Catching Mice

By the time he had replenished all the spiritual energy in his body, it was already eleven at night.

Wen Xiancheng could distinctly feel the fatigue in his body.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face, Wen Xiancheng was about to turn off the light.

Sharpening the axe would not delay the woodcutting.

He would get a good night's sleep, then continue using Illusion Arts to work through those children's books tomorrow.

His gaze fell on the mousetraps, and unease stirred in him again.

There was nothing on the mousetraps except scraps of paper. What if the mice didn't take the bait?

When he bought the traps today, the shopkeeper had told him that mice were very clever.

They were also sensitive to metal objects. He had to cover up the metal thoroughly and make sure they would pass that way.

Wen Xiancheng thought for a moment, then took some crackers out of the refrigerator, broke them into pieces, and placed them on the traps' triggers.

Only after doing all this did Wen Xiancheng lie down in bed, satisfied.

After one last glance at the Mouse Clone, Wen Xiancheng switched off the light, a smile spreading across his face.

Having a clone truly was an amazing thing.

One body could sleep while the other remained brimming with energy.

If those scientists found out, they would definitely drag him off to dissect and study as an experimental specimen!

As Wen Xiancheng settled down to sleep, the Mouse Clone climbed onto the desk opposite the makeshift wardrobe and hid among the pile of children's books, leaving only his head poking out.

He wanted to watch those three damned little mice get caught in the traps!

Now, his eyes were fixed on the space beneath the bed as he waited for the three little mice to appear!

He didn't have to wait long before rustling came from beneath the bed again.

Then the three little mice crept out furtively and ran toward the makeshift wardrobe.

The Mouse Clone's heart leaped into his throat.

He felt an extraordinary thrill.

The three little mice circled the makeshift wardrobe.

They were excited too!

They had caught the scent of crackers.

But they also knew to be cautious!

For nearly a minute, they did nothing but sniff around one of the paper-covered mousetraps, never stepping onto it.

After a minute, apparently deciding nothing was wrong, one of the little mice finally poked its head boldly toward the trap to sniff the crackers.

Good.

The mousetrap still hadn't moved.

The Mouse Clone felt as though he could hear his own heartbeat.

Step on it!

Hurry up and step on it!

You idiot, go eat the crackers!

There's food right there and you won't eat it. Are you stupid or what?

The Mouse Clone kept praying silently.

Finally, ten seconds later, seemingly reassured once more that the trap posed no danger, the little mouse rushed eagerly toward the crackers.

Seeing this, the other two little mice darted forward too, actually trying to snatch the food away.

But as two of the little mice stepped onto the scraps of paper, a snap rang out.

Paper scraps flew everywhere.

The trigger had sprung!

The whole mousetrap jumped.

As the trap jumped, the two little mice squealed in pain.

One had been caught around the waist, the other by the tail!

The third little mouse was so frightened that it immediately turned and fled, disappearing beneath the bed in moments.

The two trapped mice struggled violently, making the trap shake and even dragging it along.

At last, the little mouse caught by the tail broke free.

But its tail had snapped off!

Blood kept flowing from the severed end.

It couldn't worry about that, though, and raced beneath the bed.

Only the little mouse caught around the waist remained, squealing miserably.

This is terrifying!

Help!

But its two little companions had long since vanished. How could they possibly come to its rescue?

Watching this scene, the Mouse Clone felt immensely satisfied!

Climbing down from among the children's books on the desk, the Mouse Clone ran over to face the little mouse and smugly stroked his long whiskers with a paw.

Run!

Go on, keep running!

When the little mouse saw the Mouse Clone, it seemed to recognize him and kept squeaking at him.

This time, unexpectedly, the Mouse Clone felt no satisfaction.

Watching the little mouse squeaking at him, he inexplicably felt a trace of sympathy well up inside.

The little mouse's movements now looked a little like it was begging for mercy, or perhaps asking for help.

The Mouse Clone stared at the little mouse in confusion.

Why am I getting that impression?

The Mouse Clone stared at the little mouse without moving.

This time, its movements looked even more like a plea for mercy!

The Mouse Clone gave the little mouse a look of distaste.

Damn it, I'm human. This body is just a clone. Why the hell should I feel sorry for you?

The Mouse Clone was about to leave the little mouse trapped all night and see whether it would be dead by morning.

Seeing this, the little mouse began struggling violently again, squeaking over and over.

As those cries reached the Mouse Clone's ears, they actually seemed filled with sorrow.

After listening for a while, the Mouse Clone simply couldn't harden his heart.

Forget it. I'll let it off this once.

With that thought, Wen Xiancheng climbed out of bed and turned on the light.

The little mouse was so frightened that it thrashed even harder, dragging the mousetrap every which way.

Wen Xiancheng ignored the little mouse and looked at the Mouse Clone instead.

It was a very strange feeling.

It was as though two different consciousnesses existed inside his body.

One was telling him that the little mouse was pitiful.

The other was telling him that it was only a mouse, and it had gnawed on his wardrobe. It deserved to die! Wasn't that exactly why he had bought the mousetraps?

The two consciousnesses kept clashing.

In the end, Wen Xiancheng still got up and walked over.

The Mouse Clone ran to the little mouse and pinned it to the floor as it struggled violently in sheer terror.

Wen Xiancheng opened the trap and tossed it into a corner, then returned to bed, turned off the light, and went back to sleep.

The Mouse Clone released the little mouse.

The little mouse immediately bolted beneath the bed, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The Mouse Clone rolled his eyes, though he had no whites to roll.

Truly as timid as a mouse!

Carrying the crackers from the floor up to the desk in his mouth, the Mouse Clone began eating there.

Before he had finished, rustling came from beneath the bed again.

The Mouse Clone turned around, his eyes fixed coldly on the space beneath the bed.

You really never learn, do you? You still dare come out?

Sure enough, three furry little heads poked out from beneath the bed.

This time, the three little mice were clearly much more cautious.

They crouched on the floor and looked around for a long time. Only after confirming that there really was no sound did they come out.

This time, however, they weren't coming empty-handed. They were carrying three blades of wild grass in their mouths!

The Mouse Clone looked baffled.

What does this mean?

Carrying the three blades of wild grass, the little mice went to where the trap had been, looking around and squeaking.

They looked as though they were searching for something.

A strange feeling arose in the Mouse Clone's heart.

Are they looking for me?

Thinking of his human body nearby, the Mouse Clone climbed down from the desk and approached the three little mice.

Even if these three little mice dared gang up on him, his human body only had to get up to scare them witless. There was nothing to fear.

(End of chapter)