Temple Livestream

While Ning Fei was fishing, the popularity of his livestream soared to over 90,000 viewers. Now, on his way back, the numbers remained high.

Few people knew about the white water fish.

The audience had simply watched him catch a long, white fish and release it, unaware that it was a spirit fish, one of the totem creatures that had guarded China for centuries.

Modern society had lost its reverence for nature, but Ning Fei knew that some things, though unseen or unspoken, were real.

By the time he returned, it was only around 4 p.m. He hadn't fished for long. The chat was buzzing with discussions about how skillful Ning Fei had been today and how many fish he'd caught.

Suddenly, Ning Fei stopped in his tracks.

"What's going on?" one viewer asked, puzzled by his abrupt pause.

Ning Fei explained to the drone camera, "I might have to wait a bit before heading home. The dogs from the east end of the village and the dogs from the west end are fighting again."

"What? The dogs are fighting?"

"Where? Show us! We want to see!"

"Quick, give us a look!"

Excited by the prospect of witnessing this village dog drama, the audience spammed the chat.

Ning Fei, a little surprised by their excitement, smiled and adjusted the drone's angle. The camera revealed a group of khaki-colored dogs gathered on the stone road leading to the village, about twelve or thirteen of them, playfully wrestling with each other.

Though it looked like a fight, it was clear the dogs were just messing around.

Unlike some animals, most dogs aren't particularly aggressive unless they're of a specific breed. They bark and posture, but when the threat becomes real, they tend to back down. They know when to stop if there's a chance they might get hurt.

Chickens, on the other hand, are quite the opposite. Birds don't typically attack humans, but when they do fight each other, it's to the death. That's why cockfighting was so popular in ancient times. A cockfight often ended with one bird dead and the other seriously injured.

Village geese were also notorious for their bad tempers. Ning Fei once jokingly referred to the local geese as "Goose Power" because of how relentless they could be. Annoy one, and it would chase you without mercy, hissing and flapping its wings.

The dogs in front of Ning Fei were all local mutts, looking more or less the same. The viewers couldn't help but wonder how they could tell each other apart.

"Master Ning, how do they even know who's on which side?"

"Yeah, what if they accidentally bite a friend?"

"Haha, dogs must use their noses to tell!"

"They're just playing around!" one viewer commented with a laughing emoji.

Seeing their curiosity, Ning Fei explained, "Take a closer look. The dogs with their tails standing straight up are from the west end of the village."

"As for why they all look so similar, I can't explain that."

"The ones whose tails are more relaxed are from the east end."

"They usually play within their own group. But when two groups meet, they get into these playful scuffles."

The viewers found this particularly amusing.

"Hahaha, that's hilarious!"

"Learned something new today!"

"There's so much fun in the countryside!"

"Master Ning, why don't you go and break up the fight?"

"Yeah, go and stop them! Let's see!"

"If you stop the fight, I'll send a rocket gift!"

The chat exploded with viewers begging Ning Fei to intervene.

Ning Fei, of course, had no intention of stepping in. The dogs were just playing, and it wasn't worth risking an injury. Plus, he loved watching cats and dogs, and this chaotic dog showdown was rather entertaining.

"No way, guys. I want to live a few more years!" Ning Fei joked, drawing more laughter from the chat.

At that moment, another dog appeared in the distance, standing tall and mighty. It was khaki-colored like the rest but clearly a different breed.

It was Rhubarb.

As soon as Rhubarb appeared, the group of dogs immediately stopped "fighting." They split into two groups, their heads lowered, each retreating a few steps. Even as they backed away, they kept glancing at Rhubarb with looks of respect.

Just as Ning Fei had said, one group had tails standing upright, while the other had relaxed tails. The distinction between the two sides was clear.

"Wow, it's Rhubarb!"

"Look at this dog's muscles!" a new viewer exclaimed.

"Can anyone explain who Rhubarb is?"

"Rhubarb is the descendant of the village's dog king, now the ruler of all the local dogs!"

"Hahaha, this is like a scene from a gangster movie!"

"This is the top dog of the village, Serizawa Tama Huang!"

"Dude, are you challenging Rhubarb?"

"I, Uchiha Huang, acknowledge you as the strongest dog!"

The chat was filled with jokes and laughter as Rhubarb strode confidently over to Ning Fei, who patted the dog's head affectionately.

Although Rhubarb was intimidating to other dogs, he showed nothing but friendliness to Ning Fei. The two walked along the road together, with Rhubarb faithfully following.

"Master Ning, why are the other dogs so afraid of Rhubarb? Does Rhubarb have no friends?" a curious viewer asked.

It was a thoughtful question.

Indeed, the other village dogs seemed to fear Rhubarb. Was the big dog all alone?

Since ancient times, powerful creatures often walked alone. People who held great strength had to endure loneliness. Though Rhubarb was respected as a guardian dog by the villagers, did he have anyone to play with?

The chat suddenly turned sad as viewers expressed their sympathy for Rhubarb.

"Poor Rhubarb, so lonely!"

"No one to play with..."

Seeing the change in mood, Ning Fei chuckled as he read the comments.

"Hold on, you've got it all wrong," he replied. "Rhubarb isn't lonely at all. As far as I know, Rhubarb has at least four wives. And among these two groups of dogs, at least one female is his... friend."

"Rhubarb just doesn't play with the dogs from the east and west ends of the village. There are plenty of hills around the village, and Rhubarb has many friends."

"Why do you guys think he's lonely?"

The chat room went silent for a moment.

Just a few minutes ago, everyone was pitying Rhubarb, thinking he was a noble yet lonely protector of the village. Now they learned that the dog was living quite the fulfilling life.

"Wow, what a player!" one viewer exclaimed.

The chat erupted again, this time in disbelief and amusement.

Rhubarb, the village king, was far from lonely!