Chapter 332: Big Cat

Chapter 332 The Big Cat

After finishing the stitches, Lu Liu put away the needle and thread back into the box and grabbed a sedative.

Like a proper villain, he lifted the sweat-drenched chin of the sentinel, locking onto those defiant golden-brown eyes. "How’s that? Hurts, huh?"

Qi Yi, his voice hoarse from lack of water, still managed to let out a scoffing laugh. "Is that all? Not even close."

Hearing this, Lu Liu was so touched he almost teared up.

—Thank god! Finally, someone followed the script!

If everyone were like Ji Xiuyun, how was he supposed to keep up?

Lu Liu immediately responded, "If you’re gonna be this stubborn, I’ll just have to continue." His tone remained icy, completely emotionless.

Then, he yanked the sentinel’s head back, exposing his neck, and injected the sedative.

The sentinel’s consciousness blurred, and he blacked out.

Once those golden-brown eyes closed, Lu Liu quietly exhaled in relief. He tossed the "evidence" aside, muttering a few "my bad, my bad"s under his breath, before cupping the sentinel’s forehead and leaning in again.

He slipped back into the sentinel’s Spirit Sea.

Over the past few days, to kick back and watch movies, Lu Liu had gradually added a rocking chair, cushions, a fruit platter, and a floor lamp. Yesterday, he even laid down a shag carpet, so the guide could go barefoot.

Every piece of furniture was handpicked—the best he’d seen across multiple worlds. He adjusted the materials and colors to his aesthetic taste before arranging them together.

Thus, within the sentinel’s dark Spirit Sea, there was now a brightly lit space, warm and welcoming.

With a practiced snap of his fingers, Lu Liu summoned fried chicken, soda, and popcorn on the coffee table before stepping barefoot onto the carpet.

But as he picked up a piece of popcorn and glanced down, something seemed off.

The shag carpet bore a series of messy, oddly shaped footprints, like enlarged cat paws.

The footprints stopped abruptly in front of the coffee table, with two missing, as if something had lifted itself up and clawed at the table. Then, Lu Liu noticed that the trash he’d left on the table had been disturbed—its arrangement different from yesterday.

"...?"

Who else had been in the sentinel’s Spirit Sea besides him?

Lu Liu thought, "Weird."

Though the situation was odd, his main task today was to play a terrible movie in the sentinel’s Spirit Sea, so he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he browsed the video library and selected another melodramatic teen romance.

Another story of young love and heartbreak in the bloom of youth. Lu Liu propped his chin on one hand while using a small knife to cut the fried chicken on the table, eating it with a silver fork.

A simple piece of fried chicken was somehow turned into some fancy high-society tea-time snack.

—Not that he insisted on being this refined. It was purely because of the Facial Paralysis System, which kept his mouth from opening wide, forcing him to eat in small, delicate bites.

The chicken, coated in flour and fried to a golden crisp, revealed tender white meat when sliced, juices flowing down the knife and filling the entire Spirit Sea with the rich aroma of meat.

Hidden in the darkness, the cheetah dug impatiently at the ground.

It peeked out from behind, eyes locked intently on Lu Liu and the fried chicken in his hands.

What is that strange human doing?

As Qi Yi's Spirit, although the White Tower had severed its connection to its master with a restraint collar, the cheetah still inherited its master's feelings. It clearly knew this person was bad news—likely here to harm it.

But for several days, the Guide had done nothing. Instead, he left behind a lot of food. Some tasted weird, making the cheetah suspect the Guide was trying to poison it, but most of it was delicious.

Besides...

The cheetah cocked its head. Besides, just now, this person seemed to be tending to its wounds and even brought something that smelled incredibly tasty!

Based on past experience, the Guide would probably leave half the fried chicken for it this time too!

It continued lying in the shadows, waiting obediently.

But after a long time—so long that the fried chicken was almost gone—the Guide showed no sign of leaving.

This teen romance movie was exceptionally lengthy, depicting a messy love square where the four characters loved each other in every possible combination. Every time they swapped partners, Lu Liu would cut a large piece of fried chicken. As a result, the movie wasn’t even over, yet the fried chicken was nearly gone.

The cheetah kneaded its paws impatiently again.

Just then, as the plot entered the buildup before the climax, Lu Liu stood up to stretch, stiff from sitting too long.

"Awoo?"

The cheetah clearly took this as a sign that the Guide was about to leave. It slipped out from the darkness, ready to leap out and pounce on the last few pieces of fried chicken—

Then, it found itself staring straight at the Guide, who had turned around.

"..."

"Awoo?" The cheetah's hackles rose as it backpedaled hastily, then turned and bolted into the darkness. Only when it was far enough away did it stop and peek back to see what the Guide would do.

Lu Liu was still under the effects of the Facial Paralysis System. Even though he was so startled he nearly dropped his fried chicken, his expression remained cold and detached. His frosty, unreadable stare fixed on the cheetah as if it could pierce straight through the shadows.

"..."

The cheetah's tail bristled, each hair standing on end, before it booked it even faster.

Lu Liu tilted his head in thought. "Are you Qi Yi's Spirit?"

Qi Yi's Spirit was a ferocious cheetah.

Cheetah: "Awoo."

Lu Liu was no longer afraid.

Right now, he was a Guide, and Qi Yi was a Sentinel whose Spirit Sea was collapsing. In the spiritual realm, Sentinels were never a match for Guides.

In other words, if Lu Liu wanted, he could make this cheetah as docile as a kitten.

Besides, it was a very cute cheetah.

Its ears were two tiny semicircles, and its chin was framed by downy-soft fur—undoubtedly pleasant to pet. Not to mention the fluffy tail flicking back and forth behind it.

Many of Lu Liu’s hosts had kept cats, and Bai Yu even had his own exclusive aristocratic kitten. But the Facial Paralysis System had no hands—it could only look, not touch—which had left him itching to pet it.

Lu Liu: "Do you want the fried chicken? Then come here."

This was his first time seeing a Spirit, and he was a little curious.

"......"

In the darkness, the leopard shrank its neck, tucking its head between its front paws and wrapping itself with its tail.

So scary! Terrifying!

This person in front of him was terrifyingly strong!

In the Spirit Sea, if he wanted to attack the leopard, the leopard could only lie down and take it!

No way was the leopard going over there!

The cold-faced guide raised the fried chicken box in his hand: "Really not coming over?"

Lu Liu felt a bit regretful and thought to himself, "Forget it."

He sat back on the sofa and continued watching the movie. The progress bar was almost done.

And the fried chicken only had a few pieces left!

The leopard got up and quietly approached.

One step, two steps—it moved silently, sneaking up behind Lu Liu.

Lu Liu was using a small knife to cut the last piece of chicken when he suddenly reached out and patted the cushion beside him, tilting his head: "Coming?"

The leopard: "Yowl!"

It jumped three feet in the air again, retreating with a backstep.

Lu Liu looked at it: "The Spirit Sea is my territory. Once I've noticed you, I can always sense where you are."

"......"

Lu Liu stabbed a piece of meat: "I won't hurt you. Here you go."

He had just recalled the plot—due to the White Tower's excessive abuse, Qi Yi had escaped in an extremely terrible condition. The mind-control collar had been on his neck for so long that even after being forcibly removed, the leopard couldn't re-establish a connection with its master. It wasn't until the very end of the story that this issue was perfectly resolved.

And coincidentally, the original host had died unusually early in the plot, long before the leopard and Qi Yi could establish their bond.

In other words, seizing the chance to pet the leopard now wouldn’t cause any problems at all!

Besides, this one looked so silly—so much cuter than its owner!

Seeing the leopard's wary gaze, Lu Liu set the fork down nearby: "Alright, want some?"

He sat back on the sofa, pulled a small blanket around himself, and rested his chin in his hand to watch TV.

The leopard tilted its head at him.

The white-haired guide's face was cold and dignified, his White Tower-specialized robe brushing the floor as he sat calmly on the sofa, his gaze devoid of any malice.

The leopard suddenly pounced, grabbing both the fried chicken and the fork.

"......"

Lu Liu: "Hey, at least give me back the fork?"

So the cheetah panted heavily back, carrying the fork in its mouth to the coffee table. Then, watching the Iceberg Beauty's face, it nudged the fork closer to his hand with its head, helpfully offering it.

Lu Liu cut another piece and placed it by the coffee table again.

"...Roar?"

You're giving this to me?

Lu Liu: "Who else would it be for? Go ahead and eat."

The chicken was juicy and exceptionally delicious. The leopard and Qi Yi had been running around, enduring hardships, eating coarse food every day, and had never tasted anything this good!

So the cheetah sidled back and took a bite of the meat.

The guide patiently placed another piece.

After feeding it seven or eight pieces like this, the cheetah gradually began to inch closer to Lu Liu.

It was starting to like the scent on Lu Liu.

As it got closer and closer, it paused awkwardly.

Sentinels and guides were naturally attracted to each other. Sentinels inherently craved the comfort of guides—a subconscious instinct unrelated to willpower.

Qi Yi's situation was particularly unique. His Spirit Sea was on the verge of collapse, making him especially in need of a guide. Though the sentinel forcibly suppressed this desire, desires never truly vanish. Like seeds buried in spring soil, they lie dormant before sprouting, eventually growing into an uncontrollable spring growth.

As a subconscious embodiment of the Spirit, the cheetah was naturally fond of guides.

Especially this guide in front of it—a double-S rank, so beautiful, with such a pleasant scent, and even feeding it delicious fried chicken.

The reason it had fought so hard against him in the past few days was because its master consciousness had repeatedly emphasized that this person was no good, that he was here to harm it. But the cheetah thought and thought, yet couldn't detect even a hint of hostility from the guide.

Besides, he had just treated its master's wounds—the leopard had felt it, that strange mix of pain and comfort.

So, its master must have misjudged him! Its master must have been wrong!

How could such a beautiful, sweet-smelling guide who fed it fried chicken be a bad person?!

Lu Liu: "Want some Coke? Fried chicken should always be paired with ice-cold Coke."

As he spoke, he slid over a glass of bubbling Coke.

The cheetah eyed the cup suspiciously, watching as a tiny bubble floated to the surface and popped.

"!"

That terrifying liquid!

Lu Liu: "Really don’t want any?"

He waved his hand and summoned another glass, inserting a straw before resting his chin on his hand and sipping the Coke.

"!"

Even the way the Iceberg Beauty drank Coke was cold and elegant!

The cheetah's jaw dropped. It stared wide-eyed as the guide drank the supposedly poisonous, pungent liquid without flinching.

"?"

The guide pushed the cup forward again: "Care to try?"

"..."

The cheetah's golden-brown eyes reflected the guide's face. Its eyes darted away nervously as its front paws gripped the edge of the coffee table, taking a hearty gulp.

"!"

With prior mental preparation, it wasn't startled this time.

The refreshing cola perfectly cut through the greasiness of the fried chicken, while the crispy aroma of the chicken enhanced the cola's drinkability. The two complemented each other, making the combo better than either alone. Moreover, the ice in the previous cup had melted, but this one was just the right temperature—perfect for drinking ice-cold cola.

The guide propped his chin on his hand: "Isn't it delicious?"

Cheetah: "Rawr."

No sooner had it spoken than it let out a fizzy burp.

The cheetah raised a paw shyly to cover its face, while its other eye kept watching Lu Liu's hand.

The previous portion was already finished, but with just a snap of Lu Liu's fingers, new fried chicken would appear. He had already done this several times, and the cheetah was eagerly waiting for him to do it again.

Lu Liu didn't disappoint—with a snap, another fried chicken appeared in his hand.

After all, inside the Spirit Sea of the sentinel, he could make as much as he wanted.

As for the issue of overusing his abilities, Lu Liu wasn't worried. The original owner died too young, so overuse wasn't going to be a problem yet.

So, under the cheetah's expectant gaze, the guide held the fried chicken and said quietly, "Want more?"

Cheetah: "Rawr!"

It nodded eagerly.

Lu Liu: "Sure, but on one condition."

"Rawr?"

Under the cheetah's suspicious stare, Lu Liu said calmly: "Give me your tail—let me pet it."

"Rawr?!"