Chapter 60: Just How High is That Cliff? Super High! Part 1

Alright, alright. It was perfectly normal for a little kitty to get mad. Who could blame a speechless little… well, big cat?

Chen Ji easily talked himself out of his guilt.

After crossing the crevice, the cavern narrowed noticeably. The dome overhead was only a little over two meters high, covered in stalactites of all shapes and sizes. The ground was pooled with water that came up past his ankles, and there might have been mud underneath, making it slippery. Chen Ji treaded carefully.

White Tiger huffed ahead, every single hair tip screaming “I’m angry!” Chen Ji followed behind, his flashlight perfectly illuminating him. The more Chen Ji watched, the cuter he found him. He quickened his steps, intending to coax him, but White Tiger sped up just enough to slip away before Chen Ji could touch him. He glanced back and shot Chen Ji a glare.

It was as if he were saying: What do you think you’re doing?!

Not even on flat ground could Chen Ji catch up to White Tiger, let alone in a place like this. Chen Ji chuckled softly. “Alright, alright, my bad. Xiangxiang, don’t be mad. I promise I won’t call you fat ever again, okay?”

White Tiger pretended not to hear, turning his head away and continuing to lead the way. Chen Ji trailed behind him, adjusting his pace to something less tiring. He kept coaxing. “Our Guai Guai is smart and majestic, not fat at all. You’re only getting more handsome by the day~”

If not for the fur covering him, Chen Ji would have easily spotted White Tiger’s flushed ears and neck. As it was, the fur hid it all.

Chen Ji just thought the big cat was really sulking today. He’d been coaxing him the whole way without so much as a glance back. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and called out louder. “Xiangxiang, slow down! I can’t keep up.”

Only then did White Tiger halt and look back. He was now about seven or eight meters ahead. Chen Ji had already picked out a protruding rock and sat down on it, pursing his lips in a pout. “I’m so tired. I can’t walk anymore.”

White Tiger paused for a moment, then doubled back. He approached Chen Ji from behind, curling his body around to enclose him. Chen Ji leaned back against White Tiger’s warm bulk and hugged him. “Xiangxiang, don’t be mad anymore… It was my fault, all my fault. Come on, no more pouting, okay~?”

White Tiger lifted his head to stare at the ceiling, his expression saying you could coax him all day and it wouldn’t work. Chen Ji patted White Tiger’s neck. “Be good. No more anger. When we get home, I’ll open a can of canned cat food for you. Sound good?”

Canned cat food—a surefire weakness for any feline. Even the System Cat, who wasn’t a real cat, couldn’t resist it. White Tiger, as a true cat, had zero defenses. He loved that ridiculously expensive mousse-textured canned cat food. Not only was it pricey, but each can was tiny. To eat his fill, he’d polish off half a year’s worth for the System Cat.

Last time, Chen Ji had snuck some of the System Cat’s stash to White Tiger as an afternoon snack. To his surprise, White Tiger had licked the can clean.

White Tiger lowered his gaze. His azure eyes glinted coldly in the dimness. Chen Ji wrapped his arms around White Tiger’s neck. “Please? Don’t do this to me. I’m scared…”

The flashlight beam shone straight ahead. The young man’s body temperature was lower than usual. In the darkness, hugging him felt like he was even trembling a little.

…Had he actually scared him?

It wasn’t a big deal anyway. They were both guys…

White Tiger sighed inwardly and nudged Chen Ji’s face with his nose. Chen Ji looked up in delight and planted two firm kisses on his neck. “Guai Guai, you’re the best!”

Fine. He had another new nickname.

White Tiger’s tail looped around Chen Ji’s waist, pulling him onto his back. The tip of the tail pressed against Chen Ji’s spine, making him lie flat. Chen Ji grinned, tugging playfully at White Tiger’s back fur. He knew Xiangxiang was a softie at heart.

Warmth from White Tiger’s body even dried out Chen Ji’s soaked pant legs and shoes, leaving them comfortable and toasty. Suddenly, White Tiger shot forward. To him, Chen Ji’s flashlight was meaningless now. Without needing to worry about Chen Ji, White Tiger’s speed turned terrifying.

Lightning-fast—that was the only way to describe it.

Dizzy from the flashlight’s wild swinging, Chen Ji simply closed his eyes and lay still.

In just two or three minutes, White Tiger came to a stop. His tail tip patted Chen Ji’s back. Chen Ji opened his eyes, steadying the flashlight beam. What he saw next left him utterly speechless.

Chen Ji wasn’t short on cash. After selling his house, he had more than enough to live comfortably—without blowing it on vices—for twenty or thirty years, outpacing most people his age. Yet the sight before him still stunned him.

For the first time, Chen Ji understood that “dripping with jewels and riches” was more than just a figure of speech.

A small hill about half a meter high sat in front of him, piled haphazardly with gold, silver, and gems of every color. Clustered together, they shimmered under the light, forming a hazy glow at the peak like twinkling stardust.

Chen Ji let out a slow breath. Honestly, nothing in Little Azure Mountain would surprise him anymore. Only now did he have a chance to look around. Beyond the hill lay a mess of human bones—not intact skeletons, but bones torn apart and scattered.

This small cavern had only the one entrance they’d come through, forming a rough oval about four meters across. Skulls piled in the northeast corner, ribs jammed together in the northwest, leg and arm bones strewn everywhere else.

It looked just like snack wrappers tossed carelessly on the floor by a messy owner.

Chen Ji gripped White Tiger’s fur tighter. “This is…”

White Tiger patted his back again, signaling it was safe to get down.

Instead, Chen Ji clung even closer. “Xiangxiang, I’m scared.”

White Tiger glanced back, silent for a beat. Then he advanced a few steps with Chen Ji still on his back. His tail roughly scooped up a handful from the gem pile and dumped it into Chen Ji’s arms.

[Appraisal successful. Congratulations, Tasker ‘Chen Ji’! You have obtained the mineral ‘gold’. ‘Mineral Collection’ task (1/5).]

[Appraisal successful. Congratulations, Tasker ‘Chen Ji’! You have obtained the mineral ‘sapphire’…]

[Appraisal successful. Congratulations…]

[‘Mineral Collection’ task complete. Congratulations, Tasker Chen Ji! You have received one portion of high-grade mineral pigments, ten Random Ancient Books, one ‘Temple Carved Beams and Painted Pillars’ construction gift pack…]

Staring at the handful of obviously man-made jewelry in his arms, Chen Ji said hesitantly, “We can really take these?”

In response, White Tiger’s tail snatched Chen Ji’s bamboo basket with a whoosh, dropped it on the ground, and began stuffing it with treasures. He was efficient about it too—filling it a bit, then shaking the basket to settle things before adding more.

The remaining space in the basket wasn’t much. He filled it quickly, then his tail rummaged in Chen Ji’s pocket, pulling out the Magic Pocket and shoving it into Chen Ji’s hand.

Chen Ji blinked. “…Huh?”

White Tiger gestured for him to open the pocket.

Chen Ji slid off him quietly, walked to the now-lopsided hill, and held the Magic Pocket open wide with both hands. White Tiger’s tail scooped up more gems and funneled them in.

From the corner of his eye, Chen Ji glanced at the bones nearby. He whispered, “Isn’t it kinda wrong to loot like this?”

White Tiger shook his head at him. Somehow, Chen Ji understood. “It won’t? Ownerless? Where’s the owner, then?”

This place was so deep underground, hiding all these treasures. It didn’t seem abandoned. Chen Ji had his guesses—no ordinary person could live here. That cliff alone required gear to navigate, and they’d walked so far, seeing only animal tracks, human bones, and no signs of daily life.

Even primitive folk made stone bowls and basins.

So the owner was probably some kind of spirit… maybe an old monster like Second Master Huang, who’d lived for centuries? If so, wasn’t looting their lair a bad idea?

White Tiger let out a rumbling growl from his throat. Chen Ji realized the bag was nearly full—he couldn’t lift it anymore. These small-looking things were heavy as hell, one and all. He tied the bag shut. “Really no problem? What about the owner? Gone?”

White Tiger nodded helplessly. How was he supposed to tell Chen Ji that he’d eaten the owner of this Leech Demon Cave? Even the bones had been turned into salt-and-pepper snacks by Chen Ji.

Not every spirit was like that snake, obsessed with shiny things. These had just been left lying around. Since Chen Ji wanted them, he’d brought him here.

Chen Ji tied the Magic Pocket to the bamboo basket. All together, it had to weigh over a hundred pounds—way too much for his slight frame. It might snap his spine.

Rubbing White Tiger’s head with a wry smile, Chen Ji said, “How are we supposed to carry this back…?”

White Tiger fell silent too—he hadn’t thought that far.

White Tiger pawed at Chen Ji’s pocket. Chen Ji looked down instinctively. His left pocket held his phone and the Magic Pocket; the right held talismans. He’d learned his lesson—no way was he heading out without them.

“Talismans?” Chen Ji pulled them out. He’d brought mostly ones he’d drawn himself: Profound Penetration Talismans and Evil-Warding Talismans. There were also two from his grandfather: a Five Thunder Talisman and an Illness-Repelling Talisman. Which one could help?

Puzzled, Chen Ji tilted his head and looked at Guai Guai.

Guai Guai looked troubled. Guai Guai stayed silent. Finally, in exasperation, Guai Guai pawed out a chunk of gold, a sapphire, a black pearl, a ruby, and an emerald from the pile. With his claw, he drew a few symbols on the ground, arranging the five treasures by the five elements. Then he scratched out a diagram.

Chen Ji watched closely, then blurted, “Five Ghosts Transport Technique?”

He’d seen that diagram in the Cave Abyss Scripture, but it wasn’t in his priority self-defense list, so he’d only skimmed it, not studied it.

White Tiger nodded.

“Guai Guai, you’re so smart! You know this too?” Chen Ji beamed, hugging White Tiger and leaning in for a kiss. White Tiger dodged aside. Seeing that, Chen Ji backed off—he’d just calmed him down.

Letting go, Chen Ji said, “Alright, alright, I won’t touch…”

As Chen Ji waited for the spell to activate, White Tiger suddenly swiped a claw across the talismans on the ground, ruining them. Chen Ji froze. “What?”

White Tiger tilted his head up slightly. Chen Ji pointed at himself. “Me?”

The White Tiger nodded. It stepped back a little, making space for Chen Ji, clearly intending for him to handle it himself.