Divine Level Witch Doctor

”What are you sniffing? Don’t worry, I haven’t been with any other cats.” At first, Zhao Yuan didn’t think much of it and even cracked a joke, assuming the White Cat was searching for the scent of another animal on him. But soon, he sensed something was wrong.

The White Cat was no ordinary feline. When he was at school and occasionally teased and fed the stray cats on campus, it had never gotten jealous or acted so strangely.

’Could it be that Xiaobai found something on me?’ The thought flashed through Zhao Yuan’s mind, and the more he considered it, the more likely it seemed. After all, the White Cat had a track record in this area.

Zhao Shiquan didn’t know what was going through Zhao Yuan’s mind. Seeing him playing with the cat, he said, ”Remember to wash your hands after you’re done with the cat. It’s almost time to eat. I’m going to the kitchen to see if your mom needs any help. Oh, right, I didn’t tell your mom about you going to Xiaqiao Village, so don’t bring it up later. You know your mother—she tends to make a big fuss. If she found out you secretly went to Xiaqiao Village, she’d nag you to death!”

Zhao Yuan looked up and replied, ”I know. Thanks, Dad.”

Zhao Shiquan shot him a look and said irritably, ”If you really want to thank me, then stop doing things that make me worry.” He then got up and walked out of the main hall to help in the kitchen.

After his old man left, Zhao Yuan lowered his voice and asked the White Cat, ”Did you find something on me?”

The White Cat looked up, meowed twice, and then patted his collar with a paw.

’Is there something wrong with the collar?’ Zhao Yuan quickly took off his down jacket and examined the collar. Sure enough, right where the White Cat had patted, there was a tiny red dot the size of a grain of rice.

If the White Cat hadn’t pointed it out, Zhao Yuan would have had a hard time noticing this thing on the collar of his down jacket.

”What is this?” Zhao Yuan frowned and asked.

The White Cat meowed, its face serious, as if it were earnestly answering the question. Unfortunately, while Zhao Yuan could understand Ghost Language, he was completely clueless when it came to cat-speak and could only manage a wry smile.

Helpless, he shook his head and sighed. ”Alright, you can stop. I’ll just have to figure it out myself.”

The White Cat clearly rolled its eyes, its face full of disdain. It even meowed a few more times, as if to say, ’You idiot, why ask if you can’t understand? You made me waste all that breath!’

Being lectured by a cat left Zhao Yuan not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He couldn’t get angry, so he just pretended not to see it and focused all his energy on the red dot on his collar.

Zhao Yuan first tried rubbing it with his fingers and found that the red dot didn’t smear or have any texture. He didn’t stop there, however. He took out his Body Pearl to enhance his sense of touch. Now he could feel it. The red dot had a sticky, gooey sensation, like blood that was about to coagulate but hadn’t completely. Then, he activated his Truth Recognition Technique, brought the collar to his nose, and sniffed carefully.

A faint, bloody smell wafted from the red dot.

It was clearly made of blood! But it wasn’t human blood, because it carried a hint of a gamy, fishy smell, like the blood of some kind of wild animal.

Why would a bloodstain inexplicably appear on his collar? Where on earth did it come from?

Zhao Yuan suddenly thought of Mage Zhang.

’Could he have put this bloodstain on me when I wasn’t looking?’

The more Zhao Yuan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He opened his Information Leaf and began searching for answers.

Soon, within a book on various cultivation practices and Magic introductions under the miscellany section, Zhao Yuan found some records related to blood dots.

”According to this book, *Miscellaneous Talks on Cultivation*, in the miscellany section, this situation is likely one of three things: a Curse, a hex, or a tracking mark! Curses and hexes are easy enough to understand. A tracking mark, on the other hand, uses this drop of blood to mark my location, allowing the caster to find me.”

Zhao Yuan narrowed his eyes, pondering as he muttered to himself.

”It’s probably not a Curse or a hex, because I don’t see any Evil Qi on me. Besides, I’m carrying an Exorcism Talisman and a Fearless Pearl. If Mage Zhang had really placed a Curse or a hex on me, there’s no way these two Magical Artifacts wouldn’t have reacted! So, this bloodstain must be for tracking. Tonight, Mage Zhang, or something under his control, will follow this drop of blood to my door!”

”Looks like Mage Zhang isn’t a complete fraud; he has a few tricks up his sleeve! To think he’d use his skills for something as crooked as murdering for money instead of following the proper Dao! It’s intolerable! Tonight, I’ll see just what tricks you have!”

Perhaps sensing the fighting spirit emanating from Zhao Yuan, the White Cat shot to its feet and began meowing fiercely, as if delivering a pre-battle declaration!

Hearing its cries, the cats, dogs, chickens, and rabbits of the neighboring households all cowered in corners, trembling. The White Cat’s meow struck an incredible fear into their hearts!

One must understand, the dogs in the village weren’t house pets. They were mountain dogs that could guard homes and hunt! They had faced down wolves in the great mountains without fear, let alone cowered and trembled in a corner.

It was a pity Zhao Yuan didn’t see this, or his curiosity about the White Cat would have deepened even further.

Zhao Yuan didn’t wipe away the blood dot on his collar. He didn’t want to tip off his enemy.

After putting his down jacket back on, Zhao Yuan acted as if nothing had happened and went to the kitchen to help.

Right then, besides his parents, his younger sister Zhao Ling was also in the kitchen. With the four of them in there, it was a bit chaotic and crowded, but the atmosphere was full of joy and warmth.

During lunch, Zhao Yuan said, ”Dad, this afternoon, can you make a trip to the county town and help me buy some construction materials? I’ll have the construction team give you a list in a bit. It’ll probably take you until evening to finish, and the roads are bad at night, so don’t rush back. Just stay in town for the night. Hey, by the way, have you ever taken Mom to a movie all these years? Why don’t you just take Mom with you to town? After you’re done with business, you two can have a romantic night out.”

A blush crossed Shen Lijun’s face. She shot Zhao Yuan a look and said irritably, ”You kid, what nonsense are you spouting? Your father and I are old. What’s there to be romantic about?”

Zhao Shiquan, however, was tempted. He smiled and said, ”The boy is just being filial. Why are you scolding him? But he’s right. I really have let you down all these years. Why don’t you come to town with me this afternoon? We can act like young people, go to a movie, and eat at a restaurant.”

Shen Lijun was tempted too, but she still said, ”Why waste the money? Let’s just forget it.”

Zhao Yuan immediately started persuading her. ”Mom, it’s not a waste, it’s enjoying life. Your son can make money now, so of course, I have to let you two enjoy yourselves.” He shot a look at Zhao Ling, and the girl, understanding, immediately joined in the persuasion.

In the end, Shen Lijun couldn’t win against the three of them and agreed.

After sending his parents away, Zhao Yuan found another excuse to have Zhao Ling go play at a friend’s house for the day and come back tomorrow.

He made these arrangements because he didn’t want his parents and sister to stay at home and get frightened or involved.

Once his family had all left, Zhao Yuan sat alone in the main hall, silent, quietly waiting for night to fall.