Another Look at Black Water Marsh

Qian Renxue didn't go to sleep right away.

Neither did Meow Meow.

Clear Radiance Pavilion fell quiet for a while. White Dew lay in Qian Renxue's arms, her tail hanging limply.

Meow Meow sat by the window, gazing at the night outside the Crown Prince's Mansion.

After saying all that, he felt even more restless.

A cat pack.

A legacy.

Order.

They all sounded like big ideas.

But when it came down to it, the most practical thing he needed to verify was still this:

Could the Sacred Flame Spirit Cat's resonance suppress those sinister Soul Powers?

If it could, then this path wouldn't just be about raising cats.

It might even become a specialized method for Spirit Hall to deal with Evil Soul Masters and Fallen Soul Masters, or even soothe mental trauma.

If it couldn't, he would have to keep looking for a solution.

"Qinghe."

"Hmm?"

"You said before that there were traces near Heaven Dou similar to those around Black Marsh."

Qian Renxue looked up at him.

"On the outskirts of Sunset Forest, there's a place called Black Water Marsh."

"It used to be an ordinary wetland. Later, some Soul Beasts became aggressive, and people occasionally went missing in the nearby villages and towns."

"I sent people to investigate once. They couldn't get to the bottom of it, but its aura was indeed similar to the one around Black Marsh."

Meow Meow's ears twitched.

"Is it far from here?"

"Half a day's journey southwest of the city."

As Qian Renxue spoke, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"You want to go?"

"I want to take a look."

Meow Meow answered casually.

"I can't just rely on guesswork."

Qian Renxue frowned.

"You've only just arrived in Heaven Dou."

"And your cultivation is only at the three-thousand-year level."

"The outskirts of Sunset Forest aren't the most dangerous place, but if there's a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, or a Soul Master secretly kept by a Heavenly Dou Noble, you might not make it back in one piece."

Meow Meow listened, his tail swaying slowly.

"Don't worry."

"I'm not going there to fight."

"If I can't win, I'll run. If I can't outrun them, I'll hide. If I can't hide, I'll think of something else."

Qian Renxue: "..."

That didn't sound very reassuring.

But on second thought, it was exactly the sort of thing this cat would do.

Meow Meow looked at White Dew.

"White Dew will stay with you."

"When I'm gone, keep pretending to be an ordinary cat."

"If anything happens at the Crown Prince's Mansion, tell me through the Calming Bell."

White Dew nodded solemnly.

Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment.

"When will you be back?"

"One night at the earliest."

Meow Meow thought it over.

"Two or three days at the latest."

Qian Renxue's expression changed.

Meow Meow quickly added, "That's only in the worst-case scenario."

"It usually won't take that long."

Qian Renxue didn't answer right away.

She was Xue Qinghe now and couldn't leave the mansion at will.

Having just returned to Heaven Dou, she had to deal with the palace, the Crown Prince's Mansion, and Ning Fengzhi. It was hardly a good time to go to Black Water Marsh with Meow Meow.

But she wasn't comfortable letting him go alone, either.

The cat had plenty of tricks, but his cultivation was still low.

And though he seemed levelheaded, he wasn't above taking risks when something happened.

"If you insist on going..."

Qian Renxue took a small Golden Feather from her sleeve.

"Take this."

Meow Meow glanced at it.

This Golden Feather was much smaller than the previous one, but its Soul Power aura was pure.

"You're giving me another one?"

"It's not a thank-you gift," Qian Renxue said calmly.

"It's for saving your life."

"If you encounter mental corruption or get overwhelmed by sinister Soul Power, it can block it once."

Meow Meow didn't refuse.

Being polite at a time like this would be foolish.

"Fine."

"I'll owe you one."

Only after watching him put the Golden Feather into the Calming Bell did Qian Renxue say, "If you run into danger, come back at once."

"Got it."

Meow Meow jumped down from the windowsill.

He took two steps, then looked back.

"Be careful of Prince Xue Xing and Ning Fengzhi, too."

"Especially Ning Fengzhi."

"That man isn't easy to fool."

Qian Renxue's eyes flickered.

"You seem to know him well."

Meow Meow paused, then swished his tail.

"I've heard of him."

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's master, and the head of the world's greatest support-type Martial Soul."

"If someone like him were easy to fool, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would've been gone long ago."

Qian Renxue didn't doubt him.

It made sense.

Meow Meow said no more. As Mimic Breath took effect, his aura instantly faded.

A moment later, he leaped out the window and landed in the night like a streak of white.

The Crown Prince's Mansion was heavily guarded.

But a lot of those precautions didn't mean much to a cat.

Corners.

Shadows beneath trees.

Eaves.

Drainage ditches.

People didn't go through those places, but cats could slip through them with ease.

Meow Meow made his way through the rear courtyard. As he slid down from the wall, he saw two night guards pass beneath the corridor.

One of them seemed to hear something and looked back.

Meow Meow crouched in the shadows without moving.

The guard looked for a long moment and found nothing. He assumed the night breeze had stirred the leaves and turned away.

Only then did Meow Meow let out a quiet breath.

"The Crown Prince's Mansion is more of a hassle than the East Side Courtyard."

"If A Ju came here, he'd give himself away by stealing food within half an hour."

After leaving the Crown Prince's Mansion, Meow Meow found that Heaven Dou City was still lively at night.

A major city was a major city.

Even after dark, the streets were still full of voices.

The taverns were brightly lit, carriages passed through the alleys, and Soul Masters traveled in groups in the distance.

Meow Meow avoided the main roads.

He hurried southwest along the rooftops and through the shadows of the walls.

The city gates were already closed.

That didn't stop him from leaving.

Cats had their own routes.

There was a gap in a decrepit section of the city wall where stray cats often squeezed through.

As Meow Meow slipped out, he felt rather pleased with himself.

"The stray cats of Heaven Dou City have some skills."

"I should remember this route for later."

Once outside the city, he immediately activated Moon Shadow Dash.

A white streak skimmed swiftly over the grass beneath the night sky.

The terrain outside Heaven Dou City was much flatter than the area around Spirit City.

The farther southwest he went, the more trees he saw.

By the second half of the night, the edge of Sunset Forest had appeared in the distance.

Meow Meow didn't rush into the forest.

First, he circled the outskirts, slowly sweeping the ground and vegetation with his mental power.

Before long, he found the Black Water Marsh Qian Renxue had mentioned.

It was a small wetland.

From the outside, it wasn't nearly as frightening as Black Marsh.

The water covered only a small area, with a few pools of black mud joined together.

Low shrubs grew around it, and the auras of Soul Beasts occasionally stirred within them.

But as soon as Meow Meow drew near, he frowned.

"The smell's wrong."

It wasn't the smell of ordinary rotting mud.

Nor was it the scent of a normal Soul Beast.

A faint trace of blood mingled with a cold mental fluctuation.

It was very similar to the remnants around Black Marsh.

Just much weaker.

Meow Meow crouched on a rock and stared at Black Water Marsh for a long while.

"There really is something wrong here."

He didn't go down right away.

Instead, he gently shook the Calming Bell around his neck.

Ding.

The chime was faint.

The few low-level Soul Beasts in Black Water Marsh immediately stopped moving.

A hundred-year Mud Frog leaped out from the water's edge, then suddenly froze halfway through its jump before scurrying back as if startled.

Meow Meow's eyes flickered.

"The Calming Bell is reacting."

"That means the Soul Beasts here aren't just acting up."

"Their minds have been corrupted."

He drew out a little more Holy Fire.

The flame was tiny.

It fell on a withered stalk of grass by the water.

The grass didn't catch fire. Instead, a wisp of gray-black mist slowly rose from it.

The Holy Fire singed the mist, and it quickly dispersed.

Meow Meow had a good idea of what was going on.

"The Holy Fire can suppress it."

"I just don't know how much."

He took two steps forward, then suddenly stopped.

A faint sound came from deep within Black Water Marsh.

The next moment, a black Swamp Wolf, half a person's height, emerged from behind the bushes.

Its limbs were long, its claws sank into the muddy water, and a sparse layer of black fur covered its body.

Its eyes glowed red.

Foam flecked with blood hung from its mouth.

Its cultivation wasn't high, probably a little over a thousand years.

But its aura was chaotic.

It seemed to be constantly on the verge of a frenzy.

Meow Meow watched it.

The Swamp Wolf watched Meow Meow.

For a moment, both sides were silent.

Then the Swamp Wolf lunged at him.

"In such a hurry?"

Meow Meow pushed off the ground, activating Moon Shadow Dash.

His figure flickered, and he dodged the attack.

The Swamp Wolf missed, turned around, and tried to chase him.

Meow Meow didn't keep dodging. Instead, he pressed down with one paw.

Moon Mark Time Slow.

The Swamp Wolf's movements faltered.

It lasted only an instant, but that was enough.

The Calming Bell rang.

Ding.

The Holy Fire fell.

A dot of warm-colored flame landed between the Swamp Wolf's brows.

The Swamp Wolf shuddered all over.

The red glow in its eyes dimmed noticeably.

It struggled and growled twice, then slowly crouched down.

Meow Meow watched it and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not bad."

"I can suppress one at the thousand-year level."

"But if it's over ten thousand years old, I'm afraid it won't be this easy."

He didn't kill the Swamp Wolf.

It had clearly been polluted; it wasn't evil by nature.

Besides, killing it wouldn't accomplish anything.

Meow Meow had only used the Holy Fire to temporarily suppress its frenzy, then left a faint soothing presence in its mind with the Calming Bell.

The Swamp Wolf lay on the ground, its breathing gradually settling.

A moment later, it even retreated into the bushes on its own.

Meow Meow watched it leave, feeling a little conflicted.

"Looks like the Holy Flame Cat Cat Sect might be able to offer Soul Beast counseling someday."

"Though figuring out what to charge will be a problem."

After dealing with the Swamp Wolf, he continued deeper into Black Water Marsh.

The farther in he went, the darker the water became.

There were several obvious signs of human activity on the ground.

Broken logs.

Stone spikes.

Scorched strips of cloth.

And some strange red powder.

Meow Meow sniffed it, then immediately took half a step back.

"Blood Powder?"

"No, there's also the smell of Soul Bone Powder?"

His expression darkened.

This wasn't something ordinary Fallen Soul Masters could get their hands on.

Someone must have been supplying them with materials.

The nobles and Soul Master factions in Heaven Dou City really did have a problem.

He continued investigating and soon found a broken copper clasp beside a mud pit.

A tiny emblem was engraved on it.

It wasn't the swan of the Heavenly Dou Royal Family.

Nor was it the tower of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

It was a black eagle with outstretched wings.

Meow Meow didn't recognize the emblem, but he could take it back and have Qian Renxue look into it.

"I've got evidence."

"This trip wasn't for nothing."

Just as he was about to leave, a faint fluctuation of energy suddenly came from the deepest part of Black Water Marsh.

Meow Meow stopped.

The fluctuation didn't seem to come from a Soul Beast.

It felt more like some kind of residual Soul Power.

He hesitated, but still went over to take a look.

At the center of the marsh lay a stone slab, half-buried in the mud.

Several dark red lines were carved into it.

They looked a lot like the markings at Black Swamp Stronghold.

Only these were more crude.

Meow Meow stared at the slab for a while, then suddenly noticed a faint remnant of spiritual energy at the center of the markings.

He gave the Calming Bell a gentle tap.

Ding.

The remnant appeared.

It was a blurry scene.

Several men in black robes stood by the water.

A cage was carried over.

Several Soul Beasts were locked inside.

One of them was the same kind of Swamp Wolf he had just encountered.

The men in black robes poured some kind of crimson liquid down the Soul Beasts' throats.

The Soul Beasts began to struggle.

Then their eyes turned red.

The scene quickly faded away.

Meow Meow's expression darkened further.

"Man-Made Polluted Spirit Beasts."

"This wasn't an accident."

He'd thought the evil aura from Black Marsh had spread here.

Now it seemed that wasn't the case.

Someone was deliberately conducting experiments here.

Using Soul Beasts as test subjects.

No wonder Qian Renxue had discovered that someone in Heaven Dou was collecting the blood of unusual Soul Beasts.

"What a filthy business."

Meow Meow gathered the remaining spiritual energy from the stone slab and prepared to head back.

But just then, footsteps suddenly sounded in the distance.

They were very quiet.

But they weren't a Soul Beast's.

They belonged to people.

Meow Meow immediately concealed his aura and hid behind some bushes.

Before long, three black-robed Soul Masters walked in.

One of them carried a lantern, while the other two carried a small wooden box.

The man in the lead said quietly,

"Someone tampered with the old stronghold last night."

"Black Marsh is already compromised. Move the goods here for now."

Another man frowned.

"Is it safe here, though?"

"We don't have much choice."

The man in the lead sneered.

"The Crown Prince has returned to the city. There are too many eyes on Heaven Dou City these days."

"Let's lie low until things settle down."

At the words "the Crown Prince has returned," Meow Meow's gaze immediately turned cold.

So this really was connected to Heaven Dou City.

And they already knew Xue Qinghe had returned.

This wasn't some ordinary minor faction.

Meow Meow didn't attack right away.

The three of them were no weaklings.

One was a Soul King, and the other two were Soul Ancestors.

With three thousand years of cultivation, he might not lose in a fight, but there was no need to force a confrontation.

If he could gather information first, he should do that.

The three men placed the wooden box beside the stone slab.

They opened it.

Inside was a row of small black bottles.

A little red-black liquid sloshed inside each one.

The smell made Meow Meow feel sick.

"More stuff from the polluted Soul Beasts?"

The man in the lead glanced around.

"Reinforce the formation."

"Someone's coming to collect it tomorrow."

"Who?"

"Don't ask."

The Soul Ancestor was about to say something, but the leading Soul King gave him a cold look.

"The more you know, the sooner you die."

Meow Meow narrowed his eyes.

It wasn't an unusual thing to hear.

But it was useful.

It meant there were higher-ups behind them.

This time, he didn't move any closer.

Instead, he quietly used the Calming Bell to record the three men's auras.

Only after they finished setting up the formation and left did Meow Meow emerge from behind the bushes.

He looked at the box of black bottles, rapidly weighing his options.

Should he just destroy it?

Okay.

But that would alert the person behind it.

Take it back?

Too dangerous.

Leave it?

Even worse.

"Troublesome."

"This is exactly when I could use a reliable helper who can catch people."

He suddenly found himself missing Qian Renxue a little.

If Qian Renxue were here, things would be much simpler.

But she had to remain at the Crown Prince's Mansion for now.

"Never mind."

"Let's just leave some evidence first."

Meow Meow used the Calming Bell to collect a little of the liquid's scent from the bottle, then put away the Black Eagle Copper Button.

After that, he left an extremely faint Holy Fire Mark on the bottom of the wooden crate.

The mark wouldn't flare up right away.

It would simply cling to the crate.

If someone took it away, Meow Meow might be able to use the Holy Fire Aura to track its approximate direction later.

Once he was done, he turned and left Black Water Marsh.

By the time he was on his way back, dawn was approaching.

Meow Meow hurried along, but his mind kept returning to what he'd heard earlier.

The Crown Prince was returning to the city.

There were too many eyes.

Someone was coming to collect it tomorrow.

"Heavenly Dou is even more of a mess than I imagined."

"I haven't even run into Tang San and the others, and I've already stumbled into a pile of dirty work."

He sighed.

He'd originally hoped to enjoy a couple of peaceful meals at the Crown Prince's Mansion.

Now it seemed he'd been dreaming.

When he returned to Clear Radiance Pavilion, Qian Renxue was still awake.

She sat by the table, clearly waiting for him.

White Dew was curled up on her lap. The moment she saw Meow Meow come in, she raised her head.

Qian Renxue looked over, too.

"You're back."

"Mm."

Meow Meow jumped onto the table and placed the copper button and a sealed wisp of scent in front of her.

"I found a clue."

Qian Renxue glanced down at the copper button, and her expression changed at once.

"The Black Eagle Crest?"

"You recognize it?"

Qian Renxue nodded, her voice turning somber.

"It's the crest of a minor noble family in the western district of Heaven Dou City."

"The family isn't very powerful."

"But they have some dealings with Uncle Xue Xing."

Meow Meow: "..."

Good.

That lined up.

He'd known someone like Prince Xue Xing would eventually show his hand.

Qian Renxue looked at him.

"What did you find?"

Meow Meow briefly told her what had happened at Black Water Marsh.

A Man-Made Polluted Spirit Beast.

A Black-Robed Soul Master.

A wooden crate.

Someone coming to collect it tomorrow.

The Crown Prince returning to the city.

By the time he'd finished, Qian Renxue's expression had turned completely cold.

"It seems they know I'm back."

"But they don't know you're onto them, too."

Meow Meow flicked his tail.

"That's the advantage of being a cat."

"No one would suspect a stray white cat."

Qian Renxue glanced at him.

"What's next?"

Meow Meow thought for a moment.

"Keep an eye on the crate tomorrow."

"Don't rush into action."

"Let's see who comes to collect it."

Qian Renxue nodded.

"I'll arrange for someone—"

"No."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Your people are too conspicuous."

"Have White Dew stay here and keep you company."

"I'll watch it."

Qian Renxue frowned.

"By yourself?"

Meow Meow looked up at her.

"I'm not by myself."

"I have cats."

As he spoke, the Calming Bell rang softly.

A faint glow of fire appeared in the corner of Clear Radiance Pavilion.

White Dew immediately raised her head.

Far away at the Qian Family Villa, Ink Shadow sent back a faint response through their resonance.

Meow Meow flicked his tail.

"Starting tonight, this part of Heavenly Dou should have its own Cat Net, too."

"We'll start by keeping an eye on people."