Troubles

Fang Zhixing crouched down, grabbed Skinny Dog by the tail, and lifted him up.

Upon closer inspection, holy crap!

Skinny Dog was in a miserable state!

His face had taken a vicious elbow strike, with a large section caved in. It was not merely disfigurement—his face was practically gone.

Moreover, the force from the elbow had traveled through his whole body, snapping his neck.

On top of that, he had been sent flying into a wall. Who knew how many bones had broken throughout his body? His internal organs had surely ruptured as well.

He had died on the spot!

[Skinny Dog's Remaining Lives: 1]

"Hmm, the attack power of Iron Mountain Lean is not to be underestimated..."

Fang Zhixing nodded to himself.

If he used Iron Mountain Lean, an ordinary person probably would not be able to withstand it. Whoever he rammed would die.

Comparing the two—

The max-level Basic Sword-Draw Technique, with man and blade as one, also sought to kill with a single strike.

Which was better?

"Come to think of it, both of these burst techniques are Lv1."

"Are they evenly matched?"

Fang Zhixing considered it carefully and felt that the Draw Blade Technique was superior, edging out Iron Mountain Lean.

After all, drawing a blade to kill offered a greater attack range and allowed him to advance or retreat, whereas Iron Mountain Lean could only be used at point-blank range.

Objectively speaking, if they were judged solely by attack power, the two might be evenly matched.

But from Fang Zhixing's personal perspective, he clearly preferred the Draw Blade Technique.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the upside-down Skinny Dog suddenly twitched.

Fang Zhixing immediately perked up and watched closely.

The last time he had killed Skinny Dog, he had not gotten the chance to observe the entire resurrection process. This time, he had to watch carefully.

He saw Skinny Dog's wounds heal rapidly at a visible rate. His bones repaired themselves and returned to their proper positions, the gashes closed, and his fur was restored.

In the blink of an eye, the horribly mangled Skinny Dog had recovered completely, as if he had been reset to factory settings.

It was simply miraculous!

Fang Zhixing watched in utter amazement. It was beyond imagination.

The next instant, Skinny Dog abruptly opened his eyes. He looked around, then immediately realized that Fang Zhixing was holding him suspended in midair.

"Fang! Zhi! Xing!"

"Fuck your grandpa, you were actually serious?"

Skinny Dog struggled wildly, furious beyond measure.

Fang Zhixing gave a cold laugh and swung Skinny Dog back and forth like a pendulum.

"I was serious? Wasn't your bite just now real? Up to now, every person you've bitten, even if it was only a superficial wound, has croaked without exception, right?" Fang Zhixing sneered.

As soon as those words were spoken, Skinny Dog instantly felt guilty.

Ever since awakening the [Maned Wolf Bloodline], his physique had been greatly enhanced. Not only had he gained an extremely sharp sense of smell, he had also acquired a special ability.

Venomous Fangs!!

Skinny Dog had tested it himself. His saliva was not poisonous, but his teeth were highly venomous.

Anyone bitten by him would have their wound rapidly worsen, turning bluish-purple and black, before dying soon afterward.

Skinny Dog suspected that his Venomous Fangs might be similar to those of a king cobra, a kind of mixed toxin that could cause blood coagulation and nerve poisoning, ultimately killing a person through suffocation or heart failure.

In short, Venomous Fangs were his most powerful weapon. Whoever he bit died.

Skinny Dog had originally wanted to keep this trump card hidden and not let Fang Zhixing know about it.

Who could have expected that man proposed, but fate disposed.

During their travels, the two had repeatedly encountered danger. Fang Zhixing had no choice but to act, and Skinny Dog had no choice but to bite.

Before they knew it, everything had been exposed!

Sigh, thinking about it, it made sense.

Fang Zhixing had sharp eyes and an extremely clever mind. How could he possibly fail to notice?

Skinny Dog could not help feeling deeply depressed. Fang Zhixing had seen through every last one of his little schemes. It was just like when they were children, when Fang Zhixing had caught him cheating on an exam.

Although Fang Zhixing had not reported him to the teacher, Skinny Dog always felt uncomfortable whenever he saw Fang Zhixing afterward.

The fear of a poor student being dominated by a top student had come for him once again in this other world!

As Fang Zhixing held him there, Skinny Dog's whole life flashed before his eyes.

"Enough already, put me down!" Skinny Dog suddenly roared.

Fang Zhixing gave him a few more swings and sneered, "Do you submit?"

Skinny Dog bared his teeth and snapped, "A good dog doesn't suffer immediate losses. I'll let you have this one."

Fang Zhixing laughed heartily and tossed Skinny Dog onto the bed.

Skinny Dog immediately shouted, "Just you wait. Sooner or later, I'll trample you beneath my paws and make you sing 'Conquest.'"

Fang Zhixing sat down and asked, "What did it feel like when you died?"

Skinny Dog blinked and thought back carefully. Death had just been darkness before his eyes and a loss of consciousness. That was all.

He replied, "I fucking saw my great-grandma!"

Fang Zhixing understood. Looking at Skinny Dog, he asked, "How do you feel now? Still depressed?"

Skinny Dog truly was no longer depressed. He was filled with rage and had a new goal in life: kill the man in front of him.

Fang Zhixing suddenly sighed. "When people are hungry, they usually have only one worry. But once they are full, they gain countless worries. Skinny Dog, now that we can eat our fill, if you cannot find a direction in life, then I hope I can become your only worry."

Skinny Dog's fur stood on end, and goosebumps broke out all over him. He glared and said, "Isn't that fucking cheesy?"

In a pleasant mood, Fang Zhixing stood up and said, "Come on, let's go out and have a good meal."

"Go out to eat?"

Skinny Dog perked up at once, his tail beginning to wag.

To be honest, Fang Zhixing's cooking was truly nothing special. Besides, every meal they ate was the same: cured meat and eggs with rice.

He had long since grown sick of it.

Now the cured meat and eggs were gone, while half a sack of rice remained.

The man and dog walked out of the Cheng Family Compound.

Sniffing the various scents in the air, Skinny Dog said excitedly, "Follow me. I know where there's good food."

Fang Zhixing solemnly reminded him, "Whatever you do, don't lead me into a latrine."

"Fuck off!"

Skinny Dog wagged his tail merrily and strutted along with an utterly cocky gait.

Riverside Restaurant!

It was a restaurant built beside the docks, as well as the largest and most luxurious restaurant in the entire town, without equal. Its owner behind the scenes was none other than the richest family, the Chen Family.

Fang Zhixing and Skinny Dog arrived at the docks.

Looking around, they saw the docks packed with people, where a large number of refugees had gathered.

Refugees who had fled the Crouching Ox Mountains had converged here, hoping to take a boat away to somewhere else.

"What? The fare went up again?"

"Boss, you're way too heartless. In just a few days, the fare has doubled!"

A group of refugees gathered before a covered boat, haggling with the boatman until their faces turned red from the argument.

The boatman remained unmoved and shouted, "There's flooding downstream. Not only is the current fierce, but water monsters are lurking in the river too, devouring people bones and all. Hmph, I'm risking my life to earn this money. How is the fare expensive? Maybe you should look for the problem in yourselves, alright?"

One refugee shouted, "What water monsters? Who are you trying to scare? Don't just make up an excuse to raise the price. We're not that easy to fool."

The boatman spat. "Who's fooling you? If you don't believe me, go ask around. A large ship was overturned by a water monster a few days ago, and several hundred people died."

As they spoke, a small boat docked at the pier. A burly man jumped down from it, wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a white cloth sack on his back.

The sack seemed to contain some living creature. It wriggled from time to time, occasionally letting out chirping sounds.

The burly man in the bamboo hat passed through the crowd and brushed past the man and dog.