I'm Ximen Qing, living in a ghost story!

Wangcai is a mongrel, the most common kind from the countryside, with yellow fur, short legs, a perky tail, and a slightly black nose.

They like to do somersaults and play games with their owner.

Wangcai's owner was a rigid old scholar who liked to read with his head swaying back and forth, and would occasionally chat with Wangcai about everyday matters.

His wife and children were all gone, so he regarded Wangcai as family.

Perhaps because Wangcai was clever from a young age, he actually learned human language from these snippets of conversation, although he couldn't speak.

So the old scholar never knew.

However, Wangcai didn't think it was necessary to let its owner know about these things.

Wangcai thought his owner was very powerful and would definitely not care about such trivial matters.

The master can easily receive "offerings" from other humans, sometimes dried meat strips, sometimes delicious berries.

Others will give their cubs to the owner to take care of, and the owner will receive a generous reward!

Most of the time, these things ended up in Wangcai's belly, because his owner would only pat his head and say something after he had finished eating.

"Wangcai, you have to eat well. I'm old and my teeth aren't good. I'm big and strong, and who knows, I might be able to take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die."

Wangcai didn't know what "providing for the elderly and seeing them off in their final days" meant, but he understood that when a hunter in the tribe had bad teeth, it was a sign that he was stepping down!

Then it's his turn to protect his master!

Wangcai was very confident because he had never lost a fight among the dogs in town.

Time flies, and Wangcai grew up. Unfortunately, he did not grow into the tall and big figure the old scholar had hoped for. Even though he ate very hard, he still only reached his hunched master's knees.

It was very anxious, feeling that it had let its owner down.

But his owner could always see his sadness. He would hold him on a chair in the room, stroke his fur, and tell him stories that he couldn't understand, with varying intonations.

That was when it was happiest and most enjoying itself.

Of course, things in life aren't always so smooth.

That day, Wangcai contracted an unknown serious illness and developed a high fever.

He felt he was about to die, like that black spot in town, whose leg was broken by a passing carriage, then abandoned by its owner and left to die by the roadside.

Later, some people picked it up, washed it clean by the river, and stewed it to eat.

Some dogs ate the bone, but Wangcai didn't.

The fever made it overthink, and it couldn't help but wonder if its owner would abandon it too, and if it would end up like that spotted dog, being eaten by someone.

In a daze, he felt himself being lifted up horizontally, and he could hear intermittent sounds coming from his ears.

"Master Wang, this is all the money you've saved up for your funeral over the years! You really want to save it? It's just a dog, and besides, I don't even know what's wrong with it..."

"No need for further words... just use the best medicine..."

"Alright! But whether it works out depends on fate..."

……

Wangcai can understand human language, but he can't open his eyes and can only shed large tears.

"Oh, it doesn't hurt! Wangcai, don't be afraid."

The master's old, hoarse voice rang in my ears.

Wangcai fell into a deep sleep.

When it woke up again, it was in a spacious doghouse with a thick layer of straw underneath it.

After his illness, his mind became sharper, and it felt like a round thing was growing inside his stomach, which was very comfortable.

The mouth can even produce simple syllables.

More importantly, his body grew as if it were sprouting.

They can no longer snuggle in their owner's arms like before.

So, the owner built him a new doghouse.

However, you still prefer to snuggle at your owner's feet and listen to him read aloud articles you've read countless times in his indistinct speech.

Later, new life appeared in the doghouse.

The old scholar personally took Wangcai on a long trip to the neighboring town, where they picked out a female dog and bought it back.

"Wangcai, from now on you are a married man, you can't be fickle and fickle! Come, come, today I will teach you the principles of self-cultivation!"

Wangcai couldn't understand the obscure language, but that didn't stop him from standing obediently, glancing occasionally at his "wife" who was circling back and forth in the doghouse.

As Wangcai grew stronger, the number of puppies in the kennel increased to three.

And the old scholar had more things to tease.

Wangcai felt that happiness in the world was nothing more than this.

However, on that very day...

Everything has changed.

It was an ordinary midnight.

A strange wind swept through the town.

Wangcai lay under the shack, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, feeling a strange sense of unease.

They wanted to go out and check, but found that a cloud of black mist was descending, and cries of weeping echoed throughout the city.

Subsequently, many boys and girls were swept into the sky by the evil wind, and their cries echoed throughout the night sky.

Wangcai could see clearly that many of them were children who had once offered sacrifices to their master.

Squeak.

The door behind them opened.

The master, fully dressed, straightened his hunched figure more than ever before, holding the book he never let go of, and shouted towards the sky:

"Hey! You demons and monsters! How dare you be so insolent! Put down my student!"

A few sinister laughs echoed from the sky, and then a head descended from the black mist. It wore three layers of paper armor and helmet, had a blue face and fangs, and was full of mockery.

"I thought he was some reclusive master? Turns out he's just a poor old man. Hey? And this dog? Is it some kind of sentient demon?"

The soft laughter coming from within the black mist alerted Wangcai instinctively, but it was too late.

A streak of dark light flew down and instantly pierced through the old scholar!

"Lord...Lord..."

Wangcai opened its mouth wide, trying to utter its owner's name, but it was unable to.

A massive surge of rage engulfed his entire body.

That night, it lost its owner, as well as its wife and children.

A massive chain bound it here, along with the children.

It watched helplessly as the children who once called their master "teacher" were brutally tortured, their hearts ripped out and their skin peeled off.

He also watched as the monsters around him were disobediently dismembered and had their bones torn apart and their marrow sucked, so he had been waiting for an opportunity.

He crushed the round thing inside his stomach, his subconscious telling him that breaking it would provide greater power!

Although it hurt terribly, like his internal organs were being shattered, he endured it.

He waited and waited, and finally the opportunity came.

The chains broke free, and he charged forward with all his might, aiming at the murderer who had killed his master.

Unfortunately, he was too weak, and even if he exhausted all the power in his body, it would be of no use.

Perhaps it was his master's blessing, but in the very end, he heard the most beautiful and melodious sound he had ever heard in his life, besides his master's recitation—

"Huh? What's your name?"

"Wangcai!"

For the first time, he pronounced his name clearly and distinctly! And for the last time, of course.

P.S.: Well, I can't think of any fancy reason to add an extra chapter, so I'll just say I'm in a good mood and add one.