Chapter 108: The Cat Demon

In the dense darkness, a cold glint of light flashed.

*Shua!*

With a soft sound, a black shadow soared through the air, its speed astonishing.

The shadow wasn’t very large, only about the size of a house cat. Its entire body was covered in jet-black fur, its eyes emitting a faint green light in the darkness, appearing exceptionally eerie. Its sharp claws, gleaming with a chilling light, were extended.

Its destination was a wooden house.

Within the wooden house, a faint yellow light flickered.

*Bang!*

With a muffled sound, the black shadow slammed forcefully against the wooden door.

Immediately after, sharp claws rapidly scraped the door. The sounds were sharp and unpleasant, like fingernails scratching a blackboard, making one’s teeth itch.

“What’s making noise outside?” Inside the room, a sleepy voice, muffled, slowly sounded.

*Scratch, scratch, scratch…*

The sounds of scraping continued, relentless.

“It’s probably a wild cat.” Another voice, slightly more awake, replied.

“Oh, okay.” The first voice seemed to lose interest and quickly fell silent.

*Scratch, scratch…*

The scraping intensified, becoming even more rapid and urgent.

*Creak…*

A faint creak echoed as the door slightly swung open, revealing a sliver of darkness outside.

*Swish!*

A black shadow instantly slipped through the gap and entered the room.

In the dim light, its figure was revealed. It was indeed a black cat, its eyes glowing with a faint green light.

Upon entering the room, the black cat didn’t immediately attack. Instead, it stood silently in the center of the room, its green eyes slowly scanning its surroundings.

The room wasn’t large, containing only a simple bed, a table, and two chairs. Two figures lay on the bed, seemingly asleep.

The black cat’s gaze finally settled on the two figures on the bed. Its body tensed slightly, its claws extended, and it took a slow, deliberate step forward.

*Hiss!*

Suddenly, a chilling hiss erupted from the black cat’s throat. Its body arched, and it sprang forward like a released arrow, launching itself towards the figures on the bed.

*Bang!*

A muffled sound echoed as the black cat’s attack was blocked by something invisible. It seemed to have collided with an invisible barrier and bounced back.

“Heh heh, a cat demon?” A cold laugh sounded from the bed.

The two figures on the bed slowly sat up, revealing two young men. Their eyes were wide open, and they were clearly not asleep.

“You two… are not ordinary people?” The black cat landed on the ground, its green eyes narrowing slightly.

“Ordinary? Compared to a cat demon like you, perhaps we are not ordinary.” One of the young men sneered, his voice filled with mockery.

The black cat’s fur bristled, and its tail flicked back and forth agitatedly. “So you were waiting for me? You two… are members of the Demon Extermination Division?”

“Demon Extermination Division? We are just ordinary people passing by.” The other young man said calmly, his gaze fixed on the black cat.

“Ordinary people passing by wouldn’t have a barrier protecting them.” The black cat’s tone was cold, its body tensing, preparing to attack again.

“Perhaps we are just very lucky ordinary people.” The first young man said with a smile, his hand slowly reaching under the pillow.

The black cat hesitated for a moment, then its eyes flashed with a fierce light. “It doesn’t matter who you are! Since you are here, you will become my dinner!”

With a roar, the black cat lunged forward again, faster and more powerful than before.

*Clang!*

A crisp sound echoed as the young man under the pillow suddenly pulled out a long, gleaming sword. The sword radiated a faint golden light, and as it swung, it produced a soft buzzing sound.

The black cat’s body, mid-air, suddenly stiffened. A look of horror appeared in its green eyes as it stared at the golden sword.

“This… this is… a Dharma weapon!” The black cat’s voice trembled, no longer arrogant but filled with fear.

“You recognized it.” The young man holding the sword smiled, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. “Unfortunately for you, encountering a Dharma weapon means your end.”

With a swift movement, the young man swung the golden sword.

*Swish!*

A golden light flashed, swift and decisive.

*Hiss!*

A piercing shriek of pain erupted from the black cat. Its body, severed in two, fell to the ground. The black fur rapidly faded, revealing a grotesque half-cat, half-human form. Blood gushed from the wound, soaking the ground.

The green light in its eyes slowly extinguished.

The first young man, holding the golden sword, walked over to the dying cat demon. He squatted down and extended a hand, his fingers glowing with a faint golden light.

The cat demon’s body, still twitching, began to rapidly shrink and distort under the young man’s touch. Its grotesque features blurred, and its form became increasingly indistinct.

After a moment, all that remained was a small, black orb, about the size of a thumb.

The young man carefully picked up the black orb. It felt cold and smooth to the touch, emanating a faint, unsettling energy.

“Another demon core,” he said, his voice calm.

The other young man walked over and nodded. “This area has been experiencing an increasing number of demon attacks lately. It seems the seal on the demonic realm is weakening.”

“Perhaps.” The young man with the demon core shrugged. “Or perhaps it’s just a temporary surge in demonic activity. Either way, we should report this to the Division.”

He placed the demon core into a small pouch and stood up.

“Let’s get some rest,” he said. “There might be more visitors tonight.”

The two young men extinguished the lamp and lay back down on the bed. The room plunged back into darkness, silent once more.

Outside, the night was deep and quiet. The only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

The black cat, or rather, the cat demon, was gone, its life extinguished by a single swing of a Dharma weapon. Its demon core, a condensed form of its power, would be brought back to the Demon Extermination Division, another testament to the ongoing struggle between humans and demons.

And in the darkness, somewhere out there, other demons lurked, waiting, watching, ready to strike.

The night was far from over.