Chapter 522 - 259: Father and Son (2)

Chapter 522: Chapter 259: Father and Son (2)

Huh?

Zheng Xiu stroked his chin, pondering. The mental shock from such a stark contrast might even come with an "Intimidation" effect.

’Thinking about it from another angle, this might not be a completely bad thing?’

’It could be a blessing in disguise.’

Now that this form was set, what was done was done. Looking at the cat pretending to be cute as it nibbled on a fried fish cake, he thought, ’The cat is so adorable, what could possibly be wrong with it?’ The Red King could only console himself in silence.

The Red King was still preoccupied with "Cat Scissors." In the distance, the chunk of flesh had almost completely disintegrated. Xi’er covered her mouth and nose and went forward to check, but her expression suddenly changed. "Young Master!" she cried out in alarm. "There’s... there’s something left here!"

Hearing this, everyone’s just-calmed nerves tensed up again. Except for the wounded who lay immobilized on the ground, the others instantly went on high alert, their Miracle Techniques primed and ready.

"That can’t be right."

Zheng Xiu, his Spirit weary, replied. He had just used [Inspiration] to confirm that there was nothing left there. Amidst the gray, swirling dust, Zheng Xiu stepped into the ruins. Just then, an extremely faint cry caught everyone’s attention.

Xi’er had a strange look on her face, carefully cradling... a baby in her hands!

The baby had fair, tender skin and was only the length of a thumb. But though its body was small, it had all its organs. Its exquisitely carved features were scrunched up as it whimpered and cried. The veins were clearly visible under its fair skin, which faintly glowed with a hazy light. The thin skin looked so delicate it might break with a puff of air, giving it a translucent appearance.

No wonder Xi’er was being so careful. The baby’s pitiful crying, its not-yet-fully-formed eyes, ears, mouth, and nose—from any angle, it looked like a human infant, freshly born. It was just a little small.

Xi’er looked troubled. Anyone present with eyes could see this baby’s origins were not normal; it might not even be human. But how should they deal with it? That was the problem giving Xi’er a headache. So, with a shift of her eyes, she passed the buck to her leader. "I’ll leave the decision to you, Young Master!"

Too much had happened tonight. First, a night raid on a brothel. Then, encountering Zhu’s Orchid Incarnation, traversing the Bund, and cutting an umbilical cord upon exiting. Passing through the Bund repeatedly, unleashing Miracle Techniques, and dealing with one Deceitful Object after another had drained far more of Zheng Xiu’s energy than usual. If the inn hadn’t been destroyed, the thing he’d want to do most right now was take a hot bath, lie down, and have a long, sweet dream until dawn.

Zheng Xiu was too tired. His eyelids drooped as he leaned in to examine the baby. He fought through the stabbing pain in his brow and used [Inspiration] again, but unexpectedly rolled a rare "critical failure." His vision went black, and he nearly dropped dead on the spot. Zheng Xiu conveniently fell into Feng Bei’s arms, who caught the young man with a smile.

It seemed he couldn’t squeeze out any more.

Zheng Xiu rubbed his temples wearily and asked the cat for help. "Little Feng Miao, tell me, what’s the deal with this kid?"

The little Orange Cat rolled its eyes, its expression seemingly one of contempt. "MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW!"

[You wouldn’t understand even if I told you, meow.]

"Tell me. There are fish cakes waiting for you back home."

The Red King started making empty promises, gesturing with his hands to indicate a very large fish cake.

GULP.

The Orange Cat’s swallow was so loud everyone heard it. It tilted its head. Even though the others couldn’t understand its meows, they could somehow perceive a hint of "pride" in the cat’s human-like posture and expression.

Meow meow meow meow.

The Orange Cat began a long, meowing monologue.

[Some fool who didn’t know their own limits tried to use ’Resentment’ as a seed for a Derivation of ’Wish,’ but they almost let some unruly little guys slip through.]

’Little guys?’

’You peerless, arrogant cat?’

Zheng Xiu froze for a second, but then he remembered the cat casually swatting to "Bounce Away" the placenta. He nodded to himself, and his thoughts quickly turned to how to mass-produce fried fish cakes and what new flavors to create, all so he could fleece this furball from Darkness for all it was worth.

[Hmph, if I hadn’t been here, tsk tsk, you all would have been done for.]

The Orange Cat jumped up and repeatedly poked Zheng Xiu’s forehead. The sight made everyone’s eyes go wide, as if they were seeing a ghost.

[But that fool really does have some skills, meow. To be able to walk freely in the Bund and absorb Filthy Qi with a physical body... that takes some ability. But that’s the limit. No wonder he’s trying to make a Nascent Soul. Looks like it’s time for him to change his physical body.]

Zheng Xiu was surprised. "What do you mean?"

The Orange Cat snorted coldly, pointed at the burn marks on Feng Bei’s body, and continued its meowing speech.

[Look at her. A mere mortal, constantly walking between the cracks. How could there be no risk? If that person walks there too often, tsk tsk... A Nascent Soul is a great tonic for mortals. Eating one can grow flesh—lots and lots of flesh. You can grow whatever you want.]

Zheng Xiu’s gaze hardened. He looked at the thumb-sized baby in Xi’er’s hands, speechless for a moment.

Just then, the Orange Cat took another bite of its fried fish cake and stole a glance at Feng Bei, as if afraid of upsetting her. But it still maintained its proud posture, nose in the air, and repeated, "Mere mortal, meow."

Right now, however, Zheng Xiu was in no mood to deal with the cat’s scorn or argue with a mere Orange Cat.

With a grim face, he slowly reached his hand toward the baby in Xi’er’s hands.

"WAAH!"

The thumb-sized baby, which had been crying weakly just moments ago, suddenly wailed louder and squirmed restlessly in Xi’er’s palm.

Xi’er was a bit unsure. "Is he... hungry?"

Zheng Xiu rolled his eyes. "So what if he is? You got any milk?"

Xi’er froze.

Zheng Xiu suddenly remembered something and glanced back at Ye.

He wasn’t sure.

Ye’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. She smiled faintly and said, "I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you, Young Master. Ye... does not."

"No!"

Just then, Mo Kuang, who had been tied up like a dumpling, finally broke free of Xi’er’s bonds. Or perhaps the Miracle Technique had simply worn off over time. In any case, Mo Kuang stumbled and staggered toward them.

"Don’t... don’t touch him."

Mo Kuang approached with a complex expression, his gaze fixed on the thumb-sized baby. After staring for a moment, Mo Kuang said in disbelief, pointing a trembling finger at the infant, "He... he’s looking for me... Yes, he’s looking for me... Damn it all! He’s looking for me!"

Mo Kuang was incoherent, his lips trembling. As if possessed, he slowly, slowly reached his hand toward the thumb-sized baby.

Xi’er frowned. She could tell something was off with Mo Kuang. Just as she was about to endure the heart-piercing pain in her fingers to tie the scumbag up again, Zheng Xiu raised a hand and pressed down on the air, whispering, "Don’t."

Xi’er understood in a second and allowed Mo Kuang to take the baby in his hands.

Strangely, the thumb-sized baby suddenly stopped crying and fussing. It quietly sucked its thumb, closed its eyes, and its tiny little chest rose and fell gently.

Mo Kuang started to cry. He laughed, he cried, he screamed manically. "I’m his father! Hahaha! *Sob sob sob!* He’s actually calling for me! I’ll be damned, I’m a father! I gave birth to him! *Sob sob sob!* You damned old Heaven! Are you messing with me?!"

Mo Kuang ran off manically, cradling the baby. In his haste, he tripped and fell with a THUD. Everyone froze, thinking the baby had just perished at its own father’s hands. But they saw that even as he fell, Mo Kuang held his hands high above his head. He carefully picked himself up, two streams of blood mixing with his tears, and sat on the ground, crying foolishly.

Xi’er was a bit unsure. "Could it be... he’s overjoyed?"

Ye shook her head. "It’s hard to say."

Zheng Xiu asked, "What about the Elder Divine Doctor?"

Xi’er sighed. "He probably can’t even fend for himself. Young Master, you have no idea. The sound of the Elder Divine Doctor’s bones cracking was so loud."

Zheng Xiu’s expression suddenly changed, and he hitched up his pants.

Feng Bei grew alert. "What’s wrong?"

Zheng Xiu quickly shook his head. "It’s nothing... nothing." In truth, he’d just had the strange sensation of someone pulling his pants down.

’Wait... they’re really being pulled down!’

Zheng Xiu was dumbfounded. It wasn’t his Incarnation’s pants being pulled down; it was his Main Body’s pants!

He shot a look at Feng Bei. ’That’s not right, Feng Bei is right here! Who’s the troublemaker, then?’

’Crap!’

’Someone’s raiding my base!’

Zheng Xiu endured the sensation—a jarring, paradoxical mix of discomfort and pleasure, like a world of ice and fire—and took a sharp breath. He needed to wrap things up here quickly. He hastily picked up the Orange Cat and asked, "Are you sure letting this kid go won’t cause problems? He looks so much like..."

The Orange Cat retorted, "Then you can just eat him, meow! Besides, meow, is it so strange that he looks like a human?" The Orange Cat looked puzzled, spreading its paws in bewilderment. "Have you ever considered that the ’Deceitful Objects’ you talk about... might have once been Human?"

At this point, Zheng Xiu couldn’t take it anymore. He left them with a single sentence: "I’ll be gone for a bit!"

SWOOSH!

Zheng Xiu vanished on the spot before everyone’s eyes.

It seemed another fierce battle awaited him.