Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Never Forget What You See
"Tamed!"
Looking at the old wolf that showed no signs of aggression even when played with by a child, instead lying on its back, purring contently, Feng Qing'an couldn't help but marvel.
The term 'an untamed white-eyed wolf' is often used as a harsh insult to a person, but in reality, if one could raise a wolf and feed it for a while, it would most likely be domesticated.
It's much easier to tame a wolf than a human. The old wolf in front of him had, after only six months of comfortable living, become devoid of wildness, no different from a domestic dog.
Feng Qing'an felt that even if the chain around the wolf's neck were removed, it would probably not run away, let alone harm anyone. It might even act more docile than a house pet.
Because this was an old wolf. As the saying goes, an old dog knows the road, and an old wolf, understanding that its physical condition was starting to decline, knew what choices to make in order to live comfortably in its old age.
"Mr. An, look!"
Er Pang, who had his fill of petting, stood up and led Feng Qing'an to a doghouse in the backyard. When Feng Qing'an stooped down, he saw a female dog lying on a pile of straw in the doghouse, her belly bulging, and one after another, fuzzy puppies were comfortably feeding on her.
"..."
To be fair, Feng Qing'an couldn't tell the difference between the puppies, let alone pick out the good ones from the bad. There were bound to be differences between them, he just couldn't see them.
"System, appraisal!"
Feng Qing'an had come here early in the morning, not just to complete the system task and get the cultivation method as soon as possible, but also to test once more. He bent down and reached for the puppies, murmuring in his heart.
[Insufficient permissions, please become a Beast Master as soon as possible]
It was the same response as last night. Having experienced it the previous night, Feng Qing'an felt no disappointment. He was mentally prepared for it.
"Mr. An, how does it feel? Did you find any you like?"
Seeing that Feng Qing'an had petted each puppy in turn, Er Pang asked expectantly.
"I..."
Feng Qing'an was about to say no, but at that moment his hand reached the last puppy. Probably because it was full, the puppy released its grip on its mother's nipple, stuck out its pink tongue, and licked the palm that was touching its head. He felt the wet touch in his palm.
"This one it is!"
Looking at the puppy still licking his palm, Feng Qing'an grabbed it by the neck and pulled it out of the doghouse.
"Grr~"
Seeing her puppy taken away by a stranger, the mother dog growled. But when Er Pang walked in and slapped her on the head, she stopped barking.
"Mr. An, this puppy seems to be very close to you!"
"Indeed, it's very likable!"
Feng Qing'an looked at the small ball of fur in his hands and a smile appeared on his face.
He didn't insist on picking the strongest puppy in this litter. After all, no matter how strong they were, they were just puppies born from the union of a wolf in the mountains and a hunting dog in the village.
Without any other factors, even if it was well fed, it would only function as a dog that guards the house and maybe assists during hunting in the mountains. There're not much use.
The real key was the system and whether it had a way to metamorphose a pet. For example, it could possibly turn these ordinary beasts into mythical creatures in storybooks.
If such a method exists, then there would be no need to insist on the strongest puppy in the litter. He would rather choose one that he likes and naturally gets along with him.
"When my father comes back, I'll have him take a look for you!"
"Okay!"
Of course, that didn't matter. What Feng Qing'an cared about was the system task. He was eager to obtain the cultivation method, so keeping this pup and getting it accepted by the family was important. But even when he held this pup in his arms and the owner agreed to let him adopt it, he received no indication that the task was successful.
"Also, Mr. An, this puppy just came out recently and cannot be weaned. You have to leave it here for the mother dog to take care of it for a while. If you take it away like this, I'm afraid..."
He didn't say the rest, but Feng Qing'an understood. A cat or dog that hasn't been weaned is difficult for humans to raise.
"How long?"
"At least one or two months!"
Er Pang scratched the back of his head, seeming a bit embarrassed,
"Plus, Mr. An, you should come to my house every day during this time. The puppies haven't opened their eyes yet. When they do, it's best you're here so that the first thing they see is you."
"Okay!"
Though Feng Qing'an found it a bit troublesome, he knew it was necessary. He couldn't rush these things.
Moreover, having one or two months of buffer time allowed him to make some preparations at home. His parents might not agree to him keeping dogs as they couldn't grasp the concept instantly.
It seemed difficult to convince his parents, and his best hope was his older brother. The news of his brother coming first in the imperial examination had already arrived. Even though some matters might delay his stay in the Capital City for a while, he should be able to return to the village within two months.
After his older brother returned, he could explain this matter to his parents through his brother. Then keeping a dog would be settled.
He was truthful, his parents would probably refuse outright. He didn't have much room to negotiate. Whatever his parents said was law, regardless of how intelligent he was or if he was as mature as an adult.
Feng Qing'an wasn't worried about his elder brother agreeing to him keeping a dog. From childhood to adulthood, it was his older brother who doted on him the most, not his parents.
His mother Yin Shi, who was quite indulgent towards her children, would sometimes beat him with a broomstick because he arrived home late—although he could avoid most of the beatings that ordinary kids got, some were unavoidable.
His big brother, however, always satisfied all his requests to the best of his ability, even when they were nearly ridiculous at times.
From a young age, he did not like classical sages and loved books on immortals and demons. But poor families did not have such books, and even owning a book was a luxury.
But whenever his big brother borrowed books from other people, if he saw a book on mythical creatures, he would read it, then come home and transcribe it for him to read.
Yes, his big brother, Feng Qingping, had a photogenic memory since he learned how to read and write. Ordinary poor students borrowed books to transcribe them, but his big brother borrowed books to read them, and then wrote down what he read.
When Feng Qing'an first witnessed his big brother's extraordinary talent, he was completely amazed. If his brother didn't rise to the top during the imperial exam, it wouldn't make any sense. But even though he spent every day with his brother, Feng Qing'an still underestimated him.
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