Chapter Sixteen: Perhaps the End Is Near

A series of questions left the young girl a little embarrassed. She opened her mouth and explained slowly, “Actually… I’m Xiaoyun…”

“You’re Xiaoyun?!” My voice rang out in surprise.

Xiaoyun hurriedly covered my mouth, signaling that my little sister was asleep, then softly told me she had no choice but to appear in human form because, as a cat, she simply couldn’t rescue Xin’er from under the car wheel.

When I asked why she hadn’t told me this earlier, she said she was afraid I’d get anxious and want to transform and come home to keep Xin’er company as well.

I let out a long breath, relieved that nothing was wrong. Xiaoyun seemed a little awkward, continuing to explain herself.

But was there really anything to explain? She had saved my life and Xin’er’s more than once—there were few greater acts of kindness.

And the fact that she’d hidden her ability to take human form was only out of concern for me.

Still, curiosity got the better of me. “Can all cats transform like you?”

Xiaoyun smiled and nodded. “Strictly speaking, yes. After serving as a Soul-Eater Cat for a few months, we gain the ability to transform. But it consumes a lot of spiritual energy. We have to devour more to maintain our true form.”

As she spoke, Xiaoyun went to the cabinet and took out the medical kit, fetching tweezers and a small knife, then returned to grasp my injured hind paw.

It struck me that Xiaoyun must have been watching over me for a long time. No wonder she’d always managed to protect me from those strange accidents just in time. Perhaps she was always guarding me and my sister from some hidden corner, which was how she knew our habits so well.

This thought made me feel even more indebted to Xiaoyun.

What virtue or merit did I possess to deserve such a friend, someone who always helped me?

Without her, I might never have learned what the River of Forgetfulness looked like, nor known about the existence of the Rift in this world.

And certainly, I would never have had another chance to become human again!

Xiaoyun picked up the tweezers and grasped the twig that had pierced my paw, drawing in a sharp breath as though she felt my pain herself.

“Qianqian, brace yourself. It’s going to hurt.”

“Alright.” I gritted my teeth, ready for it.

Xiaoyun didn’t hesitate. With a swift pull, my paw jerked uncontrollably!

Blood welled up from the pad of my foot, as if it would never stop.

The pain was so intense that I curled up into a tight ball! Were it not for the fact that Xin’er was asleep nearby, I would have screamed out loud.

Xiaoyun quickly comforted me, saying the things I cared most about to distract me: “Qianqian, Qianqian, don’t faint! Listen to me, you’ll be able to turn back into a human soon. I can feel it. The man you met last time was definitely not ordinary—he gave you four portions of essence all at once! And your master has been good to you, saving plenty for you as well. You’re just a sliver away! Only a tiny bit more!”

Her chatter did revive my spirits somewhat. My body was exhausted after the day’s events, and truly weary.

Even though I wouldn’t die and could devour fetal souls without eating, in every other way I was just like an ordinary cat—I could feel pain, I could cry, and I could get tired.

“Hang on, Qianqian. Your sister is waiting for you. Stay strong.” Xiaoyun’s warm hands wrapped around my bloodied paw, then she took some cotton and gently wiped away the blood.

Suddenly, the disinfectant cotton stung so sharply that I jerked again!

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Hold on!” Xiaoyun apologized as she continued.

A pained smile twisted my face.

There was nothing to apologize for. I knew she was helping me.

It was a long time before she had thoroughly finished, and to ease my nerves Xiaoyun kept changing the subject, “Qianqian, do you think I’m pretty?”

Grimacing, I tried to ignore the pain in my paw and looked her over.

“Is this how you looked when you were alive?”

Xiaoyun answered bashfully, “Yes. This is how I was at the moment of my death. Back then, I was an extra in a film crew, playing a schoolgirl. There was a special effects explosion that went wrong and killed me.”

She stuck out her tongue, her tone light and casual, as if talking about someone else’s death, not her own.

Thinking about it, once you’re dead, you’re dead. But I would never tell anyone that I choked to death on chili sauce!

Never!

Xiaoyun must have read my determined expression and giggled, “Don’t worry, no one will ever know how you died.”

I shook my paw indignantly, “Of course not, I trust you!”

But really, what was there to say? For me, it was an embarrassing end, but hearing about Xiaoyun’s death, I realized everyone’s experience was much the same.

In the end, it all comes down to dying when your time is up—there’s no real difference in form.

This train of thought brought a question to mind, so I looked up at Xiaoyun. “Did you see those two crows today?”

Xiaoyun’s eyes sharpened, then shifted uneasily as she replied with a question, “What are you talking about? What crows? How would I know?”

I paused, confused by her awkwardness, sensing she was hiding something from me.

“Xiaoyun, aren’t we best friends? Is there really anything you can’t tell me?” I tried my best to reason with her, certain she knew something!

How else would she always be there to ward off these strange incidents—before for me, and just now for Xin’er?

But Xiaoyun still looked as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t, her gaze earnest. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t see any crows, or anything strange…”

She hadn’t even finished before my laugh cut her off. “Oh, come on! We’re both Soul-Eater Cats—if I can see it, how could you not?”

Xiaoyun stuck out her tongue, scooped me up, and said, “I just turned on the water heater. Let me give you a bath, or you’ll be uncomfortable with all that blood.”

I struggled, my claws digging into her skin. “Don’t change the subject! I won’t let it go until I get to the bottom of this!”

Xiaoyun ignored me, gripped all four of my paws, and carried me into the bathroom, coaxing and half-forcing me into the tub.

The water was just the right temperature and depth. Trying not to hurt my injured paw, Xiaoyun handled me as gently as she could, but my resistance forced her to be firmer.

I thought Xiaoyun was acting strange, so I fought even harder, wanting to say something, but my footing slipped and I plunged under the water, bubbles gurgling up!

Xiaoyun hurriedly fished me out, then glanced toward the door. She turned back, apologizing, “I’m so sorry, Qianqian, I didn’t mean to!”

Just as she finished, Xiaoyun suddenly dropped me back in the tub and darted out!

My claws were useless, so I bobbed up more bubbles as I fought to the surface, only to see—yet another huge crow had passed through my house and darted straight into Xin’er’s bedroom!

At that moment, the urge to protect my sister made me several times more agile than an ordinary cat. I sped out after Xiaoyun and dashed into the room!

The crow landed right on Xin’er!

In almost the same instant, Xiaoyun snatched Xin’er away and cradled her in her arms.

Xin’er, only just asleep, opened her eyes in a daze. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep,” Xiaoyun soothed her, and Xin’er closed her eyes once more.

Because Xiaoyun moved her in time, Xin’er was unharmed. Just as before, it seemed that only truly catastrophic disasters could actually affect us.

I still didn’t know what might happen this time, but I was certain now—Xiaoyun could see the crow! She was keeping it from me!

And what the crow’s appearance signified was something I didn’t even dare to imagine!

After Xiaoyun had soothed Xin’er and tucked her into my bed, she quietly closed the door and came back out.

“In half an hour, we have to return to the Chaos Rift, Qianqian…” Xiaoyun seemed to want to explain something, but didn’t finish.

“You can see the crow, can’t you? You know what it means, don’t you?!” I practically clawed at Xiaoyun’s pant leg, screaming.

The wound in my hind paw split open again, but I had no time to care. Water dripped from my fur, but I ignored it.

All I wanted to know was—what did the crow mean?

Xiaoyun glanced at me, then nodded awkwardly and finally began to explain. “But don’t worry, Qianqian, this is the last time today.”

“What do you mean?” My breathing was ragged, all four paws trembling.

Xiaoyun lifted me onto the sofa and explained, “Just as you guessed. But what I see isn’t a crow—just a mass of black mist. That mist means… the end is near…”

She stammered, watching my reaction.

What reaction could I have? My mind rang like a death knell, buzzing with dread.

“What do you mean, the end is near?! Xin’er is so young! How could that be? I don’t believe it…” I shook my head wildly.

Xiaoyun, on the verge of tears herself, tried to comfort me, “Qianqian… everyone has their fate. Don’t get too upset… you have to hold on…”

“How can I not be upset? How could I?!” I threw off her hand. “If I were doomed to die young, I’d accept it—but Xin’er is just a child! She’s so little! Without Xin’er, what’s the point of going on? Why be a Soul-Eater Cat at all?!”

Xiaoyun was at a loss for words, staring at me blankly. “Qianqian…”

Unable to endure, I broke down in tears. Not even the punishment of hanging by my tail had made me sob like this.

Xiaoyun, flustered, didn’t know whether to comfort or persuade me and just stood awkwardly aside. Suddenly, the latch on the door rattled and a familiar figure stepped inside.

“I heard a little kitten crying from far away. What’s wrong? Why not tell me about it?”