Chapter 71 Extra: Begonia Tabby Cat
Before the Great Cold, Yancheng is at its coldest. Huitouling Mountain is blanketed in snow, and the Spring and Autumn Crossings are frozen for thousands of miles. Mist permeates the air, smothering the streets and alleys in a blanket of white. On the east bank of the river, nestled among lush pines, stands a towering five-story ancient building. Fishermen, gazing from afar, point and comment, saying the building appeared overnight.
However, many merchants claimed the building had existed for a long time, once housing an obscure antique shop, but now a private residence. Some, unaware of this change, tried to pawn their belongings in the shop again, but walked from dawn to dusk without getting close. When they looked up, the ancient building and the forest still loomed in the distant horizon.
The Demon King had been in a good mood recently. When he rebuilt the ancient building, he had also placed a barrier around the area. Since then, he'd lived a quiet and leisurely life, drinking and composing poetry with Cang Ming, or shooting evil spirits with a slingshot from the rooftops. Those demons that had been robbing the city at night now avoided the forest.
Wei Ci was very satisfied and sent several of his men to carefully select a batch of rare and precious flowers from his shops across nine provinces and thirty-six states and bring them back to the Central Plains. He then decorated the ancient building with his own hands.
But today, Wei Ci was bored. Inside the ancient building, the waterfall had frozen to a mirror-like surface, while the hot springs in the distance still gurgled, steam rising. Wei Ci sat on a thick branch, leaning against the trunk, lazily carving a piece of craftwork.
This morning, before daybreak, Cang Ming quietly got up. Wei Ci felt someone beside him tiptoeing out of bed, but he merely moved his lips, pretending to continue sleeping soundly. After a few soft rustling sounds, it felt like a pair of slightly cool hands touched his face, and then there was no movement.
The gentle touch made Wei Ci's heart tremble. When he opened his eyes, the bedroom was empty. The ancient building was still built in a continuous style, with the hall on the ground floor reaching straight to the high ceiling. Their bedroom was located at the highest point of the ancient stone wall, like a terrace carved into the stone wall, overlooking the vast mountains and rivers within the building. The window was open a crack; Cang Ming had escaped through it.
Wei Ci shook his head helplessly, unable to contain his laughter. He wondered what the General had planned for today, but every time she was afraid of waking the Demon King, she'd just jump out the window and leap from the fifth floor. Wei Ci forced himself not to tell her, but that really did sound like... an affair?
A silver-white booklet lay beside the bed. It had once been a tattered collection of music scores, but now it had been transformed into a finely textured scroll filled with messages the two had written to each other. Wei Ci casually flipped to the latest page, only to see a line of bold, unrestrained calligraphy:
"Unbefore leaving, brother, there's a rat plague a hundred miles from Fengyan City, and the farmers' granaries are in danger. This general and Xisheng are going to capture the rat spirit together. It's a small matter, don't worry about it." Cang Mingliu.
After reading, Wei Ci chuckled softly, put down the book, and casually tied her hair into a high ponytail. Her pajamas still exuded the scent of tenderness. Last night, Cang Ming snuggled into his arms, rubbing against him like a cat finding its nest, but she only gently touched his lips with a finger, ignoring his hot breaths and whispered questions, and quickly fell into a deep sleep. The Demon King guessed then that she would be going out to catch ghosts and exorcise demons again this morning.
The rat plague was only a hundred miles from Fengyan City. According to General Wu's style, Cang Ming would be back in the ancient building before moonrise tonight. Taking advantage of the daytime's idleness, Wei Ci stood in the clothing room, one arm folded, the other holding his chin, seriously considering which outfit would make Cang Ming's eyes light up.
Suddenly a servant came to report that a man with crutches was visiting outside the ancient building. The little demon guarding the gate did not recognize this man, but seeing that he was not blocked outside by the barrier, he came to report to the Demon King.
Wei Ci casually let Wu Lu in, his eyes still lingering on the exquisite outfits. Wu Lu rushed in, saying that his golden chariot was missing and asked if the Demon King had any concerns about Cang Ming. Seeing that Wei Ci ignored him indifferently, Wu Lu had to start from the beginning. He said that when he opened his eyes in the morning, he found that the golden chariot parked in the backyard of Xiyuan Sanfang had disappeared without a trace. Xi Sheng was also nowhere to be seen, so he came to the ancient building to ask if Cang Ming was there.
Wei Ci said, "Not here." Then he began to choose brocade ribbons to match his fine clothes, holding a few in each hand and comparing them.
Wu Lu asked, "Did the two of them leave together?"
"Um."
"That's right!" Wu Lu slapped his thigh and tapped the ground with his crutch, saying, "Those two, those two... drove away my golden carriage!"
Wei Ci scoffed. Wu Lu went back angrily, muttering all the way. Sometimes he complained that the two had driven away the carriage that belonged to the former master of the Tongduo Sect. Sometimes he complained that the two were being disrespectful by not taking him with them when they went out to do something. Did they think he was noisy and useless?
Wu Lu's voice faded away, and the ancient building returned to silence. Wei Ci slowly washed and dressed, pondering what he would do today. Suddenly, he remembered that Cang Ming was going to catch a rat spirit. A smile crossed his lips, but sadness filled his eyes. Cang Ming had been reincarnated as a tabby cat. It seemed like a coincidence that a tabby cat was catching rats.
A thousand years ago, after Cang Ming died in a battle in the Central Plains, Wei Ci began a long search. One year, as he walked through a field, a shower of crabapple petals drifted down like snow, landing on his hair and shoulders. He looked up and saw a crabapple tree standing tall behind him, as if gazing back at him. In that moment, he knew it was Cang Ming's reincarnation, and he sat beneath the tree for years, until the flowers withered.
Setting out on his search again, Wei Ci walked across a vast expanse of azure sea. Suddenly, a gentle, lingering sea breeze caressed his face. Wei Ci stayed by the seashore, practicing martial arts daily with the breeze, or sitting quietly in the wind, silently speaking. The breeze, in its turn, rustled the waves, as if answering him.
Later, the sea turned into mulberry fields and the sea breeze disappeared. Wei Ci had to leave there and search in the crowd again. He didn't find anyone, but found a brave tabby cat.
This tabby cat felt familiar to him, a familiar feeling from a past life. When Wei Ci crouched down to look at it, it came closer, its warm body pressed against him, circling him. Its tail sometimes hooked around his shoulder, sometimes brushed against his arm.
Wei Ci gently lifted the tabby cat and held it up to his eyes. The cat's large eyes stared back at him, accompanied by a pitiful, faint cry. Wei Ci held the cat tightly and went to the fish shop to buy a variety of river and sea fish. Watching the kitten nibble on the fish, his heart was filled with pity.
Before long, he discovered that the cat sneaked out every night to fight with other night cats in groups. In the morning, relying on its beautiful appearance, it went to people's homes on the streets to beg for food and drink. Finally, it jumped back into Wei Ci's bedroom and lay obediently beside him all day, creating the illusion that he was feeding it. Far from being pitiful, this cat was actually very popular among the cats.
A few years later, the tabby cat ran away and never returned. Wei Ci, feeling empty-hearted, wandered the world. Meanwhile, Cang Ming had already entered his final life.
A long millennium flashed through the demon king's mind. All day, he was overwhelmed with longing and uneasiness, fearing that Cang Ming would suddenly disappear again. Fortunately, as the moon rose, the window made a soft click.
A pair of hands covered his eyes from behind, and the sweet scent of lipstick drifted past his ears: "Where did you come from, great demon? Come with me quickly."
Wei Ci's heart finally settled down.
He covered the back of Shang Cangming's hand with one hand, and said fearfully and weakly: "Let's talk it over. Lady, are you going to rob us or...?"
Cang Ming released her hand, landed on tiptoe, and said vaguely: "I'll let you go this time." Wei Ci turned around with a smile, still holding her hand tightly, and put his other arm around her waist: "Do you want something to eat?"
"When Xisheng and I came back, we stopped by to have some wine and food at Xiyuan Sanfang." Cang Ming tapped his Adam's apple. "Did Lord Demon King have dinner tonight?"
Wei Ci hummed a sigh and said quietly, "The general's whereabouts have become mysterious. He disappeared in the morning and hasn't sent any message all day."
Upon returning, Cang Ming noticed that Wei Ci was dressed in an exceptionally elegant and handsome manner. She feigned surprise and argued, "The Demon King is so busy with his affairs during the day, even busy with his grooming and dressing, how could he have thought of me?"
Wei Ci leaned down, his nose touching her ear, his voice became dangerous and hoarse, and he accused with gritted teeth and hatred: "I have been thinking about you and looking at you." The hot breath he exhaled sprayed on Cang Ming's skin, causing a slight shudder.
Wei Ci was very attentive and noticed her changes. He curled his lips slightly, picked her up with one hand, and leaped out of the bedroom, flying across the empty space of the five-story building, landing between the mountains and rivers of the ancient building. Cang Ming's face was buried in his shoulder. He carried Cang Ming to the edge of the hot spring and gently put her down.
"General, you can't sleep well if you don't take a bath every night." He imitated Cang Ming's tone and chuckled softly, "I'll stand guard over there, and you can take a bath."
After saying this, he turned around and walked towards the woods not far away. The sound of splashing water came from behind him. Cang Ming walked down to the pool. On a big tree on the shore were several light blue gauze clothes, which were prepared for her by Wei Ci in advance.
When the freshly washed Cang Ming appeared in front of Wei Ci, he felt his breath stop for a moment. His fresh face was still wet with moisture, and his long black hair fell on his shoulders, having been wiped half dry.
Cang Ming spun around, her dress fluttering like the blue mist of the morning. "Brother Wei Ci, does this look good on me?" Although she knew the answer, Wei Ci still said willingly, "It's beautiful, like an immortal."
"I am an immortal, you are so insincere." Cang Ming said with a smile. Wei Ci gently picked up her long hair and said with a smile: "I wonder how many mice the immortal caught today?"
Cang Ming described it vividly, "That wasn't just any rat, it was a giant rat transformed into a spirit! A few days ago, Sanxian Temple held a winter blessing ceremony. Xisheng received this prayer and asked me to go with him. We drove Wu Lu's horseless golden chariot to the place and saw what was there. Wow! That rat spirit... how could it be so ugly?"
“…”
Wei Ci listened to Cang Ming's story patiently, looked at her spirited face, stroked her earlobe with his fingers, and gently stroked the sound-transmitting earring: "The general is indeed majestic, but why don't you take me with you?" As he spoke, he clasped her waist tightly with one hand, feeling her soft body pressed against him, Wei Ci lowered his head and kissed her without thinking.
Cang Ming was dizzy from the kiss and could barely breathe. Wei Ci panted heavily, rolling over and over on her lips, occasionally letting out a low, long "hmm" sound, suppressed yet satisfying, strong and hot.
They kissed passionately for a while, Wei Ci's heavy body pressed down on him, Cang Ming's steps became unsteady and disordered, their legs intertwined, hugging and kissing each other and turning around for a few times. Taking advantage of the gap to breathe, Cang Ming looked up at him, the stars in his eyes dimmed: "Wei Ci, you, why are you moaning when kissing me?"
Wei Ci snorted and chuckled, kissing her again without saying a word, his large hands restlessly rubbing down her back. Feeling that Cang Ming was no longer able to stand and was falling backwards, Wei Ci simply picked her up and carried her sideways. He glanced at her rosy face in his arms, then pursed his lips and said nothing, striding towards the cabin in the woods.
Everything in the cabin was just as it was when Cang Ming was first imprisoned. Wei Ci gently placed her on the couch, his tall figure looming over her, kissing her neck and collarbone inch by inch. As they entangled, Wei Ci kept asking, "Why don't you take me with you, General?"
Cang Ming grabbed his waist, twisting his lower back gently with both hands. Wei Ci groaned and pressed down, covering her whole body with her. Cang Ming was restrained and twisted to break free, trying to defend himself with a weak breath, "Xi Sheng and I wanted to go have some fun and talk... Most importantly, I was afraid you hadn't recovered yet and your health wasn't good, so I didn't take you with me..."
This sentence almost ignited the raging fire in Wei Ci. Wei Ci gritted his teeth and said sullenly: "General, I am not incapable."
Cang Ming was stunned, remembering the words of the old woman in the Buddha's Hand Dojo, as if it were a lifetime ago. She suppressed a smile and said temptingly, "Is it really that important whether it works or not? Okay, Wei Ci, I won't dislike you."
Without a word, Wei Ci plunged headfirst into her neck and collarbone, kissing her delicately, moving upward until he reached her lips. The light, pale blue garment was removed, revealing a silver-white robe. The Book Demon's scorching body pressed against the Dancing General. Outside the cabin, the north wind howled, swaying the trees and creating a ringing sound.
A subtle whine, a mixture of joy and pain, pain and yet immense joy, followed by a heavy gasp. The demon king's strong physique confirmed what he sought to prove, but he had long forgotten this self-affirmation, only greedily and cherishingly gathering strength to sink into it again and again. In the deepest night, the two embedded themselves in each other, rising and falling with the stirring north wind, journeying together into the ninth heavenly dream.
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