Chapter 33: Calculating the Date for the Fox's Wedding!

If Zhang Hao hadn’t offered five hundred yuan for a fortune-telling session, the old Taoist would have certainly grabbed a stick and chased him away.

He was using reverse psychology, of all things. This kid was truly detestable.

However, the price offered was fair. Without further hesitation, the old man assumed a hand-gesturing position, his fingers dancing as he muttered under his breath.

A moment later, his expression shifted drastically. His triangular eyes seemed to invert in shock. "If we calculate based on this timing, the joyous occasion should fall on... the first quarter of the Rooster hour, six days from now..."

The old Taoist stood up abruptly, nearly dropping his horsetail whisk. "Young man, are you here to have your fortune told, or are you here to sabotage my business?"

The first quarter of the Rooster hour, six days from now—that was 6:15 PM. It was an Yin day at an Yin time, in an Yin year and an Yin month. It was a perfectly "all-Yin" alignment!

There was no way a respectable family would choose such a date for a wedding!

This kid was definitely up to no good. Could he be the type to steal corpses for ghost marriages?

...

Satisfied with the answer, Zhang Hao didn't respond. He took out his phone, scanned the payment code on the old man's table, and transferred the five hundred yuan.

"There we go. Many thanks for your guidance, Daoist."

With that, Zhang Hao pulled Li Siyu away and turned to leave. He had been pondering a specific problem before coming here.

If he wanted to infiltrate the "Fox Wedding" and seize the mountain treasure, there was one critical issue: the exact time of the wedding.

Although ancient texts recorded that fox weddings always occurred during an Yin year, month, and day, Zhang Hao knew nothing about the calculations, and the methods circulating among the common folk were entirely unreliable.

If he calculated it incorrectly himself, he would miss out on the treasure.

Therefore, he had to rely on a professional, which was why he had sought out a renowned fortune-teller. Once the date was confirmed, he could prepare in advance and increase his chances of securing the treasure.

"Why are you calculating this?" Li Siyu asked, her brows furrowed.

Zhang Hao paused, thinking for a moment. "Someone in the mountains is getting married. I'm calculating the date so I can go help out."

"Someone in the mountains is getting married?" Li Siyu turned her head, looking at him with suspicion. No one lived in the mountains; how could there be a wedding?

Moreover, if there really were a wedding, how could the people in their village at the foot of the mountain be unaware?

Zhang Hao was clearly lying to her. But what was his motive?

Li Siyu pondered for a moment but decided not to press further, instead following him silently.

With the biggest weight off his mind, Zhang Hao felt much more at ease. Now, all he had to do was prepare the items needed to attend the fox wedding within the next seven days and wait for the day to arrive.

Whether he could obtain the treasure depended on his preparations.

"Selling wolfdogs! Freshly weaned pups, great for guarding the house!"

A voice caught their attention. Looking ahead, a sturdy middle-aged man with a stubbly beard sat on a small stool, surrounded by several cages filled with lively, jumping puppies.

"Let’s go take a look. We could use a dog at home," Zhang Hao said, immediately interested as he walked over.

He had a fondness for dogs; they were the first animals domesticated by mountain-walkers and were excellent guardians for later generations. Furthermore, a dog was loyal to only one master for its entire life—especially wolfdogs, which were fierce to strangers but docile toward their owners.

Most importantly, Zhang Hao wanted to see if he could pick a promising wolfdog to raise and train to accompany him on his future treks.

A qualified mountain-walker never worked alone; they always had their own "partners." This included domesticated birds that acted as the walker’s eyes, and specially trained dogs.

A dog trained by a mountain-walker could play a vital role at critical moments. For instance, if he encountered something like the [Mountain Phantom] he had faced before, the dog's bark could potentially snap him out of an illusion.

Of course, training a proper mountain-walking dog required immense time and effort. The breed was the most important factor. Modern pet dogs, even if gathered by all the mountain-walkers throughout history, could never be trained into qualified mountain dogs because of their lineage.

The wolfdog breed was acceptable, but only if it was one in a thousand.

Li Siyu stood by, silently nodding. She was busy with farm work and video filming, and Zhang Hao was often away in the mountains. Having a dog to guard the house while they were gone would be nice. Still, she felt it wasn't strictly necessary; if they really wanted a dog, she could just ask for one from a neighbor in the village when someone's dog had a litter.

However, Zhang Hao had made money from selling mountain goods, so it was his business to spend it as he pleased. Li Siyu didn't say anything, just as she hadn't during the fortune-telling.

"Mm," Li Siyu murmured, following him.

As they reached the stall, Zhang Hao looked at the lively pups in the cages and asked, "Brother, how much for these wolfdogs?"

The man looked at Zhang Hao’s attire, then at Li Siyu, his eyes widening.

"Brother, how much for these wolfdogs?" Li Siyu asked calmly.

The man beamed. "Eight hundred each. They’ve all been vaccinated; I have the receipts and vaccination records. I guarantee they’re healthy. If there’s any issue, just come find me—I’m here every day."

Zhang Hao: ...

He stood up, blocking the man's gaze, and frowned. "Eight hundred each? That’s too expensive."

The man finally looked at him, his expression dropping. "Little brother, eight hundred isn't expensive. These are wolfdogs, the pedigree is there. Plus, they’re vaccinated—definitely not sick. I’ll even throw in three months of dog food, a leash, and deworming medicine. It’s a fair price."

Zhang Hao remained unimpressed. He crouched down to observe the pups.

The puppies, having only recently opened their eyes, were licking their noses and pushing hard against the cage walls. Some were gnawing on the iron bars as if trying to break free.

He scrutinized them carefully.

After a long while, he stood up and shook his head. These were indeed wolfdogs, but not of the highest quality. It was highly likely the mother was a wolfdog and the father was a common local dog. As a result, they weren't purebred, and their potential for training was minimal.

"Forget it, brother. We won't buy. Siyu, let’s go..."

Zhang Hao turned to Li Siyu, but he stopped when he saw her crouching in front of a different cage, her eyes fixed on a small creature inside.

Curious, he walked over, crouched down, and followed her gaze. His expression changed instantly.

Inside the cage sat a small wolfdog with jet-black fur, snow-white paws, and a few tufts of grayish-white hair on the top of its head.

The little thing was curled into a ball, eyes tightly shut, shivering. Unlike the others, it wasn't lively; it looked sickly and frail, as if it might not survive much longer.