บท 100: Chapter 100: Tuantuan
Sun Yigao walked out of the house, holding the peach leaf pendant he had taken from his storage bag. He turned to Jiang Youfu and Liu Yunan, saying, "You two should put on your peach leaf pendants right away. I think that little cat earlier must have sensed our cultivation and that's why it attacked us."
As he spoke, he tied the pendant to his waist, adding, "I remember my father mentioning that the old lady who used to live in that courtyard had a cat. It went missing for a while, but I've heard that it has been returning to the courtyard in recent years. That cat demon must be the same one. It has been coming and going in the area for years without any incidents of attacking people. It probably attacked us because it sensed we were cultivators and thought we might be here to take over."
The owner of the courtyard, the elderly man who greeted them, was surnamed Fang. The old lady Sun Yigao referred to was his late wife.
Lin Xiao also chimed in, "Yigao is right. You both should put on those peach leaf pendants. Even though we're in the mortal realm, we can't rule out the possibility that other cultivators or demons might be hiding around here. It's better to be cautious."
Hearing this, Jiang Youfu and Liu Yunan quickly took out the peach leaf pendants that Lin Xiao had prepared for them a few days ago from the ten-mile peach blossom tree. However, they felt the pendants clashed a bit with their clothing, so they opted to wear them under their clothes rather than out in the open.
After setting up their bedding inside, the four of them sat together, eating the dry food they had brought before settling in for the night.
The next morning, they left the house early. Sun Landlord had already informed them that he had arranged for meals at Fang's house. They just needed to pick them up when they had time.
Fang's current residence was not far from the small courtyard. After crossing two streets, the four boys arrived.
Fang's current home was much larger than the small courtyard—an estate with two courtyards.
They knocked on the door, which was answered by a middle-aged man in his forties, who seemed to be preparing to leave. Seeing the group of young boys, he immediately recognized the tallest, Sun Yigao, and greeted him with a smile.
"Yigao, you're here."
Sun Yigao nodded and bowed, "Greetings, Uncle Fang."
Due to his family's connections, Sun Yigao was acquainted with Fang's son, even though they didn't see each other often.
Uncle Fang warmly invited them inside. "Come in, come in. Your food is almost ready. Your aunt will bring it out shortly. I need to get to my shop before it's too late. You boys enjoy yourselves."
After welcoming the four boys into the courtyard, Uncle Fang hurried off to work.
In the front yard, under the shade of a tree, sat the elderly Fang, sipping tea from a recliner.
Seeing the boys, he squinted warmly and waved his fan at them, greeting, "You're here?"
The four of them quickly approached and respectfully greeted him.
With a kind smile, Elder Fang asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"
They all nodded enthusiastically.
"I slept great! Even better than at home."
"You slept so well that your snoring woke me up several times."
Elder Fang laughed heartily, revealing a few missing teeth, and pointed to a long stone bench nearby. "Have a seat. Your aunt is in the back preparing your meals. She'll be out with it soon."
The four of them sat down obediently. Lin Xiao spoke up, "Grandpa Fang, after you left yesterday, a cat came into the courtyard."
Upon hearing this, Elder Fang sighed. "Ah, don't worry about that. That cat belonged to my late wife. It went missing for several years, and we thought it was gone for good. But a few years ago, it started coming back occasionally. I guess it noticed my wife isn't around anymore, so it doesn't follow us home. It just naps in the courtyard from time to time, then disappears again. Rest assured, that cat is very well-behaved and never harms anyone."
Hearing him say the cat never harmed anyone, the four boys exchanged skeptical glances, recalling the sharp claws of the cat that had attacked them the night before. They wondered if it was really the same cat.
Elder Fang continued, "That cat is rather pitiful. The first time my wife found it, it was just a tiny kitten, no bigger than a palm, with one of its hind legs slashed and bleeding. It was so weak it couldn't even meow. My wife took pity on it and brought it home to care for, and she looked after it for several years."
He chuckled, as if remembering something amusing. "That cat only ever paid attention to my wife. It didn't care for anyone else and was very wary of strangers. I remember trying to pet it once, but before I could even touch its fur, it darted behind my wife and started meowing, as if complaining to her."
Jiang Youfu scratched his head and hesitantly asked, "Grandpa Fang, is the cat orange with some stripes and missing a patch of fur on its hind leg?"
Elder Fang nodded, "Yes, that's the one. My wife named it Tuantuan because it always curled up into a ball when it slept."
After confirming the cat's identity, the four boys decided not to mention that Tuantuan was actually a cat demon, nor did they bring up the fact that it had attacked them the night before.
Sun Yigao quickly changed the subject, asking about Elder Fang's health.
While they were chatting, Aunt Fang arrived in the front yard with a large food container.
After receiving the food, the four boys thanked Elder Fang and Aunt Fang before heading back to the courtyard.
Now that they knew the background of the cat demon, they felt more at ease and stopped worrying about it. Instead, they began planning their time in the county town.
Tomorrow was the county exam, so Sun Yigao needed to stay home and review. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao, Jiang Youfu, and Liu Yunan decided to explore the town, check out the area around the exam site, and do some sightseeing.
Sun Yigao offered them some spending money, but they all refused.
Lin Xiao patted his chest confidently. "You underestimate us, don't you? We're cultivators now. Earning money is as easy as snapping our fingers."
Hearing the phrase "snapping our fingers," Jiang Youfu asked curiously, "Brother Xiao, what does that mean? Are we going to take money from someone else?"
Liu Yunan patted Jiang Youfu's belly, explaining, "Silly Youfu, it means earning money is easy for us! You should try putting something in your brain instead of just your belly."
Jiang Youfu pouted, unwilling to admit defeat. "My grandmother says this belly of mine is a sign of good fortune."
Sun Yigao laughed and put his money away. "My apologies, brothers. I was rash to underestimate you. I deserve punishment."
Lin Xiao chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Your punishment is to study hard at home! We'll go scout out the exam site for you!"
With that, the three of them happily left, with Sun Yigao watching them from the doorway.
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