YM778.TV Chapter 36: Blockade_i
Fubo Pond was not located within Yun Province. Instead, it was right next door in Qing Province. This was why Shen Yuan hadn’t recalled the Pond immediately when the Maine Coon had asked him about the Aquatic Tribe.
In ancient times, his Divine Sense would not have supported him to fly on a sword, and he would have to travel for several days to reach there.
But in the modern era of Great Xia, a regular train journey to Qing Province would only take half a day.
However, as a member of the monster tribe, the Maine Coon could not appear in areas heavily populated by humans.
Places like train stations and airports were heavily controlled by Great Xia’s Imperial Court.
The minor demon arts used by the Maine Coon were all right to fool normal people, but standing in front of a cultivator from the Imperial Court of Great Xia, it would be instantly seen through.
Especially being a Qi Transformation Stage monster, if it took action recklessly, it could cause huge casualties. At the present stage where Spirit Energy Tidal Surge had just returned, it was a focus of observation.
Shen Yuan, with no intention to stir up trouble, chose to travel by private vehicle to Qing Province.
Before long, an old-fashioned, white car stopped slowly in front of Shen Yuan’s yard.
“Are you Teacher Shen who is on his way to Qing Province?”
The ride-hailing driver looked curiously at Shen Yuan, who was standing at his door.
In his eyes, Shen Yuan was holding a cute black-and-white kitten in his arms, and a good-natured Maine Coon lay at his feet, appearing to be a committed cat lover.
“Do you have any other luggage?”
“Just us two,” Shen Yuan replied in a flat tone.
Of course, he had luggage, but he had stored them all, including the
Darkness-Light Sword, in his Storage Ring.
The driver was taken aback by Shen Yuan’s words. He’d had many passengers but had never seen anyone who packed the entire car with nothing but two cats.
“1 can save quite a bit on fuel costs.” The driver was secretly pleased.
Ride-hailing across provinces was not cheap, so many people would choose to take a private car for the convenience of moving their luggage. With this trip just having Shen Yuan and the two cats, they could save a lot of money.
“Teacher Shen, why don’t you get in the car quickly? We aim to reach Qing Province before it gets dark,” the driver called cordially.
Shen Yuan nodded and then opened the door to sit in the front passenger seat.
The driver looked puzzled at the Maine Coon left behind, preparing to ask where to put the cat. Yet, he saw the Maine Coon, which looked much like a tiger, extend its paw and proficiently open the vehicle’s door.
The driver stared in amazement while Shen Yuan casually explained,
“My cat is particularly clever.”
Then, under the driver’s gaze, the Maine Coon cautiously climbed into the vehicle. The moment its four feet were off the ground, the car seemed to drop a little as if suddenly pressed by some heavy object.
The Maine Coon had used an Eye-Blocking Method to become a kitten, but with its actual weight and body similar to a tiger’s, it was quite a feat that the car could carry it. Once inside, it lay quietly on the seat.
The driver seemed dumbfounded, but Shen Yuan cleared his throat and said,
“My cat is a bit heavier than others.”
The driver swallowed, his smile somewhat rigid.
Thanks to the recent online promotion, ordinary people have some understanding of cultivators and monster tribes, even though most city dwellers are unlikely to come into contact with these things.
Even to this day, many still believe that the videos on the internet are special effects and won’t admit that monsters exist.
The driver was one of those doubters, but the Maine Coon’s intelligent behaviour – opening the car door of its own initiative, and possessing a weight that was insignificant in appearance but seemed to weigh at least several hundred kilos — all extinguished the doubt in his mind.
As the car slowly left the old city area, the driver was driving and sneaking glances at the Maine Coon in the back seat. He muttered,
“Teacher Shen is really lucky. I hear that mutated pets like this now cost even more than an apartment. Has this cat been raised since it was a kitten?”
“I picked it up in my own yard.”
The driver’s face immediately revealed his disbelief. However, considering the high price of such a pet, it was normal to conceal something.
The driver was somewhat displeased with Shen Yuan’s perfunctory remarks, but curiosity made him carry on the conversation despite himself.
“I hear that a mutated pet like this can sell for a few million. Is Teacher Shen interested in selling?”
Shen Yuan blinked, and the Maine Coon sitting in the back seat looked at the driver with an instantly chilling gaze.
If it were not for Shen Yuan, the Maine Coon might be ready to attack directly.
“This cat is a bit fierce. I’m afraid it might hurt others, so 1 don’t have any plans
to sell it for now.”
Upon hearing this, the driver burst into laughter.
“Teacher Shen, you’re unaware. Those who are willing to buy such mutated pets are all billionaires.
No matter how powerful a pet is, it cannot be compared to modern thermal weapons. In my opinion… Achoo! 1 didn’t turn on the AC; why do I feel cold?” Shen Yuan glanced at the chill welling up in the Maine Coon’s eyes, and then casually said,
“I’m not interested in selling right now. Let’s change the subject.
The driver was a little regretful, but his interest in the topic kept him going as he began to share more internet gossip to kill time.
Shen Yuan could instantly tell that the brothers’ and ‘friends’ the driver mentioned were just boasting.
However, the small cat didn’t think so. Bai Xue, who was nestled in Shen Yuan’s arms, seemed entranced. She peeked out her little head, occasionally showing a look of surprise.
With this level of intelligence, she would probably be sold by the driver and still be helping him count the money.
Time flew by on the road until the afternoon, when a red-lit checkpoint halted the vehicle.
The driver got out of the car to converse with the officials at the checkpoint. I le soon returned to the car, looking frustrated.
“I’m sorry, Teacher Shen. The checkpoint up ahead has been set up by the Zhennan Army. They say there’s been a large landslide on the highway ahead, so all cars heading to Qing Province must turn back.
Even the villagers living in nearby mountains have been evacuated by the Imperial Court.”
“We are only a hundred kilometers from Qing Province. 1 didn’t expect this problem to occur.
How about finding a place close by to rest for the night, and then going to Qing Province first thing in the morning?”
On hearing about the Zhennan Army, Shen Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. His Pot’s Heaven Divine Power, which was capable of creating an extra layer of spatial force, was silently added to his vision.
His line of sight penetrated the checkpoint, the mountains, and the large, relocating villages. Shen Yuan did not see any so-called landslide.
Instead, on this surging summer afternoon, an abnormal gloom was leaking from the mountains. The shadows of the trees under the sun seemed to transform into clawing, twisted demons.
The mountains imparted an unusual sense of silence and coldness.
Retracting his gaze, Shen Yuan thought for a while, then said, “I’ll get off here.” Under the astonished gaze of the driver, Shen Yuan opened the car door and departed with his two cats..