Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
“Xiaopu, long time no see.”
I smiled at the girl, noticing that the gem in my right ear had turned a deep red. Her once rosy little face had matured slightly, but not much had changed.
“Xi Meng, is that really you?!”
As I slowly descended, before I even touched the ground, I felt a shadow rush over and tightly hug me.
“Why are you still so childish?” My lips curled up; it was so nice to see Xiaopu again.
“Hehe.” Xiaopu glanced at the nearby Little Cat Demon, awkwardly letting go and standing straight.
Suddenly, a warmth surged in my chest, an unusual sensation.
A Life Stone floated out and gradually settled between me and Xiaopu. This is—a Life Stone?!
“What is this?” Xiaopu asked curiously, looking at the Life Stone in confusion.
I watched in disbelief as the Life Stone slowly moved closer to Xiaopu, as if they were communicating.
Xiaopu seemed entranced, gently raising her right hand with her palm facing up, her gaze dreamy yet focused on the Life Stone.
What surprised me even more was that the Life Stone actually settled steadily in Xiaopu's palm, emanating a warm aura.
“Wow—” The nearby Little Cat Demon also came over, watching the unusually harmonious scene with wide eyes.
Could it be that the Life Stone has chosen Xiaopu?
The joy I felt moments ago vanished instantly, and my heart plummeted to freezing point… How could I let Xiaopu enter this battle? It was selfish of me to drag her into our deadlock.
Looking at Xiaopu's innocent smile, flawless and beautiful, holding the Life Stone, it seemed as if they were meant to merge into one.
I suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation!
No, there must be other options. I can't just watch Xiaopu fall into crisis!
“Xiaopu, open that stone!” I shouted loudly.
Xiaopu was startled, staring at me blankly, seemingly not understanding why I had suddenly become so agitated.
At that moment, the Life Stone suddenly burrowed away, disappearing without a trace!
“...Xi Meng, it seems to have entered my body.”
“This is bad.” I lowered my hands and sighed, closing my eyes tightly.
“Xi Meng, what's wrong with you?”
“Xiaopu, I'm sorry. Let me calm down and then I'll tell you what has happened in this short time…”
Sigh, if this was going to be the outcome, I would rather not have had this reunion.
“Alright, Xi Meng, you come back to the Cat Clan with me. This place isn't safe.”
“Okay.”
……
Surrounded by mountains, there was a small village that was somewhat remote and impoverished. It resembled a tribal form, isolated with no other races living nearby. At the entrance stood a stone tablet inscribed with the words “Spirit Cat Clan.” Guarding the entrance were two middle-aged Cat Demons, their levels not very high, probably around that of the Nether Sect.
Upon entering, all I could see was a large cat-headed building, dark blue in color, looking quite ancient.
Surrounding it were some scattered small wooden houses, built very simply with visible gaps everywhere. There really wasn't much scenery to speak of; it was just a basic living environment.
The clan members seemed few in number. As I walked in with Xiaopu, they respectfully lowered their heads in greeting.
Looking at the situation here, it seemed very dire for Xiaopu. If they were attacked, it would lead to catastrophic consequences at any moment.
Xiaopu led me into the only large building here. The few Little Cat Demons that had been around when we entered the village had disappeared somewhere.
...
"Are you saying that I should take White Soul's place and guard the Underworld with you?" Xiaopu looked at me as if hearing a joke, smiling cheerfully.
"Of course, this is not something I wish for, but unfortunately—"
"Alright, Xi Meng, you must be mistaken." Xiaopu shook his head and laughed. "Although I am currently the leader of the Spirit Cat Clan, I know my own capabilities. Guarding the Underworld has nothing to do with me."
"Sigh, but the Life Stone has already chosen you. I have no choice."
"You've seen it too, right? The current state of the Spirit Cat Clan." Xiaopu's smile faded, replaced by a look of worry. "Even if what you say is true, given my current situation, how can I abandon the Cat Clan?"
Indeed, I noticed that things were really bad here.
However, previously Xiaopu mentioned that the Cat Clan was not strong, but it was certainly not as destitute as it is now... Could it be that the Underworld has also begun to fall into chaos?
"What happened?" I asked.
"Many things occurred after you left the academy. Let me summarize: just as I was about to graduate smoothly, the Three Elders of the academy were suddenly declared out of the Elder Council. The entire academy came under the control of the Demon Royal Family, taking orders from the newly appointed Ghost King. At that time, I was puzzled; shouldn't Prince Silvermoon inherit the Ghost King position? But at that time, His Highness seemed to have vanished. If you hadn't told me about what happened to you all, I would have thought something unfortunate had befallen him."
"Later, the academy underwent a major restructuring. Those who submitted to the Demon Royal Family could continue to stay; otherwise, they would be expelled immediately. As a Cat Princess and future heir, I obviously couldn't submit, so I simply left."
"After returning to my clan, I gradually began managing various affairs within it. It wasn't yet my time to take over, but recently a group appeared demanding our submission to Siyimo. The Elders naturally refused, and they ended up killing nearly half of our clan members on the spot. Only one Elder survived severely injured... However, today that Elder went to rescue a few children upon hearing news. If he hadn't been injured, those useless ones wouldn't have succeeded so easily."
"Now, all that's left of the Spirit Cat Clan are the old, weak, sickly, and disabled. Only a few strong adults remain. If this continues, I'm afraid the Spirit Cat Clan will truly perish under my watch."
"…I'm sorry, Xiaopu, I really didn't mean to put you in a difficult position. Sigh, let me think of another way."
"No, I should be the one apologizing. I can't help you, but I really can't leave them."
"I understand, it's okay, Xiaopu."
"How about this, Xi Meng? You stay at the Spirit Cat Clan for a while, and we'll think of a way to get the Life Stone out."
"Yeah, that's all we can do for now." I nodded.
There's no point in being anxious; the Life Stone isn't as easy to choose a host as Xiaopu thinks. It won't just come out on its own that easily.
"Princess, we just received another message. It says—" A guard at the door spoke anxiously but hesitated at the end.
"What does it say?!" Xiaopu suddenly stood up and shouted.
"It says that if you don't submit, they will destroy the Spirit Cat Clan."
"Alright, then I'll wait for them to come!" Xiaopu said angrily. "You go and inform all the clan members to vow to protect our home at all costs. No one is allowed to betray or flee. Anyone found doing so will be dealt with according to clan rules!"
"Understood."
The man quickly exited, and Xiaopu suddenly burst into tears.
Sigh, after all, he is still just a child. Even an experienced adult might not withstand such immense pressure.
"Xiaopu, be strong. Don't you remember? When we first met, we promised each other that we would fight for those who cherish their missions until the end. That's how we became friends, right?"
"…I remember, but now my clan members are dwindling. Soon… everyone will be gone." Xiaopu cried sorrowfully, large tears falling onto the ground.
"Don't worry; I will stand by you in this battle. But you have to promise me—be strong, okay?" I walked in front of Xiaopu and gave a determined smile.
"No, I can't drag you down." Xiaopu paused slightly, then shook her head and refused to leave.
"We're friends. I remember many times you didn't abandon me, did you?"
"…Yes, friends! Thank you, Xi Meng."
"Why are you being so polite? But first, tell me why they are so determined to recover your Cat Clan?"
That's right, this has always puzzled me. Given the situation here with Xiaopu, even if Siyimo's army needed some cannon fodder, they wouldn't be so relentless. With just these few weak members of the Cat Clan left, why would she even care?
"Didn't you notice, Xi Meng... the Cat Clan has hundreds of different races, and we are not ordinary Cat Clan members. We separated from the Cat Clan millions of years ago and have been living in seclusion here. We are the Spirit Cat Clan."
"Spirit Cat Clan?" I'm not very clear on what makes this race different.
"The Spirit Cat Clan is naturally sensitive and possesses strong foresight. We symbolize life; our blood can heal all wounds... The royal bloodline of the Spirit Cat Clan is passed down through a single line. The blood of the Cat King has the ability to preserve youth and bring the dead back to life, but it requires exhausting all of the caster's blood, leading to their own death from Soul Energy depletion. Therefore, to avoid the risk of extinction, the Spirit Cat Clan has lived in seclusion here."
"This time being discovered by the outside world is actually my fault. I revealed myself at the academy and didn't expect to be found out... I only learned recently that one of those who led the attack on my Spirit Cat Clan was a student from the academy."
"...Preserve youth?" I murmured, surprised that the demon race was still obsessively searching for beauty techniques. No wonder they were so focused on such a weak Cat Clan.
"Moreover, there are rumors that an ancestor of the Spirit Cat Clan transcended to God during a war between the Spirit and Netherworld Realms, causing countless casualties in the human realm. The ancestor of the Spirit Cat Clan had received help from humans during their lifetime and felt grateful. After witnessing the tragic scene in the human realm, they chose to give up all their Soul Energy. As a result, everything in the human realm revived overnight, restoring all life forms."
"That act brought great fame to the Spirit Cat Clan but was also short-lived; no descendants like that ancestor have appeared since. Because of the strength of the Cat Clan at that time and the nobility of the royal family, no one dared to ask them to sacrifice their lives for others. Thus, even resurrection techniques have not appeared since."
"So even if you submit to Siyimo, the Spirit Cat Clan still cannot escape extinction?"
"Heh heh, that's right; it seems my Spirit Cat Clan's doom is approaching..."
"Xiaopu, holding out like this isn't a solution. Even if you escape this time, what about in the future? It's impossible for someone to come help you every time."
"I know, but it's a rule within the Spirit Cat Clan that we cannot submit to any race. Several elders emphasized to me before their deaths not to let the Spirit Cat Clan fall into outsiders' hands."
"I didn't say you should submit... You can rely on a strong clan, can't you?"
"It's easy for you to say that. Who would help us at this time? Besides, we really don't know any strong clans. The Spirit Cat Clan has been too closed off for too long and has basically no connection with the outside world."
"What if I said I could help you?"
"...Are you serious, Xi Meng?!" Xiaopu was taken aback, then suddenly knelt in front of me and said firmly, "If you can save my people, my life belongs to you!"
"Get up first." I sighed and helped Xiaopu up, saying, "I don't want your life, but are you willing to accompany me and protect the underworld together?"
"I am willing."
Comment 0 Comment Count