The little chubby dog had suffered quite a fright and was still trembling in Jiu Yue's hands, whimpering nonstop.
Old Tao glanced at the tiny, snot-sized pup and reasonably suspected it had turned into a spirit—now putting on a show of distress.
Seriously, the dog was just scared, but Feng Qi had three broken ribs!
Unable to stand it any longer, Old Tao scowled, ready to lecture the woman, hoping she’d recognize what was truly important and not cling to such trivial matters. But before he could speak, Qiu Dongfang swiftly pulled him aside.
"Why’d you drag me out? Taking sides against your own now?" Old Tao was fuming. Compared to that little chubby dog, of course he cared more about Feng Qi.
Qiu Dongfang had also had enough and lowered his voice. "She’s got a terrible temper. Did you know she even dared to curse at the prince?"
Old Tao: "...Huh?"
Qiu Dongfang quickly recounted how Jiu Yue had once kicked down the study door and forced the prince to apologize to her.
Old Tao: "..."
Wiping his face, Old Tao felt a strange mix of emotions. "Why didn’t you say so earlier?"
Qiu Dongfang sighed. "I just told you not to push things too far, but you didn’t listen. And then you went and snatched the dog... Do you have any idea how much she treasures it? Even the prince has to dog-sit for her when she’s on missions."
Old Tao: "..."
Old Tao had considered that this newcomer might be tough—after all, the prince hadn’t recruited outsiders in years.
But he hadn’t expected her to be this tough!
"So... what do we do now?" Old Tao suddenly calmed down. "Should I carry Feng Qi over to apologize?"
After all, offending a master fighter was a terrifying prospect.
Qiu Dongfang waved it off. "No need to go that far. Jiu Yue’s actually pretty easygoing. I think the best move is to take good care of her dog first. Once she’s in a better mood, she’ll let it go."
Old Tao had an epiphany, gratefully patting his shoulder before dragging him off to brainstorm dog-care strategies.
---
Jiu Yue sat alone in the bamboo hut, making soothing noises to calm the dog.
If she’d known the trip would scare the poor thing like this, she’d never have brought it along... Blame Qiu Dongfang—why didn’t he just say pets weren’t allowed at the training camp?
Sighing, she decided to tackle the root of the problem: why was the dog so timid?
Only the strong deserved to be her dog!
With a training plan now on her mind, Jiu Yue was mulling over exercises when the bamboo door was kicked open—two uninvited guests barged in.
"You’re the one who injured Feng Qi?" One of them crossed his arms, sneering as his gaze landed on the dog in her arms. "Pathetic. Feng Qi’s always been too soft-hearted, even with animals."
The other smirked, looking down his nose at her. "You know how it is. Feng Qi’s kindness is his weakness. Now he’s paying the price, so we’re here to settle the score."
Jiu Yue’s expression didn’t change. Not wanting to scare the pup again, she calmly pointed at the door and said, "Please roll out and close the door behind you. Thanks."
The two: "..."
Their eyes darkened.
"Looks like the newbie doesn’t know the rules yet. Fei Tong, teach her a lesson!" With that, the man threw a punch straight at Jiu Yue’s face—only for his fist to freeze two inches away, unable to advance further.
A flicker of shock crossed his face. Jiu Yue twisted her wrist, her palm now gripping his, and with a deft twist, his expression contorted in pain.
Struggling free, he retreated, wariness flashing in his eyes.
Jiu Yue studied them and offered one last chance. "Still not rolling?"
Their pride stung, the two exchanged a glance and lunged at her together.
"You hurt Feng Qi—now you’ll pay!" Fei Tong snarled.
Jiu Yue glanced at the dog, which, surprisingly, wasn’t shaking this time. After a moment’s thought, she nodded.
"Let’s take this outside. Don’t damage the furniture." Polite as ever, she pocketed the dog and leapt out the window.
---
Half an hour later...
Qiu Dongfang and Old Tao, having scrounged up some milk and meat, hurried back to camp—only to find chaos.
Some were crawling, others lying flat, and two limping men carried a stretcher bearing a very still Feng Qi.
Old Tao’s eye twitched as he rushed over. "You’ve got broken ribs and you’re still moving around? Trying to die?"
Feng Qi gave a pained smile. "No, Old Tao... I’m going to apologize to the dog. If I don’t, the others might get beaten to death!"
Old Tao: "?"
Qiu Dongfang: "?"
Both men’s eyes twitched as they sprinted to the bamboo hut—only to find a crowd groaning on the ground while the culprit lounged lazily on the railing, sunbathing.
Between stretches, she lectured the dog beside her.
"See? These people aren’t scary at all! From now on, be bold. If anyone bullies you, big sis has your back!"
The once-timid chubby dog now yapped triumphantly, its earlier fear long gone.
Old Tao: "..."
Spotting the two approaching, Jiu Yue tilted her head upside down and grinned. "Here to avenge Feng Qi? Perfect timing—I’m rested and ready for round two!"
Qiu Dongfang quickly switched sides. "Haha, good one, Jiu Yue! We’re on your side... Here, we brought some milk for the little guy. Consider it an apology." He nudged Old Tao with a meaningful look.
Old Tao caught on and dashed off to haul Feng Qi over.
Prepped on the way, Feng Qi took one look at the scene and surrendered completely, his apology dripping with sincerity.
"Senior, my deepest apologies. I had it coming for provoking your dog." Then, turning to the chubby pup: "Sorry, little guy. I never meant to toss you—it’s just your pee caught me off guard. Totally my fault. Really, really sorry!"
As he spoke, Qiu Dongfang set the milk before the dog.
No longer afraid, the pup buried its face in the treat, drinking with gusto.
Jiu Yue wasn’t one to hold grudges.
She preferred settling things on the spot.
Now that Feng Qi had apologized properly and the dog had accepted the gift, Jiu Yue stood up, all smiles. "Just a misunderstanding! Oh, and call me ‘sis’ instead."
Being called "senior" made her feel old.
Feng Qi blinked, then nodded earnestly at the dog. "Sorry, sis! I’ll treat you better from now on."
Qiu Dongfang: "..."
Jiu Yue: "...I didn’t hit his head. Not my fault."
Old Tao: "...Apologies. Feng Qi’s always been like this."
