Chapter 44: The Language of Cats

The person standing at the Li family’s doorstep—I knew her. In fact, I didn’t just know her; we had a grudge between us…

That woman… isn’t she my old nemesis, Zhao Shuihe?!

What was she doing here?!

In the darkness of night, Zhao Shuihe appeared as usual—wearing tight denim shorts, a white top, her figure curvaceous and well-defined, her ponytail neat and efficient, and a pale pink lotus-patterned cloth bag slung across her shoulder, which only highlighted her pure and radiant beauty.

She looked the same as always, except for one difference from the daytime: the string of “Five Emperor Coins” that usually hung from her bag was now clutched tightly in her hand.

Seeing her appear, the hope that had been quietly rising in my heart instantly transformed into utter despair.

If I, a grown man, couldn’t face off against this “invincible” gang of cats, what could this young girl possibly do? Add more food for the cats?

In my despair, I shouted to him, “Run! Don’t get involved in this mess!”

Hearing my words, Zhao Shuihe shot me a contemptuous glance, then turned to command me instead, “Shut up! Watch over this for me!”

She ignored me afterward, stepping forward resolutely, unhesitatingly walking into the “phalanx” of cats.

Then, what happened next left me dumbfounded.

The cats, who had been hissing and threatening incessantly, suddenly fell silent as Zhao Shuihe stepped among them.

As if greeting an old friend or their master, the cats obediently crouched on the ground, even parting to make way for her.

With every step she took, the cats retreated a few paces, clearing enough space for Zhao Shuihe to move steadily toward me.

The tacit understanding between her and the cats was astonishing.

I even found myself wondering… could these feral cats all be her trained underlings?!

I dared not imagine it.

I hadn’t interacted much with Zhao Shuihe, but the impression she left was deep.

She was vengeful and fierce, but I didn’t think she would go to such lengths just to get back at me.

More importantly, she still wanted me to call her “Madame,” didn’t she? If the King of Ming Deng slit my throat, how could I still call her that?

Lost in thought, Zhao Shuihe’s footsteps fell steadily, and soon she stood before the King of Ming Deng and me.

In the early nightfall, her expression was equally serious, seeming to lack confidence. Yet even so, she bit her lip lightly and lowered her gaze to meet the eyes of the black-furred, white-foreheaded King of Ming Deng.

Then, Zhao Shuihe tossed the string of “Five Emperor Coins” in front of him.

The moment the coins hit the ground, the King of Ming Deng let out a sharp hiss and swiftly backed away several steps as if avoiding a plague. But then he returned, lowering his head to scrutinize the string of five copper coins tied with red thread.

From the king’s reaction, it was clear he was greatly wary of the object.

The beast held its breath, focusing intently on the coins. After a moment, it suddenly meowed at me, then reluctantly glanced back at Zhao Shuihe.

Seeing the old cat’s hesitant attitude, Zhao Shuihe’s face tensed further as she extended a sharp finger.

Pointing at me, she commanded the beast, “Release him!”

Her words stunned me.

Zhao Shuihe… was actually speaking to a cat?

As if responding, the King of Ming Deng let out a few dissatisfied meows, then lowered his head again, carefully inspecting the seemingly ordinary string of coins.

It held its breath, cautiously examining the currency.

Watching the beast’s careful demeanor, I suddenly felt… it was like an old woman suspicious of counterfeit money. It was almost as if it was negotiating some kind of deal with Zhao Shuihe.

Seeing the “negotiation” between Zhao Shuihe and the King of Ming Deng, I couldn’t help but feel curious.

What secret did this string of five small copper coins hold that made the “King of Cats” so wary?

Unconsciously, I furrowed my brow and, imitating the king, began to study the string of “Five Emperor Coins” closely, recalling some information I’d heard about them.

I had actually encountered these coins before, because Wang Hou once had a similar string as a talisman for safety. It was said that his ex-girlfriend had given it to him.

When Wang Hou received the gift, he was ecstatic, as if energized by some secret power. For a long time, he boasted to me over and over about how amazing it was—so much so that my ears grew calloused from hearing it, like a kind of hypnosis.

Because of him, I was forced to remember a few lines about the origin and history of the Five Emperor Coins and learned that they were copper coin amulets.

Typically, “Five Emperor Coins” were made from ancient copper coins, ideally five “Tongbao” coins bearing the reign titles of different emperors, tied together with red thread. They were aesthetically pleasing and simply made, reputed to ward off evil spirits and repel villains.

The reason these coins were considered so powerful was that people believed copper coins, as tools of trade passed through countless hands, absorbed the “yang energy” of the living world. Moreover, the imperial reign titles imprinted on the coins carried the “authority of the emperor,” which could “subdue evil.”

Having five coins combined was said to align with the five elements, symbolizing wealth, human power, and authority—all in one. The symbolism was auspicious, and thus the coins were credited with extraordinary powers: exorcising ghosts, warding off evil, attracting fortune and treasure.

In short, in the merchants’ sales pitch, these coins became essential talismans for home protection, travel safety, and even ghost hunting and demon subjugation.

Honestly, I didn’t believe any of it. After Wang Hou got that talisman, he didn’t get lucky at all. His girlfriend left him, he lost a lot of money, and eventually lost the amulet along with a hundred yuan someone stole from him.

Wang Hou had already “tested the law” himself; how could I continue to believe such nonsense?

So, I didn’t place much hope in Zhao Shuihe’s actions. In fact, I genuinely worried for the young lady.

If she angered the King of Ming Deng, her fate would be far worse than mine.

A pretty girl like her could easily be clawed to disfigurement by those cats—it was a pity just to think about it.

Yet, compared to my anxiety, Zhao Shuihe remained calm. Although serious, she didn’t show any fear.

After studying the coins, the King of Ming Deng finally took further action.

It turned and shouted at the wild cats pressing against me.

Immediately, all the cats jumped away from my body.

In an instant… I was free again.

The sudden turn of events was so dramatic that I didn’t react immediately, lying on the ground, bewildered as I watched the cats scatter.

What did this mean? Was I… spared?

While I was still confused, Zhao Shuihe approached, kicked my shoulder lightly with her sneaker, and said, “Get up!”

Startled, I rose to my feet as she instructed, about to speak, but she raised a hand to stop me.

“Go outside first! Don’t look back while you walk.”

I nodded.

Then Zhao Shuihe took my hand, picked up the “Five Emperor Coins” from the ground, and steadily, unhurriedly, walked toward the door.

Behind us, the King of Ming Deng’s hoarse calls echoed into the night.