Peking Opera Cat: I Became A Zi's Brother

"call……"

Mo Yun took a deep breath, and his fingertips left the dry ginkgo leaf and slowly covered the surface of the Yuanchu Luo.

The gong was slightly cool, carrying the dampness of the old wooden building. The remaining green light in the ridges was like a dormant firefly, trembling only slightly when he touched it.

"Um……"

He closed his eyes, and the rhythmic energy that had been dormant in his chest for a long time began to surge.

That power had accompanied him in his conquests and split the dark fog, but now he was carefully guiding it, turning it into a ray of green light and flowing into the gong surface along his fingertips.

"Om-"

When the first ray of rhythmic power surged in, the Yuanchu Luo made a muffled sound, as if it could not bear the weight.

The green light in the spiral pattern flickered violently, then dimmed, as if resisting this overpowering force.

Mo Yun did not stop. He slowed down the pace of his output, allowing his breath to seep into the patterns on the gong bit by bit, as if he was comforting a stubborn old friend.

"Remember?"

He murmured softly, his throat slightly numb from the rhythmic vibrations.

"Back in Dongqiang Town, you reflected the image of the Xingluo Squad, and the image of us standing shoulder to shoulder. Now, help me again."

When the second ray of rhythmic power was injected, the vibration of the gong became softer.

The green light in the spiral pattern no longer dodged, but instead moved along with his rhythmic power, as if identifying a familiar breath.

Mo Yun could feel that the "heart" of this gong was beating - that was the frequency precipitated by countless memories, some of his and some of Bai Tang's.

When the third ray of rhythmic power was in perfect sync with the vibration of the gong body, the Yuanchu Gong suddenly burst out with a circle of cyan-gold halo.

In the halo, countless fragmented images flashed by: the stage in Dongqiang Town, the brazier with the aroma of sugar, the running backs of the Xingluo troupe... and finally froze in a chaotic dark purple.

"!"

Mo Yun suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils stained with blue light.

He knew that resonance had been achieved.

Fragments of Cat Earth under the Rule of Darkness

The image in the halo gradually became clearer, but Mo Yun felt his breath stop.

This wasn't the Maotu he remembered.

The sky was leaden gray, like cotton wool soaked in dirty water, and not even a ray of sunlight could penetrate.

The air was filled with the smell of rust and decay, and the wind whistled sharply as it swept through the streets, picking up dust and... scattered, broken wood chips - traces of the former eaves and window frames.

Most of the houses on both sides of the street were half collapsed, and the broken walls were covered with dark purple vines. Tattered strips of cloth were hung on the sharp thorns of the vines. When the wind blew, the strips of cloth swayed like spirit-calling banners.

Occasionally, you can see a few relatively intact houses, but the doors and windows are nailed shut with thick wooden boards. A faint, almost extinguished candlelight can be seen through the cracks in the doors, like the breath of a dying person.

At the corner of the street, several figures huddled beside a pile of garbage.

They were a few cats so thin that they were just skin and bones, their fur tangled into clumps and covered in mud, and their eyes were as empty as two dry wells.

They were scratching at rotten food scraps with their claws, their movements numb, and even their struggles seemed too weak.

"Move quickly!"

A rude shout broke the silence.

Mo Yun's attention was instantly drawn over.

Two secret soldiers in black armor were walking towards them, whips in hand, the spikes on their armor flashing coldly.

Their leather boots made a harsh sound as they stepped on the gravel, scaring the cat people next to the garbage dump so much that they immediately huddled together and held their breath.

"Today's tribute has not been collected yet," one of the secret soldiers pointed his whip at a nailed wooden house, the sound like sandpaper rubbing against it.

"If the old man inside doesn't hand over the candy he hid, he'll burn the house down!"

There was no response from inside the house.

The hidden soldier sneered, raised his whip and whipped the door.

With a crisp "pop" sound, the wooden board cracked, revealing a pair of frightened eyes inside - it was an old female cat, holding a kitten so thin that only bones were left in her arms, and her whole body was shaking like a sieve.

"Do you want to hand it over or not?"

The hidden soldier raised his whip again.

The old cat trembled as she took out a black, rock-hard candy from her bosom and handed it to him, her voice hoarse:

"That's all...that's all I have left...Please...don't hurt the child..."

The hidden soldier snatched the candy, threw it on the ground, and crushed it with his boot.

"Is this little thing worthy of being a tribute?"

He spat.

"Drag her out! Show her what happens when you don't pay the full tribute!"

Another hidden soldier stepped forward with a snarl in his smile and roughly tore the old cat's claws apart.

The kitten screamed in fear, but was held down tightly, and could only watch the old cat being dragged to the rack on the corner of the street - there were several stiff corpses hanging on it, and their dried fur swayed in the wind.

The cat people around lowered their heads, not daring to look or make a sound.

There was no anger on their faces, only numbness, as if they had long been accustomed to such days.

"..."

Mo Yun's fingertips turned white from clenching on the gong, and her knuckles turned blue from the force.

He could feel that the rhythmic energy of this land had been almost drained, leaving only the fishy smell of dark matter.

There is no light or hope in the eyes of the cat people, only a desire to survive as humble as dust.

Is this where sugar lies? A purgatory completely devoured by chaos, where even sweetness is a luxury.

-

The helpless little white cat

The picture suddenly shook, like a candle flame blown by the wind, and then focused on a narrow alley.

"?"

Mo Yun's breathing suddenly stopped.

Deep in the alley, a white kitten was huddled behind a broken pottery jar, its fur standing on end, not out of anger, but out of fear.

That's white sugar.

But he is not like white sugar.

This little white cat was incredibly thin, with its ribs clearly visible beneath its thin fur. Its originally fluffy tail was now bald in a patch, revealing its pink flesh, as if it had been bitten by something.

The corner of his ear was missing, and there was an unhealed scar at the corner of his eye, stained with dried blood.

What made Mo Yun most nervous was his eyes.

Those amber eyes that once shone like stars were now covered with a layer of gray, like dusty glass beads, leaving only vigilance and cowardice.

The footsteps of hidden soldiers were heard at the entrance of the alley. The little white cat immediately buried its head in the pottery jar, and its body shook like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind.

He curled himself up into a ball, trying to avoid being seen as much as possible, his claws digging into the ground, dirt filling the gaps between his nails.

"It seems like a white cat ran in just now?"

The sound of hidden soldiers came from the alley.

"Search! Maybe there's something good hidden there!"

The footsteps are getting closer.

The little white cat closed its eyes, held its breath, and even tucked its tail tightly between its legs.

He could hear his own heartbeat, as loud as a drum, making his eardrums hurt.

The boots of the hidden soldiers trampled through the alley, kicking up gravel and sending it rolling.

"where?"

A hidden soldier impatiently poked the garbage pile next to him with his spear.

The little white cat's body shook even more violently.

He recalled the last time he was caught—the excruciating pain of the whip, the piercing feeling of their claws running over him as he was pinned to the ground, and their hideous grins as they snatched away the half piece of candy he had hidden with such difficulty.

"there!"

Another hidden soldier found the broken pottery jar,

"Is it in there?"

The tip of the spear pierced the clay pot, only an inch away from the little white cat's ear.

He was so frightened that his whole body froze, his mind went blank, and only one thought remained:

Don't get caught... Don't get caught...

But there was nothing he could do.

No rhythm, no weapons, and even no courage to resist.

He is just a weak kitten who is at the mercy of the cat.

He watched helplessly as the spear pierced the edge of the pot, and the fragments splashed onto his claws, leaving a small cut.

Blood oozed out, but he felt no pain, only fear that penetrated deep into his bones.

"Go away!"

Suddenly a faint shout came from the alley.

It was a black cat smaller than him. It rushed out from somewhere and bit the dark soldier's leg.

The bite was not very powerful, but it successfully attracted the attention of the hidden soldiers.

"court death!"

The dark soldier roared, turned around, and stabbed the black cat with his spear.

The black cat screamed, was thrown out, hit the wall, slid to the ground, and never moved again.

The little white cat widened its eyes and looked at the black cat's small body. It whimpered in its throat but couldn't even utter a complete "no".

The dark soldier kicked the black cat and cursed:

"Bad luck! Let's go!"

The footsteps gradually faded away, and the alley returned to silence.

The little white cat curled up in the fragments of the broken pottery jar and took a long time before it dared to raise its head.

He looked at the black cat's body, his claws shaking violently. He wanted to touch it, but didn't dare.

Why...why can't I do anything?

This thought pierced his heart like a needle. He felt like he should do something, as if... he had done many brave things in the past.

But he couldn't remember.

My mind seemed to be covered with a layer of fog, and some blurry shadows were swaying - a blue figure, a yellow figure, and an always gentle figure with a blue rhythm... Who are they?

He seemed to remember a warm, sweet smell, the aroma of sugar wafting from the brazier, and someone smiling and handing him the biggest piece of sesame candy... When did that happen?

He raised his hand to scratch his head, but found blood on his claws - from being scratched by the debris just now.

He stared at the bloodstain and suddenly felt a emptiness in his heart, as if he had lost something very important.

what is it then?

He couldn't remember.

The wind from the alley blew in, bringing a biting chill. The little white cat lowered its head, hugged itself with its uninjured paw, and buried its face in its knees.

"cold……"

He whispered softly, his voice as thin as a mosquito's.

No cat responded.

Only the shouting of the dark soldiers in the distance and the occasional desperate cries echoed softly in this land ruled by darkness.

The humming sound of the Yuanchu gong suddenly became low, like a mournful cry.

Mo Yun looked at the little white cat curled up in the picture, his eyes suddenly warmed up, and an indescribable bitterness and anger surged in his heart.

He got it.

Bai Tang is not dead, but trapped - trapped in this hopeless land, trapped in a body that has lost its memory and strength, trapped in the confusion where it is about to forget who it is.

And he must bring him out.

No matter what the cost.