Numb Tail Admitted His Mistake

Chapter 30: Numb Tail Admitted His Mistake

In the Bloodline Chamber, the bottle of red-black liquid had already been picked up.

The boy on the stone platform was still unconscious.

The White Tiger Cub was curled up inside the iron cage, whimpering softly over and over.

Meow Meow crouched behind a crack in the stone, his gaze gradually turning cold.

He had originally wanted to watch a little longer.

But he couldn't now.

The Middle-aged Soul Master had already opened the bottle, and a pungent smell wafted from the red-black liquid.

Jianbing abruptly looked up inside the Calming Bell.

"We can't let him pour it."

"I know."

Meow Meow's voice was very quiet.

The next moment, the Calming Bell gave a faint ring.

Ding.

The sound didn't carry; it only rippled softly through the Bloodline Chamber.

The boy on the stone platform twitched his brow.

The White Tiger Cub in the iron cage also quieted for a moment.

The Middle-aged Soul Master's hand paused. He seemed to sense something and frowned as he looked around.

"Who's there?"

No one answered.

The Soul Masters in the Bloodline Chamber all grew alert.

The Black Eagle Soul King pressed a hand to the short blade at his waist and asked quietly, "Sir, what is it?"

"There was a fluctuation in Soul Power just now."

The Middle-aged Soul Master scanned the area.

"Maybe that Sample is acting up again."

The Black Eagle Soul King looked at the cub in the cage. Seeing that it was indeed trembling, he thought no more of it.

Hidden in the shadows, Meow Meow let out a breath of relief.

The Calming Bell could only buy them a moment.

To stop this Practical Test, he'd still have to rely on the formation.

He looked down at the patterns on the Bloodline Chamber floor.

The formation here wasn't particularly sophisticated.

But it was vicious.

The formation lines on the stone platform drew out the White Tiger Blood, while the Black Water bottle beside it stimulated Soul Power. Finally, both auras would be forcibly driven into the boy's body.

In short, they were treating a person like a vessel.

A flicker of fire shone in Meow Meow's eyes.

"If you insist on pouring it in, then I'll make you pour it all into an empty vessel."

He extended a paw, and the phantom image of the Ten Thousand Array Diagram appeared faintly beneath it.

A wisp of Holy Fire slipped through a crack in the stone and burrowed underground.

The formation patterns in the Bloodline Chamber barely changed.

Only a few of the fine lines at the very center quietly shifted half an inch.

That half inch was enough.

The Middle-aged Soul Master noticed nothing amiss.

He once again poured liquid from the bottle into the channel beside the stone platform.

The red-black liquid flowed into the groove, and the formation lines immediately lit up.

But the aura that should have converged inside the boy's body was quietly diverted by Meow Meow halfway along.

Most of it flowed into the base of the stone platform.

The boy felt only a slight impact from the aura. His face paled, but he wasn't truly contaminated.

"Hmm?"

The Middle-aged Soul Master frowned.

"Something's wrong."

The Black Eagle Soul King asked, "Did it fail?"

"The bloodline didn't enter his body."

The Middle-aged Soul Master's face darkened.

"There's a problem with the formation."

Listening from the shadows, Meow Meow gave a slight swish of his tail.

You guessed right.

But too late.

The Middle-aged Soul Master was clearly unwilling to give up, and took out a second bottle of red-black liquid.

"Let's try again."

Meow Meow's gaze turned cold.

Again?

Did they really think this kid was a barrel?

He was about to act again when a faint sound suddenly came from above.

A grayish-yellow shape poked its head through the ventilation shaft.

Meow Meow's pupils contracted.

Numb Tail?

How had this guy followed him here?

Numb Tail clearly hadn't expected to see so many people the moment he poked his head out. The whole cat froze in the ventilation shaft.

He still had half a piece of jerky in his mouth, though no one knew where he'd stolen it from.

Meow Meow nearly laughed in spite of himself.

Good grief.

After all that training, he was still bringing snacks on a mission!

Numb Tail had made quite a bit of noise, though.

A little dust fell from the edge of the ventilation shaft.

The Black Eagle Soul King immediately looked up.

"There's something up there!"

Numb Tail jolted in fright, and the jerky fell.

Smack.

It landed right at the Middle-aged Soul Master's feet.

The Bloodline Chamber fell silent for a moment.

Meow Meow: "..."

Now he had no choice but to act.

The Black Eagle Soul King shouted furiously. A phantom Black Eagle spread its wings behind him as he struck directly at the ventilation shaft.

Numb Tail let out a frightened "meow" and turned to run.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Meow Meow instantly activated Moon Mark Time Slow.

Movement in the Bloodline Chamber slowed for a beat.

He darted out from the crack in the stone. The Ten Thousand Array Diagram unfolded beneath his paw, and using the formation lines he'd altered earlier, he forcibly opened a small Teleportation Crack.

His destination wasn't far away.

Just the bushes outside the Stone House.

A short-range teleport.

It saved energy.

And it was less likely to be noticed.

Meow Meow first pounced onto the stone platform, using the Calming Bell to steady the boy's mind, then circled Holy Fire around the boy's chest.

The lingering aura of Pollution burned away.

Then he swiped a paw through the bindings.

The boy's figure was swallowed by the Teleportation Crack.

The next moment, Meow Meow dashed to the iron cage.

The White Tiger Cub saw him, a red glint flashed in its eyes, and it nearly lunged to bite him.

Jianbing immediately let out a low growl.

"Don't move!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried the pressure of White Tiger Blood.

The cub stiffened.

Meow Meow took the chance to smack the cage's latch open, then pushed both the cage and the cub through the crack.

After that, he flashed away and darted through as well.

The instant he left, the Bloodline Chamber returned to normal.

The Black Eagle Soul King's Soul Skill smashed the ventilation shaft.

Numb Tail fled, shedding fur as he went.

The Middle-aged Soul Master turned to look at the stone platform again, and his face changed on the spot.

"Where is he?"

"Where's the Sample?!"

The Bloodline Chamber erupted into chaos.

But Meow Meow had already landed in the bushes outside the Stone House.

The boy lay in the grass, breathing steadily.

The White Tiger Cub was curled up in its iron cage, the red in its eyes slowly fading.

Jianbing breathed a sigh of relief inside the bell.

"It's still alive."

"Mm."

Meow Meow panted for breath.

That short-range teleport had cost him quite a bit.

He'd also borrowed the power of the Bloodline Chamber's formation.

If he'd had to open a spatial rift from scratch, he would probably have collapsed on the spot.

"What about Numb Tail?"

Jianbing asked softly.

Meow Meow's face darkened.

"First we save the boy, then we settle the score."

He shook the Calming Bell.

Three rings in a row.

It was the signal he'd agreed on with Qian Renxue.

Three rings meant they couldn't wait any longer.

In the Clear Radiance Pavilion.

White Dew abruptly looked up.

Qian Renxue also stood at once.

She didn't ask any questions. She immediately adopted Xue Qinghe's expression and summoned her guards.

"There's been trouble at the Royal Academy Back Mountain Beast Garden."

"Take people and investigate."

"Keep it quiet."

"Yes."

The Crown Prince's Mansion guards quickly sprang into action.

At the same time, Meow Meow dragged the boy to a more concealed tree hollow and sent Gray Ear to lead the way.

Gray Ear caught the scent of blood and jumped in fright.

But he still did as Meow Meow asked, quickly running in the direction the Crown Prince's Mansion guards were coming from.

Meow Meow temporarily placed the White Tiger Cub in the outer space of the Calming Bell.

The Pollution on its body was severe; he couldn't let it run around outside.

Jianbing stayed beside it, quietly soothing it.

The cub seemed drawn to Jianbing's aura and really did slowly calm down.

Before long, the Crown Prince's Mansion guards arrived.

All they saw was an unconscious boy lying beside the tree hollow, with a scrap of cloth bearing a Black Eagle Crest beside him.

Gray Ear called out from a tree, then ran off.

The guards exchanged a glance and immediately understood. This was the person Your Highness wanted them to take back.

They carried the boy away.

Meow Meow had already returned to the area near the Stone House.

He didn't go back inside.

The Bloodline Chamber was already in chaos.

The Middle-aged Soul Master and the Black Eagle Soul King were blaming each other.

"Someone tampered with the formation!"

"Didn't you say this place was completely secure?"

"The Sample is gone, and so is the person. If the important guest comes asking tomorrow, can you take responsibility?"

"Seal off the information first!"

"We can't. There are people from the Crown Prince's Mansion outside!"

At that, Meow Meow's thoughts stirred.

Qian Renxue had arrived quickly.

Now the Royal Academy had no chance of pretending nothing had happened.

He wasn't going to get greedy.

He'd rescued someone, saved the cub, and given the Crown Prince's Mansion a legitimate reason to step in. That was more than enough.

If he stayed any longer, the Soul King might corner him.

Meow Meow turned and left.

Halfway back, a gray-yellow shape rolled out from behind a tree.

Numb Tail was covered in dust, with a few crumbs of dried meat still stuck to his mouth.

The moment he saw Meow Meow, he froze solid.

Meow Meow stared back at him.

The two cats stared at each other for a long while.

Numb Tail carefully lowered his head.

"Meow..."

Meow Meow remained expressionless.

"You know enough to come out now?"

Numb Tail shrank his neck.

Meow Meow fixed his gaze on the crumbs by his mouth.

"No sneaking snacks during a mission."

Numb Tail looked even more guilty.

"No following along without permission during a mission."

Numb Tail was almost curled into a ball.

"No sticking your head out of a vent during a mission."

Numb Tail simply flopped onto the ground.

Seeing him like that, Meow Meow found it harder to keep scolding him.

Strictly speaking, the little rascal had messed things up.

But his antics had also thrown the Bloodline Chamber into momentary confusion, giving Meow Meow the perfect chance to act.

Still, credit was credit, and fault was fault.

They couldn't be lumped together.

"You'll be punished when we get back."

With that, Meow Meow turned and walked away.

Numb Tail hurried after him.

After a few steps, he gave a small meow.

"Meow?"

Meow Meow looked back.

"Don't ask if there's food."

Numb Tail fell silent.

They returned to the Crown Prince's Mansion before dawn.

The young man had already been taken by the guards to a Side Courtyard, where Qian Renxue had arranged for a trusted physician to examine him.

The results weren't too bad.

He'd been overwhelmed by the drug and the aura of Pollution, and was temporarily unconscious.

He was still alive.

That was already the best possible outcome.

Back at Clear Radiance Pavilion, Meow Meow first placed the White Tiger Cub inside the small space in the Calming Bell to recover.

Jianbing lay nearby, quietly watching it.

"Will it be all right?"

"I don't know," Meow Meow said.

"But at least they won't be able to keep forcing that stuff into it."

Jianbing nodded.

White Dew came over and gently nuzzled Meow Meow.

Only then did Meow Meow turn to look at the corner.

Numb Tail was crouched there, his tail pressed to the floor and his eyes full of woe.

Qian Renxue glanced at him.

"Is this the cat you said sneaked snacks during a mission?"

"Yeah."

Meow Meow sighed.

"He did something good and something wrong today."

Numb Tail didn't understand all of it, but he could tell the mood was off.

He gave a small meow.

Meow Meow sat down in front of him.

"Numb Tail."

"You nearly got yourself killed today."

"And you nearly got someone else killed, too."

Numb Tail lowered his head.

Meow Meow continued:

"But you also helped by accident."

"So you'll be punished, but you'll still get your food."

Numb Tail's eyes lit up.

"Don't get too excited."

Meow Meow pressed a paw down on his head.

"For the next half month, you're not allowed to go on missions alone."

"You'll learn Stealth from White Dew every day."

"You'll learn how to keep watch from Gray Ear."

"And you'll learn Retreat from me."

"One more thing."

He paused.

"Your dried meat is confiscated during missions."

Numb Tail looked as if he'd been struck by lightning.

White Dew gave a soft meow, as if to say the punishment was well deserved.

Qian Renxue couldn't help smiling.

Numb Tail lay on the floor, as though his entire life had gone dark.

Seeing him like that, Meow Meow softened a little.

"All right."

"Quit playing dead."

"If you go half a month without messing up, I'll make it up to you with a feast."

Numb Tail immediately lifted his head.

"Meow!"

Meow Meow's eye twitched.

That little rascal really only understood the part about food.

But never mind.

The Cat Net was starting with ordinary cats. It was never going to happen overnight.

With a cautionary example like Numb Tail around, the other cats might even learn faster.

Qian Renxue went to the table and set down the latest information.

"My people are already watching the area behind the Royal Academy."

"But they reacted quickly."

"The middle-aged teacher has disappeared."

Meow Meow frowned.

"He escaped?"

"Yes."

"The Soul King from the Black Eagle Family is still there. The Academy has detained him under the pretext of conducting an investigation."

"But we may not get much out of him."

Meow Meow nodded.

"Keeping the Soul King there is good enough."

"The middle-aged teacher's quick escape means someone tipped him off."

Qian Renxue's eyes turned cold.

"There's more than one person involved inside the Royal Academy."

"This lead isn't over yet."

"Of course it isn't."

Meow Meow looked at the White Tiger Cub inside the Calming Bell.

"The Practical Test was interrupted."

"But they haven't given up on what they wanted."

"The Star Luo Caravan, Prince Xue Xing, the Royal Academy—there'll definitely be more moves."

Qian Renxue nodded.

"I'll keep investigating."

Meow Meow thought for a moment, then added:

"Once the young man wakes up, don't rush to question him."

"He was probably captured, too."

"And if he's from a collateral branch of Star Luo, he may not know much."

"Save him first."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

"You're softhearted."

"It's not that."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Some people are evidence."

"But first and foremost, he's a person."

Qian Renxue said nothing.

She simply nodded.

Clear Radiance Pavilion fell quiet for a while.

Outside, the sky was beginning to brighten.

At last, Meow Meow felt exhaustion wash over him.

Short-range teleportation, changing the formation, saving a person, saving the cub, and dealing with Numb Tail the glutton—it had kept him as busy as a real office drone of a cat.

He curled up on a cushion, ready to sleep, when something suddenly occurred to him.

"Qinghe."

"Yeah?"

"Keep up the records on Notting."

"Don't lose track of the information about Tang San and Xiao Wu."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

"You're still thinking about Notting right now?"

"Yeah."

Meow Meow kept his eyes closed.

"Heavenly Dou is about to catch up with the main storyline."

"Notting will also grow quickly."

Qian Renxue didn't understand what "main storyline" really meant.

But she already knew Meow Meow cared about those two children.

"I'll make the arrangements."

"Okay."

Meow Meow yawned.

"And Numb Tail."

Numb Tail had just thought the matter was over when he looked up again.

Meow Meow spoke with his eyes closed:

"Have him tell Gray Ear and the others what happened today."

"The consequences of sneaking a bite during a mission need to be taught across the entire Cat Net."

Numb Tail: "..."

This time, he was really done for.

White Dew lowered her head, her tail swaying gently.

Qian Renxue also turned her head aside, seeming to smile.

Meow Meow finally fell asleep in peace.

Meanwhile, in a side courtyard of the Crown Prince's Mansion, the rescued boy's fingertips twitched slightly.

A faint White Tiger Mark flashed across the back of his hand.

Inside the Calming Bell, Jianbing suddenly looked up.

"He's awake."