Chen Hao, after all, was a man who had seen it all, and he quickly regained his composure.

He looked at Yang Qi and said, "Brother Yang, this medicinal wine of yours is potent stuff. To be honest with you, I have a lot of social engagements and I’ve drunk my fair share of so-called health wines and wellness liquors, even some specially supplied ones that are supposed to work instantly. But compared to yours, they all fall short by a long shot."

"Yes, yes."

Du Xi nodded repeatedly.

"Brother Chen, Sister-in-law, I’m glad you like it."

Yang Qi’s expression didn’t change as he smiled. "The recipe for this wine supposedly uses a lot of herbs from deep in the old mountains, and the process is complicated. My grandmother can only brew a few bottles a year."

"Its main effects are to gently nourish the body and drive away fatigue. A small cup each day is indeed beneficial for your health. But don’t drink too much; one cup a day is enough."

Chen Hao got the hint immediately, understanding Yang Qi’s unspoken meaning.

’This wine is precious and shouldn’t be publicized.’

Having understood completely, he said solemnly, "Brother Yang, I’ll take this favor to heart. Your sister-in-law and I will do exactly as you said and drink only one small cup a day, no more."

Du Xi was also perceptive and kind-hearted. She didn’t ask any more questions about the wine’s origin and simply entertained Yang Qi warmly.

"Here, Xiao Yang, eat up. You should come over and visit more often."

"Mhm." Qiqi nodded eagerly, saying with a hint of shyness, "I like Uncle Yang."

"Haha~"

The three adults laughed in unison.

The group was eating and chatting, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Suddenly, Yang Qi’s chopsticks paused slightly. He tilted his head to listen, his brow furrowing gently.

"What’s wrong, Xiao Yang?" the observant Du Xi noticed, setting down her soup spoon to ask.

Chen Hao also stopped playing with his daughter and looked over.

"Brother Chen, Sister-in-law, listen." Yang Qi turned slightly. "There’s a dog barking in the villa next door."

"Is there?"

Du Xi concentrated, trying to listen, but she could only hear the faint sound of the wind outside the window. "Which side?" she asked, puzzled. "I don’t hear anything."

"The left side," Yang Qi answered with certainty.

"Sister Yang lives on the left."

Chen Hao chimed in with a smile, "Speaking of which, she shares your surname, Xiao Yang. Sister Yang does have a Shiba Inu named ’Dou Dou,’ and he’s quite gentle. What’s wrong? Is there a problem with the barking?"

"The bark sounds wrong."

Yang Qi’s expression grew serious. "I’ve studied animal calls a bit," he said gravely. "This doesn’t sound like a normal bark. It’s more like it’s encountered some kind of emergency."

In fact, to his ears, the message being conveyed by the barks, which faintly penetrated the thick walls, was crystal clear.

[Wake up]

[Get up]

[Scared]

...

’The owner of the neighboring villa is probably in trouble!’

"Is that so?"

Hearing this, Chen Hao’s expression also turned serious.

He knew that Yang Qi’s ability with animals was extraordinary. If he was saying this, then something must be amiss.

He immediately stood up and said, "Honey, you stay here and watch Qiqi. Xiao Yang, you come with me to check on the neighbor."

"Okay." Yang Qi got up at once.

"Be careful, you two," Du Xi urged with concern.

Chen Hao raised a hand to show he understood and was the first to stride out the door.

Yang Qi followed close behind.

The two of them walked quickly to the front gate of the villa on the left.

The lights were on inside the villa, but from the outside, the curtains were drawn tight, and it was unnaturally quiet.

The house’s soundproofing was clearly excellent.

It was only when he was standing at the front gate that Chen Hao could hear the dog’s barking from inside, growing more and more frantic.

"WOOF WOOF~ WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

Although he couldn’t understand its meaning, even Chen Hao could sense the anxiety in the barks, which made his heart inexplicably tighten.

"Sister Yang! Sister Yang! Are you home?"

Chen Hao shouted loudly while knocking hard on the door and ringing the doorbell.

Aside from the continuous barking, there was no human response from inside the house.

Chen Hao shouted a few more times, but there was still no response.

The commotion, however, attracted a security guard who was patrolling nearby.

"Mr. Chen, is there anything I can help you with?" a uniformed security guard, who looked to be just over thirty, asked politely.

"Sister Yang might be in trouble! Hurry to the property management office and get the spare key!" Chen Hao said quickly.

"Huh? Well..." The security guard was taken aback and hesitated.

’Using the spare key without the owner’s permission is against the rules, and the regulations are strict.’

"What are you standing around for? Go!"

Chen Hao urged, pointing at the gate. "Can’t you hear how urgent the dog is barking inside, and how there’s been no human response after all our shouting? If something has really happened, can you take responsibility for that?"

Intimidated by Chen Hao’s presence, the security guard tilted his head to listen carefully to the clearly abnormal barking, and his expression changed.

The next moment, he no longer hesitated, turning and breaking into a run toward the property management office.

Soon, the guard returned in a hurry with a member of the property management staff.

After a quick briefing on the situation, the management staff member also realized something was wrong. Without another word, he used the spare key to open the villa’s main door.

As soon as the door opened, the Shiba Inu’s barks became loud and clear.

The group quickly entered the house, following the barks to the far end of the living room, near the stairs.

On the gleaming floor, a woman in pajamas was lying face down, her long hair fanned out and covering her face, obscuring the details.

A reddish-brown Shiba Inu was circling the woman anxiously, nudging her repeatedly with its nose while barking and letting out low whimpers.

[Tamed "Loyal Dog of Anzai" detected. Host can potentially recruit it back to the sect to obtain contribution points.]

’A Loyal Dog of Anzai?’

Yang Qi gave the Shiba Inu a surprised look.

"Sister Yang!"

Chen Hao cried out and rushed over.

Yang Qi followed.

As he got closer, his keen senses detected that the woman on the floor’s breathing was extremely faint. Amidst the long hair scattered behind her head, he could faintly see a trace of dried blood.

’Did she hit her head on the stairs?’

Yang Qi thought for a moment, then turned to the frightened property manager and shouted, "Call the police and an ambulance, quickly!"

"Oh, oh~"

The property manager snapped out of it. His face pale, he agreed and turned to run outside, grabbing the walkie-talkie on his shoulder and shouting incoherently.

"Dispatch! Dispatch! Building 8, B-Block! The owner, Ms. Yang, is de... no, Ms. Yang is injured and unconscious! Notify the police and call an ambulance, quick!"

"Whimper~"

Just then, the Shiba Inu named Dou Dou stopped circling his owner and trotted over to Yang Qi. He looked up, his wet eyes full of pleading, and a low whimper came from his throat.

[Scared]

[Help]

"Don’t worry, your owner will be fine." Yang Qi crouched down and gently stroked the Shiba Inu’s head.

This wasn’t just simple comfort.

For the sake of the "Loyal Dog" rating the system had given it, Yang Qi didn’t mind lending a hand.

After the ambulance arrived and as they were all carefully transferring the unconscious "Sister Yang" into it, Yang Qi discreetly reached out and placed his hand on the inside of her wrist. He sent a wisp of Magical Power into her body to protect her brain and heart.

’In a situation like Sister Yang’s, as long as there’s no damage to the two core vital organs, the brain and the heart, any other physical injuries can be dealt with. She won’t die.’

And that was indeed the case.

The moment Yang Qi completed his subtle action, he sensed that "Sister Yang’s" originally faint and intermittent breathing immediately became steady.

Although she was still unconscious, her vital signs had clearly stabilized.

Chen Hao and the others didn’t notice this extremely subtle change.

However, the Shiba Inu, which had been watching its owner with intense focus, sensed it.

It immediately turned its head, its dark, round eyes looking at Yang Qi. It gave two excited "WOOF WOOFs" and wagged its tail like a pinwheel.

[Thank you]

[Loyal Dog of Anzai’s heartfelt gratitude toward Host detected. Favorability has drastically increased. Difficulty of recruiting it back to the sect has been greatly reduced.]