Chapter Forty-One: The High-Level Cat Beetle

Pouting in grievance, I looked at those cats staring at me with strange expressions, as if I were some sort of comic relief. In the end, it was Fishball who kindly explained to me what shift duty meant.

Our master’s intention, it seemed, was that since monsters had recently entered the rift, we guardian cats needed to start our shifts immediately. To be on duty meant to protect fetal souls and spirits.

Guardianship was not, as I had imagined, just safeguarding our master during each soul gathering. Specifically, it meant protecting the items used for soul gathering, ensuring nobody could interfere or claim them. Each day, every cat would take turns at the place near the River of Oblivion where fetal souls and spirits were collected, going on duty there. There were toys for kittens to play with, and as long as we didn’t shirk our roles, it was fine.

I thought to myself, this shouldn't be too hard; after all, few cats would dare covet our master’s possessions, right? What worried me more was what to do about my forty-nine shares of fetal souls! I couldn’t go to Han Mingxuan, and even if I did, he probably wouldn’t have that many fetal souls to give me!

Annoyed beyond words, I wandered the streets alone after the meeting, and soon spotted my iron-made statue husband. I gave him a little sniff, then padded on. Today, I had no intention of talking to him—I was simply too irked! I’d already resigned myself to doing nothing and facing my fate with the River of Oblivion in three days, because I knew full well that even if I tried my hardest, I couldn’t possibly collect forty-nine fetal souls in time.

A soft cough broke the silence. “Who’s there?” I looked around.

No one—just the statue beside me. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard strange noises near this statue. I wondered if it was the scoundrel who’d made me step on my own feet last time.

I crept closer, hoping to catch the culprit. “Come out! I see you!” I shouted loudly, repeating my old trick.

There was nothing but the wind brushing through the grass. Suddenly, I heard a peculiar noise—spinning around, I saw someone behind me, dressed head to toe in green.

“Pei Mu?” I frowned. Was he the troublemaker from before? Probably not; his voice was gentle and a little mad, unlike the sarcastic, ridiculing tone I’d heard.

“Hehehe…” Pei Mu cast a strange glance at the statue behind me, then leaned a hand on its large paw and leered.

Was this… Statue Dong? I backed away helplessly, “What do you want…”

“Wangchuan said you should thank me,” he replied, each word filled with arrogant clarity.

“Uh… that’s true.” I nodded awkwardly, not expecting him to bring it up so soon.

“Back in the hall, plenty of kittens thanked me. You didn’t—I saw it.” He pointed at his own eyes, then at me.

“So… what do you want?”

“Have you ever seen Super Beast Mecha? I think the Golden Fire Qilin mecha looks just like me! Do you want to play the Red Phoenix?”

“Huh?” I was baffled again.

“Come on, come on! If you owe Wangchuan fetal souls and don’t pay, let him come to me!” With that, Pei Mu slapped the statue’s chest with a resounding thud.

Another cough—this time it sounded almost like someone was about to cough up blood.

I looked around anxiously, “Who?!”

“Never mind who! Come play Super Beast Mecha with me!”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re already a divine beast—why act as one?”

“But I’m not a Mecha!” Pei Mu shrugged, as if my question was completely absurd.

And so, I was dragged off by Pei Mu to play Red Phoenix, spinning in circles and transforming every time he sang the theme song. Yet, no matter how I spun, I was always just a cat! Pei Mu made me play over a hundred rounds!

I felt like a character in a Stephen Chow movie, forced into an ordeal a hundred times over! Each time I glared and raised my paw, declaring, “Red Phoenix, battle mode!” Pei Mu would laugh with pure joy—not mockery, but genuine delight, as if he truly enjoyed it.

I sighed. So be it—Wangchuan wanted me to thank him, and playing along was harmless.

That night, exhausted by Pei Mu’s antics—a hundred rounds as the Fire Phoenix, and several melodramatic soap opera scenes—I crawled under the bed and refused to come out. Pei Mu called for me outside, but I ignored him, too parched to speak, and fell asleep right there.

To my horror, the next morning, the first thing I saw wasn’t Pei Mu’s face, but Wangchuan’s feet.

Terrified, I tried to sneak away, my tail high in alarm—only to smack it against the low bed frame with a loud thwack.

“So, you’re awake,” Wangchuan chuckled.

Oh no, oh no—I was frantic, desperate to escape. But before I could find a way out, I felt myself lifted into the air, dragged out from under the bed by the collar around my neck!

Damn it! Was this collar remote-controlled?

Wangchuan raised an eyebrow, setting me on the table as the collar held me fast. “Is it comfortable, sleeping under the bed?”

“No, no… not at all!” I raised my paw and answered, instinctively edging closer to Pei Mu out of fear.

Wangchuan’s face darkened at my movement, and as Pei Mu reached out to catch me, the collar yanked me back.

“Hey, the kitten wants to stay with me!” Pei Mu protested, slamming his paw on the table.

“Oh, please. If you hadn’t exhausted her, would you even see her now?”

“How did I exhaust her? You’re heartless and unfair! I—must uphold justice! I—”

With a bang, Pei Mu’s protest was cut short as Wangchuan slammed him into the wall. The wall cracked, leaving a huge hole. Pei Mu slid to the floor, raising a weak paw, “Oh, my lord, you’re too cruel!”

“Um… Master,” I waved a paw from Wangchuan’s grasp, glancing at Pei Mu, “Will he be okay?”

Wangchuan glanced at Pei Mu. “A divine beast doesn’t die so easily.”

He then carried me out of Pei Mu’s house—where Wangchuan was staying now—but didn’t take me to his new home. Instead, he brought me to the statue of my husband.

Pointing at the statue, he asked, “Who is this to you?”

“He’s my husband,” I replied, a little embarrassed, but laughing as if it were a joke.

“Remember from now on: this one is like your master. Stop lounging on him and chattering away,” Wangchuan said disdainfully.

“How did you know I was lounging and chattering?”

“I—” For once, Wangchuan seemed at a loss for words and simply swept away, leaving me utterly confused.

Had he run out of things to say? He didn’t even ask why I hadn’t gone to collect the fetal souls. Did Pei Mu really tell him? Did I really not have to collect them anymore?

The thought filled me with such joy I nearly leapt off the ground. I had a holiday!

My first impulse was to tell Pei Mu, but recalling yesterday’s ordeal, I decided to keep my distance for now.

Turning to my dashing statue husband, I leapt onto him with a swoosh. Who cared what Wangchuan said—my husband never complained, and no one could drive me away!

After hugging his big paw for a while, I felt a bit ashamed of myself. Perhaps it was a change in my heart—since becoming a cat, my standards had shifted. How could I find a statue so devastatingly handsome?

“Kiss, kiss, kiss—” The more forbidden, the more I wanted it! I planted several kisses on his paw before scampering off.

Hopefully, no one saw my foolishness.

Laughing all the way, I ran back to Fishball and the others, delighted at the prospect of relaxation without having to collect fetal souls.

Fishball, Little Millet, and Luo Ning were all thrilled for me, and eagerly taught me how to use the spells our master had given us.

It turned out that the pearl was a fire-element magic bead; swallow it, and you could use fire spells!

Did that mean I really had become the Red Phoenix?

Covering my mouth with my paw, I couldn’t stop giggling. I spent every day learning from Fishball and the others how to use my fire powers.

Soon, three days passed, and I joined the other guardian cats in the soul storage room that Wangchuan usually used for fetal and spirit souls.

It was like a massive laboratory, filled with countless jars, each with a string attached. Fishball explained that when the master wanted to use them, he’d pull the main cord and all the fetal and spirit souls would be released.

There were few of us cats—six in total, for two rooms.

One was the fetal soul room, one was the spirit soul room; one cat per room, shifts rotating. So in effect, each cat only had to be on duty once every three days. The rest of the time, we could hunt for fetal or spirit souls, or just relax!

I was overjoyed at this news! I’d made the right choice—being a guardian cat was simply delightful! What other job could be as carefree as this?

No—a cat’s life!

From today onward, I vowed to be the most commanding, high-ranking, call-the-shots cat around!

But just as I was about to prance about in celebration, I heard the other kittens whisper, “Shh, Rebecca’s coming.”

At the sound of that name, my excitement evaporated.

“Qianqian!” Yet, Rebecca seemed rather interested in me, calling my name as soon as she arrived.

I sighed quietly, then turned with a forced smile. “Hehe… Rebecca, what’s the matter?”