Editor: Sahloknir
The kitten mewled. It shook off the water on its body before hopping onto Jiang Yinghe’s knees.
But there were still water droplets clinging stubbornly to its fur. It was wet to the touch. Jiang Yinghe took out a soft and fluffy towel as he half-held the long-haired cat. He asked while he dried it, “Where is your owner?”
This kind of recently sentient kitten was often raised by other devils. If they weren’t siblings, then they were to be a future spouse. Jiang Yinghe heard about this from people at Wanyao City, so he could guess why it pounced on him.
After all, his current appearance did seem to resemble an elder devil, and a harmless herbivore at that.
The kitten’s large tail had gray streaks running through it. It wrapped around his wrist several times. The tip tickled his skin as tiny paws kneaded against his arms cutely.
“Meow—”
Jiang Yinghe was caught by this kitten. Even after wiping it dry, he couldn’t help but give it scratches under its chin. Comfortable, the kitten raised its head to expose more of its neck.
He didn’t expect to see a live kitten in a place like the Nether Realm… On second thought, there must be many devils here at the moment. Chang Ye should be very anxious by now.
Jiang Yinghe made a rough estimate. He decided to let that little scoundrel stew for a while. Chang Ye’s specialty was deceiving others with his beautiful features and pretending to be pitiful after all. This kitten was much better company than him.
Besides, he was helping Qin Jun repair the River Styx right now, as it was the most pressing matter. It wouldn’t be too late to go find Xiao Yun-shidi later if Zhangmen-shixiong still couldn’t contact him…
As Jiang Yinghe spaced out, something that felt like sandpaper swept across his fingertips. He turned his head to see the backwards barbs on the little kitten’s tongue. It was undoubtedly a carnivore.
It butted Jiang Yinghe’s palm with its soft forehead while pressing down on his finger with its paw. The kitten peeked at him before licking him again.
..What a mischievous sprite.
For some reason, Jiang Yinghe was reminded of Chang Ye. While admonishing the bigger mischievous sprite in his head, he collected the kitten into his arms and rubbed its face. He joked, “Are you a little cat that would let anyone who feeds you pet you?”
The kitten paused before rapidly nodding its head.
Jiang Yinghe, “…Cough. How permissive.”
He took out a small fruit brimming with spiritual energy from his personal dimension and offered it to the kitten. It was quick to climb partially onto his hands and devour the fruit. It stared at him unblinkingly as it munched on its bounty.
Jiang Yinghe paid the fare, so he continued to pet the kitten’s soft and fuzzy little head with satisfaction. He teased, “Did your owner abandon you because you were too sticky?”
At first, the kitten didn’t react. Then it seemed to become saddened. It laid in Jiang Yinghe’s lap and nodded.
“Someone was heartless enough to abandon a beautiful cat like this?” Jiang Yinghe was surprised. He paused: “Then…would you like to come with me?”
There was really nothing edible in an environment like the Nether Realm. Even if there were fish deep within the River Styx, they were grotesque and misshapen dead spirit fish. It was certainly not something suitable for a newly sentient kitten to survive off.
By the end, Jiang Yinghe had convinced himself of his decision. He reached out a hand, “If you agree, then give your little paw to me.”
Before he finished speaking, a tender and pink paw immediately squished down on his hand. It was like the owner was afraid of Jiang Yinghe running off. The kitten pounced on his face and held on there.
Jiang Yinghe tried his best to keep breathing through the fuzz as he removed this little ancestor from his face. “Don’t be so naughty. Let me think about how to raise a cat.”
The knowledge of Earth he had sealed away for many years slowly began to surface. A moment passed before Jiang Yinghe spoke again. “Check for parasites, vaccinations, and…um…”
Jiang Yinghe cautiously glanced at the mewling kitten, “…neutering?”
The previously overjoyed kitten immediately stiffened. It slowly backed away a few steps before zipping under the table.
As Jiang Yinghe went to retrieve it, the kitten grasped onto his sleeve and stared at him with watery eyes. His heart became soft in an instant. “Fine, fine, fine. I won’t neuter you, so be quiet.”
The little kitten looked at him for a while longer before releasing its claws and snuggling into Jiang Yinghe’s chest.
The pleasure boat drifted along the waves.
The sky was becoming darker as the turbulent emerald water stirred. Qin Jun arrived to such a scene.
The table was filled with documents lined with rows of neat writing on the materials needed for the reconstruction of the river. Jiang Yinghe’s internal clock was even more accurate than an actual clock. He was fast asleep on the table.
He was wearing a pastel white cloak. The sleeves had slid back to reveal his narrow wrists. Inky black hair cascaded down his shoulders. A white long-haired cat was resting as well in Shizun’s lap. Only when Qin Jun entered the boat did its ears twitch in his direction.
Qin Jun glanced at the cat once before removing his cape and gently covering Jiang Yinghe with it. Then he grabbed that cat by the scruff of its neck and exited to the back of the boat.
He threw the little white cat to the ground and watched it sit. Qin Jun sneered, “I didn’t think you were desperate enough to take on this kind of form. How shameless, San-er.”
A thousand year old fox was here pretending to be an innocent kitten.
The little cat lightly landed on the stern of the boat. He wagged his tail and smugly said, “I’m not nearly as skilled as Qin-shixiong. If I felt shame, could I sleep with Shizun? If not, then I have no need of such a thing.”
“Shizun doesn’t want to see you.” Qin Jun’s voice was chilled, “Keep your tail to yourself. Don’t make him angry. Also…don’t let Li Huanhan find him.”
Chang Ye was one thing, but Li Huanhan’s mind was twisted. There was no way to reason with that guy.
“Oh come on. Of course I know that.” The white cat flicked his tail, “You’re such an amateur, hiding him in such a conspicuous place.”
“Yet you still came crawling to me after losing him,” Qin Jun shot back.
Chang Ye gave him a flat look. “Who knew that our Li-shixiong had so many tricks up his sleeve? He actually put a tracking artifact on Shizun’s body. But don’t you worry. I’ve already planned for the possibility of him coming.”
“…Care to elaborate?”
“Pah. Our Li-shixiong is a lunatic of few words. It’s good enough that Shizun hasn’t formally ended their master-disciple relationship, so what is there to be afraid of, meow?” The kitten licked its paws before sauntering back inside, “Qin-shixiong, I’m just a cat. Don’t do anything too outrageous to me, ah.”
Qin Jun felt a pounding migraine coming on. Just as he was about to recapture this green tea cat, he heard Jiang Yinghe’s warm voice from within.
“Jun-er?”
He breathed out before following Chang Ye inside. Qin Jun spoke to Shizun as if nothing was amiss. “Did I wake you?”
“No.” Jiang Yinghe didn’t expect to fall asleep just now. He removed the cape from his shoulders and returned it to Qin Jun. “I woke up myself.”
He lowered his head to look at the kitten he’d recently taken in brushing repeatedly against the hem of his robes. He picked it up and saw that Qin Jun’s gaze was fixated on the white cat in his arms.
Jiang Yinghe paused. He supposed it was human nature to like soft and cute animals. “…Do you also want a feel?”
Why would Qin Jun want to feel this little natural green tea? He lifted his head with a complicated expression. “Shizun, does this cat have a name yet?”
“Not yet.” Jiang Yinghe said, “How about Baibai1Chinese equivalent of naming your cat ‘Whitey’ lol? What do you think?”
Qin Jun glanced at it. A smile that was more of a grimace graced his features. “Those with humble names are easier to raise. Why don’t we call it Cuihua?”
Jiang Yinghe nodded uncertainly. “…Ah?”
—-
Never in his life did Chang Ye think that one day he would be called Cuihua.
That bastard Qin Jun chatted with Shizun for hours. He somehow convinced the befuddled Shizun to accept the name he had proposed.
This washed away some of his happiness at returning to Shizun’s side.
…Qin Jun really was a bastard.
Chang Ye’s teeth itched to bite into something. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was supposed to be an obedient and cute little kitten right now, he would probably go tear Qin Jun apart limb from limb right now.
His only source of comfort was that Qin Jun eventually had to leave. There was a distance that he had to maintain with Shizun. But a little kitten like Chang Ye could even sleep inside the pleasure boat. It was clear who the victor was. Minus that name and the threatening look Qin Jun shot him before leaving, everything seemed perfect.
Other than fixing the River Styx, Qin Jun was also recalling the Forces of Hell. He retired to You Ming palace to continue his preparations. Chang Ye wasn’t worried about being exposed. They were two peas in a pod, so what was there to be afraid of?
He was happy enough to knead as he remained by Shizun’s side.
The little white cat laid in Jiang Yinghe’s lap while rubbing affectionately against his hand. He heard Shizun’s gentle voice,“It is important to get enough sleep after becoming sentient.” Jiang Yinghe rubbed its ears. He hesitated, but he really couldn’t say its name. “Don’t make a fuss at night.”
Although the difference between night and day was very faint in the Nether Realm, Jiang Yinghe believed in its ability to distinguish the time of day. He set his mind at rest and retired to the soft bed within the pleasure boat. Removing his cloak, he soon drifted off to sleep.
It was very quiet. Even the living spirits in the lakebed were unusually silent. The little, white cat tilted its head and stared at him for a moment. Then, a little paw reached out to touch him. Only when he was sure that Shizun was asleep did Chang Ye withdraw his paw.
The candlelight cast the kitten’s shadow onto the wall. Its shape gradually grew larger.
The being that was the size of a regular cat slowly relaxed the restraints of his appearance. After shedding just a few layers, he was already the size of a juvenile tiger. His entire body was covered with fuzzy fur, and his tail was deceptively soft. It was strong and long enough to wrap around a person’s waist.
The originally little physical vessel expanded to reveal a fraction of the vicious beast within. Chang Ye carefully approached and settled down to watch his Shizun from the side. His fuzzy tail moved like it had a mind of its own to teasingly caress Jiang Yinghe’s waist.
Chang Ye lifted a paw to wipe away the nonexistent drool from his mouth. His barbed tongue came out to lick at his paw as he stared with great restraint at this person.
His movement seemed to please Jiang Yinghe, who rolled over to bury himself in a mountain of fluff. He embraced the vicious beast beside him like a body pillow.
…It’s hard sometimes to be born a devil.
Chang Ye was somewhat tense. His tongue snuck out again to lick the snow white rabbit ears on Jiang Yinghe’s head.
The now wet rabbit ears trembled slightly.
Chang Ye stared at them. He’s seen rabbit devils before, but none of them were like Shizun…The rod that he personally considered to be very thick stiffened as blood madly rushed downwards in his body. The appendage strained painfully against the thin layer of skin barely containing it.
…He had only himself to blame for this. But it was just so fragrant here…
Chang Ye swallowed. He felt Jiang Yinghe shift away from his fur and murmur, “Don’t lick…sleep.”
He even patted the soft fur beside him with closed eyes as he spoke. Jiang Yinghe only continued to sleep once he believed the little kitten had calmed down. He didn’t notice anything wrong with the tail that had circled around him.
Jiang Yinghe’s voice has always been pleasant to listen to. When he spoke in a half-dreaming state, it was almost enough to overcome what little remained of Chang Ye’s self-control. But he was afraid of waking him in the end. He feared being rejected once again once his true identity was discovered.
Chang Ye pouted as he curled up around Shizun and buried himself into the other person’s arms. His uncontrollable tail continued to swish around on its own.
Due to this, Jiang Yinghe had a dream that night.
He dreamt that he raised a kitten. The problem was that the kitten seemed to grow endlessly. Even when it was enormous, the kitten still licked him like it did when it was little.
…He was going to die if this went on.
If the barbs on its tongue weren’t backwards, he would be half dead after a single lick. Jiang Yinghe couldn’t say a thing to the kitten as every part of his body became inflamed from the contact. It was like they were in an intense battle.
It was so tiring.
When Jiang Yinghe woke up, he still couldn’t make heads nor tails of his dream. He could deal with having no desires from being single for a thousand years and reacting slowly due to having no passion root, but why did his mind react so quickly to these kinds of things?
This shouldn’t happen. He was an upright sprout with normal values, so why did he think that a kitten had indecent thoughts towards him?
Jiang Yinghe washed his undergarments as he corrected his way of thinking. He estimated how much longer it would take to reconnect the River Styx in his mind. Then he had to return to Peng Lai, or go to the devil tribes to look for Xiao Yun-shidi…
As he was changing, he caught sight of his own reflection in the mirror before him. The usually shy rabbit ears were drooping even more today.
He felt like he had turned into a floppy-eared rabbit overnight… Wait…
He wasn’t a rabbit to begin with, ah!
Jiang Yinghe incredulously stepped closer and brushed back the appendages on his head. The residual effects of the drug had already passed, so it was safe to touch.
The tips were a bit irritated…
The only other living thing on the boat was that kitten called Cuihua. Jiang Yinghe logically concluded that this little ancestor used the unremovable props on his head as cat toys while he slept.
He turned around to seriously scold the little cat before he saw how it was lifting its foot to lick at the area beneath. The kitten gave him a look before burying its head once again.
Hiss.
Backward barbs.
Jiang Yinghe’s head was completely filled with thoughts like ‘why does that pink and tender place look so ferocious after he noticed the barbs’. He felt like his mind that was as clear as ice and as clean as jade had been thoroughly corrupted.
He looked away with a complicated expression. So the little kitten was a male.
Jiang Yinghe really was somewhat curious. Eventually, he succumbed to the temptation and shifted his gaze back. He walked over and patted the kitten on the head as he muttered to himself, “That hurts to even look at. No wonder you can’t find a girlfriend…”
The white cat stiffened at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Author’s Corner
San-er, you’re about to flip tables.
Rain
Damn Jiang Yinghe is such a savage lol.
Sahl
I second Rain. Very savage.
