It wasn't until Wu Li had blown on that little fist, rubbed it, kissed it, and healed it for the most part, that the white cat finally braced itself and approached.
It still had serious business to finish explaining.
The soul-summoning tomorrow night at midnight is of utmost importance.
This isn't just to summon back Ouyang Rui's soul, but also to deal with the lingering malevolent aura inside his body.
That malevolent aura mostly comes from the vengeful spirits in the spirit mine, inextricably linked to his father, Ouyang Huai. It is precisely because Ouyang Rui possesses an extremely Yin birth chart that he is haunted night after night, suffering endless nightmares.
So tomorrow night.
It will summon more than just Ouyang Rui's soul.
It will also summon the vengeful spirits formed and buried deep within the mine.
Ouyang Huai must see with his own eyes the sins he has committed and the consequences brought upon his children, so he will stop his evil deeds. Only then can those departed spirits move on to the afterlife.
Chai Xiaomi was furious after hearing the white cat recount what it had seen in the mine.
She gritted her teeth: Shameless capitalist, treating living people as tools!
Can we chop him into eight pieces right now? And twist his head off to kick it like a ball?
The white cat was dumbfounded.
What happened to that soft and delicate little girl from earlier? How did she become so bloody and violent in the blink of an eye?
You mustn't, you mustn't.
It waved its paws repeatedly.
If we alert the snake in the grass right now while the malevolent aura remains undissipated, those dead souls will have nowhere to return to. In the end, they will only devour malevolent energy everywhere and mutate into monsters. That would be a true disaster for the human world.
Hearing this, Chai Xiaomi stared blankly for a moment.
Monsters...
Wasn't that exactly like the one that appeared in Luoxingyuan?
At that time, its body had emanated a scorching, intense malevolent aura, and its true form was a centipede constructed from various severed limbs. Connecting it to what Old Ji was saying about the mine now, it turned out to be formed by departed souls.
But she remembered clearly that Wu Li had already dealt with it back then, so why was there still residual malevolent aura?
As she pondered, the white cat continued: Therefore, during the soul-summoning at midnight tomorrow, this old man needs you to sit in the center of the formation to guide Ouyang Rui's soul back to its place. Only through this can those departed souls be drawn out.
Okay, no problem, Chai Xiaomi agreed readily.
With Old Ji holding the fort, she had nothing to worry about.
No, Wu Li spoke coldly, I don't agree.
Heh. The white cat's ear twitched, feeling a bit annoyed at this rude junior. It suddenly felt that this boy's name suited him perfectly. This old man has figured it out. Do you just love playing the contrarian? Do you mistake rudeness for personality?
A hint of mockery surfaced on Wu Li's lips: Playing the contrarian is my favorite thing to do. You finally figured it out, you wretched old man.
The white cat choked, forcefully swallowing back a mouthful of old blood.
It had never been called a wretched old man in its entire life, yet today it had been cursed at twice!
...
This damn kid, his thick skin was simply self-righteous.
Compared to that brat Yu'er's occasional attempts to act cute and please people, it was like night and day!
Dealing with Yu'er was like punching cotton, soft and yielding.
But dealing with this one was entirely like smashing a fist onto a nail, piercing the hand bloody.
It had never met such an unappreciative youngster!
Like he popped out from a crack in a rock, he had absolutely no respect for his elders, and there was nothing anyone could do about him.
Thinking of this, the white cat suddenly froze.
In its mind, Xiaomi's words from just now floated up in fragments:
Crawled out of the mud, covered in injuries...
Never been properly loved for a single day growing up...
Planted with a lifetime of hatred...
I'm not here to exchange for a new piece of land, I'm here to make things grow from it again...
Just as Xiaomi had said, it held both prejudice and resentment towards Wu Li.
Because its physical body had been destroyed, it had never had the slightest goodwill toward the entire Voodoo tribe. Especially when it sensed that the malevolent aura on him was exactly the same as Wu Ying's, it developed an even stronger sense of wariness and resistance against him.
But at this moment, as it cast its gaze upon Wu Li's face and looked closely, it finally realized that although there was gloominess between his brows, it was still wrapped in a bit of the unfaded rawness and arrogance of youth.
It was a flamboyant yet transparent spirit.
That beautiful face was inherited from his mother.
But that unbridled nature was incredibly like its master in his youth.
At that time, its master was just a youth, his body not sickly and weak like it was now. He could ride horses and wield swords, galloping indomitably across the battlefield.
It absentmindedly recalled that this boy Wu Li was actually two years younger than Yu'er.
The white cat gathered its thoughts, and a hint of indescribable melancholy suddenly spread from the bottom of its heart.
Its tone softened a bit as well, as if gently persuading:
Then give this old man a reason, why won't you let the Xiaomi girl enter the formation?
I know you saw that painting just now and are still angry with this old man in your heart. But to reject someone else's idea, you must provide a convincing reason, not just throw a tantrum.
I don't care if you're con—
Before Wu Li could finish his sentence, his lips were sealed by a pair of soft hands.
Speak properly, no veiled attacks.
He lowered his eyes, meeting Chai Xiaomi's slightly warning gaze. His eyelashes drooped, and the arrogant flames in his eyes instantly died down.
The thorny hostility covering his body was actually swallowed back down obediently just like that.
The white cat watched, suddenly feeling as if the creature before it was clearly a vicious wolf, yet in the blink of an eye, it had been tamed into a docile house dog. Even though he was obviously human, it was as if he had grown a tail behind him just like it, wagging gently.
Chai Xiaomi could hear it; within the white cat's words lay an elder's accommodation for a junior. It wasn't an interrogation, but an attempt to coax him into speaking his mind.
She also softened her voice, looking up at Wu Li and saying:
Tell your concerns to Old Ji. He isn't an unreasonable person either. Or perhaps, do you have a better plan? Pausing for a moment, her eyes reflected a starlight of anticipation: After all, you are so smart, Lili.
That adoring gaze cast his way faintly shone with light.
Wu Li's heart stirred, as if a gust of wind had swept across the tip of his heart.
He originally had no desire to meddle in other people's affairs.
But she had praised him for being smart. With her eyes shining with hope like stars, shouldn't he show her just how smart he was?
He couldn't bear to let that light go out.
He lowered his eyes and spoke quietly: Having you sit in the formation is too risky a move. What if the first things drawn out are departed souls carrying malevolent aura...
He paused for a moment, his tone hesitant.
Then will I be in danger? Chai Xiaomi asked.
Wu Li shook his head. There wouldn't be danger, as a barrier could be set up within the formation, it's just that—It will scare you.
He remembered very clearly.
In Luoxingyuan, when he picked her up from beside the monster, her pale little face, her tightly shut eyes, and the tear stains all over her face.
Her courage was clearly as small as a grain of rice, yet for his sake, she faced that hideous and terrifying thing head-on.
He would only allow such a thing to happen once.
He absolutely would not allow it to happen a second time.
The white cat slipped on the spot, falling onto its back with all four paws in the air.
It thought the youth's grave expression was due to some matter of paramount importance. After all this fuss, it was actually just for such a tiny concern?
It wouldn't harm a single bit of her skin, it was just seeing that monster. At worst, they could just have the Xiaomi girl close her eyes. Yet he wouldn't even allow that.
"Let my snake disguise itself as Mimi and sit in the center of the formation." Wu Li turned to the white cat that had just scrambled up from the ground, his tone casual. "Ouyang Rui is an idiot anyway, he won't be able to tell the difference. I heard Jingming Terrace has an illusion spell that lasts for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. You must know it, right?"
He cast a lazy, somewhat arrogant glance downward. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was the elder here, interrogating it instead.
It was utterly preposterous!
The white cat's mouth twitched, its feline teeth glinting. "Why do you even need to ask? Of course I know it!"
If he didn't even know an illusion spell, what kind of sorcerer would he be at Jingming Terrace?
To think that at his venerable age, he was being questioned by a mere brat.
"Since you know it, let me see what you can do," he said coldly. "Tomorrow at midnight, Jiang Zhiyu will summon the soul, Hongjiao will guide the soul, I will lead the soul back to its rightful place, and you will be responsible for guarding the formation."
In just a few short moments, the division of labor was settled. Everyone had their own role, steady and decisive.
The white cat pondered for a long while, but couldn't find a single flaw in the plan.
It couldn't help but sigh inwardly: this youth's ability to strategize and plan already showed faint signs of greatness. That boy Yu'er probably wouldn't be able to catch up even if he trained for another ten years.
"What about me? What about me?" Chai Xiaomi raised her hand, suddenly realizing she had been left out of the arrangements.
Wu Li gave her a look.
"You are in charge of eating almond crisps."
