Cat Raising Tips

It was a rainy Thursday, Xue Ming had just gotten off the high-speed train.

He and Xiao Qi parted ways in Hong Kong, and he only stayed in Heng Yin for two days before returning home. Leaving the underground world, Fragrant Dream felt as if it had discovered a new continent; this was the first time it had seen the myriad lights of the mortal world.

Unlike train stations, the East High-Speed Railway Station, which is sparsely populated, has a more welcoming atmosphere and fewer drivers soliciting passengers.

Fragrant Dream followed Xue Ming closely, curiously observing the passing travelers.

--It puts its hands behind its head and walks forward leisurely. When it is sure that these ordinary people cannot see it, it becomes excited and sometimes sticks close to passers-by to sniff their scent and observe their clothes and appearance.

Xue Ming had prepared a writing board in advance. He didn't want to attract too much attention, so when communicating with Fragrant Dream, he used the writing board to express simple instructions. Otherwise, others would think he was a mentally ill person talking to himself.

"Come over."

Fragrant Dream immediately ran to Xue Ming's side; she was a well-behaved and obedient cat.

"I said, what should I call you?"

Xue Ming bought a ticket for the intercity bus, checked his nucleic acid test code with the staff at the ticket office, patted Fragrant Dream on the back, and headed towards the bus station with Hunwei.

How would you like to call me?

Fragrant Dream pondered, "Should I call you master?"

Xue Ming smiled and said, "Let's not?"

Fragrant Dream: "Then let's switch roles? I'd like to ask you that question: how should you address me?"

Xue Ming: "Fragrant Dream?"

The big cat immediately stuck out its tongue in dissatisfaction. "You really hate this name! You absolutely hate it!"

"Yes, it's too long." Xue Ming listened to the pattering rain and saw the bus pulling into the station in the distance. "I've entrusted my life to you. If I'm a beat too slow in speaking and you don't understand what I mean, and we end up hand in hand reporting to the King of Hell, that would be such a waste."

Steel Cat's eyes lit up, and he grabbed the bus handrail to board first. "Then just call me [SD] -- I remember on the plane, that's what that guy named Duran called me too."

"Okay." Jiang Xueming found a seat and sat down, and the big cat sat down next to Xue Ming.

"Then it's settled!" Fragrant Dream gave Thumb, displaying a touch of the coquettishness of its mother, Ming De, in her female demon form. "You call me [SD], I'll call you Gunsmith. We'll never hold each other back, and we'll never take advantage of each other."

Jiang Xueming: "Taking advantage?"

Fragrant Dream: "Yes! Was there something else you were thinking about before?"

Jiang Xueming: "Explain in detail."

The big cat counted on its fingers, its eyes involuntarily glancing out the window, as if watching the chaotic raindrops, the distant Dashan, and the Yuming River.

Fragrant Dream sat cross-legged on a plastic chair, and after a long while finally said, "Have you ever thought about whether I, Hunwei, count as your child—right?"

"Indeed." Jiang Xueming spoke frankly, after all, there was nothing to hide about his soul. "I'm also very curious, are you a male cat or a female cat?"

Fragrant Dream immediately grinned mischievously. "Want to know? Come and take off my skirt armor! Come and try!"

"Let's forget about it." Jiang Xueming casually drew a big red X on the whiteboard. "You and the BOSS are just too alike."

Whether it's the way it curls up, the way it sharpens its claws like nail clippers, or the pair of golden eyes that emerge from its iron helmet, its cleverness, and its unstoppable energy when it hears a sound— Jiang Xueming even thought that this Soul Might was actually an external incarnation of the BOSS.

Jiang Xueming leaned against the window sill, and as the bus started moving, he began to observe the scenery along the way, casually asking, "SD, how much do you know about my past?"

Without hesitation, Fragrant Dream replied, "I am your soul, of course I know everything!"

Jiang Xueming: "But you feel like a stranger to me."

Fragrant Dream: "That's normal. You laugh at how handsome you are every time you look in the mirror."

Jiang Xueming: "Really?"

Fragrant Dream: "You can't see it, but I can feel it."

Jiang Xueming: "Anything else?"

Fragrant Dream: "Your left biceps are a little stronger than your right, which is different from what you guessed about muscle structure—actually, it's because you're anxious and always feel that your left hand isn't strong enough, so you specifically trained it, and now your right hand is holding you back."

Jiang Xueming: "Thank you."

Fragrant Dream put her arm around Xue Ming's shoulder. "You're welcome!"

Things started to get strange--

--This is what Xue Ming wrote in his notebook.

"Rather than saying that Fragrant Dream is my spirit, it's more like a teacher who knows my physical and mental state inside and out."

"Mmm-hmm. Yes, yes, yes." Fragrant Dream nudged Xue Ming's arm and wrote more words in the notebook.

Jiang Xueming followed the handwriting and muttered, "Respect it, treat it like a brother, like an elder. It would be best to build a shrine for it, make an image of it, and send some offerings to it every day. Although the spirit cannot taste, if someone believes in it, it will definitely respond."

Jiang Xueming started to laugh as he wrote this.

"Did you learn this from the boss?"

"Only half right!" Fragrant Dream crossed her arms, looking smug and self-satisfied. "The first half was the airs that Ming De put on, and the second half was what Mr. Wen Bucai taught me."

Jiang Xueming finally remembered this incident—when he was initially perched on the back seat of Mr. Wen Bucai, he heard the VIP's heartfelt roar.

Whenever someone cries for help and asks for assistance to save them from danger, he can't control his legs and runs towards the person calling for help.

The experiences on his journey forged this spiritual body, forged Jiang Xueming's soul.

He's no longer the popsicle boy he was a year ago—not even a cold, hard piece of iron.

"They were long ago melted into molten iron by a falling meteor!" Fragrant Dream cried out comfortably, "Jiang Xueming! I am you! I am you!"

"That's strange," Jiang Xueming tilted her head and murmured softly, "Am I really that cheerful?"

"Commander Jessica told us!" Fragrant Dream emphasized, "There's a taste of iron in human blood! A taste of iron! Say it in a very cool tone! Although Commander Jessica herself doesn't understand the meaning of the sentence—it just works."

If Jiang Xueming, far away in the FE204863 universe, knew about this, he would drool with envy and regret.

The buildings outside the window rushed past like a whirlwind, and the bungalows of the villages along the way connected to the verdant fields.

Xue Ming liked this feeling, watching the horizon slowly move, and the intense summer sunlight appeared between the sky and the earth.

Raindrops hit the glass, instantly turning into tiny water droplets, carrying the earthy smell of soil.

The crickets and frogs formed a chorus, as if all the vitality of life burst forth in an instant through everything.

"What other characteristics are there? You can tell me slowly."

Hunwei looked outside with Xue Ming and immediately replied without hesitation, "Weren't you curious whether I'm a male or female cat? Of course I'm a male cat! Are you a woman? It's just that I look younger because..."

"I know—we're still young, and it's a long way from us becoming gloomy adults." Xue Ming had already learned to answer quickly.

"And there's more!" Steel Cat continued, "I don't like crowded places; I feel uncomfortable when a lot of people are staring at me."

Xue Ming: "Is that Teacher A Ling?"

Steel Cat: "I want to leave work on time and don't want to exert myself unnecessarily, but I will definitely carry out your orders to the fullest extent, just like a knight guarding your side! I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Xue Ming: "It's Jack Martin."

Steel Cat: "I hate boring material, especially when something is too dull."

Xue Ming: "Teacher Victor."

Steel Cat: "I'm so proud! I can't stand the slightest grievance! If anyone says anything bad about me, I'll immediately go and prove them wrong!"

Xue Ming: "It's Jason Megan."

The imprints left by these Morpho butterflies as they flap their wings indirectly gave birth to [Fragrant Dream].

--Just like a baby's wet nurse, it remembers each one clearly.

With each sentence SD spoke, Xue Ming would draw a sketch on the whiteboard, handing the eraser to Hunwei. Once Hunwei was satisfied, it would quickly erase the pencil marks from the board. The children in the back seat stared in disbelief at this scene.

The bus arrived at the station, Jiang Xueming, leaning on her umbrella, walked out towards the pedestrian walkway of Pingyang Agricultural University.

Fragrant Dream slipped inside the umbrella, seemingly also disliking getting wet, it murmured to Xue Ming.

"Do you know? Every time you're sad, I live in your heart, and my tears fall like a torrential downpour!"

Xue Ming: "Alright, I understand. This is what Meteor said to you—it's from <Bleach>. Do you also want to hand over Zangetsu to me?"

"Hehe!" Fragrant Dream was a little embarrassed, but she had to finish her sentence: "When Bailu fell ill, my Taowu Mother Goddess above—your heart was like a mountain torrent bursting forth, and I was just a hair's breadth away from leaving your body."

"I care about this younger sister very much." Jiang Xueming emphasized, "SD, you should know that in this city, it's not easy to be a good person. I didn't turn to crime because I wanted to set a good example for her."

"I know, I know. I know everything—" Fragrant Dream nodded all the way, following Xue Ming to the outside of the milk tea shop. "—Your next question is related to 9527."

"Yes." Xue Ming stopped at the small station of the food delivery counter and discussed with Hun Wei, "What do you think of her?"

Fragrant Dream immediately said, "She's so spicy she's practically smoking."

Jiang Xueming was very surprised. "Really? You really think so?"

Fragrant Dream's expression suddenly became ambiguous, like the mischievous cat Tom discussing how to set a trap for Jerry.

"Yes, I won't lie to you, I am your soul."

Jiang Xueming: "How spicy is it?"

Fragrant Dream immediately said, "Do you remember the outfit she wore before Christmas when she came to you wearing a little reindeer?"

Jiang Xueming: "I remember."

Fragrant Dream: "At that moment, your brain was releasing hormones like crazy. In that instant, when you smelled her perfume and sweat pheromones, to use a more euphemistic term in your human context, it was love at first sight."

Jiang Xueming: "What about a less tactful way of putting it?"

Fragrant Dream thought for a moment, then decided to be more subtle, because it was Jiang Xueming's soul, and she couldn't be too direct about it. "You want to buy a new baby reindeer with her."

Jiang Xueming: "That's strange."

"There's nothing strange about it." Fragrant Dream helped Xue Ming close the umbrella. "That signal was too obvious. You're still in the egg stage, moving towards pupation. You can't get enough sleep all day long, but when you see Bai Qingqing, you'll perk up and rely on the dopamine in your brain to keep moving, changing her shoes and wiping her mouth. The body and mind don't lie, let alone me?"

Jiang Xueming: "I thought it would be earlier, but it's actually around that time?"

"It's just an image, a fairly obvious characteristic!" Fragrant Dream cleverly changed her tune immediately. "Just like a child grows up gradually, can anyone really be sure when they fell in love with someone?"

Faced with this most important event in his life, Jiang Xueming still had some concerns. "Do you think we're a good match?"

"Perfect!" Fragrant Dream proclaimed loudly, like a wedding emcee. "What are you worried about? Let me guess!"

The clever and restless Soul Might immediately wove a pair of wings for itself, and dressed up as a ferocious demon like Madness Butterfly.

"Are you worried that her transformation is too slow? Are you unable to protect her?"

Then it took off its armor, and its cheeks instantly became thinner, as if drained, leaving it weak and powerless.

Are you worried that married life will overwhelm you, and that the daily grind of cooking and cleaning will drain you dry?

Then I saw it holding a swaddling cloth made of steel armor, winking at Xue Ming.

"Are you worried about your first child?"

A Little Kitty doll emerged from the swaddling clothes, emitting a strange, cackling laugh.

"Like a little devil?"

Jiang Xueming felt extremely confused. Was this really his soul?

Such a strong desire to perform, as if they have endless things to say and never enough work to do.

In the end Fragrant Dream returned to its original state and revealed Xue Ming's truest thoughts.

"The future is for you to handle, Gunsmith. We have plenty of time."

Jiang Xueming thought for a long time before finally saying, "You won't come to make trouble in my bridal chamber on our wedding night, right?"

Fragrant Dream blinked, remaining silent for a long time.

Jiang Xueming: "No, right?"

Fragrant Dream: "I will absolutely not run away without your order."

Jiang Xueming: "Swear it."

Fragrant Dream: "I swear."

Right now, at this very moment--

--Ye Bei and his mischievous cat maintain a very high level of synchronization.

They squatted in front of the milk tea shop, watching Jiang Xueming and listening to Fragrant Dream's back-and-forth performance.

Ye Bei's jaw almost dropped to the ground; his physique Chang Ghost was perfectly capable of performing something as difficult as jaw dislocation.

The Qiongqi and the good servant look exactly alike, proving that cats really are liquid. They just rolled up their overly long tongues and put them back in their mouths.

Ye Bei: "How exactly did he do that?"

Qiongqi: "How exactly did it do that?"

Upon seeing an acquaintance, Xue Ming pulled his spirit back into his body and greeted him with a beaming smile.

"Brother Ye Bei! I'm back!"

Then he went to embrace this guide in life. Qiongqi jumped back onto Ye Bei's shoulder at the right time, widened its eyes, and observed the soul in Xue Ming's body. Its nose twitched, trying to carefully smell the Taowu's scent.

"Oh! Wow! My Goddess Nuwa!"

This naughty cat immediately filled in about 150,000 words of "unrequited love between humans and animals" in its head, all made up, not a single word of truth.

Ye Bei greeted him as usual, "Long time no see, male lead!"

When Xue Ming heard those words again, he suddenly felt a little dazed for no reason. Time is a strange thing. The last time he heard those words was a year ago. In just one short year, so many things have happened.

"Big brother, where did you go?" Xue Ming followed Ye Bei into the shop.

There weren't many people at the milk tea shop, and students wouldn't bother to come out of the university town on a rainy day.

As Ye Bei tidied up the front desk, he greeted the part-time students and told them to leave early. Then he turned to Xue Ming.

"Slovenia, there's a Spirit Calamity there, I'm going there to fight the monsters."

Qiongqi stretched out its little paws and poked and touched Xue Ming, its eyes full of curiosity. When it heard Ye Bei use an old word, it immediately corrected him.

"Fight the Disaster Beast."

Ye Bei: "Yes, yes, let's fight the disaster beast."

Xue Ming immediately became interested. "What is it?"

Ye Bei shook his head and sighed, "It's either a natural disaster or a man-made one. I'll just focus on fighting it. Investigating its background and origins is the intelligence department's job."

As soon as Xue Ming sat down, Brother Bei brought over hot tea and snacks, demonstrating his exceptional service skills.

"Brother, did you call me back because you need something?"

"Yes!" Ye Bei replied, and immediately walked towards the storeroom, where he saw him carrying a stack of documents. "The Ghost Festival is coming soon, do you know what this means?"

Xue Ming: "That means the Ghost Festival is coming soon."

Qiongqi: "Is your kung fu here all passed down from the same lineage?"

"Hahahaha!" Ye Bei laughed loudly at first, then immediately regained his composure, switching expressions very quickly. "It has no sense of humor, please forgive it."

Xue Ming: "I think I understand, Brother Ye Bei. You can't handle the Spirit Calamity on Earth, so you need my help?"

Ye Bei divided the documents into one-third, totaling four files, and placed them in front of Xue Ming. This tough and unyielding man suddenly knelt down in front of Xue Ming.

"Please, bro! I have to rest on Saturday and Sunday. Forget about the Spirit Calamity outside, if I don't make it back in time to make soup for my wife, she'll be struck by Spirit Calamity on the spot!"

Xue Ming gently helped Beizi up, feeling quite surprised.

"--Be alright."