The Cat Group Isn't a Cat Nest

Chapter 18: The Cat Group Isn't a Cat Nest

By the time Qian Renxue returned, it was already evening.

She still looked like Xue Qinghe.

Her clothes were immaculate, and her expression was gentle.

From the outside, she looked exactly like the courteous and refined Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

But once she entered Clear Radiance Pavilion, her shoulders relaxed slightly.

White Dew immediately leaped down from the windowsill.

The little cat ran to Qian Renxue's feet, tilted her head up, and gave a soft meow.

"Meow."

Qian Renxue looked down at her, and her expression softened a little.

"Did you behave?"

White Dew nodded solemnly.

Meow Meow was sprawled on a cushion. Seeing this, he lazily swished his tail.

"Good."

"White Dew's much more reliable than A Ju."

"If A Ju were at the Crown Prince's Mansion, he'd probably have already figured out where the kitchen was."

Qian Renxue picked up White Dew, then looked at Meow Meow.

"How about you?"

"Pretty good."

Meow Meow sat up.

"I've marked out Clear Radiance Pavilion. It'll be easier for White Dew and me to move around here from now on."

Qian Renxue's brows twitched.

"Marked it?"

"I just left behind a little of my scent," Meow Meow explained casually.

"It won't affect your formations, and ordinary Soul Masters won't notice it."

Qian Renxue nodded.

She was no longer surprised by tricks like this from Meow Meow.

There were too many strange things about this cat.

He could soothe minds, send messages, perform Spirit Ignition, read formations, and suppress Soul Beast auras.

Adding one more way to mark a place to settle in wasn't hard to accept.

She walked over to the table and sat down, then casually took a small box out of her Soul Tool.

When she opened it, she revealed several pale golden pastries.

"I brought these back from the palace."

Meow Meow's eyes brightened a little.

"For me?"

"If you don't want them, I can put them away."

"No need."

Meow Meow moved quickly, reaching out with a paw to pull one of the pastries over.

It was small and soft as soon as he bit into it.

There was also a faint trace of Soul Power in it.

It wasn't anything particularly precious, but it was much better than ordinary food.

"The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace serves decent food," Meow Meow remarked as he ate.

Watching him savor it so seriously, Qian Renxue's eyes held a hint of amusement.

"It's just an ordinary snack."

"Ordinary is good, too."

After finishing one pastry, Meow Meow naturally pushed the second one toward White Dew.

White Dew lowered her head to sniff it, then began eating in small bites.

Qian Renxue watched them eat and fell silent for a while.

Clear Radiance Pavilion was quiet.

Outside was the Crown Prince's Mansion.

Farther away was Heaven Dou City.

Though the pavilion was near the center of power in the entire empire, for once, the place felt peaceful.

After entering the palace, Qian Renxue had met with Xue Ye and dealt with a few probing remarks from Prince Xue Xing.

She had felt rather weighed down all the way back.

But seeing the two cats made that heaviness fade.

Especially Meow Meow.

This cat always seemed to have a way of making serious matters feel less serious.

Meow Meow finished his second pastry and suddenly realized Qian Renxue had been watching him.

He looked up.

"What is it?"

"Is there something on my face?"

Qian Renxue shook her head.

"I was just thinking that you're different from the Soul Beasts I've met."

Meow Meow swished his tail.

"Of course."

"If I were like an ordinary Soul Beast, I wouldn't be sitting in the Crown Prince's Mansion eating pastries right now."

Qian Renxue didn't argue.

She was quiet for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"Have you been in contact with the people in Spirit City this whole time?"

Meow Meow paused.

"You noticed?"

"I sensed a little."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

"The bell on you rang a few times just now."

Meow Meow glanced down at the Calming Bell around his neck.

It really was difficult to hide it completely from Qian Renxue.

Especially now that she knew he wasn't ordinary.

"Yeah, I checked in with East Side Courtyard."

Meow Meow didn't hide it.

"I've been away for a while. I had to see how things were going over there."

Qian Renxue asked:

"How are things?"

Meow Meow was silent for two breaths.

Then his expression turned complicated.

"Better than I expected."

"Not just better."

"Ridiculously better."

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow.

Meow Meow briefly explained how East Side Courtyard had changed.

Charcoal Ball was leading the Black Cats on night patrol.

A Ju was organizing the feeding schedule.

Swirl was making message-bell tokens.

Blue Tail was studying small formations.

Little Flame and Snowball were still keeping watch over Bibi Dong.

Warm Nest was running as usual.

The kittens were beginning to learn the rules.

And the cats even held meetings on their own.

As she listened, Qian Renxue's expression began to change.

She had originally thought that Meow Meow's so-called Sacred Flame Spirit Cats were just a few Soul Beasts that obeyed after being given Spirit Ignition.

But from the sound of it, they were already more than just obedient.

The cats had begun to take on different roles.

They had rules.

They had ways to send messages.

And they were starting to learn the basics of formations.

They were already like a small Soul Beast community.

And one that was being raised beside the Pope's Palace, no less.

Thinking of this, Qian Renxue couldn't help asking:

"Are you trying to build a Soul Beast community of your own?"

Meow Meow froze.

"A Soul Beast community?"

He instinctively wanted to deny it.

But the words stopped at the tip of his tongue.

Thinking carefully, it did seem accurate.

The Sacred Flame Spirit Cats weren't very numerous yet, but they already had the beginnings of a community.

There were core members.

There were kittens.

There were cats in charge.

They had a fixed territory.

They had a way of raising the young.

They even had an increasingly clear path for growth.

If that wasn't a community, what was?

He couldn't very well call them a cat nest.

Meow Meow thought it over for a while, then finally nodded.

"More or less."

"But I don't really like the way ordinary Soul Beast communities work."

"The weak obey the strong, and the strong get to decide everything."

"That's too crude."

Qian Renxue grew interested.

"What would you want instead?"

Meow Meow looked down at his paws.

What did he want?

He had never really thought about that.

At first, he had only wanted to survive.

Later, he wanted Bibi Dong to get a good night's sleep.

After that, he wanted a few more cats around him, so he wouldn't have to struggle on his own all the time.

It was only after the number of cats in East Side Courtyard had grown that things gradually turned into what they were now.

He thought for a while before slowly replying.

"I want them to be able to live without relying on me completely."

"And I don't want them to just obey my orders."

"I want them to have things of their own to do."

"Those who can patrol can patrol the courtyard."

"Those who can read formations can study them."

"Those who can soothe minds can keep people company."

"Those who can find food... shouldn't eat too much."

At the last sentence, Meow Meow clearly thought of A Ju, and his voice faltered.

Qian Renxue smiled faintly.

Meow Meow continued:

"In short, different cats can follow different paths."

"They can cultivate and learn."

"They can protect others or pass on messages."

"They can even just bask in the sun every day and play with the kittens."

"As long as they know what they're doing and why, they're not just a disorderly bunch of Soul Beasts."

He paused, then added,

"Only then can they become a true clan that can endure through the generations."

Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment.

"That doesn't sound like a Soul Beast clan."

"Then what does it sound like?"

"A human sect."

Meow Meow's expression turned complicated.

"There's no need to put it that way."

"Human sects have plenty of messes of their own."

"I don't want the cats starting some ridiculous power struggle among the elders, infighting among the disciples, or fights over territory."

Qian Renxue looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

The cat spoke casually, but there was nothing simple about what he was saying.

The Heavenly Dou Royal Family was a living example.

The same went for sects.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect seemed harmonious.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had strict rules.

And the Clear Sky Sect went without saying. It had been closed off for years, but that didn't mean everything within was truly aboveboard.

Wherever there was a faction, there would be disagreements.

Wherever there was a difference in strength, there would be competition.

It wasn't a bad thing that Meow Meow was already thinking about this.

"So how do you plan to prevent it?"

Qian Renxue asked.

Meow Meow fell silent for a moment.

"I haven't figured that out yet."

He answered honestly.

"We're only just getting started."

"For now, the cats in the East Side Courtyard rely mostly on resonance and trust."

"There won't be any problems in the short term."

"But if there are more and more Sacred Flame Spirit Cats in the future—hundreds, thousands, or even more—then I definitely can't keep an eye on them all by myself."

"We'll have to establish rules gradually."

"But the rules can't be too rigid."

"If they're too rigid, it won't be fun anymore."

After hearing him out, Qian Renxue lowered her gaze to White Dew in her arms.

White Dew lay there quietly, as though she understood a little—or perhaps she was simply comfortable.

"This doesn't sound like you're raising cats."

Qian Renxue said.

"It sounds more like you're nurturing a new Soul Beast civilization."

Meow Meow nearly choked on what he'd been eating.

"A civilization?"

The word sounded too grand.

So grand that, for a moment, he couldn't connect it to the cats in the East Side Courtyard.

And yet, after Qian Renxue said it, he felt it wasn't entirely wrong.

The Sacred Flame Spirit Cats were no longer just Soul Beasts.

They learned formations.

They learned to pass on messages.

They learned to soothe others.

They learned to divide up tasks.

They were even beginning to establish a way of life of their own.

Wasn't that what a civilization looked like in its earliest stages?

Meow Meow fell silent.

Suddenly, he felt he'd been thinking too small.

He'd always thought he was saving people, raising cats, and earning system rewards.

But looking back now, every step he'd taken seemed to be pushing the cats beyond the realm of ordinary Soul Beasts.

Pushing them toward a new place.

They weren't human.

Nor were they ordinary Soul Beasts.

They were Sacred Flame Spirit Cats, somewhere between the two, yet following a path of their own.

"Cat Clan Civilization..."

Meow Meow repeated the words in his mind.

It sounded absurd.

But it was pretty interesting, too.

Seeing him lost in thought, Qian Renxue grew curious.

"How does this help you cultivate?"

Meow Meow froze.

The question stumped him.

What did he gain from it?

The system, of course, gave rewards.

Meow Wish Value, gift packs, a higher Spirit Ignition limit, Cat Pet Skills, cultivation cards.

But he couldn't tell her that.

Setting the system aside, what was he doing all this for?

It wasn't entirely because he wanted to grow stronger.

And saying it was purely out of sentimentality felt too vague.

The more he thought about it, the harder it was for Meow Meow to answer.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Qian Renxue didn't press him.

The Clear Radiance Pavilion was quiet for a long while.

At last, Meow Meow spoke.

"I don't know."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

Meow Meow was perfectly candid.

"At least, I don't know yet."

"At first, I just wanted things to be livelier around me."

"Then I realized that the more cats there were, the more I had to look after them."

"And as I kept looking after them, things turned into what they are now."

"As for how far we'll go in the end, I haven't figured that out either."

"But I think it's worth doing."

After hearing him out, Qian Renxue's expression turned complicated.

It didn't sound like a lie.

Nor did it sound like he was just brushing her off.

It was simply a straightforward answer.

He didn't know.

But he thought it was worth doing.

Sometimes, an answer like that was more convincing than lofty, high-minded principles.

Qian Renxue said softly,

"Then do it."

Meow Meow looked up at her.

Qian Renxue's expression was calm.

"You've managed to turn a group of cats from ordinary Soul Beasts into what they are now. That proves this path has meaning."

"Whether it's the Heavenly Dou Empire, Spirit Hall, Soul Beasts, or humans..."

"Strength isn't the only thing that lets someone keep going."

"Order matters, too."

Meow Meow blinked.

"You really do sound like a Crown Prince when you talk."

Qian Renxue glanced at him.

"I am the Crown Prince."

Meow Meow: "..."

She said it so smoothly that he almost forgot she was only pretending to be the Crown Prince.

Still, it showed just how thoroughly she had settled into the identity of Xue Qinghe.

Meow Meow thought for a moment, then suddenly asked,

"Qinghe."

"Yes?"

"Have you ever thought about what kind of Spirit Hall you want in the future?"

Qian Renxue paused.

The question had come out of nowhere.

She'd been taught many things from a young age.

The glory of the Angel Lineage.

The responsibility of Spirit Hall.

The expectations of the Worship Hall.

And the way Qian Daoliu had raised her.

She knew exactly what she was supposed to do in the future.

Infiltrate the Heavenly Dou Empire.

Take control of the empire.

Help Spirit Hall unite the continent.

Then inherit the Angel Godhood.

But if someone asked her what kind of Spirit Hall she herself wanted...

For a moment, she couldn't answer.

Meow Meow didn't urge her.

He simply lowered his head and took another bite of the pastry.

After a long silence, Qian Renxue said,

"I never thought about it before."

"Then you can think about it now."

Meow Meow's voice was soft.

"There's still a long road ahead."

"It's better to think it through than to reach the end without knowing what you're doing."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

After a long while, she nodded gently.

"Mm."

A system notification quietly chimed at that moment.

[ Ding, Qian Renxue's state of mind has shifted.]

[Trust in the Qian Renxue storyline has increased.]

[Meow Wish Value +30.]

Meow Meow glanced at the notification, unsurprised.

Some words were more useful than Soul Skills.

Especially to someone like Qian Renxue.

She didn't lack strength.

She didn't lack status.

She didn't lack goals.

What she lacked was an answer she had truly thought through for herself.

Outside Clear Radiance Pavilion, night slowly settled over Heaven Dou City.

The lights inside the residence came on one by one.

Qian Renxue sat quietly, holding White Dew.

Meow Meow lay by the table and said nothing more.

After a long while, Qian Renxue suddenly asked,

"Tell me, if Spirit Hall could be like your cat clan, with everyone doing their own job instead of fighting for power, wouldn't things be much better?"

Meow Meow looked up.

"They would."

"But people are more troublesome than cats."

Qian Renxue was slightly taken aback.

Then she gave a soft laugh.

"True."

Meow Meow laughed along with her.

"So this cat will raise cats first."

"As for people, we'll take it slowly."

With that, he lay back down on the cushion.

There were no gift packs opened tonight.

And no fights.

They had only talked about things that seemed far away.

Yet Meow Meow had a vague feeling that this night might be more important than winning a battle.

Because from this night on, Qian Renxue no longer only wanted to complete her mission.

She began to wonder where she truly wanted to go.

/|im_end|