CH 25

The Secret Sect.

In a secluded temple, Su Gou pushed open a window. If anyone were present, they would notice the dazzling blue light in his eyes. A faint halo shone around his porcelain-white cheeks, as if fireflies were crawling on him.

Su Gou lowered his head and looked at his palm, smiling slowly. “Lord Shen Tu, can you feel it?”

Behind him was a strange shadow, tilting its head and looking in the direction of the market.

“What unfamiliar spiritual energy,” the shadow spoke up.

Their clan possessed the gift of spiritual resonance. When they were injured and weak, their spiritual energy would scatter outward, and nearby clansmen could sense the distress signal and come to rescue. Today’s spiritual energy was very unfamiliar. Su Gou had never received such a quiet and profound flow of spiritual energy. The flow was intermittent, and only their clansmen could understand the distress signal hidden behind it.

“This spiritual energy flow is so unstable. It seems that this child has just retrieved a demon core. The demon core has not yet fully merged with his body, and he must have used spiritual power recklessly, causing the energy to erupt uncontrollably, even losing control of his own form,” Su Gou said. “Unfortunately, we are too far away to determine the exact location. It would be great if we were closer. He suddenly appeared, so he must be an outsider who just entered Bian Du. In the past few days, besides the candidates of the Frontline Guards, has anyone else entered Bian Du?”

“As far as I know, no. Bian Du has been on high alert,” the shadow replied.

“Most of those candidates are dead. Only Su Ru Hui and the little child who’s with him are left,” Su Gou said. “It seems like Su Ru Hui is hiding something from us. Let’s go meet them tomorrow.”

Bian Du, Shun Kang Lane on the South Main Street.

The moment the kitten met Han Ye’s gaze, its fur stood on end, and its previously fluffy hair stood up like javelins. It slapped Han Ye’s cheek with a paw. Han Ye reacted quickly and threw it out. Seeing that the kitten was about to fall hard on the ground, Su Ru Hui quickly opened his arms and caught it, holding its butt and hind legs in his arms.

[A weak and harmless baby kitty, the best choice for warming hands, feet, and bed. It is a male and has not yet reached its sexual maturity. To prevent it from yowling and urinating everywhere, it is recommended that the owner take immediate measures to neuter it. The system provides a free guide for the owner on the entire process of neutering.]

Han Ye raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Your cat is quite fierce.”

“It’s not my cat. I don’t have a cat,” Su Ru Hui said.

The cat in his arms was not small, with a big fluffy body, quite heavy in his arms, but it was still a kitten. It stared at Su Ru Hui without blinking, its round eyes wide and seemed to be shocked. Su Ru Hui had never seen such beautiful eyes, shimmering with waves, as if a deep universe was hidden inside.

The cat, or rather, Sang Chi Yu, was shocked for a long time before gradually coming to terms with what had happened to him. He had turned into a cat, held in Su Ru Hui’s arms. Everything in front of him had become much larger, and Su Ru Hui seemed like a giant to him. His senses seemed to have strengthened again, and he smelled a faint smell of soap on Su Ru Hui. He stuck to Su Ru Hui’s chest, feeling the warmth in his embrace.

Why was this happening? The influence of that strange heart core on him was far greater than the influence it had on Su Ru Hui before. Was it because of the difference in their physique or some other reason? He sensed fluctuations of spiritual power within his body, as if something was different, but he couldn’t say what.

Would his body decay? How long could he hold on? Could he turn back into a human?

A sense of powerlessness and sadness welled up in his heart. Perhaps he could no longer be considered a human now.

Su Ru Hui lifted him up. “Little kitty, where did you come from? How did you end up in my house?”

“A stray cat?” Han Ye looked at it. “Doesn’t look like it. It’s pretty clean.”

“Probably from a neighbor’s house.” Su Ru Hui rubbed its small head, liking it more and more. “This little kitty is so adorable. Fate brought us together. I might as well keep it. Tomorrow, I’ll knock on doors and ask which house it’s from, and buy it if I can.”

Han Ye sneered. “A cat is not a toy. If you want to keep it, you have to take care of it. Its fur is so long, it will get tangled and sticky, and you’ll suffer from it. You haven’t raised a cat before. I suggest you send it back. If the cat is clean, it will lick itself, but if it’s messy, it will run around and leave its waste everywhere. Then you’ll regret it.”

Sang Chi Yu looked at Han Ye coldly, and his deep blue eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.

Why was Han Ye here?

Wasn’t Su Ru Hui trying to kill Han Ye? But now, they were talking and laughing with each other, acting quite friedly. Sang Chi Yu furrowed his eyebrows slowly.

Han Ye asked in surprise, “Is it glaring at me?”

Su Ru Hui lifted the cat’s big tail and checked if its butt was clean. As he lowered his head, he saw a small pink anus hidden under its messy white fur, and two round and furry testicles hanging below. Su Ru Hui laughed. “It’s a clean cat.”

Sang Chi Yu suddenly felt a chill behind him, and his entire body shivered.

Su Ru Hui, this impudent bastard!

Sang Chi Yu struggled fiercely, trying to get out of Su Ru Hui’s embrace. Sang Chi Yu had fought before, been injured before, and had even been on the verge of death, but he had never suffered such humiliation. He was actually held down by his most hated person, and his tail was lifted for an inspection of his butt!

Su Ru Hui grabbed the cat’s front legs with one hand and its hind legs with the other, and held it in his arms. Sang Chi Yu was unable to move. His strength was far weaker after turning into a cat than it was when he was a much larger human. He had no strength to resist.

Su Ru Hui said, “Don’t move. It’s freezing cold outside. Do you know you’ll freeze to death if you run out? Be good and stay here. I’ll adopt you as my son.”

Sang Chi Yu felt hopeless.

“You have to discipline the cat,” Han Ye taught him. “If it doesn’t listen to you, you have to spank its butt, so it knows who’s the boss. Otherwise, it will walk all over you and treat you like its subordinate.”

As soon as Han Ye finished speaking, he felt an icy-cold stare. He lowered his head and met the small cat’s blue eyes. He found it strange that a cat’s eyes could be so cold. He also had an inexplicable feeling that he had met those eyes before.

If Su Ru Hui dared to spank his butt, Sang Chi Yu thought coldly, he would… he would…

He sadly realized that there was nothing he could do at the moment.

His ears drooped down, looking weak and feeble. He would rather be a homeless stray cat freezing to death on the street than endure humiliation from Su Ru Hui.

Hitting the cat was the farthest thing from Su Ru Hui’s mind. He held it like a baby. Its soft and warm body was like a little heater. Su Ru Hui happily thought that it could warm his feet at night.

Han Ye looked up at the sky and said, “Don’t leave the city. Stay in the Secret Sect honestly. You don’t need to worry about those things in the snow mountains. I will send someone else to investigate. Your top priority is to determine the location of the Secret Sect’s treasure.”

He asked Su Ru Hui to take out the communication compass and left his symbol on it so that Su Ru Hui could contact him. There were strange things in the snow mountains, and the Secret Sect was also a dangerous place. Although A Qi was smart, he still worried about his safety.

After several days of contact, he had a better understanding of A Qi’s temperament. He looked sly, but he was stubborn and not like those corrupt boys in the underworld who were willing to do anything to climb up. He probably got sent to Han Ye by those sycophantic people because he looked clean-faced and had a resemblance to Su Ru Hui.

He was a little worried about A Qi, but only a little. His primary goal was to get Su Ru Hui out of the Secret Sect. When he was about to say something caring, it turned into, “A Qi, make sure to carry the compass with you. I don’t like not being able to find people.”

Su Ru Hui just nodded and complied.

Sang Chi Yu looked up at the two of them, his eyebrows getting tighter and tighter.

Why did Han Ye call Su Ru Hui “A Qi”? What was their relationship?

Suddenly, Sang Chi Yu remembered that Su Ru Hui’s birthday was on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

“A Qi”…was that his nickname?

Han Ye took a step to leave, but then turned around and casually asked, “Has Sang Chi Yu contacted you?”

Su Ru Hui’s alarm bells went off in his heart. He had convinced Han Ye to spare his life by saying that Sang Chi Yu had feelings for him and could use him to manipulate him. Regardless of whether there was news from Sang Chi Yu or not, he had to come up with a lie to fool Han Ye.

Su Ru Hui decided to lie and say they were still communicating via messenger birds. However, before he could speak, Han Ye laughed first. “Don’t try to fool me. Do you think I’m stupid? Sang Chi Yu definitely didn’t come to see you.” He was in a good mood and his tone was relaxed. “We’re done with Sang Chi Yu. In the future, there’s no need to keep in touch with him. I don’t need you to find out anything from him.”

“What?” Su Ru Hui was a little surprised.

“You’re not willing?” Han Ye narrowed his eyes and his gaze became dangerous.

He took two steps forward, forcing Su Ru Hui against the wall. Su Ru Hui held the cat, which made a threatening snarling sound and showed its sharp little teeth. Su Ru Hui realized that the kitten was angry and was very moved in his heart. He had just recognized it as his son, and it was already helping him fend off bad people. It was truly his obedient son!

“Sang Chi Yu is a complete hypocrite. Don’t have any contact with him anymore.” Han Ye said, “Just take care of the things I asked you to do, understand?”

Su Ru Hui solemnly said, “I understand!”

Han Ye was satisfied and flicked his forehead with his finger. “Idiot.” He glanced at the cat in Su Ru Hui’s arms. “Have you thought of a name for it yet?”

“I have decided to name it Jiang Bao Bao (1),” Su Ru Hui replied.

Sang Chi Yu: “…”

Another thick stroke was added to his book of shame.

“Change the surname.” Han Ye smirked. “Call it Han Bao Bao.”

Su Ru Hui: “…”

Sang Chi Yu: “…”

Han Ye glared at him, his eyes threatening. “What, don’t agree?”

Su Ru Hui shamefully surrendered, “Agree, agree. It will be called Han Bao Bao.”

Su Ru Hui finally sent away Han Ye. After the little bastard had left, he cursed in his heart, “Han Bao Bao, your uncle!”

He insisted on opposing Han Ye and even named his cat Sang Bao Bao. Regardless of whether Sang Chi Yu agreed or not, he had decided on the name. Su Ru Hui looked down at his precious son, who was completely white and looked like a furry steamed bun with a silent and arrogant expression that was somewhat similar to Sang Chi Yu.

The cat looked listless, with drooping ears and a limp tail hanging from Su Ru Hui’s arms. He thought it might be because it was too cold. Su Ru Hui picked up the piece of clothing on the ground. Apart from the robe, there was also a sword on the ground that he recognized as Su Yu’s. He couldn’t help but feel strange. Why did Su Yu leave the sword here?

He passed through the door, and Su Yu’s room was quiet without any lights on, probably sleeping soundly. He didn’t want to disturb him, so he left the robe and sword in the main hall.

He held Sang Bao Bao in his arms and returned to his own room. He lit the candles, and put Sang Bao Bao on the bed. Sang Bao Bao nestled in the bedding and turned its back to Su Ru Hui, unwilling to look at his face.

Could cats also have emotions? Su Ru Hui sensed a bit of sadness in its back view.

The little cat’s head seemed to be covered with a heavy dark cloud.

Is it just not used to the new home? Su Ru Hui guessed as he rustled out of his clothes.

He turned off the lights, climbed into bed, and hugged Sang Bao Bao. Sang Chi Yu struggled twice, but Su Ru Hui didn’t let him go and held him tightly. Helpless, Sang Chi Yu gave up and softly nestled in Su Ru Hui’s arms. He only wore a thin undershirt and was very close to Su Ru Hui, separated by only a thin layer of silk. He could even feel Su Ru Hui’s warm and shallow breath, hitting his head, one after another.

In the darkness, his ears gradually turned red.

Su Ru Hui’s grip on him loosened, and he felt that Su Ru Hui had fallen asleep. This was his best chance to escape, but perhaps he was reluctant to leave the warmth of the blanket. He didn’t move.

His vision became very good. Even in the dark, he could see Su Ru Hui’s appearance clearly. He had a peaceful sleeping face. Su Ru Hui was only so quiet when he was asleep, not as annoying as usual.

He felt tired too, and his drowsiness deepened. He closed his eyes and entered a sweet dream in the dark.

Time passed slowly. The night gradually faded into a hazy light blue as if the world was immersed in a melancholic wave. After an unknown period of time, perhaps several hours, Sang Chi Yu woke up from his dream. The first thing he saw was his white hair spread like silk on Su Ru Hui’s arm. He sat up dazedly, feeling confused and disoriented. He stared blankly for a moment and then realized that something was wrong. His body felt cold, and when he lowered his head, he saw his naked body.

He had turned back into a human.

And he was not wearing any clothes.

His pupils suddenly shrank to the size of a needle. Dawn was approaching, and the sky was getting brighter. He heard Su Ru Hui’s low groans. That guy had also woken up and sat up rubbing his eyes. Sang Chi Yu’s mind seemed to snap like a broken string. He didn’t have time to think too much and gave Su Ru Hui a chop just as he raised his head.

Su Ru Hui had just woken up and vaguely saw a naked white-haired man sitting in front of him. Before he had a chance to feel surprised and frightened, a sharp pain hit the back of his neck, causing him to fall back and into the man’s arms.

Sang Chi Yu held Su Ru Hui, listening to his heart pounding like a drum.

He was so close, so close to being discovered by Su Ru Hui.

Footnotes

1. Bao Bao – baby.