The ancients had a saying: “Blessings never come in pairs, but misfortunes never come alone.” Turns out, the ancients weren’t wrong. One bad thing after another keeps happening, giving me no time to catch my breath. Damn it.

I was already guessing that this cat must have almost become a jing (spirit creature); otherwise, how could an ordinary cat be this spooky? I kept a wary eye on it. The cat let out a “meow,” kicked off with its hind legs, and leapt straight at my face. Holding the peachwood dagger tightly in my right hand, I thrust it towards the cat’s face. Both of us were charging head-on; no one was going to scare the other. And honestly, a little cat pouncing at me didn’t exactly make for a horrifying sight.

Even though I knew this cat had turned into a spirit creature, in my eyes, it was still just a cat. Nothing much to fear. But as soon as the peachwood dagger struck the cat’s face, the creature suddenly vanished into thin air! The next moment, pain shot through my right shoulder. Turning to look, I found the cat had somehow appeared on my shoulder, its jaws clamped onto my flesh. It was tugging hard as if trying to rip off a chunk.

I reached out with my left hand, grabbed the cat by the neck, and yanked it off with all my strength. The pain in my right shoulder intensified. I felt utterly frustrated. I’d already been beaten up at the police station by that group of officers, then gone head-to-head with that zombie corpse. Just when the wounds had started to heal, this happened. Now, not only was my shoulder hurting again, but all the injuries over my body were flaring up with pain.

Still, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. Gripping the cat’s neck, I slammed it hard onto the hallway floor and immediately stomped down on it with my foot. But my foot hit nothing but air. The floor was completely empty; the black cat had disappeared again. When my peachwood dagger missed earlier, I was already suspicious. Now, seeing this, I understood—it had to be the legendary illusion technique.

demon cats are skilled in creating illusions. I cautiously scanned my surroundings. The corridor was pitch-black and eerily empty. After waiting for about ten seconds, I suddenly realized something. Recalling the way the cat had looked at the soul banner earlier, I cursed myself under my breath. Damn it! This demon cat was cunning—it had been a diversion.

The thought spurred me into action, and I sprinted toward Li Shanshan’s room. Throwing open the door, I saw the demon cat lying at the head of Li Shanshan’s bed, with the soul banner now standing by her bedside.

The demon cat shot me a venomous glare before leaping straight out the window. Looking back, I saw Li Qingshan sitting dumbfounded in a chair by the bed, panting heavily. I rushed up to ask him what had happened. Turns out, it had been a close call. When the demon cat charged in, Li Qingshan was still two meters away from Li Shanshan’s bed. Running isn’t allowed during a soul-calling ritual, but the situation was critical. Li Qingshan had dashed over in one stride and planted the banner at the bedside. Strangely enough, the moment the demon cat saw the banner firmly in place, it stopped, glared fiercely at both of us, and then jumped out the window.

After waiting for ten more minutes to ensure the demon cat was gone, I finally let my guard down. Exhaustion hit me like a tidal wave, and my whole body ached. I slumped into the chair in the room, closed my eyes, and immediately fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was already the next morning. Every inch of my body ached as I stirred awake. I realized I was lying in bed, bandages wrapped all over me. My right shoulder—where the demon cat had bitten me—throbbed painfully.

I got up and stretched, despite the soreness. Though moving was tough, it wasn’t impossible. Getting out of bed, I opened the door, and sunlight immediately hit my eyes, forcing me to squint until I adjusted. Looking around, I noticed I was in a private hospital room right next to Li Shanshan.

Dressed in my hospital gown, I walked over to Li Shanshan’s room. Inside, it was dimly lit—the curtains had been drawn to block out the sunlight. Li Shanshan had just recently returned to life and couldn’t be exposed to strong light.

The room was quiet, with only Li Shanshan lying on the bed. I sat in the chair beside her, watching her pale face. She looked just as fragile as when I’d first seen her.

“What are you doing here?”

Suddenly, a furious voice rang out behind me. Turning around, I saw Li Shanshan’s boyfriend, Ye Yu, holding a bouquet of roses and dressed in a suit.

He stormed in, glaring at me. “How did you get here? And what happened to Shanshan’s injuries? You’d better explain everything! Every time she’s with you, something bad happens!” As he spoke, Ye Yu swung his fist straight at my face, not even giving me a chance to explain.

Under normal circumstances, I could’ve dodged. Ye Yu wasn’t exactly built like a bodybuilder. Even if I couldn’t win outright, I could at least hold my ground. But after everything I’d been through, my injuries left me too slow to react. His punch landed square on my face, sending me sprawling to the floor.

Just as I tried to get up, he followed up with a kick to my stomach. The pain was so intense I curled up, clutching my stomach, my forehead breaking out in sweat.

Seeing me in my hospital gown and writhing on the floor, Ye Yu seemed to hesitate, his voice wavering as he said, “Don’t think you can play dead to get out of this.” Even though he was talking tough, he didn’t make another move.

“What are you doing, Ye Yu?”

Suddenly, Li Qingshan walked in wearing his police uniform, his voice booming. Ye Yu turned to him with a sunny smile, as if nothing had happened. “Uncle, this punk keeps bothering Shanshan. I was just teaching him a lesson, but now he’s pretending to be hurt.”

But Li Qingshan wasn’t having it. After all I’d done to save Li Shanshan, he shouted angrily, “Nonsense! What are you doing? Get out of here! Who told you to hit him?”

“But, Uncle, didn’t you say last time to teach this guy a lesson if I ever saw him?” Ye Yu protested innocently.

“That was before!” Li Qingshan snapped. “Now get out!”

It turned out Li Qingshan hadn’t told Ye Yu about last night’s events, fearing he wouldn’t believe in supernatural matters. With a hateful glare at me, Ye Yu stormed out of the room.

Li Qingshan helped me up, apologizing. “That kid’s impulsive. Don’t take it to heart.”

“It’s fine,” I replied with a shake of my head. What could I possibly do against someone rich and powerful like him? Sure, I could summon a few minor spirits to deal with him, but it’s not like I had a life-or-death grudge against him.

“I’ve arranged for you to take a week off from school. Just focus on recovering here,” Li Qingshan said before giving me a few more instructions and leaving. Finally, some good news for once.