Chapter 49: Last Legs, Last Days

“Hey, Wang Zen!”Jiahai waved to Zen before running to join him.

Zen had noticed his friend as he approached him. His mind was still dwelling on what Hue Yi had told him. A tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality. “Oh, Jiahai!”

“What’s wrong?” Jiahai said. “You look real worried. Is it about you helping me yesterday? Because if you’re in trouble because of it…”

“No,” Zen said, “It’s something else.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

Zen shook his head.

“Where are you going?”

“To meet Teacher Lu Daomeng,”” Zen said.

“Then I’ll come with you!”

Zen nodded absently.

They reached Lu Daomeng, who was standing before one the gates of the academy with his hands folded behind him and Sir Drools-a-lot seated at his feet.

“Teacher Lu Daomeng!” Zen said as they neared him.

“Young Wang, it seems you made it in time.” Lu Daomeng said.

“Yes, what is this about?” Zen asked as he stood next to the Teacher and the Grey Stalker.

“Well, it’s…” Lu Daomeng was driven to silence when a carriage pulled over. The back of the carriage was loud with the sound of barking from excited grey furred hounds. “Finally, there you are!”

The man driving the carriage leapt out. The bearded man smiled, waving at Lu Daomeng. “Hey!”

Sir Drools-a-lot bounded over to the man, allowing him to rub the Grey Stalker’s head.

“Seems like your happy to see me, huh?” the man said to Drools-a-lot. “Seems like the rest of the pack is also happy to see you.” He said before he opened the cage at the back of the carriage allowing the six dogs to leap out where they crowded around Sir Drools-a-lot and the man.

“Is this Sir Drools-a-lot’s master?” Zen asked.

Lu Daomeng nodded before approaching the man. “What’s with the dog you sent me?”

“Was there a problem with him?” the man said, walking out of the circle of Grey Stalkers.

“It’s past its prime,” Lu Daomeng said.

“Past its prime?” Zen repeated to himself. He looked closely at Sir Drools-a-lot and could now see it, now that he was with his own kind. Sir Drools-a-lot was slightly rounder at his sides while the other hounds were seemingly made up only of lean muscles. He lacked the energetic gleam that the other dogs had and his droopy face and mouth made him look perpetually sad. To him, Sir Drools-a-lot looked… pathetic.

“Yeah,” his master said, “The old boy is on his last legs. This was his last mission before he entered retirement.”

Zen looked sadly at Sir Drools-a-lot. He was now alone, the rest of the Grey Stalkers were exploring their immediate vicinities. He approached the dog while Lu Daomeng continued to complain and Jiahai hung around them, hoping for an opportunity to ask the master a few questions on beast contracting so many animals.

Zen crouched before Sir Drools-a-lot and rubbed his head. the dog turned his head up to lick his palm. The boy was suddenly worried about the fate of this aged hound, when it was under a master who hadn’t even bothered to give it a name. Indeed old beasts were as rare as old people in the world of a cultivator and this was probably one of the oldest he had come across.

“Excuse me, sir.” Zen said, interrupting their conversation. “What’s going to happen to him.” he nodded towards Drools-a-lot.

“I live next to a wide field, he’ll spend the rest of his days there.” the man hesitated for a moment, looking at Sir Drools-a-lot. “I doubt he’ll make it past 6 months.” He returned talking to Lu Daomeng and Jiahai.

Sir Drools-a-lot took the opportunity to sneak up closer to Zen’s face, upon which he began slithering him and Shibi with his wet tongue. Zen groaned in annoyance but did not push the dog away, instead he just grimaced and let it happen.

Sir Drools-a-lot stopped, whinning quietly, almost as if it felt Zen’s sadness.

Zen managed a sad smile and gently patted the dog’s head. “Hmpf, stupid mutt.”

“You sure you don’t want to hire another dog?” Sir Drools-a-lot’s master offered.

“No, no.” Lu Daomeng waved his hand dismissively. “If Goixi wants to capture this beast, then they better hire a professional hunter. I’m already going beyond my job description here.”

“Alright,” the master said before turning to his Grey Stalkers. “Everyone in!”

The dogs all rushed into the back of the cage with Sir Drools-a-lot the last to get in. Drools-a-lot stared at Zen through the cage as the carriage pulled away with the master waving them goodbye from the front. It was then that Zen knew, it would be the last time he saw Sir Drools-a-lot.