Cat Seven

"What? You gave up the Year Eater skill?" The cat-shaped relief's eyes nearly popped out upon hearing Jiang Yue's statement.

"Kid, is your head full of water? Or did you drink too much?"

"I've never seen anyone choose to give up a novice mission reward package. You'll know later, Spirits are rarely this generous. And you, you treated it like trash, exchanging it for points? What good are points anyway?"

Although he was the previous one, after the Spirit restarted, all the settings were brand new. In this new setting, he naturally didn't know what good points were.

But he understood the phrase "treated like trash." To treat a perfectly good skill as trash, what kind of mind-numbing operation was that?

Jiang Yue, however, didn't regret his choice.

Stealing others' lifespans to extend his own life, he truly couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.

One moment a dragon slayer, the next a dragon, Jiang Yue clearly couldn't accept such a stunt.

The previous incumbent of the cat-shaped relief continued to chatter incessantly.

Jiang Yue wasn't annoyed; after all, his actions did have many points of contention from the other's perspective.

"The Hundred Evils Immunity Halo is great, of course, but it only lasts three months. It's a temporary skill. It's nowhere near as practical as the first skill. That one is a lifelong skill. To be given a lifelong skill right at the start, and you rejected it. The Spirit must have been so angry it laughed at you too?"

"Kid, you're speeding down the road to self-destruction right from the start. I feel like if you keep this up, becoming a previous incumbent yourself will just be a matter of time."

"Stop calling me 'kid.' I have a name. Even if you've lived for thousands of years, you have to respect the current incumbent. Don't forget, your freedom is in my hands."

"Me? Hmph..." The previous incumbent of the cat-shaped relief grunted, clearly highly unconvinced.

"What about me? Can't you see that I'm the next incumbent you've been waiting for?" Having just completed the Year Eater mission, Jiang Yue's mindset was filled with optimism.

"Heh, you just finished the novice mission and your confidence has swelled. I can understand you saying some bold words." The previous incumbent's words carried a hint of sourness.

"Alright! I know you're jealous. Let's reintroduce ourselves. My name is Jiang Yue, don't call me 'kid' anymore. I've still got the strength to swing a hammer." Jiang Yue said with a smile.

"Uh..."

The previous incumbent was speechless for a moment. He swore this was the most arrogant and disrespectful successor he had ever encountered.

Previously, as a guide, every successor he met showed him reverence and respect when they first encountered the Spirit.

No matter how sarcastic he was, they would interpret it as: "The predecessor is nagging because he cares about me."

But this one didn't play by the rules at all.

Threatening to swing a hammer at any moment, where was the respect for elders and care for the young? Where was the seniority system?

"Hello? I asked for your name?"

"Forget it, a washed-up person like you, no need to mention your name, it would dishonor the ancestors. I am the Spirit's seventh bridge, you can call me Cat Seven."

One could hear the great resentment in his tone towards the Spirit's fickleness, discarding him after he served his purpose.

"Cat Seven? That's a nice name. By the way, for the past two thousand years, have you always been a relief on the wall?"

"Are you rubbing salt in my wounds?" Cat Seven's tone was mournful.

"Purely curious! Honestly, if I had a way, I'd definitely help you out of this predicament. Two thousand years of imprisonment, honestly, it's too cruel."

"You mean it?" Cat Seven sounded a little surprised.

"Believe it or not. There's a saying, 'When one rabbit dies, the fox grieves.' Haven't you heard of it?"

"I don't understand. I'm a cat, not a rabbit."

"Alright, alright, it's just a saying. You said this villa was only built over a hundred years ago, so I'm curious, what form did you take before?"

"Sometimes I was a mural, sometimes a pattern on a carpet, sometimes the carvings on furniture, sometimes a wooden sculpture... It's been too long, I can barely remember how many forms I've had."

Indeed, it was a sad past. Jiang Yue decided not to add to his misery.

Let's talk about something happy.

"Cat Seven, this villa belongs to me from now on, right?"

Although Jiang Yue assumed this, he hadn't received confirmation.

"Anything related to the Spirit belongs to you. Although I don't want to admit it, including myself, I belong to you too."

This statement sounded awkward no matter how he heard it. Upon closer reflection, it felt like a complete breakdown of morality and a distortion of human nature.

You're a cat, and I'm a heterosexual man.

"So, you mean I can live here whenever I want?"

"Of course, it's your territory, you make the rules."

"I can bring whoever I want here?"

"Nonsense." Cat Seven sounded a bit impatient.

"Then what if I have something to say to you, and there are outsiders around? Wouldn't that be inconvenient?"

"No need. As long as the Spirit is present, we can communicate without speaking. Don't worry, under normal circumstances, I'll just be a quiet relief."

"Mhm, mhm. Being a good relief also has its merits. Cat Seven, let me ask you again, are you really not realizing that I'm the successor you've been working so hard to find?"

"Whether you are the successor I've been waiting for, I'm not entirely sure. But you are definitely the most arrogant, most inflated, most brazen, and most shameless successor I've ever met."

"Is that all? It seems I still haven't done enough." Jiang Yue sighed.

"What do you mean?" Cat Seven asked, bewildered.

"Harsh, picky, a womanizer, mischievous, and petty... I still have to work harder. Maybe one day, all those words you use to describe Spirit can be used on me. Perhaps then I'll truly become the successor you're waiting for."

Jiang Yue finished speaking and let out a laugh. Without waiting for Cat Seven's reaction, he headed upstairs.

Cat Seven was stunned.

What kind of logic is that? Can it even be interpreted that way?

Although it was his first time at Villa No. 9, the thought of it becoming his home made Jiang Yue feel completely at ease. He went upstairs and picked the largest room to be his bedroom.

He had to admit, a villa was a villa. The ventilation alone was far superior to an apartment building.

The bedroom Jiang Yue chose had a private bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a small sitting room. The room itself was comparable to a super-luxury hotel suite.

After washing up, he lay down on the bed. It was already past one in the morning.

Jiang Yue opened his phone to a string of missed calls.

There were also quite a few chat messages on WeChat.

Especially from his sister, Jiang Ying. It seemed she was quite upset. Despite her anger, she still cared about her little brother.

Seven or eight call reminders, and over a dozen voice messages on WeChat.

Jiang Yue thought for a moment and typed out a message.

"I'm at the villa on Daozi Lane. Something happened tonight, but I'm fine now. I'll be back tomorrow morning to explain."

He figured typing might worry his sister, so he sent the message via voice input.

Then, he casually sent his location.

As expected, he got an instant reply on WeChat.

"Jiang Yue, what exactly are you up to?"

"Sis, it's hard to explain in a few words. I'll be back tomorrow morning. I'll explain everything when I get home. Don't worry, I'm fine. And you guys will be fine too."

Jiang Ying wasn't one to make a fuss. Although she had worried all night, she knew her brother well. He always acted with discretion, so she figured he must have been delayed by something truly important.

She didn't press further.

Jiang Yue leaned back on the bed, his mind racing, with no desire to sleep.

It had only been two days, yet it felt like two years.

On his way back to Daozi Lane earlier, he passed the entrance to the Elm Street night market. Everything was brightly lit, bustling and vibrant. Even though it was late, the noisy city hadn't quieted down yet.

Everything seemed no different from usual.

People were still drinking, dancing, hanging out at bars, flirting, playing games, scrolling through their phones...

But how much longer would this seemingly peaceful life last?

The answer was likely not optimistic.

He idly scrolled through his phone again.

He saw a message from Li Yue sent a few hours ago.

Li Yue: Do you believe those videos Du Yifeng posted this afternoon?

The world had truly changed.

Li Yue, who rarely contacted anyone, was introverted and shy, had contacted him twice in one day.

That was more contact than in the past two years combined!

How should he reply?

After thinking for a moment, he decided to tell the truth.

Jiang Yue: I believe it.

He expected this message to disappear into the void.

To his surprise, Li Yue replied instantly.

Li Yue: I believe it too.

Jiang Yue was a bit surprised. It was this late, and Li Yue was still awake? And given Li Yue's personality, shouldn't she have a "don't listen, don't look, don't believe" attitude towards something like this?

Jiang Yue: Yeah, let's treat it as real. Perhaps the changes in the future will surprise us even more.

Li Yue: Mm.

Conversations like this, especially with Li Yue, were basically dead ends.

Jiang Yue didn't mind. Abruptly ending conversations was typical of his deskmate, and he was long used to it.

He scrolled down through his WeChat messages, browsing the group chats.

Most groups were still quiet. The group Du Yifeng had created had already accumulated thousands more messages.

Jiang Yue clicked on it and scrolled a bit. There were no new videos, so he lost interest in looking further. Several people had @ed him during that time.

The most recent @ mention was two or three hours ago. It was the middle of the night, and Jiang Yue couldn't be bothered to explain anymore.

Just as he was about to put his phone down and go to sleep.

His phone pinged again.

Could it be Li Yue messaging again? This doesn't seem like her.

"Han Jingjing: Jiang Yue, what are you doing? Asleep yet?"

"Han Jingjing: Why aren't you replying when I @ you in the group chat? Are all university geniuses this busy!"