Chapter 17: The Truth About the Monster

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse tonight. 

With no clouds blocking it, the gentle moonlight spilled into the room, as if draping everything in a thin layer of gauze.

After turning off the bedroom light, the room fell into darkness. 

Luo Yunzhi walked over to the sofa and lifted her gaze, seeming to see something in her daze.

Beside her pillow, a black fluffy ball was curled up quietly. 

With every breath, the fluffy ball rose and fell steadily.

The corners of the young girl’s mouth curved into a soft smile.

She gently stroked the black cat.

“Little White, have sweet dreams.” 

Luo Yunzhi whispered. 

Then she lay down on the sofa as well, pulling the blanket over both herself and the black cat.

“Good night.”

“Meow.”

Good night.

The sound didn’t echo in the room. 

The house was very quiet, with only the wall clock ticking away diligently—tick-tock, tick-tock.

Time passed slowly. 

The girl on the sofa gradually grew drowsier until she fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware of anything happening outside.

Seemingly sensing something, the fluffy ball in the darkness slightly opened its eyes. 

The pink, glass-like pupils shimmered in the night.

Bai Ziyu wriggled out from under the blanket.

She turned her head.

“Meow?”

She’s already asleep?

Luo Yunzhi must have been very tired lately. 

She had finally gotten half a day off from her part-time job, but after dinner she couldn’t fight the drowsiness and had gone to sleep early.

The black cat stared at her for a long time. This was actually a good thing. 

The deeper the girl slept, the fewer obstacles there would be to her own actions.

Without much hesitation, Bai Ziyu slipped behind the curtain and carefully squeezed out through the gap in the window, sneaking out just like she had that morning not long ago.

After a few easy leaps.

Her paws touched the ground.

‘Luo Yunzhi’s problem… happened at night. I should go check that path she’s been avoiding. Maybe I’ll find the culprit.’

With that thought, the black cat set off. 

Using the cover of night and her black fur, she moved smoothly and silently without drawing any attention.

Her movements were extremely light, like a tiny elf dancing in the darkness. 

She jumped onto the wall and advanced without anything able to stop her.

“Meow.”

This should be the place.

“Meow.”

The real reason.

Bai Ziyu looked around. 

She had now reached the route that Luo Yunzhi deliberately avoided, and she was actually very familiar with this area.

Some of the streetlights along the road had poor contact, flickering on and off with a buzzing electrical sound, adding a terrifying atmosphere to the surroundings.

There were also completely broken streetlights that couldn’t illuminate the corners at all—especially the small alley, which looked like a giant mouth ready to swallow people in the darkness.

But Bai Ziyu clearly didn’t care about any of that. After all, she was a cat now. In the darkness of night, cats were not hindered by the lack of light.

“Meow meow.”

But it doesn’t feel like there’s anything strange.

“Meow.”

So where’s the problem?

The black cat squatted down on the wall, feeling puzzled. 

She hadn’t seen anything unusual, except for some changes in the alley where she had originally been adopted.

Ever since she left, a golden retriever had appeared in that alley at some point. 

The golden retriever was very skinny—clearly starving.

It was now lying on the ground, letting out weak, pitiful howls. 

Its throat seemed injured, and the howls sounded eerie and haunting in the night.

Bai Ziyu’s brows furrowed slightly.

Was it because of the dog?

But Luo Yunzhi didn’t seem like someone who was afraid of dogs. 

Moreover, it was a golden retriever so skinny it was practically skin and bones. 

Normally, the girl would probably go out of her way to feed it.

Just as the black cat was about to leave, a figure appeared in her line of sight. 

She paused and decided to keep watching to see what would happen.

Someone was walking this way in the distance… They had probably stayed late at the company for overtime. 

The person was yawning, with heavy dark circles under their eyes.

It was a woman carrying a briefcase. 

Her steps weren’t fast, but she clearly knew this route well—it must be her usual way home.

She soon walked under a streetlight.

Ahead of her was darkness.

“This light still hasn’t been fixed?” 

A breeze blew past, clearing the woman’s mind a little. 

She looked ahead and couldn’t help muttering complaints.

“How long has it been?” She sighed, gripping her briefcase tighter. 

“When I have time, I really need to go complain to management!”

After grumbling for a bit, the woman sighed again and continued forward. 

When she was about to pass the small alley, she suddenly paused.

“Come to think of it, a colleague mentioned… someone saw a monster on this road recently.” She hesitated. 

“It was probably just made-up nonsense, right?”

“Meow?”

Monster?

Bai Ziyu was stunned. Since the woman was now quite close, she could hear clearly. 

She felt curious about this so-called monster.

“Meow?”

Could there be another yokai?

“Meow.”

I’ll keep watching.

“It must be fake.” The woman forced a smile. 

“After all, how could monsters exist in this world?”

She comforted herself with these words and clenched her fists as if gathering courage. She took another step forward. 

“I’m just scaring myself.”

Roar~

“……”

The rumor seemed to be true.

There really was a monster!

The woman’s body instantly stiffened. 

She subconsciously looked toward where the sound had come from—the small alley not far away.

She swallowed hard, breathing rapidly. 

She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, trembling so badly she could barely speak properly.

At that moment, something in the alley suddenly lit up—two clusters of “will-o’-the-wisps,” glowing green as if ready to devour anyone in sight.

The “will-o’-the-wisps” stared straight at her. In the deep darkness, the drip… drip… sound of sticky liquid echoed.

The woman felt like she was suffocating.

She was on the verge of fainting.

“Meow.”

“Cat?”

The sudden meow snapped the woman out of her terror for a brief moment. 

Immediately after, she came back to her senses.

She didn’t have time to wonder where the cat sound came from. 

She quickly wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, no longer daring to look into the alley. She hurried away as fast as she could.

“Meow.”

Coward.

The black cat snorted softly. 

She watched the woman run off before turning her gaze back to the alley. 

Whatever was inside the alley seemed to sense her and looked over as well.

The truth was now obvious. 

Humans and cats had different perspectives. 

From a human’s point of view, that skinny golden retriever looked like a terrifying monster.

In the dark, with its injured throat, the golden retriever’s howls sounded horrible. 

Starving and delirious, its eyes glowed green like “will-o’-the-wisps.”

The woman’s bag probably contained food.

That was why it had been staring at her.

“Meow.”

So it was that simple.

The golden retriever in the alley reluctantly watched the woman’s retreating figure… or rather, her bag. 

Then it turned its dejected gaze toward the black cat on the wall.

Roar?

“Meow.”

What are you looking at, you dumb dog?