Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The old, accompanying doctor was Physician Li. He was very experienced. He had seen a few cases of rabid dog bites, but had never cured them. It didn’t stop him from believing, however, that the recordings in the old medical books were correct.
He could not cure them because they either could not find mad dog brain, or the poor men could not afford the fees. Most dog bite victims were poor people, such as peasants, carriage drivers, beggars, thieves, and low-class men. They could not pay him at all, and he would not bother looking for any other treatments. The rich people barely had the chance to meet rabid dogs, so they would never get bitten.
Even in front of Wu Mancheng, the master of a rich family, he pretended to be unyielding and uncompromising; he kept shaking his head and saying no. He claimed that the rabid dog must be captured and its brain extracted, otherwise the patient was incurable. He had already received his payment for the trip, and he could not take any risks.
Wu Mancheng was upset. His cousin had bravely volunteered to accompany him north, yet he ended up with a disaster. The problem was, he had never heard that his cousin was bitten by a rabid dog!
At that moment, Famous and Old Time Tea followed Wu Ning to the front of the group. As soon as Physician Li saw Famous, he felt that it was his chance to claim some credit. Hihi, how lucky could he possibly be? Without any searching effort, the rabid dog just showed up front in front of his face!
Then he yelled, “Hey! Take that rabid dog! Don’t let it run!”
Famous looked around, but didn’t see any rabid dog. It then realized that Physician Li was referring to itself––he was calling it a rabid dog. It was so mad that it wanted to bite his face off… It was not real history, anyway, so biting him was probably fine.
Wu Ning, Wu Mancheng, and some servants knew Famous well. Besides, it didn’t look like a rabid dog at all. They were astonished at this claim and said, “Sir, is this a mistake? This dog is not rabid!”
Physician Li insisted that Famous was surely a rabid dog, claiming that they must kill it and use its brain to cure the patient in the carriage.
He was a reputable doctor in Foshan. Otherwise, Wu Mancheng would not have paid him a high price to be the accompanying doctor. As he insisted, many people started to believe him. They hinted to Wu Mancheng that he should listen to Physician Li. Even if the dog had saved Wu Ning’s life, she had repaid her favor, which was witnessed by everyone. Since they were now even, which one was more important? A human’s life or a dog’s life?
Wu Mancheng vented without taking sides. Yet, to the other people, not taking sides meant that he agreed.
The bodyguards hinted to each other, carried their muskets, and surrounded them just in case Famous tried to escape.
Famous really wanted to swear. The old doctor seemed reputable and knowledgeable, yet he nothing more than a phony charlatan. His outdated treatment doctrines and flowery talks might have harmed many patients.
Famous looked everywhere for an escape route, yet people had blocked all possible roads.
Famous was confident about its strength and jumping ability. Adding its crisis prediction ability, it could escape from a wolf ten times more ferocious than the people around him were. It was discouraged by the muskets and rifles in their people’s hands, though.
It had witnessed the power of muskets and rifles. With one shot during hunting, hundreds of metal pellets burst out of the barrel, covering a great area. It could not shoot very far, but it could kill anything close by… Even Neo from the Matrix would be shot into a sieve.
What was the consequence of dying in the Imagined World? Would it leave the Imagined World? Or would the real body in the real world die as well?
Famous didn’t know and didn’t want to know. It didn’t want to try… Galaxy’s Blackbox World was too weird and it could not serve as a point of reference.
“Old Time Tea, just leave me. They want me. Don’t let them get to you!” it whispered.
Old Time Tea was the hero of their world. Even if Famous had died or had left the Imagined World, it still hoped that Old Time Tea could continue the journey with Wu Ning. It was the right thing to do… It didn’t belong to that world anyway.
Old Time Tea smirked. “Famous, don’t look down upon me. Life or death have never been a problem to me! If I don’t do anything now and watch you fight alone, how can I be called ‘chivalrous?’” As Old Time Tea spoke, it turned its body to face the enemies back-to-back with Famous.
They didn’t need to say anything else.
“Okay! After we break out, I’ll surely bite off this old charlatan’s ear!”
Famous was so heroic; it was as if it went back into the days when it fought side-by-side with Old Time Tea in the Nameless Valley.
“Mistress, please leave that mad dog right now! The knives and rifles don’t have eyes!” someone holding a musket shouted at Wu Ning.
Wu Ning would never believe Famous was a rabid dog. She loved the tall, brave, and gentle dog… It even acted funny sometimes. How could it be rabid?
She was well educated, but she had not seen much of the outside world. The dark gun barrel freaked her out, and she could barely stand on her legs. Before she knew anything, her servant dragged her to the side.
Famous hated being called a rabid dog. Even without any hope to escape, even if it would die, it wanted to teach them a lesson.
Then, as most people were focusing on Wu Ning, it suddenly buckled its back and jumped towards the talking man like a lightening bolt.
Everyone exclaimed at the same time, “It’s really a rabid dog! Physician Li is such a magical doctor!”
Physician Li seemed satisfied, watching Famous with a smile while he stroked his beard. He was thinking about how much money he could charge if the rabid dog brain could cure the patient, and what kind of excuse he could use in case the patent didn’t get well.
Famous was so fast that it was already in front of the person in the blink of an eye.
The man was busy talking to Wu Ning, thinking that since so many people were surrounding them, Famous had to wait for death’s arrival. He lowered the rifle; he didn’t foresee that Famous would actually fight back. A big dog like that could rip open his throat in a second!
He wanted to raise the gun again and shoot Famous, but either a musket or a rifle was too long for short-distance combat. Wu Mancheng was the only one carrying a handgun in the crowd.
Before he completely raised the gun, Famous had already reached him. He could even feel its warm breath.
That was it! He closed his eyes, waiting to die.
However, Famous made a fake move. It pushed its front paws against his chest and kicked him far away. It used the force to change direction and turn its body in the air, jumping towards Physician Li.
Famous always paid its debts!
Everything had happened because Physician Li told a lie to win a reputation. Famous didn’t forget that fact, despite its extreme anger.
Everybody shouted at the sight!
