The Flower Of The High Mountain Turns Into A Cat And Is Picked Up By A Human Chapter 17

The two returned the way they came, preparing to leave as soon as possible.

Something was hidden in Kuju Village. The scraping sound they heard last night was made by some unknown entity. They dared not dwell on it, only wanting to avoid further contact with whatever it was.

The moment Bai Chendeng saw the Daoist temple, he activated his spiritual vision.

Then, he closed his eyes.

Back on the commercial street, the aroma of food grew stronger.

They had only grabbed a quick breakfast that morning, and now their appetites were piqued.

“It’s almost noon. Let’s grab a bite.”

Zheng Lang pointed to a Chinese restaurant. “This one, Brother Heng, how about it?”

Heng Yuze nodded.

His attention was entirely focused on Chendeng’s unusual state.

Soon after arriving at the Daoist temple, Chendeng had closed its eyes and remained unresponsive, only moving occasionally to let Heng Yuze know it was still awake.

Heng Yuze didn’t know what had happened, but his apprehension toward the Daoist temple deepened.

Chendeng hadn’t shown any fear or timidity when facing the dog demon, even when nearly killed by it. Yet, after merely circling the outside of the Daoist temple, why was it so listless?

After entering the restaurant, they ordered many carb-heavy dishes.

Stuffing a thin-skinned bun full of filling into his mouth, Zheng Lang felt like he had come back to life.

Heng Yuze brought food to Chendeng’s mouth. Only then did Chendeng awaken from its silent stillness, opening its slightly hazy eyes.

Bai Chendeng felt a bit helpless.

He had learned his lesson but forgotten the pain. He knew activating his spiritual vision was dangerous, yet he had dropped his guard and used it rashly.

That Daoist temple was not simple; a single glance had shown him an unbelievable scene, and he still hadn’t processed the shock of that image.

Since the damage was done, he should focus on replenishing his strength first.

Seeing the cat return to normal, Heng Yuze finally relaxed. The pangs of hunger instantly asserted themselves, and Heng Yuze began to eat voraciously. This boosted Zheng Lang’s appetite, and he followed suit, eating with equal enthusiasm.

With full stomachs, they could consider whether to stay or leave. However, both had eaten too much to immediately get in the car and drive; even sitting felt uncomfortable on their stomachs.

Heng Yuze burped. Seeing that Zheng Lang had already started walking around to digest, he picked up the cat and joined him for a stroll.

Returning to the commercial street, the number of people hadn’t decreased even at noon. There was a nearby school, and elementary students were out on the street during their lunch break.

The short children in school uniforms moved in groups, accustomed to playing on the crowded street, skillfully weaving through the throng.

Heng Yuze watched the students gather and disperse, laughing and playing in small groups, and memories flooded back.

His school days had not been happy. Memories of playing with classmates like this were few and far between.

In an empty classroom where only a few people sat alone, the light of the morning glow filtered through the thin white curtains and fell upon him. The sounds around him gradually faded as he immersed himself in his own world, unable to break through the barrier of being single-parented and poor.

Heng Yuze tightened his grip slightly, hugging the cat closer.

Bai Chendeng sensed his distress. Although he didn’t know what was happening with the man, he allowed himself to be embraced.

Heng Yuze’s hand stroked his back repeatedly. With this comforting action, the dark, damp memories in his heart were gradually suppressed.

The elementary students also passed through the most crowded area and arrived at an open space in a corner by the street to play.

They divided into three factions. One person sat steadily in the middle, seemingly the referee. The other four split into groups of one and three. The single child suddenly lost strength in one leg, pretending to be lame, and shouted, “I am the White Swordsman! You evil villains, do not be presumptuous!”

The other three let out mocking, strange laughs. Because they were so young, even their mischief was endearing.

“What White Swordsman? In front of the three of us, why don’t you surrender quickly!”

Immediately after, the three children grabbed one of their own legs and attacked. Although the “Great White Swordsman” didn’t need to hold his leg, he could only hop on one leg, engaging in a skirmish with the three.

Zheng Lang watched, highly amused, and even ran closer to the children to cheer on the “Great White Swordsman.”

Only Bai Chendeng’s breathing suddenly quickened, and the claws gripping Heng Yuze’s arm tightened unconsciously.

Noticing the cat’s abnormality, Heng Yuze quickly asked, “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

Chendeng realized his lapse in composure. A hint of joy, invisible to outsiders, arose in his heart, and he let out a barely audible sound from his throat.

Found it.

After strolling for over an hour, the two returned to the parking lot, got into the car, and sighed comfortably.

Kuju Village had excellent greenery; there were trees and flowers everywhere. Elm trees and bitter chrysanthemums were ubiquitous.

Only the parking lot, which required a large open space, seemed somewhat bare.

Heng Yuze had sent multiple messages but received no reply, leaving him feeling helpless and frustrated.

Zheng Lang offered a few words of comfort.

“It’s alright, Brother Heng. I think this Kuju Village is quite strange, and that Daoist temple is probably not ordinary either. It’s good that we’re avoiding bad luck.”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

Heng Yuze agreed. Looking out the car window at the gray sky, his mood felt low, and he wanted to leave.

“Brother Zheng, should we…”

At that moment, a familiar tug caught his sleeve.

Heng Yuze looked down and saw Chendeng looking up at him.

The white cat once again displayed a human emotion, shaking its head very slowly but firmly.

Heng Yuze stopped speaking.

Only the sound of their differing thoughts remained in the car.

Zheng Lang, who hadn’t noticed the movement in the back seat, asked when Heng Yuze trailed off mid-sentence, “Are we leaving, Brother Heng?”

Heng Yuze replied, “Brother Zheng, Brother Bo just replied to me.”

What a coincidence?

Heng Yuze shook his phone, quickly showing the chat window to Zheng Lang.

Zheng Lang briefly glimpsed a few chat messages and immediately rejoiced. “That’s great! What did Brother Bo say?”

Heng Yuze said softly, “Brother Bo wants us to stay a few more days and try to find the Daoist temple’s successor. He has a way to wake Brother Bai up.”

“Alright!”

Zheng Lang began to plan. “Staying a few more days is fine. I’ll go buy some overnight supplies. Since we can’t find a residence, we’ll have to pitch a tent in an open space. Don’t worry, I have experience.”

Zheng Lang went to buy sleeping bags and other equipment, while Heng Yuze wandered around the village with the cat.

They spent two hours meticulously walking through the village, comparing it to the map and memorizing the architectural layout.

In the evening, after eating their fill, the two did their final preparations and set up the tent in a suitable spot.

The area was surrounded by trees. When the wind blew, the leaves rustled, carrying a scent of grass and wood. Being there truly gave them a sense of secluded mountain living.

“I have to say, camping alone is a completely different experience than camping with a friend.”

Heng Yuze nodded. “This is my first time sleeping in a tent. It feels novel.”

“Haha, don’t worry, Brother Heng. I’ve slept in tents all over the country and never had an accident. You can rest assured.”

The two chatted until sleepiness overcame them, then turned off the small lamp and went to sleep.

Late at night, the tent didn’t let in much light; only a minimal amount of moonlight managed to seep through.

Bai Chendeng crawled out of the sleeping bag and nudged Heng Yuze awake.

Heng Yuze rubbed his face, unzipped the tent, and looked outside.

The moon tonight was very full and bright. The moonlight provided decent visibility, allowing them to see the swaying shadows of the trees.

Bai Chendeng then went to Zheng Lang, pressing his paws on his face and stepping on him twice.

Heng Yuze understood and woke Zheng Lang up.

Zheng Lang was still groggy when he woke up. It was pitch black, and after a few seconds, he realized he and Heng Yuze were sleeping in a tent, but he didn’t know why he was being woken up.

Seeing Zheng Lang awake, Heng Yuze shushed him, signaling him not to panic, then whispered, “Sorry, Brother Zheng, let’s put on our clothes first. I’ll explain later.”

Zheng Lang automatically moved his limbs, putting on his clothes. Although he didn’t understand why, he instinctively chose to trust Heng Yuze.

He had worked with many streamers under the guild’s arrangement, but those relationships were superficial; he hadn’t confided in anyone.

But with Heng Yuze, and the little white cat in his arms, Zheng Lang genuinely felt the desire to be friends.

Dressed and ready, the two crawled out of the tent.

The night air was cool. Heng Yuze stood in the open space with his backpack.

Zheng Lang was a little unaccustomed to seeing him without the cat in his arms.

Chendeng was conspicuously white even at night. Squatting on the ground, he looked like a large, slightly glowing ball of white cotton.

“Brother Heng, where are we going?”

Choosing to act in the middle of the night—were they planning a night exploration of the Daoist temple?

Heng Yuze didn’t reply but looked at the white cat.

Bai Chendeng let out an extremely soft meow, then started moving, leading the way.

Only then did Heng Yuze quietly explain, “Brother Zheng, we’re following Chendeng.”

Zheng Lang was dumbfounded. So tonight, they were going on an adventure following a cat?

This was too far outside the realm of human understanding.

Even if Chendeng was smart and could turn off a stereo, it was still just a cat. Were they going to follow a cat to find some dried fish?

Zheng Lang didn’t understand, but since they had already put on their clothes, what could he do but follow the path to the end?

In the dead of night, with no lights, and the village already being strange, if they encountered any danger, they would have nowhere to complain.

Zheng Lang knew he was lucky; escaping incidents unscathed was standard procedure for him. If something truly happened, he would simply shield Brother Heng, which would also serve as a lesson to him that going out with a cat in the middle of the night was ill-advised!

Stepping over branches and onto the stone-paved road.

Bai Chendeng followed the route he had mentally rehearsed multiple times, heading toward his target location.

Carefully skirting the shops that were open all day, the two men and one cat moved like thieves, groping their way through the night, not even daring to turn on a flashlight.

It was very dark. Zheng Lang had not explored the village as thoroughly as the other two, and he felt increasingly lost. With the added darkness, it felt as if they were treading not in Kuju Village, but somewhere else entirely.

With low visibility, they didn’t move fast. It took them a full half hour to follow the cat to their destination.

A vast iron frame was inverted, covering an unknown secret within. Glass panels on the frame prevented any outsider from entering.

Zheng Lang stared at the large, dark structure in front of him. It took him a while to discern that it was a greenhouse.

“What are we doing here?”

Heng Yuze wanted to ask the same thing.

Bai Chendeng tapped the glass panel of the greenhouse, letting out a soft meow.

The cat’s voice was indeed sweet and delicate, but its intention was not simple.

Heng Yuze instantly understood Chendeng’s thought and found the situation extremely tricky.

The cat wanted to enter the greenhouse, but it was surrounded by iron frames and glass panels. How easy would it be to get inside?

He squatted down, hoping he had misunderstood, and asked Chendeng, “Are you sure you want to go in?”