The Cat Clan's Current State

The Cat Clan's Current State

After Qian Renxue entered the palace, Clear Radiance Pavilion fell quiet.

White Dew lay by the window, watching the courtyard outside intently.

Meow Meow curled up on a soft cushion, tail wrapped around himself, not sleeping just yet.

He had made it to Heaven Dou City.

He had even infiltrated the Crown Prince's Mansion.

But he'd been gone from the East Side Courtyard for so long. He couldn't just leave everything there unattended.

Although Bell-Led Master Seeking showed that Bibi Dong's condition was stable, with no dangerous fluctuations.

But stable or not, he still needed to check on the cat group.

Meow Meow closed his eyes, and the Calming Bell rang softly.

Ding.

A faint chime spread through his mind.

Soon, Holy Fire Resonance from the East Side Courtyard stirred.

Fragmented images slowly surfaced in Meow Meow's mind.

First, the East Side Courtyard.

The brazier was still there.

The Sacred Fire Warm Nest was still there, too.

Several newborn kittens were curled up beside the nest, their little bellies rising and falling as they slept soundly.

Snowball lay nearby, occasionally opening his eyes to look around.

Little Flame sat by the window, the Gentle Warmth radiating from his body in a slow, steady stream, like a tiny brazier.

Seeing that, Meow Meow breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

Nothing was in disarray.

At least there was no sign of A Ju leading a bunch of cats to clean out the Pope's Palace kitchen.

But he soon realized he'd relaxed too soon.

The image shifted farther out.

The East Side Courtyard was no longer just the East Side Courtyard.

Centered around that little courtyard, cats had been active in several nearby side corridors, the kitchen's side entrance, the flower beds, and even a few paths outside the Pope's Palace.

They weren't running around at random.

They had assigned roles.

Charcoal Ball led several black cats on patrols at night.

They kept close to walls and the shadows of pillars, making almost no sound.

At each corridor, they stopped to sniff the air.

If they caught the scent of an unfamiliar Soul Master, they scratched a small mark onto a nearby stone chip.

Blue Tail had carved faint patterns into the stone chips, which could send the scent and location back to the East Side Courtyard.

Meow Meow stared in surprise.

"Is this... a patrol system?"

Before leaving, all he'd done was put Charcoal Ball in charge of the night patrol.

He hadn't expected the guy to turn it into a proper routine.

He'd even learned to keep records.

The image shifted to the kitchen.

A Ju was crouched at the feet of a female attendant.

His tail swished gently.

He tilted his head.

The attendant had been carrying a plate of minced meat past him. Seeing him like that, she clearly couldn't resist. She crouched down and rubbed his head.

Then she took a small piece of meat from the plate and gave it to him.

A Ju ate it quite naturally.

After finishing, he didn't leave right away. Instead, he looked up and meowed.

Two kittens immediately ran out nearby. Each picked up a small piece of meat and carried it back to the East Side Courtyard.

Meow Meow fell silent.

"Well, I'll be."

"Has A Ju turned outreach into logistics?"

Even more ridiculously, there was a wooden board behind A Ju.

Several lines of faint marks had been scratched into it with claws.

Through Holy Fire Resonance, Meow Meow could roughly make out what they meant.

Which female attendant liked to pet cats.

Which steward was quickest to hand over meat.

Which palace guard Soul Master only gave them water and no food.

Which cook said they weren't allowed to come, but always prepared an extra portion anyway.

A Ju had recorded it all.

He'd even ranked them.

Meow Meow's mouth twitched.

"This guy..."

"Is he making a feeding list in Spirit Hall?"

"No wonder the cats in the East Side Courtyard have been getting fatter lately."

He'd leave A Ju aside for now.

The image shifted to the flower beds.

Swirl was leading several tabby cats in a queue beside the flower bed.

A string of tiny bell tags lay in front of them.

Each tag had a different little mark carved into it.

Swirl inspected them one by one.

After checking each tag, he had a kitten carry it away.

Before long, the kitten ran beneath another corridor and hung the tag on an inconspicuous hook in the corner.

Meow Meow carefully sensed it and realized the tags were used to pass messages.

They weren't Soul Tools.

They were more like little gadgets made by adapting the Calming Bell's resonance.

Their range was limited.

They could only send simple messages around the Pope's Palace.

Like "someone's here."

Or "the food's here."

Or "Her Holiness is asleep."

Or "A Ju stole food again."

When Meow Meow saw the last one, he couldn't help laughing.

"Swirl's pretty clever."

"He's trying to turn the whole Pope's Palace into a cat-style intelligence network."

But the one who surprised Meow Meow most was Blue Tail.

Blue Tail was in the little room at the innermost part of the East Side Courtyard.

The room had originally been used to store the brazier and spare cushions.

Now, though, it had been converted into a tiny "formation room."

Lots of little stones were scattered across the floor.

Some were ordinary stones.

Others carried traces of Soul Power.

Blue Tail crouched in the middle, facing a small, smooth stone slab.

Many faint lines had been carved into it.

Several kittens gathered around, watching closely.

Blue Tail extended a paw and drew a line across the slab.

A wisp of Soul Power flowed along the carved lines.

The next moment, a stone chip on the other side glimmered faintly.

The watching kittens all meowed in unison.

They sounded impressed.

Meow Meow was dumbfounded.

"Formation lessons?"

"While I was away, they've already started taking classes?"

Blue Tail usually seemed quiet.

He hadn't expected him to actually be studying formation patterns.

The little formations were very simple.

At most, they could transmit sounds, record images, pinpoint locations, or give warnings.

But for a group of kittens who'd only recently undergone Spirit Ignition, that was already quite an achievement.

Especially since they weren't Soul Masters.

Nor did they have any proper foundation in Soul Tools.

They'd come up with most of it by building on a few things Meow Meow had casually mentioned before, then figuring out the rest themselves.

That made it all the more ridiculous.

The more Meow Meow watched, the quieter he became.

He'd thought that without him around, the East Side Courtyard would mostly be about eating, sleeping, and patrolling.

But now it seemed the cats had started building a whole system behind his back.

Courtyard patrols.

Logistics.

Messaging.

Formations.

A warm nest for kittens.

Even companionship for the Pope's Palace.

They'd left nothing out.

And the more he looked, the more they seemed like a miniature Cat Clan.

Not just an ordinary cat nest.

A real, organized Cat Clan.

Meow Meow felt something he couldn't quite put into words.

He was a little proud.

And a little baffled.

"This cat only went away for a while."

"When I get back, will they have decided to elect an elder council?"

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the image shifted to the main room of the East Side Courtyard.

Charcoal Ball, Snowball, A Ju, Swirl, Blue Tail, and Little Flame were all there.

The six cats sat in a circle.

A wooden board lay in the middle.

It was covered in crooked claw marks.

Meow Meow read them through the resonance.

They were probably about a few recent matters in the East Side Courtyard.

First, the Warm Nest needed to be expanded.

Second, Kitten School needed to add a "recognizing people" class.

Third, A Ju had applied for an extra serving from the kitchen.

Fourth, Blue Tail needed more stones.

Fifth, Charcoal Ball thought there had been more unfamiliar Soul Masters near the Pope's Palace lately and wanted to increase the night patrols.

Sixth, Little Flame insisted that all cats stay quiet when near Bibi Dong's bedroom.

Meow Meow: "..."

So they really were holding a meeting.

It wasn't an elder council, but it was getting close.

Charcoal Ball was the most levelheaded. He scratched a mark onto the board first.

It meant the night patrols should be increased.

Snowball nodded along.

Little Flame nodded too.

A Ju didn't seem to care much about the night patrol. His paw stayed near the line marked "extra meals."

Swirl glanced at him and quickly batted his paw away.

A Ju looked a little aggrieved.

Blue Tail paid them no mind at all, continuing to lower his head and study his stones.

The sight left Meow Meow with mixed feelings.

"Not bad."

"Really not bad."

"It's just A Ju who still needs keeping in line."

The scene then shifted to Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong was in her study.

She sat at her desk handling documents, her expression as cool as ever.

Snowball was sprawled on the corner of the desk.

Little Flame lay at her feet.

Outside the window, a black cat's shadow flashed past. One of Charcoal Ball's patrol was making the rounds.

Bibi Dong seemed to have grown used to this.

Now and then, after finishing a page of documents, she would casually stroke Snowball's head.

Little Flame purred very softly at her feet.

The sound was different from Meow Meow's own purr.

Weaker.

But steady enough.

The restlessness around Bibi Dong had eased a little more than it had before Meow Meow left.

It hadn't disappeared completely.

But at least that chill wasn't pressing down on her constantly anymore.

Meow Meow felt relieved as he watched.

"His Holiness the Pope is doing all right."

"With Little Flame and Snowball keeping watch, there's no need to worry for now."

But as he kept watching, Meow Meow suddenly noticed something.

There was a small cushion on the right side of Bibi Dong's desk.

It was clearly meant for a cat.

But it was empty.

Snowball was lying on the other side.

Little Flame hadn't gone over, either.

Meow Meow stared at it for a long while before belatedly realizing that it might be a place left for him.

"..."

He fell silent for a moment.

Then his tail lowered slightly, all on its own.

"Don't be like that."

"This cat's only going out for a few days. It's not like I'm not coming back."

But even he knew he sounded a little unsure.

He was already in Heaven Dou City.

Next, he still had to help Qian Renxue deal with matters at the Crown Prince's Mansion and in Heavenly Dou.

He really couldn't say when he'd return to Spirit City.

Meow Meow suddenly felt a little wistful.

He'd always thought he was just going out for a little while.

But now, looking at the East Side Courtyard and the empty cushion beside Bibi Dong's desk, he realized he'd left his mark in many places.

He couldn't simply walk away from them all.

"What a bother."

Meow Meow sighed softly.

"Being too popular as a cat is stressful, too."

But the system's notification soon pulled his thoughts back.

[ Ding! The group structure of the Sacred Flame Spirit Cats has begun to take shape. ]

[ Current development priorities of the East Side Courtyard: patrol, calming, communication, formation patterns, logistics, and kitten rearing. ]

[ Reward: Meow Wish Value × 80. ]

[ Meow Pet Skill unlocked: Distant Bell Communication. ]

Meow Meow's eyes lit up.

"There's a reward, too?"

"Great, I'll take it."

[ Distant Bell Communication: The host can use the Calming Bell to communicate brief messages over long distances with core Sacred Flame Spirit Cats. Current contacts: Little Flame, Charcoal Ball, Snowball, A Ju, Swirl, Blue Tail, White Dew. ]

Meow Meow perked up at once.

This skill was just what he needed.

Before, he could only sense images and conditions through their resonance.

But he couldn't send messages reliably.

Now that he had Distant Bell Communication, he could at least give them simple instructions.

He tried contacting Little Flame first.

[Little Flame.]

Almost in the next instant, Little Flame's ears pricked up where he lay in the study.

He lifted his head and looked around.

Then an emotion came through almost at once.

[Meow Meow?]

Meow Meow felt a warmth in his heart.

[It's me.]

[I'm in Heaven Dou City now. I'm safe for the time being.]

[You and Snowball keep watching over Her Holiness the Pope. No fooling around.]

Little Flame's emotions flared with excitement.

But he quickly reined them in.

[Got it.]

[She's been sleeping better lately.]

Meow Meow felt even more reassured.

[Thanks for all your hard work.]

Little Flame sent back a very earnest emotion.

[It's only right.]

The little guy was more and more like a proper manager cat.

Meow Meow contacted Charcoal Ball next.

[You can add another round to the night patrol, but don't go near the Worship Hall.]

Charcoal Ball replied quickly.

[Understood.]

[There are lots of unfamiliar Soul Masters.]

Meow Meow's thoughts stirred.

[From which direction?]

Charcoal Ball sent back impressions of several different auras.

Meow Meow sensed them as best he could.

They didn't seem like people from within Spirit Hall.

They seemed more like Soul Masters who had recently come from elsewhere.

They might have come to Spirit City on business, or they might be seeking to join Spirit Hall.

They didn't seem dangerous for now.

[Just remember their scents. Don't alert them.]

Charcoal Ball calmly acknowledged the instruction.

Next came A Ju.

As soon as Meow Meow contacted him, the first emotion A Ju sent back was happiness.

The second was hurt feelings.

The third was hunger.

Meow Meow: "..."

[Don't steal too much food.]

A Ju was silent for a moment.

Then came a very honest emotion.

[Already ate.]

Meow Meow nearly laughed.

[Then eat less.]

[Also, keep recording the feeding list. Don't just note who gives you the most meat. Keep track of anyone who approaches the East Side Courtyard an unusually high number of times, too.]

This time, A Ju took the matter seriously.

[Understood.]

Last was Blue Tail.

The emotion Blue Tail sent over was the calmest.

It was as if he'd been waiting for Meow Meow all along.

[Not enough stones.]

Meow Meow: "..."

Though brief, the message was very much in Blue Tail's style.

[I'll find you some when I get back.]

[Don't go tearing up the tiles in the Pope's Palace.]

Blue Tail was silent for a moment.

[Didn't.]

Meow Meow suddenly felt uneasy.

[Really?]

[Only tore up a small piece.]

Meow Meow: "..."

He knew it.

"Forget it."

"I'll deal with it when I get back."

After that round of calls, Meow Meow finally felt completely at ease.

The East Side Courtyard didn't fall apart without him.

On the contrary, the cats had already started moving forward on their own.

That made him feel both pleased and strangely wistful.

It was like raising kittens who, one day, suddenly learned to find food for themselves.

That was, of course, a good thing.

But it also meant he couldn't keep treating them like little things that knew nothing.

White Dew came over from the window then and gently rubbed against Meow Meow's forepaw.

It had sensed the shift in his emotions.

Meow Meow looked down at him and patted his head.

"It's nothing."

"I just realized that our group of cats might be even more capable than I thought."

White Dew let out a soft meow.

As if to say, We've always been capable.

Meow Meow smiled.

"Fine."

"From now on, you'll have to learn to stand on your own at the Crown Prince's Mansion, too."

"Don't let down the East Side Courtyard."

White Dew immediately sat up straight.

He looked just like Snowball when he was being serious.

Meow Meow felt a good deal better.

Outside the window, the Crown Prince's Mansion remained quiet.

Qian Renxue still hadn't returned.

The breeze from Heaven Dou City swept over the courtyard wall, carrying a faintly unfamiliar scent.

Meow Meow settled back by the window, his tail swaying gently.

"The East Side Courtyard is stable now."

"Next, we should see if we can nurture anything here in Heavenly Dou, too."