“How come he hasn't woken up yet?”
Du ke checked on Thirteen's condition. He had previously fed several Moonlight Pills, but the dog was still unconscious.
Du ke was currently in a forest about ten miles away from Wude Mountain. He stopped to check on the dog's situation.
After all, to quickly return to Mao City, he relied on the dog.
It's worth noting that the distance from Wutong View to Mao City is over a hundred miles. They were able to pursue the Earth Ghost overnight before, relying on the dog's speed and stamina for the long journey.
If he had to go back alone carrying the dog, it would take a very long time.
As for why he didn't put the dog in the Beast Pouch Pill?
Firstly, he wasn't sure if the dog would continue to sleep in the Beast Pouch Pill or wake up naturally inside.
If it's the former, Du ke would never put the dog in there.
Secondly, going back to Mao City relying solely on himself and carrying the dog would take a long time.
So, he must keep an eye on the dog's condition.
Moreover, Huskies are good at long-distance running, not to mention the fact that the dog has started cultivating and has the little saddle given by Old Li.
Lastly, the dog would be scared if he woke up and didn't see Du ke.
“This can't go on like this!”
Du ke looked at the unconscious dog and couldn't help but click his tongue. He didn't exert much force at that time, so why wouldn't the dog wake up?
Thinking about it, Du ke couldn't help but furrow his brow.
“How can I wake Thirteen up?”
Du ke squatted on the ground, looking at the dog with closed eyes.
“If Moonlight Pills don't work, how about trying Sun Essence Pills?”
Du ke looked at the already risen sun and immediately dismissed the idea. If he used Sun Essence Pills, he would have to consider cooking the dog to some degree.
The white cat stared at the pondering dog for a moment, suddenly coming up with an idea.
Du ke directly opened the Black Cauldron Space, throwing all the alchemy books into it.
As the scrolls of alchemy books rapidly condensed into pills inside the Black Cauldron, Du ke planned to find a formula that could be effective in the current situation.
Since the dog couldn't wake up for a while, external stimulation was needed.
All the secret scrolls of alchemy books he obtained from the Wutong View Treasury were melted into pills. Du ke swallowed them one by one.
The books turned into pills, instantly imprinting knowledge in his mind.
Du ke closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes.
“I found a way!”
Among the alchemy books he melted, one recorded a peculiar formula. The effect was to keep the eater awake.
After taking this pill, at least three days of sleeplessness guaranteed.
However, there were side effects. It would cause a depletion of blood and energy, requiring a large amount of replenishment.
But for Du ke, this side effect was not a problem at all.
Not to mention replenishing with medicinal herbs, he still had plenty of Blood and Qi Pills in his Black Cauldron Space, so replenishing blood and energy was not an issue.
“Let me see what ingredients are needed!”
Du ke reminisced about the alchemy method while picking herbs from his own Black Cauldron space.
In just a moment, he gathered all the herbs he needed.
"Hmm, this time I owe it to Wu Tong Guan's favor. Without the herbs I got from them, it wouldn't be so easy to perform alchemy on the spot."
"But this reminds me, I should always keep a stock of herbs in the Black Cauldron space for convenience."
"I also need to collect more alchemy methods."
Du ke muttered to himself as he placed the herbs into the cauldron in the order of monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy, then waited.
After seven or eight breaths, dozens of tiny pill-sized pellets flew out of the cauldron.
Du ke, seeing these tiny pills the size of sesame seeds, promptly took two and inserted them into the dog's nostrils.
These pills weren't meant to be ingested orally but rather inserted into the nostrils, where they would dissolve upon breathing, allowing the absorption of their medicinal properties.
After inserting the pills, Du ke silently watched the unconscious dog.
The cat anxiously awaited the dog's awakening, its eyes fixed on him without blinking.
In just a dozen breaths, the dog suddenly started sneezing uncontrollably, one after another.
"Achoo, achoo, achoo..."
After seven or eight sneezes, the dog opened his sky-blue eyes and locked gazes with Du ke.
"How do you feel?"
Du ke asked nervously, and the dog immediately tackled him to the ground, showering him with licks.
Seeing the dog wake up and still able to be affectionate, Du ke felt relieved.
It seemed the dog didn't have any lingering effects, though he couldn't rule out the possibility that it just wasn't detectable at the moment.
"Woof!"
After cuddling with Du ke, the dog sat on the ground and howled at him. Ignoring his wet fur from the dog's saliva, Du ke asked, "Hungry?"
The dog vigorously nodded, and Du ke promptly took out Blood Food Pills, Clear Water Pills, Blood Qi Pills, and Moon Essence Pills.
"Then hurry up and eat and drink to replenish yourself."
Seeing Du ke take out so much food, the dog immediately swallowed the Moon Essence Pill, followed by the Blood Food Pill and Blood Qi Pill, and finally held the Clear Water Pill in his mouth to replenish his hydration.
After spitting out the Clear Water Pill, Du ke looked at the dog and asked, "How do you feel now?"
"Woof!"
The dog let out a powerful bark, and Du ke breathed a sigh of relief.
"As long as you feel good, that's all that matters."
"Let's go, let's hurry back to Mao City. We must send these children back as soon as possible!"
Du ke mounted the dog as usual, but as soon as he sat in the saddle, the dog grinned.
Oh my goodness, why did the cat suddenly get so heavy?
At least three times heavier than before.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing the dog's change, Du ke quickly asked with concern. The dog shook his head vigorously, indicating that everything was fine.
Woof woof, I can handle it!!
With the saddle blessed by Lao Li's old head, even if Du ke's weight was five times heavier than before, the dog could handle it!
"Alright, let's hurry back. Time waits for no one!"
Upon Du ke's words, Thirteen immediately stretched out his limbs and began to retrace his steps along the route in his memory.
Thirteen, starting slow and gradually picking up speed, grew accustomed to Du ke's weight. With the saddle's support, the dog's four legs worked like wheels of fire, swiftly covering a distance of three or four miles in the blink of an eye.
Du ke lay prostrate on the saddle behind the dog, his mind sinking into the black cauldron space, gazing at the beast's gall bladder pill within. Silently, he muttered, "Just wait a little longer. I'll send you home immediately."
...........
Mao City, Foxplay District.
"Brother Situ, since we've arrived in Lingzhou, we must make a stop in Mao City," said one of the scholars.
"I've seen the Eight Views of Yunzhou. Brother Zhang, is this small Mao City truly as remarkable as you claim, such that not visiting would be a waste of life?" replied Brother Situ.
The two scholars walked together, engaging in conversation. One of them reached into his sleeve and handed some dried fish to a cat on the street.
"Do you doubt me, Brother Situ?" chuckled Zhang, patting the cat he had just fed on the head. Brother Situ raised an eyebrow and said, "We were classmates and close friends. How could I not trust you?"
"Well then, Brother Situ, take a good look around here," Zhang said.
"Since this is your first visit to Mao City, you haven't experienced the local customs and scenery. Naturally, you wouldn't know its charm," continued Zhang. "I've been here once since I was young, and I come here every year at this time without fail."
"As for why?" Zhang looked at the bustling street ahead with a smile. "As Master Yan once said, 'Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.' When I first heard this, I didn't understand. But after traveling the world, I've come to understand."
Zhang squatted down and stroked the cat's head before him, his smile rich with meaning.
"Especially after seeing so much, among the twenty-eight provinces and countless cities, Mao City is my favorite."
"As the saying goes, among the myriad cities in the world, there is only one Peach Blossom Spring!"
"Brother Situ, just wait and see! After today, you'll understand why I hold Mao City in such high regard."
With that, Zhang fell silent.
Brother Situ sighed inwardly. His colleague was naive in every way. In these turbulent times, the situation was dire.
The king indulged in excess, officials formed factions for personal gain, and the people suffered unspeakably.
Moreover, the nine noble families and thirteen clans, self-proclaimed aristocrats, loomed like mountains over the entire realm, turning the people into their resources and food.
When rituals decay and music falls silent, it's just a step away from disaster!
Peach Blossom Spring?
Ha, where would one find such a place!