In the morning,a woman stood outside her house shaking water from a piece of cloth while talking to her neighbor."The fog was terrible last night," she complained."I couldn't even see the road." Her neighbor laughed."At least the rain stopped.You should have seen my roof this morning." An old man carrying a basket passed them and shook his head."Forget the roof.I lost half my grain to the damp." The woman laughed again."You're always complaining about your grain."
Xu Yang noticed.He lay on the roof of Lin Chen's house,belly pressed against warm tiles,watching villagers move below.Their expressions were normal.Xu Yang blinked slowly.That's it?... His tail flicked once against the tiles.After everything yesterday…that's just…normal again?... He narrowed his eyes slightly,watching the scene below as if waiting for it to reveal a second layer. Something is wrong...Just…everyday life.He looked confused.I thought this world was dangerous... His gaze drifted to the laughing woman again.I mean,there was a dead chicken yesterday.That's not "nothing."So what,is it just random?One unlucky animal and everyone else is fine?That's worse...His ears lowered slightly.Or am I overthinking it again?
He looked around.Maybe I expected too much.Maybe this isn't the "start of doom" moment I thought it was...Then,more reluctantly,Still…it doesn't feel right...His eyes narrowed again,sharper now. Something happened...I know it did.He watched the children splash through puddles,laughing without care.One boy slipped and landed in the mud.His friends burst into laughter."Get up!" one of them shouted."Your clothes are ruined!" The boy grabbed a handful of mud and threw it at them."You did that on purpose!"
A woman nearby called out,"Don't throw mud at each other!" The children scattered, still laughing.And they don't even notice anything.A small,uneasy thought settled in Xu Yang's chest.It's just me who's aware of it. Xu Yang exhaled quietly.A woman laughed while hanging laundry.A man argued about grain prices."The price went up again?" "What do you expect?The roads are a mess." Children chased each other through puddles left behind by the fog.Life continued.
Xu Yang's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the scene below.Yesterday something died without reason and now everyone is acting like nothing happened... That doesn't make sense..His tail twitched once against the tiles.Either I misunderstood what happened…or they're used to things I'm not supposed to understand yet... He paused.Or they're pretending...Lin Chen came outside carrying a basket.He adjusted the strap on his shoulder and looked up at Xu Yang."You're already awake." Xu Yang blinked."Meow." Lin Chen smiled."You seem to have gotten comfortable up there." He placed the basket down for a moment and looked toward the market road."I'm heading to the market road today." He glanced up at Xu Yang."Stay here,alright?"
Xu Yang flicked his tail in response.Lin Chen hesitated,then added lightly,"Try not to climb trees.You slipped last time." Xu Yang's ears twitched.I didn't slip! I misjudged my body... That was the mistake...Lin Chen picked up the basket again. "And don't wander too far." He pointed toward the roof."I'll know if you do." Xu Yang stared at him.How exactly are you going to know?...Lin Chen gave him one last look before walking away.
Xu Yang watched him disappear between the houses.Lin Chen left.Xu Yang stayed behind,unease coiled tightly inside him.He hopped down and padded toward the back of the house,where weeds grew tall and wild.Xu Yang exhaled slowly as the gate closed behind Lin Chen."Finally!" he muttered under his breath."I'm alone!"He paused,then flopped down onto the ground with a tired weight he didn't fully understand yet."I'm so tired…" His ears flicked slightly in the direction Lin Chen had gone."That guy," he added quietly,"isn't that bad." His tail relaxed a little."I guess I can trust him…at least for now."
He stared at the spot where Lin Chen disappeared,then huffed softly."Still talks too much though."Xu Yang rolled slightly onto his side.Maybe this world isn't trying to kill me every second...For a few seconds,he simply listened to the village around him. Then Xu Yang froze mid-step and didn't move.I just said I was alone...He saw women stood at the edge of the weeds.She wore pale robes,the color of early morning clouds,her hair bound neatly with a simple wooden pin.She smiled when she saw Xu Yang."Oh," she said softly."There you are."
Xu Yang's entire body went rigid.His ears flattened against his head,and his fur puffed up before he could stop it.His tail shot straight out behind him,then curled tightly toward his body.His heart began pounding so hard that he could feel every beat in his tiny chest.Who is she?I've never seen her before.His whiskers trembled as he stared at her.His paws pressed hard into the dirt, ready to spring away at the slightest movement.Where did she come from?How did she even get here without Lin Chen noticing?...
His body wanted to run,but fear kept him frozen.Both instincts fought inside him so hard that his claws slowly dug into the ground.But there was nothing obvious.She crouched slowly,careful not to frighten him. "You're a clever little one,aren't you?" Xu Yang's back arched slightly.His fur remained raised.He lowered his head quickly,trying to make himself look smaller.Don't come closer...Please just stay away from me...His ears flattened even further.I don't like this.
Then cold flicker suddenly passed through his mind.[Warning.] Xu Yang's pupils narrowed to thin slits.His body jerked slightly. "What?" he thought quickly.[Unknown spiritual presence detected.] His tail gave a nervous twitch."You noticed her too?" [Confirmed.] "Then tell me what she is." A brief silence followed.[Insufficient information.] Xu Yang's whiskers trembled. "Seriously?" [Host is advised to avoid unnecessary contact.] "I was already planning to do that!" [Acknowledged.] The System vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Xu Yang stared at the woman again.His body remained crouched,and every muscle felt ready to explode into motion.If I run,will I make it?If I stay still,will she lose interest?... Why are you looking at me like that?A subtle discomfort grew in his chest.That's not how people look at something random in a village...She tilted her head slightly,still smiling. Xu Yang's ears twitched nervously. Stop smiling.That's not reassuring.His body lowered another inch until his belly nearly touched the ground.His paws shifted backward by themselves.He wanted to crawl under the weeds and disappear completely.I don't know what you are…but I don't want this interaction...
The woman extended her hand,palm open. On it lay a small piece of dried fish.Xu Yang immediately leaned back.His nose twitched at the smell,but fear was stronger than hunger.His claws scraped softly against the dirt."I won't hurt you," she said gently."I help things that wander where they shouldn't." Xu Yang's stomach tightened.His ears flicked backward.What does that mean?...He stared at the fish,then at her hand.His body trembled once.Xu Yang forced himself to step forward.His front paw touched the ground,and he immediately pulled it back. He took a breath,then tried again.His shoulders remained tense as he crept closer.He sniffed the fish carefully,then grabbed it with his teeth and instantly jumped backward several steps.His fur was still puffed up.
The woman's smile deepened just a fraction too much."Good," she murmured."You're obedient." Xu Yang swallowed and crouched lower.She straightened and looked around the village."This place is quiet.It would be a shame if something…unsettled it again." Her words were casual.Her meaning was not.Xu Yang's ears slowly turned toward her.His tail curled tightly around his legs.He wanted to ask what she meant,but all that came out was a tiny,"Meow." The woman looked down at him."You understand more than you should," she said softly.
Xu Yang's pupils shrank.His body instantly went stiff again.For one terrifying second,he nearly dropped the fish.He forced himself to look away and lowered his head. Then, quieter,almost frustrated,I just wanted a normal "alone time." Is that too much to ask?...Xu Yang lowered his head and ate slowly.He did not rush and did not show hunger.He kept glancing at the woman between bites,his ears following every sound she made.His paws remained tucked beneath him,ready to run.
The woman watched him for a moment longer,then nodded to herself."Stay safe," she said,turning away."Strange things are drawn to cats like you." She walked away.Xu Yang did not move.He watched her back disappear between the trees.His body stayed frozen long after she was gone.He waited and she gone then his ears slowly lifted.His tail loosened a little.He looked around again to make sure she was truly gone.
Xu Yang stared at half eaten fish,then suddenly gagged and retched.He scrambled backward,shaking his head as if he could somehow throw the memory of her presence out of his mind.His mind went blank for a second.I hate today...He stared at the fish again.I almost died twice,got "found" by a smiling unknown woman,and now I'm supposed to just sit here like a normal cat?... His tail flicked sharply.This world has terrible pacing....At least in novels,the danger waits until chapter three...
He shook his head slightly,trying to physically reset his thoughts.Also what was that?"There you are"?...His ears flattened. There I was doing WHAT exactly?Existing illegally?I'm not even good at hiding.I'm just small.That's my entire stealth strategy...He buried the rest of the fish deep in the dirt and paced in tight circles.His tail kept twitching with nervous irritation.
Later that afternoon,trouble arrived from another direction.A scream echoed from the eastern edge of the village.Xu Yang bolted instinctively,his paws already moving before his mind caught up with him,then stopped himself so suddenly that his claws scraped against the dirt.Don't stand out...He forced his body still and glanced around.No one seemed to have noticed him yet.Then the scream came again,louder this time.
Xu Yang's ears snapped toward the sound. Lin Chen wasn't back yet.He hesitated for only a second before following at a distance, staying hidden among fences and shadows. He moved low to the ground,pausing whenever someone turned his way.Once,a woman carrying a basket nearly spotted him,and Xu Yang immediately flattened himself beneath a wooden cart until she passed.That was Close...He finally reached the eastern edge of the village.
There was small crowd had gathered near the old granary.At its center stood a boy no older than twelve,collapsed on the ground, shaking violently.His eyes were rolled back, and foam gathered slightly at the corner of his mouth.A man knelt beside him,trying desperately to hold his shoulders still."He just fell!He was fine!" he shouted."He was talking to me a moment ago!" "Move back!" someone yelled."Give him air!"
An older villager pushed through the crowd, his face pale."Could it be…" His voice dropped."Possession?" That made everyone shock.Someone stepped backward.Another woman pulled her child behind her.Xu Yang felt it immediately.This is not Heaven...This is something else... Thin,hungry,opportunistic.A low-level demon fragment,drawn by the thinning caused by Xu Yang's arrival and the fog that followed.It clung to the boy's shadow,half-formed and desperate.
Xu Yang's heart pounded.His ears flattened as he stared at the dark patch beneath the boy.If it feeds,it will grow.If it grows,Heaven will intervene.If Heaven intervenes—Xu Yang's paws shifted forward before he could finish.[Warning.]The cold voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.Xu Yang froze.[Do not interfere.]His claws stopped against the dirt. "I know."[Host's current position remains undetected.]A pause.[Interference will increase detection risk.]
Xu Yang's ears twitched.[If the host is detected,the probability of forced intervention will increase significantly.]His fur rose slightly."Forced intervention?" [Insufficient information.]Xu Yang stared at the trembling boy.The dark patch beneath him moved again,slowly spreading across the ground.[Final warning.]The System's voice remained emotionless,but this time the words came faster.[Remain hidden.]
Xu Yang swallowed hard.I know should stay hidden...i should let someone else handle it.But there is no one else.The villagers were frightened.The older man was already reaching for something around his neck, probably a talisman,but his hands were shaking too badly to use it properly.If he waits,that thing gets stronger.Xu Yang's claws pressed into the dirt.If it grows,this whole village could be affected.He swallowed.If Heaven notices me because of this…I'm in trouble anyway...Xu Yang moved without thinking.He darted forward,weaving through legs and slipping beneath someone's robe."Hey!What is that cat doing?" someone shouted.
Xu Yang didn't stop.He leapt onto the boy's chest.Gasps rang out."Hey!Get that cat off him!" A man reached for him.Xu Yang hissed sharply,his fur puffing up as his claws dug just enough to anchor himself,not enough to break skin."Wait!" the older villager suddenly shouted."Don't touch it!" The man froze. "Why?" "I don't know." The old man stared at the cat."Just…wait." Xu Yang's heart was pounding so hard that his entire body trembled.He focused inward.The warmth surged.Xu Yang pushed it outward,not as power,but as disruption.
Xu Yang's heart was pounding so hard that his entire body trembled.His ears were pressed flat against his head and his claws dug into the boy's clothes."Come on…come on…" he thought,his breathing turning quick and shallow.He focused inward,desperately searching for that faint warmth he had felt before.For a moment,he couldn't find it.Panic tightened around his chest."Not now…please not now…"Then he felt tiny warmth beneath his ribs.
Xu Yang grabbed onto it and pulled it toward his paws.The warmth surged through his small body,so weak that he was afraid it would disappear at any moment.He pushed it outward,not as power,but as disruption. The moment it touched the boy,the dark shadow beneath him suddenly twitched.Xu Yang flinched so hard his claws nearly slipped."It noticed me."His tail puffed up behind him.He wanted to run.He really wanted to run.But the boy suddenly gasped, and the dark patch spread farther across the ground.
Xu Yang's heart nearly stopped."No,no, no…"He clenched his claws into the clothe and forced himself to focus.He pushed another pulse of warmth outward.This time, the shadow recoiled violently.The boy's body jerked and his breathing became slightly steadier.Xu Yang's whiskers trembled as he pushed again.The warmth felt thinner now,like he was trying to squeeze water from an empty cloth."Just a little more…"The shadow beneath the boy twisted violently,a dark shape pulled away from his body like something being dragged from deep water.
Xu Yang's eyes widened.His fur stood on end and his ears flattened even harder.The shadow stretched unnaturally,still clinging to the boy.Xu Yang panicked and pushed everything he had left into one final pulse. The connection snapped.The dark shape was ripped free from the boy and collapsed onto the ground before dissolving into thin black mist.Xu Yang froze,his paws still pressed against the boy's chest.His whole body was trembling."Did…I actually do that?"The boy suddenly took a deep breath. Xu Yang's ears twitched.He immediately looked around at the frightened villagers. "Oh no…"He pulled his paws back."They saw me."
The villagers stared."He's breathing." someone whispered.Another woman covered her mouth.The boy's eyes fluttered open. "What…happened?" someone whispered.Xu Yang immediately sprang away.His tail puffed up,and he nearly slipped when his paws hit the dirt.He caught himself, looked around at all the staring faces,and his instincts screamed at him to run.He bolted toward the nearest wall,scrambled up it,and vanished onto a roof before anyone could grab him.People stared,stunned."That cat," someone said slowly."It jumped on him." "Maybe it scared the sickness away?" "No,that's nonsense.""Then how do you explain him waking up?" Nobody answered. But doubt had been planted.
Xu Yang crouched on the roof,his paws trembled beneath him,and he tucked them close to his body as if that would somehow stop the shaking.What just…what had I done? ...His mind replayed it in fragments—movement,instinct,sudden tension,the split-second decision to jump.His ears flicked nervously as he looked down at the crowd below.Why did I jump?...His tail twitched sharply against the tiles.His breathing slowly began to settle,but his thoughts didn't.That's dangerous...I can't keep acting on instinct like this.He pressed one paw lightly against the roof tile,grounding himself.It wasn't your fault…almost automatically,as if correcting his own panic.It wasn't "you" deciding carefully...It was panic.
I almost got myself exposed again...His ears angled back slightly.I have to be careful now...His gaze lowered toward the village.This world reacts faster than I do.That means I can't afford to move first unless I understand everything...He swallowed.Next time…I think first.I act second...He stayed on the roof until the crowd finally began to disperse.Even after everyone left,he remained there for several minutes,staring at the spot where the boy had fallen."That was stupid." he muttered to himself."Very stupid." His tail flicked."And somehow it worked." He sighed."That's worse."
By the time he returned home,the sun was already beginning to sink.That night,Lin Chen returned later than usual.He pushed open the door,looking tired,and set down his basket with a heavy sigh."You won't believe what people are saying." he said.Xu Yang, who had been lying near the stove,slowly opened one eye."They think a cat chased away a demon." Xu Yang stiffened.Lin Chen glanced at him,then laughed."Don't worry. They didn't mean you." Xu Yang forced himself to relax.Haha...Unfortunately that was me...His tail gave a tiny,betrayed twitch. Of course it was me.Why is my life like this?...
Lin Chen crouched and scratched lightly behind Xu Yang's ear."Apparently the cat jumped right onto the boy." Xu Yang's eyes widened slightly."And then the boy woke up." Lin Chen shook his head."People are already making up stories.Someone said the cat was sent by a cultivator." Xu Yang's ears flattened."Another said it was a guardian spirit." Lin Chen smiled."Someone else insisted it was just lucky." Xu Yang looked away.Please let it be the last one... His ears angled slightly as Lin Chen continued talking,but his mind had already wandered.I got reincarnated,turned into a cat,got told I have nine deaths,and now I'm accidentally a village rumor hero...Who exactly decided I should be a "demon-chasing cat"?I don't remember signing up for side quests...
Lin Chen poured water into a cup and sat down."Still,"he said,"strange times." His expression became thoughtful."The fog,the sick animals,and now this." Xu Yang's body became slightly tense again.Lin Chen noticed."What's wrong?" Xu Yang immediately curled his tail around his paws and looked innocent."Meow." Lin Chen stared at him for a moment,then smiled. "Nothing,then." Xu Yang relaxed by a fraction.His gaze flicked toward Lin Chen. Also…I didn't "chase" anything.I panicked and moved.That's not heroism.That's survival instinct with bad timing...He exhaled slowly.If this keeps going,they'll start expecting me to do it again...He looked towards sky.Please don't...Lin Chen sighed and sat down."Still…strange times."