Chapter 12: Exploring the Green Dragon Terrace

"Over time, the rumors spread far and wide." At the request of Amy, Chi Hanfeng, and Lei Ge, Da Qingshan shared stories from his past while they ate.

Within a hundred miles, nearly everyone knew about the designated heir of the mountain god from Xiaojiao Village on the western slope of Longya Mountain. It was said that his parents hadn't died but were chosen by the mountain god as guardians. Some claimed to have seen them riding snow leopards down the mountain; others said that whenever Da Qingshan went hunting, the animals lined up waiting for him. He would choose one, touch its head, and it would follow him down the mountain, only to roar and die near the village. Some even said...

"But how could you have killed it at just 9 years old? How could you kill a snow leopard?" Amy asked anxiously.

"Like this," Da Qingshan said, pulling out two 50-centimeter-long sharp sticks from his bag. "Once, I found a dead snow hare. After gutting it, I discovered it hadn't frozen to death; a long grass root had pierced its stomach. It probably couldn't find food in the snow and ate the root whole, which punctured its stomach. I found resilient branches, sharpened both ends." Da Qingshan bent one stick until the sharp ends met. "Bind them with string, freeze them into an ice ball. Finally, cut the string, wrap the ice ball in fur or coat it with oil. Throw these in places animals frequent. In winter, food is scarce, so some animals swallow the ice balls whole. Inside the warm stomach, the ice melts, and the stick snaps straight, often piercing the stomach. So, I just collect the dead animals," Da Qingshan said modestly.

"Then why don't you use this method to kill snow bears?" Amy continued, while Lei Ge rolled his eyes at his apprentice for interrupting the puppy story.

"Snow bears hibernate in winter, and in summer, there's no ice. Plus, snow bears don't eat dead animals in summer," Da Qingshan explained.

"Oh, what about that little dog?" Lei Ge asked with concern.

In fact, the villagers hadn't noticed that as the weather warmed, Da Qingshan's hunting yields diminished, with more herbivorous snow hares or snow chickens, often with crossbow bolt marks.

As the weather warmed, carnivorous animals hunted more easily and seldom ate found carcasses. Da Qingshan began using the steel crossbow left by his father to shoot small animals.

As it got warmer, Da Qingshan sometimes camped outdoors to catch more prey.

One late spring evening, Da Qingshan gathered firewood and lit a roaring bonfire. Despite sheltering from the wind, the northern wind made its presence felt.

Watching the bonfire, Da Qingshan skewered two cleaned snow hares on forks and hung them over the fire.

He turned the forks, hearing the sizzling meat. Fat dripped, sizzling as it hit the flames, causing them to flicker. The aroma spread warmth around. After a long day, enjoying roast hare was a rare reward.

During the final stages of roasting, small coals were best for slow cooking. This was a lesson from Da Qingshan's father. Seeing the meat nearly done, he lit another fire, extinguished the first, and lowered the rack to let residual heat finish cooking. During this time, he found a flat spot beneath a cliff, spread out skins, and prepared to sleep after eating.

After preparing everything, Da Qingshan turned to tend the skewers but was stunned: a green puppy sat there, using its front paws to awkwardly turn the skewers, drooling. Seeing Da Qingshan, the puppy showed no fear, whining and gesturing between the meat and its belly, its tail wagging furiously.

"So cute," Da Qingshan thought as he approached to pet the puppy's head. "Hungry, are you?"

"Woof—woof—" The puppy nodded excitedly.

"It must have been abandoned," Da Qingshan thought, examining the puppy. It was crippled, with severely atrophied front paws, unable to run on all fours, and could only clumsily walk on its hind legs. "Poor thing," he thought, feeling a kinship with the puppy due to his own lonely past.

A cold wind blew, and the puppy curled up, sneezing. Feeling sorry for it, Da Qingshan lifted his coat, pulling the little creature inside, leaving only its small head peeking out, watching the roasting meat.

Once the meat was fully cooked, Da Qingshan tore it apart, giving the best hind legs to the puppy. The little creature seemed pleased with Da Qingshan's cooking, quickly devouring the meat, then contentedly patting its round belly before curling up in Da Qingshan's arms to sleep.

The next day, Da Qingshan took the puppy hunting, now named "Lü'er." Despite its clumsiness, often tumbling down the mountain while chasing prey, Da Qingshan found it amusing and laughed until his stomach hurt. That day's catch was meager, just a small snow chicken.

The evening followed the same pattern, with Da Qingshan roasting while Lü'er enjoyed the smell wrapped in his coat.

On the third day, they caught two rabbits and a snow chicken. They roasted meat on the leeward slope again. Master Bu De said: "A life of daily barbecues is satisfying, but it's a pity to share it with a cold-blooded animal. It would be better if it were warm-blooded."

The night wind suddenly intensified, and snowflakes began to fall. "Strange, it was so nice during the day," Da Qingshan mused, adding more firewood to the bonfire.

"Crunch, crunch," came the sound of dry grass being trampled from a distance.

An old man dressed in black emerged from the night, glanced at Da Qingshan, and slowly sat by the fire. Lü'er poked its head out from Da Qingshan's coat, excitedly leaping into the old man's arms.

"Seems you've found your owner," Da Qingshan thought with a hint of disappointment. Despite the puppy's clumsiness, Da Qingshan, who had always been lonely, yearned for companionship.

Swallowing his pride, Da Qingshan finally asked, "Hello, sir. Is this your puppy?"

The old man seemed surprised. "Puppy? Oh, you mean him, yes, he's mine."

"Would you be willing to give him to me?" Da Qingshan hesitated.

The old man's eyes suddenly lit up, like a flash of lightning in the night sky. "You want him?"

"Yes, my name is Da Qingshan. I'm all alone and would really like a companion. I promise to take good care of him."

"Well, alright then." The old man seemed to make a decision. He looked at the puppy, then at Da Qingshan, and asked in a firm voice, "Da Qingshan, are you willing to stay with him for life?"

"I am. Of course, I am." For some reason, Da Qingshan felt a sense of solemnity and sanctity at that moment.

"And you?" the old man asked the puppy. "Are you willing to stay with Da Qingshan for life?"

"Woof woof," the puppy nodded, wagging its tail.

The old man extended his frail hand, clasping Da Qingshan's hand and the puppy's paw together: "O holy god, Pilot, your descendants wish to form a sacred pact with the descendants of the creator god—let heaven, earth, and gods witness this sacred moment."

At that instant, the sky burst with thunder and lightning. When Da Qingshan opened his eyes again, the old man had vanished.

The old man's voice echoed from the sky: "Da Qingshan, if you ever face difficulties or doubts, you can go to the Green Dragon Terrace on Longya Mountain."

"Oh, you're not telling the truth, young man," the old magician grumbled, his beard fluttering. "You've already made a pact and still try to deceive an old man like me."

"No, I haven't. What is a pact?" Da Qingshan asked, feigning innocence.

"It's about that pesky dragon god Pilot," the old magician yelled. "Crack!" A bolt of lightning streaked across the clear sky, making the old magician flinch.

"Hoho, someone dares to curse the dragon god who stands equal with the creator god. How bold, I admire it," a pleasant male voice echoed nearby.

Lei Ge was not ready to give up and insisted on visiting the Green Dragon Terrace to see for himself. In his mind, he thought: with Da Qingshan as the dragon's contractee, the dragon wouldn't harm them. If he could gain something, like ancient magic or dragon magic, it would be even better. Understanding this, Chi Hanfeng, who also wanted to see if there was anything valuable in the dragon's lair, agreed enthusiastically.

Amy sensed something was off, but due to her limited experience, she couldn't quite grasp the mindset of the two old foxes. Da Qingshan, unwilling to part with his new friends, was also eager to see what the old man meant by the Green Dragon Terrace, so he was more than willing to go.