Chapter 337: The Cat and Dog Battle [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

In rural areas, people believe that having a humble name makes it easier for a child to be raised.

Of course, the real reason is a lack of education; the nicknames given to children are as casual as can be. Some people are too lazy to even come up with nicknames, simply calling them by their child's name according to their age. Boys are called "X-Lang," and girls are called "X-Niangzi," "X-Ya," or "X-Niu'er."

Bai Su was one of them.

I never thought much of it before.

Since her loved ones passed away, no one had called her by her childhood name, and she had gradually forgotten about it. When Shen Tang suddenly brought it up, Bai Suchu was initially taken aback, then her face fell. She said, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, "There's something I... need your help with..."

Shen Tang understood immediately: "You want me to take it?"

“Yes, Su has neither blood relatives nor teachers in this world, so the matter of choosing a name…” As she spoke, Bai Su’s expression darkened.

Bai Su could actually choose a name for herself, but she wasn't very confident in her educational level.

It is perfectly reasonable for Shen Tang, as the lord, to bestow names and courtesy names upon his subordinates, which also saves a lot of trouble.

Facing Bai Su's expectant eyes, Shen Tang scratched his head and readily agreed, "Okay, I'll think about it when I get back."

Choosing a courtesy name is a major event in life.

Shen Tang took it seriously and searched through the night.

The next day.

Shen Tang picked up his brush, and his strokes were like dragons and phoenixes dancing.

"What do you think of this character?"

Bai Su took it and examined it closely, murmuring to herself.

"Shao Xuan? Bai Shao Xuan?"

Actually, Shen Tang thought the name "Suzhen" would also be acceptable.

_(:з)∠)_

However, jokes aside, Shen Tang can't actually create a "Bai Suzhen"—it wouldn't be fun if the "Mountain and Sea Sacred Land" actually produced a mythological story related to the Legend of the White Snake.

Bai Suzhen carefully put the words away.

He bowed and said, "Thank you, my lord, for bestowing upon me this name."

Seeing that Bai Su accepted it so quickly, Shen Tang wanted to persuade Bai Su to think about it again: "After all, this is a lifelong matter. If you don't like it now, you can change to another one..." She actually wanted to discuss it with Wu Hui and learn from his experience to choose a nice-sounding name.

Bai Su smiled and said, "It has a connection with Su."

"A destined connection?"

What other coincidences or coincidences are involved here?

Bai Su didn't hide anything, her eyes shining with warmth as she recalled the past: "My lord, you may not know, but 'Shao Xuan' was actually the name my mentor used when she was young. After her family suffered a great upheaval and she went through several turbulent times, she changed her name to 'Nameless'."

She hadn't expected Shen Tang to bestow the name "Shao Xuan" upon her as her courtesy name. The moment she saw those two characters, a voice inside her whispered, "That's it."

Shen Tang had heard Bai Su mention her mentor before, but the past of that "nameless" female knight-errant was only mentioned in passing.

This is the first time I've heard her name.

"...No need to be shy?"

Shen Tang felt that this was not quite right.

Bai Su shook her head, her eyes crinkling slightly: "There's no need to hide it. Besides, my master abandoned the name 'Shao Xuan' for many years. I'm carrying on her will, and I'm sure she'll be pleased in the afterlife... Moreover, she's always been the one who spoils me the most... If I can make a name for myself under the name 'Shao Xuan' in the future, wouldn't that be wonderful? She'll understand."

Her mentor's greatest regret in life was her inability to reach the summit. Simply because she was born a woman, she was restricted in every way and forever deprived of the right to reach the top. This was a disgrace to her, who had always been proud. Bai Su was somewhat luckier than her.

Bearing the name "Shaoxuan" can be seen as the master and disciple walking side by side and climbing to the top together in a certain sense!

Shen Tang was relieved: "That's good."

Bai Su kept a very low profile, so much so that Zhao Feng only remembered this matter after being reminded by Gu Chi several days later.

She politely declined Zhao Feng's offer.

He said, "My lord has already bestowed upon me a title."

Zhao Feng asked, "What character?"

If you have proper characters, you should use those characters to refer to the person.

Bai Su replied, "Shao Xuan."

After careful consideration, Zhao Feng stroked his beard and nodded in approval: "This character does suit your name."

Bai Su embodies martial spirit, bringing joy to some and sorrow to others.

The person who is "worried" is Tanuki.

It wasn't jealousy, but Bai Su's sudden rise to prominence put considerable pressure on him. The thought of his own martial spirit remaining stagnant kept him up at night for days. But pressure breeds motivation, and after half a month of relentless, almost frantic, training, Li Li also began to cultivate his martial spirit, and everything fell into place. Shen Tang heard this good news.

They proactively asked Tanuki, "Do you want to name it?"

The name Tanuki is just a nickname.

His situation was similar to Bai Su's; both were isolated individuals, and he, as their lord, needed to take the initiative to provide warmth to his subordinates.

To everyone's surprise, Tanuki refused.

Who says he's all alone?

He has a wife!

His wife had chosen a name for him many years ago.

The thought that the name his wife had given him would be permanently engraved on his Martial Courage Tiger Tally made Li Li grin foolishly.

Shen Tang: "..."

To be honest, she didn't even know what Lili's name was.

Tanuki only said it had to be kept secret.

Only when he truly condenses the Martial Tiger Talisman will he be truly qualified to utter that name.

Shen Tang: "..."

She strongly suspected that if she were to split open Tan Li's brain with a sword, it would be filled with the words "Madam".

If she were to ask, Li Li would probably pat his chest and tell her that the word "Madam" is also engraved on his heart.

A world where love-struck individuals are incomprehensible to single people.

Spring plowing is in full swing.

The weather is getting warmer day by day.

The peach trees planted for ornamental purposes are blooming in succession.

Annoying barking, meowing, and chirping gradually filled Fugu City. Shen Tang propped her chin on one hand and wrote in the other, handling official business. Every now and then, she would subtly shift her position to change her center of gravity. She wondered when she would be able to escape from the heavy workload. If she continued to sit like this, she would eventually develop hemorrhoids, and she wondered if current medical technology could cure them... Thinking this, she yawned.

"Tired... Spring drowsiness, summer fatigue, autumn lethargy, winter hibernation, I can't get enough sleep all year round... I, the dignified Prefect of Heyin, don't even have the five social insurances and one housing fund..." With heavy eyelids, Shen Tang simply put down his pen and prepared to lie down and rest to recuperate.

Before anything could happen, Lin Feng ran in from outside.

He shouted, "My lord, my lord, something terrible has happened!"

Shen Tang suddenly woke up with a start: "What happened?"

Lin Feng, dressed in simple spring clothes, looked pretty, but her face was full of worry and tension: "They've started fighting!"

Shen Tang was completely bewildered: "They started fighting?"

She jumped up from the mat.

Because of the numbness in both legs, he almost fell.

"Who started fighting? Or who broke in?"

Lin Feng stamped his foot anxiously: "It's the teacher and Mr. Qi."

Shen Tang's sleepiness vanished instantly—why were Chu Yao and Qi Shan fighting? And Lin Feng had rushed over like a savior in frantic panic—she was frantic, supporting her numb legs, she limped out, shouting: "Lingde, lead the way!"

"only!"

Shen Tang's imagined crime scene: a scene of bloodshed.

The actual crime scene: a few heads peeked out from behind the wall, watching the spectacle.

Shen Tang pushed aside Gu Chi and the others who had appeared out of nowhere.

He angrily shouted, "What are you doing—"

Shen Tang: "???"

She was stunned when she saw the scene clearly.

My mind is filled with just a few questions.

who is she?

Where is she?

What is she doing?

Qi Shan and Chu Yao didn't fight, so why did Lin Feng act like they were fighting to the death? It made her think something really serious had happened _(:з)∠)_.

Lin Feng emphasized that he did not make a false police report.

"The teachers really did start fighting just now—"

Shen Tang: "..."

Why doesn't she believe it?

The two people Lin Feng was talking about fighting were about 10 feet apart, looking at each other, with a cat and a dog crouching not far from each of their feet.

Needless to say, the cat was the beautiful Su Shang, who had recently gained a lot of weight. The dog was short and chubby.

It looks like it's only a little over a month old.

The beautiful cat, Su Shang, arched her back, stood up straight, her fur standing on end, and hissed wildly at the dog.

The brown dog huddled at Chu Yao's feet, its ears drooping, whimpering timidly, looking utterly pitiful.

She vaguely remembered that about half a month ago, Chu Yao said he went out and picked up an abandoned puppy by the roadside. Shen Tang didn't pay much attention. What did it matter to her if her subordinate liked to keep cats and dogs? Chu Yao's dislike of cats and preference for dogs was also none of her business.

As it turns out, it had nothing to do with her.

But it's related to praying for good, and it's related to praying for good's cat!

Su Shang, whom Qi Shanyang pampered, grew increasingly arrogant and became the undisputed cat overlord of Fugu City! Even wild cats that came to provoke her were driven away by her. She could even fight against many at once, displaying fierce fighting prowess, which was quite different from her sweet and cute appearance.

That's where the problem lies.

Chu Yao's silly dog ​​likes to mark its territory by urinating everywhere.

It was bad enough that it marked its territory in Chu Yao's courtyard, but it also had the audacity to sneak into the neighboring courtyard and wander around Qi Shan's. How could Su Shang tolerate that? Seeing that the puppy was small, she scratched it several times and easily chased it away.

When Chu Yao returned, he found that his dog had been beaten.

But we don't know who did it.

Thus, the puppy was hit twice more.

Unfortunately, when the puppy was attacked for the fourth time, it fled back to its territory, while the merchant became more and more courageous and attacked back.

Chu Yao then realized who was behind this. Seeing that Su Shang was relentless, and remembering Qi Shan's wicked face, he helped his dog by interfering with Su Shang's attack. The puppy successfully launched its first counterattack.

Qi Shan learned that her vegetarian restaurant had been attacked that day.

I was furious.

He quickly discovered who the "murderer" was.

then--

Shen Tang was dumbfounded: "And then these two started fighting over their own cats and dogs???"

Lin Feng whispered, "Not entirely."

She added, "Su Shang is pregnant."

Shen Tang was almost speechless: "Considering her age, Su Shang is old enough to go into heat, isn't it normal for her to get pregnant? Yuan Liang doesn't think the kitten in Su Shang's belly is Wu Hui's puppy's, does he? These two are reproductively isolated..."

Qi Shan naturally didn't think that way.

However, he was indignant that Chu Wuhui was shameless in bullying a pregnant woman.

Of course, he was also trembling with rage before that—which shameless stray cat got Su Shang pregnant? How old was Su Shang! He wished he could neuter all the male cats in Fugu City!

Simply put, the cat-dog conflict has escalated to the owners. Chu Yao is worried that his dog will be at a disadvantage, so he will use his literary energy to interfere with Su Shang's attack. On Qi Shan's side, he will use his literary energy to suppress the puppy that is larger than Su Shang to ensure the safety of the pregnant woman.

Before the cat and dog had even decided who was the victor, they drew their swords.

The argument between the cat and dog—such as Su Shang barking indiscriminately day and night after the start of spring, and the puppy urinating everywhere and damaging and even biting the flower seedlings planted by Qi Shan—escalated to the two's past grievances, and even dragged Shen Tang into it.

Qi Shan still doesn't give up on the plan to cultivate a gentleman, and is annoyed by Chu Yao's indulgence of Shen Tang instead of correcting him in time. Chu Yao, on the other hand, mocks him for being old-fashioned. How can a "wicked schemer" like him want to cultivate a gentleman? A young man's mind should not be constrained by rules and regulations.

In conclusion, to sum up.

The two of them, unable to resolve their verbal conflict, resorted to physical violence.

The sword shadows danced, the sword light flashed.

Startled, Lin Feng lost his composure and hurriedly went to call for his savior who could stop the two—his beloved, Shen Tang!

Shen Tang: "..."

Her fists were practically hard!

They're all so idle!

They actually have the leisure to help cats and dogs fight and insult each other, while she, the lord, is so tired that she worries about getting hemorrhoids!

"Qi Yuanliang, Chu Wuhui!"

As the lord, Shen Tang punished Su Shang and the puppy by making them write a thousand-word letter of self-reflection. Their crimes were disrupting team harmony, urinating indiscriminately, and fighting. Those who didn't finish by the deadline would be locked in a dark room! They would be released only when they admitted their mistakes!

What?

Cats and dogs can't write?

Hehe, their owners must know!

Xu Jie, who was doing business there, heard the story and embellished it slightly before sending it back. Wu Xian was eating rice porridge when he heard the story and almost spat it out. He laughed so hard he slapped his thigh: "This... haha, this is actually true?"

Xu Jie said, "Absolutely true."

The cat and dog self-reflection books were even posted.

Wu Xian turned around and told Qin Li about it. He had heard this joke a few times and wanted to laugh. He said, "Qin Qing, are you sure this is something you know? Pfft—something you know that's a wicked scheme?"

Such a childish thing, none of his sons over five years old would do! Let alone write a self-reflection book for cats and dogs.

Qin Li remained silent for a long while.

Literary figures use their literary talent to do this...

That's really embarrassing.

But he remained resolute, sighing, "No matter what absurd or unruly things Qi Yuanliang does, my lord, we must not let our guard down. How can we be sure this isn't a tactic to deceive the enemy?"

Wu Xian verbally agreed that he would pay attention, but in his heart he was thinking – what method wouldn't work to confuse the enemy? Such a naive move is too much of a sacrifice.

After chatting about lighthearted matters, Xu Jie moved on to more serious business with Wu Xian, a rather heavy topic. Coincidentally, Shen Tang was also having a meeting discussing the same issue—refugees.

"Last year, the rebel army led by the Prince of Zhi failed in their attack on Sibao County and retreated to their defensive line, where they engaged in a protracted war with Zheng Qiao..."

Shen Tang received news that over a thousand refugees had flooded into He Yin, stealing and looting, causing a major disruption to the local order. If a way wasn't found to settle these people, even bigger trouble was yet to come.

As spring planting ends, the conflict will escalate from localized clashes, and she fears that places like Heyin will also be drawn in.

"...The number of refugees is estimated to be over 1,300."

Shen Tang asked, "Where did you come from?"

Gu Chi was already prepared.

The refugees originated from various parts of Xin Kingdom, and a small number even came from Geng Kingdom... They also revealed information that greatly worried Gu Chi. The Zhi King's overall strength was inferior to Zheng Qiao's, and he had connections with Shi Wu and Bei Mo, wanting to borrow troops.

Upon hearing this, Shen Tang couldn't help but laugh.

"These two brothers are interesting. They're truly birds of a feather, always thinking the same way when it comes to war! If they can't win, they'll try to negotiate with the tiger... Are they planning to allow both sides to send troops into the country? The jackals of the Northern Desert and the tigers and leopards of the Ten Crows... I remember Zheng Qiao conquered Xin Kingdom by cooperating with the Ten Crows, using them to tie down Xin Kingdom's border troops so they couldn't return to defend, right? After Zheng Qiao succeeded, he didn't pay much attention to the Ten Crows. The Ten Crows have suffered losses before, would they still trust the King of Pigs?"

(End of this chapter)