Initially, only one or two small bells gently swayed. Then large clusters of bells shook together, making a rustling sound that startled all four of us!
I noticed that none of the bells facing the window moved at all. The spirit cat probably didn't like sunlight, so I asked Wang Dali to go and pull the curtains.
After that, I took out a marker from my bag and wrote some common words above each bell on the edge of the table. I thought this would allow me to communicate with the spirit cat, just like planchette writing.
However, I had just written two words when I heard a thud. I turned my head to see that Wang Dali had suddenly fallen straight to the ground.
"Dali, what's wrong with you?"
I hurried over to check on him. Just as I was about to press on his philtrum, he suddenly grabbed my wrist with tremendous strength.
Then he slowly opened his eyes. Wang Dali's eyes were distinctly black and white, just like the little girl we saw last night. His expression was also very strange and unfamiliar. The corners of his mouth slowly pulled up into an odd, quasi-smile. I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine like an electric current.
I struggled desperately to free my hand, but Wang Dali nimbly leaped onto the table and crouched there, continuously licking the back of his hand like a cat.
This scene stunned all of us. Wang Yuanchao pulled out his gun and pointed it at Wang Dali. I pushed down his gun, signaling him not to move rashly, and to observe for a while first.
I plucked up my courage and asked, "Who are you?"
Wang Dali ignored me and kept concentrating on licking his paws.
When I asked for the third time, he suddenly let out a lifelike "meow" and pounced at me. We reflexively retreated back a few steps.
It turned out his target wasn't us, but rather the bag of yellow eels I had left on the floor. Wang Dali buried his face in the bag and ate ravenously, crunching the eels' spines and swallowing them whole. I was really worried he would puncture his throat.
I called out to him in concern. Wang Dali looked back with a yellow eel still in his mouth. The eel was still alive and wriggling as he sucked it into his stomach like a noodle.
After eating his fill, Wang Dali crouched on the floor and wet his palms, then smeared them across his face to wash like a cat.
I politely said, "Great immortal, now that you've eaten your fill, may I ask you to leave?"
Wang Dali suddenly darted under the table and slapped the Wealth Ferry Spirit Cat sculpture far away. The figurine rolled clattering on the floor, worrying me sick. Could he be trying to release his true self?
Luckily the sculpture was made of sturdy ceramic, possibly mixed with bone powder, so it didn't shatter when it fell.
Wang Dali crouched with his body lowered, meowing, and continued pouncing at the Wealth Ferry Spirit Cat.
Although the spirit cat was inhabiting Wang Dali's body, its movements were still feline. A cat's movements meant it couldn't possibly pick up the sculpture and smash it, only bat it around like a ball.
I didn't know what would happen if he kept this up, but that sculpture was important physical evidence for this case. I couldn't just let him destroy it. So I called out, "Stop him!"
Just as Wang Dali was about to pounce again, Wang Yuanchao kicked a chair over. Wang Dali did something I never could have expected. He leapt into the air, landing squarely on all fours after spinning three hundred and sixty degrees.
My god! Not even an acrobat could pull that off!
Wang Yuanchao grabbed another chair and roared as he grappled with Wang Dali.
I took the chance to open the curtains. The afternoon sunlight streamed in, and Wang Dali instinctively shielded his eyes with his hands, seeming to be in excruciating pain.
With a crash, the chair in Wang Yuanchao's hands smashed to bits on Wang Dali's back. I worriedly said, "Uncle Wang, don't break him!"
Just as the words left my mouth, Wang Dali lunged and kicked Wang Yuanchao squarely in the chest, sending him stumbling back several steps.
Wang Yuanchao assumed a fighting stance and scuffled with Wang Dali. Although Wang Yuanchao was very skilled, Wang Dali darted around the room like an eel, impossible to contend with using human martial arts.
I racked my brain thinking what cats were afraid of, and suddenly noticed the half-empty bottle of baijiu on the table. I called out to Wang Yuanchao, "Throw me a lighter!"
During a lull in the fight, Wang Yuanchao tossed a lighter over. I caught it and guzzled all the baijiu, the spicy liquor nearly bringing tears to my eyes. Then I flicked open the lighter towards Wang Dali and spewed out the alcohol. Meeting flame, the alcohol ignited into a huge fireball.
Wang Dali let out a shriek and quickly fled to the corner of the room!
I guzzled another mouthful of baijiu, but the small bottle didn't have much left, so the second gulp yielded barely a sip. This was pure bluff.
Wang Dali cowered trembling in the corner, holding up both "paws" to shield his face. Then his eyes rolled back and he collapsed limply to the ground.
I was suddenly alarmed and swallowed the baijiu in my mouth. The fiery sensation spread from my esophagus all the way to my stomach, making me shiver.
I went over and slapped Wang Dali's face. Soon he groggily woke up, "Yangzi, what happened to me?"
"You fainted," I said. Telling him the truth would probably scare him to death.
Wang Dali noticed a strange taste in his mouth and quickly spat several times, then fished a small fish bone from between his teeth, "How strange, why do I have a fishbone in my mouth? Did I eat something?"
Just as I was pondering what to say to distract him, Wang Dali asked again, "Damn, why's the room such a mess, looks like a battle happened!"
"We just released the spirit cat earlier," I explained.
"Oh really? What was it like?"
"Just a big black cat racing around the room, it really wore us out."
I was afraid he would relate it back to himself, but luckily he was simple-minded and lamented, "Why didn't you call me to get up? I really wanted to see what this spirit cat looked like. I don't even know how I fainted, how odd."
I poured Wang Dali a glass of water and told him to rinse his mouth. Soon Huang Xiaotao came back and was about to say something when I signaled her with my eyes not to speak.
Later I heard from someone knowledgeable in this area that my approach had been extremely dangerous, and it was sheer luck Wang Dali's life wasn't lost! After all, different trades are as remote as different mountains, and while I'm skilled at autopsy, when it comes to dealing with supernatural things like this I'm hopeless.