Chapter 54: Copy (5)
54 – Copy (5)
They faced each other.
Zhi Zhen remained silent.
Lin Xun felt ashamed.
Being checked up on for staying out all night—and by a cat, no less—Lin Xun also found it rather strange.
He couldn’t remember how many times he had doubted the little trickster’s intelligence.
He walked over to the TV cabinet, reached out, and picked Zhi Zhen up. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Zhi Zhen ignored him but still curled into his arms as Lin Xun held him.
Lin Xun scratched its ears. “Were you waiting for me?”
Zhi Zhen gave him two half-hearted pats with its paws.
This cat was definitely angry.
Lin Xun said, “I’ll take you with me next time I go out.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he remembered Dong Jun’s schedule.
He lifted Zhi Zhen up. “Actually, I can’t. You’ll be leaving soon.”
Zhi Zhen: “Meow.”
After washing up and changing into his pajamas, Lin Xun held Zhi Zhen in front of him.
Zhi Zhen wasn’t very big—just a small, warm, soft bundle, its snow-white belly rising and falling with each breath.
Although he had only had it for less than ten days, Lin Xun had already grown quite fond of it.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t his cat, so he couldn’t keep it forever.
Lost in thought, he felt Zhi Zhen lick his finger.
Lin Xun smiled.
Zhi Zhen looked up at him, watching him smile.
Lin Xun covered Zhi Zhen’s eyes. “Why are you so human-like?”
Zhi Zhen swatted at him.
It was more of a gentle push with its paw pads than an actual scratch, as it didn’t even extend its claws.
Lin Xun played with it like this for quite a while before finally falling asleep—who knew if there would be another chance like this in the future.
He dreamed again.
As the saying goes, what occupies your thoughts by day will haunt your dreams by night. This time, he dreamed of Zhi Zhen.
…Or perhaps it was Zhi Zhen.
And Zhi Zhen’s owner, Dong Jun.
It might have been during a summer vacation in college. He and Dong Jun were walking along a tree-lined road in the old city district. It was a summer morning, cicadas had just begun to chirp, and dewdrops still clung to the tips of leaves in the roadside grass.
That year, blockchain technology was all the rage. They were discussing a topic, debating whether it and Bitcoin were just bubbles—there was a slight disagreement, but they eventually reached a consensus. Then they moved on to discussing a certain encryption algorithm, and from quantum cryptography, they drifted to the uncertainty principle.
“When you measure a particle’s position most accurately, you measure its speed least accurately because it’s disturbed,” he turned around to walk backward, facing Dong Jun, looking into his eyes, a hint of laughter in his voice. “I feel like the longer I know you, the blurrier the definition of our relationship becomes.”
Dong Jun, standing opposite him, wasn’t wearing glasses. His features were exquisite yet cool, like a luxury item, but the expression in his eyes was gentle.
“Because it’s in a superposition state,” Dong Jun said. “You don’t have to observe it.”
“So you admit you’re a cat that’s both dead and alive,” Lin Xun seized his weak point, growing more and more smug with his laughter. “That’s like admitting you both like me and don’t like me. You’re so annoying.”
While chattering away, he suddenly stepped on a pebble, his body swaying sharply.
Almost simultaneously, Dong Jun grabbed his arm, pulling him closer to steady him.
They were very close, close enough to feel each other’s breath.
Snow-white shirt, a cool and refreshing scent, the glow of the morning sun filtering through the lush leaves—he squinted his eyes.
Then he heard Dong Jun’s voice beside his ear: “I’m not Schrödinger’s cat.”
Lin Xun said, “But I heard a cat meow.”
Dong Jun replied, “I heard it too.”
Lin Xun turned toward the green belt nearby and pulled Dong Jun along with him.
Deep within the bushes was a white shadow, and it took them great effort to pull it out.
A snow-white kitten, only the size of a palm, with bits of leaves stuck to its fur. The blue film over its eyes hadn’t yet faded, and it gazed at the two of them in confusion, mewing with a soft, milky voice, though it sounded very weak.
Lin Xun said, “I must keep it.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, an alarm sounded, and he woke up.
It was eight in the morning. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the hawthorn tree outside the window, almost exactly like the scene in his dream.
He sat up, burying his face in the blanket. His heartbeat quickened slightly, and he felt a faint sense of suffocation.
Why had he dreamed of Dong Jun again?
And… it was another ambiguous dream.
In the dream, he had acted like a smug duck, chattering endlessly, showing off his wit and knowledge. At the very least, if it were him now, he would never say such things.
Zhi Zhen was already awake, sitting across from him and leisurely licking its paws. Seeing him wake up, it let out a soft, milky meow, exactly like the kitten in his dream.
He scooped up Zhi Zhen and gave it a few vigorous rubs, then took a few deep breaths. Once he’d returned to normal, he replied to Dong Jun with a “safe travels” and got out of bed. Mornings always passed quickly. After discussing the project’s progress with the other three, he began arranging to meet Qi Yun.
A Happy Zhi Zhen: Are you free today? Let’s go demon hunting.
Jiyanzong-Feihong: ?
Jiyanzong-Feihong: Are you scared?
A Happy Zhi Zhen: Yes, without Senior Brother Qi Yun, I’m terrified.
Jiyanzong-Feihong: Is the bald monk coming?
A Happy Zhi Zhen: No, he’s about to reach the Golden Core stage.
Jiyanzong-Feihong: Damn.
A Happy Zhi Zhen: When will you reach the Golden Core stage?
Jiyanzong-Feihong: Your dad has his own plans.
A Happy Zhi Zhen: Well, good luck with that.
Jiyanzong-Feihong: I’m recording videos in the morning, but I’m free in the afternoon.
A Happy Zhi Zhen: Okay.
By the time he finished arranging the meeting, it was already breakfast time. Wang Anquan and Zhao Jiagou each had a cup of soda, happily indulging in junk food. A little later, Jiang Lian joined them. Lin Xun, however, went to the fourth floor to have a health-conscious breakfast with the elders.
At the dining table, the elders and senior brothers all wore serious expressions as they discussed the rate at which demons were appearing. According to their estimates, if the cracks in the barrier continued to expand at the current rate, a Great Demon at the Nascent Soul level would descend into the mortal world within ten days.
And the undeniable fact was that the cultivation world had already exhausted all its manpower in hunting demons, searching for cracks, and sealing them.
“With our current strength, this battle will undoubtedly be difficult. The only solution now is to find the Emperor,” Xiaoyaozi concluded.
Yufeng Zhenren said, “There are countless people in the capital. With our current methods, it’s impossible to locate the Emperor. We should retrieve the Chixiao Longque Sword from the amusement park and seek another approach.”
Lin Xun asked, “Amusement park?”
Then, he heard Old Man Huo clear his throat. “It’s a long story. To find someone who could draw the sword, we placed the Chixiao Longque in a large amusement park as a prop for the ‘Sword in the Stone’ game. It became part of an attraction where visitors try to pull the sword out. Brother Yufeng disguised himself as a staff member to observe the situation and protect the divine artifact.”
Well, that was one way to do it.
Xiaoyaozi said, “There’s no better method at the moment. Let’s discuss this again later.”
After speaking, he continued, “This humble Daoist thinks perhaps our current method is mistaken. Since the Emperor possesses extraordinary Qi fortune, he must be different from ordinary people. If that is truly the case, wouldn’t searching among the common masses lead us astray?”
“According to your meaning, we should seek those exceptional talents within the capital,” Old Man Huo said. “But how do we find them? And how do we get them to draw the sword? Brother Xiaoyao, you must remember that in the eyes of outsiders, you and I are just ordinary, unremarkable old men.”
Xiaoyaozi sighed. “Butterfly Madam has extensive connections and might be able to help. As for other methods… this humble Daoist has none.”
After a lengthy discussion that lasted until nearly ten o’clock, still without any results, Lin Xun was finally allowed to return to his own affairs.
He sat opposite Zhao Jiagou, engaging in repetitive conversation with him while continuously typing on the keyboard and occasionally glancing at the time.
Dong Jun’s flight should have landed in the capital around eight-thirty, but he still hadn’t received any message from Dong Jun, which made him uneasy.
Zhi Zhen’s belongings were already packed and placed by the door. Perhaps his task of caring for Zhi Zhen was about to end, and Dong Jun no longer needed to pay attention to him.
Zhao Jiagou: “Algorithm, you’re distracted today. Your rebuttals aren’t as sharp as before.”
Lin Xun: “Because I no longer wish to speak with someone who fabricates things out of thin air.”
Zhao Jiagou: “I bet you’re waiting for Dong Jun to return.”
Lin Xun: “I just don’t want to leave Zhi Zhen.”
Zhao Jiagou: “I’ve never met a man more scheming than Dong Jun. He managed to tie you down in such a short time using just a white cat.”
Lin Xun: “Your persecution complex has worsened. I’ll make an appointment with a psychologist for you immediately.”
Zhao Jiagou: “You’re getting defensive.”
Lin Xun: “In that case, Dong Jun has tied you down too. I saw you rubbing Zhi Zhen’s belly with your face the other day.”
Zhao Jiagou: “I’m just seizing the moment, but you want Zhi Zhen to become your cat. For Zhi Zhen to become your cat, Dong Jun would have to become yours first.”
Just as Lin Xun was formulating a retort, his phone lit up.
Dong Jun.
Dong Jun: Come downstairs.
Lin Xun: “Goodbye.”
Zhao Jiagou: “You’re beyond help.”
Lin Xun packed Zhi Zhen into the carrier, gathered his things, and checked his appearance—today he was wearing the new white hoodie Lin Ting bought him, with black graffiti on both front and back. Lin Ting said it was her favorite.
Once everything was ready, he carried the cat carrier downstairs—the familiar Bentley was parked right at the entrance of the building.
The car window slid down, and Dong Jun looked at him, seeming to raise an eyebrow slightly. “Long time no see.”
The real Dong Jun was different from the one in his dreams—lacking that beautiful youthful aura, his features were more handsome and defined, with an aloof, elevated demeanor.
“Long time no see.” Lin Xun pursed his lips. “Should I let Zhi Zhen out? Could you open the trunk… I’ll put the other things inside.”
Dong Jun didn’t speak, just looked at him.
Lin Xun blinked.
Then he heard Dong Jun say calmly, “Get in the car.”