Cat 256: Lord Jiu’s Displeasure

Chapter 256 Nine Lord’s Displeasure

Liu Jingxi’s voice came just in time, but Cheng Xueying still needed a moment to process it; in that split second, Yan Jiyun’s claws had already raked across the skin of his calf.

Cheng Xueying gasped in pain, jerking his leg back. “Hiss—where did this stray cat come from!”

Yan Jiyun couldn’t care less whether he was hurt or not. Both NPCs had felt pain where his claws swiped, though no blood was drawn.

Having clawed Cheng Xueying’s thigh, he dove straight for the space between two planters. Liu Jingxi made no move to chase after Yan Jiyun. His own arm had also been scratched, but when he felt that it wasn’t bleeding, he thought nothing of it and went after the black cat, only to find it now circling around Cheng Xueying.

He crouched before Cheng Xueying. “Is your leg bleeding?”

Yan Jiyun stopped in his tracks immediately upon hearing this, pressing up against the planter and inching forward. Was Cheng Xueying bleeding?

He stepped away from the flowers and trotted until he was about two meters from Liu Jingxi and Cheng Xueying, watching the wound on Cheng Xueying’s calf. Then, glancing at his own paw, he saw there were no scraps of paper, perhaps just a bit of human skin flaked away. He rubbed his paw in the grass to get rid of the debris clinging to his claws.

Just as he took this in, Yan Jiyun’s system popped up. He had thought his guess might be wrong, never expecting even this worthless system to be slightly delayed.

[Congratulations, player! You have completed Main Quest 4: Find the only living human in Jiangnan Town. Main Quest 5 has been unlocked. Points will be awarded after the end of the instance.]

[Main Quest 5: Rescue all the paper people in Jiangnan Town.]

Cheng Xueying was, after all, the sole living human in Jiangnan Town.

Yan Jiyun had guessed correctly—Cheng Xueying’s sudden arrival had always seemed suspicious. If not to conceal his real identity, why would the Chengs have raised him as a girl? After working for the Cheng family for most of his life, what did Cheng Liang have to lose? Even if Cheng Xueying grew up as a boy, it wouldn’t have mattered; moreover, he was the grandson. According to the Cheng family’s usual logic, it all made sense, but the current logic was even clearer: Cheng Liang’s priority had always been to protect Cheng Xueying.

The patriarch likely had no idea that Cheng Xueying was the only living person.

Now that he had found the living human, he must protect him—and he couldn’t let anyone else know.

But how to protect Cheng Xueying?

Yan Jiyun glanced at Liu Jingxi, who was fretting over Cheng Xueying’s wound—perhaps Liu Jingxi could help with this?

Cheng Xueying drew back his leg. “It’s nothing serious, just a scratch. I’ll clean it and put on some ointment.”

Liu Jingxi recognized the black cat. When he saw that it hadn’t left but doubled back instead, he pointed at Yan Jiyun. “Little cat, how could you hurt someone?”

Yan Jiyun licked the fur on his forepaw, feigning ignorance at his words.

“Is there any medicine in the house?” Liu Jingxi decided to tend to Cheng Xueying’s wound for now, disregarding the cat.

“It’s fine, just a minor injury,” Cheng Xueying replied.

Liu Jingxi insisted, “That won’t do. This cat’s a stray—if you don’t treat the wound, it could get infected.”

He went into the house to look for the medicine cabinet, and actually managed to find it.

Cheng Xueying, seeing how quickly he returned with the medicine, took it and began treating himself. Liu Jingxi, still wary of appearances, allowed this, turning his attention instead to Yan Jiyun, who squatted nearby. He himself had been scratched, but didn’t dare get too close.

“So tell me, why did you hurt someone?” Liu Jingxi asked.

Yan Jiyun found him rather foolish, hoping for an answer from a cat.

His current priority was to protect Cheng Xueying, so he couldn’t leave just yet, but he hadn’t decided on his next move.

When Cheng Xueying finished tending to his injury, he remarked, “Maybe it was chased by someone, startled into attacking. Now it seems much more docile.”

“That could be it. It ran in here from the front hall—maybe people there were trying to shoo it away.” Liu Jingxi thought this reasonable.

Yan Jiyun was also watching Liu Jingxi. He considered, then turned and ran out. He could join the two of them in the guise of the cousin, protect Cheng Xueying, and draw out Wei Liu. He’d hoped to use Liu Jingxi for this, but Wei Liu knew Liu Jingxi wasn’t alive. Still, there was another riskier route—they could expose Cheng Xueying’s identity as the living person, drawing Wei Liu out. Cheng Xueying wasn’t truly a girl; he was a boy, perfectly capable of defending himself.

What complicated matters was that Wei Liu relied on occult methods—hard to guard against and harder still to counter. No one could predict the form his attack would take.

Yan Jiyun ran out, found a corner, and shifted back to human form. Then, pretending to have been chased by the black cat, he rushed into Cheng Xueying’s courtyard.

“Cousin, there’s a ferocious black cat after me—save me!”

Liu Jingxi and Cheng Xueying were both surprised to see him. By then, Cheng Xueying had already finished tending his wound.

“That cat scratches everyone it meets. It’s not following—you’re safe. Did it scratch you?”

Yan Jiyun shook his head. He knew perfectly well he, too, had a paper body, and that being scratched would hurt. He wasn’t stupid enough to hurt himself.

“No, I dodged it as soon as it leapt at me and rushed in here instead. What are you two up to?”

“We got scratched by the cat too, and we’re putting on medicine,” Liu Jingxi answered.

Yan Jiyun said deliberately, “How come you’re not bleeding after being scratched?”

Liu Jingxi looked at his own wound, then at Cheng Xueying’s calf. “Maybe my skin’s tougher—just a shallow scrape.”

Yan Jiyun scrutinized the back of Liu Jingxi’s hand. “Wow, your wound’s so deep, yet there’s no blood. That’s odd.”

He wondered: if all the paper people became aware they were paper, what then? Jiangnan Town would surely descend into chaos.

“It is odd,” mused Liu Jingxi. “Even a small cut used to bleed before. Why not now?”

“Are you sure cuts used to bleed? Really think—is there a time you remember bleeding from a scrape?” Yan Jiyun pressed.

Liu Jingxi fell silent. “I don’t recall ever being hurt recently… no, wait, I was, but I don’t think I bled.”

Yan Jiyun feigned innocence. “That’s strange. I saw the Ninth Lord injured, and he didn’t bleed either. Why is that?” He glanced sideways at Cheng Xueying. “Cousin-in-law, do you bleed when you get hurt?”

Cheng Xueying hesitated briefly before answering, “Yes, I do.”

Yan Jiyun rested his chin on his hand, staring at Cheng Xueying. “Then how come only you bleed, and we don’t? It really is the strangest thing.”

Cheng Xueying’s gaze drifted; his face gradually darkened, as though lost in thought.

After a while, he said quietly, “It’s not strange. It’s because I am different from you.”

Then, realizing something, he quickly changed the subject. “Cousin, what brings you back?”

“Came to pack up—going to move in with the Ninth Lord,” Yan Jiyun replied as he had before.

Liu Jingxi asked, “You need to live with your boss for the job?”

Yan Jiyun fabricated a new role for himself. “As his personal assistant, naturally, I need to come and go with my employer.”

How could you rescue all the paper people in Jiangnan Town? By helping them leave? Was that the ultimate objective?

But no, it couldn’t be that simple. Leaving Jiangnan Town meant taking the river route—where, exactly, must he send them for it to count as rescue? No, he shouldn’t follow the path the instance laid out.

The task was to rescue the paper people—not necessarily to lead them out. According to the instance’s logic, everyone in Jiangnan Town was already dead; their souls were living on only by inhabiting these paper bodies.

Round and round, it always circled back to the key figure, Wei Liu.

Cheng Xueying or Wei Liu—who was the true protagonist?

Liu Jingxi slung an arm companionably over Yan Jiyun’s shoulders. “Cousin, working for the Ninth Lord doesn’t sound easy. Why don’t you quit? I’ll find you a better job.”

Yan Jiyun dropped his head, a touch of shyness in his voice. “Working for the Ninth Lord is nice. He—he treats me very well.”

Liu Jingxi scolded him, exasperated. “Don’t I treat you well? The Ninth Lord only has an agenda—he’s up to no good! My cousin’s not going to pimp himself out for work!” He grabbed Yan Jiyun, intent on dragging him off. “I’m going to talk to the Ninth Lord. Figure out what kind of man he is, and what kind you are. If he tires of you, what will become of you?”

Yan Jiyun thought to himself, It’s all just an act between me and the Ninth Lord—no need to be so serious.

The front hall was full of guests, so Cheng Xueying didn’t follow.

As Liu Jingxi dragged Yan Jiyun toward the front hall, they met Ajun in a corridor heading in Cheng Xueying’s direction.

Yan Jiyun suddenly asked Liu Jingxi, “Wasn’t Ajun supposed to be serving the First Madam? Why’s she going over to Cousin-in-law?”

“What else could she be doing? Maybe she was sent over to deliver a message,” Liu Jingxi replied.

Yan Jiyun shook his head. Ajun had eyes only for the eldest young master, wanting nothing more than to go off with him. And since Cheng Xueying was, on the surface, Third Young Master’s wife, and the First and Second Madams were at odds, there couldn’t possibly be a message worth delivering.

“What could Aunt possibly need to tell Cousin-in-law now? Her father’s just passed—she’s in mourning. Aunt’s always been a sensible woman.” A sensible woman wouldn’t stir up trouble at such a time. “Crap! We need to get back to Cousin-in-law! It’s dangerous for him to be alone!”

This Ajun might not even be the real one—she could be Wei Liu, or one of the two deceased souls.

Liu Jingxi, unaware of the gravity of the situation, followed Yan Jiyun back in haste. The idea that Liu Xueying might be in danger made him anxious too, and he quickened his pace.

They were only gone a short while, but still hadn’t caught up with Ajun. When they arrived, Ajun was already swinging a knife at Cheng Xueying. He circled the stone table, barely dodging a slash aimed for his arm.

Ajun’s smile was twisted and unnatural. “Good child, if you won’t come quietly, you have only yourself to blame.”

“We’ve never had any quarrel—why are you doing this?” asked Cheng Xueying.

“Because you’re useful to me. Only you can save me now,” Ajun replied.

“What are you then?” Cheng Xueying demanded.

“Don’t tell me you really don’t know. Why else would your father marry you off to the Liu family? He wanted to save your life. Too bad he couldn’t have guessed Liu Senior’s soul would cling to Liu Third’s body—and that, lusting after a pretty young bride, he would be too blind to see you’re the one we’ve been searching for. Stupid old man—couldn’t even spot you for what you are.”

Though her words rambled, Ajun never stopped swinging the knife.

Yan Jiyun didn’t hesitate; he grabbed a bamboo pole propped nearby and jabbed Ajun in the back.

Amazingly, the pole passed easily through her waist. Yan Jiyun yanked it free and struck her right leg.

Deprived of support at her waist and right leg, Ajun collapsed in an awkward heap—yet she could still move.

“Filthy brat, stop interfering with your grandfather’s resurrection.”

Yan Jiyun hurried to pull Cheng Xueying behind him. “Cousin-in-law, stay back. She’s no good!”

Ajun sneered, “So you’re in on the secret?”

At that moment, their struggle had drawn the others from the Liu household.

Initially, after Yan Jiyun turned into a cat and began clawing people, Liu Father had ordered the servants to catch the animal. The Ninth Lord said he also kept cats and would help. With nothing better to do, they all drifted into the back courtyard.

Unexpectedly, as they approached, they saw Yan Jiyun shielding a white-clad Cheng Xueying behind him.

The Ninth Lord pressed his lips together in displeasure.

So, it seemed, if you want to look enchanting, nothing compares to mourning dress.