Cat 255: Beware the Black Cat

Chapter 255 Beware the Black Cat

Qiu Xi’s worries were quickly soothed by Gu Wenzhu, and he swiftly came to terms with being a paper person. Perhaps it was his habit of bad luck—just being alive was a stroke of fortune. The gloom of the past few days dissipated all at once; as long as his leg could be restored, he would be satisfied.

After hearing the background of the game, he patted his chest in relief. “Thank goodness, so this is just a scenario setting. But… the town is ringed by water, so escaping by water won’t work, will it?” If the boat capsized, their time in the water would be a death sentence, their lives handed to the river god, and not even immortals could save them.

This might be why no one had ever escaped Jiangnan Town; even if they found a way out, they wouldn’t survive.

Their team was finally reunited, but their collective strength did not actually improve. Qiu Xi, now only half a body, could do nothing but remain bedridden in this scenario.

Fortunately, the goal of “finding teammates” was complete. What came next was to search for the only living person in the town.

Ninth Master had people, but they lacked a target. The town center alone had a population of around thirty thousand; finding a single living person among them was next to impossible, and searching door to door was simply not practical. Putting out a newspaper ad was equally useless—there were no distinguishing features to go by.

Should they look for Wei Liu, then?

But Wei Liu was cunning. Yan Jiyun suspected that after those recent player deaths, Wei Liu might have taken over a player’s body. Now that the identity of Liu Jingxi had been exposed, he probably wouldn’t use it again.

Staring at the “Soul Returning Technique” manual lying on the table, Yan Jiyun said, “I need to go to the Liu family to look for Liu Jingxi.”

Gu Wenzhu asked, “What for? He might already be torn to pieces by Wei Liu.”

Yan Jiyun shook his head. “I don’t think so. Previously, Liu Jingxi and Wei Liu always appeared alternately.”

Ninth Master, legs crossed, offered his thoughts. “Why didn’t he just get rid of Liu Jingxi? Possession would be easier than crafting a paper double—why bother with such a lookalike?”

Prompted by this, Yan Jiyun had a sudden epiphany. “Right, maybe Wei Liu isn’t a match for Liu Jingxi and can’t take him directly, but still needs Liu Jingxi’s identity. What does that suggest?”

He exchanged a glance with Ninth Master. “It suggests he’s hiding in the Liu household without being discovered, and that he needs Liu Jingxi’s identity.”

He Yuanle slapped the table. “So, the Liu family is Wei Liu’s hiding place—and someone inside is helping him.”

Wei Liu couldn’t have accomplished these soul transfers alone; someone must have helped, and it could be more than just the Liu family—it might include the Chen family, maybe the Cheng family, and even the Lin family.

The five people in the photograph hadn’t fallen out; on the contrary, they might have been accomplices. Yan Jiyun believed they were trying to create a utopia solely for themselves.

As for the other victims, perhaps the truth of their deaths was only surface-level, with a deeper story beneath.

Gu Wenzhu asked, “Could it be all five people in the picture didn’t want to die? Maybe they all wanted to survive—and Wei Liu is the odd one out? Maybe his wife found out and was killed by his hand.”

Yan Jiyun said, “Let’s go verify that. First, that Wei Liu and the Chen family are connected is a fact. Next is Wei Liu and the Liu family. There’s one more person I almost forgot—why was Cheng Xueying so determined to marry Liu San? I remember, on the night Liu San died and as Cheng Xueying kept vigil over his body, he wasn’t the least bit afraid—did he know something? Oh, and another thing: Cheng Xueying is a man.”

Ninth Master said, “Things are more complicated than we thought. Still, one thing’s for sure: of the ‘good guys,’ Liu Jingxi isn’t with Wei Liu, otherwise Jiyun wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.”

It was a reasonable theory.

Liu Jingxi was worth further developing as an ally; next, they needed to approach Cheng Xueying and find out what he knew.

He Yuanle was a beat behind. “There’s actually a twist like that?”

Qiu Xi remained silent the whole time. Now only half a person, he was essentially useless. If he couldn’t help, at least he wouldn’t drag the team down.

“We’ll have to split up,” Yan Jiyun said. “I’ll go to the Liu family to investigate. What about you?”

Gu Wenzhu said, “We’ll head to the Chen residence, test Old Master Chen and Chen Qin. Maybe the person Chen Qin killed—Liu San—was the late patriarch of the Liu family.”

Their thoughts broadened again—Liu San might actually be the deceased Liu patriarch.

He Yuanle mused, “So the old Liu was quite the lecher, even at his age trying to prey on young women.”

Yan Jiyun connected this to another girl’s death, a suspicion he hadn’t yet confirmed.

Maybe after the old Liu died, he possessed a servant girl’s body and was found out, leading to her death. Otherwise, there’s no way to fully explain Xiaofang’s demise—but now it all made sense. The five people had sought to create a utopia, a place where paper people never grew old or died, granting perpetual life. But one day, a true, living being burst in—being paper paled in comparison. They all scrambled for a chance to become human.

Someone likely knew who the living person was; someone was protecting them.

Yan Jiyun had a plan. “Let’s focus on these four: Liu, Cheng, Chen, and Lin—and don’t forget the Ouyang family! I’ll handle Liu, Cheng, and Ouyang. You take Chen and Lin! The living person has to be among them; so is Wei Liu!”

Gu Wenzhu shared his suspicions, and he and He Yuanle set out with clear tasks.

Ninth Master noticed he hadn’t been given an assignment. “And me?”

Yan Jiyun dragged him out the door. “You’re with me, of course—unless you want to go solo?”

Ninth Master replied, “Doubles are better.”

The phrase “double,” in that split second, brought an inappropriate image to Yan Jiyun’s mind.

Ahem—truth be told, Ninth Master had a great physique. No wonder Liu Rongzhi always found excuses to cozy up to him. Hopefully, he didn’t have that kind of… hobby.

Ninth Master noticed Yan Jiyun’s head suddenly lower, the tips of his ears flushing pink. With a sudden flash of insight, he smiled, lips curving. “What are you thinking about?”

Yan Jiyun forced his expression back to normal and shook his head. “Nothing. Get in the car.”

Ninth Master paused, then nodded, “Alright. Let’s get in.”

The word “car” also felt oddly meaningful.

[“Wanna Be a Human” Livestream Room:]

“My face is bright red! Ahhh—I swear Ninth Master is flirting with Cat Cub but Cat Cub hasn’t caught on!”

“No, no, Cat Cub absolutely knows—look at the tips of his ears. Damn, that awakened Cat Cub is adorable.”

“He’s only thinking of certain suggestive phrases, not actually flirting with Ninth Master.”

“With all the kissing and cuddling, what do you call that?”

“LMAO, Cat Cub’s take on naughty is a cat licking its owner—the pixelated kind. You think he’s really caught on?”

“Cat Cub’s still young; what’s he know? I want to know who the living person is! What’s this scenario actually about? We’re halfway through and I’m still confused. All I care is whether Cat Cub can actually clear it and survive.”

“Same here. Crap, several more players have burned to death—how awful.”

“Who did it?”

Yan Jiyun saw the player count dropping too. Wei Liu was growing desperate, perhaps trying to flush out the only living person; the living can’t be set alight so easily.

Is anyone being sheltered by their family?

He shouted to Qiu Xi, “Qiu Xi, stay put and don’t go anywhere! If anything happens, have someone carry you to an open area—don’t go near water or fire, and look after yourself!”

Qiu Xi nodded, “Got it! I have items to help!”

With his warnings given, Yan Jiyun and Ninth Master headed for the Liu family home. This time, instead of entering openly through the front, he planned to slip in through the back.

He only brought Ninth Master—Yang Er would make their group too conspicuous. In truth, Yan Jiyun would have preferred to go alone; turning into a cat made him much more agile.

But as he prepared to sneak in through the back, Yang Er drove straight to the Liu family’s front entrance.

Yan Jiyun protested, “Why not just take the back door?”

Ninth Master pushed the door open to get out. “No need.”

Yan Jiyun paused. He had been treating Ninth Master as just Qifeng, but here, Ninth Master had both status and power. He could go where he pleased—other NPCs would never block his way. He really was the perfect tool.

The Liu family’s doorman, seeing the luxury car, realized at once these were not people to cross, even if he didn’t recognize Ninth Master himself. After Liu Jinghao’s burial, all the white mourning cloths had been removed, and life had returned to normal. This was the first time Yan Jiyun had seen it so; his first day had been full of festive red ribbons, quickly replaced by mourning, and only now—at last—by daily calm.

Ninth Master’s arrival startled Liu Jingxi’s father—Yan Jiyun’s nominal “cousin-uncle”—who had no idea what brought Ninth Master here. Everyone knew his reach spanned both sides of the law; just hearing the name would make a man’s legs go weak.

“My apologies for not coming out to greet you, Ninth Master,” the usually unflappable Mr. Liu said with forced courtesy.

“No need for formality, Mr. Liu. Jiyun troubled everyone here these past days; I came to thank you on his behalf.”

“Oh? It was nothing, really. With all that’s been happening, we haven’t had much time for the children, but there’s no need for thanks.” Mr. Liu could barely remember Yan Jiyun and struggled to keep the conversation going.

Ninth Master had Yang Er bring up gifts straight from the trunk. Mr. Liu’s eyes lit up at the sight—the items were expensive even for a rich household.

Yan Jiyun wondered why Ninth Master was so ostentatious. He’d been granted a powerful NPC role right from the start, already standing atop the scenario.

“Still, my thanks are due. He’s just back to collect some belongings.” Ninth Master patted Yan Jiyun’s waist. “I’ll chat with your cousin-uncle; you go and pack.”

“It’s getting late, Ninth Master—why not stay for dinner?”

Mr. Liu didn’t expect him to agree—just being polite, really.

“I’d be delighted. I’ve heard your cook is the finest with Jiangnan cuisine. I’d love to taste it, if I may impose.”

“No imposition at all!”

While Ninth Master made small talk, Yan Jiyun quickly found a quiet corner, transformed back into a cat, and headed straight for the backyard.

The instant he became a cat, he thought of a way to test for a living person.

The Liu family’s members were all homebodies, except for Liu Jingxi, who liked to go out.

He would check on Cheng Xueying first.

Logically, after his father’s death, he should be home today.

Unexpectedly, Yan Jiyun ran into Liu Jingyi being helped along—an NPC pretending to be ill.

Learning that Ninth Master had arrived, he suddenly seemed to forget his illness and hurried toward the sitting room.

Yan Jiyun leapt up onto the railing, reached out, and raked his claws across the back of Liu Jingyi’s exposed hand.

Liu Jingyi yelped, “What the—?”

His companion, the young mistress, said, “It looked like a black cat. Are you alright?”

Liu Jingyi said, “Why would there be a stray? Have them catch it and throw it out.”

The young mistress agreed, “Of course.”

Yan Jiyun darted out of sight and checked Liu Jingyi’s wound—a slit, but no bleeding. He glanced at his own claws; what he’d scratched free was paper, of the same color as skin.

Not a living person. Next.

He hurried to the backyard, where he heard the real Liu Jingxi.

Liu Jingxi was sitting in a gazebo, chin in hand, daydreaming. Seeing his bare arm, Yan Jiyun leapt atop the stone table and slashed three scores on his arm.

Landing lightly, he shook scraps of paper from his paw. Not a living person. Next.

“My god, little black cat—it’s been days and now you’re attacking people!”

Liu Jingxi chased after Yan Jiyun.

But Yan Jiyun, having scratched his hand, bounded straight toward Cheng Xueying’s quarters.

He overheard Cheng Xueying talking with a Cheng family spy.

Yan Jiyun slipped into the yard, hugging the ground as he approached. Behind him, Liu Jingxi’s voice called out. The spy hid at once.

Cheng Xueying, despondent after his father’s death and not paying much attention to his attire, was wearing a skirt a bit too short, exposing his ankle.

Yan Jiyun crouched in the grass, then sprang—landing at Cheng Xueying’s feet, claws bright, he swiftly raked his claws down his ankle.

From behind came Liu Jingxi’s anxious shout: “Cheng Xueying, watch out for the black cat!”