In Wusa, no one could kill a cat.
This was not merely because Wusa City's laws strictly forbade killing cats, but also because certain sacred and great gazes constantly watched over these furry creatures, granting them an extraordinary status within the city.
"It is said that this law was first introduced because of an elderly couple who enjoyed torturing and killing cats." As he led his two companions toward Wusa City, Xiao Xiao tirelessly recounted everything he had learned:
"A farmer and his wife trapped and killed every cat that came near their home, taking pleasure in it. One year, a caravan arrived in Wusa. There was a little boy in the caravan, an orphan who depended on a little black cat for companionship. On the third day after the caravan arrived, the little black cat vanished. The boy searched for a long time but could not find it. The townspeople secretly told him about the old couple's vile habit."
"The boy wept, fell silent, thought, and finally began to pray."
"He spoke words no one could understand, pleading for help from an existence no one knew. That day, everyone saw the sky tearing apart and the clouds twisting. A dark, hazy figure was reflected in every corner of the city. Then all the cats in town disappeared."
After the townspeople wandered in confusion for several days, the cats finally reappeared. But by then, their coats had become sleek and glossy, their bodies fat and large, and their eyes far more lively.
The mayor, along with a notary, sheriff, and doctor, went to the old farmer's house. There were no living people inside, only two ghastly white skeletons lying before the fireplace, not a shred of flesh left on their bones.
From then on, Wusa had this obscure law.
Zheng