Chapter 53

What was he holding?

Xia You turned his head slightly, hesitating, "Nepeta cataria?"

After a pause, he further clarified, "Cat... catnip?"

As he spoke, the black panther, consistently making a purring sound from its throat, finally succumbed to its instincts and bit the plant in Xia You's hand.

"Hey— No, wait! That's too much!"

"This isn't edible!"

Aghast, Xia You gripped the catnip firmly, refusing to release it—even when her arm was taken into the panther's mouth.

Trusting completely that Yuan Yuan wouldn't truly harm her, Xia You naturally and forcefully scratched the panther's chin with her other hand, attempting to pry open the big cat's mouth.

"Good boy Yuan Yuan, open your mouth, ah—"

No matter what Xia You said, the panther kept its mouth shut. Yet, it was careful not to bite, gently holding Xia You's arm in its vast maw, seated on the ground. It appeared calm and composed, but its tail was flitting wildly.

Though the effects of catnip vary among cats—with some racing around madly, others hallucinating, some aggressive cats getting calmed, and even a portion entering a mating mode.

Cats of different ages react differently to catnip; kittens usually aren't very interested in the plant. Of course, some cats naturally dislike the scent of catnip.

Evidently, even if it's unclear how the black panther reacts, its love for catnip is beyond doubt.

However, consuming catnip in excessive amounts can indeed affect the internal organs of feline animals.

"Your Highness! Please control Yuan Yuan... He can't eat that much catnip!"

With such a stubborn panther, Xia You felt helpless and turned to seek assistance from Lu Yinghuai.

But when Xia You looked around, she found Lu Yinghuai had disappeared.

Xia You: "?"

Where is His Highness?

Wasn't he just outside the tent?

Has he gone inside?

Just as Xia You was about to shout out, a flicker of movement caught her eye—two tigers, one big and one small, curiously gazing her way.

Two... tigers.

Feline creatures.

Xia You stared at Yuan Yuan, who seemed utterly changed by the catnip, and felt a shiver run through her.

If all three big cats got into the catnip...

Shaking her head vigorously, Xia You's eyes hardened in determination.

This catnip must be discarded!

Seizing the momentary distraction of Xia You, the panther's tongue swiftly curled around the catnip in her grasp.

Xia You: "!"

The young lady held onto the catnip tightly, refusing to let go.

She wouldn't allow this mysterious plant that sprouted out of nowhere to be consumed by the panther without knowing its effects.

A deep purring sound emerged from the panther's throat. Seeing Xia You's steadfast resolve, the usually majestic and haughty feline's whiskers twitched, its ears flattened back, and its eyes surprisingly took on a pitiable look.

One might wonder, can it really not be given to the panther?

Xia You: "..."

The softhearted individual took a deep breath, averted her eyes with difficulty, and was about to activate her holographic computer, only to realize it was on the hand that was currently inside the panther's mouth.

Oops.

The two of them, human and panther, looked at each other.

After some thought, Xia You tentatively asked, "Activate communication interface?"

A neutral beep emanated from the computer inside the panther's mouth, "Voice recognized. Communication interface activated. Project holographic screen?"

"Yes."

The next moment, Xia You watched in amazement as the holographic screen unfurled, perfectly framing the panther's head in its center.

It appeared as though Yuan Yuan had become the wallpaper of Xia You's screen.

"Ahem, pfft." Xia You couldn't hold back her laughter. She reached out, pulling the screen towards her and tapped on Lu Yinghuai's communication tab.

"Your Highness?" [Little tentacle poke.gif]

Although the emoticon Xia You used wasn't a psychic tentacle but rather a chibi octopus tentacle, it looked round and plump, exceedingly adorable.

Lu Yinghuai, who usually responded to Xia You's messages promptly, was uncharacteristically silent this time.

Frowning, Xia You's gaze towards the tent sharpened in an instant.

After His Highness had posed that question to him earlier, he entered the tent without a word. Logically speaking, he should've heard anything said outside. Could it be...

Xia You looked at the panther in front of her, who was still gripping her arm with its mouth, its tail swinging like a black pinwheel.

Could it be that Yuan Yuan's reaction to the catnip might also affect His Highness?

Never before had Xia You felt such regret as she did at this moment, regretting that she had wasted so much time harboring awkward emotions and not asking about the connection between the black panther and His Highness earlier.

Xia You raised her hand to gently touch Yuan Yuan's cheek, whispering, "Good Yuan Yuan, could you let go of me for now?"

The next moment, she felt her hand wrapped by the panther's tongue, which was studded with tiny barbs.

Xia You paused for two seconds and said sternly, "I might have to use force then."

The panther's eyes held a trace of disdain.

After all, in the panther's eyes, Xia You's strength was nowhere near the level of prey struggling during a hunt.

Then, Xia You solemnly stated, "If I struggle with force, Yuan Yuan's fangs might scratch me. It could result in a long wound, extremely painful, bleeding profusely. The healing scar might even be permanent and long..."

Before Xia You could finish, the panther, which was gripping her arm just a moment ago, quickly opened its mouth, lifted her arm gently with its paw, and cautiously set it back at her side.

The black cat then cast a longing glance at the catnip in Xia You's hand, turned, and focused on the catnip plants flourishing in the pots nearby.

With a twitch of her eyelid, Xia You swiftly stored all the catnip into her space ring.

The panther's tail stiffened, and it turned to Xia You in disbelief.

Firmly, Xia You intoned, "No fighting, rest well."

The panther visibly grew agitated, its sharp claws emerging, scratching the ground repeatedly.

Just as Xia You was about to speak, a sound emanated from her holographic computer.

It was the notification sound for unread messages.

Xia You tapped on the communicator, and the message was from Lu Yinghuai.

—— Don't come in. Listen to me.

Xia You: "?"

Standing right in front of the tent's entrance, Xia You looked up at the tent with a hint of hesitation in her expression.

Unable to contain herself for a moment, she voiced out, "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell again?"

There was no response from inside the tent, but Lu Yinghuai replied to Xia You's message via the communicator.

—— I'm fine, don't worry.

Xia You stared at the message for quite a while, feeling that its phrasing was somewhat different from Lu Yinghuai's usual manner of communication.

Biting her lip, Xia You's eyes reflected a touch of hurt as she said, "Your Highness, we promised not to hide any health concerns from each other."

A muffled sound faintly emanated from the silent tent.

Instinctively, Xia You took a step forward.

"…Stay out!"

Lu Yinghuai's voice finally resonated, accompanied by a subdued breath and hoarseness. It was a voice bearing suppressed agony... and even a hint of moisture.

Although Xia You herself lacked such experiences, Duke Xia, who intended to fetch a good price for her, had ensured she underwent a comprehensive education on the matter.

Thus, upon hearing that... Xia You immediately understood.

She took a small step back, but quickly realized the inappropriateness of her action. Bracing herself, she moved back to her original position, close enough that her nose nearly touched the tent's entrance.

Xia You suddenly recalled the clinical research on catnip.

One of the findings indicated that, when cats delay entering their estrus cycle or don't go into heat at all, the stimulation from catnip could promote...

Instantly, Xia You felt an unusual burning sensation throughout the arm that Yuan Yuan had gripped earlier, from her fingertips to her elbow joint.

Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson swiftly.

Not far away, the black panther lay down with its back to Xia You, its paws draped over its head and its tail listlessly drooping.

Mr. Brown Bear, who had been out all day, returned, clutching a familiar-looking red bucket. Instead of fish, however, the bucket contained a large, viscous lump, with a sticky liquid at its base.

Mr. Brown Bear contemplated approaching Xia You to share the delicacy he had traveled far to find. Yet, from a distance of about ten steps, he detected a scent so potent and informative that he halted, standing bewildered.

The young tiger, who had been observing for some time, grew curious about what Xia You held in her hand, something that had earlier unsettled the black panther, and seemed keen to approach.

The white tiger, which had been resting with its eyes closed, swiped at the young tiger, flipping it onto its back. With a large paw pressed against the young tiger's belly, the white tiger rolled it aside.

Suddenly receiving attention from the white tiger mother, the young tiger was elated and immediately began playfully harassing her.

With a flick of her tail, the white tiger let out a roar towards the overzealous young tiger.

Whose foolish cub is this?

Dare approach that creature without fear of being mauled? Didn't you detect the scent of the panther in heat?

The more dominant and aggressive a male animal, the stronger its territorial instincts, especially during its mating season.

If, during this time, a male intruder ventures into their territory or even nears their mate, they would ferociously and mercilessly attack and kill the intruder, warning any potential contenders outside their domain.

While Mr. Brown Bear didn't understand why a spirit form would go into heat, he chose to respect it and give way, slowly finding a corner to sit.

Turning his head, he saw an injured fawn staring wide-eyed at him, as if it had seen a ghost.

Ah... a fawn.

Perhaps it's the one taken care of by the young healer?

Mr. Brown Bear reached out with his paw and gently patted the fawn.

The fawn couldn't make a sound, as there were three other animals not far away. It could only stare unwaveringly at Mr. Brown Bear with its damp eyes.

Mr. Brown Bear, thinking he probably wouldn't return to his tent that night, set the red bucket aside, cleared a spot, and decided to rest beside the fawn for the night.

General Jiang Nan used to secretly keep a stuffed fawn toy inside his blanket during his military academy days. Hand-stitched by his mother, it was a toy he cherished deeply.

Now, his spirit form also has a fawn to embrace while sleeping. How wonderful.

Mr. Brown Bear nestled close to the endearing fawn. Glancing down, he noticed that the fawn had already drifted off to sleep. With a grin, he too closed his eyes and peacefully dozed off.

Outside the tent, Xia You hesitated for quite a while, torn between staying and leaving.

Sunshine bathed the exterior of the tent warmly, while its interior remained dim and silent.

Xia You fiddled with her fingers and then unexpectedly retrieved a thick, hardcover book from her spatial ring. With her back against the tent flap, she sat cross-legged on the ground, cleared her throat, and began reading aloud in a moderate tone.

Ah, she was reading "The History of the Empire."

Indeed, it was the same book that Lu Yinghuai had initially read to her during their lessons.

This book contained words potent enough to quench any desire.

Inside the tent, with all the lights extinguished, Lu Yinghuai sat on the couch, a smirk appearing on his face as he tried to suppress a chuckle.

The Marshal sat with his legs crossed, a soft pillow resting on his lap.

It was the one Xia You often cradled in her arms.

With his eyes closed, Lu Yinghuai leaned back against the couch, his hand resting on the pillow. His fingertips tightened, causing slight wrinkles on its surface.

A gentle, sweet aroma with a hint of bitterness wafted inside the tent. The silhouette of the scent's bearer was outlined by the tent's entrance— it was Xia You.

In that final moment, Lu Yinghuai realized that perhaps some boundaries had been overstepped from the very beginning.

……

It wasn't until Xia You finished reading the third chapter that the tent flap behind her was lifted. Lu Yinghuai reached out, steadying her as she leaned back.

As their backs met and warmth permeated through the fabric to their hands, they both paused, taken aback.

Xia You, feeling drowsy from reading the heavy tome, tucked it back into her spatial ring. She took a step back, creating some distance between herself and Lu Yinghuai, hesitantly asking, "Your Highness, are you alright now?"

No sooner had she spoken than she wished she could bite her tongue off for her blunder.

Yet, with an unfazed expression, Lu Yinghuai responded affirmatively and then headed towards the forest.

Xia You didn't ask what he intended to do.

For it was evidently the direction of the downstream brook.

Xia You raised her hand, gently pinching her earlobe.

The warmth of His Highness's palm just now...

It was scorching.

Ahhh— Clear your head!

Xia You, what are you thinking about?!

Xia You swiftly raised her hand and ruthlessly slapped her cheeks, wiping away any lingering emotions.

*

By the time Lu Yinghuai returned, no traces of discomposure remained on his face. However, the black panther had retreated to a tree, refusing to come down regardless of Xia You's calls.

The two tacitly decided not to return to the tent for the time being.

After a moment's hesitation, driven by the day's unexpected events, Xia You finally asked, "Your Highness, what exactly is Yuan Yuan?"

And there's also the spicy sticks, cookies, snow cakes, and the mother white tiger and Mr. Brown Bear.

Among the animals in the camp, probably only the deer initially hunted to feed the mother white tiger was a genuine animal.

In the nearby forest, layers of interlaced branches sprawled out, with the vibrant pine and cypress leaves defiantly swaying in the wind.

The black panther hidden among the trees opened its eyes, revealing a pair of faintly glowing golden pupils.

Lu Yinghuai activated the light-brain screen, displaying an approved document which he projected onto the light screen and pushed in front of Xia You.

Xia You swiped through the light screen and read attentively. Her eyes widened with each line. Initially, her face showed surprise and confusion, but as she viewed the images of the hibernation chambers and various spiritual animal forms, her expression grew increasingly somber.

At the end of the document was a list spanning four full pages.

Some names were familiar to Xia You, seemingly from news she had heard, while others were completely unknown.

Xia You paused momentarily, her voice raspy, "The people on this final list are..."

Lu Yinghuai remained silent for a moment, gazing at the dark tranquility of the forest before replying softly, "Not everyone can endure the agony of hopelessness up to this point."

Among these individuals, many even boast credentials surpassing those of Lu Jiuzhu.

They might have once been the rising stars of military academies, the breakout celebrities that everyone's eyes were on, the literary geniuses with countless fans, or perhaps the unrivaled monarchs of the music world...

The torment of darkness lies in the uncertainty of when the light will dawn.

Xia You scrolled back to the beginning of the document, meticulously reading the section on spiritual entities.

"Weren't spiritual entities intangible when they first appeared?"

Xia You's finger paused, pointing at the line: [Those diagnosed with escalating spiritual power disorder require intervention to materialize their spiritual entities].

Lu Yinghuai elucidated, "The innate existence of a spiritual entity is akin to your spiritual tendrils, a physical manifestation of one's psychic power. However, its form, typically that of a beast, varies based on the individual's unique character."

Naturally, different beastly manifestations confer varying amplified attributes.

"Unintervened spiritual entities lack physicality. They can be retracted into or released from their owner's psychic sea at will, which is what makes them ace weapons on the battlefield."

"Entities that have undergone intervention take on forms resembling real animals. Beyond their connection and shared emotions with their owners, they differ little from actual animals."

As Lu Yinghuai spoke, he paused briefly and then emphasized:

"Even when materialized, spiritual entities don't require nourishment nor possess breeding seasons."

Xia You's toes twitched inside her shoes, and she lowered her head, letting out a muffled acknowledgment.

"Given the distinctions between these two types of entities, the research department has proposed a new term to denote those with physical forms."

Lu Yinghuai's voice gently echoed throughout the camp.

"— Familiars."

"The advent of spiritual entities was a cause for jubilation, but the emergence of familiars signifies a despair of reaching a dead end."

By the tent's edge, the brown bear, who should have been sleeping, opened its eyes.

The little tiger buried its head between its paws, its tail remaining motionless.

Up in the tree, the panther's sharp claws dug deep into the bark, eliciting a creaking sound.

Summer unknowingly wandered beneath the tree where the panther hid. She reached out to touch the claws embedded into the bark, feeling the real, dense fur on its surface. She smiled and said, "But isn’t it true that only companion beasts have such a tangible and weighty existence?"

"When the spiritual entities first appeared, didn’t everyone panic for a while before understanding their true purpose? And didn’t it take a considerable adaptation period to master the method of safely awakening these entities?"

Summer's arm grew tired from holding it up. After touching the panther’s claw, she withdrew her hand, turned to face Lu Yinghuai, and smiled, her eyes curving beautifully, "Perhaps the companion beasts are even more extraordinary, a kind of existence that diverges from spiritual entities."

"Your Highness, you see, only the most powerful entities give birth to companion beasts. You all are simply at the forefront of the current epoch, just like—"

"Like you once stood on the most dangerous, heart-stopping borderline."

"This is another battlefield, absent of gunpowder, and isn’t what everyone excels at prevailing on the battlefield, pushing forward until the very last moment?"

"Just like…"

Summer recalled the vivid sea of flowers that once bloomed in the imperial star's capital.

"Back when the empire triumphed over the insectoid armies, all the planets released a deluge of flowers simultaneously."

Lu Yinghuai's Adam's apple moved slightly, and he too broke into a smile.

A fluffy black tail quietly descended from above, its tip touching Summer's cheek.

Summer tried to grab the panther's tail, but it playfully pulled away, eluding her grasp.

"...Yes."

Lu Yinghuai suddenly felt a tinge of regret. It was a pity that when the child spoke these words, there wasn’t a rolling live-streaming orb beside them.

"By the way, Your Highness, now that we've clarified this, shall we tackle the next issue?"

Lu Yinghuai paused momentarily, "What?"

From her spatial knot, Summer took out some catnip, winking mischievously.

"This."

Lu Yinghuai: "...Yes, we need to address that."

The Marshal maintained a calm expression, but the panther in the tree instantly pulled back its tail that had been resting against Summer's cheek.

Summer has now begun to realize some clever uses for the catnip.

His Highness has always been reserved, rarely showing his emotions. Yuan Yuan, despite appearing aloof and proud, reacts in surprisingly straightforward ways.

When pleased, Yuan Yuan would nuzzle closely, and when displeased, he would bare his teeth—a clear and simple language.

"I just thought of something."

Summer opened her palm, motioning for Lu Yinghuai to inspect the catnip in her hand.

"On the night the White Tiger attacked our camp, His Highness mentioned that initially, no one noticed. It was only when the White Tiger suddenly made a noise that Yuan Yuan detected it."

"Later, I searched the vicinity and found a tuft of the White Tiger’s fur on a flower stand."

Although it seemed incredible, what caused the White Tiger to go against its stealthy hunting instincts at that moment was actually the ungerminated catnip seeds in the flower pot.

"So, I'm wondering, could catnip potentially help everyone's condition?"

Lu Yinghuai gazed intently at the plant in Summer's hand for a while before slowly saying, "Summer, the Imperial Research Institute and the First Legion Research Department have preserved numerous catnip seeds. Every research quarter, there’s a cultivation plan, but no one has ever successfully grown a thriving catnip plant."

The pronounced effect of catnip on feline species is well-known. The research department initially wanted to harness this plant, but plans were abandoned due to the plant's difficulty in surviving.

A look of surprise crossed Summer’s eyes.

Is it really that hard?

But—

Summer extended her hand, releasing from her spatial knot the previously stored flower stand. Roughly half of the catnips grew wildly and freely like weeds, while the other half, although not fully grown, were sprouting robustly.

A hundred percent germination rate.

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

Lu Yinghuai had noticed these sprouting plants a few days earlier. Curiously, until Summer had uprooted them, the panther didn’t seem to detect any difference, showing no interest whatsoever.

Thus, Lu Yinghuai didn't think much of it.

However, Lu Jiuzhu's condition is the most severe among the currently dormant individuals. Before her dormancy, her spiritual strength was on the brink of reaching the SS tier. Perhaps it was her survival instinct that drew her immediately to the spiritual energy that Summer left in the flower pot, or maybe it was a combination of Summer's spiritual energy and the effects of the catnip emitting a particular aura.

After much contemplation, Lu Yinghuai shared his findings and speculations with Summer.

However, even Summer herself couldn't quite decipher this enigma.

"Shall we give it another try?" Summer suggested softly.

It's clear that the large cats shouldn't consume it, but a mere sniff should be harmless, right?

Lu Yinghuai pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let's try."

A few minutes later.

Summer held the catnip, circling it in front of both the young tiger and the White Tiger.

The panther, however, kept its distance, avoiding the scent.

The results of the experiment were quite surprising.

As expected, the White Tiger was fond of the catnip, but the cub, Spicy Stick, didn't show much enthusiasm.

Summer looked at the young tiger with a contemplative gaze.

Lu Yinghuai: "What's on your mind?"

"I was just thinking..."

Summer touched her chin, lost in thought.

"The White Tiger seems quite taken with the catnip. What if we used a catnip infusion for Spicy Stick's bath..."

The previously disinterested young tiger suddenly widened its eyes, the amber pupils shining brilliantly.

Author's note:

Spicy Stick: Bathe me, now!