FCRCG Chapter 14

Nan Deng had a good sleep and woke up to find it was daytime.

He slowly crawled out of bed and saw the rabbit head sleeping soundly beside the bed.

The room was very dark, with the curtains blocking most of the light. Sunlight was streaming in through the gaps.

Nan Deng got out of bed, intending to look for Lian Yi.

He reached for the door handle, only to suddenly notice that his sleeve, which had been missing a section before, was now completely restored.

“Eh?”

Looking down again, he saw that the tear in his clothes from when the rabbit head had bitten his hem in the underground hole had also disappeared. The fabric of his clothes seemed much less worn out than before.

Nan Deng was amazed and ran his fingers over his sleeve, examining it for a long time.

Was this because he had eaten the living soul? His soul body’s clothes had automatically healed.

Looking at the closed door, Nan Deng had a faint sense that something was different. His fingers passed right through the wooden door panel.

He could go through wood now!

Nan Deng widened his eyes and took a few steps forward. Sure enough, he passed through smoothly and reached the hallway.

The whole house was dark and all the curtains were tightly drawn, giving it the feel of night, even though it was day.

In the dining room, several small paper dolls had arranged the meal and hurriedly scurried back to the top of the cupboard, trying to avoid being seen by the rabbit head.

Nan Deng happened to pass by just as he found Lian Yi outside the dining room.

Excited, he rushed over to Lian Yi and proudly exclaimed, “I’ve become stronger!”

Nan Deng demonstrated for him, showing how his soul body could pass through the kitchen wall and then come back again.

Before, he could barely pass through rough glass and he had to open the wardrobe door to get inside. But now, he didn’t need to do any of that.

Nan Deng was ecstatic. He ran back and forth through the house, passing from the dining room to the study.

Lian Yi watched quietly, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. “Good.”

The curtains were drawn for Nan Deng’s benefit so that his movements would be almost unrestricted.

Nan Deng played for a while before sitting at the dining table with Lian Yi, watching him eat.

Soon, he grew bored again and ran to the living room to watch TV. He didn’t notice the small paper dolls quietly coming out to help wash the dishes.

The paper dolls, infused with spiritual arts, were waterproof. They cleaned the dining table and the kitchen and even took a bath in the sink. When they returned to the cupboard, they left a trail of wet footprints on the counter.

In the afternoon, Nan Deng went back to the bedroom to sleep again.

—

In the town square in the city center, a black cat leaped over a bush and stopped, twitching its nose lightly.

Lin Jiu and his team followed at a distance, trying to figure out where the cat was headed.

The black cat had already made several rounds in the area. Normally, it only appeared at night, which was a bit unusual.

It seemed to have deliberately gone to the place where a celestial master had appeared, but after a brief glance, it left.

Lin Jiu thought this might mean something. He quickly led his team to catch up.

The black cat occasionally increased its speed and the team nearly got left behind a few times.

As evening approached, they were left behind once more.

Just as Lin Jiu was feeling disappointed and preparing to turn back, he heard one of the celestial masters beside him exclaim in surprise, “Look!”

Lin Jiu looked up and saw the black cat that they had lost track of perched on a tree not far away.

It lightly jumped down from the branch and started walking toward them.

The other celestial master thought that this earth spirit had finally decided to interact with them. However, the black cat stopped in front of them and let out a low growl, “Uuu.”

The sound was full of irritation. It knew the celestial masters had been following it and couldn’t shake them off, finally losing its patience.

It knew that Nan Deng had been taken by a celestial master. After finding that Nan Deng hadn’t returned for a while, it immediately went into the area to search. However, it couldn’t sense any trace of him. None of the celestial masters had encountered him.

So the black cat planned to return and check again. Nan Deng had the rabbit head by his side, so he should be fine.

What annoyed the black cat the most was the persistent group of celestial masters trailing behind. They were like lingering spirits.

Lin Jiu took a step forward, trying to speak. “We mean no harm. We just want to know… if you need assistance?”

The black cat’s gaze remained unchanged as its fluffy tail swayed, pacing back and forth in place.

When it saw that Lin Jiu wasn’t leaving, it could no longer tolerate it. It dug its front claws into the ground and blew a puff of air at the group.

At the same time, a gust of wind suddenly surged forward.

The sudden attack caught the celestial masters off guard. Only Lin Jiu managed to retreat a few steps and stabilize himself, while the others were knocked down by the gust, struggling to get back up.

When they looked up again, the black cat had disappeared without a trace.

Lin Jiu was both shocked and confused. “It’s so strong?”

The earth spirit, which had only been born for less than half a month, could almost match the strength of two senior celestial masters.

The black cat rarely interacted with celestial masters. This was the first time they had directly felt its power. Its rate of growth was astonishing.

Could it be that the Mountain God is truly here? That the black cat is an earth spirit personally chosen and nurtured by the Mountain God, which is why it is so extraordinary?

The issue of resentful souls had been escalating for nearly twenty years. Many in the inner court of the Celestial Masters believed that the Mountain God had completely perished, as it hadn’t appeared for so long.

Lin Jiu held the same belief. Even though he had detected some signs, he still chose to search for the Ghost King first.

But strange occurrences kept happening, as if all were pointing to the same thing.

Compared to the weak, ancient ghost god or the legendary, ambiguous Chaos God, perhaps the Mountain God could truly be called a god, the leader of all living things.

The gods still exist, finally willing to reappear in the world.

But where could the god be now?

Lin Jiu’s palms were sweating as he suppressed the complicated emotions inside.

Looking at the others, who were equally uncertain, he said, “Let’s head back and prepare for the night shift.”

—

In the outskirts, the black cat arrived at the corner where Nan Deng often rested, pacing around nearby.

The lion-man had quietly arrived as well, flying up into the air to look around. After a while, it flew down and landed in front of the black cat, pointing in a direction.

There, a house with lights on stood out, very noticeable in the dark outskirts.

The black cat looked up, its golden eyes showing a hint of confusion.

It only remembered that Nan Deng had left with someone who carried the aura of a celestial master, but it couldn’t recall what that person looked like. So, it spent most of its time wandering the city, searching the places where celestial masters usually gathered.

The lion-man had been an earth spirit for much longer and was much more clever. The black cat decided to go with it to investigate further.

Together, they traveled side by side, carefully searching for any traces along the way.

As they got closer to the lit house, the black cat recalled a vague memory from its past.

This was where it had first met Nan Deng, back when it wasn’t an earth spirit yet.

The doors and windows of the house were tightly shut, but the black cat sniffed along the outer wall and finally caught a faint trace of an unfamiliar scent.

Inside the living room, Nan Deng was watching TV.

He was completely absorbed in the show, finishing the last half-episode of the day. The next episode won’t be available until tomorrow.

With repeated commercials playing again, Nan Deng changed channels several times, soon feeling bored. He got up and went to look for Lian Yi.

The sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom. Nan Deng passed through the wall.

Lian Yi was half-lying in the bathtub when he heard a noise and opened his eyes.

Nan Deng walked over and sat beside him, reaching his hand into the water. “It’s so warm here…”

He figured Lian Yi was taking a bath, as the hot water in the bathtub flowed continuously, never cooling down.

Nan Deng had seen nothing before and was curious about everything. He wanted to lie in the water to try it for himself but felt too shy to ask.

He scooped up some water with his hands and tried to lean against the edge of the tub, but he accidentally passed through it. His soul body fell into the water, landing on Lian Yi.

Nan Deng quickly pulled himself out and curiously touched his cheek, which had been soaked by the hot water.

Splash—

Water splashed everywhere as Lian Yi sat up straight, the droplets on his body sliding down.

He lowered his gaze to Nan Deng, his voice cold as he said, “Out.”

The bathroom was filled with heavy steam so Nan Deng couldn’t see Lian Yi’s expression clearly. He felt that Lian Yi didn’t seem angry, though.

“Why?” Nan Deng nuzzled up to him, holding Lian Yi’s arm. “I’m not hungry today, I won’t bite you.”

He explained earnestly, sounding almost like a clingy kitten, not understanding why Lian Yi was suddenly trying to push him away.

At that moment, Nan Deng vaguely noticed that Lian Yi’s ears were slightly flushed.

His expression remained indifferent as he quietly stared at Nan Deng. After a moment, his tone softened, becoming much gentler. “Go out first.”

“Okay…”

Nan Deng reluctantly let go and obediently left.

As soon as he returned to the living room, he heard familiar cat meows from outside.

Nan Deng walked to the window, carefully pulling the curtain aside.

The street outside was dark, without streetlights. It seemed safe.

He glanced around, the sound of water still coming from the bathroom.

Deciding to act, Nan Deng passed through the wall and stood outside the house, looking around.

“Meow meow…” The black cat immediately spotted Nan Deng, calling out as it ran over.

It was accompanied by the lion-man, the little glowing, flying creature Nan Deng remembered.

“It really is you,” Nan Deng crouched down and petted the black cat’s head. “Did you come specifically to find me? Were you worried about me?”

He explained, “I’m just hiding here for a bit. Everything’s fine.”

Seeing that Nan Deng seemed perfectly fine, his spirits high, and his previously torn sleeve now restored, the black cat let out a relieved purr. It jumped into Nan Deng’s arms and started purring, licking its own tail.

Nan Deng then noticed a small wound on its tail, unsure of when it happened.

He gently touched it. “Are you hungry?”

The black cat rubbed against his fingers but didn’t seem to be asking for food.

The lion-man also wanted to get closer to Nan Deng, pushing its way over and hugging his arm.

It, too, had several new scratches on its body. It buried its face in Nan Deng’s clothes, letting out soft whimpers.

Nan Deng sat on the ground, holding the black cat and the lion-man in his arms, considering the possibility of bringing them into the house.

Would Lian Yi refuse? He had even grabbed little paper figurines for the rabbit head, so he probably wouldn’t mind a cat and a peculiar little spirit.

“I’ll open the window,” Nan Deng said. “Is it okay if I bring you both inside?”

However, as soon as he asked, he sensed the resistance from the two creatures in his arms.

The black cat’s tail swished sharply and the lion-man shook its head desperately while still clinging to Nan Deng’s arm.

They only liked Nan Deng and didn’t want to enter a strange house. They probably had their own business to attend to. The black cat didn’t stay with Nan Deng all the time.

“Alright then,” Nan Deng murmured to himself, “I can’t afford to keep you both anyway…”

Just one rabbit head was already eating too much. When it woke up today, it had chewed through all the leaves of the living room’s potted plants. Fortunately, Lian Yi hadn’t gotten angry.

Meanwhile, the rabbit head was rummaging through the kitchen.

It jumped onto the counter and found a small trail of water stains, dried up after the water had been spilled. Following the trail, it came to the cabinet.

The rabbit head’s nose twitched. It jumped into the cabinet to investigate.

Inside the gap at the top of the cabinet, several little paper figurines were hiding, trembling in fear.

Thankfully, the rabbit head didn’t notice them and soon turned to leave.

Having found nothing appetizing, the rabbit head continued searching elsewhere, finally coming to a low cabinet by the door.

It bit the drawer handle, bouncing it up and down until the drawer opened.

Inside the drawer was a small ceramic jar with a yellow talisman stuck on the lid.

This was something used by the celestial master to contain spirits. The rabbit head was excited upon seeing it and immediately bit onto the lid.

Though it looked small, the rabbit head had considerable strength. It chewed through the lid, causing the talisman to be damaged.

Inside, several resentful spirits rejoiced, eager to escape. However, the narrow opening was once again blocked.

Two sharp, white teeth squeezed into the jar, and the resentful spirits were sucked inside.

“What is this thing!”

“I can’t move! Ah! It hurts!”

The ceramic jar muffled most of the screams, while the rabbit head continued munching down on the souls, “Chomp chomp.”

It discarded the now-empty jar and licked its lips in satisfaction.

The jar was just the right size. The rabbit head didn’t need to transform; it could stay in its current form and still get full.

It licked its lips contentedly, discarded the empty jar, and jumped down from the low cabinet.

“What did you do?”

A cold voice rang out as Lian Yi appeared in the living room.

He glanced at the open drawer and the remnants of the ceramic jar, furrowing his brows as he fixed his gaze on the rabbit head on the floor.

The Bagua ring in the bedroom trembled, ready to fly over at any moment.

The resentful souls in the ceramic jar were captured by Lian Yi during his first two days after arriving. Originally, he intended to hand them over to Lin Jiu later to use them for a period of time.

However, since Lin Jiu rarely inquired about this matter, they had been stored here ever since.

The jar was sealed with a talisman and any soul that touched it would be scorched. Yet, the rabbit head remained unharmed.

And those resentful spirits inside… had it eaten them?

Outside, Nan Deng was unaware of everything that had happened inside. The black cat and the lion-man didn’t stay for long and were preparing to leave.

The lion-man grabbed Nan Deng’s sleeve and tugged, seemingly wanting to take him along.

By now, the wounds on both of them had healed, though Nan Deng didn’t notice.

He hesitated for a moment, glancing at the window behind him. “Where are you going? I…”

The lion-man noticed his dilemma, then released him and flew over to gently lift his hair, planting a kiss on it.

The black cat, also reluctant to leave, circled Nan Deng’s feet twice before joining the lion-man, and they left together.

Nan Deng watched their retreating figures and was about to phase through the wall to return, but his soul body was blocked.

He froze for a moment, trying again, but still couldn’t pass through.

He ran his hand over the rough wall, confused, and didn’t dare stay outside any longer.

The glass of the window was different from that of the bathroom, so he gently tapped it with his hand.

The sound immediately caught Lian Yi’s attention. He approached the window, hearing Nan Deng’s voice: “I can’t get in…”

Lian Yi opened the window. Only then did Nan Deng manage to slip inside.

“What are you doing outside?” Lian Yi asked, his tone even.

He subtly activated his spiritual powers.

From a hidden angle where Nan Deng couldn’t see, the drawer in the low cabinet by the door slowly closed, and the broken ceramic jar was also concealed.

“I can’t pass through walls anymore,” Nan Deng said, sounding a bit down as he hugged Lian Yi. “And I’m so tired…”

As he smelled Lian Yi’s scent, he suddenly felt a bit hungry.

Had it been because he passed through walls so many times today? His sleeves were still intact and his clothes hadn’t torn.

The rabbit head casually approached and snuggled up to Nan Deng’s feet.

“It’s fine.”

Lian Yi gently comforted him, his gaze locking with the black eyes of the rabbit head.

He slightly narrowed his eyes. In the end, he managed to hold back.