Chapter Thirteen: The Cruel Feline Punishment

I looked at the shifting shadows behind me and knew it was Wangchuan.

At that moment, tears nearly welled up in my eyes—I had never longed so much for his appearance before!

Wangchuan’s figure was so insubstantial, only his wings appeared immense, like a sky blotted with thunderclouds, and they continued to expand, shrouding the vengeful ghost in darkness.

He had yet to speak when the vengeful spirit sensed something was amiss behind it. Startled, it dropped both me and Fishball from its grasp, sending us crashing to the ground, before transforming into a swirl of black wind and darting to the side!

Wangchuan acted with lightning speed; his entire shadow shifted in a flash, blocking the ghost’s retreat.

The black smoke that was the vengeful ghost immediately wheeled around, rushing in the opposite direction!

Wangchuan’s wings flickered as if he intended to intercept the ghost again, but then, within the whistling wind, a human voice was heard.

“Must you truly hunt me to extinction?!”

Her words were threaded with pain and rage, laden with endless grievances that wound through the narrow alley.

Wangchuan turned his head, offering a faint smile. He didn’t move, as if granting permission for the vengeful ghost to escape.

The ghost instantly understood, and with a swoosh, vanished without a trace, leaving only the echoes of her furious howls.

Wangchuan then lowered his gaze to me and Fishball, who was sprawled on the ground. Only after the ghost left did Fishball’s senses clear; he stood up, his eyes wide and bewildered as he looked around.

“Master?!”

The moment Fishball spotted Wangchuan, his legs gave out and he collapsed in a heap, face-first to the ground.

Wangchuan smiled at us with a soft sigh: “You really are a cat who can’t help but worry me.”

I looked into his eyes—he was looking straight at me, so I knew he wasn’t speaking to Fishball.

Me? I’m the one who’s troublesome? How am I troublesome…

I smacked my lips, my ears drooping, feeling an odd melancholy. It wasn’t the first time my master had scolded me, but somehow, I felt more upset than ever.

Wangchuan stood still, when suddenly a surprised gasp sounded nearby.

“Master?!” With a sharp intake of breath, Little Cloud limped out from the corner, eyes wide with shock.

Like me, she was covered in dirt; one of her hind legs seemed weak, making her gait awkward as she approached.

Seeing Little Cloud reminded me—the sun was nearly set!

If it weren’t for the dusk and the shadows cloaking the alley, how could the vengeful ghost have appeared?

In other words, there were barely a few hours left until midnight!

My entire face went stiff. Wangchuan seemed to read my thoughts as he watched my expression.

With that, I dashed over, grabbed Little Cloud by the scruff, and dragged her away!

“Ow, ow, ow—Qianqian, that hurts!” Little Cloud protested, pawing at the ground in displeasure. “Didn’t you see the master? He’s right over there—ouch!”

“Qianqian! Little Cloud?” Fishball called after us, utterly confused.

He seemed baffled that after seeing our master, I just stood there in a daze instead of kneeling or begging for a pat, only to suddenly drag Little Cloud away.

There was no time to explain! If our master found out that we’d encountered all sorts of trouble among mortals and hadn’t absorbed a single fetal soul, would he still smile so gently?

He’d probably scowl and say: “Go hang your tail in the cat room!”

I shuddered, dragging Little Cloud along even faster. I swear, that was the fastest I’d ever run in my life!

Only after putting plenty of distance between ourselves and that alley did I finally exhale in relief.

“Look! There’s just a sliver of red left in the sun—it’s almost night, and you haven’t found a single fetal soul. Just wait till master punishes you.”

Little Cloud trembled, stammering, “N-no…I don’t want that.”

The punishment of tail-hanging was dreaded by all cats.

But that was nothing compared to the worst.

Little Cloud once told me that every cat room was different, each with its own array of punishments for disobedient cats.

To keep my tail where it belonged, I thought it best to behave.

Today, not only had Little Cloud failed to capture a fetal soul, but I had found none either.

“Hurry, no more talking—let’s go find some fetal souls!”

Little Cloud seemed truly frightened by me now and didn’t bother to say goodbye to Wangchuan. We ran off, for our sole priority was to find enough fetal souls to return to the Rift.

Two battered kittens limped around for hours, searching for a little inn or somewhere they could secretly absorb some essence.

But every security guard was hostile: “Where did these stray cats come from? Shoo, shoo!”

They hurled trash at us, forcing us to flee, wounded and desperate.

The more we struggled, the more hopeless it seemed. After hours of wandering, our heads drooped so low they nearly dragged on the ground.

Yet even so, we were still chased away as strays, as if people wished us dead.

Was life for animals always this tough?

I used to think the world was full of animal lovers, with kind souls everywhere feeding stray cats and dogs.

But now, as a ‘stray cat’ myself, I realized that those who disliked us far outnumbered those who cared.

From an animal’s perspective, humans seemed lofty and unapproachable, their disdainful faces stirring a nameless ache in my heart.

The garbage flung at us hurt far more than any wound.

With only two hours left until midnight, the city glittered with lights, yet our hearts were shrouded in endless gloom.

Little Cloud kept sighing; her hind leg was still weak, each step an agony.

“Qianqian…if we find someone later, you eat first. You only need to hand in one share; there’s no way I can find two now… If I’m punished, so be it…”

“We’ll see…” I kept looking around, hoping for a last chance.

Now, not only had we found no fetal souls, but I might be punished for not bowing or greeting the master when I saw him—worse yet, I’d run off immediately.

Would I be made to hang my tail? Or, as Little Cloud had said, face one of the eighteen cruel punishments…

I’d once overheard other cats talk about punishments—one had all her fur yanked out alive.

First, boiling water was poured over her, then the fur, scalded to near-cooking, was ripped out. The poor cat ended up bald, her red, blistered flesh on display.

I’d gone home trembling and told Little Cloud. She’d been calm, saying that was the simplest punishment; there were many that would make me faint just to hear.

Curious, I pressed her to tell me what the worst was.

She’d told me the most severe was being thrown into molten steel.

Since we’re not exactly living creatures, we couldn’t die, no matter how long we boiled. Once our flesh melted away, we’d be nothing but a skeleton, writhing in the steel.

If another cat had a grudge, they might not throw you in whole, but dip in one paw, then the tail, tormenting the cat to the point of collapse.

If the master forgave you, you’d be spared. If not, it would go on and on.

Cats, thanks to their essence, recovered quickly; within two or three days, you’d grow a new body. And so the cycle repeated—until the punishment ended, or the master relented.

Listening to Little Cloud, I’d felt a cold sweat down my back.

Wangchuan must be a true pervert, I thought, to devise such tortures! Hanging the tail was just for naughty kittens, but being thrown into molten steel was far too cruel. A real monster!

Just then, my collar tightened painfully around my neck, making me shudder!

It was as if I could hear Wangchuan’s soft laughter by my ear, setting every nerve on edge.

No, no, I don’t want to be boiled in molten steel! I don’t want my fur ripped out or my tail hung! I won’t ever slander master again…

I twitched, struggling where I stood, until Little Cloud nudged me.

“Hey! Qianqian, look! Over there—three men surrounding a girl! Three men! That’s three shares of essence!”

My scalp prickled as I followed Little Cloud’s gaze.

Sure enough, in the distance, three thuggish men circled a young girl who looked barely into her teens.

The place was so dark I could only make out the girl’s white dress and the faint reddish glow from the men’s bodies.

It was clear they were interested in her—eager to enjoy themselves, right there.

Little Cloud squinted, whispering, “Look, they’re burning with heat—it’s obvious they’re after the girl! If we wait here, it’s night, maybe…”

“But—” I cut her off. “Can’t you see the girl keeps dodging? It’s obvious they’re forcing her! How can we just stand by and watch—?”

Little Cloud glanced at me, a hint of regret in her eyes. “Qianqian, our only purpose is to absorb essence, not save the world. You’ve seen it yourself—humans think they’re so superior. We’re too small to change anything… Qianqian! Qianqian! Don’t run off!”

I ignored her protests, because the three thugs had already started pawing at the girl!

I rushed forward for a simple reason: my own little sister was about the same age—how could a child so young know anything?

If these scoundrels ruined her, who’s to say there wouldn’t be another vengeful ghost born in this world?

But before I could reach them, I caught a clear look at the girl, already pushed to the ground.

My eyes widened in shock!

“Xin’er?!”