Chapter Forty-Three: Man Versus Cat

The tabby cat wasn't particularly large, but it was incredibly fast. I had anticipated its attack, however, and as it lunged, I swung the folding chair in my hand to meet it head-on.

I knocked the cat clean out of the air. It tumbled across the ground a few times before scrambling away. But this was only the beginning; my counterattack provoked even more cats, which rushed toward me with shrill yowls.

Under the emerging moonlight, the feline swarm surged toward me like a grey tidal wave. As they besieged me, they circled within the courtyard, not rushing to strike, but instead forming ranks with a calm, orderly precision, as if directed by some unseen commander. These beasts were both clever and highly coordinated.

The swarm initially relied on their numbers to trap me in the center of the yard, but they did not immediately attack, opting instead for brief, probing maneuvers. Within the constantly swirling mass of cats, three suddenly lunged at me. They seemed to have coordinated their efforts, striking simultaneously from three different directions at my chest, head, and legs.

Trapped in the layers of the encirclement, I panicked. As they charged, I struck back, using the chair to knock down the black cat aimed at my head. But in that moment, I was overextended; the other two creatures managed to latch onto my chest and right leg. Once they had hooked into me, they began to bite and claw with desperate, savage intensity.

I was wearing jeans chosen for their durability for this trip to Southern Lu, and the fabric held up long enough to prevent them from biting through immediately. My upper body, however, was not so fortunate. Due to the "scheming" of the Master of Severed Heavens, I had already shed my coat and the mourning hemp cloth I’d worn for the old squad leader. Now, I was left only in a thin grey shirt. The cat clinging to my chest bit down just once, and its fangs easily pierced through the fabric. A piercing, agonizing pain radiated from my chest through my entire body.

In the midst of the pain, the chair was too clumsy to be of further use. Fortunately, my mind remained clear. I realized that while the chair was ineffective, I still had a military knife in my pocket. In a flash, I reached into my pocket and whipped out my trusty Swiss army knife. With a flick of my wrist, I straightened the small folding blade. In the blink of an eye, I slashed diagonally, driving the sharp, compact blade into the old cat on my chest. The tip of the knife swept across its throat like a swallow skimming over autumn waves.

The cat’s head went limp; it was dead in an instant.

I turned and used the chair to swat away a grey-striped tabby charging at me, then lashed out with my foot, kicking away the white-bodied, black-faced cat that had been clawing frantically at my leg.

The brutal battle truly began. The swarm circled me faster and faster, eventually reaching the intensity of a whirlwind. From within that unpredictable vortex, cats continuously leaped out to claw at my body—my neck, my head, my pant legs, my back. Their attacks were erratic and launched from wickedly difficult angles.

Soon, I was overwhelmed. Under the fanatical assault, three or four cats were hanging off my lower body, and at least three more were crawling on my back. Most terrifyingly, a small cat suddenly dropped from the eaves, digging its claws into my hair and refusing to let go.

As the number of cats on my body increased, my movements grew sluggish. Once I slowed down, even more cats swarmed me. Caught in this vicious cycle, I was quickly reaching my limit. My body was covered in scratches and bite marks, and the weight of the beasts was dragging me down.

In a daze, I suddenly realized I could not fall. Falling was exactly what these cats wanted. Once I hit the ground, I would be torn to pieces, and the footwork and movement I relied on to evade them would become useless. More importantly, they would be able to attack my head and neck—the vital points I had been fighting tooth and nail to protect—without restraint.

In my desperation, I stared at the tidal wave of cats, numbly holding on with the single conviction that I must remain standing. In that numbness, I sincerely hoped for a miracle, though I had no idea what that miracle might be.

It was precisely at this moment that the situation I feared most occurred. While running blindly to protect myself, I tripped over a gap in the stone paving of Li Douniu’s courtyard.

*I’m done for,* was the only thought that crossed my mind. *Sunk by a gutter.*

My body slid sideways, and then, one by one, the cats piled onto me. The weight of the beasts quickly left me gasping for air. I tried to keep resisting, but pinned beneath the swarm, I couldn't move so much as a finger. I expected to be torn apart, but the creatures merely held me pinned to the ground, restricting my movement.

When I was completely immobilized, the swarm suddenly went quiet. I didn't know what they were planning. The silence lasted for about half a minute before the view before me cleared. The cat rumps pressing against my head shifted, opening a window for me to see and finally allowing me to breathe normally.

I lifted my head, but I didn't see the courtyard walls or the sky as I had expected.

I saw a pair of eyes.

I knew those eyes all too well. They belonged to none other than the "Lamp King," the cat with the dancing flames!

A bitter smile formed in my mind. Before me, the Lamp King sat perched among the swarm, still exuding an imposing air. It still held its pitch-black, furry tail high in a show of dominance, though it looked somewhat comical now that I had severed two segments of it. Looking at the Lamp King, I realized it was still "angry" and still seeking "revenge." Just like the situation in the tangled woods on Old Qi Road, it wanted to finish me off personally to avenge its tail and that bug that glowed red. As Zhao Hong had warned me, this creature was truly a vengeful master!

Just like in the tangled woods, the Lamp King’s eyes flashed with fury as it extended a finger—sharp as a sickle—and moved to slash at my neck. Its eyes were filled with the thrill of vengeance.

But just as I reached the depths of despair, the gate to Li Douniu’s courtyard was kicked open with a thunderous crash. The arrival instantly drew the cats' attention, forcing the Lamp King to retract the sickle-like claw that was about to rake across my neck.

Both the cat and I looked up at the intruder.

*Holy hell!* I thought in shock. *How could it be him?*