The Flower Of The High Mountain Turns Into A Cat And Is Picked Up By A Human Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The two men exchanged a subtle glance, then quickly looked away.

What a situation.

Zheng Lang broke the stalemate, walking into the room with his luggage.

“Brother Heng, come in!”

Heng Yuze intended to enter while holding the cat, but the cat in his arms jumped down and entered before him.

Bai Chendeng surveyed the room. It wasn’t too clean, but not particularly dirty either. After all, the inn was managed only by the owner and her child, so they couldn’t be meticulous.

In a flash, the white cat had already inspected the room. It found nothing special, except for one thing: the bedding was somewhat dirty. A faint odor, slightly fishy and musky, emanated from the sheets.

Bai Chendeng hooked a claw and tore off a large section of the sheet.

This display of divine strength astonished Zheng Lang.

“That power…”

Heng Yuze understood the implication. He crouched behind the white cat and examined the sheet, but it was very clean. Not only were there no strange brown blood spots, but it also carried a faint scent of soapberry, making it arguably the tidiest part of the entire room.

But that was the biggest problem.

It was likely that something unsavory had stained this sheet.

Heng Yuze didn’t hesitate, immediately pulling the sheet off the bed.

Zheng Lang opened his mouth but ultimately didn’t stop him.

The sheet was tossed into the corner cabinet. Heng Yuze took out a new three-piece set and remade the bed.

Although the musky odor was almost undetectable once the sheet was removed, Bai Chendeng still felt uneasy about the bed.

Heng Yuze was thoughtful. He took a thin blanket from his bag, signaling that Chendeng could sleep inside the blanket and avoid direct contact with the mattress.

Night was approaching, and the sunset glow could barely pierce the darkness enveloping the land.

Darkness is a breeding ground for danger, nurturing an unknown number of malevolent spirits in uncharted territory.

Lighting the dim yellow table lamp, the light barely covered the room. If one reached out at the very edges, they couldn’t even see their own fingers clearly.

In this oppressive atmosphere, Heng Yuze felt a hint of danger, though it might have been psychological.

Zheng Lang looked out the window. They were too far from the village center; there were few houses nearby, and not a single light could be seen.

The table lamp was like a signal of safety. Within the domain of light, they were unharmed.

The window reflected their images. Heng Yuze hugged his backpack, mechanically eating the food he took out.

Seeing how nervous he was, Zheng Lang sighed and offered a soft reassurance.

“Brother, don’t be afraid. We’re two grown men; what could a female inn owner possibly do to us?”

He certainly had the confidence to say that.

“Don’t worry, if anything happens, I’ll stand in front of you. Your Brother Zheng is very reliable.”

Heng Yuze had spent several days with Zheng Lang and knew he was fundamentally a good person and very loyal, so he nodded and thanked him, “Thank you, Brother Zheng.”

Zheng Lang drew the curtains and sat on the edge of the bed, watching the white cat curled up in the blanket, looking half-asleep. He wanted to reach out but didn’t dare to touch it.

Without the need to drive and with no outsiders present, Zheng Lang was genuinely tempted.

He had mentioned before that he had no affinity with animals, and that wasn’t a lie.

In fact, he not only lacked animal affinity but also familial affinity.

His parents died early. Over the years, every time he tried to find a beloved woman to date, various accidents would occur.

Brother Bo said he had a hard fate, one that ordinary people couldn’t withstand.

After more than ten years, he had resigned himself to the fact that his life would be one of solitude.

Since he couldn’t find a human companion, raising a cat or a dog would be nice.

But he had visited pet markets. Cats would bristle and go wild upon seeing him, and dogs would whimper with their tails tucked. If they weren’t held by the seller or confined to a cage, those cats and dogs would likely flee the moment they saw him.

So, he stopped hoping for companionship. He focused on his live streaming. He had supportive fans online who would chat with him during broadcasts, and gradually, he managed to get by.

Zheng Lang looked at Chendeng. He had already experienced the cat’s miraculous nature. Looking at its smooth fur, he didn’t just want to touch it; he wanted to test whether his lonely life, which cursed people and ghosts, could finally feel a sliver of warmth.

“Brother, can I pet Chendeng?”

Heng Yuze was slightly surprised to hear this.

For many days, Zheng Lang had often expressed a desire for the cat, but he had never gotten too close.

Heng Yuze was not Chendeng’s owner. The Little Cat Immortal had its own thoughts, and he couldn’t decide for it.

Just as Heng Yuze was about to ask Chendeng’s preference, he saw Chendeng open its eyes, its gaze moving eerily toward Zheng Lang.

In the faint glow of the table lamp, the cat’s eyes seemed to emit a soft blue light, looking incredibly mystical.

Bai Chendeng used a trace of power, scanning Zheng Lang from head to toe. In his spiritual vision, if Heng Yuze was radiating a faint golden light and strands of red Vow Power, then Zheng Lang was shrouded in black malevolent energy. Forget his facial features; even his limbs were barely distinguishable.

Zheng Lang wanting to reach out and pet him looked, to Bai Chendeng, like a black hand condensed from malevolent energy trying to strike him.

Bai Chendeng retracted his divine ability, no longer viewing people with spiritual sight, and Zheng Lang returned to normal.

This was the first time he had encountered someone with such a hard fate. Logically speaking, if Zheng Lang harbored no malice, he himself would not suffer significant harm, aside from having to passively resist the erosion of the malevolent energy.

If Zheng Lang truly harbored malice, Bai Chendeng would inevitably suffer erosion from the malevolent energy. It wouldn’t be a severe injury, perhaps a minor one, but it would greatly impede his progress in recovering his human form.

“Mew.”

Fine, you can pet me.

Heng Yuze didn’t understand cat language, but he knew Chendeng understood human speech.

Since Chendeng didn’t react, it meant tacit approval.

“Brother Zheng, Chendeng didn’t hide. Go ahead and pet him.”

Zheng Lang mumbled, “Oh.”

In his entire life, aside from fur coats, he had never touched the fur of a docile animal.

Something alive, warm, and breathing…

Zheng Lang extended his hand, his fingers inching closer to Chendeng, but the closer he got, the more timid he became.

He was a straightforward person who rarely overthought things; he mostly acted on impulse. After all, he had little to look forward to in this life—just taking it one day at a time.

But now, a warm, soft thing, completely different from the loneliness and hardship of his first half of life, was within his reach.

If he succeeded in holding this adorable little creature, would it mean he could break his fate of cursing his loved ones?

Zheng Lang’s fingers trembled. He was very close to the cat, just a few centimeters away, but he simply didn’t dare.

For over thirty years, he hadn’t even had friends. His parents were cursed to death by him, his relatives called him a harbinger of doom, and the girls he liked either met with accidents or were scared away.

He didn’t just want to pet the cat; he wanted to test if there was even a tiny glimmer of hope left in his dark life.

Bai Chendeng felt incredibly awkward with that hand full of malevolent energy hovering over his head.

Stop stalling.

He simply tilted his head up and used his paw to tap the hand that refused to descend.

A fluffy sensation transmitted from his fingertip, and Zheng Lang’s breathing stopped.

The cat paw tapped his finger, urging him to pet quickly.

Heng Yuze found it amusing. His Little Cat Immortal had quite a temper. If he wasn’t enthusiastic about petting now, he might not be allowed to touch him later.

“Brother Zheng, hurry up.”

Zheng Lang snapped out of his daze, trembling as he placed his hand on Chendeng’s back.

Hiss—soft!

The warm fur, pulsing with vitality, was a completely different sensation from a simulation toy, bringing tears to Zheng Lang’s eyes.

How many years had it been?

So this is what petting a cat felt like.

“Wow, it feels so good…”

Heng Yuze felt respect. It seemed his reaction when he first saw Chendeng in the neighborhood was too calm. Look at Brother Zheng—wanting to pet but not daring, and then being unable to control himself once he did. His reaction was far more emotional than Heng Yuze’s.

“Brother Heng, I won’t lie to you, I’ve never touched a cat before.”

“Doesn’t Brother Zheng like small animals?”

“I do, but other cats run away when they see me. Even cats trapped in cages bristle at me. If I reach out, they can scratch me badly enough to cause minor injuries.”

Heng Yuze said sympathetically, “Things will get better.”

Zheng Lang stroked the fine, long fur, murmuring, “Better.”

Heng Yuze added, “This is a good start, Brother Zheng.”

Zheng Lang repeated, “This is… a good start.”

Around nine o’clock, exhausted from the journey, the two men fell asleep quickly.

Although Heng Yuze intended to stay up and keep watch, his spirit was willing but his flesh was weak. Mental fatigue combined with the conducive atmosphere made it easy to sleep.

He had initially been a little scared upon entering the inn, fearing some accident, but that anxiety was completely dispersed by Zheng Lang’s reaction to petting the cat, which was like being reborn. All that remained was primal exhaustion.

Zheng Lang, meanwhile, slept soundly, filled with beautiful fantasies about the future.

Deep in the night, amidst Zheng Lang’s snoring, Bai Chendeng opened his eyes.

He wasn’t sleepy, but the snoring annoyed him, so he decided to cultivate using the moonlight.

Heng Yuze deliberately slept on the window side, and Zheng Lang slept near the door. Their backpacks separated them, and they were both sleeping peacefully, without flailing their arms or legs.

After an unknown duration of gathering moonlight essence, Bai Chendeng keenly sensed something approaching in the darkness.

In the quiet inn, someone opened a door.

Following that, light footsteps gradually drew nearer.

Bai Chendeng quickly nudged Heng Yuze awake.

Heng Yuze was always silent when woken up. Therefore, after taking a few seconds to recall where he was and why he was there, he remained still, becoming increasingly calm and composed in the moonlight.

Chendeng was very satisfied with his reaction.

The man and the cat listened as the footsteps grew closer. When they reached the door, Bai Chendeng was ready. Whether the entity was human or demon, whether it entered or left, he had a countermeasure.

Heng Yuze’s hand was already on his backpack, ready to pull out the small drum and throw it.

However, to their surprise, the footsteps paused at the door for only a few breaths before continuing to move away with very light sounds.

It wasn’t until the faint sound of steps on the staircase reached them that they were truly certain the entity had merely passed by.

Heng Yuze whispered, “Good boy, was it coming for us? Nod if yes, shake if no.”

Bai Chendeng glanced at him, neither nodding nor shaking his head. Instead, he retreated into the blanket and continued to gather moonlight essence.

Heng Yuze checked the time. It was already two o’clock. He had gone to bed early, but the scare had chased away his sleepiness, and he couldn’t fall back asleep.

Zheng Lang’s snoring had quieted considerably, only occasionally leaking out a sound. More prominent was his breathing, which was much heavier than normal.

Listening to that breathing, Heng Yuze watched the cat gazing at the moon, feeling a sense of peaceful contentment that life was good.

It was inappropriate.

Yet, it was hard to suppress.