Chapter 481: Supreme Demon God, Lady Calico

The armored soldiers continued to file out of the small doors until, at last, the entire procession had emerged. They stood assembled in the room—though each was less than half a chi tall, their sheer numbers created an imposing spectacle.

Then, the crowd shifted, and from within their ranks, several women stepped forward.

Some were elderly, appearing equivalent to human women in their fifties or sixties, while the younger ones looked to be in their thirties. They varied in height and build—some plump, some thin. The moment they stepped forward, they placed themselves at the front of the gathering.

Hands on their hips, arms outstretched, they immediately launched into a scolding, "You are an unbelievably rude man!"

"We only enjoy lively gatherings! Seeing you sleeping alone in such loneliness, we kindly invited you to join us for some fun! Not only did you refuse to appreciate our goodwill, but you even set a cat on us! Do you have no sense of decorum?"

"Shameless! Arrogant!"

"Offer an apology to our young master with prostation[1]! If your remorse is sincere, we shall still invite you to sing and dance with us until dawn. But if you persist in your rudeness, don’t blame us for being impolite!"

"Apologize! Immediately!"

"..."

The women’s attire, too, was reminiscent of a bygone dynasty. Under the moonlight, their tiny figures cast faint shadows across the floor. Though they were as small as the first little man, their voices carried far more volume and authority.

They didn’t merely scold—they gestured wildly as they spoke, their hands jabbing accusatory fingers in Song You’s direction, stomping their feet, clapping their hands.

It was, without a doubt, a full-blown fishwife tirade.

"..."

Song You sighed, rubbing his ears in mild exasperation.

Meanwhile, the calico cat perched at the edge of the bed, staring down at the shouting women.

Her gaze drifted from one to the next, following the order of their outbursts, watching them intently. Each time they said something particularly sharp or absurd, or made gestures that resembled some kind of spell, her eyes flickered with bewildered curiosity.

Her head tilted this way and that, occasionally even leaning back slightly in surprise.

Then, she turned to look at her Daoist companion. Just in time to see his weary, unimpressed expression.

At that moment, Lady Calico decided she would not tolerate this any longer.

She turned her head back to the quarrelsome women—this time, her expression hardened.

Slowly, she lowered her gaze, her body crouching as her posture shifted. If one observed carefully, they would see that every movement was fluid and precise, each strand of her fur rippling like waves in water.

Then—in one effortless glide—she leapt from the bed and landed lightly on the floor.

The women immediately fell silent. Terror flashed across their faces, and some instinctively stepped backward.

No matter how fierce or brash they had been, when faced with a giant beast capable of devouring them in a single bite, they dared not act recklessly.

Only when they glanced behind them—seeing the armored soldiers still standing at the ready—did they regain a slight sense of security.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Control your cat!"

"Or we'll shoot it dead!"

"You people..." Song You let out a helpless sigh. Still seated on the bed, leaning against the window, he looked at the gathering of little people and said, "I only wished to sleep, so I politely declined that young man's invitation. It was he who reached out and pulled at me, and then he was frightened by my cat, who was already in the room. I never set the cat on him."

"Nonsense!"

"Lies!"

"Then what are you doing now?"

"Hurry up and take your cat away, apologize to us, and come play with us!"

The women refused to back down, their voices shrill and demanding.

"Your words are far too rude." Song You’s voice remained calm as he sat on the bed.

"My cat is named Lady Calico. She was once the Cat God by the Daoist road of Jinyang in Yizhou. She possesses vast divine powers and immense magical strength, and she understands human speech. She has even written books and established teachings.

"Not only have you disturbed our peaceful sleep in the dead of night, but you have acted unreasonably and spoken offensively. Now that my Lady Calico has heard you, it is only natural that she would be displeased."

Meanwhile, the cat kept walking forward.

Rustle, rustle

...

Suddenly, a group of a dozen or so armored soldiers rushed forward, positioning themselves in front of the women as a barrier. Their eyes were full of caution as they stared at the approaching calico cat.

Under the moonlight, Lady Calico's shadow stretched across the floor, growing longer and closer until it finally reached their feet. Gradually, it crept over some of their bodies, engulfing them.

By now, she was right in front of them.

From above, her two eyes glowed with a cold, eerie green light, like two lanterns suspended in the darkness.

Even the armored soldiers, clad in their tiny suits of war gear, felt uneasy.

Then, from the group of finely dressed little people—those who had been standing alongside the first little man—a figure stepped forward.

This one wore extravagant attire and, judging by the reactions of the others, seemed to hold a high status. However, he was just as ill-mannered as the rest.

The moment he opened his mouth, he barked out orders, "You there! Hurry up and take your cat away! Come with us to play all night long— dance, sing, and make merry until dawn!"

"I don’t need to apologize anymore?" Song You raised an eyebrow.

"If you come and play with us, keeping us company in our loneliness, then you will be a friend! And if you are a friend, what harm is there in forgiving you just this once?"

Song You chuckled, shaking his head. "How generous of you. But what if I refuse? Will you make a racket here all night and keep us from sleeping?"

"Hah! We have sincerely invited you and earnestly persuaded you—how could you have any reason not to go? Moreover, you are being so rude!" The little man’s brows shot up. Then he turned his gaze toward the cat standing before them. "If you don’t come, we’ll kill this cat of yours first! And if you still refuse, we’ll gouge out your eyes! Slice off your ears!"

Lady Calico had already reached the warriors and the women by this time. But hearing another little person begin speaking, her natural curiosity got the better of her.

She tilted her head toward them, listening. Then, seeing her Daoist companion respond, she turned her gaze toward him.

Growing bored, she lowered her head and leaned in closer to examine the tiny warriors.

She sniffed lightly, studying them up close, utterly fascinated. But then, just as she was curiously observing them, she heard those vile words.

They spoke of killing her, gouging out her Daoist priest’s eyes, slicing off his ears. How could she possibly tolerate this?

Even with Lady Calico’s naturally good temper, even though she had originally only been playing around, at this moment, she froze—and nearly fluffed up in anger.

"You little creatures—not even as big as the little people from the Tiny Kingdom—and on top of that, you're just monitor lizards! I didn’t even bother eating you, and that alone is already a kindness! Yet you dare to speak of harming us?"

The moment her voice fell, the entire crowd of little people stiffened in shock.

None of them had ever expected—the cat could actually talk.

In a panic, one of the armored warriors reacted instinctively. With a swift motion, he unsheathed the long blade at his waist, raising it high and swinging it down at Lady Calico!

"

Swish

—!"

Despite his small size, his sword strike was shockingly fast. No human could possibly move at such speed.

Yet—

Lady Calico, still turned toward the little man who had spoken earlier, seemingly unaware of the incoming blade, reacted at the very last instant—tilting her head back just enough to narrowly evade the strike, not even by a fraction too much.

Then, without hesitation, she raised her paw and punched.

"

Bang

!"

A muffled impact rang out.

The armored warrior was sent flying, crashing into several others behind him.

At least three warriors instantly turned into white mist, dissolving into thin air under the force of that single strike.

"How dare you!"

"Murder! Murder!"

"That crazed cat is killing people!"

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Kill it! Kill the cat!"

The women screamed as they retreated.

The nearest dozen or so warriors immediately drew their blades or raised their spears, charging forward without fear of death.

From behind them, a dark mass of warriors surged forward, rushing in to join the fight. Despite their small size, they had numbers on their side.

Their long blades, though only a finger’s length, were longer than the cat’s claws and teeth—and just as sharp.

Their spears, though taller than the warriors themselves, were about the size of a human palm, and their tips gleamed with deadly sharpness.

In an instant, multiple swords slashed toward Lady Calico. Several spears thrust toward her at once.

The cat seemed to have eyes all over its body, utterly aware of every sound and movement around it. It dodged with agility and struck back with its claws.

Immediately, Lady Calico and the army of warriors were locked in battle. Meanwhile, the Daoist remained seated cross-legged on the bed, gazing down at the scene below with a calm expression.

Then, in an even voice, he said, "I had originally thought that, though you were noisy and rude, merely disturbing the normal life of the Xu family, you had no true malice and had never actually harmed anyone. That is why I only intended to persuade you to leave this place."

"But now, it seems I was wrong. You do not refrain from harming others because you lack the intent—only because you are small and weak, and you fear the sheer number of people in the Xu household. In truth, your hearts are filled with wickedness."

The calm voice echoed through the room.

Below, however, the battle raged on.

"

Bang

—!"

With a single slap of her paw, several armored warriors turned to white mist and vanished.

Then, she twisted her body, tail sweeping out in a sharp arc—sending another group of warriors tumbling. Some were knocked flat, while others were flung into their comrades, creating a domino effect that left an entire swath of soldiers collapsed on the floor.

As for their swords and spears—let alone harming her, they couldn't even touch her.

At this moment, Lady Calico was unstoppable.

Her innate agility and lightning-fast reflexes, combined with her superb combat instincts, made her a lethal force.

Now that all restraint was gone, she moved like a beautiful yet deadly specter, rampaging through the tiny army—as if she were simply playing with them.

"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"

One by one, the little people vanished into puffs of white smoke.

If they had time before disappearing, most of them let out agonized screams—and they screamed miserably.

The room was filled with an ear-splitting cacophony—battle cries, shouts of rage, frantic commands, and desperate wails.

"

Zzzzt

—"

Suddenly, from behind—a faint, sharp sound.

A large formation of armored warriors had assembled, bows drawn, arrows aimed at Lady Calico.

Their bows and arrows might have been small, but they were not to be underestimated. Each arrow was as long as a pinky finger, with razor-sharp tips.

And judging by the tension in their drawn bows, the force behind the shots was no joke.

"

Swish

!"

Lady Calico leaped back, widening the gap between herself and the frontline warriors. She lifted her head, gazing at the archers.

Then—she tilted her head playfully, her body swaying slightly, appearing utterly unbothered.

She inhaled deeply, and then exhaled in a powerful burst.

"

Whooosh

—!"

Flames erupted like a dragon’s breath, scorching across the room. The fire was both blazing hot and imbued with spiritual energy.

Whether warriors or women, any tiny person who so much as brushed against the flames instantly dissolved into white smoke and vanished. The archers never even got the chance to release their arrows—they were engulfed before they could react.

And for those who did manage to fire—their arrows disintegrated in midair, reduced to ash in the inferno.

Lady Calico swung her head from left to right, and the pillar of fire followed, sweeping across the floor, unfurling in a wide arc. White mist rose up in the wake of the flames, as one tiny figure after another perished.

The room was bathed in flickering light, glowing bright as day.

Then, the flames gradually died down. Yet the heat in the air remained, leaving the room noticeably warmer than before.

Moonlight spilled onto the floor.

The once crowded mass of little people had dwindled to only a handful, fleeing desperately toward the tiny doorways.

Only now did Lady Calico’s anger subside. Her eyes gleamed with amusement. As if nothing had happened, she sat down, licking her paw leisurely.

But, even as she pretended to ignore them, her sharp eyes tracked the few remaining escapees. And the moment they reached the small doorway, she suddenly lunged.

With a single blazing-fast sprint, she cut them off, her massive form blocking the exit. Then, she lowered her head, staring down at them.

1. Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especially the hands, touching the ground. ☜