Chapter 0526

For a creature that had lived for an untold length of time, watching humans constantly evolve, age, sicken, and die was its own form of torture.

It often wondered if the day would come when it, too, would die.

It did not want to die. It refused to reach an end like other living things, even if that meant enduring eternal loneliness.

Little Black was not inherently immortal; it required vast amounts of energy to sustain its life and powers.

And so, on this path of survival, it constantly sought out sources of that energy.

It had changed "homes" many times. Each home offered a different amount of energy; some could sustain it for decades, while others lasted only a few years.

Until one day, it found the perfect energy vein.

It was the Dragon Vein currently held by the Luo family.

Little Black could sense that the energy here was sufficient to sustain its life for ten thousand years.

It howled with excitement night after night, eager to make this place its home.

But when it finally entered, it discovered that the place was already occupied.

The occupiers were none other than the Luo family of that era.

Little Black didn't think much of it.

With an underground vein this massive, even if they discovered it, mining it would take many, many years.

So, without standing on ceremony, it settled in.

One day, a lonely Little Black lay sunbathing on a rock. Just as it was wallowing in sentimental melancholy, a little boy appeared.

The boy didn't look happy. He sat down heavily right on top of Little Black.

Little Black let out a "Meow!" and jumped up, startling the boy as well.

Seeing that Little Black looked half-dead from being crushed, the kind-hearted boy picked it up and carried it away.

In the boy's home, Little Black lived quite well, getting whatever food or drink it desired.

It also learned the boy's name: Luo Chen.

Luo Chen had a cold personality, though deep down he was plagued by inferiority and cowardice. He rarely spoke to others, but he took good care of this stray cat, Little Black.

Although young Luo Chen fed Little Black well, Little Black's heart remained unmoved.

Over the years, it had witnessed countless partings of life and death. It knew that everyone it cared about would eventually die; that was the law of time.

Still, young Luo Chen's home was indeed a good place. There was food and drink, and it wasn't far from the vein, so it could return anytime to replenish its energy.

It decided to stay at Luo Chen's home for the long haul.

Years passed in this manner until Luo Chen grew up.

Little Black watched Luo Chen grow bit by bit, transforming from a withdrawn, insecure boy into someone "rebellious."

Luo Chen began to rebel against his father's authority, against his clan, against oppression... until finally, he successfully eliminated his family members and inherited the Luo family leadership.

He fought against all the injustices of the world, yet he offered no resistance to love.

When that woman appeared, he fell completely.

Covered in scars from overcoming obstacles to be near her, they finally came together, and she bore him a child.

He thought this was the perfect ending, until one day, he discovered that the woman had been deceiving him all along.

It turned out her approach was entirely calculated; her goal was to seize everything he owned.

For years, she had been poisoning him. By the time he found out, the poison had seeped into his bones, leaving him no chance of survival.

Luo Chen was heartbroken. He couldn't understand: he loved her so much, so why was he still betrayed?

If she had just been honest, he would have given her everything willingly.

Why did she choose deception instead of speaking up?

Unable to comprehend it, Luo Chen descended into madness.

In the end, he killed the woman he loved most with his own hands and wiped out her entire family.

If her family hadn't been such manipulative instigators, perhaps he wouldn't have been deceived.

Having personally destroyed both his blood relatives and his lover, and with the poison deep in his bones, his days were numbered.

On the verge of death, the only ones by his side were his three-year-old son and the little black cat he had found as a child.

One day, he lay on the roof of the old mansion, gently stroking Little Black's fur.

"Why? Why is it you who is with me at the end? A cat's lifespan is only a dozen years or so; you must be old too, right? I wonder who will die first, you or me."

Little Black felt its heart finally stir.

So, it attempted to communicate with Luo Chen. [You're the old one, dammit. This cat is still young.]

Luo Chen heard it. At first, he looked at Little Black in disbelief, but he slowly accepted this bizarre reality.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't truly communicated with anyone for so long.

Facing Luo Chen, who had cared for it for so many years, Little Black also felt an inexplicable desire to confide.

And so, one man and one cat chatted on the roof of the Luo family's old mansion.

They poured out their loneliness and regrets to one another.

By the end, they were trading profanities.

[Little Black: Bullshit loneliness, dogshit solitude! This cat isn't afraid of anything.]

Luo Chen also roared at the sky, "Screw love!"

Luo Chen and Little Black had a good talk, effectively "untying" the knots in their hearts.

Watching Luo Chen cough up blood from time to time, Little Black couldn't bear it. It asked Luo Chen if he wanted to live; it had a way.

Luo Chen didn't doubt Little Black's ability. After all, if he could hear a cat's thoughts, what else couldn't he accept?

Yet, he shook his head and refused Little Black's offer.

"From the moment I knew that woman didn't love me, I was already dead."

Little Black fell silent. It didn't know what love was, but it knew Luo Chen's heart had died.

Because that woman didn't love him, he was destined to be a fish stranded on dry land, gasping for air until the end.

[Little Black: What exactly is this "love" that humans talk about?]

Luo Chen couldn't explain this age-old question, as everyone's definition of love was different.

However, he thought of a way for Little Black to verify it for itself.

"I suppose I count as your master, right? After all, I've raised you for so many years. I have a favor to ask."

Little Black didn't deny the relationship. [You're not going to ask me to raise your kid for you, are you?]

Luo Chen smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry, I've already arranged my affairs. The butler and servants will raise the child to take over the Luo family, and the branch families can't threaten him. That's not what I'm asking of you."

Little Black tilted its cute head. [That's good then. Speak, what is it?]

Luo Chen suddenly became serious.

"I have a way for you to understand love. If my descendants are lucky enough to find true love, guard them for me just once. Then, come back to my grave and tell me about it."

Little Black looked speechless. [After you die, you'll just be a pile of bones. You won't be able to hear this cat tell stories at all.]