After leaving Prosperous Haoting, An Yiqing and Gu Yelin split up to lead their respective families away.
At this moment, inside the An Family Villa, the unconscious men in black were tied up with ropes by Xiao Hei and Old Jin, not knowing that the bitter days of their lives were about to begin.
About forty minutes later, the sound of a car engine faintly sounded outside the villa. Xiao Hei and Old Jin, who were dozing on the couch, twitched their ears slightly and then opened their eyes slowly.
Soon, the engine grew louder and was followed by the screeching of brakes, and then the sound of the An Family’s voices.
Woof! The master is back!
Xiao Hei’s eyes lit up as he stood and shook his fur, then jauntily hopped off the sofa and headed to the entrance, eagerly waiting.
Old Jin, trailing behind, strolled along with a lazy yawn and made sure to use his paws to step on the faces of the men in black several times before leaving.
In the courtyard, An Yiqing helped Elder An and Old Lady An out of the car, then made their way to the door, chatting and laughing with family members as they took out the keys to unlock it.
Suddenly, her hand paused, and her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she looked doubtfully at the gate.
"Niu Niu, what’s wrong? Open the gate!" An Zhihang from behind An Yiqing touched her, asking with confusion.
An Yiqing’s expression turned solemn as she looked at the somewhat strange gate. She pushed the two elders behind her and gave An Zhihang and An Zhiyan a knowing look.
There’s someone in the house!
An Zhihang and An Zhiyan’s faces tightened as they shielded Kong Shi and Old Lady An. The visitors meant no good, so it was best to be cautious.
Under everyone’s anxious gaze, An Yiqing extended her hand to gently twist open the door and stepped inside.
Suddenly, a burst of barking sounded, and a black figure flashed by. An Yiqing quickly withdrew her Inner Breath and firmly hugged Xiao Hei, who had pounced on her.
"Woof! Master! There’s a thief!" Xiao Hei snuggled comfortably in An Yiqing’s arms and then spoke coquettishly.
An Yiqing patted the dog lightly and let out a sigh of relief. Since Xiao Hei was okay, the issues might not be significant.
Turning on the light, An Yiqing immediately saw the five men bound and lying on the ground, and she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows, showing surprise.
It seemed that Xiao Hei and Old Jin’s skills were indeed impressive!
"Niu Niu, how is it?" The moment An Zhihang stepped in, he saw the men lying on the floor and stretched out his hand in shock, "Uh, this, this... Little sister, this..."
An Zhihang stammered for a while without finishing his thoughts. All the family members had gone to eat; who had tied these men up? Could it possibly be the house’s pets?
An Yiqing rubbed her forehead helplessly and called the other An Family members inside.
"That is, um... these men broke into the villa at night, um... and they were, well, tied up by Xiao Hei and Old Jin." An Yiqing stumbled over her words as she relayed the story Xiao Hei had told her to the family, watching their incredulous expressions with a secret thrill. She’d had the same look on her face when she first learned that Xiao Hei and Old Jin could talk. Ha ha!
After An Yiqing recounted the incident, it took a long while for everyone to digest the shock brought by Xiao Hei and Old Jin.
"Niu Niu, are you saying that Xiao Hei and Old Jin are Spirit Beasts? They can talk?" An Zisheng looked at the cat and dog before him with curiosity, asking in disbelief.
This world had become fantastical! An Zisheng’s eyes widened, and his usual scholarly grace was nowhere to be seen. Normally, he just thought Xiao Hei and Old Jin were quite perceptive and understood human speech. He never imagined that his home had long harbored two masters!