Chapter 39 It’s More Like the Dog is Walking Me

"Extra income?" Liu Zheng looked at him in surprise.

"I'm very busy today. Help me take Tindalos out for some exercise," the miniature man said.

Upon hearing the word "out," the hound’s dull eyes brightened.

"Uh, I’m afraid I’m not capable of that," Liu Zheng politely declined.

Him, walking this dog? It was more likely that this dog would be walking him.

"Don't worry, Tindalos is very well-behaved." The miniature man gently stroked the hound’s paw.

Tindalos let out a whimper and carefully licked his face with its tongue.

"I’m not its owner, after all." Liu Zheng continued to shake his head. Every owner thinks their dog is well-behaved, even if it bites someone, they always have an excuse.

"I can give you a thousand," the miniature man offered.

"I'm not short on money." Liu Zheng showed him his wallet.

"You’re that rich and you still deliver food?" The miniature man was shocked.

"Experiencing life. No matter how much money you have, you still have to work," he said, wearing a look of profound compassion.

"It is my perspective that was narrow. I apologize; I shouldn't have tried to insult you with money." The miniature man felt deeply ashamed.

"It’s alright, I had my faults earlier, too," Liu Zheng said magnanimously.

"But, I still need you to help me walk the dog," the miniature man pivoted.

*You persistent little guy,* Liu Zheng thought, glaring at him. If you want to give the dog a treat, just say so; there’s no need to beat around the bush.

"As long as you hold this, Tindalos and its kin will not actively attack you." The miniature man struggled to drag a bone whistle out from under his blanket.

"Name: Bone Whistle of M'sis-Ha"
"Type: Item"
"Quality: Excellent"
"Effect: When worn, it prevents attacks from Hounds of Tindalos. Has a chance to shatter after operation or time-space travel."
"Note: How to protect yourself from a Hound of Tindalos? A: Throw a bone. B: Squat down to pick up a stone. C: Obtuse angle."
"Can be taken out of the dungeon: No"

"Fine." Liu Zheng reluctantly accepted the bone whistle. It seemed walking this dog was inevitable.

"Thank you very much." The miniature man glanced at his honorary landlord medal once more. "Tindalos is very generous to those it likes."

He reminded him, "So, how do I make it like me?"

"Tindalos is a good boy," the miniature man said meaningfully, then closed the door.

Watching the hound staring at him unblinkingly, Liu Zheng felt a chill. He quickly hung the bone whistle around his neck, which made him feel slightly better. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he seemed to see a hint of disdain in Tindalos's expression.

"So, shall we go?" Liu Zheng asked tentatively.

"Awoo~" With a howl that sounded like a wolf’s cheer, the hound sprinted toward the stairs.

"Hey, the elevator is over there!" He lamented and hurried to chase after it.

The hound's speed was astonishing. By the time Liu Zheng reached the entrance of the residential complex, it was already squatting there, waiting. The squinty-eyed security guard hid to the side, looking terrified of it.

"The owner of 1503 asked me to walk his dog," Liu Zheng explained.

"I know, I know. Just go quickly," the security guard said repeatedly, showing no desire for small talk. It seemed this dog was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

"Tindalos, where do you want to go for a stroll?" Liu Zheng asked.

The hound shook its head.

"Nod if you don't know, shake if you don't care." The hound shook its head again.

"Then let's head toward the restaurant." Liu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. Although the "Beast of Burden" hadn't explicitly forbidden wandering outside, he didn't want to linger without the bonus of his legendary attire.

"Awoo?" The hound howled again. Somehow, Liu Zheng knew it was asking for directions. He pointed toward the Bloody Restaurant, and Tindalos lunged forward. Its form twisted and changed in mid-air, and upon landing, it transformed into a colorful mist, only to dissipate into nothingness. A second later, it reappeared fifty meters away.

"Awoo!" The hound seemed to be telling him to hurry up.

"Sigh, walking a dog without a leash is just the dog walking the dog," Liu Zheng sighed deeply, feeling ashamed. But even if the miniature man hadn't failed to provide a leash, he wouldn't have dared to put one on the hound’s neck.

Luckily, there was no one on the street; as long as no one saw him, it wasn't considered uncivilized. It was clear that Tindalos hadn't been walked in a long time and was extremely excited. It kept turning into mist and then re-solidifying, sometimes appearing in front of Liu Zheng, sometimes behind him. It no longer had the composed demeanor it had at the beginning. It had gone from a Saint Bernard to a Husky.

He looked at the streets on both sides; the prying eyes that had been watching him had almost all vanished. The effect was even better than when he was with the "Beast of Burden."

"Interesting." Liu Zheng’s eyes shifted, and he had a bright idea.

"Tindalos, this way." He gestured, changing their direction. The hound didn't care; with a puff of mist, it reappeared behind Liu Zheng. Whether out of exhaustion or mischief, it placed its two front paws on Liu Zheng's shoulders.

Surprisingly, Tindalos did not have the odor of a large dog. Upon reflection, it made sense; it wasn't a real dog, but merely behaved and looked like one. However, the hound wasn't entirely scentless. Liu Zheng sniffed; a scent of decay drifted into his nostrils. It wasn't the smell of rotting plants, animals, or metal, but a complex, faint scent. It was like the smell of decaying time itself.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Not far away, the London Plane tree had its eyes closed, its face sunken into the bark, appearing to be dozing.

"Mr. Tree, I'm back," Liu Zheng shouted from a distance.

The London Plane tree slowly opened its eyes, first with a look of disgust, then with utter shock.

"You, you, you! How did you bring this thing here?" it screamed in terror.

"The customer asked me to help walk his dog."

"Are you f***ing crazy? You dare to walk a Hound of Tindalos? If you're so tough, why don't you go blow up City Hall?"

"It's not that serious, I think it's quite friendly. Right, Tindalos?" Liu Zheng said to the hound.

"Awoo." The hound nodded.

Then, it turned into mist and lunged at the London Plane tree.

"Don't come over here!" the tree shrieked. Thick roots burst from the ground, stabbing at the hound like spears. A flash of disdain crossed Tindalos's eyes; it didn't even turn into mist, simply dodging all the attacks with agile movements. After a few breaths, it stepped onto the black soil.

"Ahhhhh!" The London Plane tree felt like it was going to lose its mind. More roots shot out like a hail of bullets. Faced with the tree's outburst, the hound finally turned serious. It stopped relying on agility and turned into mist. The roots pierced through the hound’s body without causing any harm.

A second later, it appeared underneath the London Plane tree. It lifted one leg and released a glowing stream of liquid.

"Awoo~" The hound made a sound of pure pleasure.