Chapter 21: The Black Cat That Became a Spirit

Cheng Han spent an entire hour battling away in the kitchen before finally producing four dishes.

They were: half a pot of glossy braised rabbit meat, half a pot of fragrant marinated rabbit, a plate of dry-fried rabbit meat, and a dish of rabbit meat stir-fried with green lettuce mushrooms.

In short, a full rabbit feast!

Throughout the cooking process, the black cat remained in full spectator mode, staring fixedly at the food in the pots without blinking. It truly looked like an incorrigible glutton.

Cheng Han portioned out some food into Police Chief’s bowl and said with a smile,

“Kept you waiting, huh? Hurry and eat.”

The black cat immediately rushed over and began devouring the food ravenously, occasionally producing soft purring sounds.

This was its way of expressing happiness.

Cheng Han picked up a piece of braised rabbit meat, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and said proudly,

“My cooking skills are getting better and better.”

The rabbit meat had simmered for a long time. It was tender, soft, and tasted extremely good.

The biggest reason for this was several seasonings he had recently discovered.

For example—Threefold Leaf Fern.

It was a plant favored by feather beasts. Cheng Han had once used the Omniscient Eye to analyze it and obtained an unexpected result.

If its roots and stems were collected, juiced, filtered, and the extracted liquid added to raw meat, it had an astonishing tenderizing effect.

In professional terms, Threefold Leaf Fern contained a type of protease capable of breaking down tough muscle proteins into smaller protein molecules, making the meat easier to digest.

That was the essence of “tenderizing.”

And the reason the black cat increasingly loved eating its owner’s cooking was precisely because of this.

However, Cheng Han did not eat very much.

After tasting each dish and finishing less than half a bowl of rice, he put down his chopsticks.

“Police Chief, take your time eating.”

The black cat immediately stopped eating, raised its head toward him, and meowed several times in succession.

“Meow~ Meow~”

Through the effects of the Spirit Taming Remnant Mark, Cheng Han instantly understood what it meant.

It was asking:

You usually eat two huge bowls. Why are you eating so little today?

The black cat lowered its head to look at the rabbit meat in the bowl, then looked up at the ceiling while waving a paw.

“Meow~”

Its meaning was:

Do you not like burrow rabbits? Should I go catch birds again tomorrow?

Seeing it gesturing and miming so vividly, Cheng Han could not help laughing.

“I ate too much at lunch. Burrow rabbit tastes pretty good, so keep catching rabbits in the future.”

The black cat glanced worriedly at its owner’s stomach several times before lowering its head to continue eating.

Honestly speaking, the interaction between the man and the cat no longer resembled communication between owner and pet.

It was more like two humans having a conversation.

Looking at the black cat, Cheng Han chuckled softly.

“Sometimes I really suspect there’s a human soul hidden inside you.”

The black cat continued eating, but its ears perked upright.

Cheng Han continued,

“When I first met you outside the textile factory, I went home and did a prediction. I foresaw the Ghost Claw draining all the blood and flesh from your body.

“At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but now that I think about it, the Ghost Claw may have sensed your uniqueness and tried to steal your soul.”

“Meow~”

The black cat swished its tail.

After finishing its meal, the black cat licked the bowl spotless, then picked it up in its mouth and jumped onto the kitchen counter, placing it in the sink.

It stretched out one front paw and skillfully turned on the faucet.

Splash~

Water immediately began flowing out.

The black cat turned its head and raised its tone.

“Meow~”

It was calling for its owner, asking him to wash the bowl.

After living with humans for several days, the cat had rapidly learned human habits. It now insisted on washing its bowl every day, otherwise it would rather go hungry.

After washing the bowl, Cheng Han picked up a bamboo food cover and placed it over the dishes.

Although this world did not have refrigerators, the nighttime temperature was low enough that leftovers could be left out overnight without spoiling.

Once everything was finished, Cheng Han beckoned toward the black cat.

“Police Chief, come over. Let’s have a chat.”

The black cat jumped onto the sofa and stared steadily at its owner.

Cheng Han first rubbed its head before saying,

“Something pretty serious happened at school yesterday…”

He briefly explained the grass hound incident and described in detail the role Qin Zicheng had played in it.

The black cat was smart beyond belief, and it excelled at catching birds and rabbits alike. It could practically support the household all by itself.

How could he possibly treat it like an ordinary cat?

By letting it understand the whole situation, he could maximize its initiative. Perhaps it might even produce some unexpected results.

Cheng Han spoke eloquently:

“As far as I know, Qin Zicheng has never displayed any outstanding abilities at school. He probably hasn’t mastered any extraordinary powers himself.

“So I strongly suspect he accidentally obtained some extremely powerful object, and he’s currently experimenting to discover its functions.

“The grass hound incident in the botanical garden was likely just one of his small tests.”

The black cat listened attentively.

Cheng Han’s tone turned colder.

“However, grass hounds are highly aggressive creatures. There have been past cases where people were bitten to death by them.

“The botanical garden is a place where students attend practical lessons, yet Qin Zicheng still created a grass hound there. That bastard is cold and heartless to the core. He simply doesn’t care about the lives of his classmates.”

“Meow~”

The black cat cried out once, seemingly agreeing.

Cheng Han began asking for its opinion.

“I want to investigate Qin Zicheng and figure out exactly what kind of object he obtained. Would you be willing to help me monitor him?”

He added seriously,

“There may be considerable danger involved in this matter. If you don’t want to go, that’s fine too.”

Treating others with sincerity applied equally to cats.

That was Cheng Han’s principle.

The black cat tilted its head in thought for a moment before firmly nodding.

“Meow!”

It agreed.

Cheng Han smiled.

“You’re a black cat. Moving around at night is basically the same as being invisible. Starting tonight, I want you to monitor Qin Zicheng’s house and come back after he falls asleep. How does that sound?”

“Meow!”

The black cat responded immediately.

Cheng Han opened his schoolbag and took out a draft notebook.

“First, I’ll draw you a simple map so you’ll know where Qin Zicheng lives—”

Halfway through speaking, he suddenly stopped.

A thought abruptly surfaced in his mind.

Could he use some extraordinary method to directly transmit information to Police Chief?

If it worked, it would be vastly more convenient than communicating with pen and paper.

The former would take only an instant, while the latter required constant drawing and lengthy explanations. The efficiency difference was enormous.

Seeing its owner suddenly freeze in place, the black cat urged him,

“Meow~”

Cheng Han snapped back to his senses and quoted an old saying:

“To do a job well, one must first sharpen one’s tools! Don’t rush. I need to do something important first.”

The current Spirit Taming Remnant Mark did not possess such an ability yet, so he decided to use the Omniscient Eye and attempt to further complete the remnant mark, evolving the necessary function.

If he did not try, how would he know whether it was possible?

Cheng Han grabbed the black cat by its front legs and placed it on his lap.

“Police Chief, cooperate with me a bit.”

The black cat looked rather helpless but did not resist.

Cheng Han gently stroked its belly and smiled.

“Relax a little. Don’t tense up so much.”

The black cat swished its tail, and its body quickly relaxed.

Cheng Han took several deep breaths before silently reciting:

“Using the black cat as a connection, deduce the method of spiritual communication between humans and animals. Complete the Spirit Taming Remnant Mark!”

The familiar cool sensation once again flowed across his scalp.

His spiritual energy began plummeting rapidly.

Cheng Han was overjoyed.

It succeeded on the first try!

Excellent!

In the next instant—

Both the man and the cat trembled simultaneously.

(End of Chapter)