqiong was a transcendent cultivator, her social skills were far inferior to Xiaoxiao's. Having heard her father recount many terrible cases since childhood and seen many families ruined by severe illness, she understood that disease was fiercer than a tiger. The Green Goat Town domain, including the town and villages, had a population of tens of thousands, all entrusted to her care. Jiang Chen didn't dare be negligent. After arranging matters immediately, he set off alone for Jiacheng. ... Xi Zichu's eyelids had been twitching badly lately. As early as when he was planning the Hu family mine, he felt that his family was hiding something from him. But since his father wouldn't say, he didn't dare ask too much. After all, Xi Munan was the lord of the Jiacheng region. He was the future of the Xi family, that was true, but if he tried to take control of the present, that would be overstepping. This was also why Master Liu had deliberately kept his distance. The streets were bustling with traffic, noisy and prosperous. The Xi family had done well in Jiacheng. Anyone with greater ambitions would never allow themselves to be too eager for quick success. Restore the people's livelihood, build reputation. Xi Zichu's willingness to offer substantial compensation to repair relations with the Chongxuan family stemmed from this reasoning. With his face disguised and wrapped in a loose robe, Xi Zichu wandered through his own city. With his fame in this city, going out without such measures would be impossible. His failure at the Hu family mine had dealt him a severe blow, shattering his arrogance. He realized that not only Jiang Chen, but even Hu Shaomeng—who he had always suppressed—might never have truly lost to him. He suppressed Hu Shaomeng by borrowing the Xi family's momentum. And Jiang Chen draped the Chongxuan family's "momentum" over himself like a cloak, never without it. But compared to this failure in the treasure competition, what he found hardest to accept was still his father Xi Munan's words—"You have greatly disappointed me." Others might not know, but he remembered—he had grown up amid criticism and blows. From childhood to adulthood, he had never received a single word of praise from his father, despite studying statecraft, training rigorously in cultivation, delving into medicine... striving to be first in everything. Despite the combination of his medicinal fragrance and publicity tactics, every eligible woman in Jiacheng had been drawn to him, to say nothing of the endless flattery from clan members and subordinates. But without his father's recognition, a sense of loss always lingered in his heart. Now he was already in the Soaring Dragon realm. He was confident that within five years, he would surpass his father and achieve the Inner Palace realm. Perhaps then, his father would finally be satisfied? "You have greatly disappointed me." But those words echoed in his ears. Like a nail, pinning all his lightweight pride firmly to the ground.