Cat 330: Summoning the Master

Chapter 330 Summoning the Master

Under Yan Jiyun’s claws, the false Qifeng dissolved into a wisp of starlight before their eyes. Su Qiuming, startled by the lightning-fast attack, retreated several steps, but Yan Jiyun’s other paw still managed to slice open his arm.

He’d forgotten this cat had more than one set of claws.

Even then, Su Qiuming couldn’t help but taunt, “Can’t you be a little gentler, little kitten?”

Yan Jiyun: “Where is it?”

Su Qiuming: “You don’t really want to know.”

Yan Jiyun: “You’ve come into contact with it.”

Su Qiuming: “Even so, I’ll never tell you. Besides, they won’t let you leave. Don’t waste your energy.”

Yan Jiyun caught the nuance—Su Qiuming said “they,” not “it.”

At that moment, a group of players Yan Jiyun had once seen in Central City stepped out behind Su Qiuming. Now, they were all following his command.

But it wasn’t true leadership—it was control.

Compared to Yan Jiyun’s group of twenty or so, Su Qiuming clearly controlled more players at his disposal.

Teacher Qu spoke up, “Boss, you handle Su Qiuming. We’ll deal with these others.”

Yan Jiyun could transform freely between human and feline form. Right now, he just needed to shatter Su Qiuming’s consciousness—but Su Qiuming was not so easy to handle, and who knew what tricks he had left.

Still, it was clear: he was the system’s representative. Defeating him would bring down the system.

Yan Jiyun grew in stature, launching a direct assault. Su Qiuming countered every move, time and again.

Both were well-versed in the art of mental combat. Yan Jiyun’s tactics were supple and ever-shifting, while Su Qiuming matched him blow for blow, his intention clear: to crush Yan Jiyun’s mind with sheer force of will.

Their aim was the same—it was now a test of endurance.

Yan Jiyun dodged a consciousness-infused punch aimed at his head, flashed a system item before Su Qiuming’s eyes to distract him, then kicked him hard in the chest, slamming Su Qiuming into the glowing column’s wall.

Su Qiuming spat a mouthful of blood.

Even his consciousness could not endure such a battering.

The mirth vanished from Su Qiuming’s face; he regarded Yan Jiyun with new seriousness.

But this time, he did not fight Yan Jiyun one-on-one. Instead, he controlled dozens of players to attack him.

These players must have fallen under the system’s grasp long ago.

Su Qiuming issued a direct command: “Kill him!”

Yan Jiyun shrank into cat form, darting to and fro with heightened agility.

Su Qiuming then ordered each possessed player to grab a large net, grouping to ensnare Yan Jiyun.

The others in Yan Jiyun’s party were too occupied to assist—each was battling multiple mind-controlled players.

Lan Mo cursed, “Damn you, Su Qiuming. If Feng-ge were here, he’d finish you!”

Su Qiuming sneered, “Give it up. Qifeng will never get here—he’s been trapped by me from the start.”

Teacher Qu, tracking Yan Jiyun’s movements, asked, “Boss, need help?”

Easily dodging another flung net, Yan Jiyun replied, “Don’t worry about me.”

He led the pursuers around the column of light, wearing out their nets in the chase.

These nets truly posed a mortal threat to a cat; Su Qiuming had planned his tactics well, knowing precisely how to take down each of them.

For Teacher Qu, he had set powerful opponents—dull of sight, but keen in other senses. For Lan Mo and Sister Liang, the trickiest adversaries. For Gu Wenzhu, those who exploited his weaknesses—a wounded leg hounded by psychological shadows.

There was no denying—Su Qiuming was a daunting nemesis.

At this point, the scene was deadlocked. Su Qiuming’s controlled players hounded Yan Jiyun, yet despite their numbers the contest was even, both sides at a stalemate. Neither could gain the upper hand nor break through to the energy pillar.

Yan Jiyun gritted his teeth and persevered. Everyone’s consciousness could tire—his own was no exception.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t best Su Qiuming; it was that Su Qiuming drew on the system’s energy. In a true one-on-one, Su Qiuming might not win.

He needed a solution.

But they were hopelessly outnumbered.

The system’s power flowed through Su Qiuming, outstripping their strength.

Yan Jiyun slipped past yet another falling net. Su Qiuming seemed to revel in his sport.

He even taunted the pursuers, “Close in! Large nets—spread them out! He won’t escape this time!”

Regardless of form, once the nets expanded, escape would be nearly impossible.

Yan Jiyun decisively reverted to human shape—but in that instant, a massive net came down on him from above. He scrambled to escape, conjuring a rod with his consciousness to push aside the net, but the cords kept coming, the inescapable “heavenly net” designed just for him.

Rolling on the ground to break free, Yan Jiyun found his route blocked by Su Qiuming, who pinned an end of the net with his foot.

Yan Jiyun grabbed his calf and kicked hard, toppling Su Qiuming by leveraging the net.

With his focus split by the need to control the others, Su Qiuming, fuming, tried to break the hold, but Yan Jiyun spun, landing a kick to his shin-bone, eliciting a cry of pain.

“You really are cunning! But you’re not getting out. Stay put in this game, traitor!”

“Turncoat, lackey, scum,” Yan Jiyun spat, merciless in his disdain. “A human, yet working for garbage.”

In his eyes, the game birthed by the system was trash, and its human lackeys even worse.

“If you keep that up, I’ll smash your mouth in,” snarled Su Qiuming, denying his treachery. “Don’t you get it? Our world needs changing, and only those people can fix its injustice. Now, capitalists and commoners alike struggle through the same game on equal footing. There will never again be politicians or aristocrats or ranks among people—just death, the only equalizer. Don’t you understand?”

Yan Jiyun rolled aside, but was nonetheless dragged back by the net. “Without ranks—so what is it you’re doing now, idiot?”

He was sick of these damned nets—no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free.

Su Qiuming, merely bearing some superficial wounds and dismissing Yan Jiyun’s tirade, climbed up.

“Tie him up.”

Teacher Qu and the others saw Yan Jiyun’s predicament—their own numbers too few, and in Su Qiuming’s domain at that. Soon, Yan Jiyun was completely bound, the net not physical but formed of consciousness itself—the more he resisted, the tighter it became.

Su Qiuming said, “Don’t waste your energy. Ten minds are controlling those cords.”

Yan Jiyun stood calm before him. “It’s useless, tying me up here.”

Reluctant to risk Yan Jiyun holding some hidden trump, Su Qiuming kept his distance. “You’re in my realm. You will not escape, not this time.”

Suddenly, Yan Jiyun smiled. “Relax—I won’t run. I never planned to. This time, I made all the necessary preparations.”

“Oh?” Su Qiuming jeered. “Let’s see, then. But it won’t matter—soon the game will return to order, you’ll be shattered, and your body destroyed. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Not if I can help it.” Yan Jiyun replied.

He stepped back, pressing against the energy pillar, and activated his consciousness’s master-pet locator.

[System: Locating your master’s position.]

[System: Master’s location found.]

Then, Yan Jiyun triggered a new function that appeared when his bond with Qifeng had reached 80 points.

He pressed [Summon Master].

[System: Master summoned successfully. Master will arrive in ten seconds.]

Su Qiuming, seeing Yan Jiyun suddenly so quiet—ignoring even his captured allies—felt a chill of unease.

He declared to all, “There’s no point in trying to escape—you won’t get away.”

Yan Jiyun suddenly smiled. “Do you know what my favorite sound is during an instance?”

Su Qiuming: “Oh? What is it?”

Yan Jiyun: “The countdown. I love the sound of the countdown. It pumps me up, adrenaline surging—such fun. Before you take me away, let me count down for you.”

“Five—four—three—two—”

“One.”

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The very floor beneath them trembled, as if some immense machine was pounding away below.

Yan Jiyun cast Su Qiuming a knowing grin and shrugged: “Want to know what’s happening?”

Su Qiuming’s brief moment of triumph faded. “What did you do?”

At the same time, the ground fractured open with a massive crack.

Dust billowed. Qifeng stood alone amidst the ruins, making his way straight toward Yan Jiyun.

Yan Jiyun raised an eyebrow at Su Qiuming. “Did you forget? My master has come to fetch me.”