As soon as the five of them stepped into the core area of the Hundred Beasts Forest, a massive beast emerged to block their path. “Humans, turn back now, and we might let you live!”
Perhaps sensing the extraordinary aura of the group, the beast didn’t make any outright threats and instead offered a polite warning.
“I’m here to see your Husky King. Could you please inform him?”
The giant beast fell silent for a moment, then its eyes suddenly lit up. “Are you Su Mo?”
“Indeed, a friend of the Husky King,” Su Mo replied with a smile.
The beast moved aside to clear the path. “Please.”
But after just two steps, it stopped them again, its voice low and rumbling. “The Husky King has only one friend: Su Mo.”
Su Mo turned to look at the other four. “I’ll go in first. I’ll have him let you in shortly.”
“That seems to be the only way. In that case, be careful, Fairy Su.”
Su Mo followed the familiar path to Er Ha’s dwelling. The husky was lying down, with several monkeys massaging him.
The reason monkeys were probably chosen was that their hands are quite similar to human hands.
Damn, look at those skills… This dog is seriously something else!
Er Ha waved a paw, and the monkey technicians retreated. Other small animals brought him fruit.
At his signal, some fruit was also placed before Su Mo.
“What brings you here?” Er Ha’s intelligent eyes fixed on Su Mo, as if trying to discern something.
Su Mo picked up a purple, apple-like fruit and took a bite. Juice burst into his mouth, the sweet liquid flowing down his throat and into his stomach—incredibly satisfying.
After finishing the fruit, Su Mo didn’t rush to answer Er Ha’s question. Instead, he took out steaming hot dishes from his white jade ring. The aroma immediately excited Er Ha.
“Smells amazing!”
“Of course it does. These are all authentic hometown dishes.”
“For me?” Er Ha said in disbelief. “You’re not here to ask for another favor, are you?”
Su Mo kept pulling out more food, including snacks, until a large spread was laid out. Only then did he speak. “Same as before.”
Er Ha thought for three seconds but ultimately couldn’t resist the temptation of the delicious food. He agreed with a “Okay” and began devouring the meal.
Su Mo grinned with delight.
After wolfing everything down, Er Ha let out a satisfied burp, curled up on the ground, and lazily said, “But you’ll have to offer something to our beast clan too. Otherwise, I can’t justify this to my subordinates.”
Su Mo glanced around, noticing no other Beast Kings were present, and asked, “Where are they?”
“Oh, the other Kings? They’re currently repenting for what happened last time.”
“Repenting?” Su Mo wondered if he’d heard correctly. “How are they repenting?”
Er Ha puffed up with pride. “Doing homework! I originally thought having them recite a text would be enough, but then I decided that punishment was too light. So I made them write it out instead. They’re in the study, scribbling away as we speak.”
“The study?” Su Mo nearly gasped aloud.
Who would have thought that he, a modern person who time-traveled to the ancient past, hadn’t changed much—but a modern husky was actually enlightening these magical beasts intellectually?
It was absolutely mind-boggling.
When Su Mo arrived at the so-called “study,” he breathed a sigh of relief.
Turns out, they were just scribbling on the ground. For a moment, he thought… Phew, that was a scare.
Looking around, he saw all the higher-ups, including the Beast Kings, writing characters extremely reluctantly. Although the characters were crooked, they were still recognizable.
What a multitalented group of magical beasts!
Su Mo could clearly sense their dissatisfaction, but they dared not speak up under Er Ha’s oppressive authority and could only endure the agony in silence.
“I think I know what to do,” Su Mo said, an idea forming in his mind.
Er Ha shot him a glance, his tone firm. “Don’t even think about abolishing my education system. This is the foundation of my authority.”
Su Mo could clearly feel the intense reaction from the beast crowd, though it was quickly suppressed by his own rationality.
Su Mo calmly reasoned, “Look, they’re magical beasts, not humans. There’s no need for them to learn these things. Even if it’s a treasure to us, to them, it’s practically poison.”
Er Ha listened attentively to Su Mo’s analysis, occasionally glancing at the other beasts.
“You should know that even many human children go crazy over this kind of thing, let alone them. And look…”
(10,000 words omitted here)
Su Mo talked until his mouth was dry. Er Ha listened with growing dismay, while the beasts were inwardly overflowing with gratitude.
If they were human, they might have said: “Bless the Bodhisattva, I hope the King agrees.”
Er Ha’s mood sank, and he sighed dejectedly. “I don’t have a choice. As an educated dog, it’s really hard being surrounded by illiterates. This is the only way I can keep myself entertained.”
As he spoke, he lay down on the ground, his head drooping, looking utterly pitiful.
Su Mo’s heart ached, and he instinctively reached out to pat Er Ha’s head. The husky lifted his head and nuzzled against Su Mo’s hand, seeming to enjoy the comfort.
“What’s wrong? Feeling emo?”
“Of course not,” Er Ha denied. “I’m just reflecting on my life as a dog and realizing the future looks bleak. Can’t help feeling a bit sad.”
“See, if you hadn’t gained intelligence, you’d be so much happier here—living as a king, getting massages from little monkeys.”
Er Ha didn’t argue, but the truth bothered him deeply.
Such is human nature: on the surface, they may seem bright and impressive, but inside, everyone has their fragile spots. When those spots are touched, they don’t cry or make a fuss—they just lack someone willing to listen.
Humans often complain that their lives are worse than a dog’s when troubles arise, but who knew that when a dog gains human-like thoughts, it can feel emo too?
Suddenly, Su Mo picked Er Ha up and held him tightly, giving him a thorough, affectionate ruffling.
Er Ha was startled by the sudden “attack,” but he didn’t struggle. Instead, he closed his eyes and enjoyed it.
The other beasts watched in stunned silence—that was their king, yet he was being casually handled by a human!
A few minutes later, Su Mo gazed absently at the sky, heart-to-heart with Er Ha. Two strangers in a foreign land comforting each other’s lonely souls.
“Have you ever thought about leaving here with me?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because my situation is different from yours. I didn’t just wander here by accident.”
Su Mo was shocked. “You know Master Yu?”
Er Ha nodded. “Yes. Back then, to save my owner, I agreed to go with him, and that’s how I ended up here. My task is to guard this place. He never said I could leave, so I can’t.”
Su Mo felt inexplicably irritated, but then he reconsidered. It was simply a matter of mutual need—just like the Four Great Families. Didn’t Master Yu save them and bring them here too?
And it was all connected to him.
If Ye Qingyi—or his current self—was truly the deity they spoke of, could he take them away from here and free them from this confined pocket world?
But the Four Great Families’ mission was to guard their respective sacred artifacts. What about Er Ha?
He didn’t seem to have been given any specific task; he had free rein.
Trying to uncover more, Su Mo asked, “Did he give you anything back then?”
“Yes. He merged a drop of blood into my body—said it was the essence blood of a deity. Later, I gained intelligence, and my cultivation improved greatly because of it.”
“Anything else?” Su Mo pressed, hoping to jog Er Ha’s memory. “Like a crucial phrase, a strange array…”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I do remember something. He taught me an incantation back then. Hmm—what was the incantation again?”