Publish Time: 2026-06-21 16:32:00
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«Chapter 519: Why Are You in Human Form?
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Demon!
Cat demon!!
In the world of demons, natural enemies also exist. Snakes, fish, mice, and insects all fear cats. The moment Tabby Cat spoke, only one thought filled Yu Hongjin’s mind:
Run!!
It was a purely instinctive reaction.
Truthfully, with Yu Hongjin’s current level of cultivation, she had no reason to fear Lihua. Yet her instincts urged her to flee in terror.
“Aahhh!!”
Yu Hongjin dashed to the door, pounding on it. Thump thump thump! “Sister Zhishu! Sister Zhishu!! Open the door, hurry!!”
Between frenzied knocks, Yu Hongjin kept stealing terrified glances over her shoulder.
Tabby Cat tilted its head, utterly bewildered by her actions.
“Coming, coming!”
A voice sounded behind the door.
“Creeeak…”
The maid Zhishu appeared at the entrance, eyeing the panicky Yu Hongjin. “Did Little Miss get drunk aga—”
Before she could finish, Yu Hongjin shot past her into the courtyard.
Bang!
Yu Hongjin slammed the gate shut behind her.
Zhishu blinked in surprise. “Little Miss? What’s wrong? Why so frightened?”
Yu Hongjin gasped for air, needing several moments to catch her breath.
“J-just now… outside… there was…”
She lifted her head, eyes widening in shock.
Tabby Cat was perched on their courtyard wall. Right now. Staring directly at her.
Yu Hongjin trembled, pointing a shaky finger at the cat on the wall.
“Th-that! That…!”
She was utterly terrified.
Zhishu followed her gaze, frowning immediately. “Stray cat! Get lost!” she scolded, striding toward the wall.
Tabby Cat hesitated for a split second, then leaped down and vanished.
Seeing the cat gone, Zhishu hurried back to Yu Hongjin, pulling her into a hug. “Don’t be scared, Little Miss. I scared it away. It’s gone now, see? Shh…”
Only when Yu Hongjin was sure the cat had truly vanished did she let out a shaky breath.
“Scared me half to death…”
Zhishu gently patted her back in reassurance.
Outside the courtyard, Chen Changsheng stood at the gate. Tabby Cat now crouched calmly before him.
“Why did you jump onto their wall?”
Tabby Cat made a soft sound. “Saw Dried Fish.”
“Dried Fish?”
Chen Changsheng understood instantly. Tabby Cat had been drawn by Yu Hongjin’s scent—a fish demon. The cat’s natural instinct.
“Aren’t you afraid you couldn’t beat her?” Chen Changsheng asked.
The cat blinked, unconcerned. “Not afraid of fish.”
Chen Changsheng considered this. Fair point.
He crouched down. “Try not to be so reckless next time. Lihua hasn’t achieved Transformation yet. How could you fight a fully transformed Red Fish? You startled Yu Hongjin today. It might not end well next time.”
“Transformation…” Tabby Cat blinked. “Mo Yu mentioned Transformation. Is it… becoming like that fish? Looking like humans?”
“That’s right.”
“Lihua doesn’t want to be human.”
“Why not?”
“Not pretty.”
Chen Changsheng paused. “That little fish girl just now wasn’t exactly ugly?”
“Not pretty anyway.”
“Fine. Then don’t transform.”
“Mm.”
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment. “But Lihua should apologize.”
“Huh?”
“You scared her.”
“But… Lihua was only a little hungry for her…”
“…”
Chen Changsheng gave a helpless smile. “I sort of know that Red Fish. How about doing me a favor? Let her go. Don’t eat her, okay?”
“Mm…”
Tabby Cat appeared to ponder deeply, blinking twice. “Your friend?”
“You could say that. We’ve shared wine before.”
“Then Lihua gives you face.”
“I appreciate it, Lihua.”
“No matter.”
Chen Changsheng looked up toward the tightly closed gate. Through a crack in the door, he spotted a pair of wide eyes peering out at him—Yu Hongjin. He gave a gentle, knowing smile and nodded her way.
Yu Hongjin jolted back inside. ‘The Chen guy spotted me!’
She quickly ducked away, afraid to look again.
Zhishu stood nearby. “Little Miss? See another cat?”
“Shhhh!!” Yu Hongjin hissed for silence, then gasped out breathlessly. “I saw something even worse than Tabby Cat.”
Zhishu blinked and asked, “What was it?”
Yu Hongjin pursed her lips and said, “A bad fellow.”
He actually came back!
Yu Hongjin looked up toward the second floor. The thought of Sister Yun waiting all these years made her instantly furious.
Zhishu moved closer, trying to peek through the crack.
“Don’t look, Zhishu!”
Yu Hongjin pushed her aside, blocking the door. After a moment, her eyes darted and she added, “You’ll get styes if you see it.”
Zhishu smiled helplessly and said, “Alright, I won’t look.”
“Um.”
Yu Hongjin nodded, then declared, “I’m going to find Sister Yun.”
Zhishu nodded and watched as the Little Miss climbed the stairs.
“Be careful.”
“Okay.”
Seeing Yu Hongjin stumble up the stairs, Zhishu couldn’t help but chuckle.
So many years had passed in the blink of an eye.
The Little Miss hadn’t changed a bit, but she and her mistress had aged so much.
Zhishu had long guessed what the Little Miss really was, and today, seeing her fear of cats only confirmed it more.
Still, she wasn’t afraid — Zhishu knew the Little Miss better than anyone.
Zhishu sighed, then opened the door to see if the cat was still around. If it was, she planned to chase it further away.
Finding the alley empty, she started to close the door but suddenly paused.
The lock on the opposite door had vanished.
‘Was it Ruyi who came back?’
But when Zhishu looked again, she spotted light smoke rising from the kitchen chimney in the courtyard across the way.
She stared for a moment, too stunned to react.
Suddenly, she understood what the Little Miss meant by ‘bad thing’.
……
Lihua’s bowl was filled with rice and vegetables.
The Tabby Cat rarely picked at its food. It ate whatever Chen Changsheng ate, happy with just a small bowl.
“Um…”
“Not good?” Chen Changsheng asked.
Lihua shook its head. “It’s good. Just doesn’t taste as nice as fish. Mo Yu always caught fish for Lihua before.”
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment. “Come to think of it, Lihua hasn’t had any fish along the way. The Dried Fish was finished long ago too.”
“Right.”
“I’ll go to the market tomorrow and check.”
“Mmm…”
The Tabby Cat gazed at him. “You really are a kind person.”
“That doesn’t sound like praise.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No.”
“Um… then Lihua thanks you?”
“That sounds even less like it.”
Lihua blinked, confused. Weren’t these words supposed to be good?
That’s strange.
Chen Changsheng chuckled. “Eat up.”
“Okay.”
Only one person and one cat filled the small courtyard. The Tabby Cat lowered its head to nibble at its bowl.
Light smoke drifted from the kitchen, carrying the scent of burning firewood. Eating a warm meal off a simple bowl always brought a sense of ease.
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