Chapter 123: Zhang Xiaoyan’s Affections (Part I)

Master Xuanzhe watched the playful interaction between Zhang Xiaoyan and Dahuang, chuckling with genuine delight.

"Xiaoyan, I must go see your grandmaster. I am leaving Wei Xiaoping in your care for now. If something urgent arises and you must leave, entrust his care to Huang Xianlin," Master Xuanzhe said, his laughter fading.

"Uncle-Master, are you going to ask Grandmaster about that soul-stealing practitioner?" Zhang Xiaoyan asked.

"Indeed. Xiaoping may not wake for several days. Take good care of him, and for his safety, never leave him alone."

"Don't worry, Uncle-Master. I will watch him closely. I shall taste every bit of food and drink myself before giving it to him."

Master Xuanzhe left behind five Life-Restoration Pills, gave instructions on how to administer them, and departed. With him gone, only Dahuang and Zhang Xiaoyan remained to look after Wei Xiaoping.

Zhang Xiaoyan straightened Xiaoping’s blankets and robes. As she gazed at his handsome face, she spoke to the dog. "Dahuang, do you think Brother Xiaoping will wake up in a few days?"

Dahuang shook its head with a low whine, then nodded several times in succession.

"Dahuang, do you mean you aren't sure, but it is very likely?"

Dahuang nodded again.

"So, you mean there is a high probability that he will wake up in a few days, is that it?"

Dahuang nodded repeatedly, then tilted its head toward Zhang Xiaoyan. Its lips pulled back to reveal two rows of neat teeth, as if it were smiling, while it let out a soft "oo-oo-oo" sound.

"Thank you, Dahuang. I also believe he will wake up soon." Zhang Xiaoyan reached out with her fair, delicate hand to stroke the bridge of the dog's nose, a surge of tender warmth flooding her heart.

"Dahuang, what do you think of Brother Xiaoping?" she asked, her eyes still fixed on the handsome face of the man lying on the bed.

Dahuang walked over, closed its eyes, and pressed its head gently against Xiaoping’s body, rubbing back and forth with infinite tenderness as if caressing him with hands.

Seeing the dog’s affectionate behavior, Zhang Xiaoyan said, "Dahuang, are you saying that Brother Xiaoping is a very good person?"

Dahuang gave a gentle nod.

"Dahuang, that goes without saying! If he weren't a good person, would he have healed your wounds and found food for you when you first met? I’m asking you, what specifically makes him such a good person?"

Dahuang looked at her with an innocent, helpless expression, as if frustrated by her line of questioning.

"What is that look for? Never mind. There’s no point in asking you; even though you understand me, you cannot speak. I’ll just tell you my own thoughts on Brother Xiaoping."

Having been with Wei Xiaoping for a long time, Dahuang had grown accustomed to his master’s habit of using gestures to explain things when words failed. Over time, the dog had learned to understand not just literal speech, but even double meanings.

When Zhang Xiaoyan remarked, "You cannot speak human language, so asking you is a waste of time," Dahuang interpreted the subtext: *You are a beast, and only beasts cannot speak.* Indignant, the dog bared its teeth at her in protest.

Realizing the misunderstanding, Zhang Xiaoyan quickly added, "Oh, my sweet, clever Dahuang, I didn't mean it that way! Do you know how I first met Brother Xiaoping and Brother Xiaofan?"

Dahuang shook its head. *As if I would know,* it thought. *I only joined Xiaoping when he was ten. You must have known them long before I arrived.*

"I met them when I was about five, while following my master, Xuankong, to the mountains to study martial arts and sorcery," Zhang Xiaoyan continued. "Do you know what impression they made on me the moment I saw them?"

Dahuang shook its head again, thinking, *How could I know? I wasn't there.*

Zhang Xiaoyan’s eyes filled with a sweet, dreamy light. "When I first saw them, it was as if I had met them somewhere before—as if I had known them for a lifetime. I was able to call them by their names immediately, even though my master had never told me who they were or what they looked like. I was shocked by my own ability to name them without any introduction."

Dahuang looked at her with astonishment, skeptical of such a supernatural claim.

"I remember the first time Master took me to visit Uncle-Master Xuanzhe to spar with his disciples. When my eyes met theirs, I felt an instant familiarity. They looked just as startled to see me. We walked toward each other, and as we met, we called out each other's names simultaneously. We were all stunned, especially Xiaoping and Xiaofan, who couldn't fathom how I knew who they were."

Dahuang stared at her, thinking, *Is she making up tall tales?*

"I asked them, 'How did you know my name? Did my master tell you?' And Brother Xiaoping said, 'No one told us. We just felt it. We felt we had seen you somewhere before, though we couldn't remember where.' It was the same for me. Even though they looked identical, I could tell they were twins and knew exactly who was the older brother and who was the younger. Dahuang, guess what they said next?"

Zhang Xiaoyan widened her bright eyes, looking expectantly at the dog.