The Reason for Xiancai's Wanting to Learn from a Dog as Master
Xiancai wanted to learn from a dog because the dog had an extremely sensitive sense of smell, even more sensitive than that of a pregnant woman. Animals that could not detect certain scents, dogs could. Without seeing or touching, dogs could perceive unusual things, even if those things just passed by. This was especially useful at night. Because of this superpower, humans and dogs became best friends. Animals all knew that humans were smart because they could use other animals' specialties to serve themselves: elephants were gentle, so they carried heavy loads; oxen were obedient, so they plowed fields and pulled plows for hard labor; horses ran well, so people rode them to travel; donkeys didn't get dizzy when turning in circles, so they were used to grind mills; chickens got pregnant easily, so they were made to keep getting pregnant and lay eggs. Pigs, on the other hand, had no special skills, were lazy, and always ate, so fortune-tellers predicted that humans hated how pigs affected other animals' willingness to serve them, so they killed pigs and ate them to relieve their anger. Other animals like wolves, tigers, and foxes also had their own specialties, but since humans couldn't control them, they stayed far away and ignored them.
Humans and dogs became friends, with humans using the dogs' specialties while constantly speaking ill of them. Any phrase involving dogs wasn't flattering, such as "dog-like behavior," "dog stuff," "lapdog," "dog膏药," "dogs can't change their nature," "puppy," "nonsense," "adding a dog's tail to a fox," "a cornered dog will jump over a wall," "shouting nonsense," "a dog trying to catch mice," "a dog relying on human power," etc., the list goes on. Many animals couldn't understand whether humans and dogs were best friends or enemies.
Xiancai wanted to learn the sense of smell from the dog, but the dog was unwilling to take him as a disciple. Xiancai wouldn't leave and stood in front of the doghouse for three days and three nights, regardless of wind or rain, resulting in a pit in front of the doghouse. Once, during a snowstorm, Xiancai almost froze to death. The dog was deeply moved and said to Xiancai: "Xiancai, it's not that I don't want to teach you, but I'm afraid you can't endure the hardship. Do you know how we dogs developed our sense of smell? We did it by eating feces, especially children's diarrhea. Can you handle it?" Xiancai felt nauseous after hearing this and was about to say he couldn't, but thinking of Rose, the words that came out of his mouth were: "I can."
Although he said that, and the dog accepted him as a disciple, when it came time to actually eat feces, Xiancai would feel sick looking at it and couldn't swallow. He asked the dog: "Why do I have to eat feces? Can't I eat something else?" The dog replied: "Only when eating feces does the nose become stimulated, enhancing the sense of smell. Even if not eating feces, one must consume foul-smelling things. However, other foul-smelling things are hard to find. Feces are economical and practical, so it's better to eat feces." Upon hearing this, Xiancai wanted to back out, but the dog, moved by Xiancai's sincerity in seeking a master, taught him: "When heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on someone, it must first test their resolve and strength... You need to change your attitude towards eating feces, not viewing it as feces. When you eat, imagine it as meat, and the taste will be different. For example, humans consider both tiger meat and rat meat as meat, which is fragrant. Their perception changes based on differentiation and imagination, altering the experience when eating. If you want to be a superhero, you must first surpass ordinary people in thought, then in action." Following the dog's method, Xiancai found the taste changed. After eating for a period, he transitioned from rejection to acceptance, then from acceptance to liking it until he, like the dog, would rush to eat feces whenever he saw it. After some time, he could smell unusual scents from afar, just like the dog. However, his nose became wet and sticky like a dog's, causing him some distress. Although he had learned the dog's skills, he worried whether Rose would dislike his constantly wet nose. Thinking about Rose's reaction, Xiancai felt quite troubled.