The Most Random System

Anyway, Lin Li opened his eyes, and so did the cat.

Big Cat buried the hole, sniffed carefully to confirm that everything was fine, then contentedly wagged its tail, turned to look at Lin Li again, and let out a short meow before continuing to trot deeper into the wasteland, occasionally looking back to make sure Lin Li was following.

Is it over here?

This time, after a short walk, they arrived at a corner piled with discarded building materials and dry branches.

Big Cat stopped, and made a few specific, calming calls toward a half-collapsed cement pipe in the shadows.

Silence for a few seconds.

In the shadow of the cement pipe, a pair of vigilant, frightened eyes lit up.

Then, a figure much frailer than Big Cat tentatively emerged.

It was a calico cat, looking quite young, but its body was skinny, its right hind leg curled unnaturally, limping with stiff movements.

As soon as the calico cat came out, its gaze immediately locked onto the unfamiliar human Lin Li, its fur bristling, arching its back, and issuing sharp and hostile hissing sounds from its throat.

It seems this is the real target.

"Don’t be afraid, I mean no harm to you."

Lin Li immediately spoke, his voice gentle and soft, while slowly squatting down to reduce the intimidating effect of his height:

"I’m here to help you, we are together, you can understand what I’m saying, can’t you?"

The calico cat’s hissing paused, its bristled fur slightly relaxing, eyes filled with shock at the human speaking cat language.

But the vigilance did not diminish at all, its body still maintained a defensive posture.

It looked at Big Cat, then at Lin Li, seemingly struggling to comprehend what the human who could speak cat language truly represented.

Lin Li did not rashly approach, maintaining his squatting posture, slowly extended his hand—not to touch the cat, but open palm face up, showing it was empty:

"My name is Bai Bufan, I know you’re injured and scared, can I take a look at your leg? Maybe I can make it less painful."

At the same time, Lin Li materialized a can of cat food again, opened it, and placed it invitingly on the ground nearby.

The calico cat’s ears slightly twitched, not retreating nor approaching.

It stared at Lin Li’s outstretched palm, then looked into his eyes, evaluating the unprecedented situation.

Big Cat also approached the calico cat at the right moment, rubbed it with its tail, and emitted a low purring sound as if comforting and vouching.

After about ten seconds, the tense body of the calico cat finally relaxed a little, its tail still nervously sweeping but no longer emitting intense hissing sounds.

It limped cautiously forward a half step, its gaze still fixed on Lin Li, occasionally glancing at the can.

In the end, it drew nearer and began licking.

Lin Li reached out to stroke the rear leg of the calico; the initial reaction was a rapid retreat, but realizing it was instinctual, it slowly returned.

Upon touching again, the response was not as intense.

One could feel the leg muscle and bone structure were somewhat twisted, the old injuries had become permanent over time, and the joint areas were severely stiff.

Activate "Healing."

There was indeed an effect.

Under the hands imbued with "Healing" ability, the calico cat’s body visibly relaxed a lot, and the lame leg didn’t remain so stiffly curled, the tight muscle tension lessened.

The chronic pain accumulated at the injured area was significantly alleviated under Lin Li’s stroking.

This was ultimately a longtime injury, only gently nurtured and relieved, temporarily unable to reverse bone deformation or ligament permanent damage.

Being a Cultivator, when Lin Li withdrew his hands after the cooldown elapsed, the calico cat’s leg remained lame, but when it tried to step forward, it was noticeably smoother, the pain significantly reduced, and its posture wasn’t as contorted painfully.

"Meow..." The calico cat bent its head down, tentatively touched its leg with its nose, then looked up at Lin Li.

Its eyes clearly reflected more trust.

"Is it better now? So this leg was injured by someone?"

The calico cat’s body visibly tightened momentarily, its head buried lower, tail tightly curled under its body, nodded slightly after a few seconds.

"This person," knowing cats cannot describe appearances, Lin Li cautiously chose his words, hoping to obtain more information:

"Is it one person, or many different people?"

Understanding there’s still a communication barrier, Lin Li usually gives options and extends his hands, letting the cat choose during exchanges.

The calico cat placed its paw on Lin Li’s left hand representing one person.

"Is it often like this? Does he have malice towards cats, or did it just happen once and never appeared again?"

If it’s not a repeat offender, the information wouldn’t be meaningful.

It was the former.

Lin Li raised an eyebrow, realizing there might be valuable information for the task.

...

"Does he live over there?" Lin Li stood with the two cats at an entrance to a residential area, "Or does he always come from there?"

The calico cat nodded.

"Alright."

After earlier questioning, Lin Li had a rough idea.

This was an inhabitant frequently acting alone late at night—a young man older than himself.

He treated this secluded area as a place to vent negative emotions, targeting these homeless stray cats and dogs with malicious and violent means.