Shu Bao’s speculation was quite alarming, but at the moment, they couldn’t rule out the possibility. Generally, if it were another contestant, they wouldn’t take the risk of entering another contestant’s territory. For one, entering someone else’s territory could lead to an attack. Secondly, contestants typically wouldn’t resort to stealing food, as they wouldn’t be participating in a survival live broadcast without some skills.
“Let’s go find them,” Shu Bao said. Although the intruder had somehow hidden their presence, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact location, they would still search every inch of the tribe to find the food thief.
So, Shu Bao and Lan Qing joined the search party. As Shu Bao mentioned, the tribe members were conducting a thorough search, determined to find the thief. The Xia Wang and Sishe people were united in purpose for the first time, even pausing their resource gathering.
The large-scale search was effective; within half an hour, the intruder was found. Chased and cornered by the group, the intruder was finally trapped in a dead-end.
Shu Bao and Lan Qing rushed over and finally saw the thief’s true face. Fortunately, the person didn’t look different from a human, although their clothing was out of place for the current era.
The intruder was an ordinary-looking man, about thirty years old and approximately 170 cm tall. He was dressed in modern clothing and carried a backpack, looking like a traveler. However, his eyes had a particularly cold gleam, and there was a hint of arrogance in the way he looked at the people around him.
Upon noticing the weapons at the man’s waist, Shu Bao vaguely understood where his sense of superiority came from. Indeed, when facing a group of primitive tribe members armed only with stone tools or bones, carrying a modern firearm and sharp knife certainly gave him a reason to feel arrogant.
Lan Qing stood protectively in front of Shu Bao, wary of a sudden attack, and questioned the intruder, “Who are you? Why are you sneaking around and stealing things like a mouse?”
The man stared at Lan Qing and Shu Bao for a while, seemingly pondering why creatures like a snake and a mouse were present in a primitive tribe. He ignored Lan Qing’s question, clearly not intending to communicate.
Shu Bao: “…” Not all mice steal things; please don’t stereotype! But now wasn’t the time to correct that. He tilted his head and peeked out from behind the slender little green snake, “Which world did you come from?”
This question finally elicited a response from the man. With a hint of probing, he spoke, “You know about that world?”
“Yes,” Shu Bao nodded.
The man’s expression relaxed a bit, finding talking mice and snakes unusual, “That’s right. I come from that world.”
Since they could communicate, the situation wasn’t too bad. The man finally dropped his defensive stance and seemed willing to talk.
Lan Qing remained cautious, staying between the man and his furry friend, sensing something was off about him. As the man turned, Lan Qing quickly coiled himself into a question mark shape, signaling his concern to his furry companion.
Shu Bao nodded, indicating he understood.
The three of them found a shady spot nearby and sat on the stones under the trees to start their conversation.
The man introduced himself as Duan Zhuo, from a modern society home planet. One day, while playing a game at home, a black meteorite fell from the sky and landed in their residential complex’s courtyard. Within seconds, he was transported to a strange world.
Before his journey, he had heard news reports of black meteorites appearing in various places and causing people to go missing. So, he quickly realized that he had been taken to another world by the meteorite. Since then, he has been struggling to survive in that world.
Duan Zhuo didn’t know how long he had been in that world, as there was no sun and light sources were extremely scarce and precious. He thought he would be trapped in that world forever until he saw the Xia Wang tribe, illuminated by firelight in the darkness.
He realized immediately that the tribe was a connection point between two worlds and his only hope of escaping the chaotic world. However, the barriers around the tribe, along with its defenders, prevented him from entering.
He then hid around the tribe, finding the most suitable place to wait quietly. In the brief moment when night and day alternated, the tribe’s barrier disappeared. He climbed over the fence, entering the tribe to avoid vanishing along with the chaotic world.
“That’s basically what happened. It’s hard to get enough food in the chaotic world, so after entering the base, I couldn’t resist taking some food. I apologize for the loss I’ve caused. I’ll compensate you when I return to my home planet,” Duan Zhuo explained his story, offering a hopeful promise.
“Have you found a way to return to your home planet?” Shu Bao asked.
“Not yet,” Duan Zhuo admitted. He had discovered that this planet also had black stones and that the plants and animals here were not much friendlier than the creatures of the chaotic world. This was why he hadn’t left and chose to hide in the Xia Wang tribe instead, though he hadn’t expected to be exposed on the first day.
“But after my disappearance, my family will surely search for me. As long as any spacecraft passes by, it will pick up my distress signal. If you allow me to stay here for a while, I promise to reward you generously once I return home!”
Duan Zhuo had an emergency signal transmitter with him, but it only worked within the planet. After all, who would have thought they would be transported across the universe from their home?
“No problem, you can stay here safely. The people in the tribe are very kind,” Shu Bao said warmly, trying to ignore Lan Qing poking his back with the tip of his tail, and invited Duan Zhuo to stay.
The conversation was evidently pleasant. Duan Zhuo’s attitude changed from arrogance to helpfulness. He even drew a simple map of the chaotic world and described the habits of the chaotic creatures using a stick in the dirt. “Chaotic creatures are extremely dangerous, even if they seem harmless. Don’t easily trust any chaotic creature, as some of them are just as intelligent as we are.”
For Duan Zhuo’s advice, Shu Bao nodded repeatedly. Seeing the unmoved little green snake beside him, Shu Bao even reached out and pressed Lan Qing’s head, forcing him to nod. Lan Qing stiffly nodded at a ninety-degree angle, stubbornly resisting.
After pressing his head, Shu Bao remarked, “Actually, being smooth feels really nice in the summer!”
Lan Qing was silent for a moment, thinking that while this sounded like a compliment, he still refused to accept it!
Shu Bao stood up, saying, “I’ll go find the high priest and have him arrange a place for you to stay. However, the base has limited tents, so you might have to share with others.”
“No problem. Having a safe place to stay is already a luxury for me,” Duan Zhuo replied, showing a very agreeable and kind attitude.
And so, Duan Zhuo was given a place to stay. After thanking Shu Bao, he prepared to enter the tent to rest.
As Duan Zhuo was lifting the tent flap, Shu Bao asked, “By the way, do you like cats?”
Duan Zhuo paused, “Not really, why?”
Shu Bao scratched his head, “That’s great. I don’t like them either.”
“Oh, I see.” Duan Zhuo gave Shu Bao a warm smile, “The cats in the chaotic world are extremely dangerous; it’s not surprising that no one would like them.”
Shu Bao nodded, “The same goes for the real world. Have a good night.”
“Thank you,” Duan Zhuo replied, letting the tent flap fall as he went to rest. It was clear that he was indeed very tired, likely due to the challenges of surviving in the chaotic world.
“There’s definitely something off about this guy,” Lan Qing started to vent to Shu Bao once they were far enough away. “If he was really just playing games at home, how could he have conveniently brought guns and knives when he was transported? His sudden change in attitude and his vague descriptions of the chaotic world only included things we could find out ourselves. Most importantly…”
“I know.” Compared to the chattering little snake, Shu Bao was much calmer. “Most importantly, in the map he drew for us, he marked many areas and chaotic creatures, but he never mentioned cats at all! Such a dangerous thing and he didn’t bring it up even once—that’s definitely not normal!” With just this point, Shu Bao had already concluded his judgment!
Lan Qing was left speechless. Are furry teammates always so particular about cats? Or is it just this mouse who has such a unique way of thinking? What was he about to say earlier? Never mind, what his furry friend said made a lot of sense; better to just listen.
“Then why did you keep him here?” Lan Qing asked curiously. Keeping such an unstable factor in the tribe seemed dangerous.
“Because he has something good for hiding one’s aura.” Just that alone was enough. If they had to face the chaotic world every night, hiding the tribe’s presence was extremely important; otherwise, those keen-smelling creatures would come flocking. Especially with the corpses, which are not only troublesome to deal with but also inedible, making them of little hunting value.
Of course, Shu Bao also had a gut feeling. Duan Zhuo’s avoidance of talking about the big white cat or even mentioning the cat demon indicated something was up. After all, during the previous night’s battle, that giant white cat, towering as high as a building, left an unforgettable impression; anyone who had seen it couldn’t possibly ignore it.
Busy times always seem short. After reinforcing the last section of the fence, the sun began to set. Everyone returned to the tribe early, eating while waiting for nightfall.
Duan Zhuo did not come out of the tent, seemingly uninterested in eating or participating in the defense battle.
The people of Xia Wang had little fondness for someone who stole food, but since the deity had allowed him to stay, they had no objections and did not insist on him participating in the defense.
After dark, the chaotic world didn’t appear immediately. The high priest arranged for everyone to take turns resting, with a person standing guard at regular intervals along the fence, ensuring that there would be no repeat of someone sneaking in like Duan Zhuo.
Shu Bao leaned against a smooth little rock, dozing off from time to time, while Lan Qing used the notebook function on his system bracelet to write a diary. Shu Bao had been surprised to discover this habit of Lan Qing’s, realizing that his teammate was quite the literary snake.
At midnight, the guards at the fence finally saw a change in the outside world. It seemed like something darker than the night was rapidly spreading, altering the landscape beyond.
Shu Bao was immediately alert, jumping up and quickly heading to the fence with Lan Qing.
To Shu Bao’s surprise, the big white cat had returned to the area around the tribe. It continued to wail mournfully and began circling the base. Compared to yesterday, it seemed more agitated today.
Everyone instinctively took a few steps back to avoid the oppressive presence of the big white cat. It circled the base several times, seemingly checking for something. At one point, it even tried to attack the fence with its paw, but ultimately, it left just as it had the previous day.
As the white figure disappeared, everyone in the tribe felt relieved. They weren’t sure how long the fence would hold if the big white cat decided to attack.
Creatures from the endless darkness outside began to approach the tribe, some drawn by the light, others by the scent. Everything seemed similar to the previous night. With their preparations, they found it easier to handle the situation today.
That was until a red-eyed corpse appeared. It stood two meters tall, was burly, and moved quickly, with not only incredible jumping ability but also the ability to fly at high speeds over short distances.
This creature appeared for the first time, charging at the fence like an arrow and crashing into the barrier. The people inside the fence were terrified, their hands trembling as they held their weapons. This creature was on a completely different level compared to the corpses they had dealt with before.
With just one collision, the creature cracked the fence. The high priest, momentarily stunned, quickly attacked with his staff, but to his shock, the creature dodged his fireball attack—even though he was wearing the Cat’s Eye Necklace!
The high priest instantly realized that this creature was beyond his ability to handle and quickly went to find Shu Bao.
Shu Bao had just finished dealing with a three-eyed giant spider when he heard the high priest’s call. He rushed over, just in time to see the flying zombie preparing for a second collision with the fence. If it broke through, other intelligent chaotic creatures would pour in!
Without hesitation, Shu Bao leaped onto the fence and then used it as a springboard to launch himself directly at the corpse.
The high priest was terrified and shouted, “Deity!”
No sooner had he spoken than a green blur streaked past him—it was Lan Qing.
Lan Qing had never seen Shu Bao in his transformed state, so in his eyes, his fluffy teammate was rushing to certain death against a formidable zombie.
But to Lan Qing’s surprise, a soft white light suddenly enveloped his fluffy teammate. In the next second, a figure in flowing ancient robes appeared out of nowhere. From behind, Lan Qing couldn’t see the person’s face, but he could see the flowing black hair.
It was like a dream come true for Lan Qing, who momentarily stared in awe!
It was because of this awe that Lan Qing ended up crashing into the person. Shu Bao, who had just kicked the creature away, was surprised to feel something hit him from behind. He grabbed it, only to find it was his snake teammate.
“Your hair! Your hair! Brother, your hair!” Lan Qing was so excited he was incoherent.
Shu Bao tilted his head, puzzled. “What’s with my hair?”
“Can I borrow your hair?” Lan Qing imitated the head tilt, looking at Shu Bao with big, hopeful eyes.
Shu Bao: “…” The mouse didn’t want to go bald.
“Ah, I’ll go fight the monsters! I’ll collect materials! I’ll carry the prey! Just wait for me!” Realizing the current situation, Lan Qing suddenly sprang into action, especially since the corpse that had been kicked away was already coming back.
As soon as he finished speaking, the little green snake slipped from Shu Bao’s hand. Upon landing, its body rapidly expanded, becoming even larger than before.
As Lan Qing’s tail swept through the air with incredible speed, Shu Bao could even feel the gust of wind it generated. The corpse was once again sent flying, crashing hard into a bizarrely shaped giant tree. Just as Lan Qing was about to deliver a finishing blow, he suddenly saw a branch of the tree transform into a giant brown python, which promptly swallowed the zombie whole.
Lan Qing quickly slithered behind Shu Bao, exclaiming, “There’s a snake on that tree!”
Shu Bao: “…” I saw it! In fact, there wasn’t just one; the towering tree’s branches were actually disguised brown pythons!
Shu Bao glanced at Lan Qing, who was about as tall as the tree itself and couldn’t help but be a bit speechless. You’re bigger than all of them combined, what are you afraid of?
Neither Shu Bao nor Lan Qing wanted to get too close to the snake tree. Fortunately, the tree didn’t move, and the snakes only preyed on creatures that came near. They decided to ignore it for now, thinking it might just move on by tomorrow.
With Lan Qing in his full form, he patrolled around the perimeter of the camp, using his tail to swipe at any monsters he encountered. Meanwhile, Shu Bao pondered how many strands of hair he should pull out for Lan Qing, considering the snake’s hard work.
With Lan Qing’s help, defending the camp became much easier. Some people even ventured outside the barricade to defend, extending their attack range. However, this soon revealed a problem.
They couldn’t move too far from the camp; whenever someone moved more than ten meters away from the barricade, an invisible wall blocked them. However, they could still throw weapons past this barrier. Shu Bao found this surprising, especially since Lan Qing’s full length extended well beyond this limit.
Shu Bao also tested it himself and found he wasn’t restricted by the range. This was strange; perhaps the limitation only applied to the native inhabitants?
As he was considering this, Duan Zhuo emerged from the camp and easily crossed the ten-meter boundary.
“Not everyone can cross between the two worlds. It seems today’s situation has stabilized. Typically, two lord-level creatures don’t appear in the same area. Since the mutated flying corpse showed up, there shouldn’t be any more formidable enemies,” Duan Zhuo remarked, revealing that he had been observing the battle from within the camp.
Duan Zhuo, knowing that the outstandingly handsome man in front of him was actually the mouse and that the inconspicuous little green snake had become enormous and easily defeated a lord-level monster, seemed taken aback by this revelation.
Shu Bao smiled and asked, “Really? Then was the big white cat that appeared earlier also a lord-level creature?”
Duan Zhuo showed a slightly surprised expression. “Big white cat? When was that? I just woke up recently and didn’t see it.”
“Is that so? What a shame. By the way, did you need something?” Shu Bao seemed to accept this answer and didn’t press further.
Duan Zhuo quickly continued, “Seeing the corpse reminded me that there’s a plant nearby that can conceal the presence of living beings. If we gather some and dry them, placing them around the camp can reduce the chances of being detected.”
Fearing a misunderstanding, Duan Zhuo added, “The reason I didn’t mention it earlier was to avoid people rushing out and compromising the camp’s defense.”
There’s a saying about foxes of a thousand years playing tricks, and Shu Bao thought, If it’s just acting, that’s easy! He immediately put on a delighted expression and said, “Really? That sounds great! Let’s go!” He waved his arm to call Lan Qing, who was not far away.
Lan Qing, who had been observing everything: “…” I didn’t expect that my fluffy teammate was not only good-looking but also had impressive acting skills! Not wanting to be left behind, the snake composed himself and rushed over, exclaiming in an exaggeratedly joyful tone, “There’s such a wonderful thing in the world! A snake has never seen it before!” He then blinked at the two, trying to express his excitement.
Shu Bao: “…”
Duan Zhuo: “…”
It felt like something had fallen apart.
Finally, Shu Bao patted the large snake’s head, which had come close, and said, “Well, let’s go see this wonderful thing that neither snake nor mouse has seen.”
Duan Zhuo had never truly trusted these people. After surviving in the chaotic world for so many years, he knew they didn’t fully trust him either. But that was fine; he just needed to get what he wanted. If all went well, he would soon be able to signal a passing spaceship to rescue him, taking him away from this world. Then he could find a planet without any falling black meteorites and live peacefully. But before that, he needed to gather enough hidden orchids to conceal his presence, especially from that persistent white cat.
Duan Zhuo had originally planned to search for the plants alone while the camp was defended, but after witnessing the power of the green snake, he didn’t want to miss out on such strong fighting power. That’s why he invited Shu Bao and Lan Qing along.
Shu Bao returned to the camp and explained the situation to the high priest. Knowing that Shu Bao and Lan Qing had long wanted to explore outside, the high priest assured them that he would protect the camp and gave them the cat-eye necklace for their journey.
Thus, Shu Bao and Lan Qing set out with Duan Zhuo on their first exploration in the chaotic world. Before leaving, they circled the camp to deal with any creatures approaching it, ensuring that there were no troublesome monsters before departing.
As the camp receded into the distance, the warm firelight gradually faded away. The chaotic world’s sky was devoid of stars, much like the myths described—a place of utter chaos. The three of them seemed to be walking into an endless abyss.
“This feeling isn’t great, but you’ll get used to it,” Duan Zhuo remarked, clearly familiar with the surroundings and moving confidently.
Lan Qing, being a snake, could use his instincts to navigate the environment through air signals, despite the limited visibility. However, to play along with Duan Zhuo, he dramatically exclaimed, “Oh no! I’m going blind! I can’t see anything!”
Shu Bao, who was wearing a cat-eye necklace with night vision capabilities, thought, Should I play along? Seeing Lan Qing pretending to stagger around, Shu Bao decisively gave up on the idea, thinking that he didn’t want to embarrass himself.
Duan Zhuo stopped talking about the ominous feeling and occasionally introduced the plants around them. As the surrounding light almost completely disappeared, the environment suddenly changed. Ahead, a large area of bioluminescent plants of various shapes and colors grew in the darkness, making it seem like they had stepped into a fairytale world.
Duan Zhuo’s expression lightened up. “This is the Glowing Zone. Light is precious in the chaotic world, so many plants and animals here emit their own light. Most of these plants are harmless, but some use their light to lure prey.”
Just as he finished speaking, a giant grasshopper flew by and landed on a pale blue plant. Under their gaze, the beautiful blue plant suddenly extended blade-like leaves toward the grasshopper!
“See, that’s a victim of the light’s temptation—” Duan Zhuo was cut off as something flashed in front of him. The next moment, the giant grasshopper had been rescued from the plant by someone, leaving the blue plant’s leaves swiping through empty air.
Duan Zhuo turned to look at Shu Bao, only to see him, looking serene and ethereal, eagerly petting the grasshopper. He was marveling aloud, “Wow! What a big grasshopper! Look at those strong legs! Wow!”
The triple “wow” conveyed Shu Bao’s excitement. Duan Zhuo was almost exasperated. What was with this person, getting so worked up over a grasshopper, when a dragonfly the size of a person had just flown by and he hadn’t batted an eye!
“Snatching food is very dangerous. It’s fortunate that this mantis plant only reacts to insects. Don’t do anything rash in the future!” Duan Zhuo warned in a serious tone.
As soon as he finished, he saw Shu Bao pull out a bundle of rope from who-knows-where and begin tying up the grasshopper securely. “This big guy needs to be brought back and raised!”
After securing it, Shu Bao carefully tied the grasshopper to Lan Qing’s body and instructed him not to lose it. Lan Qing looked at the grasshopper hanging on him and nodded repeatedly, indicating he would take care of it.
Passing through the Glowing Zone, the three of them entered the depths of the Dark Forest. The forest also had many luminescent plants. Shu Bao spotted a group of seven butterflies that formed the colors of a rainbow flying by. Duan Zhuo explained that they were rainbow butterflies. Their appearance signaled that it was going to rain.
“We need to hurry. I doubt you’d want to experience a rainy day in the Chaotic World,” Duan Zhuo said as he picked up the pace. Shu Bao and Lan Qing, hearing this, immediately sped up, leaving Duan Zhuo far behind.
After rushing ahead, they turned back to look at Duan Zhuo curiously, “Didn’t you say we should hurry? Why are you still moving so slowly?”
Duan Zhuo felt that they were getting back at him for earlier scolding about the grasshopper. But he had to admit, compared to the other two, he was indeed too slow.
“Do you mind if Lan Qing helps you?” Shu Bao asked.
“No, I don’t mind.” Looking at the giant green snake ahead, Duan Zhuo certainly didn’t mind a ride. As soon as he agreed, the giant snake turned around and swallowed him whole!
Duan Zhuo was terrified and struggled, but then he heard Lan Qing’s voice, “Don’t move around or I’ll start drooling! Please be a good passenger!”
Duan Zhuo was speechless.
Guided by Duan Zhuo through Lan Qing’s slightly open mouth, they quickly reached their destination.
When Duan Zhuo was finally released, he found himself nearly soaked through! He felt like he wanted to kill someone, but then the giant snake’s head lowered again, its big eyes blinking expectantly at him.
Shu Bao helpfully explained, “He’s waiting for you to thank him.”
Duan Zhuo, exasperated, said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome!” Lan Qing immediately responded, happily swaying his large head as he went off to find the hidden orchid Duan Zhuo had described.
According to Duan Zhuo, under the thick layer of fallen leaves in this forest grew a type of orchid. The method to find it was simple: observe the leaves. Wherever the fallen leaves gently rose and fell as if breathing, the hidden orchid was there, as it was a plant that appeared to breathe.
Wearing the cat’s eye necklace, Shu Bao quickly used his enhanced vision to locate an area of fallen leaves. Gently peeling back the leaves, he found nothing visible. But upon touching the area, he felt the characteristic coolness of a plant. The hidden orchid was an invisible plant.
Carefully finding the leaves of the orchid, Shu Bao picked one. Once detached from the main body, the leaf became visible, appearing long and unremarkable. After placing the leaf in his system bracelet, Shu Bao continued to search for more.
Lan Qing had a simpler approach. Upon finding the hidden orchid, he would blow away the leaves with a single breath. Then, he would lower his head to sense the plants. The only challenge was the rule that only one leaf could be picked at a time, which made things a bit tricky for the snake.
After some busy work, all three of them had gathered some leaves. However, Duan Zhuo was quite displeased to find he had collected the least, despite being the most familiar with the area. The orchid’s breathing was so faint, he couldn’t fathom how the other two were so quick in finding them. “It’s getting cooler, rain is coming. We should…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Lan Qing swallowed him again, leading to another episode of drooling.
They hurried back to the tribe, noticing along the way that many animals were frantically fleeing to find shelter from the impending rain.
They managed to return to the tribe just before the rain started. As they passed through the fence barrier, a torrential downpour began outside. They watched as a large number of plants outside the barrier quickly died; upon closer inspection, it was clear that the plants appeared to be boiled alive.
The tribe, protected by the barrier, remained dry. But the steam rising from the ground outside hinted at the high temperature of the rainwater.
Duan Zhuo crawled out of the snake’s mouth, only to be met with unanimous disdain from the others. To make matters worse, he couldn’t wash off and had to wear his saliva-soaked clothes.
“The rain in the Chaotic World is rarely normal; it seems today’s rain is hot,” Duan Zhuo explained, detailing the unpredictable temperature of the rainwater and mentioning some plants and places in the wild that could provide shelter.
As the outside world gradually fell silent, even the mindless corpses had already found places to avoid the rain. Looking at the quiet landscape, Duan Zhuo remarked, “It’s rare for the Chaotic World to be this peaceful.”
Just as he finished speaking, a piercing cat’s cry suddenly echoed, drawing everyone’s attention. Duan Zhuo’s expression froze as he hurriedly pulled out the hidden orchid leaves he had previously prepared. To his horror, they were damp.
“The leaves are wet! The only thing hidden orchid leaves can’t handle after drying is water!” His voice trembled with fear.
Lan Qing scratched his head sheepishly, “Does saliva count as water?”
Duan Zhuo was speechless.
There wasn’t much time for Duan Zhuo to regret or get angry. Outside the tribe, a white figure was rapidly approaching. As it drew closer, its outline became clearer and everyone realized what it was.
It was the big white cat that had been lurking around the tribe earlier! Now, it was braving the scalding rain, sprinting toward the tribe.
The members of the Xia Wang tribe panicked. What was wrong with this cat? Shouldn’t it be seeking shelter from the rain?
However, the white cat seemed crazed, attacking the barrier around the tribe with ferocity, its gaze fixed on Duan Zhuo. Its eyes were filled with hatred, an intense emotion so palpable that everyone could easily see it.
“What’s going on? The cat wasn’t like this before!”
“Has it gone mad?”
“Oh my god! What are those things outside?”
…
Everyone’s attention shifted to the distance, where more cats emerged from the darkness. The eerie, agonized cries of cats echoed, sending chills down their spines. Unlike the giant white cat, the other cats appeared to be of normal size.
Considering the scalding rain, it was clear they were in pain. But this raised a troubling question: why were these cats, willing to endure the burning rain, gathering around the tribe?
As the cats drew nearer, their appearance became clearer, leaving everyone stunned. These weren’t the familiar cat demons seen in recent days but appeared to be normal cats.
However, “normal” was relative; while they lacked the scythe-like claws of cat demons, their appearance was even more disturbing. Not a single cat was whole—some were missing limbs, others were blind or earless, and some were charred or had broken tails and missing teeth.
Even in the face of these natural enemies, Shu Bao was taken aback by their pitiful state, especially sensing the pain and hatred emanating from them. This gave him a suspicion about what Duan Zhuo had been hiding.
The simple-minded Xia Wang tribe members had never encountered the concept of torture; their hunts were for survival, ending the prey’s life as quickly as possible. Thus, they struggled to comprehend these mutilated cats.
The sight was so shocking that no one attacked at first. It wasn’t until Duan Zhuo’s terrified voice broke the silence, urging them to defend against the attacking cats, that they snapped out of their daze.
The tribe members turned to their deity, seeking guidance, uncertain about what to do in this perplexing situation.
Shu Bao, however, didn’t order them to defend. Instead, he questioned Duan Zhuo, “Did you torture these cats?”
Duan Zhuo deflected the question with another, “Don’t you also dislike cats?” Without waiting for a response, he addressed Lan Qing directly, “Can you deal with that white cat?”
Lan Qing glanced at the white cat attacking the barrier, then at his tail, “But it’s raining outside. My tail will get wet.”
Duan Zhuo: “…”
In the ensuing silence, the piercing cries of the cats outside sounded like a death knell. Each impact from the white cat against the barrier made Duan Zhuo’s heart skip a beat. “Is it wrong for me to hate cats? Just like others hate bugs and might stomp on them, what’s the difference between cats and bugs?”
“Are you including grasshoppers among those bugs?” Shu Bao asked.
Duan Zhuo was at a loss for words. He gave up trying to communicate with these people, fearing he might die of anger before the cats could even harm him.
Finally, as if making a resolution, he began to approach the barrier. The closer he got, the more the cats’ cries intensified. The white cat’s pupils turned blood-red, and it clawed at the barrier furiously. Just as it seemed the barrier was about to collapse, the white cat suddenly shrank down to the size of a tiny kitten!
Duan Zhuo, holding an open travel bag, advanced cautiously toward the white cat, seemingly intent on capturing it.
The now tiny white cat crouched low, growling menacingly, but it no longer posed a threat to Duan Zhuo. With the white cat outside the barrier, capturing it would mean stepping outside, which Duan Zhuo did. As soon as he left the barrier, the cats swarmed him, attacking him frantically.
However, due to their maimed bodies, they caused minimal harm to Duan Zhuo. Some even injured themselves further during the attack. Despite this, not a single cat retreated.
Duan Zhuo’s target was the small white cat, which was darting around. He seemed to have some sort of rain repellent, as he was not getting wet from the scalding rain, though he was still soaked with Lan Qing’s saliva.
Watching the chaotic scene outside, Lan Qing asked Shu Bao, “Should we help?”
“Help who?”
“Of course, the cats!” Lan Qing responded, clearly disgusted by Duan Zhuo. “That guy’s obviously a cat-abusing maniac. No wonder he brought guns and knives with him when he crossed over! And he had the nerve to say he was just playing a game!”
“Are you asking a mouse to help a bunch of cats?” Shu Bao retorted.
“Will you help?” Lan Qing asked.
“Yes!” Shu Bao replied through gritted teeth, clearly upset—either with himself for going against the rodent code or with Duan Zhuo’s actions. “It’s too cruel! I’ve never been this cruel to even my natural enemies!”
Lan Qing nodded vigorously. “Exactly, exactly! At most, we just made a cat-eye necklace.”
Shu Bao: “…” You could have just stayed quiet!
Moonlit: I really like Lan Qing HAHAHAHA
