Machiavellian!

A sudden idea struck him, and he muttered, "Well, I know what to do…. Obviously, I must liberate him."

"Liberate… what?" The giant black dog* asked.

"Eh, nothing!" Donghai Lin said, "By the way, Mr. The Great Hēi Láng, why are you still blocking my path?... I also know you will not throw me into the river. Please don't waste my time. I have great things to do in my next life."

"Oh, you're right! Um, I have been meaning to ask you something." The giant black dog said as he sniffed the air greedily.

"Alright,"

"Mr. Donghai Lin, usually during my time staying here for one million years, I can smell only two types of smells from dead souls; one, stinking ill smell from sinners and the other just human smell, and my job here is to throw all those unpleasant-smelling dead souls into the Yellow spring and watched them torture." The giant black said.

He added, "You are the first human dead soul with eight different intoxicating and sweet-scented scents. These smells can even nourish my celestial soul… And what's even stranger is those smells I seemed to have encountered long ago. But I couldn't put a finger on them."

Hearing his words, Donghai Lin thought: 'Hah, now I understand. So, this stupid dog is wondering about the Eight Wines of the Eight Drunken Immortals. Judging by his words, he seemed to have met them and have quite some relationship with all of them at some point in time. In fact, I have been paying little attention to this dog and with his boasting while being used by 10th Yama, but looking at him closely, I see the rumored legendary Celestial Wolf, the one who could even swallow a sun….. Hee-hee-hee, this is my chance. I should snatch him from the 10th Yama's clutch and make him into my subordinate in my next life.'

With this thought, Donghai Lin said with a friendly smile. "Ooh, The Great Hēi Láng, I know what you are wondering about…. But before that, let me ask you this question."

He then moved closer and whispered in the dog's ear, "Haven't you realized that you have been used and mistreated for the whole one million years?" fearing the 10th Yama might hear him.

"Why's that?" The Giant Dog asked naively.

"Listen, you have been working for him these one million years without even a second break, and what for?.... Not to get bored. That is the most fucked up ridiculous joke I ever heard of and uh-man, I called it total bullshit….." Donghai Lin whispered in his ear with a ridiculing smirk.

He continued, saying. "And what's even more ridiculous is making you, the Great Hēi Láng worked your ass off here in this shit hole place called Nai-hole….sorry… I mean Naihe bridge and while the 10th Yama is somewhere drinking his Heavenly Floating Wine and screwing over some beautiful goddesses in a nice palace, enjoying his life to the fullest."

Hearing Donghai Lin's poisonous words, the naïve-looking Black Dog squinted his eyes and started thinking for the first time, but his eyes returned to normal after remembering the sweetness and intoxication because of the Heavenly Floating Wine he got to drink once a week.

It was not the reaction Donghai Lin expected, and he knew exactly what was in that dog's mind right now.

"Hah, so you are doing all of this for the 10th Yama's Heavenly Floating Wine? Bahahaha….. Have you gone nuts or are you simply that stupid? Did you even call that wine? Ptui!" Donghai Lin scoffed at him and spat saliva beside him on the ground. "That thing is even worse than my piss."

Hearing his insult made the Giant Dog growled in anger.

"You don't believe me. Fine, I'll tell you all my secrets… The eight smells that you smelled from my soul bodies are the smells of the best wines in the whole...whole….entire planes." Donghai Lin said, observing the dog's every facial expression.

Hearing him say about those mysterious smells piqued the Giant Dog's interest, making him all chilled once again.

Donghai Lin further added, saying. "Right, you are right about them being so mysterious to you. Did you want to know who brews those wines?" He halted and saw the curiousness in the dog's eyes.

He then continued, "The Eight Drunken Immortals." And he caught a strong change in the dog's expression as if he was dumbfounded on hearing that.

In order to convince the dog more, Donghai Lin recited their names: "Lü Dongbin, Li Tieguai, Han Zhongli, Lan Caihe, Zhang Guolao, Cao Guojiu, Han Xiangzi, and finally the most beautiful sole lady Immortal He Xiangu….. Do these names ring a bell to you?" and he asked.

During that whole time, Donghai Lin recited all the names of the Eight Drunken Immortals, and he saw the sudden change in the emotions of the Giant Black dog, and he thought in his mind. 'Exactly as I assume. This stupid dog has something to do with those eight.'

"Y-you, you, how did a mere mortal like you come to know the names of my masters?" The Giant Black Dog asked in a shaky voice.

"Oh, you know them too. Then, do you believe me when I say that the smell coming from my dead soul right now is a result of the wines I have drunk from them?" Donghai Lin responded with a question.

The Giant Dog closed his eyes and started sniffing the air again while trying to compare it with the wines he had drunk from his masters a long time ago.

After a minute, the Giant Dog opened his eyes and said in a serious tone. "Yes, you're right. Even though the smells from you are better than the last time I drank their wines. There is still an undeniable fact that they were the same."

"Are you really a subordinate of the 10th Yama? Or just a mere servant?" Donghai Lin asked, turning the discussion to the right course again.