Chapter 278: Practicing, One's Own Precepts

A catgirl with no dark aura but a faint golden hue.

Although this isn't enough to prove she's a good person, it also can't prove she's a bad person.

Jierte was dazed, but he still climbed out the window, and the surrounding cats immediately made way for him.

Spiritual creatures always attract attention, but non-spiritual ones... that's another matter.

At this moment she was covered in wounds, her breath weak, as if she might die at any moment; noticing this, Jierte hastily unleashed the Holy Light of a Knight to treat her.

Although a Knight's Holy Light is mostly used to harm, it can also heal; though not as powerful as a church Saintess's Holy Light, it can still effectively heal a person's body.

Her body bore bruises of all sizes, her petite frame curled on the ground; her originally trembling body calmed down after receiving the Holy Light's shine.

Fortunately, her life was spared.

She had suffered a severe beating; if it had been any later, she likely would have breathed her last.

What on earth is going on?

Looking at the group of cats quietly staring at him, Jierte pondered a moment, then woke his little aunt who was sleeping soundly at home.

His little aunt got up dazed, then dazedly woke the dazed family doctor, and subsequently went back to sleep dazedly.

As an overworked laborer, the family doctor could only be forced to take on the task of treating the little catgirl.

This little guy...

She looks like she's just over eight years old.

But her actual age should be much older; it's likely due to malnutrition.

How did she end up beaten like this?

The family doctor, full of doubts, finished treating her, confirmed her safety, and then went to sleep peacefully.

Helpless, Jierte gazed at the cats scattered across his lawn and fell into thought.

No choice; he took some meat from home, cooked it, and fed it to them.

These cats seem to be the same batch that he and Feili used to feed; their fur colors and patterns basically match, equally sleek and smooth, well-fed and sturdy.

Could it be... that this catgirl is their caretaker?

Jierte's not-so-smart brain raced, thinking back on everything he'd experienced, which seemed to have traces to follow.

Could it be....

Jierte gradually pieced together the scattered events, suddenly realizing he probably hadn't been entangled by a female ghost back then.

But rather.... this catgirl!

After figuring this out, Jierte suddenly felt relieved.

Not being entangled by a female ghost is fine, but judging from this catgirl's condition, she probably hasn't had an easy time.

But how did she manage to fatten these cats up so much?

Really strange.

Jierte walked to his room with a belly full of questions; he should go to sleep.

He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but today he was already exhausted, having fed the cats and saved the catgirl; this whole thing came quite suddenly.

At that moment, a power slowly surged through his body; Jierte, who was about to fall asleep, suddenly woke up.

Is this.... the enhancement from practicing the precepts?

He carefully recalled, and it seemed not to be the family's precepts, but his own—those named Justice and Mercy.

As it turns out, this really works!

Jierte was overjoyed; he had finally found a way to grow stronger again!

Wait until tomorrow! His little aunt will be able to see his results!

The sun rose as usual, everything remained the same.

Jierte woke up as usual, opened the door, and encountered his little aunt with sleepy eyes.

You said cats came to the house yesterday?

Where are the cats?

Weren't they in the guest room?

No, there weren't.

Jierte, puzzled, led his little aunt to the room where that catgirl had lain yesterday.

He flung the door open; the room was empty, yet everything was neatly tidied, even the quilt cover having been removed.

Perhaps feeling dirty, the catgirl took away the bedsheet and quilt cover she had slept on.

His little aunt looked around; nothing seemed missing, except perhaps a quilt cover and bedsheet.

Where are the cats?

His little aunt asked the question again, and Jierte at this moment could not answer.

Right, where are the cats?

The power that surged from practicing the precepts yesterday was genuine; those cats really did come.

After telling his little aunt everything that happened, she pondered a moment and affirmed Jierte's speculation.

It does count as practicing the precepts, but it's not your own precepts.

It's too broad to serve as your own precepts, and the enhancement it brings is limited.

His little aunt thought for a moment, then continued.

Should I use me to catch that runaway catgirl back?

Uh, probably not necessary.

Jierte saw his serious little aunt break out in a cold sweat; it was clear she really disliked this kind of leaving without a word.

If this little cat really were to run off again with some fur, his little aunt would probably really go catch her herself.

And yesterday, while rescuing that poor little cat, he also memorized her appearance.

If he encounters her again next time, he will surely be able to recognize her.

「Forget it, I'm not going to worry about this anymore. Tomorrow I'm going to investigate the Pope, so remember to stay home nicely. 」

「???? 」

「Aunt, don't go! 」

「It's so dangerous; wouldn't waiting a few years be the same? 」

The Pope's power is terrifying; Jierte truly fears that if his aunt goes, she won't be able to come back.

「You brat, don't worry about me; he wouldn't dare do anything to me. 」

「Don't forget, you still have the strongest dad in the Empire. 」

His aunt teasingly rubbed Jierte's head; that little bean from back then has grown this tall already.

In a few more years, this little guy should grow into someone close to his father's level.

It really is fast....

「Afterward, just as my aunt said, she actually had nothing going on, and the investigation of the Pope went very smoothly. 」

「But the only strange thing is that Feili's side found nothing; it seems that thick black aura was just an illusion, and even the Pope's side was extremely quiet, with nothing at all, yet this doesn't dispel your suspicions. 」

「Afterward, you began trying to constantly observe the precepts, yet you never saw any catgirl anywhere, as if she had disappeared. 」

「Besides that, you often see your bedroom bedside filled with all sorts of weird little trinkets—no need to guess, it must be some catgirl. 」

「She seems to be repaying you in her own way, but what you're curious about is how she managed to sneak into your house silently. 」

「Only when you discovered the little cats taking turns standing guard on the Gordon family's wall did you understand something—this bunch of kittens actually set up a lookout post on your house's wall! 」

「That's the reason she can enter your room anytime; however, after you noticed this, you didn't take it to heart—her willingness to do so is irrelevant, and you never expected any repayment anyway. 」

「Thirteen years old: days passed one by one, and finally one day, while you were out idling, you suddenly saw a small figure with half its body hanging outside a trash can..... 」

「What is that? 」

All that could be seen was a half-body hanging from the edge of an enormous trash can, a black tail lightly swaying, and faintly her two arms could be seen rummaging inside the trash can for something.

「Catgirl? 」

Jierte was greatly surprised, watching her feet keep swinging, then the whole cat flipped in, leaving only the sound of rustling trash.

He remembered that black tail very clearly—it was the very feature of that catgirl from that night.

Could it be.....

Jierte's interest piqued; he stood in place waiting for the catgirl to appear, and then a scene came that left him stunned.

All he saw was that the catgirl actually flipped out a small bottle of golden beans from the trash can!

Exactly! It was a small bottle of genuine, real-value golden beans!

This time it was Jierte who was shocked; he had thought the catgirl came here to scavenge trash for food, but never expected she was here to pan for gold!

At that moment, the catgirl suddenly became alert, lifted her head and looked around; Jierte hurriedly hid himself.

All that could be seen was the other side looking around doubtfully, then gradually letting down her guard, she tucked the bottle of golden beans into her bosom, and after a few turns she vanished from sight.

And at that moment, Jierte was absolutely certain—it was that catgirl who had lain beneath his window that day.

The reason is simple: not only does the fur color match, but those sparkling, lively blue eyes are also her trait.

Jierte watched that tiny figure gradually fade away, and that very night he saw an extra bottle of golden beans appear on his bedside table.

「!! 」

He never expected that this impoverished catgirl could actually produce such a big gift for him!

Jierte carefully examined that bottle of golden beans, comparing it to the one he had first seen; it seemed to have fewer beans now.

It makes perfect sense; Jierte even felt she shouldn't have placed that many—truly befitting a catgirl who carries light.

「This big gift... isn't necessary. 」

「It could totally let that catgirl live a bit better—could it be that you're giving all of this to me, then going back to rummage through trash cans? 」

「..... 」

「I don't understand; forget it, let's go train. 」

These past few days, because his aunt went out to investigate the Pope, she often wasn't home at night; Jierte simply turned into an empty-nest old Jierte right where he was—probably the most idle person in the whole Gordon family.

At this moment, lying in bed, he caught in his peripheral vision a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness.

Again, it was a little cat coming from the wall of the house on guard duty.

What a hassle.....

「Your two older sisters have finally returned home after a long absence; they tell you about their combat experiences abroad, one vivid event after another being recounted. Though they've had a rough two years out there, they hold no regrets. 」

「Afterward, you spent a few relatively comfortable days, but then sudden bad news broke the tranquility of your life. 」

「Aunt.... her old injury flared up, and she fell ill. 」

「What! 」

When his parents, who had been away from home for a long time, returned again, he was originally quite happy.

But when he heard this bad news, Jierte only felt as if the sky had collapsed; he never imagined his aunt could be injured this severely.

「She never told you about it? 」

Jierte's father was very puzzled; he thought Jierte's aunt would tell him about this at a suitable moment, but obviously she hadn't.

Either she hadn't found a suitable moment, or she simply hadn't intended to tell Jierte.

In short, his dearest aunt falling ill is not due to any problem with investigating the Pope, but rather her own issue.

Gazing at his unconscious aunt, not knowing if she could ever wake again, Jierte felt immense anguish inside.

「Aunt.... what exactly happened to her? 」

「...... 」

The result of being eroded by spirit energy.

Jierte stared at his father in utter shock; although spirit energy still harms the human body even when one's spirit-energy compatibility is high, it is generally controllable!

The descendants of the Gordon Family all have pretty good spirit-energy compatibility, so how could.....

She is the one with the worst talent in the history of the Gordon Family.

It seems she hasn't told you anything at all.

Jierte froze; his aunt had indeed said those words. A few days before his own spirit-energy compatibility test, she told him that even the worst in Gordon Family history had a 40% compatibility.

But he never imagined that this person was actually his aunt....

Jierte's father sighed, lifted a corner of the blanket, and revealed that his aunt's arm had completely turned into Spirit Energy Crystal.

Like glazed tile, like a gemstone, her fair arm had already become this thing called Spirit Energy Crystal, as if a light touch would shatter it.

Is there any way to cure my aunt?

Jierte felt heavy-hearted; he had to do something, he couldn't just watch his aunt die like this.

..... This is an incurable illness.

The world has struggled for countless years over this, yet to this day no country has been able to research a solution.

Her fate... is only a matter of within five years.

The sky has fallen....

Jierte weakly sat in the chair behind him; this bad news came too suddenly, and he had not anticipated it at all.

In other words.... my aunt can at most live until I come of age?

Although I don't want to admit it... but the result is exactly so.

Jierte took a deep breath, he was thinking, thinking about how to save his aunt.

Jierte....

A voice, extremely weak yet familiar, suddenly sounded; Jierte instantly sprang up and grasped his aunt's arm.

Aunt!

.... Don't worry about me.

It's still the same words, but given her current appearance, she hardly looks like someone who shouldn't be worried about.

Aunt... I will go, I will go find a way to cure you!

His aunt said nothing; perhaps to her, her illness was already beyond cure.

Don't push yourself too hard...

The weak aunt finally managed to utter only one sentence.

I will, aunt, I definitely....

This is a difficult task; Jierte also doesn't know whether he can accomplish it.

But for his aunt's sake, he decided to give it a try.

Perhaps..... perhaps there will be such a day; who can say what the future holds?