Chapter 74: The Little Orange Cat is Raised by a Big Dog (3-1)
Shu He looked up at Ji Yan, stunned.
The hallway was extremely quiet. In Ji Yan’s eyes, the little orange cat’s eyes were round, and its fluffy cheeks were slowly filling out. When it sat, it sometimes exuded a sense of innocent naivety, and at those times, it really did look like a cat.
But what cat could say things like “a tiger in distress is bullied by a cat” and “work at a cat cafe”?
Ji Yan thought, if he could become a dog, then it wouldn’t be strange for someone to become a cat. This little cat with the lotus flower fur didn’t like to eat raw food and knew about human things. The probability of it being a human was eight or nine out of ten.
He looked down at it, waiting patiently for a response.
Shu He shook his fur but didn’t answer right away. He hesitated and secretly asked the system in his heart if, in this world, he was like Ji Yan, a human who had transmigrated into an animal.
[No, you’re just a cat.]
The system reminded him: [When creating your identity data, the program automatically added a cat demon setting for you, just in case the protagonist turns back into a human before you complete the mission.]
A cat demon?
Shu He looked down at his little pink paw pads, pressed his two paws together, and muttered curiously: [Does that mean I have to absorb the essence of the sun and moon to cultivate?]
The system wasn’t sure either. After a slight pause, its mechanical voice said without a ripple: [Let’s just go with the flow. The priority is to get the protagonist to form a dog pack.]
Speaking of which, Shu He hadn’t seen any other dogs besides Ji Yan during this time.
He would sometimes follow Ji Yan on patrol. He had encountered some stray cats. They seemed to want to approach him, but they would run away as soon as they saw Ji Yan.
He hadn’t encountered a single dog.
“Is it that hard to answer?”
Ji Yan was still waiting for an answer, but the little orange cat had zoned out. He frowned and pressed his front legs forward. Shu He was startled by the suddenly approaching big dog, his whiskers twitching, and his little butt plopped down in the cardboard box.
“Are you a human or a cat? Can’t you answer that?”
Shu He, nervous, slapped his paw on the big dog’s nose. “I’m not a human!”
Ji Yan stared at him. “Then you’re a cat?”
“I’m Lord Cat.” Shu He struggled to get up, his head held high, and meowed threateningly, “Do you know what Lord Cat is? It’s a demon! Don’t look at how small and weak I am now. I’m actually a great cat demon at the Spirit Transformation stage!”
He said it with great conviction, without a single stutter. “All the cats in the world have to listen to me, and you have to listen to me too. Otherwise, I’ll use my demonic arts to control you.”
Ji Yan: “…”
You should watch less TV.
Ji Yan’s expression changed slightly.
No wonder the little lotus flower cat accepted becoming a cat so well and got into character so strongly. It turned out he was a chuunibyou at heart.
“Have you even started middle school?”
Shu He was stunned and looked up at Ji Yan, dissatisfied. “What do you mean? I’m five thousand years old. You’re the one who’s just starting middle school.”
Five thousand years old?
Five years old at most, not a day more.
Ji Yan wanted to sneer, but a dog couldn’t make that sound. The thought made his previously relaxed mood drop. He looked down without a ripple and saw a bit of cat treat on Shu He’s nose.
“Then, Lord Cat.”
Ji Yan said casually, “Is there a way to turn me back into a human?”
Shu He’s little cat head nodded. “Of course. Lord Cat is omnipotent. As long as you listen to me, I’ll use my demonic arts to turn you back.”
Ji Yan: “Listen to you? What do you want me to do?”
“Meow meow.”
Very simple!
First thing, go out!
The sun was shining brightly outside the hallway.
The wind seemed to have been roasted by fire.
Shu He sat on the German Shepherd’s back, surveying his surroundings as usual. He meowed, asking Ji Yan why they never encountered any other stray dogs.
There were many houses in this area.
They were all old houses, their walls covered with small advertisements. It was a crowded, simple place. Logically, there shouldn’t be a shortage of stray dogs.
Ji Yan said lightly, “Perhaps the policy here doesn’t allow for stray dogs. They might have all been caught.”
“What about you?” Shu He leaned against his ear, worried. “You’re a stray dog too. What if you get caught?”
Ji Yan’s dog ears twitched.
A dog’s sense of smell was keen. He could smell the little cat scent on Shu He. His thoughts drifted for a moment, wondering what he was thinking. After a moment, he said, “I won’t be. The dog I’m in has an owner. See the collar around my neck? It has a contact number. If it’s an official capture, they’ll be responsible for contacting this number and sending me back.”
Shu He let out a soft meow, probably indicating that he understood. Ji Yan’s dog ears twitched again. He thought to himself, He’s not a complete chuunibyou. Why didn’t he ask how I transmigrated?
“Have you started high school?”
Shu He slapped him with his tail. “Lord Cat is five thousand years old!”
The little tail hit the German Shepherd’s firm flesh with no effect at all. Ji Yan didn’t even know he had been hit. After a pause, he said, “Lord Cat, what’s your name?”
The five-thousand-year-old Lord Cat said without thinking that his name was Shu He. Shu as in comfortable, He as in lotus.
Ji Yan noted it down and also gave his name. Shu He said okay, and now it was time to give the big dog Ji Yan his second task.
Ji Yan: “…”
He didn’t like to role-play.
After a few seconds of silence, Ji Yan, not even knowing what he was thinking, asked Lord Cat what the task was.
“Find a second dog,” Shu He commanded. “If there are no dogs here, we’ll move to a place with dogs.”
Ji Yan paused for two or three seconds and asked, “What for?”
“Don’t question Lord Cat.” Lord Cat lowered his head and instinctively nibbled on his paw, muttering, “If you want to turn back into a human, just do as I say.”
Ji Yan: “…”
Fine, I’ll play along with this middle-schooler Lord Cat. After accepting this setting, Ji Yan didn’t say any more.
He carried Lord Cat on his back and wandered around the city for a few laps. He saw a few stray dogs. They were dirty, skinny, and aggressive, barking at anyone who passed by.
Ji Yan definitely didn’t want to get close.
Not because he was afraid, but because they were too dirty. Who knew what fleas and bugs were in their fur. He frowned and turned his head to ask Lord Cat what to do next.
Shu He was just climbing down from the German Shepherd’s back with his short legs.
With a plop, he fell onto the sun-baked ground. He scrambled up and said that Lord Cat’s part was over. Now, you’re the protagonist.
Ji Yan turned to look at him and saw the little orange cat’s agile figure climbing a tree. “What do you mean?”
“It’s time for you to tame them.”
Shu He held onto a branch tightly, his beautiful, bright cat eyes staring at Ji Yan encouragingly. “Tame them and form a dog pack!”
Ji Yan: “…”
What kind of script is this?
Ji Yan stared silently at the middle-schooler Lord Cat in the tree, clearly wanting to end this game. Unfortunately, Lord Cat didn’t understand. He thought he was scared and even curled his fluffy white paws to cheer him on. “You’re so strong, don’t be afraid! Those dogs can’t beat you. If it really comes down to it… I can’t help you, I’m too small.”
Ji Yan opened his mouth. “What about Lord Cat’s supreme demonic arts?”
Lord Cat held onto the branch. “I was reincarnated as a kitten, so my demonic arts are still recovering. You don’t believe me?”
Ji Yan: “…”
Only a fool would believe you.
Shu He was not happy. He could see the disbelief in Ji Yan’s dog eyes. But he really was a cat demon.
He licked his nose. The little cat climbed down the tree and walked up to Ji Yan, offering to take him to find the dogs. Ji Yan pressed down on the little cat’s head and asked inexplicably, “Are you serious?”
“What?”
“Really fight the dogs?”
Shu He sneezed from his own shed fur and said of course, why would he joke about something like that?
Then, he unhappily pulled his head out from under the dog’s paw and pointed at Ji Yan, saying he was being insubordinate. If he continued to treat Lord Cat like this, he wouldn’t give him the chance to become human.
“…”
Ji Yan suddenly pushed Shu He aside with his paw. While Shu He was dizzy and unsteady, he walked straight towards the stray dog.
A human fighting a dog was a complete mismatch.
A human in a dog’s body was even more of a bully.