Chapter 196: Holy Shit!

Zheng Tan stayed up in the tree; the cat below and the distant cat with a somewhat familiar voice were both calling, as if summoning companions. Zheng Tan listening also felt like howling a bit, but he knew that if he let out a loud howl, the Dongqu Dayuan side would probably kick up a fuss, so he held back. He didn't want to provoke the folks over there—there were plenty of troublemakers, and if they got stirred up, there'd be no peace tonight.

Swishing sounds came from around; Zheng Tan glanced over and saw that about four more cats had arrived. Judging by how they ran, they didn't look injured, so perhaps they weren't the same batch from a few days ago. The unseen cat trainer likely had more than just two or three cats under his command.

Although they weren't the same group as before, Zheng Tan still held a grudge against them.

One versus five?

No, Zheng Tan still chose to take them on one by one.

These cats had been trained; even an adult would likely get a few scratches from them. They weren't that "softened" leopard‑pattern cat. Cat claws don't discriminate, and Zheng Tan didn't want to get clawed. The process didn't matter—only the outcome did.

Zheng Tan picked the biggest cat as his first target—the one that had just chased him over and started roaring. It felt the most dangerous to him. As for the other four, he let them follow behind and dart about.

After summoning its companions, that cat's ferocity rose. It climbed the tree toward Zheng Tan, bared its teeth, and let out a threatening low growl, creating a strong psychological and imposing presence in the otherwise quiet woods.

But Zheng Tan was no ordinary cat, and cats aren't monkeys—fighting in trees has its limits. Compared to the cat, Zheng Tan's advantage was far greater. Clearly, the cat wasn't used to Zheng Tan's style of leaping between trees. Although it didn't hesitate as long as the other cats did when jumping, it lacked experience, so its landings weren't precise. Zheng Tan seized the moment, kicked out, and sent the cat flying down without a hitch.

The branches below were plentiful, so the cat hooked one to cushion its fall before landing in the grass. It took Zheng Tan's kick, and reacting like that was actually not bad. As soon as it hit the ground and hadn't yet steadied itself, Zheng Tan dropped from the tree and lashed out with a claw.

Then he raked off a clump of fur with his claw.

So, a cat covered in thick long fur is like wearing soft armor—it can greatly weaken an opponent's attack. That's why Zheng Tan couldn't simply rake this cat the way he would a short‑haired leopard‑pattern cat.

Since claws weren't solving the problem well, he'd just beat it outright.

Although he didn't use his full strength, wanting to avoid revealing some of his secrets, he still restrained himself. Even so, two slaps and a kick constituted a heavy blow for the cat that had just fallen from the tree.

Zheng Tan could see that the cat's leg seemed injured—either a sprain or a fracture. Normally, with such an injury one shouldn't move about recklessly, especially if it's a break. Yet the creature still looked fierce, mouth open, low growl, ears flattened, fur bristling, making its frame appear larger and more intimidating. It had no effect on Zheng Tan, but it shouldn't be underestimated: when Zheng Tan went up to strike, had he not dodged quickly, the cat would have clawed him, and even the bark on the nearby tree trunk was torn off a piece.

He swatted aside a cat that lunged from the side, then prepared to give the long‑haired cat in front of him two more slaps to shut it up. Suddenly his ear twitched; he retreated to a sturdy trunk, ready to scramble up the tree if the situation turned sour.

When Zheng Tan saw the three figures darting out, he felt a bit relieved. They were indeed the three cats belonging to A Wu. He also recalled that the distant roar earlier sounded like the call of the white‑bodied, black‑tailed cat named Guìyuán.

A cat leapt down from a tree behind Zheng Tan and lunged at him. Just as he was about to turn and slap it, a figure sprang from the bushes, moving with agility belying its build, and slammed the cat to the ground, eliciting a sharp "wa‑wu—" scream.

Da Pang usually looks lazy and amiable, but when he gets fierce his combat ability definitely surpasses that of the security chief—something Zheng Tan has always known. Yet he never expected Da Pang to come running here now; the old lady must have told him not to run around. If she discovered he'd slipped out, she'd probably be frantic, and after this incident Da Pang will likely be punished with a stint of eating instant noodles in a squat.

Da Pang probably came because he heard Guìyuán's roar. Still, Zheng Tan felt moved that he showed up, able to tell that Da Pang wasn't part of Guìyuán's trio—their teamwork was too tight, and Da Pang had no intention of joining them. His motive was most likely to help Zheng Tan.

Truly a cat brother! Such loyalty!

Although A Wu wasn't nearby, observing how Guìyuán's three cats coordinated made it clear this wasn't their first encounter—just like pickpocket cats have a basic skill for stealing wallets, the trio's teamwork was highly practiced. Guìyuán stays calm and picks the best moment; Liánzi lacks strong attack but makes up for it with agility; the long‑haired cat Bǎobǎo resists scratches, and this fellow's temperament is somewhat like the security chief's—he gets fiercer the longer he fights. With the other two beside him, he doesn't act too rashly on his own.

Seeing this, Zheng Tan could only say, "No wonder they were trained by A Wu—nothing like the security chief's cats, who usually fight in a scattered, lax manner."

When cats fight, they don't just run around—they also growl or make other noises. Zheng Tan doesn't use that method, so things had stayed fairly quiet until now, but as more cats arrived and the sides clashed, the once‑quiet grove became lively.

This spot isn't far from Dongqu Dayuan. If it were daytime, the institute might not notice the rustling in these woods, but it's night, and the area is usually quiet. When the cats from both sides fought, they emitted uneven calls; plus, Bǎobǎo apparently got so worked up in the scuffle that he let out a loud shout, triggering a few others to howl as well, and the cat Zheng Tan had beaten down but couldn't yet get up added to the noise. Though not constant, some cats in the institute heard it.

Inside Dongqu Dayuan, Er Mao was taking a bath when he suddenly heard his own Hei Mi yowling loudly. He rushed out without drying off, naked, since he lived alone and had nothing to hide.

As Er Mao stepped out, he saw Hei Mi perched on the balcony railing, shouting in a direction. Startled, he hurried to the balcony and scooped Hei Mi back inside. Fortunately, at this late hour nobody was paying attention, or else they'd have spotted a naked man.

While Hei Mi was yowling, the security chief and A Huang were inside, scratching at the door and calling to be let out, but they were kept tightly confined and couldn't get out.

In no time, Dongqu Dayuan erupted again with cat yowls, plus a few dogs that dreaded the institute staying peaceful, barking wildly at the top of their lungs.

Whenever the institute sees this kind of situation, it's either a thief or a cat‑dealer, so upon hearing the commotion the gatekeeper notified the School Security Office.

The most anxious were Jiao Ma and the old lady from Da Pang's household; the neighbors' pleas couldn't calm them. Before the security staff arrived, they grabbed flashlights and went out to look for the cat. Er Mao put Hei Mi in a pet carrier, took it along, and went with Jiao Ma and the others, while Qu Xiangyang, who lived opposite the Jiao family, once again helped watch the children.

Besides those, the fourth floor of Building B also hadn't quieted down.

"Let me out! Let me out—" the parrot pounded the metal net with its toes.

"Going out at night would make you blind!" the just‑awakened Professor Qin snapped.

Generally, at night most birds' vision deteriorates and they don't call much; going out makes it easy to get lost. Parrots are the same—after dark they hide quietly, which is why many like to burrow into people's blankets. The parrot had done so before, but after once defecating in a blanket, Professor Qin tossed it out to sleep in a cage.

The parrot is a rather exceptional case among parrots; sometimes at night it's in a good mood and stays awake, not shouting loudly but humming a little tune to amuse itself. Since it doesn't disturb anyone, its owner, Professor Qin, just lets it be.

After hearing Professor Qin's reprimand, the parrot paused, then kept stomping the net, louder than before, and squawked in a sing‑song way: "Let~me~out~~"

"Get lost and go to sleep!"

Meanwhile, on Zheng Tan's side, the situation was looking excellent.

Although Zheng Tan could handle those cats on his own, having help meant he could free up time to go find the cat trainer sooner.

Another reason Zheng Tan chose this little grove was that its terrain and the layout around it made it easy for him to locate the cat trainer behind the scenes.

At that moment the cat trainer was hiding behind a statue, observing through night‑vision goggles. He'd been having a rough time lately—the police were watching him closely, and another cat trainer, A Wu, was waiting in the wings. Only after hearing that A Wu wasn't allowed near Chu Hua Da Xue did he decide to act there, never expecting to fail in this spot.

Last time he hadn't deployed the "big boss," and the losses were severe. This time he hardened his heart, decided to strike back, and swapped in a healthy batch led by the "big boss." Yet he never imagined that a university would harbor so many formidable fighting cats.

Shouldn't cats on campus be gentler?

But the fact is, the four cats he'd trained previously could only manage a pyrrhic victory against those two; this time, even the "big boss" went down at the outset, and the later arrivals weren't exactly mild‑mannered either. Moreover, A Wu's three cats showed up here!

The cat trainer's mind was racing, but before he could sort things out, he discovered that the cat which had easily knocked his hard‑won "big boss" flat was now running straight toward him!

Holy shit!

The cat trainer no longer cared about the cats in the woods; he turned and fled. His own cats were being subdued and he had no spare capacity to help them. Moreover, after years of training cats, he could certainly tell which were trouble‑free and which were not. Against this one, running was still the wisest move.

While Zheng Tan chased the cat trainer, Er Mao, guided by Hei Mi's reaction, led the old lady and Jiao Ma toward the grove.

Da Pang heard the old lady call his name, gave a hard bite to the cat he'd just pinned again, then bolted out of the woods and leapt into her arms.

The old lady's hand trembled as she had Er Mao shine a flashlight to check her cat's condition; Da Pang's mouth still had fur stuck to it that clearly wasn't his own. The light was poor, so minor wounds were hard to spot, but no major injury was visible, and the old lady instantly relaxed.

Jiao Ma kept calling for her cat; if Er Mao hadn't held her back, she would have rushed into the woods. The cats' cries in the forest sounded terribly grating. (To be continued…)

ps: (3.18)