CH 14

Chapter 14: Who is the Cutest

There were numerous lush green bamboos planted along the edge of the spiritual field behind the mountain, and the bamboo leaves rustled in the wind.

Little Black Rabbit hopped into the bamboo forest, and in front of a rocky surface, it waved its small paws to signal to Yun Zhao, as if saying, "My Lord, sir, it's here!"

Yun Zhao approached, and the scent of blood masked the refreshing fragrance of the bamboo forest, growing stronger as he went forward.

Among the rocks, there was a small natural cave, from which faint light seeped through, revealing murky black blood slowly flowing out.

Little Black Rabbit intended to approach and tug on Yun Zhao's clothes, but it didn't expect a bloody paw to stretch out from the cave entrance, grabbing it and pinning it down.

A low growl emanated from the cave, as if warning the intruders not to come any closer.

"Wuwu... Help, help me... Wuwu..." Little Black Rabbit trembled in fear, its whole body shaking. Its long ears couldn't stand up and could only stick tightly to the ground as it cried out.

The sharp claws of the beast pressed against its neck, causing the other rabbits to involuntarily take a few steps back. Some turned their heads and ran, calling for Ao Yu to come and rescue the rabbit.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Yun Zhao brushed away the branches and leaves obstructing the rocky surface and noticed that the paw pressing down on Little Black Rabbit wasn't particularly large. He crouched down and gradually moved closer to the cave entrance.

"I'm not a bad person. Please release this rabbit first. If you're hungry, I can bring some food." Yun Zhao spoke softly, afraid of agitating the small creature inside the cave.

"Wuwu... Lord Yun Zhao..." Little Black Rabbit's voice trembled, on the verge of passing out from the strong smell of blood.

The other rabbits behind watched Yun Zhao getting closer and couldn't help but anxiously say, "Sir, you're getting too close! Let Lord Ao Yu handle Little Black's rescue!"

Little Black Rabbit whimpered, "..." I'm really fortunate to have you guys as my brothers.

However, Yun Zhao remained undeterred and moved directly to the cave entrance. With just a reach of his hand, he could touch the blood-stained paw.

Perhaps provoked by Yun Zhao's closeness, the sharp paw released Little Black Rabbit and pounced directly at Yun Zhao. Accompanied by a deep roar, Yun Zhao was forcefully knocked to the ground.

"Sir!"

"Yun Zhao!"

As Ao Yu rushed over, he saw a blood-soaked spiritual beast pinning down Yun Zhao. Its claws, radiating white light, were pressed against the young man's delicate neck.

"Don't... don't come any closer..."

Yun Zhao struggled to turn his head and stop Ao Yu's footsteps. Ao Yu frowned and stopped three meters away, but his hand conjured a red light, ready to act at any moment.

Yun Zhao gazed up at a pair of fierce crimson vertical pupils, while the paw against his neck couldn't help but tremble.

His mind raced, recalling his S-level affinity as judged by the system.

So, he released his spiritual power and gently raised his hand to stroke the head of the spiritual beast.

"Ah... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die..." Little Black Rabbit climbed up and witnessed this scene, covering its eyes with its ears in fright.

The other rabbits had their hearts in their throats, afraid that Yun Zhao's neck would be snapped in the next second.

Only Ao Yu silently watched Yun Zhao's actions, and the red light in his hand gradually dissipated.

Yun Zhao's spiritual power, like warm sunshine in spring, settled in the dull fur of the spiritual beast. The moment Yun Zhao's fingers touched it, the beast ceased its roar.

It shuddered all over, and the murderous intent in its crimson eyes gradually faded. However, it didn't dare to relax completely, keeping its body stiff and alert, pretending to growl fiercely.

Ever since Sun Yang was abandoned by his clan, he wandered and hid around. But he had never encountered such pure and warm spiritual power in all his days of drifting, which stirred a greed within him.

"Don't be afraid, be good..." Yun Zhao felt the beast's movements loosen on his body. His voice was gentle and soothing, causing its aggressiveness to subside.

After an unknown period of time, Yun Zhao heard a low whimper from its throat, "Wuwu... woof..."

Yun Zhao was taken aback. It sounded like a little dog.

Just as he was about to sit up and take a closer look, the spiritual beast on his body suddenly collapsed to the ground with a "Duang" sound.

Yun Zhao looked anxiously at Ao Yu, who walked over and squatted down, reaching out to examine the spiritual beast.

The white hair fell, revealing a delicate and handsome profile, momentarily captivating Yun Zhao's attention. He could even smell the faint fragrance on the little dragon, just like his own.

"It's a spiritual dog, but it's heavily injured and has lost too much blood. If you want to keep it, take it back with you," Ao Yu said as he stood up, and used a silk handkerchief to wipe away the bloodstains on his fingers.

Upon hearing his words, Yun Zhao immediately called the rabbits to help carry the injured spiritual dog into the house.

He was about to follow them when Ao Yu stopped him.

"Yun Zhao."

Yun Zhao turned around. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Ao Yu looked at him, his white hair casually swept behind his ear, and the stray strands hiding his expression. He asked softly, "This spiritual dog has no spiritual power, not even comparable to Luo Xue. It's mostly just a dog who has a long life span. Are you really going to keep such a waste?"

Yun Zhao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "How can it be a waste? Dogs are the most adorable creatures in the world!"

After saying that, he turned and was about to enter the pavilion.

Ao Yu didn't expect that response from him. He lowered his head and silently watched the remnants of the spiritual dog's blood on the ground.

Suddenly, he heard Yun Zhao calling him from not far away, "Ao Yu, come and help me! I can't handle it alone!"

Ao Yu clicked his tongue and followed him, brushing his sleeve.

...

In the warm spring, Sun Yang woke up in the comfortable flow of water. The crimson in his eyes faded, leaving only bewilderment.

His whole body ached, with wounds big and small from being scratched by various spiritual beasts during his wandering days. The water's rinsing and soaking made it itchy and painful, as if hundreds of ants were gnawing at him.

Sun Yang gritted his teeth and raised his head. When he turned around, he found that four or five rabbits were surrounding him, using their little rabbit paws to rub and wash his dirty black fur until it returned to its original golden color.

"Ah, you're awake?" Little Black Rabbit held a towel and wrung it dry before gently placing it on his forehead. "Don't move, I'll go get Yun Zhao! Hey... hey! What are you doing!"

When Yun Zhao arrived at the sound, he saw Little Black Rabbit lying by the edge of the water basin, once again suppressed by the spiritual dog's sharp claws.

"What's going on here?" Yun Zhao couldn't help but cry and laugh. He walked over and directly moved the little dog's paw away from Little Black Rabbit.

Sun Yang bit onto Yun Zhao's hand, taking the young man's palm into his mouth and emitting a low growl from his throat.

Yun Zhao didn't intend to indulge him. He patted the black dog's nose with his other hand and pinched the dog's triangular ear, shouting loudly, "Woof woof!"

Sun Yang immediately let go of Yun Zhao's hand and covered his ears with his front paws, looking at Yun Zhao with a mixture of fear and confusion in his eyes.

Yun Zhao rolled up his pants and stepped into the water, taking the wooden comb handed over by the rabbits and starting to groom the spiritual dog's fur. He patted the dog's head to soothe it and said, "Just bear with it for a while. I'll help make your fur smooth, and then we can apply some medicine."

The spiritual dog stopped struggling, its eyes filled with confusion. After thinking for a moment, it remained silent and let the young man handle it.

Yun Zhao was afraid that the dog would be uncomfortable crouching, so he simply sat on a jade stone by the edge of the spring, extending his legs generously for the dog to rest its chin on.

Sun Yang trembled all over due to the pain but wanted to resist. However, he couldn't help but lean against Yun Zhao.

Just for a little while, I'll rely on him...

With this thought, Sun Yang rested his head on Yun Zhao's thigh and gradually pressed his chest against the young man's chest while Yun Zhao combed his fur.

The warm body temperature made the little dog whimper, unable to help but make cooing sounds like a puppy. When he snapped out of it, he shamefully buried himself in the young man's embrace, tightly closing his eyes.

Yun Zhao was startled when he combed through the dog's fur. He realized that there were far more wounds on the dog's flesh than he had imagined.

The shades of brown and black intertwined, with new and old wounds overlapping. Not a single patch of intact skin could be found, and there were even fresh wounds oozing blood slightly.

Despite the dog's seemingly large body, it was all supported by its fur. When Yun Zhao carefully felt its body, he even felt some protruding ribs in certain places, making him feel a bit rough.

Sun Yang sensed Yun Zhao stopping his grooming motion, and his ears drooped down. He must look ugly and terrifying...

However, before he could feel down, Yun Zhao kissed his head with a smack.

The little dog tilted his head. "?"

With teary eyes, Yun Zhao touched the dog's head and said, "Baby, don't worry. Big brother will make sure to raise you into a chubby little pig even stronger than a piglet!"

Sun Yang paused and turned his head away. That's not necessary...

A teardrop formed in the dog's lowered eyes and was discreetly wiped away by the dog on Yun Zhao's clothes.

Yun Zhao finished washing the dog and, together with the rabbits, dried its fur. He carried the dog into his room.

Afterward, he bought a cup of hot goat's milk from the store and tore up a small piece of bread, soaking it in the milk before placing it in front of the little dog. He tapped the dog's black nose with the rim of the bowl and said, "Come and eat something."

Sun Yang opened his eyes, his head dizzy from the sweet aroma. It had been a long time since he had eaten something warm and delicious.

Saliva secreted in his mouth as he tentatively licked a bit. He immediately looked up to observe Yun Zhao's expression.

His cautious demeanor made Yun Zhao feel heartbroken. He gently stroked the dog's head and said softly, "Go ahead and eat. I'll make you some meat once you recover a bit tomorrow."

Sun Yang instinctively sniffed and then began devouring the food without any reservations. The sweet food occupied his stomach, which hadn't been filled in a long time. The entire dog seemed enveloped in the aroma of milk.

The door creaked open.

Luo Xue and Wu Mu circled around the newcomer, wagging their tails, and then jumped into the small bamboo basket together.

Wu Mu quietly whispered to Luo Xue, "This puppy is even weaker than you."

Luo Xue felt unhappy and slapped his brother in return.

Ao Yu came over with a medicine bottle and casually rubbed the heads of the two cats, effectively putting an end to their playful antics. He placed the medicine next to Yun Zhao and said, "Apply the medicine to him."

Yun Zhao was holding the bowl, so he casually said, "You do it."

"Me?" Ao Yu frowned.

Yun Zhao nodded as if it were a matter of course. "I'm holding the bowl."

Ao Yu had no choice but to squat down next to Yun Zhao.

He removed the medicine stopper and began pouring the liquid onto the spiritual dog. The cold medicine made Sun Yang shiver all over. He wanted to turn over and avoid it, but he was deterred by the pressure emanating from Ao Yu and dared not move.

Yun Zhao lifted his gaze and saw Ao Yu's clearly defined joints searching for wounds amidst the coarse and tangled fur of the dog. He pressed his palm onto the unruly fur, dousing it with the medicine and then carefully spreading it around.

Although his brows were furrowed, there was no hint of impatience in his eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Ao Yu turned his head, his nose barely two inches away from Yun Zhao's forehead as his movements continued.

Yun Zhao seemed to feel his breath scattering across his forehead.

After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "I just suddenly realized that the little dragon is the cutest creature in the whole world!"