The Inscrutable Cat

  Ameng was a child who had never been on a long journey, and he didn't even know what to do with himself. The old madman actually told him to bring along a cat! Cats aren't like dogs that listen to people's words, nor can they be taken away just because you want to. He asked somewhat awkwardly: "Why did you let me bring Schr?dinger? Can it follow me?"

  The old madman's next words gave Amun another shock——

  "Xue Dingyuan has been here with me for thirty years, except for the information spell sealed on it by Bell, I've never heard it call out, and its appearance hasn't changed one bit. I even think it's impossible to hug it. But it didn't leave, staying in Duke Town all along, and suddenly followed me just now, perhaps waiting for today. Ahmon, this is no ordinary cat, Xue Dingyuan may become your guide, its origins are extraordinary, I haven't told you yet."

  "Where did it come from? Is there anything else you haven't told me?" The cat was simply unbelievable, to say the least. Just the fact that it hadn't changed in thirty years and had never made a sound was already far beyond what ordinary people could understand.

  The old madman didn't answer, but instead asked another question: "Do you know where you're going?"

  Amon looked at the two certificates he had just received and said, "Isn't this the Empire of Egu? This should be what you asked the mayor to give me. With it, I can cross the desert to Egu."

  The old madman shook his head: "No, that's just for your future preparation. I let the town mayor announce that decree in public, not entirely as an excuse. I really want you to find out what happened to Belle. Think carefully, who is most likely to find where Belle last appeared?"

  "Of course it's Schr?dinger! But after all these years, you couldn't get it to take you there either. Maybe it's already forgotten... Is there anything else you want to tell me that you haven't told me? Now's the time, please say everything at once."

  The old madman also looked at Xue Dingyan: "Then I'll tell you everything. When Bell left the Isis Temple, he not only took away the Holy Maiden Congming and the Tears of the Gods, but according to the secret information I've gathered over the years, he also stole a sacred object and a cat. The Isis Temple had secretly ordered that these two things be recovered, and only the high-ranking priests of Egypt knew about it.

  It's normal to secretly retrieve the sacred object, and the Isis Temple wouldn't want news of the lost sacred object to be made public either. But what's the point of finding a cat? And why did Bell take away a cat? There must be some profound mystery worth investigating here. Although Bell didn't tell me, I'm guessing that cat was Schr?dinger. However, for thirty years, I've never solved this riddle, and Schr?dinger has always ignored me.

  To be honest, I've tried many times over the years to find out what happened to Bell through Xue Dingshui, but I never succeeded. It seems that this cat likes you more, and seeing you holding it is one of the most surprising things I've seen in thirty years.

  You should cultivate the second-level divine technique next, and the trial you will face is 'firm belief'. The secret of the gods I only explored to this point. Child, this road is very difficult, and I didn't let you call me teacher also because of this point, the path you are going to take is not one that I can guide you on.

  "Bell apparently knew more, finding Bell's whereabouts is the first step to unraveling the mystery of the gods. As for what lies ahead, he must have left a message! Leave Duketown and go find Bell, bring this Xue Dingyuan and you might succeed. Don't be afraid, with your current accomplishments, traveling through the deep mountains and dealing with ordinary beasts or cave-dwelling savages is no problem, I also hope that in the future you won't regret it."

  The old madman said a long speech and patted Amun's shoulder. Amun lowered his head and said, "I'm not afraid, nor do I regret."

  The old madman let out a long sigh of relief: "Kid, I was right about you after all. Now try to see if you can take away Xue Dingyuan. If you can take it away, there's hope of finding out where Belle is."

  How to bring? The old madman stood aside, Ah Meng walked a few steps forward and called back: "Kitty, kitty, come with me... Xue Dingyan! Come with me... Good kitty, let's go."

  Amon called for half a day, Xue Dingyuan also reasoned with him, but he just turned around and squatted down again, his attitude seemed very arrogant, stretching out one of his front paws to point at Amon, like a noble calling for a servant to support him. This dirty, lazy, greedy, and fat cat is still not small.

  Amon was stunned, walked over and picked up Xue Dingyuan. Xue Dingyuan yawned and then curled up and fell asleep! The old madman also had a bitter smile on his face, quietly pointing to the large leather bag slung across Amon's shoulder. Even if they were crossing mountains and rivers, they couldn't carry a cat around, so Amon gently put Xue Dingyuan into the bag, where there was just enough space for it, with an opening at the top that wouldn't suffocate the cat.

  "Amon, I have one last thing to say, please remember it and do as I say. Don't rush to find out about Bell's whereabouts for now, from here head east, no matter how difficult the journey is, don't look back, after three days, look around you, then climb to the highest peak in sight, and only go upwards."

  When the third layer of clouds is under your feet, find a place to practice magic well, most importantly water element magic and air element magic. You can borrow the help of Azure Water Heart and Wind Charm Dance, embed them into the staff, and then embed two other standard magic stones together for use.

  You have mastered the lower-level water elemental magic with great proficiency, and with Wind Charm Dance, learning air elemental magic is not difficult. However, most mages are often proud of the power of their magic, but forget that compared to the elemental forces in nature, their own magical powers are incredibly small.

  So when you practice these two magical techniques, don't pursue how high the level is for now, but pay attention to how to resist, utilize and protect yourself in front of the natural elements. If you can control a drop of water, you should learn how to make this drop of water not be scattered in the river. Once you master these skills, you are already an excellent magician, and the Double Extreme Body Technique will also reach its peak.

  Whether you have achieved this or not, do not leave the top of the mountain for the time being. Pay attention to the western horizon. When dark clouds gather and do not disperse, find a place to hide and avoid being struck by thunder from above. Wait until the gathering clouds disperse and the thunder stops, then take Xue Dingyuan to find out what happened to Belle.

  "These are things you must remember!"

  The old madman's last words seemed to come from mid-air, and Ah Meng was shocked to look up, only to see that the old madman had already floated away, his figure brushing against the treetops like a huge strange bird. After he disappeared, there was still a voice drifting in from who-knows-where: "Ah Meng, if you can't find Belle, slaughter that cat and eat it, everything will depend on yourself."

  ……

  Alone, Amun walked through the mountains and valleys, heading east. His feet had no road to follow, so he chose the best path he could find. In his left hand, he grasped the heavy iron staff, while in his right hand, he drew out the knife given to him by the town mayor, ready to cut through thorns and brambles. The terrain made it impossible to move quickly, with increasingly treacherous mountain slopes and complex landforms, and deeper gorges carved between towering peaks.

  If he didn't have superhuman strength and agility, it would be impossible to get very far here. In the dense jungle, you can occasionally see a faint path, which should be the trail left by the wild people who live in caves. Armon is not clear about his own abilities, so he doesn't want to provoke conflict and carefully avoids them.

  He soon understood why the old madman had taught him water element magic first. A person can go for several days without eating, but it's almost impossible to go a day without drinking water. By dusk, Amun found a dry crevice in the mountainside to rest, as it was impossible to continue walking on this mountain road after dark. He cleaned up his surroundings and lit a bonfire to prepare some food, only then realizing he had no water and hadn't brought a canteen.

  Water seems to be just a short distance away, down the mountain slope, and there is a faint sound of running water in the depths of the valley below. However, there is no way to get past it. Armon can't fly, so he can't float down to the deep valley stream to fetch water, and the airflow above the valley is very complex, not even birds dare to fly randomly. Fortunately, he can summon water elements, condensing the moisture in the air to quench his thirst, which is both convenient and clean.

  He wanted to take out the small pot and special beef jerky from his backpack, but as soon as he opened it, Xue Dingyuan let out a belch and lazily crawled out with a strong smell of wine. Ah Meng didn't bring water but brought a bottle of wine, which was specially given by his father. The merchants who transported to Du Ke Town were mostly good wines, the most ordinary ones needed at least one silver coin per bottle, while his father usually bought them by the barrel.

  And this bottle of wine was worth fifteen silver coins, stored in a beautiful copper bottle, which was the best wine in Ammon's house. - In fact, no matter where on the mainland, it is also a high-quality wine. Ammon found that the cork of the wine bottle had been opened at some point, and Xue Dingyuan drank the wine without leaving a single drop. With this cat, it was truly luxurious!

  Xue Dingyuan didn't show the slightest bit of shame, as if he didn't know that he had just drunk a wine worth fifteen silver coins in one gulp. Ah Mon couldn't bother to argue with a cat, so he cast a spell and conjured up a pot of pure water, putting the old madman's specially made beef jerky into it. The beef dissolved in the boiling water, emitting an enticing aroma, just like freshly cooked beef soup, even the flavor was well-adjusted.

  Ammon took out a spoon and scooped up some beef soup, blowing it cool before taking a sip. It was truly delicious! Only then did he realize that after walking on the mountain road for a day, although not very tired, he was indeed hungry. Just after drinking a few sips, suddenly Xue Dingran walked over with a swagger and sat down on the opposite side of the fire pit, lifting his front paw to point at the thicket to the left.

  Amun immediately sensed that there was movement on the other side, but Xue Dingyuan apparently discovered the anomaly earlier. Perhaps this is the instinct of a wild beast, but this cat doesn't look like a "wild" beast at all. However, its sensitivity to the environment is so keen that even Amun can't compare to it.

  Amun was very calm, although his heart was a little panicked and afraid, but he just quietly waved the "branch". A dense fog immediately rose, condensed into icy crystals flying into the woods, and soon heard some sounds tumbling over and knocking down several shrubs, fleeing quickly.

  Amon only saw a long tail swishing between the trees, it was a black-bellied python in the thicket, this stone seam might be its home, or it might have been attracted by the beef soup and bonfire. The python is most afraid of cold air, which will make its body stiff and slow-moving, and was scared away by a piece of bone-chilling ice crystal that Amon casually threw out.

  He had the azure water crystal inlaid on his staff, so Amun could cast his spells with such ease. He himself was also startled and thanked Xue Dingyuan with a lingering fear: "Thanks for reminding me!"

  The scene looked a bit comical, with a fat cat sitting there with an air of importance, while the person opposite was speaking to it in a serious tone. Ah Meng had also been silent for too long, and no one could talk to him. It's unknown whether Xue Dingyuan understood or not, but he pointed his paw forward again, his expression seemingly proud and slightly arrogant, clearly pointing at the pot of beef stew.

  If the cat could speak, its expression would clearly be saying in a commanding tone: "Hey, kiddo! Get me a bowl."

  Ammon almost burst out laughing, feeling not as scared as before. Although he knew that Xue Dingyuan was a magical cat, but the way it acted was just too comical. He couldn't help but want to laugh and waved the spoon in his hand at Xue Dingyuan: "I only have one spoon, wait until I'm full, and I'll give you the pot too."

  Xue Dingyuan's tail suddenly stood up, slapped the ground once, and seemed very dissatisfied. He twisted his body and walked away, slowly walking to the backpack and lying down beside it, panting with his eyes open, not sleeping at all.

  Amon's heart was very real, a pot of beef soup he only ate half of it, and when the remaining half pot had cooled down a bit, he brought it in front of Xue Dingyuan and said softly: "Kitty, are you hungry? Eat quickly!"

  Xue Dingyan turned his head and closed his eyes, not even wanting to look. Ah Mon saw that the cat wasn't eating and he himself wasn't full either, so this half pot of beef soup couldn't be wasted. He ate it all by himself. After finishing, he waved his staff, a transparent mist swept over, and then transformed into a murky mist flying out, and the pot was clean.

  Xue Dingyuan opened his eyes and glanced at him, seemingly a little surprised and somewhat mocking. If other mages saw Ah Mon perform such exquisite water element magic just to wash pots, they would be shocked and might even want to vomit blood. This was the kind of work that lowly servants did, how could a noble mage use sacred magic for this?

  Besides, divine magic isn't used like that, and it's wasted on such a boring thing in this treacherous environment!

  Xue Dingyuan didn't eat, and Ah Meng couldn't do anything about it. He brought over some dry soft grass and spread it out on the ground, sat down with his hands holding a fine iron branch, closed his eyes, and began to concentrate his mind and think about the air element magic that Old Crazy taught him. Just as he had finished thinking through the simplest air element incantation in his heart, before he could even try it out, he heard a meow filled with anger.

  This was Xue Dingyuan's voice, the thirty-year-old cat that never meowed suddenly meowed today, and its voice sounded a bit like a low growl. Ah Mon, who was practicing his divine skills, was interrupted from his meditation, turned his head to look over, and found Xue Dingyuan lying on the ground with his head resting on his two front paws, also staring at him. Xue Dingyuan's eyes were very strange, making Ah Mon think of the town mayor standing in front of the temple, gazing at all the townspeople.

  What's Xue Dingyan thinking? Just now, it was clearly thinking of eating something, but when Ah Meng handed it over in front of its eyes, it didn't eat. After Ah Meng finished a whole pot of beef soup, it wasn't happy either. Anyway, there was nothing else to do, so Ah Meng sat there pondering this cat, and suddenly remembered an unforgettable experience.

  He ate the best food he had ever had in his life for those three days when he served as Maria's servant, but every time, it was after Maria finished eating and said, "Amun, you can have these." Then Amun would take the table downstairs to the kitchen to eat. Anyway, there were many dishes prepared for Maria, and she could only finish half of them at most. Moreover, Maria had a habit that two plates of food remained untouched at every meal, as if they were intentionally left for Amun.

  Thinking of Maria, Ammon glanced at Xue Dingyuan and thought to himself: It seems that Maria deliberately left two intact dishes for me, knowing that I would eat her leftovers. But if the situation were reversed, she certainly wouldn't eat my leftovers, nor could she eat with me together. Does this cat think it's of noble birth?

  After thinking for half a day, Amun finally let out a sigh and decided not to bother with this cat. The old madman said it might be the only guide that could lead him to find Bell's whereabouts. And in this long and lonely journey, Xue Dingyuan was also his only companion. Let's try to see if this cat is what he meant.

  Amun is very clever, he guessed it!

  He specially cooked a pot of fragrant beef soup, placed it in front of Xue Dingyuan, and then sat down to concentrate his mind, opening up the "Power granted by the gods" to communicate with the surrounding air, trying to summon and control the element of air. The first step was that he needed a gust of wind.

  His staff was inlaid with a pale blue aquamarine and the Wind Dancer, plus two standard divine stones. It felt very comfortable to use, and soon he summoned a whirlwind in front of him that swirled up, then controlled the gentle breeze to blow the flames of the bonfire into various shapes, turning it into a fun game.

  He played for half a day, and then he remembered the next step of the Air Element God Technique. With a wave of his staff, a transparent wind blade condensed in the air, leaving a shallow mark on the ashes of the fire heap. At this time, he felt a bit tired, so he decided to rest and added enough firewood to the bonfire. When he turned back to look again, Xue Dingyuan had already finished eating that pot of beef soup, and was snoring loudly in his animal hide sack, with only half of his head exposed.

  This fat cat can really eat and drink!

  **