TGCFNM -Chapter 125 Saving Someone

Chu Ling found a quiet, abandoned house and stepped inside. After glancing around to make sure no one was there, she half-crouched down, her gaze complicated as she looked at the black dog in front of her.

“Hey, doggie… are you seeking justice?”

“Woof! Woof woof!”

The black dog wagged its tail excitedly, rubbing against Chu Ling’s pant leg and happily sticking out its tongue.

Chu Ling pinched the bridge of her nose, looking helplessly at the three ghosts beside her.

Cui Xi timidly said, “Miss, even though we’re all ghosts, I can’t understand dog language.”

Chu Ling frowned. What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t understand dog language either.

Ghost Scholar crouched down and gently patted the black dog’s head, testing, “Are you going to take us to your master?”

“Woof woof woof, woof woof woof!” The black dog excitedly tugged at the corner of Chu Ling’s clothes, signaling her to follow it.

Having no other choice, Chu Ling followed the black dog back onto the main street, jogging a little to keep up.

Passing villagers glanced at her. “Sir… are you running?”

“Yes,” Chu Ling replied awkwardly with a smile, quickly quickening her pace—she didn’t want to draw a crowd.

It had to be said—the black dog, though thin, wasn’t slow at all. In roughly the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, it led Chu Ling off the main street and into a narrow alley.

The alley was cramped, the houses on either side pressed tightly together. The doors were firmly closed, yet the raucous noise from inside still burst through, creating a chaotic din.

Ghost Scholar listened for a moment and softly said, “This is where the ordinary citizens of Changzhou live.”

Chu Ling glanced at the row of narrow, worn wooden doors, then followed the black dog as it stopped, taking a few steps forward before turning to look back.

Before them was a dilapidated wooden door. Where the lock should have been, there was a large hole—through it, one could even see into the room. The door itself was held closed by just a single wooden beam.

“Woof!”

The black dog dashed straight through.

Chu Ling looked up at the door, pushed it gently, and the wooden beam holding it fell to the ground. A harsh creaking sound of the door opening rang out as Chu Ling frowned and stepped inside.

She took in the full view of the room and couldn’t help but sigh, “Wow, it’s really tiny.”

The black dog once again bit at the corner of her clothes, urging her further inside.

Chu Ling stepped in. Though the room was messy, it wasn’t the filth she had expected; instead, the strong smell of ink filled the air.

It seemed the straw mats that had been used on the bed were now laid on the floor, covered in writing, which was where the ink smell came from.

“Sir, there’s someone in the back room. They’re not dead,” Ghost Scholar said.

Carefully avoiding the straw mats, Chu Ling entered the back room. On a tattered bed lay a person with a flushed face and rapid breathing—it was obvious they had a fever.

Chu Ling approached and placed her hand on them, startled, “So hot?” This was a high fever.

Bai Su examined them carefully. “We need to lower the temperature quickly, or they won’t survive.”

Chu Ling searched around for something to cool the person down but found nothing. With no other choice, she stepped out, preparing to go to the government office for help.

Cui Xi, worried the black dog wouldn’t follow, quickly explained again, then simply picked up the dog and followed Chu Ling.

Back at the government office, Chu Ling found Zhang Dong and Su He, who were staying behind, and sent them to buy some cheap white liquor. She herself went to the pharmacy, grabbed some medicine, bought a medicinal jar, and then hurriedly called the two of them to return to the alley.

Zhang Dong and Su He helped the man remove his clothes and wiped him down with alcohol, quickly bringing down his temperature.

Chu Ling set up a stand in the courtyard and began preparing medicine. Once it was ready, Zhang Dong fed it to him and changed him into dry clothes.

Chu Ling checked his pulse again, then tested his forehead. Frowning, she said, “Still a bit warm.”

Bai Su frowned. “Well, a dead horse treated as a living one,” she said, letting Chu Ling take out the silver needles. Grasping Chu Ling’s hand, she began administering acupuncture to the man.

After the treatment, Chu Ling waited anxiously. Half an hour later, the heat on the man’s face began to subside, and his breathing became much steadier.

“Master, it seems he’s pulling through,” Zhang Dong said with relief.

Chu Ling checked his pulse and nodded. “The temperature’s down. He shouldn’t die now.”

Su He looked around, then asked Chu Ling, “Master, how did you find this place? Do you know him?”

Chu Ling shook her head. She didn’t know him; she had been brought here by the dog.

“When I returned after seeing Master Zhou off today, I ran into a black, lean dog. It bit my sleeve and led me here. I suppose this man is its owner,” Chu Ling said, glancing at the black dog.

Zhang Dong sighed. “That dog is really smart.”

Su He looked around and asked, “Where’s the black dog?”

Chu Ling lowered her gaze to the dog at her feet. It was anxiously watching its master. “Don’t look for it. After it found me, it left on its own. I came back to get you all to help.”

“It left? But its master is here. Why would it go?” Su He asked, puzzled.

“The dog is clever. It knows that when it’s about to die, it will leave quietly so its master won’t grieve,” Chu Ling explained. She lifted her head just in time to see the man on the bed open his eyes. His clear eyes looked at her calmly.

“You’re awake?” Chu Ling said in surprise.

The man on the bed croaked, “Dead… dead?”

Chu Ling pressed her lips and nodded.

He gave a bitter smile, tears welling up instantly and streaming down his face. “It’s… my fault… it’s my… my…”

“I don’t know who to blame,” Chu Ling interrupted him. “But I do know that black dog isn’t to blame. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have used its last strength to call me to save you.”

The man shut his eyes in pain.

Chu Ling let out a sigh and looked at Zhang Dong. “You’ve stayed up guarding him all night. Wait until his condition stabilizes before leaving. The medicine I bought is on the table outside. If it’s not enough, go to the pharmacy for fever medicine… Do you have enough money?”

“Yes, Master. Master Wan gave me an emergency supply,” Zhang Dong replied.

“Good,” Chu Ling said, then looked at Su He. “Let’s go.”

Cui Xi patted the black dog guarding the bed. It whined softly, glanced at the man one last time, and followed Cui Xi out.

Outside the door, Su He looked at Chu Ling. “Master, this man must be extremely diligent. The ink has soaked through the straw mat; he probably wrote something once, wiped it with cloth, and wrote it again.”

“So none of his writing remains?” Chu Ling said, a hint of regret in her voice.

“Maybe he memorized it, kept it in his head,” Su He said, tapping her finger.

Chu Ling thought for a moment. If that was true, this man really is a genius.

“Miss, I want to raise a dog,” Cui Xi suddenly said.

Chu Ling turned to look at the black dog wagging its tail at her and smiled, nodding silently: Go ahead.