The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 27: This Seat Will Make You a Bowl of Noodles

Chu Wanning was thoroughly dazed.

It was his fault for being too engrossed and having no guard up on the Peak of Life and Death. He hadn't even noticed someone approaching him.

What's going on? Where did this child come from? Ah, right, it was that Mo... what was his name again? Mo Shao? Mo Zhuo? Mo... Fish?

He composed himself, skillfully masking his expression to give off an "unapproachable" vibe. The surprise and panic in his phoenix eyes were swiftly swept away, replaced by his usual sharpness and sarcasm.

"You—"

Just as he was about to reprimand, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Chu Wanning was stunned.

In all his years, no one had ever dared to casually grab his wrist. For a moment, his face darkened as he froze, unsure how to react.

Should he pull away and slap back?

...It felt as if adding "indecent" made no difference from addressing a woman.

So he wouldn't slap him?

...Did this mean he was too lenient?

After hesitating for a long while, Chu Wanning didn't make a move. The youth, however, smiled and said, "What's that on your wrist? It looks nice. Can you teach me how to make it? Everyone else has introduced themselves, but you haven't. Which elder are you? Oh, does your head hurt from the collision just now?"

Faced with a barrage of questions, Chu Wanning felt a headache coming on, even though he hadn't had one before.

His brain was about to split apart...

As frustration rose within him, a golden glow flickered in his hand, and it seemed like Tianwen was about to be summoned. The other elders all paled in shock—had Chu Wanning lost his mind? Did he dare to strike Young Master Mo?

Suddenly, Mo Ran grabbed his hand.

Now both hands were in this youth's grasp, and Mo Ran was oblivious to any danger. He tugged Chu Wanning closer, standing in front of him with an upturned face and a grin, saying, "I'm Mo Ran. I don't know anyone here, but judging by appearances, I like you best. How about I become your disciple?"

This unexpected turn of events left everyone even more startled. A few elders' faces looked strained.

Elder Xuan Ji: "Hm?"

Elder Pòjūn: "Wow!"

Elder Qīshā: "Oh?"

Elder Jìlǜ: "Um..."

Elder Tānláng: "Heh, how amusing."

Elder Luchen was the most effeminate of them all, with his curly hair and flirtatious gaze. "Oh my, what courage this young master has! Truly, heroes emerge in their youth, daring even to touch Elder Yu Heng's bottom."

"…Can you please not put it so disgustingly?" Seven Killing grumbled.

Elder Luchen elegantly rolled his eyes and huffed. "Very well, let me put it more delicately then: truly, heroes in their youth dare even to touch Elder Yu Heng's posterior."

Seven Killing: "…………" He might as well kill him.

Among all the elders, the most beloved was the gentle and refined Xuan Ji. His magic was easy to learn, and he himself was a modest gentleman; most of the disciples at the Peak of Life and Death were under his tutelage.

Chu Wanning initially assumed that Mo Ran would be no different; even if he wasn't Xuan Ji, he should be a brilliant and energetic Wu Jun, someone who would never end up being himself.

Yet Mo Ran stood so close, his expression unfamiliarly intimate and affectionate toward him. It was as if he were an unwitting clown suddenly thrust into the spotlight, leaving him inexplicably flustered and at a loss.

Chu Wanning was only familiar with how to handle "reverence," "fear," and "hatred." As for "liking," that was far too complicated.

Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately rejected Mo Ran.

The youth stood rooted to the spot, his slender eyelashes casting a shadow over a pair of eyes that unexpectedly held a tinge of desolation and reluctance. He lowered his head, pondering for a long while before suddenly whispering unreasonably, "It's you either way."

Chu Wanning: "..."

The Venerated Lord, entertained by the scene, couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Aran, do you have any idea who he is?"

"He didn't tell me, so how would I know who he is?"

"Haha, if you don't even know who he is, then why did you insist on taking him with you?"

Mo Ran continued holding onto Chu Wanning's hand, turning his head to smile at the Venerated Lord and reply, "Because he looks the gentlest and easiest to talk to."

In the darkness, Chu Wanning abruptly opened his eyes, feeling dizzy spells sweeping over him.

...It was truly bizarre.

He had no idea what kind of expression Mo Ran had worn back then that he could have possibly mistaken it for gentleness. Not to mention himself, the entire Summit of Life and Death had known about it at the time, casting sympathetic glances at Young Master Mo Ran as if he were an innocent fool.

Chu Wanning lifted his hand to massage his throbbing temple.

His shoulder hurt, his thoughts were jumbled, his stomach was empty, and his head spun.

Looks like there was no chance of getting any sleep tonight.

He lay on the bed in a spread-eagle position, lost in thought for a while before sitting up, intending to light an incense stick to calm his mind. Suddenly, the door was knocked on once again.

It was still Mo Ran outside.

Chu Wanning: "..."

He didn't respond, neither telling him to come in nor to leave.

But this time, the door creaked open on its own.

Chu Wanning lifted his head with a somber expression. The match he was about to strike hung motionless in mid-air, never reaching the incense, and eventually flickered out.

"Wanning," Chu Wanning said coldly, "get out."

And yet, Mo Ran rolled right in.

He carried a steaming bowl of noodles, freshly cooked.

This time, the noodles were simpler, sans the myriad of fancy toppings. The pure white broth was sprinkled with green onions and white sesame seeds, accompanied by small segments of pork rib, vegetables, and a slightly golden fried egg.

Chu Wanning was famished, but his face remained expressionless. He glanced at the noodles, then at Mo Ran, before turning away without a word.

Mo Ran placed the bowl on the table and softly said, "I asked the chef at the shop to make another one."

Chu Wanning lowered his eyelids.

As expected, Mo Ran hadn't made it himself.

"Have some," Mo Ran offered. "This bowl has no spice, no beef, and no bean sprouts."

With that, he left, making sure to close the door behind him for Chu Wanning's sake.

He felt guilty about the injury inflicted upon Chu Wanning.

But that was all he could do.

Inside the room, Chu Wanning leaned by the window, lost in thought. With folded arms, he gazed at the bowl of spare rib noodles from afar, watching as the steam dissipated and the food eventually turned cold, devoid of any warmth.

Only then did he finally approach the table, sit down, and pick up the chopsticks. He began to eat the now-lukewarm, soggy noodles slowly.

The demonic case at Chen's residence had come to a close.

The next day, they retrieved their black mare from the inn and retraced their steps back to their sect.

In alleys and teahouses, on street corners and in restaurants, the people of Peacock Town were abuzz with discussions about the affair involving Elder Chen's family.

In this small but not insignificant town, such a scandal was more than enough gossip for its residents to relish in for an entire year.

"I never would have guessed that Young Master Chen had secretly wed Miss Luo. Alas, poor Miss Luo, what a tragic fate she has met."

"Well, if the Chen family hadn't suddenly come into wealth, this wouldn't have happened. Men truly can't be trusted with money; it corrupts them to the point of flooding an entire city with their wicked intentions."

One man interjected, "Young Master Chen didn't have ill intentions himself. This is all the fault of his parents. Wretch Chen, that turtle son of his, may his descendants be born without an anus for generations to come!"

Another person chimed in, "We pity the dead, but what about the living? Look at Madam Chen Yao, Miss Yao, the heiress. I believe she's the one who's been most wronged here. That heartless matriarch of the Chen family deceived an innocent maiden. Tell me, what course of action should she take now?"

"She could remarry, of course."

The man rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Remarry? You're going to marry her?"

The villager being teased bared his teeth and grinned, digging at his teeth as he said, "If the woman in my nest agrees, I'll marry her. Miss Yao is so lovely; I wouldn't mind that she's been widowed."

"Spit, a toad dreaming of eating swan meat."

Mo Ran sat on his horse, ears perked up, attentively listening and observing. If not for Chu Wanning's closed eyes, furrowed brows, and the unspoken "extremely noisy" written across his forehead, Mo Ran might have even joined in on the gossip with the villagers.

They rode side by side, finally leaving the main city and entering the outskirts.

Shi Mo suddenly exclaimed, pointing in the distance. "Master, look over there."

In front of the ruined temple dedicated to the Ghost Conductor, a crowd of farmers dressed in brown work clothes were busily moving bricks and stones, apparently planning to repair the damaged shrine and restore the Ghost Conductor's golden statue.

With concern etched on his face, Shi Mo said, "Master, now that the previous Ghost Conductor is gone, they're making a new one. Will this one become divine again and commit wicked deeds?"

Chu Wanning replied, "I don't know."

"Should we try to persuade them not to do it?"

Chu Wanning responded, "The marriage custom in Butterflies Town has been passed down for generations. It can't be swayed by just a few words from us. Let's go."

With that, he spurred his horse into a light gallop, leaving a trail of dust behind.

By the time they returned to the Summit of Life and Death, it was already evening.

At the entrance to the mountain, Chu Wanning instructed his two disciples, "Go to the Heart of Alchemy Hall and recount what happened. I'll head to the Court of Discipline."

Mo Ran was puzzled. "Why are you going to the Court of Discipline?"

Shi Mo appeared deeply concerned, "…"

Chu Wanning's expression was indifferent, "Accept the punishment."

Though it was said that even the emperor was subject to the same laws as commoners, which ruler would actually be imprisoned and sentenced to death for killing someone? The same principle applied in the cultivation world.

If an elder broke the rules, they would be punished equally with their disciples—this was often just empty rhetoric in most sects.

In reality, if an elder transgressed, it was already good if they wrote a self-reflection letter. Who would be foolish enough to obediently accept punishment, endure being whipped with willow vines or receive dozens of canes?

As a result, when the Law Enforcement Elder heard Chu Wanning's confession, his face turned ashen.

"Not to be rude, Elder Yu Heng, but did you really… really hit the client?"

Chu Wanning replied nonchalantly, "Mm."

"You're too…"

Chu Wanning raised his eyelids and gave the Law Enforcement Elder a dark glare, causing the elder to fall silent.

"According to the rules, this offense merits two hundred strokes of the cane and seven days kneeling in the Hall of Yama, followed by three months of confinement," Chu Wanning said. "I have no defense to offer and willingly accept my punishment."

The Elder of Discipline: "..."

He glanced around, then beckoned with his finger. The door to the Court of Discipline slammed shut, leaving only silence between the two of them standing face to face.

Chu Wanning asked, "What do you mean by this?"

"Well, Elder Yu Heng, you're well aware that rules like these should not apply to someone of your standing. With the doors closed, this matter is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me. Let's just let it slide, shall we? If I were to punish you and the Lord found out, wouldn't he be furious with me?"

Chu Wanning had no intention of wasting words with him and simply stated, "I bind others by the law, and I should bind myself by it as well."

With that, he knelt before the plaque of discipline, facing it directly.

"Go ahead and mete out the punishment," he said.

Author's Note: The story behind the new book title.

Me: I thought about renaming it to "Husky and His Samoyed Master."

Friend: ...Samoyed? Isn't Samoyed the Smiling Angel? Is Master the Smiling Angel? Does he even smile?

Me: ...That actually makes some sense.

Friend: Let's go with cats then.

And so it became "Husky and His White Cat Master," as I typed these words, the melody of "Black Cat Commander" kept ringing in my head, oh oh oh, Black Cat Commander, oh oh oh, Black Cat Commander.

In the future, we can create an anthropomorphic animal theater!

Master, the Great White Cat, fox dog Shi Mo, Husky Mo Ran, and little peacock Xue Meng~