Volume One: The Eight Coffins of the Corpse Yard Chapter 59: Cat Skin

In this kind of environment, it would have seemed normal if it had leapt up to bite us or simply run away. But its stillness made us a hundred times more wary.

My third uncle drew out his peachwood sword, took a step forward, and carefully prodded the cat. After a few tentative pokes, it still showed no reaction. At last, my uncle realized something was wrong. Cursing under his breath, he put some force into it and flicked the cat up.

Only when the cat dangled from the tip of the sword, illuminated by our flashlight, did I see that it was nothing more than a cat's skin.

Whoever had flayed it must have been a master; the pelt was flawless, so much so that we had mistaken it for a living cat. Its fur was pure black, with only a few tufts of white on the tail.

A thought struck me—was this not the very stray cat described by that attendant? The one Fei Yao had adopted, which disappeared after the incident?

“How did this cat end up here?” I blurted out.

My third uncle brought the cat skin closer, sniffed it, shook it a few times, then shook his head. “This can’t be Fei Yao’s cat. This pelt is decades old, at least thirty or forty years.”

I was stunned. A cat skin that old, yet the fur was identical to that of the cat we’d seen recently—was this just coincidence?

While I stood dazed, my uncle seemed to realize something and pointed at Xu Ruoxi lying on the floor. “Carry her—let’s get out of here. We need to leave right now.”

“What’s wrong?” His nervous expression made me uneasy.

He waved me off. “Don’t ask. Just move.”

I nodded, bent down, and hoisted Xu Ruoxi onto my back. At that moment, I bitterly regretted bringing her with us. We’d given her a piece of our mind, alright, but she had truly become a burden.

Luckily, she was slight and not hard to carry. But there was one issue: Xu Ruoxi had been wearing a modern qipao, tailored close to her body. If she’d simply walked, it would have been fine, but she’d thrashed about wildly earlier, tearing several seams. The qipao had lost all its former elegance and now hung in tatters, looking utterly disheveled. Add to that the beating we’d given her with the ‘Black Tiger Knot,’ and the qipao was simply a ruin.

As a result, much of her skin was exposed, including some sensitive areas.

This made carrying her supremely awkward—it was all I could do to keep my hand under her so she wouldn’t slip, my heart pounding with embarrassment.

But the situation left no room for hesitation. My uncle’s face was grim as stone. When he saw I had Xu Ruoxi on my back, he said nothing more, just raised his flashlight and led the way out, heading straight for the stairs.

I didn’t dare linger, following close behind.

Outside, everything was exactly as it had been when we entered. We bolted down from the second floor, intent on dashing out the front door on the first floor.

But when my uncle pushed open the door and stepped out, he recoiled as if shocked by electricity, slamming the door shut behind him.

I knew something was wrong and hurried to ask what had happened.

My uncle, breathing heavily, gestured for me to look out the window by the door.

His manner set my nerves on edge. I held my breath and peered out.

The little courtyard beyond was shrouded in darkness, barely lit. At first, I noticed nothing out of place, but as my eyes adjusted, I saw the courtyard was filled with countless things.

I couldn’t tell what at first, but then I saw hundreds of tiny green-glowing dots—so dense they seemed numberless.

Supporting Xu Ruoxi with one hand, I fumbled for my flashlight and shone it outside.

In the beam, several feline faces appeared.

Every one bore the same expression, baring their teeth in a silent snarl, eyes fixed menacingly on the door.

A shudder jolted through me and I quickly switched off the light.

It dawned on me that all those glowing dots were the eyes of cats—hundreds of them crowded into the yard. Yet not one made a sound; they simply surrounded the house in absolute silence.

Sweat beaded my brow. Had every cat in Linjiang gathered here?

“Are… are these cats here for us?” I stammered.

My uncle nodded, silent, deep in thought.

Seeing that we were trapped for now, I set Xu Ruoxi down on the floor. If we had to wait, it was best to wake her up—I couldn’t keep carrying her.

Following the method my uncle had taught me, I pinched the philtrum under her nose, hard.

She shuddered and moaned.

I patted her cheek and whispered, “Wake up, quickly.”

Slowly, Xu Ruoxi opened her eyes, first seeing me, then glancing at my uncle and the surroundings, utterly bewildered.

At last, sensing the pain in her body, she saw her dress had been torn to shreds and much of her was exposed.

She shrieked, covering herself as best she could with her hands, but it was impossible to shield everything.

Xu Ruoxi glared at us, shouting angrily, “Who are you people—what did you do to me?”

I hurried to clamp a hand over her mouth. I didn’t know the full story either, but if she alarmed the cats outside, things would get much worse.

She struggled fiercely, even biting my hand.

I gritted my teeth, lowered my voice, and threatened, “Damn it, if you don’t calm down, I’ll kill you.”

That did the trick—she shrank back, terrified into silence.

I pointed at her and said quietly, “Stop making a fuss. We’re not interested in you. I’ll explain everything when we get out. Just know if not for me and my uncle, you’d already be dead. Things are dangerous now. Stay still and you’ll be fine. If you understand, nod.”

Xu Ruoxi’s eyes brimmed with fear, clearly cowed by my tone. She nodded quickly.

I let go of her mouth.

Timidly, she whispered, “What… what happened?”

“How would I know?” After calming her, I cursed under my breath and turned to ask my uncle what to do next.

He was crouched in a corner, frowning in concentration.

I walked over. “Uncle, we…”

I had barely begun when I heard hurried footsteps behind us. At the same time, a shadow darted toward the door.

(End of this chapter)