Chapter Sixty-One: Daring to Threaten the Master

I couldn’t understand why Xiaoyun suddenly became so nervous, so I just stared at her blankly.

“What is it? Don’t tell me that’s your husband?” I grinned mischievously and jumped down from the statue. “Even if it is, I’ve already claimed the spot!”

“It’s not that,” Xiaoyun smacked her lips, “but... this is... Oh!”

“What’s wrong?” I watched Xiaoyun, who seemed to want to speak but then closed her eyes abruptly, growing more confused.

“That—that—that... the eyes are glowing!” Xiaoyun shivered, staring at the enormous statue, almost burying her face out of fear.

I turned to look; the eyes of the gigantic Qiongqi statue showed no reaction at all. Not only were they not glowing, they merely had a sapphire sheen!

“Fake,” I mocked Xiaoyun. “Honestly, it’s just a statue. Blue eyes are bound to reflect some light! The sun isn’t that strong, but if it hits just right, it might glint every now and then. Look—”

With that, I leapt back onto the statue, scratching a few marks with my claws on its massive surface.

“See, it’s just a statue.”

Then I knocked on it.

My claws made a faint, metallic ringing sound against the statue.

“But—but—” Xiaoyun’s facial muscles twitched, clearly terrified.

“It’s fine!” I wobbled, planting a few more kisses on my husband’s giant paw. “Chuu-chuu-chuu—”

“Qianqian—” Xiaoyun’s face darkened completely now, whispering with a sigh, “You really should come down... This is... this is the Qiongqi statue...”

“Qiongqi?” I looked at the thing, quickly piecing together the idea of Qiongqi and the statue in my mind.

“Yes, Qiongqi... but, uh... where did this statue come from? Has it always been here with the Guardian Cat?”

“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “It’s been here since I arrived.”

Xiaoyun pondered for a while, then pulled me back several steps. “Better not get close to it from now on. I heard there are Qiongqi statues in the Rift—maybe this is one.”

“So what?” I shrugged.

“But the master is Qiongqi...” Xiaoyun shivered again.

“Um... you can’t even be sure that the Qiongqi from back then was Wangchuan. Besides, it’s just a statue!”

I tried to find excuses for myself, but suddenly felt a prickling on my scalp.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Xiaoyun shook her head. “I’m not superstitious, but you know Buddha statues, right? Like the Goddess of Mercy—each one is her golden body, and whatever happens beside her golden body, she knows. I heard all Buddhas, and anyone with a golden body statue, have this ability.”

“Uh—” Now I was utterly speechless, staring at the imposing statue opposite.

Is this Qiongqi?

Is this Wangchuan?

How could that be?!

“So—can the statue speak?” I blurted out the question, suddenly struck by a thought.

“I don’t know, but people say it can manifest. The true form enters, and then it speaks!”

“Damn!” Hearing that, I felt the world turn upside down!

What the hell! So this is actually a Qiongqi?!

That means, a living Qiongqi!

No, no... Back then, there was always someone talking to me beside this statue!

At first, they told me to step left foot over right, then laughed at me watching the commotion! Was there really someone there?!

The more I thought about it, the more shocked I felt!

Wangchuan had said a few things to me before, and now those words echoed like a spell in my mind!

—Remember, I am your master, not your husband.

—From now on, treat this just like your master, don’t always climb on top and chatter.

---

And there was always coughing beside the statue, and Pei Mu would deliberately hit him...

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah—I clutched my head, suddenly feeling as if the end of the world was coming!

If this really is a Qiongqi statue, then I can only hope Wangchuan isn’t a Qiongqi!

But everything he said to me shows he already knows what happened between me and the statue!

If he’s not the statue, how does he know so much?

And my little bundle—I hid it so perfectly! How did Wangchuan turn around and grab it so easily?

It’s all a scam! All a scam!

Ah, ah, ah—why did he pull out my tooth?!

Was it because I left claw marks on the Qiongqi statue that day when I was drunk?!

I looked closely—the claw marks I once left on the Qiongqi’s paw were gone! Only the ones I just made remained!

It heals itself?! It heals itself?!

It has a soul!

It’s Wangchuan!

That’s why he got my bundle!

The coughing was Wangchuan! The laughter was Wangchuan! Even the one who told me to step left foot over right was Wangchuan!

I am so screwed!

Looking at the marks I’d just left to show off to Xiaoyun, my mouth suddenly felt sore!

God, my little tooth—if Wangchuan gets angry, will he pull it again?!

Looking at the statue, I remembered Fishie had said someone saw Wangchuan’s true form as a big cat! A big cat with wings!

But this Qiongqi has no horns—

Is he Wangchuan or not?

I was terrified. Turning back, Xiaoyun must have seen my fear, and patted my paw. “It’s okay, it’s okay, you... I think you should ask the master yourself.”

“Ask him?!”

I nearly jumped out of my skin!

How? Go up to him grinning and fawning: Are you my husband? Is that statue you?

If he says yes, what do I do? Isn’t it embarrassing?

If he says no, what then? Still embarrassing!

“I—”

I was about to speak when another coughing sound came from behind!

Just like the statue used to!

Xiaoyun and I turned, stunned. My mind was in chaos, but Xiaoyun reacted faster. She turned and, seeing who it was, stammered a greeting.

“Master—”

“Damn!” I jumped three feet high. “Wangchuan is here!”

“Hmm?” Wangchuan frowned. “You’re not happy to see me?”

The collar around my neck hummed with tiny currents—not painful, but a reminder that I might have done something wrong.

So I immediately put on a fawning face. “No... I just, um... got flustered for a moment, master, I didn’t mean...”

I don’t know where I got the nerve, but I rushed forward and rubbed against him fiercely, only relaxing once the pain around my neck faded.

“What are you two doing?” Wangchuan looked at us two little cats.

---

“We—” I glanced back at the statue.

“We were looking at the Qiongqi statue. Qianqian said it’s her husband!” Xiaoyun’s reply was practically shoving me into the fire pit!

Betraying a friend! Unforgivable!

“Heh!” Wangchuan laughed. “So, what did you find out?”

Xiaoyun replied faster than me. “We guessed it’s you, and Qianqian got scared.”

Wangchuan glanced at me, then kicked me lightly. “You’re actually scared?”

I grumbled inwardly—how could I not be scared? You’re so weird, anyone would be scared!

But I didn’t dare say it, so I hugged Wangchuan’s foot as he kicked, rubbing up against him with a look of utter devotion.

“No, how would I dare!” My answer was as stiff as ever, full of forced smiles.

“Ha.” Wangchuan laughed just as dryly, shaking his leg to try and dislodge me.

But I held tight, and he couldn’t shake me off, while Xiaoyun behind us blurted out a shocking question.

“Master, is this statue you?”

Wangchuan glanced at the statue, smiled again. “No, it’s a friend’s statue. It’s been here for hundreds of years.”

“A friend...” Xiaoyun nodded, seeming to understand something.

“I heard you were looking for me just now, but didn’t come in.” Wangchuan kicked me again but couldn’t shake me off.

I clung tightly, biting his pant leg and refusing to let go for dear life.

Xiaoyun wanted to answer, but seemed unable to speak. I rolled my eyes, thought it over, and gradually loosened my grip.

The reason I hadn’t let go was because I didn’t quite believe what Wangchuan said.

He claimed the statue wasn’t his, so why did he get my bundle so easily?

If it isn’t his statue, why did he repeatedly say those things to me?

If it’s not his statue, then is there another Qiongqi in the Rift, or is Wangchuan simply not a Qiongqi?

But Fishie clearly said Wangchuan is a big cat, basically just like the statue!

Damn, why didn’t I realize sooner, instead of getting mixed up with this thing!

Looking at the cold claw marks shining on the Qiongqi’s paw, I suddenly felt that letting things take their course might be best.

What’s done is done—so what if it’s Wangchuan? So what if it’s not?

I... I’ve already embarrassed myself!

So I stiffened my neck and loudly requested Wangchuan, “Master! I want Xiaoyun to be a Guardian Cat too!”

“Oh?” Wangchuan smiled, one corner of his mouth raised. “Reason.”

“Because we’re good friends!” I flicked my tail, stating this thoroughly unconvincing reason with complete confidence.

“All your good friends have to become Guardian Cats? You’re being unreasonable.”

“I am unreasonable!” I straightened my neck, raised a paw. “If you don’t agree, I’ll tell everyone what you did to me that day!”

“Oh?” Wangchuan snorted softly. “Which day? What did I do to make you so bold? Threatening your master?”

“You used your hand... that...” I shot a glance at Xiaoyun, who was watching curiously. “Anyway, you must agree! Or I’ll expose everything!”

Seeing my seemingly righteous stance, and Xiaoyun’s intense curiosity, a strange emotion flickered in Wangchuan’s eyes.

“Fine, but I have a condition.” Unexpectedly, Wangchuan actually agreed to my brazen demand.

“What condition?” I stepped forward, watching Wangchuan nervously.