11. Five Connections

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Under the moonlight.

Though the old cat bled from an arrow wound, he still carried himself like a mighty general.

The toad in his jaws had its head bitten off.

His fierce vigor lasted only a few breaths before the old cat collapsed to the ground.

Zhao Jia hurried to help him.

As he drew near, he heard a sound.

A low gurgle.

Jailer Zhao Jia actually saw embarrassment on the black cat’s face.

He was hungry.

Back at the grocery shop, he could rely on the food stored in the refrigerator, but ever since arriving in this world, he hadn’t managed a proper meal in half a day.

The “cat walk” was a great drain on his strength. After just a brief fight, Lu Xun had collapsed from his injuries and hunger.

Zhao Jia fumbled in his arms, pulling out half a flatbread, breaking it into pieces to feed to the black cat.

The black cat shook his head and refused.

“Meow.”

Lu Xun, the black cat, stretched out a paw, pointed at the headless toad, then opened his mouth wide and indicated his empty throat.

“You want to eat this.”

Zhao Jia turned to the toad, as big as a millstone, unsure how to proceed.

He pointed his broadsword and shouted, “Bring a pot!”

“We have a pot, we have a pot!” Guangfa hurried to the first cellar to fetch an iron pot.

The cellar, used for storing grain and produce, naturally held some old kitchenware.

They set up the pot.

Built a fire.

Guanglue was not idle either, drawing water from the well with a bucket.

Zhao Jia tossed the toad onto a thick wooden table and cleaned his long knife with well water.

He skinned it.

Following the joints, he cut the great toad into pieces.

Zhao Jia was about to throw all the pieces into the boiling pot.

“Wait.”

Zhao Jia’s wife, Wang Ruo, stopped him.

“Cleaver.”

“Yes, yes, right away.” Guangfa dared not protest at all.

Zhao Jia was a renowned constable at the county office, skilled in martial arts, only unlucky in fate.

He had lost the position of chief constable to the magistrate’s brother-in-law, but the county magistrate, to appease this hardworking officer, had given him the jailer’s post.

And not to mention the black cat, who sat nearby licking its wounds—a genuine monster.

All Guangfa wanted was for these two lords to finish their meal and leave quickly.

“Scallion, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, star anise…”

“Dear, they don’t have these things. Monks don’t eat meat.”

“We do, we do!” Guanglue interjected.

Wang Ruo glared angrily at the two monks. “Don’t forget, dear, they’re flower monks.”

If Zhao Jia hadn’t arrived in time, her honor would have been lost here.

The two monks, reduced to servants, ran back and forth between the two cellars.

Wang Ruo, cleaver in hand, deftly sliced the ginger.

She cut the scallion into sections and minced the garlic.

Husband and wife worked side by side.

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Zhao Jia dug out the toad’s entrails and went to the well to rinse the meat.

Wang Ruo set the prepared toad meat into the boiling pot, adding peppercorns, star anise, and other spices.

While it stewed, she didn’t idle—she prepared four dishes and a soup in succession.

After rolling down her sleeves and wiping her brow, Wang Ruo saw her husband tending to the black cat’s wounds.

The water-arrow wound looked terrifying, though it was only superficial.

Zhao Jia carefully applied medicine as he comforted the cat. “Brother Cat, this is a family secret for wounds—won’t even leave a scar, I promise.”

Wang Ruo, drying her hands, couldn’t help but say, “But it will hurt a bit.”

Zhao Jia replied solemnly, “It doesn’t hurt, not at all.”

“Hiss!”

The medicine’s sting made Lu Xun suck in a cold breath.

After a while.

Pain was nothing compared to hunger.

Lu Xun leapt onto a sturdy bench, narrowed his eyes at the big pot, his ears twitching with the flames.

In less than half an hour, the pot began to emit a mouth-watering aroma.

“Is it tender yet?” Zhao Jia voiced the question for the black cat.

Wang Ruo, experienced, replied, “To stew it to a pulp would take a whole afternoon over high heat, but it should be cooked through.”

“Let’s serve it up.”

Zhao Jia ladled two pieces of meat and some spiced broth into large bowls.

“Brother Cat, don’t rush.”

He turned slightly to the two monks. “Taste it.”

Guanglue and Guangfa exchanged a glance, each seeing the same sentiment in the other’s eyes.

Woe!

Guangfa, trembling, pressed his palms together. “Amitabha… I am a monk and cannot touch meat.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right,” Guanglue echoed.

“I’m not asking,” Zhao Jia said, placing the bowls on the table and gripping his long knife.

His iron-hard expression returned. “Eat the toad meat. If you’re fine, I’ll spare your lives. If you don’t eat, I’ll chop you both up right now!”

Clang.

He drew his blade an inch.

“We’ll eat.”

“We’ll eat meat!”

The two monks each took a bowl and picked up their chopsticks.

Resolute, they stuffed the toad meat into their mouths.

Lu Xun watched quietly for a while.

The toad’s venom wasn’t potent—he’d felt it when he bit down.

Later, Zhao Jia had skinned and gutted it, leaving only the white flesh to boil. After all this time, any remaining poison would have been destroyed by the boiling water. The venom was just protein—denatured by heat, it lost its potency.

Better safe than sorry.

Having the monks taste it first was wise.

“Brother Cat.”

Seeing no sign of poisoning, Zhao Jia relaxed and served Lu Xun some toad meat, picking out the legs for their chewiness and ease of eating.

Zhao Jia then served the four dishes and one soup he’d made. “Here, my dear, let’s eat this.”

The black cat was a monster to begin with—eating raw monsters probably wouldn’t harm him.

But they themselves were not so fortunate.

The four humans and the cat enjoyed a fine meal in the moonlit cellar.

The two monks ate three bowls each before stopping.

The toad meat was crystal clear, its flavor exceptional with the spices.

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Lu Xun, too, ate his fill until he was round and plump.

The cat’s nature made Lu Xun sleepy after a meal; he flicked his ears with a furry paw and yawned widely.

Satisfied and replete, Zhao Jia took out a small notebook, found a brush from his breast, wetted the dried black wolf hair with well water, and prepared to write.

He opened a fresh page and said, “I’ll ask, you’ll answer.”

“Constable Zhao, spare us!” the two monks pleaded, dropping to their knees.

Guangfa and Guanglue kowtowed, begging for mercy. “Everyone knows this is a Six Doors arrest case—once you’re listed, you face prison and trial.”

Clack.

The sheathed broadsword landed on Guangfa’s shoulder.

The monk shivered with fear.

Blade or brush.

One must choose.

Monks are not fools.

Zhao Jia asked directly, “When did the toad demon appear in the temple?”

“About half a year ago…”

On one side, Zhao Jia interrogated the monks about the temple and the toad monster.

On the other, Lu Xun examined his newly acquired head.

He closed his eyes.

His consciousness entered a strange space.

Lu Xun immediately saw the severed head, motionless.

Black, smoky ink characters floated before him.

[The Head of ‘Toad Monk,’ a Five Tongued Spirit]

Type: Worm (Frog)

Quality: Ordinary

Spell: Water Arrow (Beginner Level)

Annotation: In the southern mountains there is a beast resembling a frog, named Toad. Its back is mottled blue, its belly white-striped, its voice like thunder, and when it calls, rain falls.

[Devour the head of the ‘Toad Monk,’ a Five Tongued Spirit?]

“No.”

It was a peculiar sensation.

It seemed that with a single thought he could don the Toad Monk’s head.

But not wishing to shock everyone, he refrained for now.

Snap.

Zhao Jia closed his notebook and sheathed his broadsword at his waist.

“I’ll report everything truthfully.”

“Don’t think of running. A monk can escape, but the temple can’t run.”

The county office kept a register of all residents. Even with monk certificates, wandering about would still bring trouble.

“Keep your mouths shut. Don’t speak of what you shouldn’t!”

“Understand?”

“We understand!” The two monks kowtowed, their heads knocking rapidly.

“My dear, let’s go.”

Zhao Jia took a step, then turned back. “Thank you for your help, Brother Cat. Why not come with us?”

The black cat rose, golden eyes meeting Zhao Jia’s.

He’d originally planned to follow Zhao Jia for convenience, but unexpectedly had obtained one of the Five Tongued Spirits’ heads.

Unfamiliar with this world, Lu Xun thought a moment, then followed them out.