27: big fat cat

After the trip to Longevity Manor and personally hearing the truth about “World Fragment Fusion” and the “Blurring of the Inner and Outer Realms,” Lin Luo clearly realized that the relatively stable daily life of the past would be gone forever, and that frequent strange occurrences would become an irreversible trend. Being at the center of the vortex, he had to consider the people around him more.

At the academy, besides Kirisu Mafuyu, who had been drawn into the center of the vortex due to two accidental incidents and required his constant attention, the only other person he truly cared about was Kato Megumi, who had a faint presence but a clear mind.

As for Kirisu Mafuyu, after the two incidents of ring manipulation and ghost attacks, Lin Luo had already quietly set up several layers of protective measures on her. While he couldn't guarantee absolute safety, it could at least provide early warning and defend against most ordinary threats.

But Kato Megumi was different. She was like a stone dropped into the center of a lake, creating ripples in his heart. These past few days, she always left in a hurry, only saying that she had joined a club to “change the status quo.” But Lin Luo keenly sensed a subtle, almost imperceptible distance in her tone, which made him vaguely uneasy.

After school that day, he quietly followed behind her. He watched her turn into the old school building's corridor and stop in front of an abandoned classroom—which now had a blank nameplate, serving as the activity room for a certain secret club.

The moment the door opened and closed, Lin Luo's pupils suddenly contracted—a chilling Demonic Qi, almost substantial, seeped out from the crack in the door, completely different from any aura he had encountered before.

He held his breath, retracting his own aura to the extreme, like a shadow merging into the wall. Through the crack in the door, he saw Kato Megumi sitting quietly on a carefully cleaned student chair, her hands neatly placed on her lap, as if waiting for something. Her profile in the dim light appeared exceptionally calm, even with a nearly devout focus.

This was absolutely not normal!

Just then—

With a soft “bang,” a puff of white smoke abruptly exploded in mid-air in the classroom. As the smoke dissipated, a round, chubby white cat appeared out of thin air, lazily floating. Its golden vertical pupils glowed with an eerie spiritual light, completely at odds with its adorable appearance.

Even more unsettling was that when it opened its mouth, it emitted a deep, magnetic male voice, each word seemingly carrying invisible hooks, stirring the deepest desires and weaknesses in people's hearts:

“Have you thought it through, little girl?” The Fat Cat's tail swayed gracefully, its voice carrying a Gu-like power of temptation, “The thing you dislike—that 'trait' that makes you overlooked and forgotten—I can help you 'remove' it.”

It floated slowly around Kato Megumi, its golden pupils fixed on her: “With your lovely appearance, if you could get rid of that 'ordinariness,' you would definitely become the most dazzling and popular presence. The gaze of that 'little boyfriend' you care about in your heart would surely only rest on you.”

The Fat Cat's voice became even softer, full of temptation: “And this only requires you to pay a tiny... insignificant price, to gain everything you desire. It's a great deal, isn't it?”

Kato Megumi pursed her lips, unconsciously hugging her schoolbag tightly. “I'm thinking about it...” Although she tried to keep her voice flat, Lin Luo could hear the subtle tremor that betrayed her inner nervousness.

The Fat Cat lightly landed on the desk in front of her, its thick tail seemingly unintentionally brushing Kato Megumi's hand. The fluffy touch made an urge to fiercely knead it rise in her heart, and this abnormal thought made her even more uneasy.

“But what you said, will it really have no other effects on me?” Kato Megumi looked up, trying to discern something from those eerie golden eyes.

The Fat Cat nodded solemnly, its voice filled with convincing magnetism: “Naturally.”

Lin Luo, hidden outside the door, sneered inwardly, a cold light flashing in his eyes. This fellow had found its Dao to death.

Kato Megumi was silent for a moment, seemingly engaged in a fierce inner struggle. Finally, under the Fat Cat's almost undisguised joyous gaze, she gently nodded: “Okay, I promise you.”

“Wahahaha!” The Fat Cat let out a triumphant laugh completely unsuited to its appearance. Its plump body stood upright, wiggling clumsily and comically a few times. Normally, this would make people burst into laughter.

It waved its paws, Demonic Qi surging. The surrounding desks and chairs were lightly moved aside by an invisible force, clearing an open space in the center of the classroom. “Come, stand in the middle.” It gestured for Kato Megumi to walk over, its tone still comforting, “Don't be too scared, it'll be over in a moment.”

Kato Megumi walked to the center of the open space as instructed, and complex array patterns instantly lit up beneath her feet. The Fat Cat's body also began to emit dazzling white light, and its energy fluctuations became intense.

“Your 'trait,' I'll take it...” The Fat Cat's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement as it manipulated its power to complete the final steps.

Just as its words fell—

“Take your head!” A cold roar exploded!

A fist the size of a sandbag seemed to tear through space, appearing without warning before the Fat Cat's smug face!

“Bang!!!”

A dull, colossal thud!

The Fat Cat didn't even have time to react. Its entire body, like a tattered sack thrown with full force, shot backward violently, smashing hard into the blackboard behind it!

“Crack... Rumble!”

The blackboard groaned under the strain, and spiderweb-like cracks spread from its center. The Fat Cat's fat head was deeply embedded inside the blackboard, stuck fast, leaving only its plump body and limbs twitching weakly outside.

Lin Luo's figure appeared like a ghost in front of Kato Megumi, shielding her behind him. He slowly retracted his fist, his eyes coldly fixed on the Fat Cat embedded in the blackboard, his tone chilling:

“You bastard, you're practically asking for death.”

Kato Megumi was utterly stunned, her small mouth slightly agape, unable to react for a moment.

The Fat Cat, stuck on the blackboard, flailed its short limbs wildly in the air, letting out muffled wails: “My head! My head! Which bastard did this! Don't you know you shouldn't hit people... hit cats in the face!” It struggled a few times, realizing it couldn't get out, and so it yelled at the top of its lungs: “Megumi! Megumi! Help me quickly! I'm stuck, I can't get out!”

Seeing the menacing look in Mr. Lin Luo's eyes, who was blocking her, as if he still wanted to strike, Kato Megumi quickly stepped forward and tightly grabbed his arm, her voice pleading: “Mr. Lin Luo, wait a moment! It... it probably doesn't mean any harm!”

Lin Luo was almost amused to anger. He pointed at the plump creature still flailing in the blackboard: “No malice? This guy clearly just tried to seize your 'Existence Trait,' and you're still defending it for such a sinister method?”

“No, it's not what you think!” Kato Megumi quickly shook her head, explaining urgently in a low voice, “It... it's for dried fish!”

“Dried... dried fish?”

Lin Luo's raised fist froze in mid-air, the Killing Intent on his face instantly solidified, replaced by a blank expression. He wondered if he had misheard, or if the Fat Cat had damaged his brain and caused him to hallucinate.

Seizing the opportunity, Kato Megumi quickly stepped forward to help. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around the Fat Cat's exposed plump body, and pulled hard.

With a muffled “pop,” the Fat Cat was finally pulled out. But due to inertia, Kato Megumi stumbled backward, and the Fat Cat in her arms flew out, rolling several times on the floor like a ball until it hit the corner of the wall with a “thud” and stopped.

Lin Luo, quick as a flash, steadied the unsteady Kato Megumi. The girl let out a soft cry and fell into his embrace, the faint scent of her hair lingering at his nose. Although she still tried to maintain her composure, her rapidly reddening ears, which even spread to her neck, betrayed her inner panic.

“Are you... alright?” Lin Luo steadied her, his tone unconsciously softening.

“I'm... fine,” Kato Megumi replied softly, quickly straightening up from his embrace, lowering her head to adjust her skirt, which wasn't even disheveled.

Meanwhile, in the corner, the Fat Cat shook its dizzy head, finally regaining consciousness. It looked up to see a flash of spiritual light from Lin Luo's fingertip, and a solidified Xuanhuang Bronze Bell appeared out of thin air, covering it completely with a “dong” sound.

“Meow?!” The Fat Cat's fur immediately bristled, realizing it was imprisoned. It let out threatening “hissing” sounds, its body suddenly expanding, attempting to reveal a more powerful true form. But runes flowed on the surface of the bronze bell, and a heavy pressure descended, firmly suppressing it into its Fat Cat form.

With no hope of breaking free, it could only bare its sharp claws, frantically scratching the inner wall of the bronze bell, emitting a grating “szzzz—szzzz—” sound. Its golden cat eyes were filled with anger and a hint of imperceptible terror.

Afterward, in the slightly messy abandoned classroom, two people and one cat formed a peculiar triangular sitting arrangement.

The Fat Cat was tightly bound like a zongzi with a special rope that shimmered with faint spiritual light, forced to lie meekly on the ground. This rope was clearly designed for Yao Beasts; no matter how much it secretly struggled, it couldn't break free. It could only obediently face Lin Luo, looking angry but not daring to speak.

After a “friendly” and in-depth exchange (mainly Lin Luo asking, and the Fat Cat obediently answering under the deterrent of the bronze bell), Lin Luo finally understood the whole story and nodded, confirming that this Fat Cat indeed posed no fatal threat—or rather, its meager Dao cultivation and peculiar abilities were far from enough to directly harm a person's life.

The so-called “price” it spoke of really was... dried fish.

However, the kind of dried fish it wanted was made from Silver-Scaled Fish from the deep sea, baked with a special process, and so expensive it made one's teeth ache. And Kato Megumi, whether she was tricked or something else, actually saved money and bought such a small bag.

Lin Luo furrowed his brows, feeling a surge of speechlessness. He looked at the silent Kato Megumi beside him, his tone softening slightly, and asked curiously: “So, why did you suddenly want to change yourself so much? The old you didn't seem to care about these things.”

Kato Megumi was silent, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, her head bowed, making it impossible to see her expression.

Just then, the Fat Cat, bound like a zongzi, suddenly opened its mouth and blurted out in a tone of “I've seen through everything”: “Meow~! You're the one Megumi likes, aren't you? Tsk tsk, you really look like a hypocritical prude!”

Lin Luo's face darkened. Without thinking, he slapped the Fat Cat with a light but firm backhand: “Shut up! If you keep yapping, do you believe I'll add stewed cat meat to dinner tonight?”