Chapter 8: The Fierce Barking of Dogs
Li Qingtian looked up at the young master and Su Tang perched on the rooftop, a sudden pulse twitching at her temple.
A strange silence hung in the air.
Just as Li Qingtian tightened her fist and braced her feet, ready to leap onto the roof and settle things with a single blow, Su Tang’s lips curved into a dazzling smile, radiant as a pearl in the night.
“Sister, you’re back from your walk? My husband and I are stargazing. Would you like to join us?”
“…All right.” Li Qingtian hesitated briefly but agreed, turning toward the courtyard gate. The young master’s voice rang out from the rooftop, curious and clear, “Do you prefer the window?”
Li Qingtian raised her eyes, her hand beneath her sleeve clenching once more.
A shadow flickered in the young master’s gaze.
In the next moment, Su Tang’s face blocked the young master’s entire line of sight.
Her lovely face, eyes wide: “What window? I saw Sister leave by the door. Did you not notice, my husband?”
The young master fell silent, turning to look toward the courtyard.
“Big Black.”
Su Tang: “…”
In the yard, Big Black looked up at the rooftop and gave a low, woeful bark.
“Big Black is remarkable, never barking at his own people,” Su Tang praised.
The young master glanced at her, then at the dog, murmuring, “Stew him for meat.”
“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!” Big Black nearly lost his mind.
What did it have to do with him?!
…
Li Qingtian, now within the courtyard, watched Big Black barking at her and gritted her teeth.
Well done, dog~
On the rooftop, Su Tang silently let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness Sister Li hadn’t worn the legendary night-walker’s garb when she left.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to explain.
Just then, she caught the young master’s gaze and quickly closed her eyes, pressing her hand to her forehead. “Ah, dizzy…”
The young master: “…”
**
“Fire! Put out the fire!”
The vast Zhao residence was in chaos.
Servants rushed about with buckets and basins, dousing the flames.
Amid the swirling smoke, Master Zhao stood beneath the porch, his face flickering between light and shadow. The old steward hurried up, stopping three steps away to report in a low voice, “Master. A squad of guards is unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. Only the wolfhound watching the yard died. I’ve checked—nothing else was lost, not even any silver.”
Ha! Half his courtyard burned, yet no one was hurt, not a coin lost, only a dead dog?
Master Zhao laughed, cold as water in the night.
“Well, well, I wonder which river dragon I’ve offended, so bold as to ignore my family’s wealth and reputation!”
“Truly, I am curious—”
His words faded into the night, leaving a lingering chill.
***********
Bang, bang bang—
Woof, woof woof, woof woof—
Dawn was barely breaking when the knocking at the gate mingled with Big Black’s barking in the courtyard.
“Who’s there?”
“Open up—”
The shouts and pounding outside didn’t cease.
Inside, Big Black barked even more fiercely.
Li Qingtian opened the gate.
Outside stood seven or eight men; the two burly ones at the front were the guards who followed Master Zhao, now scowling and aggressive.
“Did you see anyone pass by last night?”
“No,” Li Qingtian replied curtly.
“Lies! Someone saw them come from your way,” the big man shouted.
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Li Qingtian’s eyes.
Besides the young mistress and the young master, had someone else seen her last night?
“Woof woof woof—”
Big Black darted forward.
The black dog bared his fangs, snarling as if ready to pounce.
The men stepped back a few paces, but their eyes brightened. “That’s right, last night this beast barked for ages.”
“If it barked so fiercely, how could you not have seen anything!”
Li Qingtian gritted her teeth—so they were testing her.
“A dog can bark wildly and still see nothing,” she sneered.
The men paused, anger flaring. “You little brat, looking for trouble.”
Li Qingtian pressed her lips together, fists tightening beneath her sleeve.
Just then, a delicate voice called out from within: “What are you doing? With the master of the house away, you come to bully us?”
The clear voice carried a hint of resilience and sweetness, stopping the henchmen in their tracks.
“Don’t say such things, young lady!”
“Last night our Master Zhao’s house was set ablaze by criminals. Someone saw a suspicious figure passing your way, and your dog barked fiercely. We’ve come to investigate.”
“What?”
Su Tang stepped forward, her charming face full of surprise. “Master Zhao’s house was set on fire by criminals? How could that be? Just days ago, Master Zhao helped my family so much—how could such a thing happen? Master Zhao is a truly good man.”
The henchmen exchanged strange looks.
Their master, a good man?
Su Tang ignored them, turning to Li Qingtian: “Sister, did you see anything last night?”
Li Qingtian shook her head. “I was asleep, saw nothing.”
Su Tang addressed the men, “We truly saw nothing.”
The lead guard’s face hardened. “This dog barked fiercely last night. Are you saying none of you heard it?”
“Well, we did hear it,” Su Tang said, eyeing Big Black. “My husband said he’d stew him for meat.”
“Woof—”
Big Black, who’d finally stopped barking, turned to Su Tang and barked again.
Why won’t you let it go!
Su Tang looked at the others, indicating: See?
“If you were asleep, how did you talk to the dog?” one henchman asked.
Su Tang smiled gently. “If I was asleep, how could I talk to Big Black?”
The henchmen: “…”
It sounded reasonable.
Yet somehow, they felt the young mistress was insulting them.
“Big Black.”
At that moment, a voice came from behind Su Tang.
Big Black immediately stopped barking, wagged his tail, and circled behind her, sneezing as he passed.
Su Tang: “…”
She wanted to stew him too!
…
Su Tang turned, smiling warmly at her young husband. “Are you awake, husband? What would you like to eat? Shall I make noodles for you?”
The young master glanced at his wife, then wrapped his arm around Big Black’s neck, looking coolly at the men outside.
The men only saw the beautiful wife whispering gently to the fool, who ignored her and stared at them.
So, he must really be simple-minded~
The lead guard called out, “Oh, we’ve woken the young master! If he spoke with Big Black last night, he must have been awake—surely he saw something?”
“That’s right, young master, if you want dog meat just say the word, we’ll do it.”
“This black dog’s meat is the tastiest.”
The henchmen laughed at the gate.
Inside, Big Black bared his teeth, a growl rising in his throat, but before he could bark, Su Tang turned to face them, her eyes shimmering, tears threatening to spill.