Chapter Forty-Four: The Ghoul's Ambush

At daybreak, the first thing Cheng Feng noticed upon waking was the sensation of holding a plush, furry bundle between his hands. Warm and comfortable, accompanied by a faint snoring, it gave him the illusion of cradling a precious jade. So soft, so... Wait, something’s not right!

Cheng Feng abruptly opened his drowsy eyes, shifting his gaze downward. Through the haze of sleep, he discerned a snow-white, mysterious creature nestled in his arms.

“Damn!” Instinctively startled, he jerked violently and sat up with a start.

His sudden movement roused the little white cat, who had been sleeping soundly. She lifted her head alertly, “What’s wrong? Are we under attack? Where’s the enemy?”

“Attack your head!” Cheng Feng reached out and knocked her on the head, “I remember you. Weren’t you that little white cat from before? How did you end up in my room, sleeping on my bed?”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” The little white cat landed on her backside, sitting on the soft mattress, clutching her head. Her expression, so humanlike, seemed to wear a mask of pain.

“Quick, explain yourself! Wait, could it be…” Cheng Feng calmed himself, stroked his chin, and boldly speculated, “You never left that night, did you? You’ve been hiding in my room all along until today?”

If that were the case, it was rather odd—why hadn’t he smelled the scent of this cat demon?

Vampires could detect the scent of their kind and lower-tier monsters. Could it be that this little white cat wasn’t a low-tier demon?

“I’m sorry! Why are you so fierce?” Faced with Cheng Feng’s angry and questioning glare, the little white cat lowered her eyes, her feline ears drooping in defeat. She replied telepathically, “I needed a safe place to recuperate from my injuries, so I had no choice but to borrow your home.”

Last time, Cheng Feng had chosen not to meddle, hoping to avoid unnecessary trouble. He never imagined she would sneak in and hide for so many days without being discovered—how absurd.

But since things had come to this, Cheng Feng was too lazy to argue with the little cat demon. “Are your injuries healed?”

Mistaking his words for concern, the little white cat’s eyes gleamed. “Much better.”

“Then get out already,” Cheng Feng replied coldly, utterly merciless.

The little white cat: “…”

Ding-dong~

The apartment doorbell suddenly chimed, drawing the attention of both the man and the cat. Someone outside pressed the button.

Was it Liu Shiyu?

Cheng Feng ignored the cat for the moment, left the bedroom, and hurried to open the door.

A sense of unease welled up inside him, but his hand had already turned the handle.

“Thud!”

No sooner had Cheng Feng seen the person outside than pain exploded in his chest. His eyes widened in disbelief.

Glancing down, he saw an arm thrust straight through his chest, the force so violent it pierced his back.

The enemy at the door gave him no chance to react. The moment the door opened, with their eyes meeting, the assailant struck and killed him in one blow.

Damn!

Cursing inwardly, Cheng Feng’s vision went black. Blood spilled from his chest, and he collapsed backward.

His killer was an adult male, ordinary-looking, dark-skinned—a ghoul from Crimson Moon City.

Ghouls typically fed on corpses, preferring to torture their prey to death before savoring the meal. Their reputation was infamous, their tastes vile.

This ghoul possessed a keen sense of smell. Ever since arriving in Winter City more than ten days ago, it had been tracking the scent of the little white cat.

Finally, it detected a trace of her scent on Cheng Feng, and followed the faint trail to this apartment.

It never expected that the cat demon it had searched for so long would be sheltered by a helpful human citizen.

Seeing Cheng Feng’s lifeless body sprawled on the floor, the ghoul’s expression remained blank as it stepped over him, entered through the entryway, and proceeded into the living room.

Its gaze swept the room, searching for the little white cat, its voice cold and harsh, “Xue Ju! I know you’re hiding inside. Tell me about the mission the princess entrusted to you. If you cooperate, I might leave you a whole corpse.”

“Human!”

Xue Ju, the little white cat, emerged from the room, startled to see Cheng Feng lying motionless in a pool of blood at the entrance. She couldn’t help but cry out in shock.

“You still care about this human? I’ve been hunting you for a long time… better worry about yourself.”

Suddenly, the ghoul’s back arched, its clothes tearing as two black, tentacle-like limbs burst forth, menacing and grotesque.

Xue Ju’s back arched, her fur bristled, and her snow-white tail stood upright with hostility. She bared her teeth, “It’s you… you actually chased me all the way from Crimson Moon City!”

“Of course. I can’t let you ruin His Highness’s plans.

How pitiful—you’re so badly wounded you can’t even transform into human form. Don’t worry, I’ll send you to hell to join that human soon.”

The ghoul’s blood-red eyes locked onto Xue Ju as it grinned, its ugly face twisted like a venomous demon. “The princess went to great lengths to send you out of Crimson Moon City. Your mission is to find someone, right?

His Highness has already guessed the princess’s plot. She believes that if she sends you away and you find that person in Winter City, she might regain power from His Highness.”

Xue Ju’s expression shifted subtly, refusing to answer, her eyes blazing with anger.

That slight change confirmed the ghoul’s suspicions. “Looks like His Highness was right. If I kill you, there’ll be no obstacle to Crimson Moon City’s rule.”

Xue Ju cast a pained glance at Cheng Feng’s corpse by the door, guilt welling up within her, a burning rage erupting from her heart.

She desperately wanted to fight the ghoul, even if it meant dying together, to avenge Cheng Feng.

But she carried the princess’s crucial mission—she couldn’t take risks, nor could she die here.

With a sharp “whoosh,” the ghoul launched its attack. A long, black tentacle sliced through the air, striking at Xue Ju.

Startled, Xue Ju leapt with all four paws, darting away from the spot.

“Bang!”

The razor-sharp tentacle, like a massive whip, slammed into the floor, cracking it from the force.

Before she even landed, a second tentacle lashed out. Xue Ju dared not neglect her defense, continuously leaping and dodging across the living room, searching for a chance to escape through the window.

Her reactions and speed had to be flawless—one slip, one wrong direction, and she’d be crushed into a bloody mess by those huge, deadly tentacles.

“Struggling in vain, you can’t escape!”

The ghoul wore a cold smile. The two lengthy black tentacles accelerated, attacking from cunning angles, virtually cornering Xue Ju.

Her gaze fixed on the window. Resolute, she gathered her strength and leapt, transforming into a swift white blur speeding toward the exit.

She was fast—but the tentacles pursuing her were even faster.

Just before she could dart through the window, the black tentacles wrapped tightly around her, binding her midair.

“Curse you! Let me go!”

Xue Ju twisted and struggled desperately, but the tentacles only tightened, binding her securely no matter how hard she fought.

“Got you. Die now!”

The ghoul grinned wickedly, twisting the tentacle tighter, intent on strangling the little white cat to death.

Suddenly, there was a faint commotion behind him.

Then, with a sharp “thud!” the sound of flesh being pierced rang out.

A slender, spiritual blade stabbed through the ghoul’s chest from behind.

His expression froze in disbelief. He looked down to see the blood-stained tip of the sword protruding through his chest.

ps: (Only a few dozen readers are following... Without recommendations, I have to run naked. The editor says this book is doomed, but I still want to persevere and not give up! There are so many characters and plotlines left unwritten—I want to see it through to the end. Please don’t wait to read, everyone.)