Wei Qing looked at the trust and fierce protectiveness burning in Firefly's eyes and fell silent for a moment.
This girl was… a little too easy to fool.
She believed whatever he said. If he were actually a villain, he could probably have talked her into having eight kids for him already.
But maybe it had something to do with what she'd lived through. Her world was black and white: if someone treated her well, she would repay them with everything she had.
And honestly? The Xianzhou hadn't exactly been peaceful lately, either.
Of course, after his defection, it was basically impossible for the Xianzhou to be "peaceful" at all.
He'd heard that because of him and Huanlong, the Luofu was now conducting intensive population screenings—especially targeting the foxian.
After all, Huanlong had infiltrated the Luofu twice using a foxian disguise. The second time was after the Luofu had already started cracking down.
A direct slap in the face to the Divination Commission's security and intelligence.
And yes—his own forged identity was probably uncovered by now.
To be honest, Wei Qing was genuinely curious how those old fossils in the Divination Commission were getting publicly roasted. Too bad he'd likely never get to see it.
A Lord Ravager had not only infiltrated the Luofu for centuries—he'd climbed step by step all the way to the generalship, and only then struck in the middle of the inauguration ceremony.
That wasn't just a military failure.
It was a total humiliation of their intelligence and security apparatus.
Sigh. It wasn't nice to say, but… the Luofu's security really was kind of trash.
The thought nearly made the corners of his mouth twitch upward.
"'Forced by circumstances'… maybe," he repeated Firefly's words, tamping down the strange emotion and bringing his focus back to the present.
His tone returned to its usual calm. "But if you've chosen to stay, then remember what you said today. Come on—we should leave Skaz."
"Yes, Mr. Wei Qing!" Firefly nodded hard, like a soldier accepting an important mission.
"But before we depart," Wei Qing added, "it seems another 'friend' has decided to come looking for us."
The moment his words fell, Firefly's vigilance snapped into place. She scanned the surroundings, slipping unconsciously into a combat stance.
Her pink-violet eyes swept across the bustling crowd, searching for threats.
But there were only tourists, vendors, and the usual noise of a commercial district—nothing suspicious.
"Meow~"
A sudden sound cut through the street.
A soft, sweet cat's meow—completely out of place amid the urban bustle.
Firefly turned toward it and saw a cat sitting neatly in front of them, as if it had been there all along.
It was pitch black, except for four snow-white paws.
"Ah… it's so cute!"
The cat had appeared too abruptly for Firefly's instincts to ignore. As an engineered weapon, her alertness was anything but low.
But it was just too adorable.
She'd only ever seen creatures like this in photos. This was her first time seeing one in real life.
The black cat's amber eyes looked like they could see straight through a person. It lazily licked a paw, utterly indifferent to the surrounding commotion.
Firefly's guard melted under its soft meow and irresistible appearance.
She crouched carefully and reached out tentatively. When the cat didn't flinch away, she gently petted its head.
The cat narrowed its eyes in contentment, purring deep in its throat.
"It's not afraid of people…" Firefly looked up at Wei Qing, smiling with innocent wonder.
As a Glamoth Iron Cavalry soldier, she'd known cold steel and grotesque swarms—this warm, soft little life was a brand-new experience.
"Let me hold it too," Wei Qing said suddenly, and took the cat from Firefly's arms.
The cat's amber eyes shifted to Wei Qing, studying him for a heartbeat. Then it rubbed its head against his sleeve, affectionately, purring even louder.
"It likes you too, Mr. Wei Qing!" Firefly beamed at the harmonious scene.
"Mm. Seems so." Wei Qing scratched under the cat's chin—and then, out of nowhere, said:
"Wait. Why are you male?"
As if he'd discovered something profoundly unpleasant, Wei Qing lifted the cat by the scruff.
"Meow!"
The cat instantly protested, as if it understood him perfectly.
Wei Qing didn't care. With one hand still holding it up, he started kneading its head with exaggerated force, rubbing its fur into chaos.
"Heh. You're male and you think you've got the right to complain?"
The cat's eyes widened in outrage. It yowled, twisting violently, its four white paws flailing in the air as it tried to break free.
Firefly gasped and reached out, trying to take it back. "Mr. Wei Qing, don't scare it like that—"
Wei Qing acted like he hadn't heard her, still holding the cat by the scruff, his voice full of unfiltered disdain.
"But I really don't like males."
"MRAAOW—!" The cat thrashed harder, its cries bristling with indignation.
Firefly stared, completely at a loss.
She couldn't understand why Mr. Wei Qing cared so much about a cat's gender.
"Mr. Wei Qing… it's just a kitty…"
"A kitty?" Wei Qing raised an eyebrow, giving the furious black fluffball a little shake. "If we're talking about mental age, this thing could be your ancestor."
Firefly: "...Huh?"
Before Firefly could process that, Wei Qing flicked his wrist, tossing the cat aside as if throwing away something worthless.
"MEEEOOW—!!!"
The cat shrieked midair, tracing a neat arc as it flew.
But just before it hit the ground, its body blurred—like ink dropped into water—and vanished in a strange, impossible way.
Firefly blinked. Then rubbed her eyes hard, wondering if she'd hallucinated.
The next instant, the black shape silently reformed and landed neatly on the pavement as if it had never been thrown at all.
It sat there again—calm, poised, elegant.
Firefly froze, staring at the cat, then at Wei Qing, her head full of shock and confusion.
This cat… was absolutely not a normal cat.
I got tricked—this is a bad cat!
"Done playing?" Wei Qing asked first, his tone flat, as if speaking to an old acquaintance caught playing hide-and-seek. "Or do you just like communicating in this form?"
The black cat let out a small, amused chuckle. It didn't answer right away—only lifted a front paw and licked its fur with deliberate leisure.
"Because this is what I look like," it said.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
Uma Musume: From Beginner 26
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