Wan Gu Dan Sheng gave He Heng a ‘medicine’ pill, while He Heng, at that time, gave it to Yan Qing’an. The result was that he is now entering the city to hunt demons, bearing the grey wolf tail and ears, and unsure when this transformation will disappear.
Flying from the burial mountain, the two arrived at a large town near the Red River Village. At the city gate, they saw four or five soldiers in iron armor, patrolling solemnly back and forth.
Just as the demon hunters had mentioned, the defense near Red River Village was strict.
The sky was no longer early at this moment; the last remnants of sunlight scattered from the west of the mountain, signifying the gradual arrival of the shadows of the night.
The two observed the tightly guarded city defense at the entrance and exit, ultimately deciding to spend the night outside and sneak in at dawn the next day.
Given He Heng and Yan Qing’an’s cultivation levels, ordinary demons posed no threat to them. Thus, conducting activities at night wasn’t a safety concern. However, if they entered now, they might need accommodation, and judging by the current state of the city defense, checking into an inn or tavern would likely face stricter scrutiny.
He Heng couldn’t possibly walk in with a big tail and ask for lodging, could he? That would surely startle the local residents.
So, they chose a cave not far from the town, situated on higher ground and relatively dry. Inside the cave, they spread some straw and gathered a few sticks of firewood, preparing to make do for the night.
Approaching midnight, the cave was illuminated by a warm fire, and the flickering flames cast elongated shadows on the rocky walls. From the depths of the cave, there emanated a steady and prolonged sound of breathing.
He Heng almost immediately fell asleep, sprawled casually on the straw pile, one of his ears brushing against the ground, occasionally trembling due to external movements.
However, Yan Qing’an was quite different. At this moment, he sported two dark circles under his eyes, his face filled with irritation as he tried to calm himself. Just a moment ago, he had tossed and turned for over an hour.
The reason was none other than He Heng’s restless tail, which occasionally swept over to flick him one or two times, disrupting his attempts at peaceful meditation.
Don’t argue with someone who’s asleep,
Don’t argue with someone who’s asleep,
Don’t argue with a pig that’s asleep…
Yan Qing’an repeated these comforting words in his mind.
But in an instant, a crisp “smack” echoed in the cave. He Heng’s large tail once again ruthlessly swept over, landing squarely on Yan Qing’an’s face this time. The latter suddenly felt his breath catch, and his mouth and nose were covered in a tuft of fur from He Heng’s tail.
The veins on Yan Qing’an’s forehead couldn’t help but start throbbing uncontrollably.
It was a “tick-tock, tick-tock” sound.
One second, two seconds, three seconds… gone.
He Heng hadn’t moved his tail, and Yan Qing’an, feeling on the verge of suffocation, finally couldn’t take it anymore. He shifted He Heng’s tail away, making sure to cover it on the other side to prevent He Heng from “rolling over”. Yan Qing’an also scooted a bit towards the rock wall, attempting to maintain a safe distance.
However,
“Mm!”
He Heng, who had his tail moved, seemed quite dissatisfied. His large ears trembled for a moment, and he grumbled discontentedly. Immediately after, his big tail “smack! smack!” lashed twice on Yan Qing’an’s shoulders before coiling around Yan Qing’an’s waist, effectively wrapping him up.
“What are you doing?”
Yan Qing’an exclaimed softly, completely unaware that He Heng’s sleeping habits could be this troublesome.
In this moment, he found himself helplessly pressed against He Heng.
Perhaps because of the sudden proximity, feeling the warm breath spraying on his lips, Yan Qing’an stiffened for a moment, then carefully observed the person in front of him.
This was the first time he had closely examined He Heng’s sleeping face, and he felt his heartbeat quickening. In the pitch-black night, it echoed in the silence: “Thump! Thump! Thump!”
His nose bridge and eyebrows appeared quite straight and well-defined. Even in the darkness, you could sense the depth of the man’s facial features. He had the classic appearance of sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, and there was a hint of childishness mixed in this expression. Paired with the two wolf ears, it didn’t seem out of place.
It looked like a big, crooked dog sleeping.
As Yan Qing’an continued to gaze, his thoughts began to drift. For some reason, he couldn’t quite remember the appearance of his original disciple. But somehow, it didn’t seem like he looked anything like He Heng.
Why would this thought come up?
Could it be because…
He has those ears?
Indeed, people with wolf ears do look different… His ears do seem quite large.
Why would he have such big ears?
Lost in these hazy thoughts, Yan Qing’an felt increasingly tired. His consciousness became less clear, eventually entering a deep sleep.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, he was awakened by a swish of He Heng’s tail.
This night, He Heng slept soundly with good sleep quality. Even though he woke up early and felt refreshed, when he opened his eyes and met Yan Qing’an’s dark gaze, he was surprised.
“Master, why… did you have trouble sleeping yesterday?”
Yan Qing’an: “…”
He didn’t know how to respond to that, so Yan Qing’an just nodded slightly, got up from the slightly cool ground, shook off the bits of straw, and then heard He Heng confidently say, “Is it because you don’t have a tail, so it’s too cold for you to sleep?”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I could have covered my tail over you.”
This time, the corners of Yan Qing’an’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch. “…” You did exactly that.
In the early morning, there were only half as many soldiers guarding the city gate as there were the previous night. The two spent some money to buy an old ox cart from a farmer outside the gate, laden with bundles of thick straw. They pretended to be entering the city to sell straw.
Yan Qing’an then had He Heng wear a straw hat and cloak, making him sit inside the cart. He pulled the curtains, effectively concealing He Heng’s ears and tail. With luck, they might be able to smoothly pass through the gate without arousing suspicion.
The morning procession entering the city wasn’t long. After a couple of merchants selling goods, it was Yan Qing’an’s turn.
Coincidentally, they hit a shift change, and only one soldier was left at the gate. The inspection seemed a bit lax.
It was early in the morning, and even a soldier could be prone to drowsiness. At that moment, he stood by the gate, hands on his hips, yawning openly. Just then, Yan Qing’an and the ox cart were ready to enter the city.
Upon seeing the tall and slender figure in the straw hat, the soldier suddenly became alert.
“Hey, stop the ox cart in front!”
At the moment they were about to enter the city gate, Yan Qing’an and the ox cart were stopped by someone.
The soldier approached Yan Qing’an and took a closer look. The more he observed, the more something seemed off.
This person clearly had the appearance of a Taoist, with a calm and cool demeanor. Although there were some straw crumbs on his clothes, his hands were delicate, resembling green onions. There was no trace of dirt in the nail seams. Did he look like someone who would do fieldwork?
At this point, without hesitation, the soldier used the hilt of his sword to lift the curtain of the ox cart to see what was inside.
Upon seeing the tall figure in black wearing a straw hat squeezed in the middle of the straw, the soldier couldn’t help but shout sternly:
“Who is this person?”
Hearing this, Yan Qing’an was momentarily stunned but wanted to quickly explain that this person was his brother, who came into the city to sell straw with him.
However, at that moment, there was a noise from inside the ox cart.
Before he could respond, He Heng pinched his own throat and, in a strange tone, took the initiative to speak,
“Cough, cough, I am… I am his grandmother.”
In that moment, Yan Qing’an felt a bit dumbfounded. “…”
Could you say something even more absurd?
The soldier, too, was incredulous. He supported the cart’s curtain with the hilt of his sword, looking at the “grandmother” inside the cart dressed in a straw cloak and looking “tall and sturdy”.
“Is your grandmother this big?”
“Why does she sound so deep?”
With He Heng’s antics, Yan Qing’an had no choice. While trying to spin a tale about his “grandmother” being ill and needing to seek medical attention in the city, the person inside the ox cart continued:
“I’ve loved drinking cow ‘milk’ since I was a child. What’s wrong with that?”
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