### Chapter 7: The Riddle (8)
“It’s simple, there are no humans like you around here.”
The cat-like Lord Si declared.
The Male Character and Luo Ying exchanged glances, sensing something oddly significant in Si Ling’s words.
“You mean, you’re also a human?” the Male Character ventured.
Si Ling puffed out his little chest proudly and stated, “Of course, we humans have lived in this world since ancient times. You folks, exotic beings from another dimension, since you can talk like humans, we’ll count you as human too—though compared to us, you look bizarre, especially with that strange smooth skin of yours. It’s undeniably ugly.
Look at us with our marvelous golden fur, it’s the true symbol of beauty.
But enough comparing! After all, you’re not really humans, just exotic beings. I wouldn’t want to hurt your fragile feelings by discussing it further.”
The Male Character, “…”
Luo Ying, “…”
Turns out this was a creature clueless about the human world, believing their own appearance was the pinnacle of humanity, filled to the brim with superiority, rendering any discussions about what constitutes a human pointless.
Luo Ying withdrew her hand from the sword hilt and glanced at the Male Character.
He caught her drift and asked, “Lord Si, since you’ve guessed we come from another dimension, have you ever met someone like us before?”
Si Ling clapped his paws together, “Right! You’re sharp for an exotic being, a pity really. Just like you said, not long ago… maybe a month or two back, an exotic being did come to visit me.”
“Where is he now?” Luo Ying asked.
Si Ling scratched his chin fur, twisting it into a long little strand like a mustache.
“Well, I can’t say. He mentioned he was looking for something and couldn’t stick around, so he left pretty quickly.”
The Male Character frowned slightly. “If that’s the case, may we trouble you for a drink of water? Afterward, we won’t pester you any longer.”
Si Ling chuckled, “Sure, sure! But that exotic being mentioned he would return after finishing his business, seems like there’s something here he needs too. If you think my place isn’t half bad—though your taste in aesthetics is questionable, heh heh—you might as well hang around and learn our sophisticated, elegant way of living until he comes back.”
The Male Character stifled his irritation and cupped his hands. “Please allow us to discuss this matter a bit.”
“Do as you wish,” Little Wild Cat waved dismissively and plopped down on a cushion to slowly sip her tea.
But Large Squirrel only served them two bowls of plain water, and to Si Ling, that was perfectly normal as he hardly even looked up.
Stepping out of the parlor, they found themselves in a splendid garden blooming with flowers, a faint but pleasant scent wafting around them, refreshing their spirits.
Luo Ying seemed reluctant to leave such a beautiful garden, hesitantly looking at the Male Character.
“This place isn’t too bad, except for that Little Wild Cat being a bit overbearing. But, I’ll trust your judgment. After all, this world is vast and there’s much left unexplored. If we don’t hurry and leave, Peach and Fatty will start worrying.”
The Male Character nodded, “Just that, who exactly is the other person? I’m left in the dark.”
Seeing Luo Ying’s attachment to the garden softened the Male Character’s heart. “Let’s stay a while longer and make the manor our base as we explore. We’ve been roughing it outside these days; it’s good to have a bit of comfort.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Luo Ying beamed.
“It would be even better if there were some wine…”
Returning to the parlor, the Male Character said, “We’ve come to a decision; we’ll disturb your residence for the next couple of days.”
Si Ling responded, “Guests are always welcome; let’s settle in first.”
“Steward! Steward!” Little Wild Cat raised her voice.
Large Squirrel scurried in, “What is it, Master?”
“Take these two to the finest guest room, and inform the kitchen that tonight, I’ll host a welcoming feast for our guests.”
Large Squirrel glanced at Luo Ying and the Male Character, quietly muttering, “Master, with their status, how can they dine with you? That goes against the rules.”
Little Wild Cat waved her paw, “Nonsense! This is called treating the worthy with respect. Even if they’re exotic beings, they’ll surely appreciate our kindness and become true, wise, and polite humans, right? We must have a tolerant heart!”
The two little creatures mumbled amongst themselves, assuming the duo couldn’t hear them.
However, the Male Character and Luo Ying heard everything loud and clear, shaking their heads inwardly. Truly, they had encountered arrogance up close.
Shortly after, Large Squirrel guided them to their guest room.
Just instructions on how to use the toilet alone took two whole minutes, and before leaving, he didn’t forget to remind them, “Please remember to use toilet paper! No bringing in leaves or branches, alright?”
The two stood speechless.
“Well, maybe the last fellow left a bad impression on them,” the Male Character shrugged, looking exasperated.
Luo Ying’s expression turned serious. “All this is minor. Just a moment ago, I did a little experiment. I quietly shot a faint bit of energy at the Squirrel’s feet, and guess what? Even before getting close, it was neutralized by another force.”
“You’re saying that the Squirrel Butler is as strong as you?” the Male Character was taken aback.
“No, what I can say for sure is that while that Squirrel might not practice cultivation, there’s a protective array around him. He’s definitely not as easy to deal with as we imagined.”
“Hmm, well, we don’t plan on doing anything to them anyway, so we’ll just need to be extra careful next time we meet.”
“Exactly.”
The two discussed for a bit and decided to explore the nearby area once the sun rose, possibly uncovering a clue to escape.
So, they deliberately took to the skies on their flying swords as they flew in circles above the courtyard in front of Large Squirrel.
To their disappointment, the Squirrel Butler merely glanced up, then returned to his business, as if all this were just mundane.
This left the duo feeling a bit stung, like foolish amateurs.
However, they quickly adjusted their attitudes and flew in a direction they hadn’t explored before.
Before long, they encountered some fascinating sights.
For instance, a flock of little creatures flapping around in the air.
No wonder Large Squirrel showed no surprise at their ability to fly—turns out every single one of those awkward little beings they encountered when they first arrived in this strange world actually could fly, all clustered together like a bunch of birds.
From a distance, it looked as if a massive ball of fluff was dancing in the sky.
Yet their shy nature hadn’t changed at all; before the Male Character and Luo Ying could get near, they scattered with a “bang,” and the world instantly returned to silence.
