“This kind of condition must be treated as soon as possible,” Chu Qiguang added. “If treatment is delayed for too long, there could be lasting after-effects, such as permanent canine traits, and Young Master Wang may not be able to continue his martial arts cultivation.”

“Did you hear that, Father?” Wang Cailiang asked frantically. “If we delay my treatment for too long, I may not be able to cultivate martial arts anymore! I could also end up with permanent canine traits!”

Wang Chengwang stroked his chin hesitantly as he asked, “What are the chances that my son’s condition won’t recur?”

The sight of Wang Chengwang’s hesitation reminded Wang Cailiang of something that Chu Qiguang had told him earlier.

***

“... some families kill their own children because they weren’t willing to spend the money to treat them...”

***

Wang Cailiang was confident that his father wouldn’t give up on him just because he didn’t want to pay the three hundred taels of silver, but the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.

He grabbed Wang Chengwang’s arm as he yelled, “Father, are you just going to standby and watch your only son be ruined? If I’m gone, then our Wang Clan will be losing more than just three hundred taels of silver! You still have to rely on me to take care of you when you’re old! If you’re not going to give me the money, then I’ll go find Grandma!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll give you the money!” Wang Chengwang conceded, caving to his son’s desperate pleas.

Wang Chengwang had been considering haggling for a lower price, but his son's desperation made that completely impossible, so he had no choice but to fork out the three hundred taels of silver in full.

After that, Wang Chengwang retrieved thirty ingots of silver from the cellar, amounting to three hundred taels in total. He placed them in a cloth bag and personally handed them over to Chu Qiguang.

Even though it pained him greatly to part with so much silver, now that the payment had been made, he naturally wanted to get as much value out of it as possible.

With that in mind, he ordered for a feast to be prepared, and he sat down to dine with Wang Cailiang and Chu Qiguang.

The table was filled with all kinds of fish, meat and vegetable dishes, fruits, and snacks, and there were maidservants present tending to their every need. There was also a child singer performing to a melody played by a maidservant on a guzheng, and even Zhang Da and the others had been called over to entertain their guest.

Chen Gang arrived with Zhang Da, and the moment he spotted Zhou Ergou, he immediately picked up a rock to use as a weapon, only to be beaten by Zhang Da.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Zhang Da snapped. “Right now, Zhou Ergou is an honored guest of Master Wang’s!”

Zhang Da then turned to Wang Chengwang and Chu Qiguang with an embarrassed expression as he apologized, “Please forgive him. He’s just an idiot who doesn’t know how to do anything but beat people with rocks!”

Chen Gang had his arms over his head to shield himself from Zhang Da’s fists, and he was glowering at Zhou Ergou with an indignant expression. He simply couldn’t understand how someone like Zhou Ergou, whom he had bullied his entire life, had suddenly become an honored guest of Master Wang!

“Get him out of here,” Wang Chengwang ordered indifferently, and Chen Gang was shoved out the door by some servants.

Everyone else, including Wang Chengwang, Chu Qiguang, and Zhang Da, seemed to have been completely unaffected by that brief and unpleasant interruption, and they continued to make merry as the time flew by.

Qiao Zhi was standing on a nearby rafter in the cold wind, watching from above as Chu Qiguang made merry with his hosts. He appeared completely at ease in this setting, and it seemed that over the course of just a single meal, he had managed to establish a very close bond with everyone present.

Impressive as always, Chu Qiguang, but this time, I’m going to change my fate for sure! Qiao Zhi thought to himself.

Only late at night, around the equivalent of 9PM, was Chu Qiguang finally able to leave after insisting that he had to return to his cultivation. He stumbled his way back home, appearing slightly drunk.

Wang Chengwang instructed the servants to carry his drunk son back to his room, then stood in silence for a long time, gazing in the direction Zhou Ergou departed.

Steward Wang approached him from behind, then speculated, “Master, regarding the young master’s condition... Do you think it’s possible that Ergou was the one who—”

“No, it wasn’t him,” Wang Chengwang interrupted coldly as he turned to face the steward with a warning gaze. “Even if it was him, it wasn’t. Do you understand?”

Steward Wang faltered slightly upon hearing this, then hurriedly nodded in response.

“Get Zhang Da to remain in contact with the master from the Imperial Heavenly Dao. Make sure that connection isn’t severed,” Wang Chengwang instructed.

***

Meanwhile, the moment Chu Qiguang left the Wang Manor, he began walking in a steady and stable fashion, revealing that his drunkenness had been nothing more than an act.

Qiao Zhi jumped excitedly onto the top of his head, swishing his tail back and forth as he celebrated, “We finally have money now! Three hundred taels of silver!”

Chu Qiguang triumphantly shook the bag of silver in his hand. If it weren’t for the fact that his physical constitution had been enhanced through his recent martial arts practice, he wouldn’t have been able to carry such a heavy bag so easily.

“This is only the beginning,” Chu Qiguang said. “Next, we need to use the Wang Clan’s connections to send me to the county so I can take part in the martial examination and secure myself a position in the imperial court.”

What happened that day only further confirmed his earlier judgment.

He scooped Qiao Zhi into his arms, petting his head as he mused, “This world is full of fiends, Master Qiao. Mortals fear and resent fiends, but most of them are powerless to do anything. Hence, whoever can control fiends will be able to thrive in this world.”

Qiao Zhi shuddered involuntarily. An incredibly familiar fear rose from the depths of his memories as he listened to Chu Qiguang speak. He instinctively tucked his tail between his legs, feeling as if fate had just grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

He turned to look at Chu Qiguang, only to discover that he was also looking at him with a sincere expression as he asked, “You’ll help me, right, Master Qiao? Together, we’ll climb up the ranks until we’re able to completely control our own fates, and while we’re at it, we’ll mold this world to our liking.”

And also find the Purple Mansion Sacred Scripture that brought me here, Chu Qiguang added inwardly.

In Qiao Zhi’s eyes, Chu Qiguang kept overlapping with the image of the terrifying figure in his memories, and the more he looked at Chu Qiguang, the more unsettled he felt.

Qiao Zhi swallowed nervously and scolded himself, Don’t be such a coward, Qiao Zhi! He can’t even beat you in a fight right now, so you have nothing to fear! Don’t be afraid! The best way to overcome your fears is to face them directly!

While doing his best to steel himself, Qiao Zhi looked back at Chu Qiguang as he asked, “Do you know why there are so few people in this world willing to work with fiends and demons?”

“Firstly, the Heavenly Master Religion is the national religion of the Great Han Empire that almost everyone believes in. From what I’ve heard, the doctrines of the religion state that humans and fiends have always been sworn enemies, and that it is their duty to slay demons and vanquish fiends,” Chu Qiguang analyzed. “Over the past two hundred years, fear and resentment toward demons and fiends have become so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of the Great Han Empire that it’s almost become second nature.

“That is the power of belief. Secondly, demons and fiends have always been a dangerous force as far as the imperial court is concerned, particularly in the northwestern grasslands, the southwestern border towns, the southeastern coastline, and the southwestern mountains. It can be said that the entire Great Han Empire is surrounded by the fiend race, and fiends have been wreaking havoc ever since the empire was first founded over two hundred years ago.

“Demons and fiends have always been a huge thorn in the empire’s side, and that’s why the Daoist temples and the Demon Vanquishing Department have come into existence with the sole purpose of slaying them. Anyone that is discovered to be colluding with demons and fiends will also be dealt with swiftly and mercilessly.”

“And you’re still willing to work with me?” Qiao Zhi exclaimed.