Chapter 41: Peeping Part 2

He instinctively snuggled closer to the warm, fluffy White Tiger in front of him, thinking it was some heated plush toy he’d bought—who knew it felt so nice? Then clarity hit like a thunderbolt. He stared blankly at the large bald patch of pinkish, striped skin right in front of him.

Right—he’d shared a room with Grandpa White Tiger last night.

Chen Ji knew nothing about veterinary medicine, let alone treating spirit monsters. With White Tiger’s breathing steady, he figured it wasn’t dire and dragged himself up. The System Cat said: 【Don’t bother. I found you a nanny.】

Chen Ji mentally raised a slow question mark. 【Who?】

Who? If anyone saw a massive white tiger in his house, they’d call the cops. And he’d end up in court for harming an endangered species?

Tigers, whether white, black, or yellow, were all nationally protected animals—a minimum of three years in prison, no less.

The System Cat said: 【It’s that Daoist priest from the City God Temple.】

【How did you get in touch with him?】 Chen Ji paused. 【Will he come?】

【He called you eight times yesterday… Oh, right—your phone was about to die. I fixed it, but it’ll only last a day. I asked him to bring you a new one while he’s at it… He’s almost at the temple gate now.】

Chen Ji thought for a moment. 【I’ll go meet him.】

No sooner had Chen Ji opened the door than he saw the System Cat racing over with an insulated cup in its mouth. 【Drink a couple of sips first.】

Chen Ji popped open the straw and gulped down two mouthfuls. The stuff inside was sweet and glutinous, thick and sticky but delicious. 【Yam porridge?】

【Shut up and don’t ask where it came from!】 the System Cat said.

Chen Ji got the hint. He slurped down the yam porridge as he headed toward the temple gate. The short path that usually felt like nothing today had him pausing to catch his breath before he finally made it.

The Daoist priest stood there with a sour look on his face, handing over the phone bag. “Here’s your delivery. Please check it. Three thousand even, plus two hundred for the errand fee. WeChat or Alipay?”

Chen Ji took a closer look and noticed the Daoist priest was actually wearing a yellow outdoor jacket printed with a delivery logo. He glanced at the man and flipped through the phone in the bag. “Busy today, little bro? Got time to whip up some food for me and tidy up the place? Two hundred in red envelope cash.”

“You sick?” The Daoist priest eyed Chen Ji’s complexion. “You should go to the hospital.”

Chen Ji said, “I’ll head there after eating. I can’t even walk without something in me.”

Chen Ji stepped back, gesturing for the Daoist priest to come in. The man’s gaze flicked past Chen Ji to whatever was behind him, then he stressed again, “Don’t forget that two hundred!”

Chen Ji nodded, and only then did the Daoist priest cautiously step through the temple gate.

As they walked, Chen Ji spoke to him like a stranger. “Stuff’s all in the kitchen. Just make a couple of simple dishes. Oh, and the little animal I’m keeping got hurt yesterday—could you feed it for me?”

“Sure.” The Daoist priest figured it was the red-furred fox, just some injured little thing. As long as it wasn’t that yellow weasel from yesterday, he was fine with it. He glanced at Chen Ji, his peripheral vision catching the pile of renovation materials in the courtyard. “You still renovating?”

“Yeah.” Chen Ji said, “The work crew was supposed to come today to wrap things up, but I got sick and couldn’t manage it.”

The Daoist priest nodded, casually remarking, “You’ve got a god in this temple, right? If you’re renovating, remember to cover the statue with silk cloth. That’s the custom back home… Think about it— all that hammering and banging every day. The divine lord would hate the noise!”

Chen Ji’s expression didn’t change. “There’s a rule like that? I didn’t know. Thanks, little bro. I’ll cover the statue with silk cloth later.”

Chen Ji led the Daoist priest to the kitchen. The man couldn’t be bothered to listen further. He grabbed a few handfuls of rice, tossed them into the rice cooker to simmer some porridge, then ripped open two big packs of cooked chicken breast, ready to go feed the red fox. Chen Ji said, “It’s in the room.”

The Daoist priest followed him there accordingly. Chen Ji was breathing a little hard after the walk, panting slightly as he gestured for the Daoist priest to open the door. The man thought nothing of it and turned the lock, cracking it open just a sliver—only to meet a pair of icy blue eyes staring coldly at him.

The Daoist priest slammed the door shut on instinct. He paused, then pulled it open a crack again, revealing a massive white tiger sprawled inside the room, gazing icily in his direction.

He yanked the door shut and unleashed a torrent of curses at Chen Ji. “Fuck your grandpa! I was worried you were facing a death tribulation, came rushing over, even ran your errand—and you treat me like a goddamn delivery guy?!”

The big basin of chicken breast in his hands looked ready to dump straight onto Chen Ji’s head.

Chen Ji laughed until his eyes narrowed into slits. He coughed through his laughter, waving for the Daoist priest not to get heated, stumbling over his words. “No, you’ve got it wrong. It’s not what you think.”

Chen Ji opened the door. The White Tiger had heard his voice and softened its gaze. Chen Ji approached slowly, speaking in gentle tones. “Grandpa White Tiger, you’re hurt, and it pained me to see you like that, so I took the liberty of bringing you back… I prepared some meat. If you don’t mind, Grandpa White Tiger, please have a little.”

The White Tiger nodded slowly. Only then did Chen Ji let the Daoist priest inside. Upon entering, the Daoist priest spotted the patchy bald spots on the fearsome beast’s body. His eyes went wide, and he barely held back a laugh. He shoved the basin into Chen Ji’s hands and hurried out, head down.

“I’ll go clean up the house.” The Daoist priest called out, giving himself an excuse.

Thank goodness the bed was right there. Chen Ji set the basin down immediately—he was in no condition to carry something that heavy. He wouldn’t joke about it; he literally couldn’t manage the weight right now. This cooked chicken breast was the premium stuff Chen Ji bought as a supplement—pricey, but the flavor was rich, the meat tender and juicy, not dry at all.

Chen Ji stroked the White Tiger’s neck. “Give it a try, Grandpa White Tiger. I’m hurt too… Please bear with this for now.”

The White Tiger turned its head slightly and nuzzled Chen Ji’s arm. Chen Ji pushed the basin closer. Seeing it lower its head to eat, he finally headed out.

When Chen Ji emerged, the Daoist priest said, “Rice is ready. Check your phone, please.”

Chen Ji nodded and followed him back to the bag. Watching his movements, the Daoist priest suddenly said, “Test the phone. If there’s any issue, I need to go back and exchange it.”

He emphasized “any issue.”

Chen Ji fiddled with the phone, head down. It powered on smoothly. “No problem with the phone.”

“Once we confirm it here, no returns later if something comes up.” The Daoist priest stressed. “You sure the phone’s really fine?”

Chen Ji looked up at him, expression calm and unruffled. He smiled faintly. “It’s fine. Thanks, little bro. I’ll transfer the money now.”

The Daoist priest had no choice but to pull out his phone to receive it, grumbling as he left.

Chen Ji watched his back until he vanished. Only then did the System Cat speak. 【He obviously wanted to tell you something. Why didn’t you go?】

【I know.】 Chen Ji said. 【But it’s not the time.】

The Daoist priest was so superstitious he wouldn’t even enter the temple gate without being invited, stressed his “delivery guy” job, reminded Chen Ji to cover the Mountain God statue to avoid “disturbing” it, and hinted the phone might have issues so he’d have a reason to get Chen Ji to leave with him… It was obvious what—or who—he feared.

How come everyone seemed afraid of Grandpa Mountain Lord except the mountain spirits and that ghost fiend?

Brother Zhang was frightened, Chang Xu was frightened, the Daoist priest was frightened—they all lingered at the gate, unwilling to step inside without an invitation, and even when allowed, they only dared to venture a few steps. But these mountain spirits? One barges in today, another invades his dreams tomorrow—utterly shameless.

Chen Ji suddenly smiled. He waited for the porridge to finish cooking, then carried it into the main hall. He lit some incense fire and knelt properly, coughing twice. “Please forgive me, Grandpa Mountain Lord…”

He kowtowed once. “For some reason, I sleepwalked to the back mountain yesterday. Today, I can barely get out of bed. If not for Second Grandpa Huang’s ginseng, I’d probably be in the hospital by now… I had the delivery guy make some breakfast. I hope it suits Grandpa Mountain Lord’s taste. Please pardon me…”

He looked up at the Mountain Lord statue. Seeing it dimmer than yesterday, he kowtowed again, eyes full of reverence and trust. “The little bro reminded me that renovating might disturb you. I didn’t know before. Next time work starts, I’ll cover you with silk cloth so it doesn’t bother you, okay?”

Chen Ji kowtowed a third time. “Yesterday, I dreamed something bad. On the way back, I saw the white tiger I’d saved before, so I brought it here… I had to repay the life debt. I didn’t report it to you first, Grandpa Mountain Lord. Once it’s healed, we’ll be square—no debts between us… Please forgive me.”

Chen Ji sighed, his gaze dimming. “The mountain’s too dangerous… If only there weren’t so much trouble…”

Chen Ji inserted the incense into the censer and bowed three more times to Grandpa Mountain Lord. He picked up the moon blocks and cast them three times in a row—all holy blocks. He knew this meant Grandpa Mountain Lord agreed. With heavy steps, he made his way out.

Darkness shrouded the hall, save for the three points of incense fire glowing red in the gloom—like the eyes of a god, peering silently into the world.