Chapter 141 The Tip of the Knot (Part 7) Navigating a Dangerous Situation

"Tsk tsk tsk... This tickling torture is really powerful."

Old Master Zhuang put down his teacup and clapped his hands in satisfaction, "In less than half an incense stick's time, this tortured man was rendered helpless, unable to cry out to heaven or earth."

Upon hearing this, Song Qiling loosened her grip and glanced sideways, saying, "In that case, is this 'calamity' considered complete?"

"Of course." Old Zhuang smiled and waved his hand. The rack disappeared instantly, and Gu Lianzhou, who had been bound just a moment ago, lost his support and staggered forward, plunging headfirst into Song Qiling's arms.

Already exhausted from the bristle brush, and with most of his weight resting on his senior brother, he simply buried his face in her shoulder, refusing to lift his head, and said in a muffled voice, "Senior brother, there are outsiders watching, so please help me put on my clothes first."

Song Qiling's palm met a warm, soft surface, and she froze on the spot, not daring to move.

Previously, this person was bound by iron chains, with his clothes still hanging on his arms. Now, however, he allowed his clothes to slip down, leaving his upper body almost naked.

She had seen him like this before, but she had never been able to get close to him. But this time it was completely different.

All of this is thanks to her for coming up with such a terrible idea.

But now was not the time for regret. After only a moment of hesitation, she quickly grabbed the clothes that were about to fall to the ground and deftly put them on, closed them, and tied them tight.

Completed in one go.

After he was fully dressed, the spider's long legs impatiently banged on the table.

Song Qiling helped her junior brother back to the table, met Elder Zhuang's long-awaited, absent-minded gaze, and sat down with a slight smile. "Elder Zhuang, are you in such a hurry because you're afraid we'll run away?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a pair of black bean-like eyes darted around in their sockets. Old Zhuang raised his hand and pointed to the dice in front of her. "Young friend, you jest. It's your turn to roll them."

Song Qiling thoughtfully picked up the dice in front of her and, under the expectant gaze of the person opposite her, tossed them lightly into the air. With a "whoosh," the transparent cube drew a line and rolled down.

Several words came in turn.

Song Qiling narrowed her eyes and saw that the die had stopped and was resting on the "行" (line) side.

She looked up at Old Zhuang and saw him visibly relax, which sent a chill down her spine as she finally realized something was wrong. "You did this on purpose?"

“You can’t say that,” Old Zhuang immediately denied. “Our gambling den values ​​‘integrity’ and cheating is absolutely unacceptable.”

As they spoke, densely packed small characters appeared above the dice, and Song Qiling turned her head to look at them.

"The young lady of the Duke's mansion has lost her beloved cat. She spends her days in tears, loses her appetite, and cannot sleep at night. Today, we sincerely invite you two to join us in this dreamlike realm to help her find her beloved pet."

Below the text, a picture of a cat slowly emerges.

It was just an ordinary tabby cat.

With its round body, herringbone-patterned fur, and snow-white belly and paws, it's like a drop of dew into the sea when thrown into a group of cats, making it hard to find again.

Song Qiling felt a vein throb on his forehead as he looked at it.

"Hey, finding a cat is hard work," Old Zhuang's voice sounded somewhat malicious at this moment. "Then I'll trouble you two to help this young lady!"

After saying that, he was about to wave his hand again.

"Wait!" Song Qiling was a little anxious, fearing that they would fall into some nook or cranny at any moment, and hurriedly asked, "How can you find a cat with just one glance? You should at least give us a picture to refer to!"

But then they saw Elder Zhuang's face rapidly receding into the distance, his voice growing increasingly hollow, as if coming from the heavens, "Once you two enter the illusion, you will know what that fox looks like..."

When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was complete darkness.

The surroundings were noisy; the dull thud of wheels rolling across the road, the soft footsteps of people walking, the hawkers' cries, and the clatter of spatulas against the edge of pots all converged into a torrent of sound that assaulted the senses.

Then I smelled a warm, caramelized aroma, like a sesame seed cake, but with a cloying sweetness, as if following the aroma would lead to a mouthful of sweetness.

Another enticing aroma of braised meat, overpowering the other two scents, wafted straight into my head.

Song Qiling's nose twitched on its own, and suddenly he felt as if something was covering his eyes. He was confused and reached out to press it down, and then touched a thin object.

It is dry and tough to the touch, with rough edges that could cut your hand.

As I peeled it off, I suddenly felt a bright light before my eyes!

She squinted, warily surveying her surroundings.

In a quiet alley, she slept on a donkey cart piled with sacks at the alley entrance, and what had just covered her eyes was a leaf for shade.

It was picked up from somewhere, and the edges looked like they had been eaten by insects, making it look tattered and broken.

Song Qiling casually tossed the leaf aside, got off the donkey cart, and suddenly heard a sharp "meow" behind her. Her heart tightened, and she looked in the direction of the sound.

Black and white stripes, herringbone pattern.

It's a tabby cat!

The cat seemed to be startled and darted out from one end of the alley, arriving in front of them in no time.

Without a second thought, Song Qiling immediately bent his knees and spread his arms out as if to grab something.

The cat, seemingly panicked, actually crashed into her arms. Song Qiling was overjoyed and immediately closed her arms, holding the soft, furry creature tightly in her embrace.

Success!

Just as he was inwardly cheering, he didn't expect that this soft thing was not a docile creature. He felt the ball in his arms twist its entire body like an eel, and its two hind legs, as if equipped with springs, kicked wildly at the arms that were restraining it!

He kicked her forearm and the back of her hand repeatedly with great force, and his sharp nails, which were not retracted, instantly scratched her skin.

"Hiss—" Song Qiling gasped in pain, and the strength in her hand involuntarily loosened.

In a flash, the cat gave another powerful kick on her already reddened hand, using the force to propel itself out of her arms, land lightly, and disappear into the street corner without looking back.

Song Qiling wanted to cry but had no tears.

My hand was burning with pain, and several bloody marks were clearly visible, with tiny beads of blood even seeping out.

She had no time to tend to her wounds. She watched helplessly as the tabby cat disappeared into the crowd. Her heart filled with anxiety, she took off after it.

But the streets were bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.

The cat was small and agile, and it would slip into the gaps between pedestrians' legs and under stalls, moving as nimbly as a fish swimming in water.

Song Qiling, however, had to struggle through the crowd, constantly saying "excuse me," which drew many grumbling glances from others.

In just a few breaths, when I looked again, all I could see were messy legs and swaying clothes. Where was the tabby cat?

"Senior brother!" Gu Lianzhou appeared out of nowhere behind her like a ghost, startling Song Qiling so much that she trembled all over.

She quickly turned around and sized the newcomer up and down, only to see that he was dressed in a coarse linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up high, as were his trousers, clearly the attire of a porter.

Taking advantage of the break, she glanced down at the same coarse cloth she was wearing, her face blank for a moment. After a long silence, she couldn't help but ask, "What is this old man Zhuang up to?"

Why did the search for the cat give them a new identity?

“There’s something fishy about this illusion.” A hint of annoyance flashed in Gu Lianzhou’s eyes as he raised his empty hand in frustration. “Just now, when I saw my senior brother chasing that cat, I tried to use the dodder to help, but it seemed as if I was restricted by an invisible force, and I couldn’t use any magic.”

Suddenly remembering something, Song Qiling reached up and touched her waist.

As far as the eye can see, everything is flat.

The waist, which should have been adorned with talisman pouches and treasure bags, was now completely empty.

Unable to use sorcery or activate spells.

This is a restriction within the illusion.

This is also the rule of the Monster Gambling House.

Having figured this out, she suddenly looked up and met her junior brother's dark eyes: "By agreeing to the bet with Elder Zhuang, we have officially signed the contract. Being in the Monster Gambling House, we cannot cheat, so... we can only rely on our own abilities, not external things."

But if they don't use a thousand men, how can they have a chance of winning?

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but kick the pebbles at her feet, sending them flying, and gritted her teeth, saying, "It really is a trap."

What kind of gambling game is this? It's clearly a deliberate scheme to lure them into this prison, so they can never escape.

“Senior brother, what Elder Zhuang said is right.” Gu Lianzhou raised his hand and pointed to the bulletin board not far away. “Once you enter this illusion, you will know what the fox looks like.”

Following the direction of his finger, Song Qiling's gaze sharpened slightly.

On the bulletin board, besides the government's new tax policies, wanted posters for notorious thieves, and several private documents, a missing cat notice was neatly pasted in the center of all sorts of papers.

In stark contrast to the rough paper around it, this notice was made of fine paper, on which a tabby cat was meticulously depicted in traditional Chinese painting style.

It has a round face, bright green almond-shaped eyes, and a clear fishbone pattern all over its body, but from the tip of its nose to its belly it is all white, and its four claws are also white.

The small note next to it reads: This cat is named "Yuanbao". There is a small, barely noticeable missing piece on the tip of its left ear. It went missing three days ago at the entrance of Guihua Lane in the west of the city.

The features are described in great detail.

The notice also promised a generous reward at the end.

The two exchanged a glance, knowing that this was probably their target, and immediately stepped forward.

Song Qiling reached out and peeled down the notice, about to take a closer look, when a loud shout suddenly rang out behind her, "So, you're slacking off while I'm not around? Are you suggesting I unload this whole truckload of goods?"

The two men turned around and saw a burly man with a bulging physique and bulging muscles, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt that looked like that of an overseer. He stood a few steps away with his hands on his hips, his eyes wide with anger, and his spittle was almost spraying onto their faces.

Song Qiling's expression remained unchanged. She quietly tugged at Gu Lianzhou's sleeve and took half a step back. "The dice only said that we should find the cat, but they didn't tell us to do this inexplicable long-term work."

Before she finished speaking, she grabbed Gu Lianzhou and ran away!

"You've gone too far! You dare to run? I'll skin you alive when I catch you!" The man roared furiously, his voice shaking the heavens. He immediately chased after them, cursing and swearing, his heavy footsteps thumping on the bluestone pavement.

Their imposing manner made it seem as if they truly intended to devour them alive.

The two disregarded their direction, weaving through the crowds and stalls, deliberately venturing into narrow alleyways.

The wind howled in my ears, mixed with my heavy breathing and the incessant curses behind me.

They didn't know how many streets they had crossed or how many alleys they had turned, until the angry shouts were far behind them and could no longer be heard. Only then did the two of them dare to stop, leaning against the cold brick wall, panting heavily.