Ch 207: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

Ling Nu was carried into the living room wrapped in a blanket.

He pawed at it twice, unhappily crawling out of the blanket and glaring at Mu Xing. “What are you doing!”

Mu Xing was a little surprised. “You look a lot better today than you did last night.”

Last night the little cat demon’s resentment was so thick it seemed almost tangible, but now it looked much thinner.

He knew his own soul wasn’t ordinary, so the cat demon should feel better staying near him, but was the effect really this obvious?

Mu Xing was a little puzzled.

Ling Nu, too lazy to turn back into human form, sneered and spoke in human tongue. “If not for that, when you dared to get close to me, I would have already clawed you open.”

Mu Xing ignored his words.

This little cat demon had been willing to give up a hundred years of cultivation to save someone. At heart, he was simple and kind.

For him to end up like this was entirely the fault of that crazed Mu family ancestor.

Even though Mu Xing himself wasn’t truly a Mu clansman, this body was.

Although he had no intention of taking the blame for the Mu family, this much at least he could endure.

He made a video call to Mu Rong.

As soon as the call connected, Mu Xing spoke with a panicked tone. “Dad, I think I might have run into something unclean! It scared me half to death!”

Ling Nu, sprawled on the sofa: ?

He just watched Mu Xing put on his act.

On the other end, Mu Rong’s expression changed the moment he heard Mu Xing’s words.

But he quickly recovered his calm. “What nonsense are you talking about? What happened?”

Mu Xing lied through his teeth. “Last night I had a dream. I dreamed of someone in red clothes always following behind me, chillingly saying that our Mu family owed him something, and he was here to collect the debt.”

He pretended not to notice Mu Rong’s face stiffen and continued fabricating. “I kept running, and he kept chasing behind me. In the end, a hand with black fingernails grabbed my shoulder.”

“Then I woke up terrified.” Mu Xing rubbed his right shoulder convincingly. “This shoulder hurts like crazy, I can’t even touch it.”

He said fearfully, “Dad, do you think I might have run into something bad?”

The bad thing, Ling Nu: “…”

Unhappily, he clawed a mark into the sofa.

Mu Rong guessed silently that the curse must have started to take effect.

A flicker of guilt toward this son passed through his heart, but even more, he felt relief. According to the records left by the ancestors, the demon would come out once every fifty years and take the life of a Mu clansman.

Since it had chosen Mu Xing, the others should be safe.

What he thought in his heart did not show on his face at all. He only looked disapprovingly at Mu Xing. “Weren’t you always the one who never believed in ghosts or gods? Why suddenly bring this up? I think you just had a nightmare, that’s all. The shoulder pain is probably from sleeping on it wrong. Don’t overthink it.”

“Really?” Mu Xing looked doubtful. “But that dream felt so real. I could clearly feel the cold breath of that thing behind me.”

He looked at Mu Rong. “Dad, our family doesn’t owe anyone anything, right?”

Mu Rong remembered what he’d learned from his own father, and unease stirred in his heart.

But he spoke calmly. “What nonsense are you thinking? Our family has always done business with integrity. What could we possibly owe?”

Mu Xing sneered inwardly.

He said aloud, “I see. Then I’m fine today, should I come home for lunch?”

Since the cat demon had already come to him, even though the records said the cat demon would only target one person, how could Mu Rong dare let him come home?

He quickly said, “I have to go out today, and your mother has plans to go shopping. No one’s home today, don’t come back. Another day.”

“Mom’s not home?”

Mu Rong said, “Yes, she went out early. I heard she had some beauty treatment appointment, needed to go early.”

“Alright then.” Mu Xing said regretfully. “I’ll come back another day.”

He ended the call and then called his mother, Wen Li.

Her tone was much happier. “Xingxing, what is it? Do you need something from Mom?”

Mu Xing asked where she was, and she said she was driving to a beauty center.

“No driver? You went alone?”

Wen Li laughed. “I didn’t ask the driver today. I’m meeting some girlfriends later to go shopping.”

That worked out conveniently.

Mu Xing said, “Mom, find a place to park the car. I have something to tell you.”

Wen Li was surprised. “Why don’t you just say it directly?”

Mu Xing thought, If I tell you directly, you’ll probably crash the car.

Under his insistence, Wen Li had no choice but to find a parking spot. Smiling, she said, “Alright then, go ahead.”

Mu Xing said slowly, “What I’m going to say is very strange. Mom, you’d better prepare yourself and don’t be scared.”

Wen Li chuckled. “What nonsense, just say it.”

Since she said so, Mu Xing spoke directly.

Two minutes later, Wen Li interrupted him for the first time.

She asked strangely, “Today isn’t some kind of prank holiday, is it? What kind of joke are you making?”

Mu Xing’s response was to hang up and make a video call.

Then he turned the camera toward the sofa and called out, “Ling Nu.”

Ling Nu glanced at him, thinking how naturally he gave orders.

Even though he felt disdainful, his body still cooperated.

Wen Li watched with her own eyes as the little cat lying on the sofa transformed into a pale but beautiful man.

The screen shook, probably because Wen Li dropped her phone.

“Xingxing, you’re at home? Alone? That’s too dangerous! Mom’s coming right now! Don’t hang up.”

Mu Xing wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but Wen Li had already stepped hard on the accelerator.

Ling Nu sat on the sofa and gave a short sneer. “Your mother is much better than that father of yours.”

Mu Xing agreed. “Of course. How can beings of the underworld and beings of the living world even be compared?”

Wen Li’s heart was in chaos.

She had only heard the beginning, only knew that some Mu family ancestor did something bad and offended a demon. The rest she didn’t know yet.

So now she only worried about Mu Xing’s safety. Hearing through the call that her son and the demon seemed to be getting along peacefully, she couldn’t help but breathe a little easier.

When Wen Li arrived at Mu Xing’s home, Mu Xing and Ling Nu were eating breakfast.

Congee and soup dumplings.

Ling Nu had seafood congee, with a small plate of fragrant dried fish on the side, freshly delivered by the takeout Mu Xing had ordered.

The dried fish was clearly to Ling Nu’s liking. His eyes toward Mu Xing had softened quite a bit.

Mu Xing couldn’t help thinking: This little cat looks like he could be fooled with just a bag of dried fish. Isn’t that way too naive?

As soon as Wen Li walked in, she gasped sharply when she saw Ling Nu.

Even though she tried hard to stay calm, Ling Nu still saw her tightly clenched fists.

After thinking for a moment, he transformed back into his original form—a fluffy ball of a cat. He gripped the small plate of dried fish in his mouth and lightly padded off to the side.

That sight actually made Wen Li relax a lot.

She carefully approached Mu Xing and whispered, “What exactly is going on?”

Mu Xing told her everything he knew.

At first Wen Li’s face was serious, but later, after hearing about some of Mu Rong’s actions, that seriousness turned into shock and fury.

“I don’t believe it…” Wen Li’s face turned pale.

These things were too inconceivable for her.

It was hard for her to believe that the man she had lived with for half a lifetime could be someone like this.

But her son’s words…

Ling Nu, who was slowly chewing dried fish, suddenly gave a cold laugh. “If it weren’t for your son’s unusual constitution, do you think I would be sitting here calmly with you? Last night, he almost lost half his life.”

The little cat bared his teeth at them. “Your Mu family already has several ancestors who died at my hands.”

Wen Li trembled and looked at Mu Xing in panic.

Mu Xing poured her a glass of warm water. “Don’t be afraid, he’s just trying to scare you.”

He looked calmly at the mother of this body. “Mom, I’m telling you all this because I’ll be taking Ling Nu to find Dad soon. If everything we know is true…”

He watched Wen Li’s eyes suddenly widen. “You should understand, Dad won’t have a good outcome, right?”

He quietly waited for Wen Li’s response.

Wen Li asked, “You’re going to find your father?”

Ling Nu answered in a grim tone. “Debts should be paid by those who owe them.”

Wen Li pressed her lips together. “Alright… alright, can I go with you?”

Mu Xing was surprised.

Wen Li’s voice trembled a little, but her gaze was firm. “This is too absurd. I still can’t quite believe it. I want to hear him say it myself.”

Wen Li personally drove Mu Xing and Ling Nu back to the old residence.

Mu Rong had nothing going on today. Because of the Mu family curse weighing on his mind, he was in no mood to go to the company or handle any affairs. He just sat in the study, dazing.

Wen Li returned home first and gave the maids a two-day break, telling them all to leave.

Then she went upstairs and pushed open the study door.

Mu Rong was a little surprised to see her, but quickly plastered on a smile. “Didn’t you say you were going out? Why are you back?”

Looking at his gentle smile, Wen Li found it hard to believe that this man could calmly let his own son die.

She said softly, “I was going out, but I got a call from Xingxing. He brought a friend, said he wanted to see you.”

Mu Rong felt a faint unease. These days, he hadn’t wanted to see his younger son at all.

He frowned. “I don’t have time to see his friend. Maybe another time.”

“You’re too late to say that now.” Mu Xing pushed open the study door and smiled at Mu Rong. “He’s already here.”

❣╰(⸝⸝⸝꒳⸝⸝⸝)╯❣