Peking Opera Cat: I Became A Zi's Brother

The night was dark, and the mountain wind, carrying a chill, swept across the sweaty backs of the Xingluo team members.

"Sister Azi..."

Da Fei carefully placed Mo Zi flat on the moss-covered rock, his rough palms trembling slightly, for fear of hurting her bleeding wound.

"Go find it quickly..."

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the distant footsteps of pursuers fading away, leaving sporadic echoes in the valley.

"Ouch..."

Bai Tang sat down with his back against the damp rock wall. Suddenly, he felt a sour feeling in his throat and quietly rubbed his swollen stomach.

-

The scene when we entered the mountain half a day ago is still vivid in my mind. At that time, everyone had just escaped from a group of minions and rested at the mountain temple.

Dafei took out half a bag of multi-grain cakes from the package and greeted them warmly:

"Eat more! I've been running away with Sister Mo Zi on my back, and I'm starving!"

Wu Song complained that the cakes were too hard, but he still swallowed two in three or two bites.

Xiaoqing cut it into small pieces with an ice blade and savored it slowly;

Mingyue couldn't resist Dafei's enthusiastic offensive and took the cake.

“It smells so good…”

Bai Tang stared at the bulging multi-grain cake in his hand, and the aroma of wheat mixed with the burnt aroma of sesame seeds went straight into his nose.

He hadn't eaten such solid dry food since leaving Dongqiang Town, and his stomach immediately made a rumbling protest.

"Alive~"

Encouraged by Dafei to "eat one more", he stuffed four into his mouth in succession, and even licked the sesame seeds that fell on the ground clean with his tongue.

"Uh--"

At this moment, the rhythmic power was surging wildly in his dantian, like disturbed boiling water.

He secretly loosened his collar, trying to relieve the stuffiness in his chest, but found that even breathing became difficult.

"It's so uncomfortable..."

During the previous battle, his rhythmic patterns flickered like an out-of-control signal light, and the Bell of Justice was almost out of his hands several times - this was not a fight with the enemy, it was clearly a fight with his own stomach!

"Um?"

"Bai Tang, you look so bad."

Xiaoqing suddenly came over and gently placed her sleeves on his forehead.

"Are you injured?"

Bai Tang waved his hands hurriedly, but Yun Li rushed to his fingertips uncontrollably, burning a small charred hole on the ground.

"It's okay! I'm just... a little tired!"

He stammered as he explained, fearing that someone would find out.

But Dafei had already come over, his big bell-like eyes full of worry:

"Are you really okay? I saw that when you used the Running Dragon just now, your face looked even uglier than Sister Mo Zi's!"

"It's really okay..."

Bai Tang's face turned red and she wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

At this moment, Wu Song's voice came from a distance:

"Stop dawdling! We've found the cave, come over here!"

He rushed over as if he had been pardoned, but because he moved too violently, his stomach churned and he almost vomited on the spot.

"Uh……"

In the cave, the bonfire crackled.

"..."

Bai Tang curled up in the corner, feeling guilty as she watched her companions busying themselves taking care of Mo Zi.

Xiaoqing knelt beside Mo Zi, her sleeves fluttering as crystal ice beads formed. She bit her fingertips and let the blood blend into the ice beads. The pale pink healing ice dew slowly seeped into the wound:

"Sister, bear with it. This is the secret healing technique of the Body Sect."

The dark purple pale lips moved, trying to force a smile, but the brows were furrowed in pain.

"..."

Wu Song leaned against the cave wall, the whistle stick held tightly in his hands still emitting residual heat.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced around vigilantly:

"The arrival of those guys is too strange. How could Red Flame Flag, Frost Star Ferry, and An's minions appear at the same time?"

"..."

Mingyue knelt on the ground, weaving a simple stretcher with the power of plant and tree rhythm. Upon hearing this, she raised her head:

"Perhaps we can find a more secluded place nearby? We can make plans after Sister Mo Zi's injuries stabilize. Besides, although the pursuers have temporarily retreated, there's no guarantee they won't come back again."

"I'll be more careful next time!"

Bai Tang listened to the conversation of his companions and secretly vowed that after this crisis was over, he would practice the method of controlling rhyme well - more importantly, he would never let his greed ruin things again!

……

Inside the cave, the flickering light of the campfire flickered.

Mo Zi lay quietly on a makeshift stretcher made by Da Fei using vines and animal skins. His pale face glowed a sickly bluish-gray in the firelight.

Haipiao stayed beside her, his little paw gently resting on Mo Zi's hot forehead. He was so anxious that he kept spinning around, gesturing frantically with his little hands:

"Oh no! Sister Azi's temperature is getting higher and higher!"

"elder sister……"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqing immediately stepped forward, condensed a thin piece of ice with her sleeves and placed it on Mo Zi's forehead. However, the ice quickly melted and wisps of white mist rose.

She bit her lower lip, her fingertips trembling slightly:

"The wound is infected. If we delay any longer..."

Before he could finish his words, Mo Zi suddenly started coughing violently. Dark red blood foam overflowed from the corners of his mouth, leaving hideous marks on his clothes.

"Can't wait any longer!"

Bai Tang held the Justice Bell tightly, Yun Wen's heartbeat was beating violently with anxiety, and the stagnant feeling in his stomach mixed with worry made his forehead covered with cold sweat.

"The wall of Dazong City is right before our eyes. We might be able to save ourselves if we go into the city and find a doctor!"

"..."

Wu Song raised his hand to stop everyone:

"Don't worry. When I was investigating just now, I discovered that there was something wrong with the guards on the city wall—their eyes were fixed, and there was a faint aura of chaos lingering around them."

He paused, then pulled open the burnt cuffs, revealing a shallow scratch on his forearm.

"And when I got close, I was almost attacked as an intruder."

"what!"

Dafei scratched his head, looking confused:

"But Sister Mo Zi can't wait! How about I rush in and grab a doctor?"

"Too risky."

Mingyue looked at the unconscious Mo Zi on the stretcher, with the starlight flickering at her fingertips.

"Perhaps we can try to suppress the infection with plant-based rhythmic energy, but this can only provide temporary relief..."

"hiss……"

Just when everyone was in a stalemate, Mo Zi suddenly grabbed Bai Tang's wrist, and his hot palm almost burned his skin.

She forced herself to open her eyes, and the flickering flames reflected in her dilated pupils:

"Don't... don't worry about me... Da Zong... you guys go down first..."

Before he could finish his words, he collapsed heavily again, his breathing becoming more rapid.

"No, I will never let go of any of my partners!"

Bai Tang answered eagerly, but all he got was Mo Zi's unconscious mumbling.

He turned to look at his companions, his eyes full of determination:

"No matter what, entering the city is the only way. Wusong, Mingyue, you guys support us outside the city; Dafei and I will carry Sister Mo Zi, and Sister Xiaoqing will cover the rear. If we encounter any danger, retreat immediately!"

……

In the darkness of night, the Xingluo Squad quietly approached the Dazong city gate.

The guards on the city wall stood like statues, the moonlight shining on their glowing armor, reflecting a strange and cold light.

"not good!"

Bai Tang held his breath and was about to take a step when he heard the sound of chains being dragged on the city wall.

"call out……"

Immediately afterwards, dozens of black shadows climbed down the city wall. They were the Dark minions who had been chasing them before!

"Back off!"

Wu Song shouted loudly, and flames instantly exploded at the top of the whistle stick.

Bai Tang and Da Fei hurriedly changed direction, but saw more minions in Chaos Armor pouring out from the darkness, blocking their retreat.

Mo Zi moaned weakly on the stretcher, her high fever making her consciousness increasingly blurred. All around her, a chaotic aura surrounded everyone like a tide...