Chapter 217 The past of my parents, like a cat changed...
"What's going on?!!"
The audience started screaming the moment the cat transformed into a human.
"Little Sun has turned into A-Zhu... No! That's not Little Sun anymore! Little Sun couldn't possibly swallow its own friend!"
"What is this thing...?"
Navelette was absolutely certain that the cat was dead, and the human who had been swallowed could not possibly be alive either. Furthermore, neither the cat's corpse nor the human's corpse could possibly possess any consciousness, even if they were placed together.
"Miyoko..."
"But it can still speak, no, that's not right... maybe it doesn't count as speech."
"You're acting strange, are you alright?"
Miyoko touched her lover's cold cheek with heartache, wanting to warm him with her palms.
"Were you scared? Were you sad? It's okay, it's okay. As long as you're alive, there's still hope for everyone, and things can get better..."
"...Miyoko."
"Yes, I'm here. Everything's alright now."
Miyo hugged the expressionless Takeshi and patted his shoulder, as if comforting a child.
"Let's go! I've lured the enemies away with magic. We need to get them before they come back..."
"...Miyoko."
"Hmm? Ah Zhu, I'm here. What is it?"
After being called by name repeatedly, Miyoko suppressed her anxiety and panic, stopped offering words of comfort, and calmly listened to what Takeshi wanted to say.
She didn't hear any complaints or venting of frustration or anger.
"...Miyoko."
It was just another call, the same one.
Its voice was stiff and flat, like a gear turning repeatedly, or like a parrot mimicking speech—strange and ruthless.
"A-Zhu?"
That certainly doesn't count as words.
Navilette was finally able to confirm it.
"It's a reaction..."
Just as birds sing when they hatch and sea turtles flee to the sea when they emerge from the sand, newborn cats instinctively try to fulfill the most important wish of their creators.
"Miyoko..."
Don't be sad.
...
"Waaah!" Paimon buried his face in the Traveler's arms. "The corpse is talking. It's such a bizarre scene, but why don't I feel scared at all? All I want to do is cry."
It was impossible not to be sad. Miyoko, extremely confused and terrified, brought her strange lover back to her companions.
"Boss! Thank goodness! You're alright!"
The disheveled supporters surrounded it, their faces beaming with relief.
"That's great, I'm so glad you're alright. Even though we've lost our home, as long as you and Miyoko are still here, we'll always find a new one!"
"..."
Their leader didn't react; he didn't move his head or turn his neck, and his eyes were fixed straight ahead.
"Head?...Are you so sad that you don't want to talk? It's rare to see Commander Zhu like this."
Everyone sighed bitterly upon seeing this, but a relieved smile also appeared on their lips.
"In short, it's good to be alive, it's good to be alive..."
Zhongli suddenly crossed her arms and exclaimed, "Oh no!"
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Xiao asked anxiously. "Could there be a traitor here?"
"No, it's a different issue altogether, concerning the transformed cat." The Rock King Emperor's expression was unusually grave. "Its initial existence was solely based on A-Zhu's emotions and desires, and it should have slowly faded away with A-Zhu's death, dissipating its obsession and returning to its original corpse form, rotting on the ground. But now..."
His gaze swept over the growing crowd around Hua Mao, their faces filled with worry and simple anticipation.
"Boss, wake up and get back to your old self..."
“...Starting with Miyoko, the roots that sustain the existence of the cats have grown stronger and stronger.”
"Doctor! Doctor! Make way!"
Miyoko hurriedly pushed through the crowd and pulled the panting doctor inside.
"Take a look at him! His body temperature is low, you can't feel his pulse, and his brain looks damaged!"
"well…"
In such a remote and impoverished place, where could one find a good doctor? The doctor, relying on his experience, conducted a thorough diagnosis but could not find any cause for the illness.
"How strange."
The cold, slightly stiff skin and the undetectable pulse should only be present in the dying. The doctor, looking at the strong, muscular body of the warrior, was momentarily thrown into confusion.
"Perhaps he was so terrified that he became temporarily mentally impaired?"
He stared at the cat's unblinking eyes and made wild guesses.
"Who are you calling terrified?!"
Supporters raised their eyebrows.
"Even if your father is scared to death, Commander Zhu must not be harmed!"
"That's because the blow was too great, causing mental instability. Sigh, please don't make things difficult for a former carpenter who only started out as a carpenter."
The doctor was also helpless and could only give the usual instructions.
"Lady Miyoko, why don't you take him to do some familiar things and live as usual, and give him some good nourishment? Maybe he can slowly recover... If not, we can seek another good doctor."
"..."
With shogunate soldiers still surrounding and arresting them, they were too busy hiding to seek medical help.
Miyoko wanted to complain loudly, but she didn't dare. During the days when the bamboo demon was sick, she was the only leader, and the leader could not disturb the people's peace of mind.
"bring it on."
She could only reach out to her silent lover.
“Let’s do something you’re familiar with. It’s getting dark, Little Sun is getting hungry, we have to… ah.”
Little Sun.
"Where did you take Little Sun, Azhu?" She panicked, then thought of some terrible things, and looked at her lover pleadingly, "Could it be? No, don't do this..."
A-Zhu didn't answer, nor did she reach out to touch her hand.
"...Miyoko."
Not daring to vent her anger, Miyoko led him to the makeshift tent before burying her face in his shoulder.
"...Miyoko."
A sobbing sound came from inside the tent.
Kaiya heard the corpse calling out repeatedly like a broken record, but it couldn't even offer a comforting hug, and she felt terrible.
"If everyone's wish is strong enough, could the transformed cat be given life and continue living with A-Zhu's appearance?"
"Then why should I draw alchemical arrays?"
Abedo twisted his sore wrist. "If creation were really that simple, Mr. Mainkun would have jumped down and beaten us up long ago."
"Looks like we really can't do without you..."
It's hard to imagine how Miyoko managed to lead everyone in evading the encirclement while also taking good care of her husband.
However, when the image became clear again, people's faces calmed down considerably, and their expressions of distress disappeared.
"Damn the Shogunate army and the sea monsters!"
They gritted their teeth as they rebuilt their homes.
"Just wait for your revenge! Once he's recovered, Commander Zhu will be the first to kill you all!"
"..."
Commander Zhu was led past them without saying a word.
"It's okay, I'll make you feel better."
Miyoko patted his cold hand to comfort him and pointed out the fruit on the tree.
"Look, it's a violet. You used to roast it for me all the time. How about we have it again tonight?"
"...Miyoko."
The corpse's eyes were fixed straight ahead.
"...It's okay, I'll bake it for you today. Maybe you'll remember it while you're eating it."
Smeared with lard and stuffed with meat, even an ordinary fruit becomes delicious after roasting. Miyoko first placed the first portion in the man's hand, watching him mechanically swallow it bite by bite, very obediently.
"Sigh, chew it a little longer."
Shaking her head helplessly, Miyoko put her own portion to her lips, but before she could bite into it, she felt nauseous.
"vomit!"
"...Miyoko."
She vomited all over the ground amidst eerie calls.
"Wait!" Tinari's eyes widened immediately. "Has she been trying to conceive all this time?"
"Yes, we've been preparing for it since A-Zhu was alive... Hmm?!"
Sino also sprang up from his chair instantly:
"What is she doing—"
Al-Hysen tilted his head slightly, avoiding looking at the image. "There can only be this one possibility; otherwise, the origin of Mainkuhn is impossible to explain."
"...Which possibility?"
Kavi had a premonition, but he still asked one more time, unwilling to give up.
Congratulations! You're probably pregnant!
The third-rate doctor's congratulations left the audience dizzy.
"Although I don't know whether you conceived before or after the accident, you must be careful not to overwork yourself. The first few months are the most dangerous time!"
"cough."
Miyoko blushed slightly, but tried to remain calm as she asked the doctor, "Um, A-Zhu and I have done almost everything we used to do... but he hasn't shown any signs of regaining his senses yet."
Oh my god.
The audience was deathly silent.
They dared not think too deeply about the meaning of those words.
A smile appeared in the woman's sorrowful eyes, and the corpse no longer called her name.
“We have to let Azhu see his child soberly, he’s been looking forward to it for so long.”
"..."
Whose child is that?
It matches up, it matches up perfectly.
Almost everything that seemed illogical was explained by fate.
Countless bewildered and terrified gazes converged on the defendant's dock, landing on Mainkuhn.
"Me, me,"
Paimon hid behind the traveler, covering his eyes.
"I can't bear to watch anymore..."
"It...it might not be this!" Funina couldn't hide her panic, even forgetting the results of the examination. "Logically speaking, how could a corpse have a child? It could be a misjudgment, or the child might be gone in a couple of days!"
"My child."
Miyoko gently touched her lower abdomen and made a wish:
"You must grow up healthy!"
Love brings flesh and blood together.
"...It's over."
"Hehe, we're going to have a little leader!"
Even a third-rate doctor is overjoyed.
"This child will definitely grow up safely! Don't worry about it, just focus on a safe pregnancy. As for Commander Zhu, I'll try to find some familiar things to stimulate his nerves!"
The audience watched in near despair as the doctor ran out smiling to share the good news with everyone. Countless cheers immediately erupted outside the door, each one filled with prayers.
"No! You can't give birth!...No, that's Mainkun, you have to give birth!...No, it won't work..."
A great uproar began to descend upon the opera house, the audience grappling with the existing facts, and they all knew the reason for their grappling.
"I want Mainkun to descend into love normally... don't do this..."
The monster formed from the remains of Little Sun stood quietly to one side, its belly containing A-Zhu's body, which fermented along with the food it had swallowed.
This is Hua Mao.
It is very obedient and well-behaved, and never rebels.
It doesn't know why this happened.
“I’ve almost completely shown you the helplessness I wanted to express.” Nasita paused the video.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what follows is all suffering. Do you still want to watch?"
"Do we really need that little knife? At least let us see the child born safely."
...
The memory continued to play. To allow Miyoko to focus on her pregnancy, several of the bamboo demon's confidants frantically scratched the head of their quiet leader.
"What on earth happened? What kind of blow could have completely shattered the boss's spirit?"
"Yes, the boss is clearly a tough guy, he wouldn't even blink if he got stabbed."
"How can we help him recover...?"
After racking their brains for a while, one of the samurai suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Wait a minute, is love really what our leader cares about most?"
"Isn't that right? He and Lady Miyoko are inseparable..."
"You forgot one! Love is precious, but our heads have ambitions far greater than love!"
Thinking of this, the samurai excitedly drew his sword and placed it in the evolved cat's hand.
"Let's go do what you like to do most: kill the bad guys!"
"..."
The audience's faces suddenly froze.
Kaeya nudged his sworn brother: "What does the cat form rely on to become stronger again?"
Diluc didn't answer, but only sighed deeply.
"Help."
On their first trip off the island, the group went happily and returned happily, bringing back a lot of supplies for the island.
"The boss is still as strong as ever!"
When they returned from their second trip off the island, they were somewhat confused.
"It seems a bit too strong."
On their third trip off the island, they returned filled with fear.
"Something's not right, boss..."
The cat didn't know what they were talking about; it was simply acting according to their will.
Finally, one day, after accidentally crushing a family, the familiar curse echoed in his memory.
"monster!"
The civilians, begging them for justice, rushed into the streets in a panic.
"Help! The bamboo demon is a monster! We can't trust them!!"
"No! The boss isn't a monster, he's just sick... We can't let this get out, quick, boss, stop him!"
"But the boss doesn't kill innocent people!"
Before he could finish speaking, a foul stench wafted out from his side.
Gaa—
Skulls were shattered and brain matter was splattered on the street.
The mission was accomplished, but his former good reputation was ruined, and terrified pedestrians scattered and fled.
"The Bamboo Demon is actually a monster? Is the ideal world he promotes just an excuse to lure us in?"
The samurai trembled and reached out to draw their swords at the man with the golden eyes.
"You're not our leader!"
Why would this happen?
If the cat-like creature had any sense, it would definitely ask that question.
Why did this happen?
Miyoko wished she had lost her mind.
"What are you! What are you?!"
The noble lady of the past had grieved and wept, but she had never roared with such despair and anger.
"Where's my Ah Zhu? What did you do to him? Give him back to me!!"
"...Miyoko."
"Don't call me by my name, it's disgusting!"
The Onmyoji never exorcised a demon in his life, and had almost forgotten the runes for retreating.
"...Miyoko."
As she repeatedly tried to sketch, the man with golden eyes stood there motionless, waiting for her and calling her name.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!!"
The first exorcising talisman in my life was slapped on my lover's face.
The fake monster's body began to twist and collapse under the influence of Yin-Yang magic, sinking like mud.
It will revert to its original form, but not to the tiger-beast body it had when it first transformed into a demon.
"Gurgle~"
A familiar snore made Miyoko's hands and feet stiffen.
Bang.
The kitten couldn't fit the human corpse inside; the kumquat's fur was scattered among the bones and fermenting matter.
"Meow."
Things have gotten much worse.
But the cat is still the same cat.
"..."
Miyoko's legs went weak, and she knelt down in front of the filth.
"Miyoko-sama?"
After a long while, the third-rate doctor finally emerged from behind the cover and timidly ran over to help her.
"Many people have run away, what should we do? Commander Zhu is also gone..."
"Nonsense! How can you say he's not here? He's right here! A part of him is inside me! It's the continuation of his bloodline; he hasn't died!!"
With a scream of shock, Miyoko pushed him away and hurriedly covered her lower abdomen.
"The child I'm carrying is mine and A-Zhu's child."
"He or she will inherit a face as beautiful as mine, and golden eyes as lovely as A-Zhu's."
"...It must be like that, it must be!"
"Yes! That's right! You're absolutely right!" The doctor grabbed her arm, tears welling in his eyes. "The Shogunate army is coming again! Let's run!"
"..."
The audience remained silent.
They watched the moon rise and the sun set, unaware of how much time the gods had skipped over.
Finally, a pink figure appeared on the horizon.
It was Yae no Miko, holding a gohei (a type of shrine), standing before the wreckage.
Have you heard this story? The legend that's all the rage in the streets and alleys.
She asked directly.
"Have you heard the story of a young female Onmyoji who was blinded by love, betrayed her bloodline, and married an evil bamboo spirit, ultimately causing havoc in the region?"
After saying this, the divine child listened intently, as if waiting for an answer.
"It really wasn't true, but humans always seem to prefer believing these dramatic lies."
After waiting for a while, the child sighed, squatted down, and picked up the tiny bones from the ground with his bare hands, putting them into a box.
"Okay, I promise you, one day I will help you and your friends clear things up and reunite you."
She touched the air around her feet, as if there were something there.
"Good cat, go to sleep now, don't wait any longer."
-----------------------
A note from the author:
The story of my parents is almost over; the next chapter will be about the birth of Mainkuhn.
Sigh, actually, I cut out a lot of details from the story of my parents. If I were to expand it, I could write fifty chapters, but that would be too much, since it's not original content.
To be honest, this was my first time writing a romance scene, but it didn't feel too abrupt, did it...?
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