Chapter 96: Caught in the Net

Zou Yuanyuan had been invited to Zuo Yuanxi’s home under the pretext of needing protection. Although it was called protection, it looked more like house arrest combined with surveillance. However, Zuo Yuanxi’s attitude was so gracious that it didn’t alert the airheaded girl at all. She even thought her host was simply being warmly hospitable.

Nian Zhi’an sensed a dangerous aura emanating from directly above her head. When she looked up, she caught sight of Zuo Yuanxi’s eyes, which held a faint crimson glint. An indescribable sense of crisis shot from the tip of her tail all the way to the top of her head.

Her fluffy paw pushed at Zuo Yuanxi’s hand. “Don’t do anything rash. Whatever you want to do, I’ll go in your place.”

“You, little one?” Zuo Yuanxi stroked the Pallas’s cat’s fluffy head. “If you can beat me, then you can go.”

Zuo Yuanxi knew this little one was very mysterious and knew a lot of things, but her demon power wasn’t that high. If she really let her go catch Fu Jun, she might end up getting herself trapped instead.

“You can play however you want with other matters, but this one is very important. I don’t know how long I’d have to wait if I lost this chance. Be good and listen, okay?” Zuo Yuanxi’s tone was like that of someone coaxing a naughty child.

“. . . You can go if you want, but you have to let me heal your soul damage first.” No matter what, Nian Zhi’an couldn’t let her go head-to-head with the male lead while dragging around a body like that.

Of course, this was the second thing Zuo Yuanxi absolutely wouldn’t agree to. As the weaker party in terms of strength, Nian Zhi’an was helpless against her.

With no other choice, Nian Zhi’an could only compromise and ask Zuo Yuanxi to take her along when the time came. Although her current strength was a bit weak, she could at least ensure that the injury buried deep in Zuo Yuanxi’s soul wouldn’t be triggered at a critical moment.

“You. . .” Zuo Yuanxi poked Nian Zhi’an’s little head. “I never knew you were such a fussy type before. If I had, I wouldn’t have brought this kind of trouble back home for myself.”

Nian Zhi’an huffed. “I’m just worried about you, and here you are turning around to disdain me. That’s really too hurtful for a demon like me!”

Zuo Yuanxi revealed a faint smile. She quietly stroked the Pallas’s cat, savoring this rare moment of peace.

She wanted to shake off the shadows of the past, but whenever this happened—when she sat in her chair watching the setting sun—she inexplicably felt that the gray, scruffy little thing in her arms wasn’t it, but rather another cat with a tortoiseshell coat.

It was probably because she was close to death that these memories kept surfacing so frequently.

Lin Ying’an’s soul had scattered centuries ago. By now, any grudges or resentments should have been let go long before. She wanted to let go, but she had trapped herself in her own cocoon, turning illusions into her heart demon. From then on, hatred had surpassed love. She couldn’t let go, couldn’t forget.

Zuo Yuanxi had even considered that death might be a release for her.

“I’ll go register an identity for you with the Demon Alliance.” Zuo Yuanxi said suddenly.

Nian Zhi’an’s little ears twitched. After mulling over Zuo Yuanxi’s words, her heart leaped into her throat. She was afraid her owner might kick her out again.

“While I’m still alive. . . no, while I’m still somewhat normal, let’s settle your identity issue first. That way, if I die or go mad later, you can leave directly. With an ID, you can find work anywhere or apply for government jobs at the Demon Alliance. You won’t end up as an undocumented stray.”

Nian Zhi’an froze, then spoke to Zuo Yuanxi in a displeased tone for the first time. “What nonsense are you spouting? As long as I’m here, nothing will happen to you! Don’t doubt my abilities— if I say I can do it, then I will!”

She wasn’t upset that Zuo Yuanxi doubted her, but rather at this self-abandoning attitude. Things hadn’t reached the worst point yet—how could she give up on herself first?

Zuo Yuanxi smoothed out the furball’s puffed-up fur again. “Life and death are fated. I’m no immortal. The lifespan of a mortal being will eventually come to an end.”

“I’ve already lived a very, very long time, but you’re still young. Your future days are still long. . .” Before Zuo Yuanxi could finish, she saw the little Pallas’s cat in its maid outfit turn its butt toward her, then press its fluffy paws over its own ears in an “I’m not listening to a word you say” expression. It was utterly adorable.

“I’ll help you become an immortal. You don’t need to worry about this.”

Zuo Yuanxi burst out laughing, clearly not believing Nian Zhi’an’s words. The butler happened to enter at that moment. Seeing the clan leader’s smile, she smiled knowingly too. Her intuition had been spot on—this ugly-cute little thing could definitely cheer the lady up. Look, in the centuries since the late wife’s death, this was the only one who could make her reconsider her decisions.

The day the furball had been brought home by the clan leader again, the butler had been mildly shocked.

“Is there something?” Zuo Yuanxi looked up at the butler.

“It’s like this, my lady. Two children from the clan have come—the same two who brought the furball here before. They say if you don’t want to keep it, they can take the little one away.”

“Oh? Looks like they really like you. How does a silly, dumb-looking thing like you manage to be so popular?” Zuo Yuanxi picked up Nian Zhi’an, who was frowning, and made her face her. Then, somewhat displeased, she tapped the tip of her nose.

“That’s because I’m cute! If you think I look bad, that’s your problem with taste!” Nian Zhi’an had stared at her current form in the mirror for so long that she thought Pallas’s cats were clearly adorable! Anyone who thought otherwise must have bad eyesight!

“Hmm. . .” Zuo Yuanxi examined her carefully. Before Nian Zhi’an could puff up again, she spoke. “At best, you’re ugly-cute.”

Nian Zhi’an let out an outraged yowl. Zuo Yuanxi found it amusing and kept holding her by the scruff until the butler reminded her that there were still two children waiting outside for a reply. She said, “She still owes me a huge debt, so she can’t leave. If those two kids like cats, give them the tortoiseshell from the cat house. That way, they won’t say this elder is stingy.”

When Nian Zhi’an heard that Zuo Yuanxi was giving away the tortoiseshell cat—the one that had plucked her bald—she stopped snarling and yowling. She even started meowing pitifully in a coquettish tone.

Zuo Yuanxi was standing up for her again! Fine, she’d forgive her this time! She wasn’t that petty anyway! Next time, remember to give away the rest of them too—they were such a nuisance!

“Yes.” The butler nodded, then put the fierce little tortoiseshell cat from the cat house into a cage and gave it to the two clan children waiting outside. Of course, she didn’t repeat Zuo Yuanxi’s exact words. She just said the clan leader was very fond of the little one and had decided to keep it by her side. Knowing they liked cats, she was gifting them one of her own tortoiseshell cats.

Not only that, to reward the two children for finding a beloved pet for the clan leader, the butler stuffed them with a pile of gifts too.

The two little merfolk were delighted with the gifts, but when they released the little menace from the cage and it bit them several times, identical looks of worry appeared on their faces.

In this kitten’s eyes, they must have looked like two fresh, tasty fish, so it bit at them furiously whenever it got the chance. Help! They couldn’t give away a cat granted by the clan leader, but this really wasn’t the kind they wanted to raise!

Days filled with laughter and joy passed happily on this side, while on the other, the demons trembled in fear and sleepless anxiety after hearing a certain rumor.

Fu Jun lit a cigarette and stood on the rooftop, letting the wind whip around him. He had just received a tip from an informant that a demon had spotted his fiancée.

His fiancée had appeared in N City in an exceptionally disheveled state, seemingly badly injured. The timing and her condition matched perfectly, and with the missing corpse, he had no choice but to believe that his fiancée had escaped with her life from under his hands.

Under those circumstances, with those injuries and the poison he had prepared for Zuo Yuanxi, how could Zou Yuanyuan still be alive?

Fu Jun took a deep drag on his cigarette. Luckily, he had gotten this message in time and immediately sealed off the information so his future father-in-law wouldn’t find out.

His future father-in-law was already extremely anxious over his daughter’s disappearance, and his health was deteriorating. Just as Fu Jun was about to inherit the power entrusted to him by the old man, this had to happen. . . His fiancée was perfect in every way, except that her heart was too soft and she meddled too much.

Now, the biggest variable was his fiancée herself. Zou Yuanyuan couldn’t be allowed to live! Absolutely not!

Fu Jun crushed the cigarette butt under his foot and made a call. He instructed the other party to monitor Zou Yuanyuan’s movements and notify him immediately if she appeared. He would handle her personally.

Not even two days had passed before word came from the informant. Zou Yuanyuan was fleeing into the deep mountains near N City. There was a demon who had been in seclusion for many years in those mountains—a good friend of the Alliance Leader. She was heading there to call in reinforcements.

How could he let her get her way?!

That old demon’s strength was terrifyingly exaggerated, a touch stronger than even the Alliance Leader at his peak. Fu Jun wasn’t skilled at direct confrontations and stood no chance at all against that old demon. So he had to intercept Zou Yuanyuan before she got there!

~~~

“Bang!” A thunderous boom rang out, toppling several trees in a dense patch of forest.

“Ah!” Zou Yuanyuan was flung through the air by the Demon Power. She had just raised her right arm to block for an instant, but the price was her entire arm reduced to a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

She had no time to worry about her arm at all. The moment she crashed to the ground, she rolled away swiftly, and an attack landed right where she had fallen.

These attacks were lethal blows one after another. Zou Yuanyuan had brushed past Yama several times. If not for her father, she probably wouldn’t have been able to hold on any longer by now.

Zou Yuanyuan ran desperately forward, but the attacks—which had come like a raging storm—suddenly paused for a moment.

She seemed to have a brief chance to catch her breath. Yet a hair-raising sensation pounded frantically at her sixth sense.

“Rustle…”

The lush green leaves withered inexplicably and drifted down, corroded to nothing before they could even touch the ground.

A vast expanse of forest decayed rapidly as eerie green poisonous gas spread from the corpses of the plants into the air.