"Don't try to persuade me anymore."
Zhang Zongcheng waved his sleeve, signaling the official to stop persuading him further.
"My mind is made up. Even if it means depleting all my family's wealth, I will ensure that the White General takes the lead in this Spirit Cat Festival!"
"But...," the official sighed heavily upon seeing Zhang Zongcheng's determination, "Oh well, let it be then."
"Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you anymore!"
"However, Zhang Chief Steward!" the official tried again, "Do consider your own family, don't be too stubborn."
"I have my own considerations."
"Alright, I'll go check elsewhere."
"No need to see me off!"
As the official left, Zhang Zongcheng also sighed heavily. On such a fine day, why is the White General nowhere to be found?
Could something have happened to him?
But that doesn't make sense!
This White General even managed to defeat that trafficker using dark magic; he's full of spirit and power, unlike an ordinary cat.
Even if something happened to Zhang Zongcheng himself, he absolutely does not believe the White General could be in trouble.
"Chief Steward, what should we do next?" the assistant cautiously asked Zhang Zongcheng. After pondering for a moment, Zhang Zongcheng said, "Send more people to search. When the White General left the North Market, he took so many things; someone must have seen him."
"Follow this clue and see which family's cat the White General is. If we can't find the cat, can't we find the family?"
"Alright!"
"Also, go and invite a storyteller for me. Compile the good deeds done by the White General into a story and tell it to everyone here."
"Furthermore, take my seal to the bank and withdraw some money!"
"Even though the White General is not here, I refuse to believe that I can't raise funds!"
"Ah, I'll go now!"
...........
"Finally back!"
Du Ke looked at the gradually approaching walls of Mao City, feeling a mix of emotions. He had finally returned.
Although he had only been away for a day and a night, the events that unfolded during that time were incredibly convoluted.
But the outcome was good.
Not only did he bring back all the children, but he also fully prepared the supplies for his current cultivation and further upgraded the Black Cauldron, unlocking its power.
The Black Cauldron was the foundation of his cultivation, the most important thing.
It can be said that without the Black Cauldron, he would never have been able to reach this point with just the body of a cat.
Although his martial arts cultivation was only at the third stage of the innate realm, he had the cultivation of Water and Fire Fairy Garment and Mercury Blood Silver Marrow, as well as the cultivation of demonic techniques and spiritual resonance.
With all three combined, Du Ke's progress might be slow, but he had laid an extremely solid foundation.
Martial arts to cultivate the body, spiritual resonance to cultivate the spirit, demonic techniques to cultivate the qi.
With all three combined, not to mention crossing realms to defeat enemies, at least he would remain undefeated at the same level!
"Awoo!"
Thirteen, looking at the Mao City gate that was now within reach, immediately howled, asking Du Ke what to do next.
Although he had returned, how should he send the children back?
Looking at the cat flags fluttering on the city walls of Mao City, Du Ke also remembered the Spirit Cat Festival mentioned by Old Li and the others before.
"Could today be the Spirit Cat Festival?"
"Awoo?"
Thirteen puzzled as to what the Spirit Cat Festival was about, and gradually slowed his pace.
Duke didn't answer Thirteen, only staring at the cat flags that had never been raised on the city walls before, calmly saying, "Let's enter the city!"
"Howl!"
Thirteen immediately nodded vigorously, carrying the cat on his back through the city gate.
Cats and dogs ran into the city, and the onlookers at the city gate marveled at the sight.
"Hey, I've heard people say that Mao City's cats are spirited, and today's sight is truly extraordinary!"
"Of course, otherwise, the Spirit Cat Festival in Mao City wouldn't attract so many people every year!"
"A white cat with a pheasant crown riding a wolfhound looks quite dashing, comparable to those martial heroes in the jianghu!"
"I think that cat is majestic, like a general!"
"Hey, don't block the gate, instead of talking here, let's go into the city and see!"
...
"It's really lively!"
Duke looked at the bustling scene of colorful flags and joyous pedestrians. Thirteen, panting heavily, leaned against the street edge.
Just as Duke and Thirteen stood still, they overheard a few people discussing something.
"Hey, hey, have you heard? Zhang Zongcheng, the manager of the livestock market, has gone crazy!"
"What happened?"
"The cat chosen by Zhang Zongcheng didn't show up today, and he searched the whole city but couldn't find any trace of that cat."
"Oh, that's going to be a disaster!"
"That's what they say, but who is Zhang Zongcheng? He's the master of the largest livestock market in the North Market, wealthy and influential."
"Even though the cat isn't here, Zhang Zongcheng took a bold move. He directly hired a few storytellers, spreading the story of his cat on Zhuangyuan Road and even throwing money on the street to boost the cat's popularity!"
"I heard he has already thrown money equivalent to two double courtyards!"
"Wow, that's quite a generous move!"
"But in the Spirit Cat Festival, selecting a cat requires the cat to be present. Otherwise, how can the Liniu patrol proceed?"
"Yeah, so Zhang Zongcheng is just wasting his efforts!"
"He even said his wife and children have gone to look for the cat!"
"Alas, what a pity!"
...
Listening to the conversations of passersby, Duke was reminded of the enthusiastic middle-aged man.
"I, Zhang Zongcheng, hereby nominate this cat as my top choice, making a pledge to never retract my decision!"
As Zhang Zongcheng's voice echoed in Duke's mind, the face of Old Li also appeared in Duke's thoughts.
"Youngster, remember one thing!"
"With great honor comes great responsibility!"
"If someone chooses you, even if it means spending all the family's wealth and ending up with the entire family homeless on the streets, they will support you!"
"Don't let them down!"
...
With these thoughts, Duke's eyelids drooped, and a bold idea emerged in his mind.
The white cat patted the dog's head and said, "Thirteen, I have a bold idea. Do you want to go crazy with me?"
"Ah woo?"
Thirteen first tilted his head in confusion, but then nodded enthusiastically.
Even if it's going through fire and water, no matter where the cat goes, the dog will follow.
"Alright, let's give Zhang Zongcheng a big gift!"
"If he trusts me, I will repay him a thousand times over, never betraying his kindness!"
As the white cat said this, a hint of determination flashed in its eyes.
..................
Zhuangyuan Road.
"Zhang Zongcheng, are you trying to drive me crazy?!"
A woman in a moon-white robe squatted on the shoulders of what seemed like an ordinary three-colored cat, roaring loudly at Zhang Zongcheng.
As the woman roared, the three-colored cat on her shoulder also bared its teeth at Zhang Zongcheng, looking fierce.
"Wife, I have a reason for this!"
"A reason?"
Madam Zhang shouted, "If you want to pamper the cat, I don't care, but look!"
Madam Zhang pointed to the empty arena and the cat flag that had only risen by a foot and a half.
"No cat on the stage, half of our hard-earned silver thrown away, only to raise this cat flag by a foot and two inches!"
"Even if you don't think for yourself, you should think for us, right?"
"Even if you don't think for me, you should think for your son, right?"
As Madam Zhang said this, her three-colored cat kept cursing along with its poop-scooping official.
Beside Madam Zhang, a snotty child was holding a basket with several unweaned kittens inside.
"Mom, I'm hungry!"
Zhang Zongcheng's son spoke up, and the kittens in the basket also started meowing.
Upon hearing his own offspring cry, the three-colored cat immediately jumped down from Madam Zhang's shoulder and crawled into the basket held by the child, lying down to feed the kittens.
"Look, even our chrysanthemums know how to care for their offspring, what about you?"
Madam Zhang looked furious, Zhang Zongcheng knew he was in the wrong, and hung his head in silence. His son continued to cry out of hunger.
Onlookers on the street stopped to watch and gossip.
The roaming cats of the Spirit Cat Festival were also attracted by the child's cries, with one cat even carrying a half-eaten fish to Zhang Zongcheng's son, stuffing the remaining fish into the child's hands.
The hungry child, oblivious to everything else, took the fish and sat down to eat.
After a few bites, the child looked up at Zhang Zongcheng and raised the fish in his hand.
"Daddy, you should eat too."
Zhang Zongcheng watched as his son took the leftover fish from the cat's mouth, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.
He turned to look at the empty arena, then at the cat flag that had only risen by a foot and a half.
Zhang Zongcheng then turned to the crowd gathered around, each with a different expression, feeling a mix of emotions.
"Zhang Zongcheng!!"
Madam Zhang also shouted, "Are you going to continue being clueless?"
"Look at your child, look at yourself, and look at this empty stage!"
"Are you really willing to sacrifice your family's decades-old legacy for a cat that has disappeared without a trace?"
The words of Zhang Zongcheng's wife seemed to be the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Zhang Zongcheng looked around at the various expressions on the faces of the onlookers, each one seemingly filled with mockery, ridicule, and pity.
He glanced at the Cat Flag, which was only raised to a height of one foot two inches, and the empty arena, then closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
"Enough, enough!"
"Since I entrusted my passion to this cause, then today I will..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a surprised and trembling scream was heard.
"Child!"
"Child!"
"My child from Mao City has returned!"
...
Just as the scream began, it interrupted Zhang Zongcheng.
Filled with anger and sorrow that was about to burst forth but was interrupted by an outsider, Zhang Zongcheng almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
However, the shout just now seemed to have touched everyone's heartstrings.
After all, the recent incidents of missing children had not been resolved, weighing heavily on the hearts of all the people in Mao City.
And when someone shouted that the child had returned, almost everyone looked over.
"Where is the child?"
"Right there in that cart!"
"Wow, how can such a big cart be pulled forward by such a small dog?"
"A small dog pulling a big cart, unheard of in the world!"
"Oh, the cat sitting at the front of the cart is truly extraordinary!"
"Yes, and it's even wearing a pheasant feather crown!"
"Could it be that this cat found the child?"
"Didn't the storyteller previously tell the story of a white cat general in North Market breaking up a gang of evil child traffickers and rescuing suffering children?"
"How is this white cat exactly like the one in that story?"
"The child has really returned?"
"Really returned!"
"Oh, this is the neighbor's baby who turned one month old!"
"He's back, my child from Mao City is back!"
"Quick, go call people, go call the parents of the missing children!"
"I'll go, I'll go!"
"Oh, how much suffering have these children endured!"
"Make way, make way, let this cat and dog pulling the cart pass!"
"Yes, make way!"
...
Amidst the shouts and sighs, the crowd gradually gathered towards the source of the sound.
"Master, what should we do next?"
The drummer hired by Zhang Zongcheng asked his master, who waved his hand with a lack of interest.
"Lower the flag, dismantle the stage!"
"I'm going home, this year's Spirit Cat Festival ends like this!"
As Zhang Zongcheng spoke, the drummer also looked at the Cat Flag raised to one foot two inches, smacked his lips, and muttered, "It's time to go home, even though we spent so much silver to raise this Cat Flag to one foot two inches, it's such a loss!"
Zhang Zongcheng looked at the Cat Flag that exceeded the stage by one foot two inches and directly walked over to take down the flag.
This flag was specially made by an experienced embroiderer he sought out, specifically having the drawing of the cat and dog combination he had painted in North Market as a blueprint.
Now...
This Cat Flag seemed more like a symbol of shame!
Mocking Zhang Zongcheng!
Mocking him with a heart full of passion, entrusting his full blood in vain!
But at this moment, the sound of the wheels and axles turning, the sound of the wheels rolling over the bluestone road of Zhuangyuan Road, also reached their ears.
Madam Zhang, who was previously annoyed by her husband's foolish actions, now widened her eyes and opened her mouth.
All because a half-grown wolfhound was pulling a flatbed cart, with a cat sitting on the front of the cart smiling at her.
And the cat on the flag behind the cat on the cart was not exactly the same, but completely identical.
"Dear husband, dear husband, dear husband..."
Madam Zhang tugged at her husband's sleeve, while Zhang Zongcheng was lost in his thoughts and turned his head irritably when interrupted.
"What now?"
"Dear husband, look... look!"
Zhang Zongcheng followed his wife's gaze and immediately froze in place.
His beloved White General was squatting at the front of the cart, looking at him. When the white cat and Zhang Zongcheng locked eyes, they both grinned, as if saying, "I'm back."
In the cart behind the white cat lay children swaddled in blankets.
In that moment, Zhang Zongcheng understood everything.
"You..." Zhang Zongcheng felt his eyes moistening, wiped them forcefully, tried to smile, but tears still flowed from his eyes uncontrollably.
"General..."
"Daddy, don't cry!"
Zhang Zongcheng's son tugged at his clothes, and Zhang Zongcheng looked at his son, then at the White General with a mix of complaint and joy, saying, "General, don't smile like that, it's too scary!"
Upon hearing this, Du Ke laughed even more joyfully. Amidst the spiritual resonance, a voice echoed in Zhang Zongcheng's mind.
"Manager Zhang, I'm back."
Zhang Zongcheng widened his eyes, his throat making a hoarse sound, as if seeing a ghost in broad daylight.
Seeing his reaction, Du Ke leaped from the cart, over Zhang Zongcheng and the others, landing on the arena.
"If you trust me for a day, I will protect you for a lifetime!"
Through spiritual resonance, Du Ke transmitted his voice to Zhang Zongcheng's heart.
The white cat standing on the arena raised a paw to adjust the pheasant feather crown on its head, then let out a howl.
"Roar!"
The roar silenced the entire arena, and Thirteen also struggled down from the harness of the flatbed cart, running to the bottom of the arena.
Du Ke looked at Thirteen, then up at the cat flag that exceeded the arena by one foot and two inches.
"Manager Zhang, may I trouble you for a moment?"
Manager Zhang swallowed hard, trembling, took a deep breath, respectfully clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "General's request, how could I refuse!"
"Then wave my flag, beat the drums, and tell the city of Mao..."
Du Ke took a deep breath, gazed intensely at everyone.
"This general has returned!"