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The cat yawned lazily then stretched its tail flicked luxuriously as if completely unimpressed. Its golden eyes flicked toward Han Yan, sharp and judgmental, yet somehow elegant like a tiny, furry emperor passing its verdict.
In his mind, he could practically hear himself bonking his own head against a tree. A freaking talking cat… is this not supposed to be a slice-of-life novel what is going on, silly author?!
He swallowed hard, trying to make sense of the scene in front of him but the more he looked at the little black cat perched so arrogantly on the rock, the less sense it made.
"Seriously? It's really actually a talking cat…" he muttered inwardly, rubbing his temple as if sheer contact with his own thoughts could restore some sanity.
The cat, apparently noticing his confusion, gave the tiniest twitch of its whiskers.
"You there, lowly human," it said with a flick of its tail, "do you always fumble this much?"
Han Yan's legs nearly gave out as he heard it. He could still feel his modern-world logic screaming in protest.
Even if he had transmigrated into this novel world, he was supposed to live a quiet life maybe with herbs, a little bit of adventure, and perhaps a few face-slapping dramas but not to deal with a furry overlord judging his every move.
He muttered something under his breath, pacing in a small circle while the cat regarded him like a critic at a performance.
The cat lifted a paw and began licking it delicately again, completely ignoring his internal breakdown. Every movement oozed elegance and superiority. It even had the nerve to actually sigh before speaking.
"Hmph, the heavens truly have a wretched sense of humor," it drawled with exaggerated sorrow. "To send one as great as me, this ancestor to such a Godforsaken place… truly, I must have sinned gravely in my past life."
Han Yan's mouth twitched violently. He wanted to ask what on earth it was talking about, but he kept his question to himself.
Suddenly, the cat tilted its head slightly and sighed in exaggerated self-pity, its golden eyes gleaming snuggly. "What's the matter lowly human, speechless? Don't tell me your brain short-circuited already. Tsk, mortals are truly so fragile."
He listened to the arrogant cat silently when something faintly caught his eyes. He brows furrowed slightly. As he stared at the cat for a long moment, realization dawning. He felt something looked… off.
He blinked, confused.
Wait… what was that?
He squinted slightly. At first, he thought it was just a trick of the light. Leaning forward a little, he tried to confirm what he was seeing.
The cat's glossy black fur shimmered beautifully under the sunlight… except right on top of its head. Between its pointed ears, was a perfectly round, unmistakably bald patch smooth as polished stone, gleaming proudly under the sun.
Han Yan froze, mind blank for a heartbeat, before one very unhelpful thought surfaced …Why is this talking cat bald?
The cat's ears twitched. Slowly, it turned its head, golden eyes narrowing. "What are you staring at, lowly human?"
Han Yan straightened at once, coughing lightly. "Nothing. Just uh... admiring your… fur."
The cat blinked once. Then, as if realizing where Han Yan's gaze had gone, froze for half a second. Its fur puffed up, tail lashing indignantly as its tone turned icy.
"Liar. You were staring. I could feel it."
It raised a paw defensively to its head, eyes widening when it realized what he'd noticed.
"Y-You dare! Never seen wisdom manifest on the crown before? Tsk, I'm not bald!"
It hissed sharply "Y-You didn't see anything" its golden eyes narrowed dangerously, as if daring him to say otherwise.
Han Yan blinked. "…See what?"
"G-Good!" the cat said too quickly, tail puffed like a bottlebrush. It turned around so fast it nearly tripped over itself, sitting down stiffly with its front to him. "There's nothing to see. Understand?"
Han Yan pressed his lips together tightly, desperately holding back a loud laugh well so much for this mighty ancestor.
The cat's ears twitched, clearly sensing his amusement. "Stop thinking whatever you're thinking!" it snapped without turning around. "This is a… temporary condition! It's molting season!"
Han Yan quickly covered his mouth with a hand as he suppressed his laugh. Molting season, huh? Sure.
He exhaled softly, glancing at the proud little creature now pretending not to exist. As he thought it clearly had enough pride to make up for the missing spot.
Before he could think further, a low, rumbling growl rolled through the clearing.
Han Yan froze.
The cat's ears twitched, tail flicking with mild irritation rather than fear. "Tch… noisy brute," it muttered, voice dripping with thick disdain.
The black panther stood several paces away, muscles rippling beneath its dark fur, amber eyes fixed on them but more on the cat. Its tail lashed once, a soft, guttural sound rising from its throat It sounded… offended?
Han Yan's eyes flicked toward it briefly, then to the cat, assessing the distance, the air tensed a little. The smaller feline didn't even lift its head. It simply yawned, stretched like a creature born above consequence, and muttered with utter disdain.
"Tch. This ancestor would not waste it's breath on a beast that still uses its teeth for thinking."
The panther's growl deepened, claws digging into the soil. Its golden eyes gleamed, ears flattening as its wounded pride radiated from its form.
Han Yan's brow twitched faintly as he held his bow tighter. "You seem to have offended it more" he said calmly, voice even.
The cat flicked its tail without looking at him. "That's none of this one's concern. I have no interest in conversing with creatures beneath my level."
The rumble grew even heavier, as the ground beneath them vibrating faintly. The black panther crouched low, muscles coiling like a drawn bow, eyes never leaving the arrogant little cat.
Then it lunged.
A blur of black and gold tore through the clearing, claws gleaming as it struck.
It all happened too fast for Han Yan to even flinch. His eyes could only helplessly follow the motion while the little cat merely lifted one paw, looking more relaxed than threatened.
With a dainty tap, the air trembled, runes of faint color bursting forth like ripples across still water. Brilliant light flared radiant and almost divine washing over the clearing in a sight so breathtaking it seemed unreal.
The massive panther froze mid-leap. There was a faint pop and suddenly, where a creature of muscle and menace had stood, there was only a small, plush-looking black doll. Its golden button eyes stared blankly ahead, a ridiculous sight amid the drifting leaves.
Another long silence.
Han Yan blinked once. Then twice. His lips parted, yet no sound escaped he could only gape soundlessly, caught somewhere between disbelief and speechlessness.
The cat flicked its tail, utterly unbothered.
"Hmph. That's what happens when one forgets their place," it said coolly, inspecting its paw as though it hadn't just done something unbelievable.
Han Yan looked from the doll to the cat, voice flat. "Y-You… turned it into a toy?"
The cat sniffed smugly. "Just temporarily."
It leaned forward and poked the plush black panther with one paw again. Another faint shimmer rippled through the air and in an instant, the doll expanded, fur rippling back into existence until the full-sized black panther crouched where it had been.
Except this time, it didn't move.
The panther stayed exactly where it was, body low to the ground, tail tucked tight while its amber eyes widened with something that looked very much like fear. It let out a faint whimper before lowering its head completely to the earth.
The cat gave a satisfied hum, tail curling high, golden eyes gleaming with self-importance as it turned towards Han Yan with a self-satisfied glint in its golden eyes.
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