Chapter 69

Chapter 69

In truth, after the spirits had descended from the mountain, Qiu Guokai had already included English in their training curriculum. However, considering that they were a group of illiterates who needed to learn all Chinese characters before a second language, the lessons were arranged to be less intense, emphasizing gradual progress.

Yet, the Boar Spirit was not content with this and requested, "I need an intensive English course, preferably one that can make me fluent within a few months."

Upon hearing this, the Squirrel Spirit, recalling the hardship of the previous classes, was so startled that its fur almost stood on end. "Have you caught swine fever, Brother Pig? Have you forgotten the suffering we endured in the last English lesson?!"

The Boar Spirit looked at it indifferently, its gaze filled with the maturity of someone who had been through it all. It said profoundly, "What suffering is that?"

Indeed, learning English was tough. The characters were hard to remember, and vocabulary was difficult to memorize. After the last English class arranged by Qiu Guokai, it had even considered retreating back to the mountains with its followers. However, at this moment, the pain of learning English paled in comparison to the heartache it felt from the failure of its love.

Never would it have imagined that race was not a problem, nor age a barrier. Its maiden voyage of love, which it had prepared for so diligently, had crashed against the insurmountable rock of language before even setting sail.

Gazing afar at the direction of the Wild Boar enclosure in the zoo, it finally understood the hardships of love. Its face took on a weathered look, and its deep piggy eyes reddened with tears.

These tears represented the helplessness of a male boar towards life, evoking a sense of admiration from the other spirits—Brother Pig had suddenly become profound!

Unity Yi, who received the WeChat message to gather, also emerged and approached to inquire. Upon learning the reason, he couldn't help but feel melancholic. "It's not easy to marry a foreign wife."

Zhi Lixuan, who had seen Wei Xi off at the zoo, didn't catch their subsequent conversation, but he did hear the initial exchange. He glanced more intently at the handsome black man and asked Wei Xi, "Master Wei, do you know this gentleman?"

Wei Xi nodded. "He's an employee of our sect."

Zhi Lixuan surveyed the creatures around them and then looked at Wei Xi's second disciple standing by his side. He first marveled at the overall attractiveness of Taicang Sect's staff before saying respectfully, "I didn't expect your temple to have high demands for its Taoist priests, even requiring them to learn English collectively. But it does make sense. In this day and age, internationalization is key in every industry. It leads to being at the forefront and reaching out to the world."

Being at the forefront, reaching out to the world...

Wei Xi felt a warmth in his heart. If only the Taicang Sect could truly achieve that one day.

Zhi Lixuan continued, "Today, we owe a great deal to Master Wei for your assistance. Just now, the people I dispatched called back, saying they found vast quantities of substandard fodder and procurement records at the warehouse address you provided. The records indicate that my partner might have been swapping the feed for months, and I was completely unaware. After today, I'll gather evidence to sue him and hold accountable any staff within the park who colluded with him... Sigh, some of them have been working alongside me for over five or six years. I had so much trust in them; it's unfortunate how easily people can change."

He then took out another red envelope from his pocket and handed it to Wei Xi. "If not for Master Wei, I might have been fooled by that fraud he hired again. It's one thing for the animals to escape from the park, but if they had kept consuming problematic feed and fallen ill... I would never have been able to face this zoo again."

Wei Xi took a gentle pinch and found a bank card inside. He nodded, offering a piece of advice, "If a company wishes to grow and become prominent, it must never be stingy with employee benefits. When salaries are adequate, they will put their hearts into working for you."

Zhi Lixuan had lost the desire to refute the connection he drew between zoos and animals. In truth, after this experience, even his own perception of animals had become peculiar. He had always assumed that animals lacked self-awareness, but now he realized that monkeys could be dissatisfied with their work commute, and that the Siberian tiger, who had initially weathered the zoo's hardships, could feel disheartened when its former spotlight was taken by a panda...

He was inherently an animal lover; otherwise, out of all the 360 professions, why would he have chosen to run a zoo? After this incident, his attitude towards the animals became even more conscientious. After some thought, he nodded and assured, "Master Wei, rest assured. From now on, I'll take good care of them and ensure they live genuinely relaxed, carefree lives in the zoo."

As they were talking, the dark-skinned young man who had previously suggested learning English suddenly approached them. "Are you the director of the Forest Zoo?"

Zhi Lixuan: "?"

The young man met his gaze, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. After a long while, he spoke, "Could you give me your contact information?"

Zhi Lixuan took out his business card, confused, and asked, "What's this about?"

The young man took the card and studied it for a long time before he said, "I've noticed that the exhibit area for the Steppe Otter is rather small, tucked away in a remote corner. The grass isn't lush, and the facilities seem outdated."

Zhi Lixuan was unsure why the man brought this up, but the issue was indeed real. He assumed the young man was pointing out a flaw he had observed in the zoo, and he felt helpless about it. "There's nothing we can do about it. Visitors come to zoos to see lions, tigers, and pandas. While the Steppe Otter is precious, its appearance doesn't attract most visitors, so its exhibit has to be placed in a more secluded spot. We strive to provide the best living conditions for all our animals, but our resources and funding are limited. Providing the current facilities and food is already our best effort."

He thought he was answering a casual question from a visitor's perspective, but after he finished speaking, the young man seemed strangely persistent. "Can't you move its exhibit closer to the center of the zoo?"

"What kind of request is that?" Zhi Lixuan was baffled. "It's quite unlikely. From a practical standpoint, the Steppe Otter doesn't hold much commercial value. Considering the zoo's actual operations and what visitors want to see, promoting it wouldn't necessarily convince everyone to take an interest."

The young man's expression worsened, as if he was enduring some unbearable pain. His gaze fixated intently on Zhi Lixuan.

Strangely, Zhi Lixuan sensed a heartbreak in the young man's eyes, like he desperately wanted to do something but was powerless. This display left Zhi Lixuan even more perplexed. Fortunately, after a long moment, the young man finally looked away, not pressing the matter. He simply took out his wallet and glanced at it.

Zhi Lixuan: "?"

The boar demon stared fixedly at his wallet. Just as the monster spirits had descended from the mountain and without any work at hand, he was at his poorest state, with only a thousand yuan in pocket money given by Qiu Guokai, and a hundred of it already spent. Seeing those few lonely bills, he turned to ask his companions, "Can anyone lend me some money?"

Despite being equally broke, upon hearing their friend's rare plea for help, they all generously offered what they had. The boar demon managed to scrape together five thousand yuan, and adding his nine hundred, he thrust the sum into Zhi Lixuan's hands.

Zhi Lixuan: "??????"

"I don't have much money right now either. But when I receive my salary in the future, I'll regularly set aside half to transfer to the zoo," the young man said. After giving the money, his gaze wandered back towards the zoo, his deep eyes filled with longing. "I hope the zoo director can use this money to treat it better. It has come such a long way, with no family or friends here. Please don't mistreat its life anymore."

Zhi Lixuan: "????????"

What was going on with this Daoist priest from Taicang Sect? Why would he just give away money like that? Seeking help, Zhi Lixuan looked at Wei Xi, who also couldn't fathom the boar demon's mindset. He turned inexplicably to his two disciples, asking, "What is he doing?"

The eldest disciple seemed too moved to speak, while the second disciple simply met his gaze deeply. After a long silence, he solemnly addressed Zhi Lixuan, "He has his reasons. Take it if he offers."

Confused, Zhi Lixuan could only accept it. At the same time, he was stunned to realize that this dark-skinned young Daoist priest from Taicang Sect might be the most generous animal protector he had ever encountered! He had accidentally glanced at the man's wallet, and after giving that money, it appeared to contain only twenty or thirty yuan left!

To be honest, Zhi Lixuan was dumbfounded. He had never been so extravagant even with his girlfriend when they were dating, yet here he was, borrowing money to donate to the warthog exhibit to improve its living conditions!

After an eventful day filled with wonders, bidding farewell to Wei Xi, he held onto the money, reminiscing about the generosity of that Taoist priest. He couldn't help but make a trip to the Javelina House.

Earlier, the caretaker had called to inform him that a wild boar had trespassed, but shortly after, they reported that the unfamiliar boar had vanished. Concerned about its whereabouts, all the zoo staff were on high alert, fearing it might cause harm to the visitors if it escaped the Javelina House. However, despite their search efforts, no updates had been provided.

It was so bizarre that the caretakers began to doubt themselves—

"Was there really such a pig?"

"Maybe we were just too busy and our eyes played tricks on us today…"

The sloth remained lazily sprawled on the grass, its round, dark eyes clear and endearing as they fixated on a certain spot, likely the path leading away from the exhibition.

Zhi Lixuan gazed at it inexplicably, sensing an air of perplexity in the sloth's expression.

*****

As evening approached, the employees, weary from the crowded subway, announced they would float back on their own. Wei Xi, accompanied by his disciple and the other corporeal spirits, opted for a car. The boar spirit climbed in and sat in the farthest corner, its eyes reddened as it gazed out the window. Soon, it began to sob, covering its face while intermittently banging its head against the glass. A touching display of vulnerability from such a sturdy creature, it tugged at the heartstrings.

The atmosphere turned peculiar, prompting Wei Xi to ask his second disciple, seated beside him, "What's wrong with it today?"

The second disciple also cast a glance at the boar demon, his expression indifferent yet with a hint of emotion stirring in his eyes, as if he had seen a shadow of the past in the other. "Perhaps he suddenly realized how incapable he truly is."

Wei Xi, watching his trance-like state, was momentarily stunned as well. He instinctively placed his hand over his disciple's back, which was promptly grasped and squeezed in return.

Tuan Jieyi didn't notice this exchange, his eyes misted with tears as he gazed at the back seat.

From the rear came the voice of the boar demon, "Ah Song, do you know what the most painful thing for a male pig is?"

The squirrel demon asked, "What is it?"

The boar demon covered his face in agony, "It's when, at its most helpless moment, it meets the sow it wants to care for its entire life. It's just too incompetent!"

The squirrel demon choked up, "Brother Pig! Don't say that! You've already tried your best, sob sob sob! The sow will see it!"

Going down the mountain was difficult, making money was hard, life in the human world was tough – these were abstract concepts for the group of spirits. Yet, they now witnessed such tangible helplessness in the boar demon, prompting them all to uncontrollably weep together in a group hug.

The driver, who had heard the entire conversation, turned back with a horrified look, almost losing control of the steering wheel.

These were a bunch of lunatics!

Wei Xi didn't quite grasp the sorrow of a wild boar spirit, but being held by his disciple while hearing sobs felt odd too. At that moment, his phone in his pocket suddenly rang. He took it out and saw that the caller was Xu Xiaofeng, the wife of Daoist Kuang from Liandu Temple.

Putting the call on speaker, Wei Xi heard Xu Xiaofeng's panicked voice, tinged with tears, coming through the microphone: "Master Wei! Just now, Kuang Zhiming's soul was almost taken away!"

Wei Xi was taken aback, suddenly recalling the Cultivation Sect that could bribe the Soul Collectors to bind one's soul. "What happened?"

The driver, listening attentively, turned his head and asked with keen eyes, "Cheating again? What a disgraceful man!"