Comforted Erhuo! . . .
Yue Changtian regarded the tiny feline with affection in his eyes. "Such an adorable creature can only grace the world for a few fleeting years. What a pity. Once I acquire some fine Dan beads, like the Snow Wind Dan, I'll have to treat this cat and see if it works any miracles..." His fondness for the cat was undeniable, and he even let his imagination run wild, indulging in hopeful fantasies.
Hopeful thinking, often viewed with skepticism, sometimes bore sweet fruits.
As dawn broke the following day, Yue Changtian concealed himself, diligently activating his spiritual senses to maintain vigilance over his surroundings.
Erhuo, with its graceful demeanor, approached Yue Changtian, who promptly hushed it. "No! Don't come any closer... You'll attract their attention..."
He waved his hand, urging Erhuo to retreat.
Erhuo had merely been curious about the situation and swiftly complied, making its way to another pond from the cover of the bushes. This particular pond was the farthest from Yue Changtian's watchful eyes.
Yue Changtian remained intently vigilant, scouring his surroundings for any signs of activity.
Meanwhile, Erhuo silently approached the water, extending a paw which gently stirred the surface. Small, imperceptible vortexes formed, hardly disturbing the fish as they swam below the water's surface. Erhuo's intent wasn't to catch the fish.
[These are far too minuscule... not even enough to fill the crevice between my teeth!]
Underneath the water, the faint vortexes generated gentle currents that naturally lured a few fish closer to Erhuo.
Then, a larger fish, about forty kilograms in size, glimmering with radiant hues, came into Erhuo's sights. It swam serenely, its tail rhythmically propelling it through the water.
As the fish approached, Erhuo locked its gaze on its target, exuding an imposing aura. Startled, the fish hesitated and Erhuo extended its paw, grabbing the fish out of the water with remarkable agility.
The sight was nothing short of extraordinary—a diminutive white cat seizing a fish many times its size. It was a truly unbelievable spectacle.
The fish writhed in pain and made a futile attempt to escape, but it was too late. Erhuo's swift paw struck the fish, expelling water from its body.
Erhuo deftly manipulated the fish with a series of movements, causing it to gradually shrink in size until it was merely as large as a human hand. Finally, Erhuo exceeded the fish in size, and it devoured the fish in one swift gulp.
Erhuo crunched through the skin, bones, and scales before swallowing them whole. Satisfied, it stretched its body and released a contented meow. [Delicious!]
[This is one of the most delightful experiences!]
Erhuo felt gratitude toward the Golden-scaled Dragon Fish, which, during its transformation into a dragon, had expelled all superfluous elements, rendering it small. That fish had contributed to Erhuo's delectable meal.
Erhuo had dedicated several days to perfecting a technique that allowed it to shrink the fish, succeeding after numerous failed attempts that spanned over a hundred trials. This method ingeniously reduced the fish's size while preserving all its delectable qualities, resulting in a brilliant approach to savoring the fish.
The expulsion from the fish had merely been water, and Erhuo had no interest in that.
After relishing the satisfying meal, Erhuo meticulously cleaned its mouth and returned to its chosen spot.
Casting a glance toward Yue Changtian, Erhuo observed that he remained stationary. Feeling at ease, Erhuo retraced its steps to the same pond where it had caught the fish. Plunging its paw into the water, it began the gentle waving motion again.
Erhuo had initially intended to retrieve one fish from each pond, but the last fish it had devoured had been exceptionally delightful. It couldn't resist indulging in one more.
And another one!
Just two more, it promised itself. Two more, and then it would move on to a different pond.
Yet another one...
It couldn't help but savor just a little more...
This pattern continued as Erhuo indulged itself in one more fish time and time again.
[Oh, this is exquisite... I can't have enough... Just two more, and then I'll go...]
But the cycle repeated, and Erhuo couldn't bring itself to leave.
[I don't want to break my own promise, but this is just too delightful...]
[Yue Changtian is none the wiser... Two more, and then I'll leave...]
Erhuo finally departed after consuming a total of thirty large fish from the same pond. It had satisfied its appetite and resolved to venture to another pond the following day.
[I still adore this pond...]
[But I'll stick to my plan!]
Appearing before Yue Changtian once more, Erhuo gazed at him with its endearing eyes and let out a "meow," inquiring about the thief's capture.
Yue Changtian, with a furrowed brow, responded, "The thief didn't make an appearance today. Perhaps he was just lucky..."
Erhuo waved its tail and vanished into the foliage.
[Didn't show up?]
[Why would he not?]
[Because I've been snatching fish right under your nose!]
[Now I'm off. See you later...]
"Come by a little earlier tomorrow. Stay with me. I'm going to catch that thief," Yue Changtian called out to Erhuo as he admired the cat's cute behind. He couldn't help but marvel at the divine craftsmanship responsible for creating such a beautiful and adorable creature.
Erhuo responded with a meow.
[Do you think I need an invitation? This place is fantastic! As long as there are fish, I'll arrive early every day!] Erhuo shook its cute tail and disappeared into a small hole, entering the Boundless Space.
Clearly, this was a skill far beyond Cha Eun Xiao's capabilities. At the very least, Cha Eun Xiao couldn't enter the Space with the same ease as Erhuo.
Having eaten its fill, Erhuo felt the need to digest the fish in its stomach. It decided to focus on training the snakes.
It had heard that Cha Eun Xiao was going to endure 'torture' for three months...
[I heard he's going to be 'tortured' by three old men for three months...]
[I never knew he was a... masochist... Appearances can be deceiving...]
[Three months... That's ninety days... Quite a long time!]
...
Over the next seven days, Erhuo made its way to the ponds each morning to collect fish. It always desired more fish, yet no matter how much it ate, it was never enough.
Yue Changtian remained vigilant, waiting by the ponds daily for the thief, but the elusive intruder never made an appearance.
"What's happening?" Yue Changtian inquired of Erhuo, his tone puzzled. "Why hasn't the thief returned? Could it be that he's aware I'm here, lying in wait for him, and is too frightened to make a move?"
Erhuo, the clever cat, had spent several days perfecting a method to reduce fish to a more manageable size, finally succeeding after numerous trials. This technique enabled it to savor the delectable parts of the fish while eliminating only the excess water content.
Following its satisfying meal, Erhuo elegantly cleaned its mouth before returning to its chosen spot.
With a glance at Yue Changtian, Erhuo noticed him remaining vigilant and decided to return to the same pond where it had caught the fish. Plunging its paw into the water, it started its waving motion again.
Initially, Erhuo had planned to take just one fish from each pond, but the exceptional taste of the last fish was irresistible. Thus, it couldn't help but indulge in one more.
Then, another one.
Just two more, it promised itself. Two more, and it would move on to a different pond.
And yet, it continued. Another one, and another...
Erhuo seemed unable to leave until it had another one.
This pattern persisted as Erhuo indulged in one more fish after another.
[Oh, this is exquisite... I can't have enough... Just two more, and then I'll go...]
[But I can't resist this delightful taste...]
[Yue Changtian won't even notice... Two more, and then I'll leave...]
Erhuo finally left the pond after devouring a total of thirty large fish from the same pond. Its appetite satiated, it resolved to move to a different pond the next day.
[I still adore this pond...]
[But I'll stick to my plan!]
Returning to Yue Changtian, Erhuo gazed at him with its endearing eyes and let out a "meow," as if inquiring about the thief's capture.
With a furrowed brow, Yue Changtian responded, "The thief didn't make an appearance today. Perhaps he was just lucky..."
Erhuo waved its tail and disappeared into the foliage.
[Didn't show up?]
[Why would he not?]
[Because I've been snatching fish right under your nose!]
[Now I'm off. See you later...]
"Come by a little earlier tomorrow. Stay with me. I'm going to catch that thief," Yue Changtian called out to Erhuo as he admired the cat's cute behind. He couldn't help but marvel at the divine craftsmanship responsible for creating such a beautiful and adorable creature.
Erhuo responded with a meow.
[Do you think I need an invitation? This place is fantastic! As long as there are fish, I'll arrive early every day!] Erhuo shook its cute tail and disappeared into a small hole, entering the Boundless Space.
Clearly, this was a skill far beyond Cha Eun Xiao's capabilities. At the very least, Cha Eun Xiao couldn't enter the Space with the same ease as Erhuo.
Having eaten its fill, Erhuo felt the need to digest the fish in its stomach. It decided to focus on training the snakes.
It had heard that Cha Eun Xiao was going to endure 'torture' for three months