The Current State of the Cat Clan

# Chapter 17: The Current State of the Cat Clan

After Qian Renxue entered the palace, the Qinghui Pavilion fell quiet.

White Dew lay by the window, staring intently at the courtyard outside.

Meow Meow, meanwhile, curled up on the soft cushion, tail wrapped around himself, not yet asleep.

Heavenly Dou City had been reached.

The Crown Prince's Mansion had been infiltrated as well.

But over at the East Side Courtyard—he'd been away for so long, he couldn't just leave it completely unattended.

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

Stable was stable.

But he still needed to check on how the cats were doing.

Meow Meow closed his eyes. The Calming Bell chimed softly.

Ding.

A very fine thread of bell tone spread through his mind.

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

Fragments of images slowly surfaced in Meow Meow's mind.

First, the East Side Courtyard.

The heater was still there.

The Holy Fire warm nest was still there too.

A few newborn kittens, barely old enough to open their eyes, huddled by the nest's edge, their bellies rising and falling in unison, sleeping soundly.

Snowball lay beside them, opening her eyes every now and then to look around.

Little Flame crouched by the window, her faint warmth radiating slowly, like a small heater.

Seeing this, Meow Meow first let out a sigh of relief.

Good.

Nothing was in chaos.

At least there was no scene of A Ju leading a group of cats to empty out the Pope's Palace kitchen.

But soon, he realized he'd relaxed too early.

The image shifted outward.

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

Centered on that small yard, several nearby side corridors, the back kitchen's side door, the flower garden, and even a few paths outside the Pope's Palace—all showed traces of cat activity.

Not random running around.

There was a division of labor.

Charcoal Ball led a few black cats, specializing in night routes.

They hugged the walls and pillar shadows, nearly soundless.

Every time they passed a doorway or corridor, they would stop and sniff.

If they detected the scent of an unfamiliar soul master, they would lightly scratch a mark on a small stone slab nearby.

That stone slab had shallow engravings carved by Blue Tail, capable of transmitting the scent and location back to the East Side Courtyard.

Meow Meow stared, stunned.

"Is this... a patrol system?"

Before he left, he'd only asked Charcoal Ball to handle night patrols.

He never expected the guy had actually turned night patrol into a proper routine.

And he'd even learned to keep records.

The image shifted again to the back kitchen.

A Ju was crouching at the feet of a female official.

His tail flicked lightly.

His head tilted to one side.

That female official had been passing by carrying a tray of minced meat. Seeing him like this, she clearly couldn't resist. She crouched down and rubbed his head.

Then she divided out a small piece of meat from the tray.

A Ju ate it very naturally.

After finishing, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he looked up and let out a "mew."

Two nearby kittens immediately ran out, each carrying a small piece in its mouth, then turned and brought it back to the East Side Courtyard.

Meow Meow fell silent.

"Well, well."

"Is A Ju turning external relations into logistics?"

Even more absurdly, behind A Ju lay a wooden board.

The board bore several shallow scratch marks from claws.

Through the Holy Fire Resonance, Meow Meow could roughly grasp what those marks meant.

Which lady official liked petting cats.

Which steward gave out meat most generously.

Which guard soul master only offered water, no food.

Which cook said "don't come" but always had an extra portion ready.

A Ju had recorded it all.

He'd even graded different people.

Meow Meow's mouth twitched.

"This guy..."

"Setting up a feeding roster in Martial Soul Hall?"

"No wonder the cats in the East Side Courtyard keep getting fatter."

Setting A Ju aside for now.

The scene shifted to the flower bed.

Swirl was leading a few tabby cats, lining up at the edge of the flower bed.

Before them lay a string of tiny bell tags.

Each tag bore different fine carvings.

Swirl inspected them one by one.

After checking each, he let a small cat take it away.

Soon after, that cat ran to another corridor and hung the tag on an inconspicuous hook in the corner.

Meow Meow focused his senses and realized these were for messaging.

Not Soul Tools.

More like little gadgets modified from the Calming Bell's resonance.

Limited in range.

They could only transmit simple info near the Pope's Palace.

Like "someone's coming."

Like "food's here."

Like "His Holiness is asleep."

Like "A Ju stole food again."

Seeing the last one, Meow Meow finally couldn't help but chuckle.

"Swirl's got skills."

"He's trying to turn the whole Pope's Palace into a cat version of an intelligence network."

But what surprised Meow Meow most was Blue Tail.

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

That room was originally just for storing heaters and spare cushions.

Now it had been turned into a small "formation room."

On the floor lay many small stones.

Some were ordinary rocks.

Others carried a faint ripple of soul power.

Blue Tail crouched in the center, facing a smooth, flat stone slab.

The slab was carved with many shallow lines.

A few small cats surrounded him, watching intently.

Blue Tail extended a claw and swiped across the slab.

A wisp of soul power flowed along the carvings.

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

The watching cats let out a synchronized "mew."

As if in amazement.

Meow Meow watched, somewhat dazed.

"Formation class?"

"In the days I've been gone, they've already started classes?"

That Blue Tail guy, usually so quiet.

Who'd have thought he was actually studying formation patterns.

Sure, those little formations were all simple.

At most, they were for sound transmission, image recording, location tracking, and alerting.

But for a group of kittens who'd only recently been awakened to spirit, it was already quite impressive.

Especially since they weren't soul masters.

And they had no proper foundation in Soul Tools.

Most of what they knew came from a few casual remarks Meow Meow had made back then, plus what they'd figured out on their own.

That made it even more absurd.

The longer Meow Meow watched, the more silent he grew.

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

But now it turned out these cats, behind his back, had already started building a system.

Courtyard patrols.

Logistics.

Messaging.

Formations.

Warming nests for the kittens.

And even escort duty at the Pope's Palace.

Not a single thing was left out.

And the more he looked, the more it resembled a small cat clan.

Not just an ordinary cat nest.

A truly organized cat clan.

Meow Meow felt an indescribable emotion in his heart.

A bit gratified.

And a bit absurd.

"This Cat just went out for a while."

"When I come back, am I going to find they've already planned to elect an elder council?"

No sooner had that thought popped up than the scene shifted to the main room of the East Side Courtyard.

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

Six cats sat in a circle.

In the middle lay a wooden board.

On the board, crooked claw marks were carved.

Meow Meow read them through the resonance.

It was probably a list of recent matters in the East Side Courtyard.

First, the warm nests needed expansion.

Second, the kitten school needed to add a "people-recognition class."

Third, A Ju applied for extra meal rations in the kitchen.

Fourth, Blue Tail needed more stones.

Fifth, Charcoal Ball felt there were more unfamiliar soul masters near the Pope's Palace lately and wanted to add night patrols.

Sixth, Little Flame demanded that no cat make noise when approaching Bibi Dong's bedchamber.

Meow Meow: "..."

There really was a meeting.

Not quite an elder council yet.

But it was close enough.

Charcoal Ball, the steadiest of them, first scratched a line on the board.

Meaning the night patrols had to be increased.

Snowball nodded along.

Little Flame nodded too.

A Ju didn't seem too concerned about the night patrol; his paw kept hovering near the "extra meal" line.

Swirl shot him a look and quickly batted his paw away.

A Ju looked a little wronged.

Blue Tail, meanwhile, paid them no mind at all, continuing to study his stone with his head down.

The whole scene left Meow Meow feeling complicated.

"Not bad."

"Really not bad."

"But that A Ju guy still needs watching."

Right after that, the view shifted to Bibi Dong's side.

Bibi Dong was in her study.

She sat at her desk handling documents, her expression still cold and indifferent.

But Snowball was curled up on the corner of the table.

Little Flame was sprawled at her feet.

Outside the window, a black cat's shadow flickered past—one of Charcoal Ball's people on patrol.

Bibi Dong seemed to have gotten used to this situation.

Occasionally, after finishing a page of documents, she would reach out and stroke Snowball's head.

Little Flame let out a very soft purr at her feet.

That purr was different from Meow Meow's own.

Weaker.

But steady enough.

The restlessness in Bibi Dong's demeanor had eased a little since Meow Meow left.

It hadn't vanished completely.

But at least it no longer pressed down with that constant chill like before.

Meow Meow felt a slight relief in his heart.

"The Pope's side is fine for now."

"With Little Flame and Snowball watching over her, no rush."

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

On the right side of Bibi Dong's desk, there was a new little cushion.

It was clearly meant for a cat.

But it was empty.

Snowball was lying on the other side.

Little Flame hadn't gone over there either.

Meow Meow stared for a long moment before belatedly realizing—that spot might have been left for him.

"..."

He fell silent.

Then his tail involuntarily drooped.

"Don't do this to me."

"This Cat is only gone for a few days, it's not like I'm not coming back."

But even as he said it, he knew he sounded a little guilty.

He was already in Heavenly Dou City now.

And after this, he still had to deal with the Crown Prince's Mansion and the Heavenly Dou matters alongside Qian Renxue.

When he'd be able to return to Martial Soul City was hard to say.

Meow Meow's heart suddenly felt a little sour.

He'd thought before that he was just stepping out for a while.

But now, looking at the East Side Courtyard, looking at that empty cushion by Bibi Dong's desk, he realized he'd already left marks in so many places.

It wasn't something he could just walk away from completely.

"Troublesome."

Meow Meow let out a soft sigh.

"Being too popular as a cat is also a kind of pressure."

But soon, his thoughts were pulled back by the system notification.

[Ding, detected that the Sacred Flame Spirit Cat group system has initially taken shape.]

[Current East Side Courtyard development directions: Patrol, Calming, Communication, Array Patterns, Logistics, Kitten Training.]

[Reward: Meow Wish Value ×80.]

[Unlocked Cat Pet Skill: Distant Bell Communication.]

Meow Meow's eyes lit up.

"There's a reward too?"

"Good, this works."

[Distant Bell Communication: The host can use the Calming Bell to engage in long-distance short-message communication with core Sacred Flame Spirit Cats. Currently communicable targets: Little Flame, Charcoal Ball, Snowball, A Ju, Swirl, Blue Tail, White Dew.]

Meow Meow perked up immediately.

This skill was just right.

Before, he could only sense images and states through resonance.

But he couldn't reliably pass on messages.

Now with Distant Bell Communication, at least he could arrange things simply.

He first tried contacting Little Flame.

[Little Flame.]

Almost the next moment, Little Flame, lying in the study, perked up its ears.

It looked around.

Then quickly sent back an emotion.

[Meow Meow?]

Meow Meow felt a warmth in his heart.

[It's me.]

[I'm in Heavenly Dou City now, temporarily safe.]

[You and Snowball keep guarding Her Holiness the Pope, no causing trouble.]

Little Flame's emotion clearly stirred for a moment.

But it quickly suppressed it.

[Got it.]

[She's been sleeping better lately than before.]

Meow Meow felt more at ease hearing that.

[Thank you both.]

Little Flame sent back a very serious emotion.

[It's our duty.]

This little one was becoming more and more like a proper cat in charge.

Meow Meow then contacted Charcoal Ball.

[You can add one more night patrol round, but don't get near the Worship Hall.]

Charcoal Ball replied quickly.

[Understood.]

[Lots of unfamiliar soul masters.]

Meow Meow's heart stirred.

[From where?]

Charcoal Ball sent over a few impressions of their auras.

Meow Meow roughly sensed them.

They didn't seem like people from inside the Martial Soul Hall.

More like soul masters who had recently arrived from elsewhere.

Probably here on business in Martial Soul City, or to pledge allegiance to the Martial Soul Hall.

Not dangerous for now.

[Just remember the scents, don't tip them off.]

Charcoal Ball acknowledged steadily.

Then came A Ju.

As soon as Meow Meow reached out, the first emotion A Ju sent over was joy.

The second was grievance.

The third was hunger.

Meow Meow: "..."

[Don't sneak too many treats.]

A Ju was silent for a moment.

Then he sent over a very honest emotion.

[Already ate.]

Meow Meow almost laughed.

[Then eat less.]

[Also, keep recording the feeding list—don't just note who gives the most meat, but also who approaches the East Side Courtyard an unusual number of times.]

This time, A Ju was serious.

[Understood.]

Last was Blue Tail.

The emotion Blue Tail sent over was the quietest.

Like he'd been waiting all along.

[Not enough stones.]

Meow Meow: "..."

Short as it was, that line was pure Blue Tail.

[Wait till I get back, I'll find you some.]

[Don't start tearing up the Pope's Palace floor tiles first.]

Blue Tail paused for a breath.

[Didn't.]

Meow Meow suddenly felt a little uneasy.

[Really?]

[Only took a small piece.]

Meow Meow: "..."

He knew it.

"Forget it."

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

After one round of contact, Meow Meow finally felt completely at ease.

The East Side Courtyard wasn't helpless without him.

On the contrary, they were already moving forward on their own.

That made him both relieved and oddly wistful.

Like raising a kitten that one day suddenly learned to find its own food.

Of course, that was a good thing.

But it also meant he could no longer treat them like clueless little things.

White Dew walked over from the window just then, gently rubbing against Meow Meow's front paw.

She'd sensed his emotional shift.

Meow Meow looked down at her, reached out a paw, and patted her head.

"It's nothing."

"Just realized that our group of cats is tougher than I thought."

White Dew let out a soft meow.

As if to say, we always were.

Meow Meow smiled.

"Alright."

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

"Can't disgrace the East Side Courtyard."

White Dew immediately sat up straight.

That earnest look was the spitting image of Snowball.

Meow Meow's mood improved quite a bit.

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

Qian Renxue still hadn't returned.

The wind from Heavenly Dou City blew in over the courtyard walls, carrying a faintly unfamiliar scent.

Meow Meow crouched back by the window, tail giving a light flick.

"The East Side Courtyard is stable over there."

"Next, it's time to see if Heavenly Dou can grow something worth raising too."