Without the yellow-skinned weasel causing trouble in the middle of the night, Chen Ji woke up the next morning feeling utterly refreshed. After all, as an ordinary person, he was still quite afraid of such eerie, supernatural things.
“Xiao Chen, heading out today?” Uncle Liu was already hard at work. He called out in greeting when he saw Chen Ji emerge.
Chen Ji nodded. Today, he was wearing a black outdoor jacket paired with matching pants, which accentuated his tall, slender frame. But clearly, it wasn’t the sharply dressed Chen Ji stealing the show—it was the even more stylish System Cat.
The System Cat’s plump body was decked out in a matching tactical vest, a triangular dagger clipped to the strap, and a pair of sleek black windproof goggles perched on its head. It stood imposingly on Chen Ji’s shoulder. Uncle Liu stared for a long moment before blurting out, “Looks like a squad of commandos raiding the village.”
It couldn’t be helped—the System Cat’s little colonel mustache was just too eye-catching.
【…Chen Ji, don’t hold me back. I have to beat him to death!】
Chen Ji hurriedly grabbed the System Cat by the hind legs just as it was about to lunge. He scooped it into his arms. Uncle Liu jumped in surprise. “Whoa, what’s got into it? Why’s it suddenly trying to scratch?”
Chen Ji chuckled. “Probably got mad when you called it a commando.”
Uncle Liu looked surprised. “This cat understands human speech?”
“It’s plenty smart.” Chen Ji ruffled the cat’s head. Then he mentioned the natural pigments he was looking for. Uncle Liu asked curiously, “What do you need those for?”
“Just thinking of painting some floral designs inside the temple,” Chen Ji said casually.
Uncle Liu watched Chen Ji’s cheerful smile and somehow couldn’t bring himself to suggest buying paints from the shop instead. He thought for a moment and pointed toward the back mountain. “Head that way. Flip over the ridge and go south. There’s a few mulberry trees there, and I remember some purple violets too. That’s the sunniest spot—they’re all clustered around there. Look carefully, and you’ll find some!”
“Got it, thanks Uncle Liu.” With that, Chen Ji grabbed a bamboo basket and set off. He stuffed the System Cat into the basket along with a sickle, some rope, and snacks and water. Sure, he’d roamed these mountains as a kid, but that was twenty years ago. He wasn’t about to charge into the wilds unprepared now.
The System Cat draped its front paws over Chen Ji’s shoulder, still holding a grudge. It shot Uncle Liu a venomous glare that sent shivers down the man’s spine. Once an idea like that took root, it only grew scarier. Uncle Liu hurried into the sunlight to bask, which finally eased his nerves.
Chen Ji squeezed the System Cat’s thick paw pads. “Alright, lighten up a bit, or I won’t be able to carry you.”
【Oh~】 The System Cat simply hopped out of the basket and trotted alongside at Chen Ji’s feet. Though chubby, it was an agile fat cat, navigating the rugged terrain even more nimbly than Chen Ji.
The Mountain Lord Temple sat near the mountaintop, and there were no proper paths beyond it. Chen Ji didn’t hurry. He remembered a narrow goat trail that the villagers used to reach the higher slopes, but he couldn’t recall exactly where it started. He walked along, searching as he went.
Suddenly, a serious voice echoed in his mind: 【Thirty meters ahead, then turn right.】
“Thirty meters? You sure?” Chen Ji walked forward a ways. Before him lay a dense thicket of trees with no sign of a path. The System Cat nodded earnestly. 【Yes, right here. Turn right!】
Chen Ji hesitated but decided to trust the System Cat this once. He pulled the sickle from his basket to hack at the branches. Underfoot was thick wild grass. He paused. “Can we even get through here?”
Without hesitation, the System Cat leaped down. 【Of course… Aaaah—!】
Before it finished speaking, the System Cat vanished into the grass. It slid down the slope like it was on a playground slide. Chen Ji didn’t even have a chance to grab it. The cat tumbled paws-up all the way to the bottom before stopping. Then its voice came again: 【…I’m fine. Come on down. The slope’s just a bit steep.】
Chen Ji eyed the path the System Cat had flattened and laughed despite himself. “You sure this leads to the mountaintop?”
The System Cat nodded with difficulty. 【I accessed a map dataset from your area. It shows people have passed through here. The map has great reviews—everyone says if it shows a path, you’ll reach your destination.】
Chen Ji instantly knew what kind of map it meant. He vaguely recalled the small trail being nearby. Worst case, he could adjust course later. He slid down after it. Forewarned, he didn’t end up butt-sliding like the cat. Whether his form was graceful or not didn’t matter—he stayed on his feet, and that was enough.
Once on level ground, Chen Ji scooped up the System Cat around the waist and patiently brushed the grass off its fur. Then he tucked it back into the basket and broke off a cat treat to soothe its wounded pride.
This time, the System Cat meekly stayed put, hugging the treat and licking away happily. It didn’t even mention walking on its own. Chen Ji smiled softly and carried on deeper into the forest.
The deeper they went, the chillier it grew. Bright sunlight dwindled to almost nothing under the thick canopy. The leaf-strewn ground turned slick and damp, everything around them sodden as if fresh rain had fallen.
Chen Ji was prepared and kept his footing steady. The System Cat lounged comfortably in the basket, shifting to dangle its hind legs playfully over the edge like a drunken consort. Bumping along, it was just drifting off to sleep when Chen Ji suddenly asked, “Want some mushrooms?”
The System Cat perked up instantly, its response quicker than thought. 【Yes, yes, yes!】
Using his trekking pole, Chen Ji poked at a pile of dead leaves in front of a fallen log. A cluster of mushrooms appeared—growing from decay yet pristine and vibrant, with snowy stems under vivid red caps. The System Cat swallowed hard. 【You sure these are edible?】
Chen Ji was already bending down to pick them. “Yep, these are red mushrooms.”
He’d assumed years away from foraging would make him rusty, but the skill was etched in his bones. As soon as he touched one, he gauged the stem’s depth. With the sickle, he dug into the soil twice, then pried upward. Three linked red mushrooms came up whole, roots intact.
Chen Ji set the basket aside and rigged a simple stove with an aluminum foil tray, solid fuel, and an oil packet. He sliced the mushrooms and pan-fried them. In moments, an exotic aroma filled the air.
The whole process took less than three minutes.
The scent was indescribable—just pure, profound fragrance. Fresh woody notes mingled with rich umami, intoxicating enough to short-circuit the System Cat’s processors.
【Hiss… So fragrant! How is it this good?】 Blissful, the System Cat buried its face in the little pan and inhaled deeply. Chen Ji chuckled and rubbed its head. He picked out a golden-brown slice, blew on it, and popped it into his mouth. The System Cat stared. 【…?! You’ve changed! Not giving me the first piece?!】
“Just testing if it’s cooked.” Chen Ji chewed and blew on another bite. The flavor exploded straight to the brain, no exaggeration. He savored it with half-closed eyes, then plated the rest on a clean paper dish. “There should be more around. Wait till they cool a bit before eating.”
The System Cat’s eyes gleamed as it nodded frantically. 【Go, go, go—hurry!】
Chen Ji took his sickle and trekking pole to scout nearby. Sure enough, a few steps in, he heard the System Cat yowling. Glancing back, he saw its face scrunched in pain, eyes teary from the heat. Spotting him, it looked over and laboriously gave a thumbs-up with its paw.
Chen Ji burst out laughing. Turning away, he noticed a suspicious mound of dead leaves. Parting them revealed another fresh red mushroom, this one exceptionally plump with a cap larger than his palm. He harvested it and moved on.
Another mound yielded two red mushrooms. The next, one. Then another pile—he brushed it aside, but it didn’t budge. Brushing harder revealed a coiled sharp-nosed viper.
Its patterns mimicked dead leaves perfectly. Its venom was lethally potent; in these deep woods, one bite was as good as a summons from the grim reaper. Worst of all, this snake was sneaky. While others fled at noise, it lay still, striking unexpectedly. Oh, and it had a nickname: Five-Step Snake.
Chen Ji locked eyes with the Five-Step Snake. It reared its head high, cold reptilian gaze fixed on him. Chen Ji smirked, raised his trekking pole… and covered it thoroughly with leaves.
He’d gathered enough mushrooms anyway, and the fuel had burned out. He tossed the mushrooms into the basket, scooped up the cat, and bolted.
He was National Class II, after all—no needless killing. He ran without looking back, figuring the snake couldn’t catch up. Flipping it away wouldn’t help; it’d still be in the woods. Better for him to leave.
The System Cat started to ask why they weren’t eating, but Chen Ji cut in: “There’s better stuff ahead.”
Instantly quiet, the System Cat wanted back in the basket but saw it crammed with tasty red mushrooms. Sitting would crush them, so it retreated into Chen Ji’s mind instead, scanning all directions for paths—and mushroom patches.
Not long after they left, the Five-Step Snake slithered slowly from the leaf pile. The spot where Chen Ji and the System Cat had been felt especially warm. It made its way there and coiled its arm-thick body, eyeing something plainly obvious to it.
Its dark red tongue flicked out—the signature forked tongue of danger and death—lightly brushing…
The still-scalding aluminum foil pan.
The tongue snapped back. Question marks seemed to pop over the snake’s broad head.
What is this thing?
A human?
Such a tiny human.
Try again!
…Hiss.
Food?
…Hiss!
A smear of mushroom oil from the pan’s bottom coated the snake’s tongue tip. It tilted its head, deciding that though this tiny thing stung fiercely, it tasted amazing.
…
No helping it—snakes had poor eyesight, mostly relying on heat vision after all.
