"Slurp, slurp~"
Orange Cat, who had turned into a little girl, held her chopsticks and kept stuffing noodles into her mouth.
"Eat slowly. Don't choke."
Li Ping'an reached out and wiped her mouth.
Hm?
"What's this?" Li Ping'an suddenly asked.
The little girl blinked without making a sound.
Li Ping'an parted the noodles in her bowl with his chopsticks, revealing a dark lump underneath.
"What's this?"
"...Meat."
"What kind of meat?"
"Dried mouse meat."
"Didn't we agree that you couldn't eat mice when eating at the table?"
The little girl hesitated, then declared with absolute conviction, "The mouse flew into Cat Immortal's bowl all by itself."
Ha, what a novel excuse.
The little girl could only pick the mouse out and set it aside, concentrating on her noodles.
"Rumble-!!"
In the distance, enormous waves churned.
The little boat surged with the wind.
Old Ox paddled his hind legs, his front legs resting on the boat, making sure the huge waves would not overturn it.
Someone's here?
The Flood Dragon grew interested and circled the boat at high speed.
The little boat was light as a reed, passing through the waves swiftly and steadily.
It bobbed and swayed in the water.
But no matter how fierce the wind and waves grew, it neither spun around nor sank beneath the water.
"Oh?"
"Splash!!"
The Flood Dragon abruptly burst from the water.
His scale-armored body reflected a dazzling sheen.
Conical fangs with their sharp edges fully exposed, large, round, protruding eyes.
His eyes gleamed like a wild beast's, every muscle stirring, every bone poised for action.
As though in the very next second, he would pounce.
And tear Li Ping'an and his companions to pieces.
"Heh heh heh."
Laughter escaped between the Flood Dragon's teeth, as though he were showing off his strength.