The Black Cat Wants to Eat Fish / Anglers Never Get Skunked! ...

[Height: 154 cm]

[CUP Rank: Grade A]

"Holy shit, a flat-chested magical girl! No, no, this wasn't the time to care about that. Why had she suddenly appeared here? Even the Hunting Radar hadn't detected her?"

Cold sweat trickled down Li Xuan's temple. During his brief encounter with Yao, he had clearly realized that he stood no chance against a Grade A magical girl head-on. The little girl before him looked vacant and cute, but who knew whether she might suddenly throw out some bizarre skill and one-shot him?

Should he run? Activating the Delusive Badlands took some time. It was fast, but could it be faster than the attack speed of a Grade A Fantasy Type magical girl?

No, he absolutely couldn't run. Li Xuan secretly pinched his thigh and steadied his emotions. He had come here as an ordinary person. As long as he didn't transform, she wouldn't be able to discover his true identity. Yao of the Sealing Type couldn't do it, and the little Black Cat before him couldn't either.

Since she couldn't detect his identity, this might instead be a perfect opportunity. Li Xuan secretly poked the inside of his belt with a finger—the stockings Li Sijie had given him were still there. If he found an opening, perhaps he could gain the upper hand first!

"Mommy, so cold... Mommy isn't moving... Mommy, are you dead?" Black Cat raised her head and looked at Lilika with lonely eyes, mumbling dreamlike words. Every now and then, she stuck out her tongue to lick Lilika's cheek.

Lilika still showed no reaction. Even her breathing gradually steadied, as though she had fallen asleep.

Black Cat Wants to Eat Fish

"Um... little sister, did you mistake her for someone else? This isn't your mommy." Li Xuan slowly stepped forward, never taking his eyes off Black Cat's. He was ready to teleport away the instant she showed any hostility.

"I didn't mistake her. Mommy is cold, little... and smells strangely fishy. Oh, right, do you have fish?" Black Cat looked up and asked with an innocent expression.

The pajama-clad little girl's words had a distinctly disconnected feel, making Li Xuan struggle to understand her for a moment. But judging by her expression, she didn't seem to intend to attack him.

"Do you want to eat fish?" Li Xuan could only take her words literally.

"I do," Black Cat said in a soft, syrupy voice.

"Alright, I'll make some for you." Li Xuan got up and searched the refrigerator, only to find that Lilika had no habit of cooking. The fridge was full of ready-made food, with no fresh ingredients like fish.

"Sorry, there isn't any fish at home. Could you let go of Ms. Lilika first, and I'll go buy some fish?" Li Xuan negotiated in the tone one would use with a child.

"I want to go too," Black Cat said as she stood up.

"Fine, you can come with me. But can I put Ms. Lilika on the bed to rest first?" Li Xuan asked.

"Who is Lilika?" Black Cat asked blankly.

"Mommy," Li Xuan could only call her according to Black Cat's setting.

"Mommy needs rest... Mommy is tired, tired every day..." Black Cat nodded as if she understood, picked up Alulu's dress from beside her, and gently covered Lilika's head, face, and upper body with it.

"That's how you cover a dead person. Mommy is still alive," Li Xuan reminded her helplessly.

"Mommy is alive? Then take me to find Mommy." Black Cat ran up to Li Xuan and held out both hands, seemingly asking for a hug.

The cold sweat on Li Xuan's temple flowed even more heavily. The little girl before him seemed somewhat unstable. But her Grade A magical power was absolutely real. One wrong move, and he might die on the spot.

Then again, this was also an opportunity delivered right to his doorstep. If he successfully captured Black Cat, the band would lose a quarter of its fighting strength. If he could even make her fall into Demonfall, the gap in strength between the two sides would narrow even further.

"Be good, Black Cat. Wait here for a while, and I'll take you to buy fish, okay?" Li Xuan thought, Where was he supposed to find her mommy? Better to steer her interest back toward eating fish. That would be easier.

"Good~ I've always been good. When guests come, I hide in the cabinet." As Black Cat spoke, she opened the living room storage cabinet and crawled inside, then shut the door from within.

"What exactly has this girl been through...?"

Listening to Black Cat's soft, gentle voice, Li Xuan suddenly felt a little sorry for her. He vaguely sensed that Black Cat wasn't mentally ill, but had instead become like this after suffering some kind of shock.

But right now, he was more concerned about Lilika. Aside from nursing, Black Cat hadn't seemed to do anything else, yet Lilika still hadn't woken up. He had no idea what was wrong.

Li Xuan hurried over to check Lilika's pulse and breathing. Only after confirming that she was merely asleep did he relax. He carried her into her daughter's bedroom, intending to have Alulu look after her.

However, the moment he entered the bedroom, Li Xuan discovered that Alulu had also fallen asleep against the wall, still holding the handheld console he had just given her.

That struck him as unusual. Alulu was always energized when playing games, and even if she wanted to sleep, she could have slept on the bed. Why sleep against the wall?

Could Black Cat outside have done something?

Li Xuan carried both mother and daughter onto the bed. Seeing them sleeping in each other's arms and apparently unharmed, he finally left with peace of mind.

Black Cat was still hiding in the cabinet. Li Xuan could only call softly from in front of it, "Come on, let's go buy fish."

"Fish!" The moment Black Cat heard the word fish, she flung open the cabinet and jumped out. The way she landed was just like a real kitten.

"Mm, stay close and don't get lost," Li Xuan instructed.

"Mm-hm! I'll definitely stay close to you, big brother." Black Cat nodded vigorously.

Holy shit, she's kind of cute!

Hearing her call him big brother in that soft little voice, Li Xuan felt his heart melt. He instinctively wanted to hug her, but his reason quickly reminded him that she was a dangerous opponent and that he couldn't let down his guard in the slightest.

"Let's see, the nearest fresh food supermarket is..." Li Xuan searched on his phone. Fortunately, it wasn't too far away, so he took Black Cat there on foot.

The supermarkets around Sunshine Street were naturally high-end, and the seafood section was full of expensive ingredients. Everything was fresh and lively, with so many varieties that it felt like entering an aquarium.

Yet faced with the dazzling array of fish, shrimp, and seafood, Black Cat seemed completely uninterested.

"Miss Black Cat, what kind of fish do you like? Salmon? Grouper? Mandarin fish? Or red carp and green carp and donkey?" Li Xuan tried asking.

"You can't call me Black Cat. Only everyone in the band can call me that." Black Cat shook her head.

"Then what should I call you?" Li Xuan found that he could never keep up with her train of thought. Even having a smooth conversation with her was difficult.

"You can call me by my surname. My surname is Bai Rijian: Bai from White Album, Ri from School Days, and Jian from Saying Goodbye to You." Black Cat looked up at Li Xuan as she spoke.

"Why are they all galgames...?" Li Xuan sighed. "Alright, Bai Rijian, what kind of fish do you like?"

"Fresh fish."

"All the fish here are very fresh~"

Black Cat shook her head. She apparently didn't agree with Li Xuan, but she didn't say anything to argue back.

Li Xuan felt a headache coming on. All the fish here were swimming energetically in tanks, fresher than the cash he had just withdrawn from his wallet. If even this couldn't satisfy Black Cat, where was he supposed to find fresher fish?

Wait, it wasn't like there was no way!

"How about we go fishing?" Li Xuan clapped his hands.

"Fishing? Okay!" Black Cat froze for a moment, then broke into a happy smile. Most of her body was hidden beneath her clothes, but the smile blooming across her face alone made her seem incredibly adorable.

"Let's go! We're going fishing!" Seeing her finally smile, the weight on Li Xuan's heart finally eased.

He scooped Black Cat into his arms and, ignoring the astonished looks of everyone in the supermarket, ran all the way to a nearby fishing supply store to buy a full set of equipment. Then he hailed a taxi and headed straight for the scenic Clear Lotus Lake.

Clear Lotus Lake was the source of Clear Lotus City's name. It happened to be the season when lotuses were in bloom, and the lake was filled with lotuses rising unsullied from the mud. Lotus leaves stretching to the horizon covered the clear water, while leisurely passersby rested in the pavilions along the lakeside paths.

The scenery of Clear Lotus Lake was a visual feast for tourists, but for fishing enthusiasts, it was even more of a fishing paradise. Before beginning his great undertaking of capturing magical girls, Li Xuan had often come here to fish for fun.

"So many big flowers!" Black Cat spread her arms and exclaimed as she gazed at the vast lake.

"Those are lotuses. Let's fish first."

Li Xuan went to his usual fishing spot, skillfully lit a mosquito coil, scattered bait, attached a soft lure, and cast his line. But after finishing the whole sequence, he realized Black Cat hadn't followed him. She was hiding behind a tree in the distance, watching him.

"Come over! We'll catch fish soon!" Li Xuan called loudly.

Black Cat seemed very afraid of water. She timidly took a few steps forward, then retreated again. But unable to resist Li Xuan repeatedly tempting her with fish, she eventually came to his side and waited with him.

"Don't worry! The fish here are plentiful and fat. We'll hook one soon! Once we catch a big one, I'll braise it for you when we get home!" Looking at the fat fish faintly visible beneath the clear lake water, Li Xuan nearly started drooling.

"Will there really be fish soon?"

"Mm-hm! Very soon!"

"Will there really be fish?"

"There will! I've caught a fish weighing over six pounds here before. If I'm lying, I'm a dog!" Li Xuan said firmly.

"Then I'll wait!" Black Cat obediently crouched beside him.

"There will be... There definitely will be..."

At one in the morning, Li Xuan, whose eyelids were drooping with exhaustion, stroked the little girl sleeping soundly beside him and repeated those meaningless words under his breath. He didn't know whether he was comforting Black Cat or himself.

Fishing Enthusiasts Never Go Home Empty-Handed!

Just as Li Xuan repeated "there will be" for the one hundred and seventh time, the fishing rod suddenly dipped. Li Xuan jolted awake and reflexively gripped the rod with both hands, yanking it upward.

A large, silvery fish immediately burst from the water. Li Xuan caught it and weighed it in his hand. It felt like it had to be over three pounds.

He was thrilled, but remembering that a little girl was sleeping beside him, he didn't dare shout. He merely tossed the big fish happily into the bucket and cast his line again.

Before long, another big fish took the bait, and it felt even heavier than the last one.

"Hahaha! Let's see who still dares call me the Empty-Handed One!" Li Xuan excitedly cast again. He was using a lure rod, so the fish didn't necessarily need to bite the hook. As long as the hook snagged its body, he could forcibly drag it out of the water.

Li Xuan had never been this lucky before. He felt as though he had been born with the ultimate fishing physique. Every cast hooked a fish, and before long, his bucket was filled with fresh, lively fish.

Though he was still reluctant to stop, Li Xuan had nowhere left to put any more fish. He had never dreamed that the day would come when his fishing bucket would actually be full.

At that moment, he could no longer suppress his urge to show off. He immediately opened his camera, took a photo with the flash on, added some text, and sent it to Li Sijie.

[Awesome, right? I caught all of these by myself!]

Li Sijie quickly replied.

[Mr. Li, you're amazing! Bring them to our school tomorrow, and I'll make you something delicious~ I'm really good at cooking fish!]

"Heh heh, stupid woman, now you know how awesome I am, right?" Li Xuan smugly looked at Li Sijie's reply, then turned and patted the still-sleeping Black Cat. "Look, Bai Rijian! Fish! Such huge fish! There aren't any tiger-striped sharks, but there are really so many big ones!"

"Fish... tasty. Wow! There really are fish!" Black Cat groggily opened her eyes. The moment she saw the huge fish in Li Xuan's hand, she excitedly jumped up, grabbed a large fish, and kissed it.

At that moment, Li Xuan suddenly felt that something was off. He carefully examined the fish in his hand, then looked at the fish in the bucket. Something about them felt deeply wrong.

"Wait, isn't this a mackerel? Why would there be mackerel in a lake?" Li Xuan quickly noticed the inconsistency. Clear Lotus Lake was a completely inland lake, far from the sea. How could it possibly contain sea fish like mackerel?

Just as Li Xuan became utterly confused and even began wondering whether he had fallen into a dream created by Mian Yin, a solemn piece of music suddenly played nearby. Then he heard a woman chanting loudly in a strange cadence.

"All great bodhisattvas, five hundred arhats. We disciples hold kind thoughts and do good deeds. Here, we release one hundred and eight live fish. May the Buddha show mercy and bless us disciples with wealth and prosperity, success in our careers, peace for our entire families, and freedom from calamity and misfortune. May you live out your natural lifespans after being released. At the end of your lives, by the Buddha's original vow, may you be reborn in the Pure Land. Rejoice and praise!"

"Rejoice and praise!" The several men beside the woman also clasped their hands together and spoke devoutly with lowered heads.

Li Xuan was so embarrassed that he wanted to jump into the lake. He had thought his luck had finally changed and that the fish he caught had finally outweighed the bait he threw in. In the end, it was just an illusion. He had gotten excited for nothing.

"Big brother, why aren't you happy? Here, eat fish." Black Cat held a lively mackerel out to Li Xuan.

"Holy shit, you're actually eating it?" Only then did Li Xuan notice that the fish in Black Cat's own hand had already been eaten halfway through, exposing a large amount of white flesh. He stared in shock.

"Isn't fish meant to be eaten? Big brother says such strange things." Black Cat looked confused.

"Uh... I suppose you're not wrong, but at least cook it before eating it..."

Before Li Xuan could finish speaking, he suddenly heard a noisy rush of footsteps. He turned around and immediately met a group of fierce glares—the people who had just released the mackerel into the lake had come over.

"What are you doing?!" the middle-aged woman at the front demanded.

"Fishing. Can't you tell?"

"What you caught isn't fish!" The middle-aged woman rebuked him in a voice trembling with anger.

"Auntie, your spit is practically hitting my face. Tell me, if this isn't fish, what is it?" Li Xuan asked, both annoyed and amused.

"What you caught is karmic sin! For the sake of momentary amusement, you actually caught the live fish we released to earn merit. They are living beings suffering through the cycle of reincarnation just like us. How could you bear it? People like you will descend into Avici Hell, burned by karmic fire, never to be reincarnated for eternity!" The middle-aged woman pointed at Li Xuan's nose and cursed.

"Auntie, then does cursing someone to hell with that mouth of yours count as damaging your merit?" Li Xuan asked impatiently.

"Evil people go to hell themselves! What merit am I damaging? We were afraid that someone would covet these poor fish, so we deliberately came to release them in the middle of the night. Yet we still ran into a bastard like you. Release these fish right now! Release them! Release them immediately!!!" The middle-aged woman pointed at the fishing bucket and shouted.

"I won't. You release yours, I'll catch mine. I've even found someone to cook them. Why should I release them?" Li Xuan's tone hardened as he answered bluntly.

"You still want to eat them? That's disgusting! People like you will go to hell after you die!!" The middle-aged woman stared at Li Xuan in shock.

"How strange. Isn't fish meant to be eaten? If you don't eat them, are you going to worship them? Also, I was too polite to mention this earlier: you dumped saltwater fish into freshwater. Mackerel can't survive in this lake at all! You don't know that—you only care about yourself. Old hag, hurry home and breathe some oxygen. Stop overthinking nonsense all day. Maybe then you'll live a few more years!"

"Listen to him! Listen! How can such a fine young man say something so cruel? Aren't you afraid of karmic retribution?! Amitabha... Amitabha..." After being mocked by Li Xuan, the middle-aged woman trembled with rage. Her body swayed as though she might faint, while the people behind her all wore angry expressions.

"What a buzzkill... Bai Rijian, let's go." Li Xuan decided to stop paying attention to these strange people and picked up the fishing bucket to leave.

At that moment, a burly man behind the middle-aged woman stepped forward and pointed at Li Xuan's back. "Stop! If you leave like this today, I won't let this go!"

"Then how do you think I should leave?" Li Xuan set down the fishing bucket, turned around, and asked.

"Whether you want to release them or not, you're releasing them today!" The man waved his tattoo-covered arm and threw a punch at Li Xuan.

The moment the burly man stepped forward, Li Xuan had already seen that he intended to start a fight and prepared himself. So when the man swung at him, Li Xuan immediately straightened his right leg and aimed the sole of his shoe at the man's crotch.

The burly man was much taller than Li Xuan, but his arm span couldn't compare to the length of Li Xuan's leg. Besides, the attack had come too suddenly for him to slow down. His vulnerable crotch slammed solidly into Li Xuan's shoe, and his balls practically flew apart on the spot.