GRMFBS CH93

The mission description consisted of a single line: “Volume 3, Chapter 17 of the Travelogue of Mountains and Seas.”

After submitting the task, Zhan Jinli immediately clicked to confirm receipt of the mission reward, saving Wan Yan his pitifully meager savings.

Speaking of which, the fact that this black iron fish pendant had fallen into Wan Yan’s hands had something to do with him as well.

In the past, Wan Yan had loved turning into ordinary animals to play in the mortal realm from time to time. One day, having grown bored of playing in the human world, he returned to Mount Chaofu and began pondering what animal to transform into next.

By coincidence, Zhan Jinli had returned to Mount Chaofu from the mortal realm on that very day. Back when he was a koi demon, he had served as a river god in the human world, accumulating boundless merit and continuing to receive incense offerings even after death. This incense and merit helped keep his soul intact after death, allowing him to cultivate into a Ghost King, so he never severed his ties with the mortal realm, frequently visiting his own temple.

Struggling with decision paralysis, Wan Yan spotted Lin Yuan passing by and dragged him over for advice.

Having just returned from his temple, Zhan Jinli was steeped in the scent of incense. This naturally brought to mind the children playing outside the temple, clapping their hands and singing nursery rhymes: “Little calico cat, meow meow meow, round eyes and twitching whiskers…”

And so, Ghost King Wan Yan chose a cat.

He had mixed in with feral cats before, so this time he opted for a domestic cat. However, it wasn’t possible for Wan Yan to actually enter a human home to serve as a pet, so he satisfied his acting craving by playing house inside Mount Chaofu.

After giving his suggestion, Zhan Jinli sank back to the bottom of his frigid pool to laze about, letting Ghost King Wan Yan run amok in the mountain. Less than two days later, a black iron fish-shaped pendant slowly descended into the freezing pool, dangling right in front of him. A length of cord was tied to its tail—woven by Ghost King Wan Yan using his own shed fur, since ordinary rope couldn’t withstand the freezing waters of this pool.

Ghost King Lin Yuan opened his eyes just as the pendant swayed twice before his face.

The way the Wan Yan cat was currently using his tail to fish was truly carrying on the exact same lineage.

The black iron fish pendant was an object from the mortal realm. Mount Chaofu existed simultaneously in the realms of yin and yang, with the top of the Wenyu Tree connecting to the human world.

Back when the author of the Travelogue of Mountains and Seas was traveling through the mortal iteration of Mount Chaofu, he tied a cast-iron fish-shaped plumb bob to a rope and dropped it down King Yan’s Cave to measure its depth.

Unfortunately, Di Ting was fully immersed in his acting phase at the time. Seeing the dangling pendant, he pounced up and snatched it away—leaving behind a mysterious legend in the mortal world.

Just as Zhan Jinli was about to close the forum, a red dot suddenly popped up in his inbox.

Wan Yan had blocked him and thus couldn’t send private messages, but the mission publisher could still send evaluations to the person who accepted the task.

Wan Yan: [Lin Yuan!!! I’m coming to find you right now!!!]

Zhan Jinli: “…”

I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted and paid attention to this stupid cat!

As Zhan Suiru opened the front door, she caught sight of the slight crack in Zhan Jinli’s usually composed expression.

“Oh? What’s going on here?”

Zhan Yan bounced up to greet his sister. “Sis, I missed you so much!”

“No hugs, no hugs!” Zhan Suiru sidestepped him, holding a small fleece blanket in her arms. “Here, look what this is.”

Zhan Yan dropped his arms and reached out to lift a corner of the fleece blanket. Inside slept a tiny, nursing-age calico kitten, with a small metal tag hanging from its neck.

Zhan Yan’s eyes went wide.

The little calico, having just woken up, tilted its head back to look at Zhan Yan, gave him a delicate “mew,” and stretched a little paw out, wanting to press against him.

The cat was still very young. Much like a human toddler just beginning to babble, it couldn’t fully express its meaning, but its emotions could still be felt through animal communication.

It was expressing affection, curiosity, and a desire to cuddle!

Zhan Yan scrambled to scoop up the little calico. “It-it-it isn’t afraid of me!”

Zhan Suiru: “Well? Do you like it?”

She had imbued the metal nameplate with Zhan Yan’s aura.

The little calico was incredibly lively. Stepping on Zhan Yan’s arm with its hind paws, it hooked its front paws onto his shoulder, climbing him like a cat tree.

The kitten rubbed its soft head and ears against his neck, meowing softly right by his ear.

Wuwuwu, it’s been so long since I’ve gotten to pet anything fluffy! Is petting a cat really this blissful?!

Zhan Yan’s eyes narrowed in pure happiness.

“I love it! I love it so much! Sis, I love you, wuwuwu!”

“Brother! Look! Look! I have a cat! It isn’t afraid of me!”

Hearing the commotion, Zhan Jinli had just closed the chaofan forum. He slowly poked his head up from the sofa, only to get a faceful of the cat his younger brother was holding.

He looked up at Zhan Suiru. Zhan Suiru raised an eyebrow and smiled at him. Then she turned her head, caught sight of the comedy movie playing on the screen, and her gaze grew profoundly meaningful.

The three of them returned to the sofa. Zhan Yan sat in the middle holding the little calico, with Zhan Jinli and Zhan Suiru flanking him on either side.

Sparks and lightning flew between their gazes! Both pulled out their phones, whipping up a storm of blood and rain in their private chat!

Zhan Jinli: [You brought a cat home?]

Zhan Suiru: [You’re making Yan Yan watch a comedy?]

The two launched into a fierce, bloody battle over whether or not to keep the cat, and the aesthetics of Zhan Suiru’s sculptures!

Oblivious, Zhan Yan held the little calico and laughed uproariously at the screen.

Zhan Suiru: [Yan Yan likes it, so just answer whether we’re keeping it or not!]

Zhan Jinli: […We’re keeping it.]

Still laughing, Zhan Yan suddenly turned his head. “Hahahaha… Hey? Why aren’t you guys laughing?”

Fully satisfied, Zhan Suiru turned her attention back to the comedy movie. “Hahahahaha!”

In his past life, Zhan Jinli had been a fish. The time he had spent as a fish and as a Ghost King far, far exceeded his time as a human. Just as he couldn’t comprehend the appeal of spinning slowly on a carousel or strapping oneself into a machine to be flung high into the air, he also struggled to understand what made comedies funny.

However, he was genuinely trying his best to live a life in the mortal realm, trying to act as much like a normal, ordinary person as possible.

Zhan Yan: “Hahahahahaha!”

Zhan Suiru: “Hahahahahaha!”

A beat behind, Zhan Jinli chimed in after the two of them: “Hahaha.”

Zhan Yan and Zhan Suiru both turned their heads to look at him in unison.

Brother, do you have any idea how creepy that is?!

After finishing the comedy movie, Zhan Yan happily began setting up a bed for the little calico.

Zhan Suiru had brought back a full set of cat supplies. As Zhan Jinli helped assemble the cat tree, he shot glares at Zhan Suiru. Heh! Preparing everything so thoroughly didn’t leave him any room to refuse at all!

Zhan Yan was flustered while trying to get the cat settled; the little calico refused to stay in the bed and kept climbing up him.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor to catch his breath, Zhan Yan asked, “Did Mom and Dad say when they’ll finish up their work and come back?”

Zhan Suiru: “Dad said he’s coming back in a few days. Mom hasn’t mentioned it yet, let me ask her… Mom said she’ll be back before the New Year.”

Eh? His mom was busy with company affairs, but his dad was the Chongming Demon King. Was there some reason he hadn’t come back yet?

Zhan Yan opened the Gossip System.

[Hearing that his youngest son had returned home, Zhan Yunkai prepared to leave Mount Chaofu and head home to cook a grand feast to show care for his aesthetically-challenged son, only to be held up by Ghost King Wan Yan throwing a tantrum and demanding to go find Ghost King Lin Yuan.]

Hmm?

Setting aside the “aesthetically-challenged” comment for a moment… his grand feast was gone! Why was Ghost King Wan Yan suddenly throwing a fit again?

Mount Chaofu.

The Wan Yan cat was dancing wildly in ecstatic joy! Lin Yuan had accepted his mission!

What did this mean?!

Lin Yuan accepting his mission = Lin Yuan paying attention to him = Lin Yuan no longer avoiding him = Lin Yuan wasn’t mad at him for forgetting the past = Lin Yuan wanted to see him too!

The cat brain math sprinted all the way to a joyful reunion and happy cuddles, making him bounce crazily all over Mount Chaofu!

His fish! His fish! He just knew that fish was his! That fish belonged to him to eat!

Zhan Yunkai: “…”

“I don’t think that’s what Lin Yuan meant.”

Wan Yan chased his tail happily. “Yes, he did! Yes, he did! He even told me what the black iron fish is!”

He bounded down to the foot of the mountain and shouted to the Ming He River encircling it, “Minghe, Minghe, let me out quickly! I’m going to find Lin Yuan!”

Ghost King Minghe felt second-hand anxiety for Lin Yuan. Why did you have to go and provoke Wan Yan when everything was fine?

“I won’t let you out,” she said coldly.

“I’m angry!” Wan Yan arched his back and charged outward.

The river surged, and a single wave tossed Wan Yan right back.

But Wan Yan was persistent: “I want to find Lin Yuan!”

After several attempts, Wan Yan’s eyes lit up. His pupils dilated completely, and his little cat ears stood straight up.

This is so much fun!

Dive! Jump into the water! Get carried back by the waves!

Woohoo! Surfing!

Ghost King Minghe: “…”

With a flick of her sleeve, she rolled Wan Yan into a furry ball and tossed him to Chongming: “You handle him.”

[Zhan Yunkai persuaded Ghost King Wan Yan with a gentle and mild tone.]

…

[Zhan Yunkai persuaded Ghost King Wan Yan with utmost seriousness and gravity.]

…

[Zhan Yunkai persuaded Ghost King Wan Yan with a harsh tone and stern expression.]

…

[Zhan Yunkai gave Ghost King Wan Yan a beating.]

Zhan Yan: …Pfft!

After laughing, he felt like crying.

Wuwuwu, my grand feast!

Since the feast was gone, Zhan Yan decided to eat another piece of gossip and check on the situation at the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau.

More and more Infinite fragments had been collected, but it wasn’t safe to just leave these hazardous materials lying around. The Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau had decided to move them all to a secure location. However, the transport route carried massive risks, necessitating the Tianshi to escort them.

He continued scrolling.

The Gambling Ghost Tu Dechang, whom he had reported earlier, had been caught and was currently undergoing re-education inside the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau.

Ah, if only a gambling ghost could be used to cure gambling addiction. He saw that Wei Fu and the other arrested gamblers were already swearing never to touch gambling again for the rest of their lives. What a fantastic effect…

After browsing through gossip for a while, Zhan Yan checked the time.

It wasn’t bedtime yet.

He browsed a little longer, then checked the time again.

Still not time.

He browsed some more, then checked the time again.

It was almost time.

Zhan Yan scrolled through the gossip distractedly, staring at his phone, which showed no new messages.

Normally, Gu Jiancheng would have messaged him by now!

What’s going on?!

Completely oblivious to Zhan Yan’s restless urge to toss and turn, the little calico climbed up the blanket, stepped onto Zhan Yan’s back, and perched on his shoulder.

Lying on his stomach, Zhan Yan reached out and grabbed the little calico. He rolled over and lifted the kitten into the air. “Don’t you have your own bed? Why are you so clingy? Hmm?”

Not afraid in the slightest, the little calico meowed coyly at him, “Mew~ Mew~,” demanding to play.

“You don’t have a name yet. Hmm, what should I call you?” Zhan Yan lowered the kitten.

The little calico pressed a paw against his forehead. Its sharp claws were completely retracted, leaving only soft little toe beans.

“You’re just as clingy as Gu Jiancheng. How about I call you Little Gu? Hmm? Is that okay?”

“Mew~”

Zhan Yan’s phone suddenly vibrated.

He set the little calico on his chest and reached for the phone.

The new notification wasn’t Gu Jiancheng calling to demand a goodnight kiss; he had liked Zhan Yan’s Moments post. It was the photo of the experimental field’s scenery Zhan Yan had saved while on the high-speed rail.

Gu Jiancheng had zoomed in on the two small figures in the photo, cropped them, and made a separate Moments post of his own.

Ah, so he recognized it too.

Seeing Zhan Yan staring intently at his phone, the little calico stretched out a paw to bat at it. The little cat paw pad slapped right onto the little red heart, helping Zhan Yan leave a like.

Zhan Yan held the little calico and laughed for a long time. “Ah, kitty, kitty, I’ll just call you Xingxing after all.”

Like the stars suspended in the sky forever, never to burn out.