Chapter 47
Song Zhang was jolted awake by Lu Yichuan’s incessant ringing. The office worker, who had finally managed to get a weekend off, wanted to strangle him.
“Lu Yichuan, you better have a life-or-death situation, or we’re through.”
The man’s voice on the other end was calm. “I have to go out. Come and watch my cat for me.”
Song Zhang choked. “Am I your babysitter? I finally have a day off, and you want me to watch your cat? Lu Yichuan, I advise you to be a decent human being.”
“I’ve already transferred the money.”
Song Zhang checked his phone and grinned. “Daddy Lu, you’re my daddy! I’ll be right there!”
Money could make an office worker jump out of bed with a smile on his face.
When Song Zhang arrived at the villa, Lu Yichuan had just finished his morning workout.
The man in his workout clothes, his chest heaving slightly, his pale face covered in a layer of sweat, was standing on the steps, drinking water. Seeing Song Zhang riding a small electric scooter towards him, he brushed his damp hair back from his forehead, his narrow, dark eyes fixed on him.
Song Zhang screeched to a halt, took off his helmet, and said with a fawning smile, “Daddy, where’s my cat ancestor?”
Lu Yichuan paused and closed his water bottle. “He’s sleeping.” His tone was slightly strange. “Has the Song family fallen so far that you can only afford an electric scooter now?”
“Not quite that bad.” Song Zhang said. “It’s rush hour, the roads are jammed. I don’t know when I would have arrived if I had driven.”
He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “I’m ready to serve my master, just waiting for your command.”
Taking care of a cat for a day earned him a month’s salary. This wasn’t a cat; it was his ancestor.
“…”
Perhaps Lu Yichuan’s speechless expression was too obvious, because Song Zhang became defensive. “What’s with that look? Do you think everyone is like you, casually investing some money and doubling it in a few days? My family cut off my allowance as soon as I started working, saying it was to ‘train’ me.”
He made a face. “I’m a medical intern, fresh out of school! My meager salary isn’t even enough for food. Do you know what kind of life I’m living? Life is hard enough as it is, and now I have to deal with you, a spoiled brat! Damn, comparing myself to you is depressing.”
Lu Yichuan went inside, carrying his water bottle. “I know, I’ll double it.”
Song Zhang beamed. “Alright, my dearest Daddy Lu.”
Lu Yichuan: “…”
Song Zhang followed him inside. “Are you really not going back for your diploma? Just giving up like this?”
“I’m not giving up.” Lu Yichuan picked up a towel and wiped the sweat off his face. “I’ve explained to my tutor, I’ll go back to the university in a couple of days.”
Song Zhang helped himself to a piece of fruit from the table. “Then what were you doing out so early this morning?”
“Taking care of some things. If it goes smoothly, I’ll be back by noon. Keep an eye on my cat, don’t let other cats lure him away.”
He paused. “If he wakes up and doesn’t see me, just tell him I went back to the university.”
After speaking, Lu Yichuan went to the bathroom. He quickly showered, changed into a black outfit, towel-dried his hair, put on a baseball cap, grabbed a bag, and left the villa.
The abandoned building was quiet in the early morning, nothing but ruins as far as the eye could see.
Lu Yichuan pulled his cap lower, his body slightly damp from the shower, and entered the building.
He walked past piles of rubble, towards the room from last night.
The faint chirping of insects filled the air, growing fainter as he approached, replaced by the sound of purring.
Lu Yichuan stood at the doorway, looking at the black and white cats curled up asleep in the cat beds.
Hearing his footsteps, the black cat twitched its ears, then rolled over and continued to sleep.
Lu Yichuan waited for a few minutes, but the cats showed no signs of waking up, so he walked over, bent down, and grabbed the black cat by the scruff of its neck.
Suddenly lifted into the air, the black cat’s eyes opened in a daze. Its mind still foggy, it only reacted when it met the man’s cold, narrow eyes, letting out a startled meow.
“Meow!”
Lu Yichuan released his grip and watched as the black cat tumbled onto the floor, then tossed the bag he was carrying at it. “Put this on.”
The black cat scrambled to its feet and found a set of clothes inside the bag.
The white cat was still asleep.
The black cat looked around and saw that Lu Yichuan was alone. It stared at him warily, its back slightly arched, its eyes guarded.
The man slowly squatted down, his pale face beneath the black cap a stark contrast to the dirty, dilapidated surroundings. The affable demeanor from last night was gone, replaced by a casual arrogance.
“You can choose not to wear them, but my patience has its limits.”
The white cat rolled over and continued sleeping, its purrs like a small engine.
The black cat hesitated for a moment, then, its instincts telling it to comply, picked up the bag with its teeth and went to another room.
The white cat was still sleeping when it passed by.
The black cat, unable to bear it any longer, raised its paw.
Whack!
The sound of the blow was so loud that Lu Yichuan could hear it from two meters away.
The white cat…
The white cat pawed its head, then continued to sleep.
“…”
The black cat was so angry it ripped a hole in Lu Yichuan’s bag.
…
Five minutes later, the black-haired teenager stood before Lu Yichuan with a wooden face. “Human, what do you want?”
Lu Yichuan said, “Take me to the back hills.”
The teenager’s eyes widened. “You want to see the Divine Cat Lord?”
The man nodded.
“Impossible!” The teenager refused without hesitation. “Humans cannot see the Divine Cat Lord!”
Lu Yichuan had anticipated his refusal. He knew there were more subtle ways to achieve his goal, but he had no patience for cats other than Jiang Heng.
“Let me guess, how many stray cats are hiding in this abandoned building? If you refuse me today, do you think they’ll be able to leave this place alive?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“How could I?” The man smiled. “I’m just a little…disappointed that I can’t see the Divine Cat Lord. And when people are disappointed, they tend to do…rash things. You understand, don’t you?”
The teenager’s face darkened.
Lu Yichuan continued, “I can promise you, as long as you take me there, I can ensure that all the stray cats in this building will no longer be stray.”
The teenager’s expression flickered.
Lu Yichuan drawled, “This winter is over, but there’s always next winter, and the winter after that…”
The simple-minded black cat, unskilled in negotiation, was easily swayed by the carrot-and-stick approach of the cunning human.
The black-haired teenager led Lu Yichuan to the so-called “back hills,” which was actually the mountain behind the abandoned building.
The building was located on the outskirts of the city, with a range of mountains stretching out behind it. It was May, and the trees were lush and green.
The back hills seemed untouched for years. The stone steps were broken and crumbling, the path covered in mud and fallen leaves.
The teenager led Lu Yichuan up the mountain path.
They passed a weathered signpost, most of the writing on it illegible, only the two characters “Sanqing” faintly visible.
Sanqing Mountain…
Lu Yichuan took out his phone, searched for the name, and found it.
Sanqing Mountain, a former tourist attraction in City A. There was a Sanqing Temple on the mountain, said to be very efficacious, attracting many visitors.
But seven or eight years ago, a murder had occurred on the mountain. Several high school students had been camping on the summit, and for unknown reasons, one of them had killed the other two. The scene had been gruesome, reportedly making witnesses lose their appetite for days.
After the murders, rumors spread about the mountain being haunted, with cat cries and whispers heard at night. It was said that the spirits of the two dead students, unable to find their way home, were wandering the mountain, searching for someone to guide them.
Gradually, fewer and fewer people visited Sanqing Mountain, and it was eventually abandoned.
Development in recent years had been rapid, with high-rise buildings springing up everywhere. If it weren’t for the signpost, Lu Yichuan wouldn’t have recognized the place he had visited as a child.
The teenager was incredibly agile, covering a large distance with each leap. He would run ahead, then stop and wait for Lu Yichuan.
Lu Yichuan looked at the distance between them, then at the rising sun, and asked the black cat, “How much further?”
The black-haired teenager glanced at the seemingly endless steps and gestured with his hand. “About this much further…”
Jiang Heng was startled awake by Song Zhang’s face right in front of his.
Seeing him awake, Song Zhang leaned back slightly and bowed theatrically. “Master, you have finally awakened. Your humble servant has been waiting.”
Jiang Heng: “…”
The kitten’s fur was messy from sleep, its eyes still drowsy, its small ears perked up. Its fur had grown a little longer, making it look like a fluffy cloud with silver tips, and Song Zhang’s heart melted.
He eagerly reached out a hand to pet the kitten, then, remembering Lu Yichuan’s warning, reluctantly withdrew it.
“Little guy, do you remember me? We’ve met before. Your owner went back to the university and asked me to keep you company.”
His words answered the question that had been lingering in Jiang Heng’s mind.
Returning to university was something he and Lu Yichuan had discussed, so Jiang Heng didn’t question it. He simply felt a bit annoyed that Lu Yichuan treated him like a child, even having someone watch over him while he was away.
Little Jiang Heng was an easy cat to take care of. He used the litter box on his own, ate his meals without fuss, and even managed to find the switch for his electric mouse toy and play by himself.
Song Zhang, who had been following him around, doing nothing: “…”
He watched as Little Jiang Heng finally tired himself out and went to bask in the sun on the swing in the garden. His chance had finally come, he thought, and he squatted down in front of the kitten with a small comb. “May I brush your fur?”
Jiang Heng looked at his messy fur.
Some cats, even after being a cat for so long, still hadn’t learned to groom themselves.
Jiang Heng was tempted, but he didn’t feel close enough to Song Zhang to let him brush his fur. While he was hesitating, a sudden thud from the wall caught his attention.
Song Zhang jumped, startled, and stood up, holding the comb. “What was that? A burglar?”
Jiang Heng also stood up, looking around curiously.
Song Zhang held the kitten down. “Stay here, I’ll go check it out.”
But as soon as he left, the kitten followed him.
The further they walked, the more familiar the path seemed to Jiang Heng, and a sense of foreboding crept into his heart.
Finally, when they reached the wall, he saw a grayish-white lump lying at the base.
Sensing their approach, the lump stirred and slowly raised its head, revealing a cat face.
Jiang Heng: “…”
Song Zhang paused. “Whoa! What a fat cat!”