At dusk, in Linxian Lane.
A rickety little cart, pulled by a ginger yellow wolfhound, made its way towards Old Li's knife sharpening shop.
This cart was loaded with everything imaginable, whether it was daily rice, flour, and oil, or meat, eggs, fish, and fruits. It was also filled with silk and satin, forming a towering mountain on the cart.
Following behind the cart was a young donkey, only a few months old, its hooves tapping crisply on the cobblestone road.
But what caught people's attention the most was the cat sitting on the back of the ginger yellow wolfhound. This cat was pure white, with fur as smooth as jade. It wore a yellow brass-made crown adorned with pheasant feathers.
Its eyes carried a fierce aura, and combined with the pheasant feather crown pointing towards the heavens, it exuded an awe-inspiring presence.
The wolfhound stopped the cart in front of Old Li's shop, and barked a couple of times towards the interior, attracting the attention of neighbors.
"Oh my, why is this dog pulling so many things?"
"Wow, there's even a donkey behind it!"
"Isn't that the new cat from Old Li's house? Why is it wearing a pheasant feather crown?"
"Well, indeed it is, but let me tell you, that pheasant feather crown really suits it and looks majestic!"
"Yes, it's truly impressive!"
...
As people discussed, Old Li himself walked out of the shop.
As soon as Old Li stepped out of the shop door and saw the mountain of things behind the thirteen-year-old, his eyebrows raised.
These two little rascals, they couldn't have looted other stalls in the market, could they?
Fortunately, at that moment, Duke climbed down from the dog's back and took out a scroll from the cart. It was a copy of the contract that Zhang Zongcheng had previously called everyone to sign.
Seeing Duke pull out the scroll, Old Li walked up to the white cat, took it in his arms, and untied the strap around it.
As the old man unrolled the scroll, his eyes narrowed, and then he smiled and patted Duke's little head.
"You're a good kid..."
Old Li said this and glanced at the title on the scroll.
"Hmm, General Cat, it suits you well in your current state!"
"But..."
Old Li paused for a moment and looked at the people around him before saying, "Never mind, we'll talk about those matters later. Let's move the things inside first."
"I borrowed rice and flour from you before, and now I'll return it with a cartload of goods."
Duke's voice echoed with a hint of playfulness as he winked at Old Li.
"I owe you one!"
"You cunning little scoundrel!"
Old Li ruffled Duke's small head and at the same time, someone approached him with a question.
"Old Li, what did your cat do? Why did it bring back so many things?"
"Ah, the mischievous cat went to the North Market and did something, and received some rewards, that's all."
"The North Market?"
Someone who was well-informed immediately exclaimed, "Could it be the legendary General Cat, the one who exposed the human traffickers?"
Old Li just laughed and said, "Oh, that kid is mischievous, really mischievous. Can't be taken seriously!"
But the more Old Li spoke, the more curious the others became. Immediately, someone grabbed the person who had previously shouted strangely and asked, "What happened in North Market? Tell us quickly."
"When I was in North Market buying goods before, I heard someone say that a white cat had exposed a human trafficker who used dark magic. And that cat was recommended by Supervisor Zhang, the person in charge of the livestock market in North Market, to compete for the position of the leading cat in this year's Spirit Cat Festival. It even received a title in public and is now known as General Cat!"
"Now, the name General Cat is being widely spread throughout North Market."
"Well, doesn't that mean the cat will have achievements and be able to enter the Spirit Cat Temple in the future!"
"Oh my goodness, Old Li, you really take good care of your cat!"
"Spirit Cat, it's a spirit cat!"
"General Cat, the name suits it!"
......
Amidst the praises of the crowd, Old Li just smiled and bowed.
Before long, with the help of the crowd, all the items from the cart were unloaded and taken into the store. Du Ke and Thirteen also entered the store to rest.
Thirteen lay in his own dog bed, holding a doll in his paws, lost in thought.
Should I start dismantling from the legs or the hands, or maybe from the head?
That's a question!
Meanwhile, Old Li closed the door and rested after securing the door.
Once Old Li finished, the room became dim. Du Ke didn't wait for Old Li to light a lamp but directly took out the night pearl he had refined before.
As soon as the night pearl came out, it emitted a bright light, illuminating the entire room.
"Old man, you only said half of it earlier. Can you tell me the rest now?"
In response to Du Ke's question, Old Li sat down on a nearby stool and calmly said, "There is a tradition at the Spirit Cat Festival that you don't know about since you didn't grow up in Mao City."
"But I'll tell you today!"
"Every year in early spring, Mao City holds the Spirit Cat Festival, a three-day grand celebration for prayers."
"At the Spirit Cat Festival, people in the city will select their preferred cats to compete for the leading position in the festival."
"The candidates will set up their own stalls at the festival, narrating the cats' past deeds to gain votes."
"Before the selection, the candidates will make a contract, expressing their willingness to give up everything to ensure that their chosen cat becomes the leading one."
"Zhang Zongcheng has chosen you to compete for the leading position, and he will definitely spare no effort and give up all his wealth. The others will also lend a helping hand!"
"They have given you the title of General," Old Li looked at Du Ke earnestly, "so don't disappoint their high hopes and expectations!"
Du Ke blinked his eyes. There was such a tradition at the Spirit Cat Festival?
The process of selecting the leading cat here seemed similar to his past life's experience of fans voting for their favorite anchors.
However, the people here were more sincere, willing to give their all once they chose you.
Though goodwill and fondness were intangible, they were not cheap either.
With these thoughts in mind, Du Ke nodded solemnly, "I understand."
"Old man, don't worry, I won't let them down!"
"Good to know, good to know!"
Old Li nodded approvingly and stood up, saying, "Alright, let's tidy up and get ready for dinner!"
"We've been out all day, it's time to rest!"
"Ah, I understand."
..................
Mao City, the dungeon.
The prison, built deep underground, was eerie and terrifying.
Because it was underground, the dense earth and moisture couldn't be dispelled no matter how many furnaces and braziers were placed inside.
The flames of the torches hanging on the walls flickered, casting a sinister atmosphere in the dungeon.
The distinction between light and darkness was blurred, and as the fire flickered, the shadows danced along with it.
"Where is the person?"
With a creaking sound, the prison gate opened, and a middle-aged man wearing a cape and with a pale face walked in.
In his arms, he carried a lazy-eyed, yet with a hint of aggression, yellow fox cat.
"Chief, the person is inside. Just a moment ago, they were subjected to punishment and are still hanging on the rack!"
The pale-faced prison overseer inside the dungeon smiled, enough to stop a baby from crying. After all, living in this lightless dungeon year-round, it was hard not to become like this.
"Today, the lord of the city personally inquired about this matter and is very concerned about the progress. You see, recently, the number of missing children has been increasing. In just a few days, nearly thirty infants have been lost."
The man known as the chief quickened his pace and walked towards the depths of the dungeon, while the yellow fox cat in his arms yawned.
The prison overseer didn't say anything. After all, the constables of Mao City were usually busy rescuing and saving cats. If you asked them to climb trees to save stranded kittens, they would be more enthusiastic than anyone else. But ask them to investigate a case?
Joke! When they saw a criminal, they would run faster than a rat seeing a cat.
It's not that they weren't diligent, it was just that the people of Mao City were simple and the living conditions were peaceful and happy. Extremely heinous incidents rarely occurred.
The criteria for selecting constables and bailiffs in Mao City was based on how fast they could climb trees to save cats and how quickly they could find cats.
The most serious incident to happen in Mao City was a woman stealing someone else's husband.
But even the way such matters were handled was just a divorce decree and separation. The woman left alone, while the cat had to be left behind.
For the people of Mao City, losing everything else was no big deal, but losing a cat was the worst.
As for the matter of missing children, it hadn't happened in Mao City for decades.
However, there was a mother cat who lost her own child and brought over the children of other cats to raise them, to alleviate her own grief.
"By the way, what about the rescued children?"
The chief asked, and the prison overseer replied with a bitter smile, "Those children are currently being housed in the yamen above.
The brothers in the yamen have already investigated. These children are all from good families in a neighboring city. They were kidnapped and brought to our Mao City by this shepherd."
"So, you mean the kidnapper who took our children hasn't been found yet?"
The chief stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping over the prison overseer like lightning. The prison overseer shrunk his head and trembled as he said, "Sir, I'm just a prison overseer..."
"You're right, you're not responsible for this matter."
The chief nodded, and the yellow fox cat in his arms yawned once again.
"What about the person?"
"In this prison cell!"
The head of the jail hurriedly opened the prison door to let the high-ranking official in. However, as soon as the official entered, his brow furrowed.
Because hanging on the rack was not a person, but a pitiful, deformed, and unrecognizable female sheep.
The female sheep hung its head low, blood still dripping from its mouth.
Clearly, it had been dead for quite some time.
After entering, the head of the jail also widened his eyes and stammered, "This... this isn't right. Just fifteen minutes ago, the person was still here!"
The high-ranking official looked at the female sheep in front of him, and he directly released the cat from his arms. The yellow-spotted lynx cat took a turn around the cell, sniffed the scent of the female sheep, then turned around and jumped back into the high-ranking official's arms, meowing incessantly.
"So that's how it is!"
The high-ranking official nodded, a look of realization on his face. He also said to the people around him, "When the shepherd was brought here, did anything strange happen?"
"Strange?" The head of the jail tilted his head, pondered for a moment, and a prison guard quietly reminded him, "Boss, that dead sheep..."
"That's right! When the shepherd was brought in, two live sheep and one dead sheep were brought in together. The dead sheep appeared to have been beaten to death, but the shepherd, who was only detained for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, was still full of life when he entered the cell."
"It seems that besides practicing livestock-raising techniques, this shepherd has also cultivated other sinister arts."
The high-ranking official's eyes revealed understanding, and he shrugged off his large cloak, saying, "Notify the authorities to not only search for the thief who stole the baby, but also to apprehend this shepherd!"
"This shepherd must possess a technique of transformation, but it probably won't be easy to perform. It must come at the cost of life or some other sacrifice."
"When conducting the search, add a clue: specifically look for those with graying hair or physical disabilities!"
"Yes!"
............
Mao City, a small road.
A figure with gray hair and a hunched back was dragging a sheep, stumbling along the deserted path at night.
"That damn cat, those damn people!"
As this figure muttered under his breath, he pulled the sheep into a desolate courtyard on the side.
"You will all die!"
While muttering, the figure shakily undid his belt.
"Twenty years of life essence, twenty years of life essence..."
The shepherd, who had undone his belt, glanced at the mother sheep's back as he bit his teeth.
"Twenty years of life essence, so what? As long as the Daoist priest can give me a few Blood Soul Pills, everything that's lost can be replenished!"
"It's just twenty years... just twenty years... just twenty years!!"
"As long as I can let out this breath, as long as I can release this resentment!"
"I will seek revenge, I will seek revenge on them!"
The shepherd roared, grabbing the hind leg of the mother sheep and hoisting it up, leaving its lower body suspended.
"I don't mind sacrificing myself!"
Before long, the man's hoarse shouts and the mournful bleating of the sheep echoed through the alley, creating an eerie and horrifying scene.
"Just twenty years, that's all... just twenty years!"
"I don't mind... I don't mind..."