"It's you, little black furball."
Chao Musheng recognized the small black cat as the one he'd encountered earlier on the road. Stepping down from the bridge, he handed the vase of lotus flowers to his bodyguard and crouched in front of the cat, extending a hand. "Are they still chasing you? Do you want to come with me for now?"
Listening to Chao Musheng's softened tone as he spoke to the kitten, Su Chenzhu remained standing on the bridge, his gaze tenderly fixed on him, unwilling to look away.
"Meow." The black cat stole a glance at the expression of the man behind Chao Musheng before placing a paw on his palm, leaving behind a muddy paw print.
"Good kitty." Chao Musheng rubbed the cat's head, unbothered by the dirt on its fur, and scooped it into his arms. "You must be hungry. I'll find you something to eat."
"Mew~" The kitten froze for a moment upon realizing it had dirtied the human's clothes, but when it saw that he didn’t mind, it nestled comfortably against his chest with a contented purr.
Only a strong human could be trusted to hunt for it.
After carrying the cat inside, Chao Musheng used a towel to clean its fur and paws, only to discover a fresh wound on one of its paws, still oozing a faint trace of blood.
"Stay here. I'll get the first aid kit to disinfect it." He set the cat on the sofa and went to fetch the kit, only to turn around and find the kitten trailing behind him.
"Running around with an injured paw?" Bending down, he scooped the cat up with one hand, grabbed the first aid kit with the other, and settled back on the sofa to tend to its wound.
The kitten didn’t struggle. Instead, it rested its uninjured paw on Chao Musheng’s knee, sitting as solemnly as a general.
Downstairs, there was a simple kitchen where Su Chenzhu found some beef, fresh fish, and shrimp in the fridge. Rolling up his sleeves, he began washing and chopping the meat.
"Mr. Su, are you hungry?" Chao Musheng stood at the kitchen doorway, holding the cat as he watched Su Chenzhu work.
"There’s no cat food here, so I’ll cook some fish and shrimp for this little one." Su Chenzhu’s knife skills were practiced, his exposed forearms strong and defined.
"Thank you."
So he was helping take care of the kitten. Mr. Su really was too kind.
"Mr. Su, you know how to cook?" Chao Musheng noticed how evenly the meat had been diced and stepped closer, peering curiously at the bowl of prepared ingredients.
Unlike the Chen Family, which had hordes of servants, Mr. Su actually cooked—a rare gem among the wealthy elite.
"I’ve learned a bit." Su Chenzhu dropped the meat into boiling water, turned up the heat, and glanced back at him. "Interested in my cooking skills?"
"A little." Chao Musheng nodded honestly. Who wouldn’t be curious that someone of Su Chenzhu’s status could cook?
Su Chenzhu chuckled softly. "After we return, I’ll cook for you."
"Really?" His curiosity about his boss’s culinary skills momentarily outweighed his usual deference, and he stared eagerly at the pot.
"I wouldn’t lie to you." Su Chenzhu stirred the pot gently. "Cat food should be low in oil and salt, so this won’t taste good tonight."
"I wasn’t planning to steal the cat’s food." Realizing the misunderstanding, Chao Musheng stroked the kitten’s fur. "I’m just shocked that you can cook."
"When I’m bored, I pick up new skills." Su Chenzhu skimmed the foam from the surface of the broth, his tone calm. "Over time, I’ve learned quite a bit."
But even after mastering them, there had never been anyone to appreciate his efforts.
As the pot bubbled, Chao Musheng’s eyes shone with admiration. "You’re amazing. My cooking is just average—only simple home-style dishes."
"You study hard every day and participate in school activities. Being able to cook at all is already impressive." Su Chenzhu noticed Chao Musheng still cradling the cat. "This kitten hasn’t been dewormed yet."
"It’s fine. I’ll take a thorough shower and disinfect myself later." Chao Musheng looked down at the kitten clinging to him, idly stroking its head. "I ran into it earlier on the road while the Chen Family’s servants were chasing it. It must’ve been terrified."
"Chasing it?"
"Yeah." Chao Musheng nodded. "No idea what’s wrong with the Chen Family, insisting black cats are bad luck. I always thought traditional Chinese beliefs considered them auspicious creatures that ward off evil spirits. How can such a superstitious family do something like this?"
Su Chenzhu rinsed his hands under the faucet. Tall and poised, even the way he bent slightly to wash his hands looked like a scene from a fashion shoot. "There are foreign legends about black cats being unlucky. Over the last century, those ideas spread here and influenced some people."
"Old Master Chen loves traditional culture. He should know better." Chao Musheng stole a few more seconds admiring Su Chenzhu’s profile before guiltily looking away.
His boss was cooking for his cat, and here he was ogling him. How shameless.
Once the meat was ready, Su Chenzhu set it on a plate to cool. "I didn’t add fish oil since we don’t know the cat’s health condition."
"Thank you, Mr. Su." Chao Musheng lifted the kitten’s uninjured paw. "Come on, say thank you too."
The black cat: "Meow!"
Human, your servant is very obedient.
The cat flicked its tail, eating with relish.
And the servant’s cooking isn’t bad either.
"It’s too late now." Su Chenzhu checked the time—11:55 PM. "I’ve arranged for a vet to come tomorrow morning to examine the cat."
"Mm-hmm!" Chao Musheng nodded with a bright smile.
"Do you want to keep it?" Su Chenzhu rolled down his sleeves. Though he spoke of the cat, his gaze never left Chao Musheng.
"I…" Chao Musheng hesitated. The kitten had been wandering alone, and he feared it might run into more people who saw it as an ill omen.
But he was still in school—he couldn’t be with it every day.
"You want to, but you’re worried you can’t take care of it properly?" Su Chenzhu stepped closer, his tall frame casting a shadow over Chao Musheng. "My place is spacious, and I have staff to maintain it. When you’re busy, you can leave the cat with me."
"Mr. Su likes this cat too?"
Su Chenzhu met Chao Musheng’s eyes and answered slowly, "Yes."
Chao Musheng’s smile deepened. This was perfect.
"Two minutes until midnight." Mr. Xuan looked solemnly at the young man lying on the bed. "Old Master Chen, when the ritual begins, there must be no black cats in the Chen estate."
This was a sinister ritual meant to siphon life force and convert it into fortune. If an inherently evil-repelling black cat remained on the premises, not only would the ritual fail, but the backlash could harm both him and the Chen Family.
"Don’t worry." Old Master Chen’s expression was icy as he lit the oil lamp on the table. "A shame this brat was expelled from Jinghua University—he lost a portion of scholarly fortune."
He’d gone to great lengths to get this useless fool into Jinghua University, only for him to be expelled for bullying and even end up with a criminal record after a stint in detention.
A promising fate, tainted by an official record—his fortune had already diminished by a third.
"Life is never perfect. Why force it?" Mr. Xuan glanced at Old Master Chen’s unnaturally flushed face. "It’s time."
He bit his index finger, drawing a divine summoning talisman in blood on the paper before pasting it above the head of Chen Er’s bed.
No—it shouldn’t be called a bed. It was an altar.
The candle flames on the altar flickered without wind. Mr. Xuan took a needle and pierced it into Chen Er’s chest, guiding the blood to drip into the incense burner. A plume of black smoke rose from the burner, swirling in the air as if awaiting the descent of something.
[Ding! An S-class supernatural entity is about to descend!]
The players in the Chen Family estate broke into cold sweat upon seeing the urgent, bold-red system warning.
It was only the second day in this dungeon, and they were already facing a supernatural chase for survival?
“We’re doomed.” Xiaojuan scrambled up from her bed. “Ghosts really do exist in this world!”
She pulled out every talisman from her system inventory and rushed out the door, sprinting toward Chao Musheng’s room.
When a malevolent spirit descended, it wouldn’t just hunt players—it would also drain the life force of NPCs. She had to protect her Chao-ge’s HP!
“Wang Xiaojuan!” You Jiu, her rival, had been keeping an eye on her. Seeing her dare to run outside during such a critical moment, he called out, “That’s an S-class entity! Are you throwing your life away for points?”
“Piss off!” Xiaojuan ignored him, her mind set on saving Chao-ge’s HP.
“Sis Juan!” Brother Hu emerged from a corner, his face drenched in sweat. “I’ll go with you!”
You Jiu watched the two sprint away, silent for a few seconds before muttering, “Lunatics.”
He turned and walked in the opposite direction, but after a few steps, he glanced back. “Fine, let’s see what tricks you’ve got against an S-class entity.”
“Mo Tuan, you’re amazing—you finished it so fast!” Chao Musheng clapped enthusiastically at the sight of the clean plate. “You’re the most incredible little cat in the world.”
“Meow!” The black kitten lifted its chin proudly.
“Aww, aww.” Chao Musheng’s heart melted at its adorable display, scooping it into his arms. “General Mo Tuan, mighty and majestic! With you around, no evil dares approach. Who says you’re unlucky? You’re the luckiest. Don’t listen to those fools.”
“Meow! Meow!”
Even nestled in Chao Musheng’s embrace, the little black cat held its head high.
Human, you have excellent taste. I am indeed the mighty King of Cats!
Dark clouds blotted out the sun, plunging the entire Chen estate into shadow. The chirping of insects vanished, leaving behind an eerie silence.
No—this wasn’t the work of a mere supernatural entity. The system warning was wrong.
Someone in this estate was summoning an evil god!
You Jiu stared at the blood moon peeking through the clouds, suffocated by the oppressive aura of malevolence flooding the grounds.
Watching Xiaojuan and the burly Brother Hu sprint ahead without hesitation, he began questioning reality.
Was this evil energy targeting only him?
That made no sense.
Old Master Chen gasped for breath as he watched the swirling black mist in the air. It was coming—the deity was about to descend.
Just as the mist began to take form, the dark clouds suddenly parted, revealing the bright moon. Moonlight spilled through the window, and the black mist dissipated like ordinary wisps of smoke, vanishing without a trace.
Old Master Chen choked, nearly coughing up blood. “Where’s the deity?!”
Mr. Xuan’s face was deathly pale. He could no longer sense any trace of the divine presence.
No—it was as if the deity had never existed at all.
“What happened?” Old Master Chen’s ruddy complexion now bore signs of exhaustion. “Why did it fail?”
Suppressing the blood rising in his throat, Mr. Xuan glanced at Chen Er on the bed.
You’re the perfect scapegoat.
“Chen Er’s fate isn’t strong enough.”
“Huh?” Brother Hu, mid-sprint, suddenly noticed the shift in the estate’s atmosphere. He checked the system panel—the supernatural descent alert had disappeared.
“Sis Juan, the entity’s gone.” He glanced at the clear, starry sky, then at the fish leaping from the pond. “Who the hell summoned an evil spirit only to stuff it back halfway?”
You Jiu, who had just spent a fortune on a protective talisman: “…”
He was civilized. He never cursed!
Tch!
The one summoning evil was a damn scallop!
