Chapter 103: Depressed Kitty

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Depressed Kitty

The male Elf Saint Realm expert watched the departing figure of the Winged Race Saint Realm expert. Although his expression remained unchanged, a flicker of irritation flashed in his eyes.

Since arriving in this world thousands of years ago, their two races had continuously controlled the non-human Alliance. Yet, they were not all that united. Especially over the last century, the Alliance’s only Great Saint had been from the Winged Race, which constantly weakened the power and interests of the Elf Race.

Now, the Great Saint was missing. Furthermore, a human had appeared—one they could not match even if they joined forces. The Alliance was in imminent danger of collapsing.

Ultimately, he had no choice but to return to his own tribe and make preparations.

Meanwhile, the culprit behind all this, Shen Yun, was currently getting ready to tease a cat.

He had already sent Xiaojie away on an errand to "inform Vierlia of the victorious news." Alicia also needed to reorganize and pacify her clansmen. Thus, he came to the lake all by himself.

Night had fully fallen. There was no moon, only a vast, starry sky. The entire surface of the lake reflected countless specks of starlight. Coupled with the suddenly tranquil sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves in his ears, the atmosphere was incredibly poetic.

"Xiaojiu, take a picture as a souvenir," he said, sitting on the grass and taking Xiaojiu out from his chest pocket.

"Eh? Aren’t you going to tease the cat, Master?"

Xiaojiu was a bit disappointed, but she still captured the beautiful scenery with a loud CLICK.

"Well, I don’t see the cat anywhere." Shen Yun looked around but couldn’t spot Erin.

"She’s in the lake." Xiaojiu’s Divine Thought covered a wider range than his, so she could see clearly. "She’s catching fish in the lake."

Just as she spoke, a plump, large fish suddenly flew out from the surface of the lake and landed heavily on the grass.

Only then did Shen Yun notice that several fish were already lying on the grass nearby. He wondered, "Did she catch so many because I promised to help her grill fish?"

Then, another fish flew out. The cat-eared girl was not a member of the Fishfolk, after all; after catching two fish in a row, she finally surfaced. Just like when they first met, her waist-length hair flung a beautiful arc under the starlight, though this time, she didn’t have a fish dangling from her mouth.

Then, she saw Shen Yun.

How to describe her gaze? It was a mix of dismay, resentment, and a tiny bit of fear.

"Come here," Shen Yun beckoned.

This time, she didn’t bare her claws. Instead, she obediently swam over, climbed ashore, and shook the water droplets off her ears and tail. Then, still looking somewhat cautious, she approached until she was about a meter away from Shen Yun. She plopped down on the grass, curling up on her side.

"Are you in a bad mood?"

"Meow." She let out a short, soft cry.

"Speak human."

"Yes."

"Why are you in a bad mood?"

Shen Yun looked at her with some curiosity. He had a feeling it had something to do with him.

"Mother... said I should leave, meow." Erin looked up, her large eyes filled with extreme grievance. "I need to leave here with the guest, meow."

"You shouldn’t call me a guest anymore." Shen Yun deliberately kept a straight face. "I am now the master of your entire cat tribe."

"Master, meow?"

Shen Yun really wanted to hear her say it again, but he held himself back.

Up until now, many people had called him master. However, the feelings were completely different. Xiaojiu’s voice was incredibly soft and charming; just a single call from her could make one’s imagination run wild. Xiaojie’s call carried a sense of solemnity. As for this little kitten, it felt as though a house pet was finally responding to you calling its name.

"So, you’re reluctant to leave this place?" Shen Yun gradually slipped into a cat-teasing mood. He asked casually, reaching out his hand toward her cat ears.

Erin hesitated for a brief moment. A little dismayed yet somewhat docile, she shifted her body and rested her head against Shen Yun’s leg.

She already knew that she now belonged to him.

"I’m reluctant to leave, meow," she said in a quiet, reedy voice.

"Are you reluctant to leave your mother, your clansmen, or the fish here?" Shen Yun asked.

Erin seemed stumped by the question. She struggled over it for quite a while before finally arriving at an answer.

"I’m reluctant to leave all of them, meow."

"Then which one are you most reluctant to leave?" Shen Yun continued asking, as if he were teasing a child. He rubbed the top of Erin’s head with his palm, finding that her hair was much finer and softer than a normal person’s.

This time, Erin remained silent for even longer.

"I bet it’s the fish," Xiaojiu said in Shen Yun’s mind.

"I guess so too." Shen Yun’s guess was in complete agreement with Xiaojiu’s.

It was plain to see. Knowing she was about to leave, she had actually run over here and caught so many fish. Wasn’t she planning to pack them up and take them with her?

As a result... Erin’s answer took them both by surprise.

"It’s my clansmen, meow."

"Do you have very close clansmen?" Shen Yun was genuinely a bit surprised.

"I don’t, meow." Erin seemed to be enjoying Shen Yun’s rubbing quite a bit. She rolled over, her mood significantly improving as her large eyes gazed at the stars in the sky. "But after my father passed away, they took great care of me, meow. They taught me how to cultivate, taught me how to hunt, and let me catch fish to trade for fruits and vegetables, meow..."

As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, and she wiped the corners of her eyes.

The clothes she wore were all made for her by her clansmen.

Shen Yun realized that Alicia was absolutely right. What Alicia described as "having a hard life" was something Erin felt incredibly grateful for. This cat-eared girl’s desires were indeed very, very small and easily satisfied.

She seemed like she would be very easy to care for.

"So, you catching so many fish right now is actually for them?" Shen Yun looked at the pile of fish on the side.

"Mhm." Thinking of something, Erin suddenly smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. "Ever since I learned how to catch fish, meow, I’ve been able to trade for so many things every day. They all love fish, but they don’t want to get their fur wet. For me, that’s absolutely no problem, meow..."

Only then did Shen Yun notice something. Although this cat-eared girl didn’t have whiskers, when she smiled, three faint marks appeared on each side of her face. Coupled with her tail swishing back and forth, she looked even more like a little kitten.

"If you don’t want to go, it’s okay," Shen Yun said softly.

He wasn’t dead set on taking this cat-eared girl away. He just found her quite cute, quite innocent, and quite amusing. He had no particular ulterior motives. Besides, if he brought home every pretty girl he met without refusal, given his status, no amount of energy would be enough.

"That won’t do, meow." Erin’s tail drooped again. "Mother wants me to leave, and the clansmen also want me to leave..." As she spoke, she suddenly looked at Shen Yun with some worry, her fingers gently pinching the hem of his clothes. "I only need one fish a day... No, half a fish is enough, meow. I can do anything, meow."

Although she had never been to the outside world, she was sixteen or seventeen years old, after all, not a clueless child. Naturally, she understood the situation. By staying here, she would only cause trouble for her mother and clansmen, even if she just caught fish every day without bothering anyone.

"But, you don’t even know how to grill fish," Shen Yun said, looking at her seriously.

"Uhm... meow?"

Erin froze for a moment. Her small mouth was slightly agape, looking as if she wanted to explain but didn’t know what to say.

Still, she made an effort: "I... I learn things very fast... I can learn anything, meow."