This Dog Must Not Be Kept!

The dog's behavior truly put Jiang Feng in a difficult position.

He had hoped this one would be just as fierce and bloodthirsty as the others; that way, he could have swung his blade without a shred of hesitation.

Yet, seeing it like this, he found himself unable to bring himself to do it.

After a moment of contemplation, an idea suddenly struck Jiang Feng.

He squatted down, looking at the thin dog before him with a smile, and spoke in a leisurely tone:

"Seeing as you're so well-behaved, I'll give you a chance to live.

From today on, your name is 'Mute'.

As long as you don't bark, you can keep living. But the moment you dare to make a sound, I'll slaughter you for stew immediately.

If you don't speak, I'll take that as your agreement."

His plan was simple: what dog never barks? It was just an excuse to make himself feel justified when the time came to swing his blade.

But the moment his voice fell, the thin dog actually remained silent. Not only did it keep its mouth shut, it even nodded at him.

Jiang Feng's heart skipped a beat, and the smile in his eyes froze instantly.

This dog—could it really understand human nature?

There were not only evil spirits in this world, but demons as well.

The way this creature was acting now, how was it any different from becoming a monster?

The playful glint in his eyes gradually cooled, replaced once more by a dangerous edge. This dog must not be kept!

Perhaps he should just kill it outright; if it really turned into a monster, that would be disastrous.

Just as Jiang Feng intended to act decisively, the thin dog suddenly stood up and ran off into the distance.

It ran a few steps, then stopped and looked back at Jiang Feng, its mouth kept tightly shut as if it were still firmly remembering Jiang Feng's warning from moments ago.

Jiang Feng raised an eyebrow: "Is it leading the way for me?"

After a brief hesitation, he sheathed his blade for the moment, deciding to spare its life and follow it to see what would happen.

The thin dog twisted and turned, leading him to a small shack filled with miscellaneous items.

This shack was completely different from the three imposing main rooms; it was so dilapidated it looked as if it had been abandoned for years, swaying precariously with every gust of wind, the room cluttered with a chaotic mess of junk.

But the moment Jiang Feng stepped inside, he sensed something was wrong.

These items appeared messy, but they didn't look like they had been discarded at random; rather, they seemed deliberately piled up to conceal something.

He moved the clutter aside and swept away the straw covering the floor, revealing a locked cellar trapdoor.

Jiang Feng's eyes lit up, and a smile finally curled the corners of his mouth:

"No wonder I didn't find anything earlier. It seems the Sun Brothers' best treasures are likely hidden down here."

He turned to look at the thin dog.

Mute was sitting on the ground, tongue lolling out at him without a sound, its face full of fawning, its tail sweeping against the floor.

Jiang Feng was in a great mood and tossed out a remark: "Mute, well done. I'll credit you for this; tonight, I'll treat you to dog meat hotpot."

Regardless of whether the dog understood, he swung his Ghost-Head Blade and cleaved the iron lock on the cellar door in one strike.

He lifted the trapdoor and looked down, finding a faint glimmer of light emanating from below.

Jiang Feng did not hesitate and climbed down the ladder.

Upon reaching the cellar, the space opened up before him.

At the same time, a thick, almost suffocating scent of cosmetics rushed toward him, making Jiang Feng frown in disgust.

This was certainly no ordinary cellar for storing grain. The walls were polished smooth and flat, and it was fully furnished with a bed, a table, and a cabinet—it was more than enough for someone to live in.

However, as far as the eye could see, there were still large amounts of colorful women's clothing scattered about, piled messily in the corners of the bed and under the table, the whole room reeking of that cheap, powdery scent.

Jiang Feng was speechless: "Just how repressed were these three brothers? Was going to brothels not enough, that they had to have this kind of collecting habit?"

He patiently rummaged through the room until he finally dragged a large, tightly sealed black wooden chest out from a corner.

Jiang Feng's heart tightened; the Sun Brothers' life savings were likely all in here.

He violently smashed the lock with his blade and lifted the lid, the sight of shimmering silver instantly dazzling his eyes.

Jiang Feng made a rough estimate: there was about a hundred taels or so. In Black Water Town, this was already a significant fortune; even in Ping'an County, it would be enough to purchase a decent residence.

It was his first time seeing so much ready cash, and he couldn't help but linger on it for a moment, though he didn't take it too much to heart.

What he wanted more was a cultivation technique.

In this world, strength was the foundation; without sufficient personal strength, one could not hold onto wealth.

Sun Bowei's masterful archery and that body-refining martial art that could make skin as hard as gold and iron were the things he needed most right now.

He pushed aside the layers of silver and, sure enough, felt a hidden compartment at the bottom of the chest. He carefully pried it open to find only a thin, small booklet lying inside.

The paper was coarse and the handwriting was crooked; one look told him it wasn't an original, but rather something copied in a hurry by an illiterate old farmer who had tried to imitate the strokes.

On the cover, three words were scrawled: Golden Armor Technique.

"This is the Sun family's ancestral martial art?"

Jiang Feng searched the chest again but couldn't find a second book, feeling somewhat disappointed: "What a pity, I actually quite liked that archery skill."

But on second thought, having something was better than having nothing.

Jiang Feng was delighted by the find and picked up the booklet to read, but his ears suddenly caught a faint sound, as if something had moved softly in the shadows.

Jiang Feng's expression turned cold. He drew his Ghost-Head Blade like lightning, his gaze sweeping sharply toward the source of the sound as he barked: "Who is it? Stop skulking around and get out here!"

His sharp shout echoed back and forth in the enclosed cellar, but there was no response.

He was certain he hadn't misheard; there was definitely someone else in this cellar.

He followed the sound to the darkest corner, only to discover a small, inconspicuous iron door embedded in the wall. It had a lock hanging on it, clearly an inner chamber used specifically for imprisonment.

Jiang Feng peered through the gap above the small door.

Inside, it was pitch black, but by the faint light filtering in from outside, he could vaguely see a figure curled up in the corner of the room.

"Who are you?" Jiang Feng asked in a low voice.

The room remained silent, with no response.

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Feng's eyes, and his tone deepened, carrying undisguised killing intent:

"I'm warning you, my patience is limited. If you don't answer, you might not get another chance to speak."

As soon as his voice fell, the dark mass in the corner trembled violently.

Immediately, a charming voice drifted timidly out of the darkness, tinged with both terror and fawning:

"Don't... please, my lord, don't be angry. This humble one, this humble one was just too scared... please wait a moment, I am coming out."

The voice was crisp and seductive, like a feather lightly tickling the heart, indescribably alluring.

Jiang Feng tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade, his expression unmoving.

The next moment, the curled-up figure slowly stood and walked to the iron door.

By the faint candlelight behind him, her face was revealed to Jiang Feng without any concealment.

Her features were stunningly beautiful; her brows were naturally dark without the need for paint, her lips were naturally red, and her pair of peach-blossom eyes tilted slightly upward. As her gaze shifted, it carried a natural, seductive charm that seemed to hook into anyone who looked at her.

With a high bridge of the nose, full lips, and a pointed chin, her entire face was overflowing with allure—the kind of appearance that made one feel restless at a single glance.