141: Chapter 231

The tranquility of Yunxi Village was like a pool of spring water brushed by a mountain breeze—rippling slightly before quickly returning to silence. The stone paths in the village had been worn smooth by time, with fuzzy green moss growing in the crevices. Occasionally, villagers poked their heads out of their wooden houses, their eyes showing curiosity at the sight of the three unfamiliar faces of Yu Bo and his companions. However, seeing that they were following Old Master Ren, they all smiled knowingly and didn't come forward to question them. They merely whispered a few words to each other before pulling back to attend to their own business. Clearly, Old Master Ren held high prestige and popularity in this village; the villagers naturally lowered their guard against anyone he brought along.

The courtyard at the end of the village, hidden by old plum trees, drew closer. From dozens of paces away, one could smell a crisp scent—a mixture of earth, vegetation, and a faint mineral aroma—which was starkly different from the cooking smoke and livestock smells wafting elsewhere in the village. The courtyard was large, with walls built of rough but neat stone slabs covered in lush ivy and a plant with small white flowers. That old plum tree leaned out from inside the courtyard, its branches gnarled and powerful. Although it wasn't flowering season, its ancient charm was enough to draw the eye. The gate was a heavy, dark brown old wooden door with simple iron rings for handles; there was no plaque on the lintel, only the marks of wind and rain erosion.

When they were still a dozen paces from the gate, the silence of the courtyard was suddenly shattered.

"Woof! Woof woof woof!!!"

A low, thick, and highly piercing and deterrent bark exploded like muffled thunder! This was followed by the harsh, ear-piercing sound of iron chains dragging across the ground! A massive yellow dog with a powerful build, shiny golden fur, and eyes as sharp as knives suddenly lunged out from behind the old plum tree. A thick black iron chain was fastened around its neck, with the other end deeply embedded into the stone foundation of the courtyard wall. It stood up on its hind legs, resting its front paws on a low section of the wall, baring its snow-white, sharp fangs and barking wildly at Yu Bo's group. Every roar made the air tremble slightly, and a fierce, peerless aura accompanied the saliva splashing from between its teeth! Its gaze was filled with undisguised vigilance, expulsion, and a solemn majesty that almost said "territory is sacred and inviolable!"

The ferocity of this dog far exceeded that of an ordinary watchdog; it was more like a guard dog that had undergone special training or shared a long-term mental connection with its master, possessing great spirituality and combat capability. Although restricted by the chain, its ready-to-pounce posture and oppressive barking were enough to make anyone with ill intentions or a cowardly heart shrink back.

Tang Guo was startled by the sudden, fierce barking and let out a cry of alarm. Her face instantly turned pale, and she subconsciously grabbed Yin Tianxue's arm tightly. She was already uneasy, and the fierce dog's aura directly shattered the composure she was barely maintaining.

Yin Tianxue's heart also hammered wildly from the dog's momentum, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on her back. However, she forced herself to stay calm and didn't retreat. Instead, she pulled Tang Guo slightly behind her while looking at Yu Bo. She noticed that although Yu Bo had stopped in his tracks, there wasn't much panic on his face. He merely frowned slightly, his gaze calmly meeting the fierce eyes of the big yellow dog, as if he were observing and judging something.

The barking was exceptionally ear-piercing in the quiet mountain village. People from several nearby houses poked their heads out again, but seeing it was the fierce dog barking and then looking at Yu Bo's group, their faces showed expressions of "as expected" and "watching the show." No one came to interfere, as they were clearly long accustomed to this scene.

Yu Bo didn't try to shout at the dog or retreat. He knew that when facing such an intelligent and fierce hound, panic and confrontation would only escalate the conflict. He took a deep breath and swung his backpack to his front but didn't open it immediately. He raised his voice slightly, keeping it clear and steady, trying to penetrate the deafening barking:

"Old Master Yang, is Master Yang at home? I am your junior, Yu Bo. I have come to visit under the guidance of Old Mr. Yang from the Spring City Jade Market and Old Master Ren from Xikou Town. I have brought a stone and would like to ask you to take a look at it."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of vigor, carrying clearly into the courtyard during the intervals between barks.

The big yellow dog's barking seemed to pause slightly because of his words, but then it started up even more intensely, as if scolding him for his "trespassing" and "disturbance." The fierce light in the dog's eyes didn't diminish, and its front paws clawed at the dirt on the wall. Clearly, it hadn't received a "let them pass" command from its master.

Yu Bo said no more and just stood where he was, waiting quietly. He no longer looked at the wildly barking yellow dog but instead cast his gaze toward the tightly closed, heavy wooden door. Yin Tianxue and Tang Guo also stared nervously at the door, their hearts filled with apprehension. Tang Guo was so scared she was almost on the verge of tears, her body trembling slightly.

Time passed minute by minute, and the barking continued, echoing through the silent village. The big yellow dog seemed tireless, maintaining its high state of vigilance and deterrence throughout.

Just as Yu Bo's heart sank slightly, thinking he would be turned away again today and even considering whether to retreat first and return another day—

"Creak—"

A slight but clear, dry sound of a wooden hinge turning came from behind the heavy old wooden door.

The barking stopped abruptly.

The exceptionally fierce yellow dog, as if hearing some silent command, instantly silenced itself. Although it still stared vigilantly at the three of them with a threatening growl in its throat, the violent aura of wanting to pounce had mostly withdrawn. It lowered its front paws from the wall and sat steadily inside the gate like a silent and loyal door god.

The wooden door was pulled open from the inside, leaving a gap about a palm's width wide.

A gaze was cast out from behind the door gap.

At first glance, that gaze seemed somewhat cloudy, carrying the dimness peculiar to the elderly, as if covered by a thin film. But when Yu Bo met that gaze, his heart suddenly jolted! Beneath that cloudiness was hidden an indescribable, extremely sharp glint that seemed capable of piercing through skin to see the true essence! It was like a cold sword shadow occasionally flashing in the depths of an ancient pond that had been silent for thousands of years, or like cold iron that had all its temper worn away by time, leaving only pure insight.

The gaze first swept across Yu Bo's face extremely quickly without any emotional fluctuation, then landed on the backpack in front of him, lingering for a moment. Then, the gaze moved away, sweeping over the pale Tang Guo and the forcedly calm Yin Tianxue. It paused for an imperceptible instant on Tang Guo's noticeably bulging belly, and the eyebrows seemed to knit together almost imperceptibly before quickly returning to calm.

Finally, the gaze landed back on Yu Bo's face. From behind the door gap came an old, hoarse voice with a heavy nasal resonance, as if the person hadn't talked with anyone for a long time. The tone was so flat it was almost indifferent:

"A stone? What stone?"