"Who are you people and what are your surnames?" Zhou Fugui asked Liuxia and Feiyun in Xue Lin City.
The two beautiful maids gifted to Zhou Fugui by the eunuch Hou Luoqi caused him great distress. He couldn't keep them, yet felt reluctant to let them go, leaving him in a predicament.
Liuxia and Feiyun were clearly not their birth names, which prompted Zhou Fugui's question.
"My lord, we are from Kucha. We were sold from one owner to another since childhood, and finally ended up with Master Hou," Liuxia replied sorrowfully. "My lord asks for my surname, but I cannot recall it."
"Master, Feiyun also cannot recall her surname. I am from Gumuo, and I have been a slave since I was young," Feiyun answered, tears in her eyes.
"Pitiful, so pitiful! How many souls are adrift and homeless!" Zhou Fugui sighed upon hearing this.
Zhou Fugui's suspicions were correct. He had already noted their high noses, deep-set eyes, and tall stature, along with their fair skin. It was evident they were not from the Central Plains. It turned out one was from Kucha and the other from Gumuo, both in the Western Regions.
Having been slaves since childhood and passed through countless hands, their experiences were deeply pitiable. Zhou Fugui felt a pang of sympathy and could no longer bear to send them away.
"Liuxia, Feiyun..." Zhou Fugui then put on a helpless expression and said to the two girls, "I must return to the military camp south of the city. What about you two?"
"Master, Feiyun and I will rent a place in the city and await your return," Liuxia said after her eyes darted around.
"Yes, Master! I can do laundry, cook, play the zither, and perform songs and dances. I can do anything! Liuxia and I will await your return to serve you," Feiyun added excitedly.
In this world, the fate of a servant was entirely dependent on their master. For those with cruel masters, their lives were dire, but for those with kind masters, their days were much easier.
Although Zhou Fugui was a strong and robust soldier, Liuxia and Feiyun already sensed his kind heart. They believed a kind master would also be lenient in managing his subordinates. Moreover, Zhou Fugui was young and valiant, far better than the detestable castrated official Hou Luoqi.
Hou Luoqi was incapable of normal marital relations, and his private chambers held many perversions beyond ordinary imagination.
Therefore, Liuxia and Feiyun were determined to follow Zhou Fugui...
"Alas, it seems this is the only way? Damn it, what is this all about?" Zhou Fugui sighed again and said to Liuxia and Feiyun, "Come with me for now."
"Where are we going?" Liuxia asked fearfully.
"Is Master going to sell us, Liuxia and me?" Feiyun also exclaimed in shock.
"Sell what? I'm taking you to rent a place," Zhou Fugui said, rolling his eyes.
He felt a pang of reluctance at the thought of selling two beautiful young women from the Western Regions, who were as lovely as flowers. Even if he could, he wouldn't. Zhou Fugui had always abhorred such inhumane acts.
"Oh, thank you, Master!" Liuxia and Feiyun said together with joy.
Each carrying a small bundle, Liuxia and Feiyun happily followed Zhou Fugui. The two girls squeezed to his sides, one on the left and one on the right, drawing curious glances from passersby.
"Roar!"
"Oh my, where did this wild beast come from?"
"Quick, catch it! Don't let it escape! Be careful not to hurt anyone."
"What's its name? Are you going to catch it?"
"My scrawny body wouldn't even be enough for it to eat in one meal."
"..."
Just then, screams of terror and commotion erupted from the street. A massive white beast charged towards Zhou Fugui, followed by a large crowd. Street vendors and pedestrians scattered in fear, either hiding in shops or shrinking into corners. Some were so scared they jumped onto walls.
It was Chi You, the little white bear, who had somehow broken free of its restraints and was looking for Zhou Fugui again.
To be precise, Chi You was no longer a little white bear but a great bear. In just eight months, under Zhou Fugui's meticulous care, Chi You had grown rapidly, its weight soaring to nearly three hundred catties. Standing upright, it was at least seven feet tall, exceeding the height of a grown man. Its body was large and robust, its shoulders broad. It had ten claws, long and sharp, like ten daggers.
Although Chi You was only about a year old, its body was as formidable as an ordinary bear's, its appearance fierce and terrifying.
"Roar! Roar!" Being closely pursued, Chi You turned and swung its bear claws, letting out two angry roars. The pursuers were scared and fell down in a heap, crying out in pain.
Chi You had already smelled Zhou Fugui's scent. After briefly hindering its pursuers, it turned and rushed towards Zhou Fugui.
"Ah! Ah!" Seeing the fierce white bear charging towards them, Liuxia and Feiyun let out screams and fell to the ground, their bones gone soft, their legs weak, their faces pale with fear, unable to move.
"Don't panic! Don't panic!" Zhou Fugui shouted twice and strode towards Chi You.
Chi You, the little white bear, had grown into a large one. Should he release it into the wild? Zhou Fugui mused as he ran.
"Wuwu..."
Upon reaching Zhou Fugui, Chi You stood on its hind legs and embraced him with its two paws. Its massive head rubbed against Zhou Fugui's body. Its angry roars turned into happy whimpers, like crying, or perhaps contented moans.
Zhou Fugui pushed Chi You away forcefully, pinned it under his feet, and gently stroked its snowy white head, calming it down.
Zhou Fugui then walked forward, past his beast, and stood before the chasing crowd, proclaiming loudly, "This is my pet. It has never harmed anyone. There is no need for alarm. You may all disperse."
Chi You followed Zhou Fugui's every step. Liuxia and Feiyun finally managed to stand up, huddling together, watching Zhou Fugui and his "pet," the great white bear Chi You, with fearful eyes.
"Pet? Does anyone in this world keep a fierce bear as a pet?" The crowd was astonished and stared blankly at Zhou Fugui and his "pet." No one spoke, and no one dared to step forward.
The reasons were twofold: first, Zhou Fugui's status as a military officer, and second, the formidable white bear behind him.
Chi You rested on all fours, emitting a constant low growl.
"Which unit's officer are you?" A patrolling officer from Xue Lin City cautiously approached, looking at Zhou Fugui and his "pet."
"Zhou Fugui, attendant to the Grand Governor!" Zhou Fugui replied, displaying his waist token.
"Oh, so it's Guard Zhou..." As the saying goes, one must consider the master before hitting the dog. When dealing with this "dog bear" Chi You, one must consider its master, Zhou Fugui. And to confront Zhou Fugui, one must consider his master, the frontier Grand Governor Hu Yan Sheng... Thus, the patrolling officer, with a bitter expression, said helplessly to Zhou Fugui, "Guard Zhou, why would you raise such a pet? Why not a cat or a dog? Why a giant bear? Such a ferocious beast wandering in the city, what if it harmed someone? At the very least, you should chain it!"
"Heh heh, I raised him from a cub. He has never harmed anyone..." Zhou Fugui stepped forward, secretly slipped a string of coins to the patrolling officer, and smiled, "Officer, please indulge him for a moment. I will buy a chain and lock him in a cage."
"Hmm, hurry then." The patrolling officer, for the sake of the money and the Grand Governor Hu Yan Sheng, decided not to press the matter further. He nodded and said.
"Everyone, disperse! He is the Grand Governor's pet. There is no need to be alarmed or make a fuss," the patrolling officer then turned and waved to the crowd.
Truly, a strong general has no weak soldiers. This young and valiant attendant actually kept a ferocious beast as a pet... The patrolling officer shook his head inwardly as he glanced at Zhou Fugui.
"Let's go, troublemaker," Zhou Fugui said, pulling Chi You by the scruff of its neck.
It's time to chain him, Zhou Fugui thought to himself. Chi You wouldn't harm him, but he couldn't guarantee it wouldn't harm others.
Zhou Fugui led away the great white bear Chi You, while Liuxia and Feiyun followed him and his "pet" tremblingly.
.........
"Wuwu..."
Zhou Fugui had intended to rent an apartment for Liuxia and Feiyun, but with Chi You around, he now needed a larger place. He found a courtyard with five rooms in Xue Lin City and bought a large iron cage, intending to lock Chi You up to prevent it from harming Liuxia and Feiyun.
Chi You was exceptionally human-like and seemed to understand Zhou Fugui's intention. It clung to Zhou Fugui tightly, refusing to enter the iron cage.
Helpless, Zhou Fugui sat on a stool, holding Chi You, and continually comforted it.
"Don't be afraid, come and pet him," Zhou Fugui said with a smile, stroking Chi You's increasingly long fur, noticing Liuxia and Feiyun still cowering and looking exceptionally scared.
"Troublemaker, these are our people. You can't bite them," Zhou Fugui said, holding Chi You's massive bear head.
"Wuwu..."
Chi You glanced at Liuxia and Feiyun as if it understood and let out a gentle "wuwu" sound.
Liuxia and Feiyun huddled together, still timid. Finally, Feiyun, being slightly bolder, dared to reach out and stroke Chi You's back before quickly stepping back, her eyes fixed on Chi You.
Such a light touch was no more than an itch to the thick-skinned and robust Chi You. It showed no reaction, merely turning its head to look at Feiyun curiously before burying its head back in Zhou Fugui's embrace.
At this, the two women felt a little more at ease. They stepped forward together and gently stroked Chi You's white fur.
"Master, you are so amazing!" Liuxia exclaimed as she stroked Chi You's fur.
"Master is a hero," Feiyun praised as well.
Western Region women differed from those of the Central Plains. Han women considered associating with such ferocious beasts to be beneath them and disdained it, whereas Western Region women saw the ability to tame such a beast as heroic.
"Haha, he's just a pet. How can I be a great hero? Isn't that right, troublemaker?" Zhou Fugui said, stroking Chi You and laughing heartily.