Sometimes shopkeeper Ho also secretly thought, could this man be a lunatic. Just that although he was only an ordinary shopkeeper but he could still feel that this man was different from other passers-by. Not to mention other things, just the three days this man stayed in the small shop, the mosquitoes which were usually the most abundant at this time of the night, suddenly all disappeared; Furthermore, every night, the ghostly cries which often reverberated in the wilderness outside the shop, seemed to be frightened by something, all disappeared. So much so that shopkeeper Ho was used to these ghostly cries and wolf howls, suddenly it was so quiet these three days, he actually could not sleep.
This day at dusk, shopkeeper Ho stood behind the shop counter, closed the account book which he had just calculated and heaved a long sigh. Following which, he looked into his own shop.
The setting sun outside the window still had a faint remnant light, at the same time illuminating the horizon red, it also shone in from the shop's windows, elongating the shadows of the tables and chairs on the ground, as if time was also quietly passing by here.
Shopkeeper Ho's mood suddenly felt strange, a wave of bewilderment in his heart, calculating, he should already be over fifty. Although the assistant who helped always said he looked around forty but he himself knew, his body was gradually failing.
Time spared no man, was he going to live like this for the rest of his life?
He stared blankly at the gradually elongating shadows on the ground, when he lifted his head, he saw the mottled marks on the four walls of the shop.
The lonely setting sun, shone on his face, had some inexplicable vicissitudes of life.
He sighed, shook his head, these things, better not think about it. Shopkeeper Ho laughed bitterly, picked up the account book and walked towards the only customer in the shop and his monkey.
That customer always sat at the innermost table, right now as usual, he was slumped on the table drunk, not moving. And that monkey was squatting on the table, left hand holding the wine pot, right hand grabbing the delicacies from the dishes on the table, drinking a mouthful of wine, eating a mouthful of food, passing the days with relish.
Shopkeeper Ho walked over to that customer, coughed once, cleared his throat but his eyes could not help but glance at that monkey, the three-eyed monkey clearly did not care about his arrival, only glanced at him and again turned its attention back to the wine pot in its hand. Shopkeeper Ho sighed, this monkey was really the only animal he had ever seen that was so addicted to alcohol and on its back it carried a big wine bag, although it was already shriveled but one could imagine what was stored in it in the past.
Shopkeeper Ho looked away, for some reason, he felt nervous, even he himself could not explain it, he coughed a few more times and then carefully said, "This... customer."
The man in front of him did not move.
Shopkeeper Ho was a little embarrassed but he still continued, "Uh, customer, it's like this, the ingot of silver that you paid three days ago, has already been used up, our shop has a small profit margin, is it …"
She didn't know if the man was really drunk, but he just lay there and didn't move.
Shopkeeper Ho sighed, stammered, "Actually, the ingot of silver that customer paid was indeed not little, not to mention eating in our shop for three days, even if it was for five days, it would be enough. Just that... just that your precious animal is really too powerful, its alcohol tolerance is too big, just these three days, not to mention it has already finished all the wine in our shop, the other four vats of wine that were sent over in two batches, were also finished by it … "
Speaking till here, Boss Ho looked at the three-eyed monkey again, only to see the monkey stare at him and make a face.
Shopkeeper Ho humbly said, "Can I ask you to pay a little more, uh, right, the ingot of silver that you paid three days ago, was also stolen by your precious animal and it has not been returned, I …"
Before he could finish, suddenly a sound was heard, an ingot of silver bounced twice on the table and appeared before shopkeeper Ho. Shopkeeper Ho looked intently, it was the monkey who had fished out that stolen ingot of silver from somewhere, throwing his face.
Shopkeeper Ho quickly kept it and kept it in his bosom but hesitated for a moment, glanced at that monkey, took out the silver again, pulled open his lapel and placed it in his inner clothes.
Just as he kept the silver and was about to speak to that man again, a voice was suddenly heard from the shop entrance,
"Anybody in?"
Shopkeeper Ho was surprised, turned back and saw three people standing at the entrance, two males and a female, the leader was an elderly, holding a bamboo pole in his hand, a piece of white cloth hung on it, written on it, 'Immortal Guide' four words; beside him, was a seventeen or eighteen year old young lady, her features delicate, a slight smile on her face.
Of the two of them, the old one had a sage-like demeanor, while the young one was beautiful and delicate. Behind the two of them stood a middle-aged man who was holding all of the parcels. However, he had a strange appearance. He was taller than the two of them by a head, but his face was like that of a wild dog, making him look disgusting.
Shopkeeper Ho hurriedly went up to welcome them, after all a customer with a monkey obviously would not sneak away, it was better to first greet the new customer. He went up with a smile and said, "Yes, yes, three customers, would you like to have a meal or stay?"
The elderly leader laughed, squinted his eyes and said, "Why, shopkeeper Ho, you don't recognise us?"
Shopkeeper Ho was stunned, carefully scrutinised that elderly but no matter how he tried, he could not recall, he was doing business beside this ancient path and there were so many passers-by, how could he remember them all, he could only awkwardly shook his head and said, "Apologies, customers, I am old and my memory is failing."
That elderly looked sympathetic, shook his head and sighed, "Ai, pity, pity, most of the mortals in the world are like this, with celestial fate in front of them, they have no discerning eyes to know."
Shopkeeper Ho was shocked, immediately a sense of reverence rose in him, carefully looked at this elderly, saw his white beard fluttering, crane bones and celestial demeanour, most likely he was an enlightened master. Although he did not know why an enlightened master looked like a Jianghu fortune teller, and the young lady beside the elderly had a disapproving expression but since he was an enlightened master, naturally he, a mortal, would not be able to understand, if he understood, wouldn't he also become an enlightened master?
Thinking of that, shopkeeper Ho's face had already gained some respect, respectfully said, "Yes, yes, this customer... no, master please come in."
The elderly acknowledged, his hand holding the bamboo pole and swaggered in, the young lady behind him smiled bitterly and shook her head, turned and spoke to the man carrying the bundle behind her,
"Wild Dog Taoist, let's also go in and rest for a while."
That man acknowledged and followed in, the three of them sat at a table, the dog-faced man placed the bundle on the chair beside, a sound was heard, seemed like the weight was not light.
These three people, were naturally Tanis Ka and Xiao Huan, as for that dog-faced man, he was the only remaining Wild Dog Taoist from Blood Forger Hall. Ever since the battle of death marsh, Wild Dog Taoist followed Tanis Ka and Xiao Huan, roaming the world, the four seas as his home.
At the beginning, Tanis YiXian really disliked Wild Dog, every two or three days he would pick on Wild Dog, from time to time he would make sarcastic remarks and Wild Dog Taoist for some reason, as if he had turned over a new leaf, completely changed into another person, he pretended not to hear and still followed them all the way, and Xiao Huan was kind hearted, could not stand it and spoke up to protect him.
Although she was young but her tongue was sharp, even though Tanis Ka was an experienced Jianghu person, he was often speechless and finally could only accept the fact. Fortunately after a long time, he gradually discovered that Wild Dog was not completely useless, for example the heavy items that he usually had to carry, could now all be thrown to this "coolie", and this "coolie" in Xiao Huan's slightly apologetic eyes, did not have the slightest disgust, instead he looked very happy.
As for other benefits, like encountering wild beasts in the wild, encountering ghosts on the road, encountering strong people when crossing the mountain etc etc, naturally this Wild Dog "hero" would be sent to settle them. Along the way, Tanis Ka felt extremely comfortable, he had roamed the world for his entire life and had never walked as comfortably as these few months, he only hated that he did not meet Wild Dog earlier.
In this period of time, the three of them revisited the old haunt, since they were roaming the world, they could go to any place, as they walked and walked, they returned to this ancient path. Luckily Zhou YiXian was like a shrewd ghost, he still remembered shopkeeper Ho, a shopkeeper by the roadside and pretended to be an expert, scaring shopkeeper Ho into a state of shock.
Seeing shopkeeper Ho was so respectful to him, Tanis Ka was very pleased, he arrogantly ordered a few dishes, when shopkeeper Ho quickly left to prepare, he then turned back and was about to brag to Xiao Huan and Wild Dog Taoist, suddenly Xiao Huan and Wild Dog Taoist, for some reason, a disbelieving expression appeared on their faces, their eyes staring straight at the ground.
Tanis Ka asked curiously, "Hey, what's wrong with you all?"
Wild Dog Taoist raised his seemingly heavy arm, pointed to the depths of the shop, "Look for yourself."
Tanis Ka stared at him, turned around and suddenly his body also shook.
In the sunset, the last ray of light shone through the window, in the dim corner of the shop, there was a man's figure, and on the table, in the shadows, a three-eyed monkey was looking at them.
Xiao Huan was stunned, quietly called out,
"Xiao Hui?"
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