Wen Zhuhai had no idea how this had happened.
One second, he was targeting a top tier college student, who was helpless to resist because she was poor. Then returning home to wallow in glee at his shameful behavior.
Then the next second, he was crippled in his car by a little cat.
He didn't dare think light of this cat. He was now sure that this cat alone had precisely pierced through the cartilage between his cervical vertebrae to sever his nerves in an instant. He knew it was the cat, because the blade he saw at the tip of its tail was still tinged with his blood.
What sort of beast was this? Upon closer inspection, it's figure was more stalwart than a normal cat, and there were vague forms of ash grey stripes on its back. A tiger?
But even though all these thoughts flowed through his mind. None of them mattered. He was at the mercy of this terrifying beast who lacked it.
Would it kill him? Eat him? Bury him? Take him to his master? Tied to a pole for public humiliation? Left powerless in a ditch? In the woods? Left to a pack of dogs? A pack of vicious children?!
His imagination ran wild at thought of his fate. In his state, whoever led this beast could do whatever they wished to him. And in every delusion, death waited at the end of it. His glory days vanished with a single stab.
To negotiate with a beast was impossible in his mind. There was nothing to tempt it with aside from his own flesh. And he wasn't even capable of that in his current state.
What he did not expect was for this beast to prick its own hand, and then his forehead.
The process looked familiar, yet unfamiliar.
It took a while to realize that it was a soul contract, and he was on the receiving end! That was the reason he couldn't recognize it at first glance!
He was familiar with this contract, he had a contract beast too, but no matter how formidable it was, he had left it at home, as always. The cities were safe hear days anyway. Aside from, you know, crazy cats that can cripple you in an instant.
But even if it was nearby, with his blood and essence stolen, along with his will, confidence, and determination. His body and soul were both in shambles, leaving him to weak to support the contract, as his strength was far below the beast now, automatically releasing the contract. The beast was now wild and free in the city, and could cause who knows how many casualties.
But unless what happened to him happened to the tiger in front of him, he was now going to be under the same contract.
Glows arose in his Prius as the contract light shown, revealing their semicorporeal souls reaching out their bodies.
Chains erupted from the magic circle that pierced through his soul, prompting a painful cry of agony that spread from the depths of his pierced soul, now wrapped in chains. A searing torturous pain wrapped around his whole body as It glowed with the light of contract, eventually coagulating into a brand on his forehead.
With that, it was over. He was now no different from a slave. He didn't even know that this contract could be used on humans, did no one consider it? Or was it that this tiger is different.
"Foolish human. Your contracts only work on stupid beasts whose souls are far weaker than yours. My own contract is improvised by my cultivation method, and my soul is still strong, and far surpasses your crippled soul. Any resistance you could've had was impossible in the first place." He heard a deep voice echo in his head. It was no doubt the voice of the tiger, speaking to him through the contract. He had experience in talking to his contract beast as well, but it was mostly orders, he never wondered what it could think.
"W-Why me...?" He managed to stutter from his dry mouth. He could somehow feel that this tiger was acting on its own.
"Hmph, you were at fault for provoking someone under my protection. If not, I wouldn't have bothered with you." The tiger said arrogantly. As if he was expected to know who it was.
"W-ho... ah! Could it be... Chen Yan...?" He was about to ask who he offended, but then he remembered that the girl he targeted today, Chen Yan, has a cat in her bag.
"That's right, and look at you now. Be grateful for her. You're only alive because she said I couldn't kill anyone." He could swear that he saw a very expressive sneer on his tiger face.
Quite honestly he though that he would take death over this any day. He was going to live a life worse than death anyway with his state. But that wasn't what he was asking.
"I mean... why did you contract me? What could you accomplish with a cripple like me?" He asked cautiously, not wanting to upset this terrifying animal.
"Since I'm not allowed to kill anyone, I need to ensure confidentiality. And I was also testing this method. I can kill you anytime. Understood?"
"Yes... sir?" *pop* He was smacked by the kitty paw.
"Who are you calling sir? Call me master!" The tiger said with a fierce glare.
"Yes! Master!" He responded immediately. He would salute but... you know... *cough*crippled*cough.
"Here are my orders! Ready?"
"Yes master."
"You will not speak or mention me in anyway. If you dare to even put a hint of my presence in someone's head, you'll bleed from all of your orifices and when you've lost enough blood, your head will explode.
"Y-Yes! Master!" In his shock at the punishment. He almost forgot to say 'master'.
"You were crippled by a human man today! I don't care how you describe him, but that's what you will tell people who ask questions. If you dare to mention that it was anything other than a human who did this to you to mislead others, your tongue will fall out and you will bleed out the wound. Whether you die from blood loss or drowning in your own blood is up to your fate."
"Yes master!"
"Speak nothing of the contract or my abilities! This should be part of the first order, but I don't want to be unclear! If you dare to carelessly speak then I'll forcefully reattach your nerves with my energy through the contract temporarily, then all your appendages will bend the wrong direction until they break! Including your neck!"
"Y-Yes master!"
The only way you'll die painlessly is by following my orders. Now next I want you to..."