Fate Trading System – Chapter 105

Plan A

Rise in Another World 17

Nine lives

“Little One?”

Isn’t Little One that cat? How did it turn into a person?

Nan Cheng held Su Xin’s hand and began to help them deal with the current trouble.

As a high-level mythical beast from the seventh floor of the Sky-reaching Tower, Nan Cheng’s intimidating effect on the first-floor mythical beasts was undoubtedly significant. So after Nan Cheng released her aura, those mythical beasts fled one after another.

You could say she really showed her girlfriend power.

“This… this is so impressive.”

Li Xiuxiu’s mouth twitched. Seeing that it was now safe, she relaxed and sat on the ground, starting to eat.

This big-hearted/carefree attitude was truly unmatched.

Both Yu Si and Mu Yao’s faces showed varying degrees of frustration. The four of them had been fighting here for so long, yet it wasn’t as effective as this person’s single glance.

“I’ll go take a look.”

Mu Yao walked over. What exactly were these things guarding?

Nan Cheng anxiously looked at Su Xin, starting to check if she had any other injuries.

“It’s good that you’re okay.”

Nan Cheng held Su Xin in her arms and let out a deep sigh.

Su Xin had little strength left, her body growing cold from the surrounding chill.

This environment had no effect on Nan Cheng, and due to the special circumstances of spring, her body was already in a state of continuous high temperature. Su Xin held her hand, her lips turning somewhat purple.

Nan Cheng noticed her unusual condition and gripped her hand tightly.

“What’s wrong? Are you very cold? Do you have any other wounds?”

Su Xin slightly turned her body and lifted her clothes. There was a wound on her waist, made by a mythical beast’s claws. However, it wasn’t bleeding; instead, the wound had a faint purple tinge.

“So cold.”

Su Xin felt the coldness directly eroding her body, even her bone marrow felt chilly and piercing.

This feeling was as if she was naked in a world of ice and snow, with snow covering her body. It was like being immersed in extremely icy water, her body numbed by the cold, without even the strength to shiver. She only wanted to move closer to her sole source of warmth.

Su Xin’s entire body was pressed against Nan Cheng’s. They were about the same height, so it fit just right.

Mu Yao had already collected what the group of mythical beasts was guarding. It was an unremarkable-looking plant, similar to the wildflowers and weeds commonly seen by the roadside. The flowers were blue, and the leaves were green, seemingly nothing special.

But it couldn’t be ordinary. If it had no use, so many mythical beasts wouldn’t have fought to the death to protect it.

“It’s Fire Flame Grass. It should be quite beneficial for you humans. Keep it safe. She doesn’t look well, so I’ll take her away first.”

Nan Cheng carried Su Xin horizontally in her arms. Su Xin seemed to have been poisoned by some mythical beast’s cold toxin. This first level was already very cold, causing significant damage to delicate mages. Although Su Xin had a good physical constitution, she still had a human body after all.

“Are you that white cat?” Mu Yao asked in return.

“Mm.”

“When will you bring her back? She needs to leave with us.”

Mu Yao inquired.

“Once I’ve healed her, she’ll naturally return. You can move around freely; I can find you.”

“Mu Yao, stop doubting her. Furan trusts this cat completely. Besides, didn’t you see how powerful she was just now? A mythical beast that can transform into a human must be extremely strong.”

The implication was that if she wanted to forcibly take Su Xin away, they would be completely powerless to stop her.

Nan Cheng was searching for a safe place. Getting from the first level to the second wasn’t easy. Each level required passing through a transmission array, and the destination could be an unknown danger. Although Nan Cheng didn’t take these dangers to heart, it would take a long time, and Su Xin couldn’t afford the delay.

Returning to the seventh level was even more impossible. It would take even longer, and the seventh level was the territory of high-level mythical beasts where humans were forbidden. If those mythical beasts caught the scent of a human, they would immediately tear and devour them, causing an unknown panic.

After all, humans had never reached the fifth level, let alone the seventh.

Nan Cheng carried Su Xin, searching for a safe place to rest.

“I can walk by myself,” Su Xin said.

Although her whole body was cold, Su Xin was still conscious and hadn’t fallen into a coma.

“I’ll carry you. We’ll move faster this way,” Nan Cheng replied.

“Do you have a way?”

“Of course.”

“It’s been ten years. Long time no see.”

“Long time no see.”

They were happy. After ten years, they met again without any unfamiliarity or barriers.

It wasn’t overly emotional, just like a natural inevitability.

They were destined to meet again after a long separation.

Even though ten years had passed, it seemed like neither of them had changed much. They were still familiar with each other.

“I missed you.”

Su Xin was always this straightforward. Whether it was her likes or dislikes, she never bothered to wear a mask with those close to her. Missing someone was just missing someone, why bother hiding and concealing?

“Me too.”

You don’t know how much I missed you. In my daze, you were before my eyes, and in my dreams, it was also you.

“I’m so cold.”

Su Xin looked like she was acting coquettishly. The sharpness in her eyes had faded, like a leopard that had left its battle state, revealing a lazy demeanor.

“We’re almost there.”

Nan Cheng had already sensed the location of the strongest mythical beast nearby and was quickly rushing towards that place.

When that mythical beast discovered an intruder in its nearby territory, it took a defensive posture.

However, upon sensing the strength of the approaching mythical beast, it showed a submissive attitude.

“I’m borrowing this place. I’ll return it when I’m done. You go first, and don’t let anything come near here.”

Nan Cheng said to that mythical beast, tilting her chin up. The mythical beast nodded, indicating it understood, and retreated.

It was a huge lion that seemed to greatly value comfort.

When Nan Cheng had just entered, she saw the mythical beast lying on a massive chair.

For humans, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it something close to a bed. It was covered with what appeared to be some animal’s fur, looking soft and plush.

Nan Cheng walked over, somewhat bothered by the lingering scent of other mythical beasts on it. She directly lifted the fur and tossed it aside.

Underneath was stone, uneven and pitted, likely shaped by the lion itself.

“I have some I collected before in my ring,” Su Xin said.

Su Xin took out the animal furs she had previously washed and dried. Nan Cheng set her down, letting her sit on the stone bed, and began to lay out the furs.

“Lie down on your stomach and lift your clothes. I’ll help you remove the cold poison from the wound. You should be fine after that.”

Actually, this could have been done at the previous location, but Nan Cheng, out of personal desire, didn’t want to.

She wanted to bring Su Xin to a safe place to treat her alone.

“Okay.”

Su Xin used her ice-cold hands to lift her clothes. The temperature of her body was slightly higher than her hands, causing her to shiver from her own coldness.

Su Xin lay down on her stomach and lifted her clothes, revealing several thin, long wounds.

All that was needed was to open the wounds and then remove the poison.

Nan Cheng’s fingernails suddenly grew longer and sharper. With a gentle scratch, those wounds were opened.

Nan Cheng carefully retracted her nails and pressed the area with her fingers.

“It might hurt a bit in a moment. Bear with it.”

“‘Quick battle, quick resolution’. I’m not afraid of pain.”

Su Xin’s pale lips curled into a mischievous smile, urging Nan Cheng to act quickly and not to dilly-dally.

Nan Cheng hesitated for a moment, then also climbed onto the bed.

Su Xin felt something pressing on her body, then a warm sensation in the area of her waist, followed by a pain like needle pricks.

Su Xin furrowed her brow, staring blankly straight ahead.

When Nan Cheng’s lips touched Su Xin’s cold skin, her fingers involuntarily twitched.

She took a deep breath, drawing in blood, then turned her head to spit it out.

The blood wasn’t the normal red color, but emitted a deep blue glow.

That blue tinge lingered on Nan Cheng’s red lips, creating an eerie effect.

The feeling of being frozen stiff slowly eased, but in the next moment, it surged back.

Nan Cheng frowned. She could only extract that much; some had already merged with Su Xin’s blood and could only dissipate slowly on its own.

Nan Cheng explained the situation, and Su Xin let out a “heng” (sound of acknowledgment).

“I understand. Your body is so warm. Come give me a hug quickly. Are you afraid of the cold? I’m worried I might freeze you.”

“How could I be?”

Nan Cheng was now in a state of ‘dry mouth and tongue’. Her beautiful face was flushed, partly due to her physical condition, and partly because of this woman who was propping up her head with a nonchalant expression.

“I’m very hot.”

Nan Cheng said. She really was hot, almost to the point of melting.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Su Xin thought that although the environment here might not have much effect on Little One, it surely couldn’t be hot enough to cause this.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

Nan Cheng unbuttoned her clothes, startling Su Xin.

“Why are you taking off your clothes?”

“To give you a hug, of course.”

Nan Cheng tilted her head, looking innocent.

Remembering that the person before her was essentially a mythical beast, Su Xin didn’t think much of it and nestled into Nan Cheng’s embrace.

Nan Cheng, draped in her clothes, held Su Xin close, their bodies pressed together as she tried to transfer her warmth.

Su Xin placed her hands on Nan Cheng’s body, letting out a sigh of contentment.

The feeling was like stumbling upon a warm stove in the midst of an ice and snow world, wanting to hold on tight and never let go.

Su Xin curled her body up, even pressing her face against Nan Cheng.

Su Xin didn’t realize how intimate their position was.

Su Xin’s black hair was spread out as she lay on Nan Cheng’s chest. Nan Cheng was bare-chested, her arms wrapped around Su Xin in front of her. Her clothes hung loosely on her shoulders as she maintained a protective posture.

“Uncomfortable,” Su Xin mumbled, seemingly finding the layers of fabric on her body too cumbersome.

Nan Cheng swallowed hard as she watched Su Xin remove her upper garments, their skin now in direct contact.

She tilted her head slightly, her heart in turmoil.

She didn’t know why, but whenever she thought about those things, her mind always wandered to Su Xin.

Nan Cheng pulled the clothes draped over her shoulders down, covering Su Xin from behind, drawing her closer into her embrace. Her own back was exposed to the air, but it didn’t matter since she wasn’t afraid of the cold. Besides, she was already very hot, and being this close to this person seemed to make her even hotter.

Su Xin quietly curled up in Nan Cheng’s arms, as if hugging a large hot water bottle.

But gradually, she sensed something wasn’t right. Why did it feel like this hot water bottle was about to explode? It was burning hot to an absurd degree.

Even though she was already very cold, she could still feel how scorching hot the other’s body was.

Nan Cheng closed her eyes, desperately suppressing that feeling. It was very uncomfortable, but she just had to endure it. This feeling always came when spring arrived, and she had grown accustomed to it.

“Are you really okay?”

Su Xin looked at Nan Cheng, whose face was burning red, as if she had a high fever.

“Mm, don’t worry about me.”

Nan Cheng bit her lip, still keeping her eyes closed. She was somewhat afraid to make eye contact with the person in front of her, afraid to look at her face, and afraid to face those eyes.

For some reason, she felt that if she opened her eyes, she might do something irreversible.

Su Xin shifted her body slightly, her fingers unconsciously sliding across Nan Cheng’s stomach, causing Nan Cheng to shiver.

Although Su Xin was still very cold, her thoughts, which had been numbed by the cold, were now clearing up and functioning normally.

“Tell me the truth, what’s really wrong with you?”

Su Xin’s expression turned serious as she sat up straight.

“It’s spring now,” Nan Cheng said with a helpless smile.

Su Xin’s mind paused for a moment, then the voice of Animal World (a nature documentary series) echoed in her head.

Spring, the season for animal reproduction and mating…

Oh.

Little One is a cat, an animal.

“Then… what should we do? Do you want to go back to your clan now and find a male cat?”

Su Xin suggested.

“No,” Nan Cheng flatly rejected.

“Eh?”

Nan Cheng didn’t continue speaking and turned her head away.

“Are you not cold anymore?”

“But aren’t you very uncomfortable?”

Nan Cheng felt a bit irritated, her mind in a state of chaos like a pot of porridge (extremely confused or disordered).

She just wanted to quietly hold Su Xin and not do anything else. Can all those male cats just go away?

“But I feel even more uncomfortable without holding you.”

Nan Cheng meant to say that holding Su Xin made her heart feel at ease, and the physical discomfort was completely bearable. However, Su Xin seemed to misunderstand.

“I see…”

Su Xin thought that Nan Cheng just needed to rub against someone to resolve her spring issue.

Hmm, if she doesn’t want a male cat, then this should work too.

When Su Xin’s fingers touched Nan Cheng, her whole body reacted as if struck by electricity.

“What are you doing?”

“Helping you.”

Nan Cheng’s face instantly turned even redder, feeling like her inner cat was about to explode.

Petting a cat is a skilled task, as the ‘poop-scooping official’ (a humorous term for cat owners) must ensure they feel comfortable.

Su Xin began to pet meticulously, following a step-by-step process worthy of a textbook.

Cat petting requires using all five fingers, moving in sequence from top to bottom.

Nan Cheng had fallen into a state of cat paralysis, her entire neck stiff.

Su Xin helped her slowly relax, soothing her. Her ten fingers moved as if playing the piano, with gentleness.

The first floor of the Sky-reaching Tower was extremely cold, and the temperature in this cave was equally low. Yet, it’s the red plum blossoms that bloom in such cold that are the most stunningly beautiful.

Su Xin stroked her little cat with a tender and lingering expression.

By the end, Nan Cheng was on the verge of tears.

Happy yet sad.

Seeing her tear-streaked face, Su Xin became a bit flustered and quickly stopped her actions.

“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable?”

Su Xin wiped away her tears.

Nan Cheng’s eyes were red, her blue eyes, like jewels, seemed as if they had been washed with water, emitting a clear, bright light.

She felt so sad, yet so happy. Happy to be this close, but sad because behind this closeness, there wasn’t what she truly wanted.

But what did she want?

Nan Cheng didn’t answer, instead she gently leaned in and lightly touched Su Xin’s lips with her own.

Su Xin tasted the salty tears, her expression slightly stunned.

This could no longer be described as a farewell kiss. In this situation, there was only one possibility.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“I know.”

Nan Cheng answered quickly, wiping away her own tears.

“You’ve touched me, can you not touch others?”

“Being so shameless?”

Su Xin raised an eyebrow.

Nan Cheng fell silent, pursing her lips, looking a bit sad.

“You’re still young, don’t mess around. I was just helping you.”

“I’m several hundred years older than you.”

“I’m not messing around,” Nan Cheng added.

“Don’t casually kiss others next time. In the human world, you can only do this with someone you like.”

“So I like you. In our clan too, I’ve only ever kissed you!”

“What does a mythical beast know about liking someone? What you feel for me is just dependency on a companion.”

How could an animal understand human emotions?

“I understand, I know, I don’t want to touch that tomcat. I only want to mate with you, but I don’t know if it’s allowed. I like it when you hold me, and I also like it when you smile at me. I get angry when others approach you.”

A young cat spirit, several hundred years old, was mumbling to her master about her understanding of love. Su Xin rubbed her forehead.

“I don’t need you to like me. Just stay by my side. Can you promise not to hate me?”

Nan Cheng’s mind was in chaos. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She didn’t mean for it to be like this.

She only wanted to cling to Su Xin to get through that uncomfortable feeling, and then it would be like before, with Su Xin holding her hand and Nan Cheng nestled in Su Xin’s embrace.

“What do you mean by hate? What are you overthinking about?”

Nan Cheng thought, Su Xin seemed to dislike this, dislike her confession, dislike them having any other kind of relationship. So, would she be hated now? Would she be driven away?

Cats are proud creatures, and so is Nan Cheng. But with Su Xin, she couldn’t maintain her pride. She feared that if she turned away and came back, there would be no place for her by her master’s side anymore.

It was all so confusing.

Su Xin was a bit perplexed. She had suddenly received a confession from her companion, but she had no intention of starting a romantic relationship at the moment. She only wanted to quickly become stronger, complete her mission, and then leave.

There was no need for any entanglement. Su Xin still saw Nan Cheng as her good companion, of course. Why would Nan Cheng think she would hate her?

Su Xin wondered, did she come across as a ‘straight woman’ (someone who is oblivious to romantic hints)?

Nan Cheng finished putting on her clothes and, seeing that Su Xin didn’t seem uncomfortable at all, breathed a sigh of relief.

“Little One.”

“Mm.”

“I won’t hate you, don’t worry. We’ll always be good until the day I die.”

Su Xin said seriously. Even though Nan Cheng was already several hundred years old, she couldn’t help but see her as a child. If the worlds she had experienced counted, then she was also several hundred years old.

Nan Cheng’s expression was somewhat bewildered, like a child who couldn’t find their way.

“Listen to me. Don’t say ‘like’ so easily, because you don’t fully understand it yet. Maybe what you feel for me is just an emotion towards someone you depend on. That’s why you want to be close to me, and why you feel threatened when others approach me. But this isn’t love; it’s just a kind of possessiveness.”

Su Xin pressed her forehead against Nan Cheng’s, her voice gentle.

“You don’t love me, you just depend on me. That’s okay. I won’t hate you. After all, we’re the closest companions in this world. We’ll be together forever.”

Fourteen observed in Su Xin’s mind, saying nothing.

It didn’t know if the host had become more emotionally intelligent or if she really thought this way. All it could say was, “well done, that’s very misleading”.

The budding of the cat spirit’s love was forcefully led in another direction by the person she liked.

“As for thinking of me when mating… um… it might be a subconscious behavior. Once you’ve experienced more and seen more people or mythical beasts, you won’t think this way anymore.”

Su Xin was like a patient parent, slowly brainwashing with good intentions.

Nan Cheng nodded, seeming to understand but not quite. When Su Xin showed a satisfied expression, she acted obedient.

But when Su Xin lowered her head to put on clothes, Nan Cheng tilted her head and revealed a strange smile.

So that feeling was called “like” – wanting to be close, to kiss, to embrace, to possess exclusively.

It seemed the master thought of her as too naive. After all, she was a mythical beast who had lived for hundreds of years. On the eighth floor of the Sky-reaching Tower, where humans also lived, she knew many things.

Who said relationships between animals were simple? There’s plenty of scheming and intrigue.

When she met Su Xin, her memories were sealed due to severe injuries, showing only her most harmless side. Perhaps because of this, Su Xin treated her like a naive little silly cat. But that was fine too.

Su Xin finished dressing and found that Nan Cheng had transformed back into her original form, jumping into her arms. The sight made Su Xin, who hadn’t “inhale cat” (an internet slang for cuddling and petting cats) for over ten years, feel like she was in heaven. She began to “inhale cat” without any resistance, completely enchanted.

Master, you keep telling me it’s not love, but do you even know what love is?

Nan Cheng allowed Su Xin to indulge in her without any resistance. It seemed Su Xin couldn’t resist her original form at all, unable to stop kissing and petting her. Nan Cheng didn’t know why, but this was great.

Su Xin had said her feelings were just dependence and possessiveness, so from now on, she could use this excuse openly for whatever she did.

The cold poison in Su Xin’s body had been mostly dealt with. She messed up the Little One’s fur and then started grooming it, looking completely satisfied. She had almost forgotten about the awkward situation earlier, and her “education” had more or less succeeded.

Nan Cheng only maintained her cat form for a while. After Su Xin finished grooming her, she transformed back into human form, still clothed.

Su Xin stroked her chin, impressed.

“How long are you going to stay here?” Nan Cheng asked.

“One month.”

“That’s so short?”

“Yes, after that I’ll go back to school, but I don’t want to return.”

Just like twenty years ago in the secret realm, not leaving, and then obtaining what she wanted.

“If you don’t want to leave, then stay. I’ll keep you company. The eighth floor of the Sky-reaching Tower is inhabited by humans, but they’re all very powerful. The person you’re looking for might be among them.”

“How powerful?”

“That group of mythical beasts from earlier, one person could handle them more than enough.”

The Sky-reaching Tower is another world, another existence that’s more dangerous and more realistic.

“Little One, am I unable to beat you in a fight?”

“Yes.”

“Is the difference very large?”

“Very large.”

“Can you defeat them?”

“A group, yes. A large group, no.”

Nan Cheng couldn’t act recklessly either, after all, she represented the Nine Lives Cat clan.

If something were to happen to her, the high-level mythical beasts on the eighth floor, the Green Snake and White Fox clans, wouldn’t miss the opportunity to swallow and merge them.

“I see.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. I’m a Nine Lives Cat, I have nine lives.”

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