Chapter 8

Chapter 8

With the mischievous weasel no longer causing nocturnal disturbances, Chen Ji awoke the next day feeling utterly refreshed. After all, as an ordinary person, he harbored a healthy fear of such supernatural antics.

"Xiao Chen, heading out today?" Uncle Liu, already at work, greeted Chen Ji as he emerged.

Chen Ji nodded. Today, he was clad in a black windbreaker and matching windproof trousers, which accentuated his tall and slender physique. However, it wasn't the dashing Chen Ji who captured everyone's attention, but the even more impressively outfitted System Cat.

The rotund System Cat sported a matching windproof vest, a tactical knife tucked into its belt, and a pair of cool black wind-resistant goggles, standing regally on Chen Ji's shoulder. Uncle Liu stared for a moment before remarking, "Looks a bit like invading soldiers entering the village."

Indeed, System Cat's distinctive mustache was simply too eye-catching to ignore.

System Cat: "…Chen Ji, don't hold me back! I'm going to beat him up!"

Chen Ji quickly grabbed System Cat's hind legs, which were already poised to spring, and scooped it into his arms. Uncle Liu was startled: "Whoa, what's wrong? Why is it suddenly trying to scratch someone?"

Chen Ji chuckled, "It probably got angry hearing you call it an invading soldier."

Uncle Liu looked surprised. "This cat understands human speech?"

"It's incredibly smart," Chen Ji said, ruffling the cat's head. He then asked Uncle Liu about finding natural pigments. Uncle Liu, puzzled, asked, "What do you need those for?"

"Just thinking of painting some designs for the temple," Chen Ji replied casually.

Seeing Chen Ji's cheerful demeanor, Uncle Liu inexplicably refrained from suggesting, "Why not just buy some paints from the convenience store?" He pondered for a moment, then pointed towards the back mountain. "Head over there, cross the mountain peak and go south. There are a few mulberry trees there, and I remember some wild violets too. That area gets the most sunlight—everything grows there. Look carefully, and you'll definitely find some!"

"Great, thanks, Uncle." With that, Chen Ji set off with a bamboo basket on his back. System Cat was tucked inside the basket, which also contained a sickle, rope, and some food and drinks. Although Chen Ji had often played in these mountains as a child, that was twenty years ago. Nowadays, he wouldn't dare venture into the wilderness unprepared.

System Cat rested its front paws on Chen Ji's shoulders, still holding a grudge as it shot a venomous glare at Uncle Liu. Uncle Liu felt a shiver down his spine—once a thought takes root, fear only intensifies. He quickly moved into the bright sunlight, feeling somewhat relieved.

Chen Ji squeezed System Cat's thick paw pads. "Alright, make yourself lighter, or I won’t be able to carry you."

"Oh~" System Cat promptly leaped out of the basket and walked alongside Chen Ji. Though plump, it was an agile feline, navigating the mountain terrain with surprising grace, even more so than Chen Ji.

The Mountain Lord Temple was already situated near the mountain peak, and beyond that, there was no proper path. Chen Ji walked at a measured pace, recalling a narrow goat trail that villagers used to ascend the mountain, though he couldn't pinpoint its exact location. He searched as he went.

Suddenly, System Cat's serious voice echoed in his mind: "Thirty meters ahead, turn right."

"Thirty meters? Are you sure?" Chen Ji walked a short distance, only to find a dense, verdant forest with no discernible path. System Cat nodded earnestly: "Yes, right here, turn right!"

Chen Ji hesitated but decided to trust System Cat this once. He pulled out the sickle from his basket to clear a path, hacking through branches to reveal thick wild grass underfoot. He paused. "Is this even passable?"

System Cat leaped down without hesitation: "Of course… Ahhhhh—!"

Chen Ji looked at the path System Cat had just flattened, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on his face. "Are you sure this is the way to the mountain peak?"

System Cat nodded with difficulty. "I accessed a map database from around here. It indicates that people have walked here before. This map has excellent reviews—everyone says if it shows a path, you can definitely reach your destination."

Chen Ji instantly understood what kind of map it was. He remembered the small path was indeed somewhere nearby and figured he could always adjust the route later. He slid down after System Cat. Being prepared, he didn't rely solely on his backside to descend like System Cat had. Whether his posture was graceful or not was beside the point—simply staying upright was an achievement.

Once on level ground, Chen Ji picked up System Cat, patiently brushing off the grass clinging to its fur, then tucked it back into the basket. He also unwrapped a cat treat to soothe its wounded little heart.

This time, System Cat remained unusually quiet and well-behaved, happily licking the cat treat without any mention of walking on its own. Chen Ji smiled softly and continued deeper into the forest with the basket on his back.

The deeper they ventured into the forest, the colder it became. The bright sunlight was largely obscured by the dense canopy, and the ground, covered with fallen leaves and wild grass, grew increasingly slippery. Everything around them felt damp, as if a recent rain had passed through.

Chen Ji, well-prepared, maintained a steady gait. System Cat comfortably shifted positions in the basket, its hind legs draped gracefully over the edge like a drunken imperial concubine. Just as it was about to doze off from the gentle swaying, it heard Chen Ji ask, "Want some mushrooms?"

System Cat perked up instantly, its words outpacing its thoughts: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Chen Ji used his hiking pole to brush aside a pile of dead leaves in front of a fallen tree, revealing a cluster of mushrooms. Though born from decay, these mushrooms were remarkably clean and vibrant, with bright red caps and snow-white stems. System Cat swallowed hard. "Are you sure these are edible?"

Chen Ji was already bending down to pick them. "Yes, these are red mushrooms."

Chen Ji thought he might be rusty after so many years without picking mushrooms, but it turned out this skill was ingrained in his DNA. The moment his hand touched the mushrooms, he could gauge the depth of their stems. He dug into the soil twice with the sickle, then pried upward, lifting three connected red mushrooms intact without any damage.

Chen Ji set the basket down and quickly assembled a makeshift stove using a simple tin foil box and solid fuel. He poured in an oil packet, sliced the mushrooms, and began frying them. Instantly, a unique aroma filled the air.

The entire process took less than three minutes.

The smell was indescribable—just pure, complex fragrance, a blend of fresh greenery and rich mushroom scent. It was so enticing that System Cat's central processor felt dizzy with delight.

"Wow… so fragrant! How can it be this fragrant!" System Cat inhaled deeply over the pan, its face full of bliss. Chen Ji chuckled and rubbed its head, then picked up a piece of golden-brown mushroom, blew on it, and popped it into his mouth. System Cat: "…?! You've changed! You didn't give me the first piece?!"

"Just testing if it's cooked," Chen Ji said, eating and blowing on the mushroom. The moment the mushroom entered his mouth, its aroma shot straight to the top of his head. He savored it with closed eyes, then placed the remaining mushrooms on a clean paper plate. "There should be more around. Wait for them to cool down before eating."

System Cat's eyes sparkled as it nodded eagerly. "Okay, okay, hurry up and go!"

Chen Ji took the sickle and hiking pole to search nearby. Sure enough, after just a few steps, he heard System Cat yowling. Turning back, he saw the cat’s eyes watering from the heat. When it noticed him looking, it gave him a thumbs-up with its paw.

Chen Ji laughed. Just as he turned back, he noticed an unnatural bulge in a pile of dead leaves nearby. Brushing it aside, he found another freshly opened red mushroom, exceptionally plump with a cap larger than his palm. He collected it and continued searching.

Another bulge in the leaves—Chen Ji uncovered it and happily found two red mushrooms. Yet another bulge—one red mushroom. Then another bulge—Chen Ji tried to brush it aside but couldn’t move it. He tried again and realized it was a coiled sharp-scaled pit viper.

The viper’s pattern closely resembled dead leaves, and its venom had an extremely high fatality rate. A bite in the deep mountains was practically a death sentence. Most importantly, this snake was notoriously sneaky—while other snakes would flee at the sound of movement, this one stayed still, waiting to strike unexpectedly… By the way, it also had a nickname: the "five-step snake."

Chen Ji and the five-step snake stared at each other. The snake raised its head high, its cold, reptilian eyes fixed on Chen Ji. Chen Ji smirked, then raised his walking stick… and covered the snake completely with dead leaves.

Well, he had gathered enough mushrooms anyway, and the solid fuel had burned out. He turned and hurried back, tossed the mushrooms into the basket, scooped up the cat, and left.

It was, after all, a nationally protected species—no need to kill it unnecessarily. He ran off, doubting the five-step snake could possibly pursue him. Flicking it away wouldn’t help either, since it would still be in the forest. If the snake wouldn’t leave, he would.

System Cat wanted to ask why they weren’t eating, but Chen Ji said, "There’s more delicious food ahead."

System Cat immediately fell silent. It thought about returning to the basket but saw it was full of delicious red mushrooms. Sitting on them would ruin everything, so it retreated into Chen Ji’s mind, keeping watch and guiding him—while also scanning for more mushroom patches.

***

Not long after they left, the five-step snake slowly emerged from the pile of leaves. The spot where System Cat and Chen Ji had been was unusually warm. It slithered over to where they had stood, coiling its arm-thick body, and curiously examined what, in its eyes, was clearly visible.

A dark red tongue flicked out from its deadly mouth, lightly brushing over… the still-warm makeshift tin foil pan.

The next second, the tongue retracted sharply. The five-step snake’s large head seemed filled with question marks.

What is this?

A human?

Such a tiny human.

Let me try again!

…Hiss.

Is it food?

…Hiss!

The residual mushroom oil on the tin foil stuck to the snake’s tongue. It tilted its head, realizing that although this thing was small and painful, it was delicious.

…

Well, snakes have poor eyesight—most rely on heat sensing.