Chapter 88

In the darkness, one could not tell what color the animal standing on the corpse was, but Zheng Tan could still make out the pattern on its fur.

Because Zheng Tan often saw Da Pang in the courtyard, he was familiar with the markings of a tabby cat; this one, though only seen from behind, had a pattern indeed similar to Da Pang's, except besides those stripes there were also some faint spots.

Cat?

From the swinging claws and some moving actions, it indeed looks more like a cat, only this one is much larger than an ordinary cat; at first glance it looks like a dog, with slightly longer fur that also looks thick, but its body proportions are closer to those of a cat.

It stepped onto the person's chest, quietly looked, its erected large ears twitched slightly, the tip of its tail bent in an arc and swayed, as if confirming something; under the white moonlight the scene was eerie, yet its movements gave a feeling of being slow and deliberate.

Pfft—

Another swipe.

Blood spattered from the claw, forming a long line of droplets on the ground, while the person lying there had no reaction to this swipe.

Zheng Tan and Ye Hao both shuddered involuntarily.

That person was already dead, yet the cat gave another swipe.

After swinging that claw, it turned its head toward Zheng Tan's side.

Zheng Tan's heart almost jumped into his throat; he now understood why many people show a startled expression when they see his eyes at night. This feeling is truly frightening, and moreover, this cat had just killed a person—not a mouse, not a grasshopper, but a real human.

Even if Zheng Tan had seen cats and dogs killed, and people killing people, the final shock was strongest from a cat killing a person.

Yes, it is a cat; Zheng Tan had already confirmed it when it turned its head to look at him.

However, Zheng Tan's heart hadn't settled when he saw Peanut Candy hobbling over quickly, looking delighted; this made Zheng Tan, who was preparing to go up and stop it, halt his action.

Normally, Peanut Candy, under Li Yuanba's teaching, knows how to recognize threats; from past events it's clear it knows how to protect itself, yet now it's hobbling over happily, leaving Zheng Tan puzzled, though his attention remains on Peanut Candy; he feels a bit tense.

Ye Hao clutched his abdomen with one hand, leaning against the pile of construction debris; his other hand hidden behind his back gripped a dagger, having just been startled by the sudden appearance of this……cat……and prepared to fight, but the current situation seems off?

Regardless, Ye Hao still decided to be cautious, as he always felt cats are mercurial—one moment they can be cuddly and clingy, the next they can scratch and bite, let alone this cat in front of him having killed a person!

Zheng Tan had just been trying to drag Peanut Candy behind the brick pile and hadn't noticed how the cat killed the person, but Ye Hao saw it; regardless of its leaping ability or reaction speed, the cat was astonishing and quite clever.

At first Ye Hao only guessed those few strikes, because he had just hidden behind the debris pile; the cat likely took advantage when the gunman aimed his target at him, slashing the man's wrist with a claw, which didn't make him drop the gun immediately but left his hand unable to maintain shooting accuracy.

Before the man could switch hands to grab his gun, a second claw struck, aiming for his neck from behind, seizing the nape; as the man raised his hand to touch his neck, the cat leapt again to claw his eyes, then struck near the pulse on his neck, then again and again there, until the man fell silent.

Traces of explosive force from the cat's recent movement remained on the weeds on the ground, hard to imagine a cat could achieve this; but what breed is this? I thought the cat Wei Leng introduced was odd enough, yet there's something even odder.

While Zheng Tan and Ye Hao watched Peanut Candy walking over with different feelings, the cat, its claws still bloody, turned fully toward them; upon seeing Peanut Candy, the cat's originally murderous eyes lost much of their chill, and it lifted a foot to walk toward Peanut Candy.

After Peanut Candy hobbling over, it tilted its head, squinted its eyes and rubbed against the cat, uttering a "meow" like a plea for affection; the cat also lowered its head to lick Peanut Candy's fur.

Zheng Tan watched their interaction and suddenly recalled something; when Li Yuanba was pregnant, he had wondered what kind of cat could subdue that Russian Blue, and now it seems perhaps this very cat?

Peanut Candy standing beside that cat is obviously much smaller; however, Peanut Candy can still grow, and even if it doesn't reach that size, it will surely be larger than an ordinary cat.

If the guess is correct, then the reason Peanut Candy has been larger than ordinary cats since birth is also clear: not only is it bigger than ordinary cats, but it is also strong, smart, and its fur is longer and thicker than that of typical short-haired domestic cats.

Moreover, Peanut Candy's demeanor shows it's clearly not the first time seeing this cat; they must have met long ago, possibly more than once. No wonder Li Yuanba always takes Peanut Candy out for walks—he's actually looking for a chance to meet Peanut Candy's father.

I just don't know where this cat lives, or where it hides.

This cat's gaze is somewhat like that of a stray cat, yet compared to strays it's also somewhat different.

Zheng Tan carefully observed the big cat; its fur is slightly longer, indicating it isn't regularly groomed. If it were groomed often, the fur would be smoother; even if the cat licks itself, it's still different from thorough grooming. Moreover, how many people would dare to keep a cat with such a temperament?

Actually, if it weren't for the recent killing scene, this cat's impression would be decent; at least its appearance isn't as menacing as Li Yuanba's, just somewhat solemn, especially after the chill in its eyes recedes—if its size were halved, others would likely think it's just a special forest cat.

The cat's alertness is strong; while licking Peanut Candy's fur, its ears kept watch on the surroundings; when Ye Hao's phone vibrated, it glanced his way but took no further action.

"Hello?" Ye Hao answered the call.

The call was from Baizi; Baizi and his group will arrive soon, they're just confirming Ye Hao's position and getting a sense of the situation here.

Zheng Tan noticed that while Ye Hao was on the phone, the cat glanced at him several times, giving a feeling of hidden meaning; yet Zheng Tan could be certain: this cat is not in the same situation as him. It is a real cat, the union of its body and soul is beyond doubt, possibly a bit special, but definitely not like him with a human soul.

Zheng Tan is quite curious what this cat is thinking.

Not long after Ye Hao hung up, Baizi and his group arrived.

Three vehicles. The cars stopped outside; people entered through the collapsed wall.

Baizi looked at the dead person on the ground, instantly noticed the odd wound, and glanced surprised at Ye Hao. Ye Hao didn't explain, saying, "First handle these; there are two more inside."

"Okay." Baizi, who doesn't like to ask many questions, directed a few people to process the corpses inside the building.

Seeing people arrive, the cat stayed guard beside Peanut Candy; the two remained off to the side, not leaving, their eyes full of wariness toward Baizi and the others.

Zheng Tan jumped onto the brick pile, watching those people busy under Ye Hao's direction.

A medic‑like figure who came along first gave Ye Hao emergency treatment on his wound, then had him go to the vehicle, as treating here was inconvenient.

Ye Hao nodded, but didn't leave right away; instead he looked toward Peanut Candy, then turned and saw Peanut Candy being carried in its father's mouth toward him.

Zheng Tan recalled hearing that for a kitten being carried like this is fine, but if an adult cat is still carried this way it might be uncomfortable and likely to resist fiercely; yet seeing Peanut Candy still obedient, Zheng Tan thought, indeed they are father and son.

The cat carried Peanut Candy to Ye Hao's face, then glanced at Ye Hao, then at the medic.

Ye Hao locked eyes with the cat for a few seconds, then told the medic, "When you get to the hall, please also check this little cat."

Medic: "……" Damn, I'm a doctor, not a vet!

Since Ye Hao had spoken, the medic could only grit his teeth and proceed.

Without letting Ye Hao say more, the cat, seeing Ye Hao leave, again grabbed Peanut Candy in its mouth and followed.

Ye Hao boarded a modified MPV; as soon as he got in, the cat hopped in behind him, still holding Peanut Candy, and even claimed a seat, leaving Ye Hao speechless.

After thinking, Ye Hao leaned out and said to Zheng Tan, "Hei Tan, come along."

Zheng Tan flicked his ears, knowing Ye Hao actually felt wary of that big cat, thinking his presence would make things safer.

The link between them is Peanut Candy; Ye Hao knows Zheng Tan is with Peanut Candy, so he called Zheng Tan, and also phoned Wei Leng. He hadn't planned to involve Wei Leng, but since it concerns a cat, he had to ask Wei Leng for help.

Zheng Tan was also curious; he could see the big cat was merely alert, lacking its previous killing intent. He followed along to satisfy his curiosity, though later he'd need to trouble Wei Leng to call the Jiao Family.

Wei Leng left quickly, and the abandoned building site was soon cleaned up, showing no sign that a crime had occurred.

In the car, Peanut Candy leaned against that big cat and lay down; the car's air conditioning might have made it feel uncomfortable, so it shrank back toward that big cat. After that big cat licked Peanut Candy's fur, it kept staring at Ye Hao, as if sizing up something.

Ye Hao, who was having his wound treated by the doctor, felt a bit creepy from being stared at; there was no killing intent, no obvious malice, yet it made him feel even more strange.

And Zheng Tan, who was lying on the back of the chair watching them, felt that the big cat was probably hatching some scheme. Li Yuanba and Peanut Candy are both smart, so this one is definitely not a fool either. (To be continued...)

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