novelraw Chapter 963: The Cat
Chapter 963: The Cat
The fire seemed to subside slightly, but the surroundings were still glowing an intense red.
‘Suzuki Chun Xin’ forcefully lifted a collapsed pillar and crouched down. Beneath it lay a man dressed in a black kimono.
He must have been struck during the castle’s collapse and buried under the debris.
The corpse was cold—but considering the cold-blooded nature of the Takizawa clan, it was impossible to estimate the time of death.
To ‘Suzuki Chun Xin,’ the exact time didn’t matter. What mattered was that the soul of the deceased member of the Takizawa clan had not completely dissipated.
The remnants of the soul's energy were a delightful delicacy for the weakened ‘Suzuki Chun Xin.’ The soul of the Ba Qi Serpent had been gravely damaged, and the easiest way to recover was to devour other souls.
"What a pity... those hidden Takizawa members were wiped out so quickly that they left no soul energy behind. Such a waste of prime resources…”
‘Suzuki Chun Xin’ shook its head in disappointment but wasn’t about to voice grievances against the perpetrator.
“Ren Zhen, my friend!” ‘Suzuki Chun Xin’ turned around and shouted. A shadowy figure hovered a few inches above the ground, gazing at the fire-stained stars.
“Ren Zhen, stop zoning out and help search for anything edible!” ‘Suzuki Chun Xin’ yelled again.Ren Zhen muttered, “Ba Qi, do you think we’re insignificant in this world?”
Ba Qi paused but didn’t immediately reply. It continued consuming the soul energy from the corpse, tendrils of purple smoke rising and being inhaled into ‘Suzuki Chun Xin’s’ nostrils.
After finishing its feast, Ba Qi finally spoke. “Recognizing our weakness drives the desire for strength. Those with talent can ascend to the peak, while the talentless languish in mediocrity. That’s just an excuse for the lazy.”
Ren Zhen turned to Ba Qi in surprise, not expecting such words.
“Want a piece?” Ba Qi gestured at the corpse.
“Too little; you can have it,” Ren Zhen declined. “I can slowly recover using starlight.”
Shrugging, Ba Qi devoured the remaining portion.
“What’s your plan now?” Ren Zhen asked. “Suzuki Xia Ya’s true identity is terrifying, and there’s a connection to that place… There’s no reason to keep Suzuki alive.”
“That god of slaughter could kill me effortlessly. The warning was clear. As long as I don’t harm Suzuki Chun Xin, I believe this truce will hold.”
“What do you mean?” Ren Zhen frowned.
“I don’t know exactly,” Ba Qi admitted. “I just felt that if I abandoned Suzuki Chun Xin’s body out of fear, I would have perished. I hope I never encounter such a being again.”
Ren Zhen remained silent, understanding Ba Qi’s true fear wasn’t Suzuki Xia Ya but the enigmatic power behind him.
“I discovered something earlier,” Ren Zhen said suddenly. “It seems to be the Takizawa family’s treasure vault, but it’s protected by a barrier.”
“Now that the Takizawa clan is gone and the castle destroyed, the barrier may be weakened or gone entirely!” Ba Qi’s eyes gleamed.
“Let’s see if there’s anything useful,” Ren Zhen agreed.
“Just let me finish this!”
...
After a moment of despair, Sakata Kintoki quickly composed himself, his carefree nature prevailing despite his losses.
“Manager, are there any outstanding debts to collect?” Sakata Kintoki grinned fiercely. “My axe is ready for action!”
“No, all upcoming payments are from reliable clients,” the maid replied cheerfully.
Sakata Kintoki sighed and begrudgingly accepted his vacation time, asking to convert part of it into resources.
...
In the Takizawa family’s treasure vault, Ren Zhen and Ba Qi marveled at the trove of valuables.
“Takizawa collected quite the hoard,” Ba Qi said, picking up a glass container. “Molten Fire Lotus... such rare yang energy is hard to find in modern times.”
“Now that the Takizawa clan is gone, these treasures are ownerless,” Ren Zhen said calmly. “Let’s split them evenly.”
“Fine by me,” Ba Qi agreed with a casual smile.
If not for encountering that person from the shop and getting a good scare, today would actually have been a rather lucky day.
The treasures in this vault aside, Ba Qi had already absorbed a considerable amount of soul energy from the lingering remnants of the Takizawa clan along the way!
Once this soul energy was fully digested, Ba Qi estimated that the injuries sustained after leaving the Voidless Moon World would recover by 40-50%.
“What’s this?” Ren Zhen suddenly stopped and pointed to an ornate box. What caught his attention were the inscriptions on it, which appeared to be written in pre-Qin Chinese script.
“Let me take a look,” Ba Qi said as he walked over, opened the box, and took out its contents. Inside were a handwritten journal and a rolled-up animal hide.
Both of them were ancient beings, and deciphering the archaic script on the journal was a simple task.
“Ren Zhen, could this be the Takizawa clan’s so-called map of Emperor Qin’s tomb?” Ba Qi’s eyes sparkled as he stared at his companion.
Ba Qi’s gaze then shifted back to the journal, his expression growing more intense. “This is… the Pearl of Suihou!”
“The Pearl of Suihou? The imperial treasure as famed as the He Shi Bi?” Ren Zhen was equally astonished. He glanced around the Takizawa treasure vault. “If this is true, then it might be the most valuable item here.”
“More than that…” Ba Qi took a deep breath. “Ren Zhen, do you know the origins of the Pearl of Suihou?”
“It’s said that Suihou encountered a giant serpent cut in half during a journey and ordered its rescue. Later, the serpent appeared in his dream and gifted him the pearl as thanks,” Ren Zhen recounted. “Why? Is there another origin story?”
“This pearl is a sacred artifact of my Xiangliu clan,” Ba Qi said, clutching the animal hide map. “The serpent saved by Suihou was a direct descendant of our ancestor’s bloodline, and this pearl was personally bestowed by the progenitor… originally a treasure of Gonggong, the Water God!”
“Gonggong’s…” Ren Zhen’s mouth fell open in shock.
…
The fire had died down, leaving only a few scattered embers in the corners.
The club’s maid, Yōu Yè, was writing something on the forehead of the child restored through physical regeneration. It was a black lotus-like mark.
Sakata Kintoki silently observed. When Yōu Yè withdrew her finger, he finally exhaled. “Such delicate work—only you could manage it, Chief Steward.”
“As per your request, I’ve sealed this child’s memories of recent events within this mark,” Yōu Yè said indifferently. “When the child is ready to bear it, the seal will naturally break.”
Sakata Kintoki nodded. Initially, he had intended to personally end the child’s life, but their strong will to survive had changed his mind.
“Since you’ve decided not to spend the rest of your vacation in slumber but remain awake instead, the child’s care will now fall to you,” Yōu Yè said with a faint smile.
“Me?” Sakata Kintoki was startled.
“Of course. This child likely has no idea how much power their body holds. Without proper supervision, it could lead to chaos. You’re the only suitable choice.”
“This is your fault…” Sakata Kintoki muttered under his breath.
“What was that, Kintaro?”
“Nothing!” Sakata Kintoki quickly straightened up. “I think this decision is excellent… really excellent.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you,” Yōu Yè said with a slight smile before walking away.
Sakata Kintoki suddenly called out, “Chief Steward, shouldn’t I meet the new boss now?”
“The Master said from the beginning: wait until the Black Souls on vacation awaken on their own.”
Sakata Kintoki paused before asking, “Then what about the shopkeeper?”
“Sakata Kintoki.” Yōu Yè’s voice suddenly turned serious, addressing him by his full name.
Startled, he stood at attention. “Yes?”
Yōu Yè turned back, speaking softly. “We now only serve this Master. Naturally, the shopkeeper is the current Master. Understood?”
“Yes… understood.”
“Good child,” Yōu Yè said with satisfaction, disappearing soon after.
Watching her vanish, Sakata Kintoki sighed deeply and muttered, “The Chief Steward’s loyalty is something else…”
Sakata Kintoki scratched his head, then sat down, closing his eyes as if waiting for something.
Over time, small specks of light gathered around him, gradually coalescing into a humanoid form—Kumano, the manager Suzuki Xia Ya was familiar with.
“Manager…”
Kumano smiled at him but remained silent.
“Manager, there’s something I never understood,” Sakata Kintoki asked softly. “Why did you pick me up back then? To you, I was just a stranger, wasn’t I?”
Kumano’s voice was gentle. “Perhaps I couldn’t bring myself to leave you behind—like a stray cat freezing to death.”
“A stray cat?”
“To me, you were like a freezing stray cat,” Kumano said with a smile. “I just couldn’t abandon you.”
“You’re… an idiot,” Sakata Kintoki muttered.
“Take care of the child,” Kumano said as his form began to dissolve. His consciousness, already fading, could not last long.
…
In his final moments, Kumano mimicked a drinking gesture and said, “I wish we could have one more drink together, Suzuki.”
“Damn it… go on!”
Sakata Kintoki closed his eyes.
1. Pearl of Suihou (隋侯之珠)
隋侯 (suí hóu): Marquis of Sui, a legendary figure from Chinese mythology.
2. He Shi Bi (和氏璧)
和氏 (hé shì): Referring to a historical figure, Bian He, who discovered this jade.
璧 (bì): A type of jade disk.
Meaning: A famous and valuable jade artifact in Chinese history and mythology, symbolic of legitimacy and power.
3. Xiangliu Clan (相柳一族)
相柳 (xiàng liǔ): A mythical nine-headed serpent or hydra-like creature in Chinese mythology.
4. Gonggong (共工)
The Water God in Chinese mythology, known for causing floods and battling other gods.