"Gou Za, is the sky always like this here?" Chu Feng asked.
"My lord, we of the Dog Lineage are sinners of the Gale Hunt Clan. We don't deserve to see the light, nor do we deserve to live in fine buildings."
"The people from the Soldier Lineage come to inspect us every month. If anyone dares to break the rules, they'll be punished."
"So, we can only live this way. This is the life you see before you, my lord."
Gou Za said these words with a smile on his face. It seemed he had already grown used to it.
That was no surprise. Having lived in a place like this since childhood, he had long since become accustomed to it.
There was a saying that went: if one had never seen the light, one could have endured the darkness.
The fact that Gou Za and the others could endure the darkness was surely because they had never seen the light...
Looking at Gou Za like this, Chu Feng felt even more sympathy for him.
After all, it was his ancestors who had committed the wrongs, not him.
Yet simply because of his ancestors' sins, from the day he was born, he could only live this lowly, miserable life.
The most tragic part was that not only would his life be like this, but even his descendants would suffer the same fate.
Thinking of this, Chu Feng couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.
So it wasn't just the human world that was cruel — even the world of ancient creatures could be this harsh.
"My lord, the entrance to the Min Lineage's territory is just behind those trash mountains."
"But my lord, could you wait a little while before going there?"
At this point, a look of hesitation appeared on Gou Za's face. Chu Feng could tell that he had something to say but didn't dare to speak up.
"Gou Za, is there something on your mind?" Chu Feng asked.
"My lord, I don't know if you could do me a small favor."
"Of course, if you're not willing, my lord, then just pretend I passed gas."
Gou Za said this with a trembling voice, full of fear toward Chu Feng. It was as if he were terrified that one wrong word would earn him a beating.
"What kind of favor? Go ahead and say it," Chu Feng said.
"My lord, my grandmother has never said it directly, and she's always told me that as long as I'm alive, that's enough — there's no need to pursue cultivation."
"But I know that deep in her heart, she has always hoped that I could grow up to become an outstanding warrior."
"But I'm... too disappointing. My talent is truly limited. I've already cultivated for a thousand years, yet my strength is still this weak."
"My grandmother's health isn't good. I'm afraid she won't live much longer."
"I want to make her happy, so I was hoping, my lord, that you could pretend to be my friend and visit my grandmother as my companion."
"If my grandmother saw that I had actually made friends with a lord from the Soldier Lineage, she would surely be overjoyed."
By the time Gou Za finished speaking, he didn't dare to meet Chu Feng's gaze. He was terrified.
He wasn't just afraid that Chu Feng would refuse him — he was afraid that Chu Feng would punish him for even asking.
Looking at his tightly clenched hands, Chu Feng knew that it had taken every ounce of courage for him to say those words.
"Very well. Lead the way," Chu Feng said.
"Huh?"
"My lord, you... you agree?"
Gou Za looked up abruptly, and in his eyes there glistened tears of disbelief. He simply couldn't fathom that Chu Feng had actually agreed to this request.
"I already told you to lead the way. Can you not understand me?" Chu Feng said.
"Yes, yes! I'll lead the way right away, my lord! Right away!"
Gou Za was beside himself with joy, and in his excitement he hurriedly led Chu Feng forward.
Under Gou Za's guidance, Chu Feng arrived at Gou Za's residence.
And there, he met Gou Za's grandmother.
Sure enough, just as Gou Za had described, his grandmother's health was in very poor condition. Fortunately, it was not illness but simply old age that had worn her down.
When Gou Za's grandmother learned that Chu Feng was a member of the Soldier Lineage and was Gou Za's friend, she was overjoyed.