Peking Opera Cat: I Became A Zi's Brother

"..."

In the deepest dungeon under the Dazong, the rusty chains suddenly made a sharp clanging sound.

The old man, whose body was covered with old whip marks, suddenly opened his eyes. In his sunken eye sockets, his cloudy pupils glowed with a strange light.

His skinny fingers tightly gripped the iron bars of the cell, and the fire emblem of the Wu family faintly visible under the prison uniform was slightly hot.

"Could it be... is he back?"

The old man's voice was as hoarse as sandpaper, and his Adam's apple rolled with difficulty.

Dust fell from the ceiling of the dungeon, and the dried water stains on the walls suddenly began to flow back, condensing into tiny water droplets suspended in the air.

The shackles on the old man's wrists emitted sparks, and the cold metal that had imprisoned him for many years was now twisting and trembling like a living thing.

"..."

The chaotic roar coming from the direction of the distant battlefield was getting closer and closer. The old man's turbid gaze penetrated the layers of stone walls and looked in an unknown direction.

"Ugh……"

The corners of his cracked mouth rose slightly, as if expressing relief, but also fear, and finally turned into a long sigh that dissipated in the damp and cold dungeon.

-

Inside the Dazong Wu family ancestral hall, the damp blue bricks were chilly. Four-year-old Wu Song knelt on a cushion, his coarse cloth trousers having become frizzy at the knees.

He gripped the heavy wooden sword of Fire Judge tightly in both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force, and the tip of the sword scratched tiny marks on the bluestone slab.

The clan elder Wu Gang's dragon-headed cane slammed heavily onto the ground, shaking him all over.

"It's shameful that a Wu family disciple can't even learn the basic moves!"

"..."

Wu Song bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes.

The high-intensity training over the past few days had left him exhausted. The scorching sun outside the ancestral hall shone through the carved window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the ground. The laughter of children playing in the distance drifted in the wind, like a soft feather, stirring his heart that longed for freedom.

"That's it for today."

Father Wu Yan's low voice suddenly rang out.

"?"

Wu Song looked up suddenly and met his father's eyes which were stern but hid a hint of heartache.

My mother's gentle figure peeked in from the doorway, holding a freshly baked osmanthus cake. The sweet fragrance instantly filled the entire ancestral hall:

"Training is tiring, so it's good to go out and relax, but remember to come back early."

"!"

Wu Song's eyes lit up, he jumped up as if he had been pardoned, took the osmanthus cake and ran out the door.

The sunlight shone on his young face, making him feel warm.

He walked barefoot across the bluestone slabs, passed through the corridor covered with plaques with the words "Austere" and "Upright", and ran all the way to the deserted corner on the edge of Dazong.

There were few cats passing by there, and it was a secret base he discovered.

"Squeak..."

In the weed-covered corner of the wall, a few dilapidated huts creaked in the wind.

Wu Song was licking the icing on his fingertips when suddenly, a faint "meow" sound came from the haystack at the foot of the wall.

"what!"

He curiously pulled away the wet straw, and a pair of amber vertical pupils flickered in the shadows, scaring him so much that he fell to the ground, and the osmanthus cake in his hand fell out.

"This is……"

The gray kitten, about the same size as him, had its back hunched, its fur tangled and messy, its ears tipped with fine scales, and its three-forked tail swaying alertly like a scorpion's.

"!"

What was even more shocking was that the wound on the kitten's hind leg was a strange purple color, the surrounding fur was charred and curled, and blood with mucus was constantly oozing out.

“Don’t…don’t run!”

Wu Song looked at the kitten's frightened eyes and forgot his fear.

He slowly untied the sweat towel around his waist and said softly:

"I won't hurt you, I have medicine at home!"

The kitten let out a sharp hiss, the hair on its back stood up, a strange purple halo appeared and disappeared at the wound, and a pungent fishy smell wafted faintly in the air - this was the unique chaotic reaction of the strange cat.

"I-I'm four years old too!"

Wu Song suddenly raised four dirty fingers, his chubby little face full of anxiety.

"Look! We are the same age! I have to practice for a long time every day. It's so tiring. If you are injured, it must be very uncomfortable, right?"

The kitten was stunned, its trembling body paused slightly, and a hint of hesitation seemed to flash in its amber eyes.

"Don't be afraid..."

Wu Song took the opportunity to tear off the cloth strip from his sleeve, dipped it in the clear water from the puddle, and approached little by little:

"My name is Wu Song. You're injured. Let me help you, okay? I'm not as fierce as those adults! I'll give you some sweet-scented osmanthus cake. It's so sweet!"

As he said this, he picked up the half piece of cake that was not covered in dust on the ground and handed it to the kitten.

"Hey, where are we going to play today..."

"of course……"

Just then, the laughter of other children was heard in the distance.

"!"

The kitten trembled violently all over and turned to get into the haystack, but due to the severe pain in the wound, it staggered and collapsed to the ground.

"Ah……"

Wu Song was quick-witted and rushed over to wrap its trembling body with a sweat towel:

"Don't be afraid! There's no one at my house! I'll hide you secretly!"

"..."

The kitten in his arms suddenly stretched out its tiny claws and gently hooked onto his collar. Warm blood seeped into his cuffs, mixed with the damp, rancid smell of its fur.

"I'll call you Huihui from now on."

Wu Song murmured softly, carefully supporting Huihui as they walked home, taking each step lightly and slowly.

"..."

He didn't notice the sadness that flashed across Huihui's eyes - this stray cat knew better than anyone that under the strict rules of the Dazong, this short-lived warmth would eventually be ruthlessly crushed.

……

When Wu Song hid Huihui in the carved wooden box under the bed, the moonlight leaking in through the gap in the box door illuminated the kitten's trembling nose.

"Just stay here and be safe. Trust me, there won't be any cats coming here!"

Huihui huddled in a corner, hugging her knees. Her three forked tails folded in a defensive posture. Her amber eyes reflected the osmanthus cake in Wu Song's hand, but she turned her face away stubbornly.

"The Da Zong people want to kill me. Is there poison in your sweet cake?"

"how come!"

Wu Song's face flushed with anxiety. He broke off a small piece and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Look! I'll eat first!"

He knelt on the cold blue bricks and carefully picked up the gray and scabby hind legs.

"I know you're a strange cat, but your wounds are festering... I secretly watched my mother changing the bandages on the wounded. I'm sure she can heal you!"

Huihui suddenly struggled violently, and its scales scratched Wusong's wrist, causing blood to seep out.

"Aren't you afraid of pain?"

Huihui was stunned, with an imperceptible tremor in his voice.

Wu Song smiled instead and took out a piece of cloth from his sleeve pocket:

"For a disciple of the Wu family, this little injury is nothing! If it hurts, bite me, like this..."

He deliberately bared his teeth and acted ferocious, which made Huihui burst out laughing, and the tip of his tail gently brushed across the back of his hand.

……

From then on, the wooden box became a secret base.

"Then I'll teach you something..."

Huihui used his tail to curl the charcoal pencil and scribbled on the paper. In the drawing, Wu Song was holding a huge fire judge, looking majestic.

Wu Song arranged the snacks he had hidden into a small banquet and raised his glass solemnly:

"Cheers to our secret kingdom!"

Huihui would suddenly lower his voice and wrap his tail around his wrist:

"Listen, the patrol's footsteps have changed. They must be looking for the Strange Cat..."

The two cats held their breath and huddled in the box, their heartbeats mixed with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus cake.

……

On a thunderstorm night, Wu Song held the shivering Huihui in his arms and listened to it talk about the time when it was chased and beaten while wandering.

"They said I was a monster of chaos."

Huihui buried her face in his arms.

"But you said I was a friend..."

Wu Song touched the scales on its ears and said solemnly:

"I will protect you from now on! When I become a Fire Judge, no one will be able to bully us!"

"boom!"

The lightning outside the window illuminates the young man's determined face, but it cannot illuminate the crisis gradually approaching in the dark - the sound of gongs coming from the direction of the ancestral hall is pushing this warm secret into the abyss of destruction.