Chapter 53#

The Overlord Cat of Shunkangfang#

Su Ruhui was speechless when a “ding” suddenly sounded in his ear.

New task issued!

Task: Find a demon pet!

Task description: Although the Secret Sect spares no effort in capturing demons hidden among the populace, some still slip through the net. Please find them, spank their bottoms hard, put collars on them, and make them your demon pets!

Task item: Collar of Fate

Su Ruhui was puzzled. What was this “Collar of Fate”?

The system explained in due course: [This is the symbol for activating the pet function. Choose suitable demons, put the Collar of Fate on them, and make them the host’s exclusive beloved pets. When a pet wears the collar, the master-servant relationship is automatically bound. The pet cannot attack the host, and if the host dies, the pet will also die. In addition, the thoughtful system has prepared a four-piece pet training set for the host: in addition to the leather collar, there is an iron muzzle, a meteorite chain, and a rattan whip. PS. The collar provided by the system cannot be removed by anyone other than the host.]

Su Ruhui: …

Why did he feel that the four-piece pet set provided by the system was a bit strange?

Yan Jinyu and his attendant drove into Shunkangfang. The Divine Eye secret technique practitioners had been completely conscripted by the Secret Sect, and Yan Jinyu had no one under him who could see through bones. Afterwards, he used more troublesome methods to distinguish between ordinary animals and demons. After searching for cats for several days, he had already covered nine of the eighteen markets in Biandu, catching and dissecting a large number of stray cats daily to see if they could heal themselves.

Not one of them was Sang Chiyu. Yan Jinyu had not thought of investigating Su Ruhui’s small courtyard. Su Ruhui and Sang Chiyu, those two scoundrels, had been secretly betrothed since childhood. According to his understanding of them, Sang Chiyu and Su Ruhui might have a secret connection. However, Su Ruhui’s small courtyard was not only patrolled by the Grand Sect Master’s people but also guarded by Jiang Xueya’s subordinates, so Yan Jinyu’s people could not enter Su Ruhui’s small courtyard.

Yan Jinyu sent plainclothes agents to infiltrate Shunkangfang, monitoring the movements of Su Ruhui’s small courtyard. Today, his subordinate suddenly reported that Su Ruhui had kept a cat and hired an old woman to feed it. Yan Jinyu immediately decided that the cat must be Sang Chiyu! If he could find Sang Chiyu before the demon race and kill him, he could avenge his parents.

Driving an inconspicuous blue-curtained carriage, he stopped at the intersection of South Street. Yan Jinyu lifted the small curtain and looked towards Su Ruhui’s small courtyard. His attendant listened to his command, preparing to replace the old woman who came to feed the cat and assassinate Sang Chiyu. A large group of dirty stray cats of various colors gathered outside Su Ruhui’s door.

Yan Jinyu was staring at Su Ruhui’s door when he suddenly saw a large white cat wearing a pink dress leap onto the wall. It walked gracefully along the wall for a while, then suddenly jumped down and pounced into the pile of stray cats, fighting with them. Immediately, the howls of stray cats echoed outside Su Ruhui’s house. The large cat in the pink dress hissed and snarled, fiercely chasing the stray cats, beating them until they scattered and fled, its clean white fur flying like dandelions.

The attendant was stunned, “Is that really Sang Chiyu?”

Yan Jinyu: “…”

Sang Chiyu couldn’t possibly wear such a foolish dress.

Sang Chiyu was even less likely to chase and fight with a group of stray cats.

Yan Jinyu closed the curtain, gritting his teeth, “Go search the next market.”

Sang Baobao drove all the stray cats away, and the area in front of the door was finally quiet. At sunset, a large white dog wagged its tail and emerged from a deep alley, squatting at Su Ruhui’s doorstep, waiting as usual for him to open the door and feed it. The large white dog, or rather, Shentu, lay bored at the bottom of the stone steps, unexpectedly finding Su Ruhui’s doorstep much quieter today. There were many masters in Biandu, making it difficult to act, so he had been watching Su Ruhui’s door every day. He hadn’t killed anyone, but he had eaten several meals from Su Ruhui. Su Ruhui’s cooking was indeed excellent; Shentu liked his braised pork the most. He smacked his lips and prayed to the snowflakes that Su Ruhui would make braised pork again today.

Shentu heard footsteps approaching from inside the door, pricked up its ears, and happily squatted up, its tail wagging like a windmill. The door opened, but it wasn’t Su Ruhui who came out, but a stern-faced man in black. His indifferent gaze fell on Shentu, and he brought out a large cage with a bowl of fragrant ribs inside. Shentu’s mouth watered, and it followed the scent into the cage. Sang Chiyu closed the iron door of the cage, locked it, and took the cage to the dog meat restaurant.

“Six strings of cash, please take it!” The dog meat restaurant owner placed the silver in Sang Chiyu’s palm.

Sang Chiyu turned and left the dog meat restaurant, discarding the copper coins by the roadside. He put on his hood and went home.

“What are you spacing out for?” Jiang Xueya asked.

Su Ruhui snapped back to reality and said, “Oh, nothing, I was thinking about my cat. It’s the first time I’ve been away from home all day; I wonder what it’s doing.”

“You have a cat?” Jiang Xueya found it strange.

“Yes, it eats a lot.” Su Ruhui remembered the previous rumors and asked, “Senior Sister, I heard people say you want to be my maternal aunt.”

Jiang Xueya remembered the stern and indifferent man, and a teasing smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She had obtained the Qilin Azure Jade and entered the palace every night to break into his bedchamber, but the fellow was never there at night. He would rather hide in some corner to sleep than meet her. She didn’t know if he was dignified and self-possessed, or just a coward.

“That’s right.”

“No way…” Su Ruhui was shocked.

Jiang Xueya stood with her hands behind her back, gazing at the courtyard. “Junior Brother, you young sprouts are too tender to appreciate it. Your Senior Sister likes older men; an old man’s embrace is warm.”

Su Ruhui was speechless.

Su Ruhui knew best what kind of cold-hearted and unfeeling person Tantai Jing was. His Senior Sister was someone who wouldn’t turn back until she hit a wall, and Su Ruhui was afraid she would suffer. But Su Ruhui also knew that his Senior Sister was not someone who would listen to advice. After much deliberation, Su Ruhui said, “My maternal uncle is hard-hearted; you should be careful and not get too deeply involved.”

Jiang Xueya, as expected, didn’t take it to heart. She waved him away and turned back to her office. Lifting the bamboo curtain, she suddenly saw a cup of tea on the red lacquer desk inside. She remembered she hadn’t used tea; whose tea was this? She touched the teacup; it was still hot, and wisps of steam rose from the tea. Someone had just sat here and left not long ago.

The time for dismissal had not yet arrived. Su Ruhui walked leisurely through the palace city with his hands behind his back. Tantai Jing’s palace city was very desolate. Looking out, all he saw were quiet buildings, with not a single person in sight.

Unconsciously, he turned into a secluded palace. He was attracted by the pear tree in the courtyard. A star array was carved under the tree, keeping the pear blossoms in full bloom. The pear tree stood tall like an umbrella, and the wind blew down delicate, snow-like petals, accumulating on the ground, a patch of pure white.

Su Ruhui ascended the steps and pushed open the ebony door. The room was dim, the furnishings sparse, covered in dust, and shrouded in a dull gray. The only decoration in the room was a white porcelain vase on the black lacquer long table, holding a bunch of pear branches. The flowers had withered, and the branches were as cold and stiff as iron wire.

“This is Yu’er’s old residence.” Tantai Jing’s voice came from behind.

Su Ruhui turned and bowed, “Maternal Uncle.”

Tantai Jing did not enter the room, standing outside the threshold, looking at him. Su Ruhui understood his pretentious maternal uncle; this fellow must have disliked the excessive dust inside and was unwilling to enter.

Su Ruhui opened the cabinet and commented, “He’s so poor; there’s nothing valuable. Maternal Uncle, are you not paying him a salary?”

“I do,” Tantai Jing said. “He doesn’t use it.”

Su Ruhui found a shiny porcelain basin in a corner. Judging by its age, it was probably as old as Su Ruhui. Su Ruhui clicked his tongue and said, “What’s this? Sang Chiyu’s basin?”

“His milk basin from childhood.”

“…” Su Ruhui was shocked. “Milk basin? No way, his milk basin is bigger than his head.”

Tantai Jing said, “He only wanted to use this basin when he was young.”

Su Ruhui imagined Sang Chiyu expressionlessly holding the basin and gulping down milk, and he laughed so hard he rolled on the floor.

Tantai Jing suddenly said, “You also used this basin.”

Su Ruhui’s laughter stopped abruptly.

Tantai Jing said, “You two are about the same age. At that time, you were one year old and had not yet entered Mount Zhuluo.”

“Uh,” Su Ruhui chuckled dryly as he wiped the basin. “This little basin has quite a story.”

“Hui’er, have you adopted a cat?”

“I’m not sure if I should tell you.”

“No.”

Su Ruhui understood. This fellow must have arranged informants to monitor him.

Su Ruhui shrugged, “It’s too lonely by myself; raising a cat makes life more lively.”

Tantai Jing said, “Cats like sheep’s milk.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed, Maternal Uncle,” Su Ruhui teased him. “You even know about raising cats? I’ll take Sang Chiyu’s milk basin for my baby.”

“As you wish.” Tantai Jing asked, “Have you thought about the puppet key?”

“No, I can’t remember.” Su Ruhui sat cross-legged on the floor, holding the milk basin, looking dispirited.

There was nothing more to say, and both fell silent. They originally had nothing much to talk about. In the past, Su Ruhui was noisy and could ramble on about a lot of nonsense even when there was nothing to talk about. Now he was in a bad mood and unwilling to speak. Inside and outside the courtyard, the air was cold and quiet, and dust danced like gnats in the sunlight.

“Hui’er,” Tantai Jing suddenly spoke, “Am I, lonely?”

“Huh?” Su Ruhui didn’t hear clearly.

“Nothing,” Tantai Jing tucked his hands away and left. “Make yourself at home.”

Tantai Jing left, leaving Su Ruhui alone in Sang Chiyu’s old residence. The evening sun slanted across his face, illuminating his well-defined features. Sang Chiyu, this fellow, was truly boring to the extreme; just looking at his room showed how boring he was. The walls were bare, without even a decorative painting. Books were meticulously stacked in the pear wood bookshelf, from tallest to shortest, all in a perfectly consistent dark blue. Su Ruhui flipped through them one by one. He had read some of the books, and their covers were not originally this color. Sang Chiyu, for the sake of consistency, had even changed their covers.

Su Ruhui sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping through Sang Chiyu’s books, quickly turning a few pages. The mottled sunlight fell on the old, faded yellow pages, and Su Ruhui’s vision blurred. In an instant, he felt as if he had returned to the past.