Chapter 14: The Cat’s Little Scheme

News of the battle spread throughout the academy that same day.

“Have you heard? Zhao Liang was defeated by a cat.”

“Yeah, yeah, I was there!”

As the news continued to travel, it reached a new level by the next day.

“I have something to tell you. The Armored Bear was ravished by a cat.”

“No, that’s not it. I heard Zhao Liang was ravished by a cat. He cried so hard.”

“Yeah, yeah, I was there!”

……

“What’s wrong?”

Bai Luxin looked at Zhou Huimin in confusion. After missing class for just two days, her friend was looking at her with a very strange expression.

“It’s nothing.”

Zhou Huimin shook her head, but her gaze never left Bai Luxin. Finally, she couldn’t help but lean in and whisper in her ear.

“Is it true?”

Seeing that Luxin still didn’t understand, Zhou Huimin gestured toward Nuobai with her eyes. “Is it really true?”

“What’s true or false?”

Nuobai lazily opened one eye. ‘Is this some kind of guessing game?’

“You know… that Nuobai ravished Zhao Liang…”

“??”

“???”

Both the girl and the cat mentally projected question marks at the same time.

After a detailed explanation from Zhou Huimin, Bai Luxin held Nuobai tightly in her arms.

Nuobai’s paw was resting on Luxin’s arm, and it was the first time she had seen the cat’s claws from such a close distance.

The sheaths were a milky white color, and the area where they met the paw pads was a delicate, tender pink. The overall appearance was dainty and exquisite.

“Nuobai, stay calm, stay calm,” Bai Luxin whispered, pulling her even deeper into her embrace, leaving only one paw stubbornly exposed.

Zhou Huimin trembled on the side. When Nuobai had unsheathed her claws and looked at her just now, she felt as if she had seen her deceased great-grandmother waving at her.

After a long period of soothing, Nuobai appeared to have calmed down on the surface.

However, she would still glance at Zhou Huimin every now and then while counting her own claws.

“Xin… Xinxin, I’m not going to die, am I?”

“It’s fine. Nuobai knows what she’s doing.”

Just then, a voice rang out from the commentary booth.

“Dear ladies and gentlemen, hello everyone! I am your host, Lily.”

“Today, the seventy-two contestants from Yuhua Academy and Yulan Academy who advanced will compete right here to determine the final champion!”

“For a more professional commentary, we have invited an industry professional, Doctor of Beast Pet Genetics and Special Grade Battle Analyst, Mr. Qin Rui!”

“Thank you for joining us, Mr. Qin. Next…”

“Beast Master, let’s go.”

Hearing Nuobai’s urge, Bai Luxin signaled to Zhou Huimin that she was going to prepare for the match.

On the way, Bai Luxin couldn’t help but nag Nuobai. “Did you remember everything I said last night?”

“If you act recklessly again…”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but Nuobai’s body shuddered, and she wagged her tail to show she definitely remembered.

She didn’t want to be lectured again. She hadn’t expected her Beast Master to have so little sense of boundaries in private once they became close.

‘How could she… how could she… that stupid hairless Beast Master!’

She had forced her to watch and even made her admit her mistakes.

So what if her fighting style was a bit dangerous? Fine, fine, you can command today.

“Good, as long as you remember. Nuobai, your safety is always the number one priority.”

Before stepping onto the stage, Bai Luxin gave one last instruction, intending to watch the match from below as usual.

“Beast Master.”

Nuobai sat in front of her instead of leaving.

“I want you to command me in battle.”

Bai Luxin shook her head. “Nuobai, I can’t command you. If I go up there, I’ll only be a burden.”

She wasn’t a professional Beast Tamer, so she didn’t have to be on stage. However, if she did go up, she would be required to give orders according to the rules.

Orders are transmitted through the contract. If a Beast Pet doesn’t obey, a slight stiffness occurs when they resist the mental impulse, which can be fatal on the battlefield.

“Beast Master, there’s no need to worry. You only need to give the orders, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“Besides, haven’t you been studying Beast Pet combat command all this time?”

“I want to stand on that stage with you and enjoy the joy of victory together.”

“Nuobai…”

Tears welled up in Bai Luxin’s eyes, and she scrunched her nose cutely.

Fine. They would face the enemy together.

Seeing that her goal was achieved, Nuobai shot a subtle glance at the stands. She had heard everything when they walked by earlier.

Things like the “Demon Cat,” “Unspeakable Stories,” and the “Eighth Campus Legend” —

Heh, they were all rumors about her, and each was more outrageous than the last.

She might as well bring her Beast Master along to enjoy it. After all, shouldn’t they share both blessings and hardships?

Thinking about how her Beast Master would question her very existence in the future, Nuobai’s tail trembled with excitement.

‘Come on, Beast Master. Stop Nuobai, understand Nuobai, become Nuobai!’

……

“Nuobai, be careful. The Double-tailed Scorpion’s tails are highly poisonous.”

Bai Luxin knew nothing of the cat’s inner thoughts and was busy explaining the points of caution.

“Yuhua Academy’s Snow Joy Cat versus Yulan Academy’s Double-tailed Scorpion. Begin!”

“Double-tailed Scorpion, attack!”

Seeing that the opponent was just a cat that didn’t look like much of a fighter, the student from Yulan Academy took the initiative to seize control.

“Nuobai, dodge!”

A pair of chelicerae lunged forward, but Nuobai dodged them with ease.

“Now! [Tail Strike]!”

The Double-tailed Scorpion’s tail rose high. After a brief charge, it lunged toward Nuobai.

It turned out the previous attack was just a feint; the tail was the finishing blow.

Before Bai Luxin could even react, Nuobai had already noticed. Her body accelerated instantly, and the scorpion tail grazed past her waist.

“Don’t get happy too soon. [Double Strike]!”

“Nuobai, watch out for the second tail!”

Both sides issued commands almost simultaneously. The Yulan Academy student was shocked. ‘Did she predict my command?’

Even if she did, so what? Few Beast Pets could dodge this combo, especially a cat like this that clearly had no poison resistance.

It didn’t need a direct hit; even a slight scratch would allow the Double-tailed Scorpion’s toxin to instantly weaken her combat strength.

When that happened, she would be at his mercy.

The second scorpion tail was about to strike Nuobai, and there was no longer any room to dodge.

In a flash, Nuobai looked up and extended her claws, clamping down on the scorpion’s tail.

‘How is this possible!’

The attack was so fast, yet she caught it with her claws?

The opponent found it hard to accept. He had seen pets dodge the [Double Strike] and some that were too armored to be pierced, but it was his first time seeing someone catch it with their claws.

What kind of demon cat was this!

“Nuobai, take the chance! Attack!”

Taking advantage of the gap in the Double-tailed Scorpion’s movements, Bai Luxin gave a decisive order.

‘Attack — ‘ Nuobai smiled inwardly, her expression turning predatory.

She had waited a long time for this moment. Her [Sharp Claw] swiped forward, trailing a brilliant blur through the air.

In an instant, the Double-tailed Scorpion was covered in claw marks across its two tails, its chelicerae, and its body. Its tails were even sliced clean off.

A blue light enveloped the Double-tailed Scorpion as Nuobai flipped back and landed on the ground without looking back.

‘A real man doesn’t need to look back at an explosion once the [Contract Protection] is triggered.’

“Snow Joy Cat versus Double-tailed Scorpion. The winner is the Snow Joy Cat!”

As the match was called, Nuobai jumped onto Bai Luxin’s shoulder.

“See, Beast Master? Easy-peasy.”

She scanned the crowd. Sure enough, many people were watching. She couldn’t help it; most of the audience members here today had come specifically for her.

The Snow Joy Cat really was that popular.