C12 Escaping

The cat's mouth continuously expelled air, emitting a foul odor reminiscent of rotten meat that had been pulverized and left to bake in the sun for three days. The stench was so revolting it made me gag, my stomach roiling with nausea, yet I dared not make any sudden moves.

I couldn't shake the memory of the black cat leaping onto Third Uncle's shoulder, causing him to freeze in place. I had no choice but to mimic his posture, clueless as I was.

But my situation differed from Third Uncle's; he had me, his nephew, as a fallback, whereas I had no one.

So, while Third Uncle had managed to escape, there I was, standing like an idiot in that eerie spot.

Still, emulating Third Uncle's rigid stance seemed to keep me safe for the time being.

The black cat perched on my shoulder, issuing a few low growls but refraining from any further action.

Glancing down, I saw that I was still clutching the flowerpot in both hands, the life-saving Worship Incense secured between my pinky and ring finger.

The incense had burned down to its final third, leaving just a small stub.

Whether the black cat refrained from attacking me because of the Worship Incense, I couldn't be sure. But I trusted there was a good reason Third Uncle had instructed me to carry it.

Then, something even more terrifying occurred.

The black cat ceased its growling and began to sniff vigorously.

The smoke from the Worship Incense, starkly visible in the candlelight, was being drawn into the black cat in steady streams.

With its four paws planted on my shoulder, the cat leaned forward, maintaining an odd equilibrium.

Sneaking a peek, I noticed the black cat's eyes had lost their fierce, resentful glare, becoming clouded and dazed. Its face bore an expression of greed, an expression more fitting for a human, which looked utterly bizarre on a feline.

The black cat was voraciously inhaling the Worship Incense!

As it did so, the incense burned away more quickly. I could see the flame descending at an alarming rate, visible to the naked eye.

I muttered under my breath in distress. The Worship Incense was running low, and at this rate, it would be completely burnt out in less than five minutes.

Without the Worship Incense, I was clueless about what might happen next.

Then it hit me—the puppet I had found downstairs with its head twisted off and its belly slashed open—could this black cat have been responsible? With no Worship Incense left, would the cat do the same to me as it had to the puppet?

The thought made my skin crawl. For some reason, people aren't usually scared of cats, but there was something undeniably eerie about the black cat perched on my shoulder. My fear was instinctive, and I couldn't bring myself to meet its gaze.

Later on, I discovered that black cats are considered mystical creatures, particularly in the realm of the paranormal, where they're often seen as emblems of clairvoyance. However, not just any black cat has this gift; it has to be one with not a single stray hair, born at a specific time and place. This belief isn't unfounded—cats were introduced from abroad and have been historically kept as familiars by witches. Hence, the notion of cats possessing psychic abilities is quite plausible. Psychic black cats are said to be exploited by spirits, which is why there are age-old tales of cats leaping into coffins, heralding the undead. It's customary to keep cats away when vigil is being kept over the deceased.

At the time, I was ignorant of all this. All I could do was watch over the black cat and the dwindling Worship Incense, enduring an agony that seemed too much for any human to bear. Internally, I was incessantly cursing Third Uncle, that good-for-nothing man. Once I was out of this mess, he'd have a piece of my mind. It seemed like the only way to alleviate the terror I felt inside.

The cat on my shoulder continued to greedily inhale the smoke from the Worship Incense. As the incense slowly burned away, a cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

Just then, I heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

My attention shifted, and there was Third Uncle, stealthily peeking out and glancing my way.

I was on the verge of losing it. What was he looking at in such a critical moment? But at least he had the decency not to abandon his nephew here.

Third Uncle was more experienced than I was, and noticing my distress, he quickly gestured for me to stay calm.

How could I stay calm, though? With the situation at hand, the flowerpot I was holding wasn't heavy, but as time passed, my arms began to go numb and started shaking uncontrollably.

Unable to speak, I could only glare at Third Uncle.

He gave a sly smile and shook the object he was holding in his other hand at me.

To my surprise, it was the puppet from downstairs.

I couldn't fathom why he would need the puppet at that moment until I saw Third Uncle put the Worship Incense in his mouth to free his hands, and swiftly pulled out some hair from inside the puppet's belly. He then proceeded to the end of the hallway and placed the clumps of hair in a corner.

Next, Third Uncle picked up a candle and set the hair ablaze.

The hair, being fine and soft, caught fire quickly, producing a thin stream of green smoke.

Before I could grasp Third Uncle's intentions, I felt a sudden weight on my shoulder, followed by a lightness. The black cat, attracted by the smoke, had leaped down and darted straight for the burning hair.

While I stood there dumbfounded, Third Uncle rushed over, yanked at my clothes, and we both ran down the stairs.

Snapping back to reality, I quickly followed Third Uncle, still clutching the flowerpot.

Glancing back at the staircase's turn, I saw the black cat crouched near the hair, its neck fur bristling, growling at the flames.

Not daring to linger, I bolted down from the second floor.

Reaching the first floor, I was met with a dense fog enveloping the entire hall, so thick I could barely see my hand in front of my face. Third Uncle had descended ahead of me, and his figure was nowhere in sight.

I searched in vain for Third Uncle, but my sense of direction was completely scrambled. Afraid to call out, I was overwhelmed with anxiety.

Thankfully, after a moment of composure, I noticed a faint glow on the floor.

It dawned on me that this was the white candle Third Uncle had instructed me to arrange on the ground when we first arrived.

At that moment, the white candle before me flickered with a feeble flame. It was small, but it stood out starkly against the mist, easily catching the eye. The flames further away, however, were completely obscured by the fog.

Taking a couple of steps toward the candle, I noticed the light from another candle a little further off. It was then that I grasped the real reason Third Uncle had placed these candles: they were a lifeline for us. By following the candles' direction, we could find our way out of the house.

Realizing this, I felt a huge sense of relief and quickened my pace, following the candles' guidance.

The exit came swiftly. I reached the door in no time, and just as I was stepping out, I felt a sharp pain in my finger—the Worship Incense had burned down to the end, and with a puff, it emitted a plume of green smoke and was snuffed out.

Then, a bizarre yowl from behind made me whirl around. The black cat was arched, ready to leap. Startled, I stumbled backward, nearly dropping the flowerpot I was holding.

The person behind me steadied the flowerpot. It was Third Uncle, who had made it out ahead of me.

Before I could speak, Third Uncle shushed me and led me through several twists and turns to an open space.

We found ourselves in what seemed to be the central area of the residential district, surrounded by a scattering of homes.

"That was too close," Third Uncle exhaled deeply, mopping the sweat from his brow.

"Damn. Can we talk now?" I was overwhelmed with relief, feeling like I'd narrowly escaped death. The oppressive atmosphere in the house had been suffocating. If I hadn't made it out, the ghost might not have been the end of me—I could have very well collapsed from the strain.

Third Uncle nodded, "I never imagined the Ghost Infant would take over a black cat..."

I paused, taken aback, "You mean that black cat is the deceased infant?"

"Exactly. That black cat has been protecting the black datura. We were wearing funeral garments and carrying the Worship Incense, so the Ghost Infant couldn't detect us. But the black cat is different; it has an acute sense of smell and sight. It couldn't pinpoint our location, but it could sense our presence. As soon as I moved the black datura, it lunged."

I scoffed, "So you had me move this flower just to draw that cat to me. Third Uncle, I've got to hand it to you, you're quite the schemer..."

Third Uncle's face flushed, a mix of red and white: "This was... wasn't this just a desperate measure, a stratagem to 'lure the tiger away from the mountain' to save you?"

I waved my hand dismissively, "Of course, I know it was to save me. If not, would I still be talking to you so calmly? But why did the hair from the puppet attract the cat?"

Third Uncle explained, "As I've mentioned, I created the puppet to attract the Ghost Infant. That hair, taken from a person at birth, is full of vitality and purity. When I burned the hair, the black cat thought someone had revealed its presence and dashed over to investigate. We took that chance to make our escape. But this trick only works once. Luckily, we managed to get the black datura out successfully."

We both squatted around the black datura, and I inquired, "What should we do with this flower?"

Third Uncle looked up at the moon without a word, then pulled a wine bottle from his pack and set it on the ground, followed by a chipped bowl.

Puzzled, I asked, "What's this, Third Uncle? You're in the mood for a drink now?"

Third Uncle shot me a look, "Drink? Look closer at what's inside that bottle."

I held the bottle up to the moonlight and saw it was filled with a red liquid.

"Wow, Third Uncle, ditching the clear for the red? When did you develop such a refined taste?"

Third Uncle snatched the bottle back, annoyed, "Are you kidding me? Do you think this is wine? This is blood..."