It took only a moment for Xiao Hei to become as filthy as a mud ball. Xiaoyu couldn't fathom how the two-foot-square sewer tunnel, beyond the mouse trap, offered no extra space for the little animal to squeeze through. That trap actually caught Xiao Hei but failed to snag a rat—Xiao Hei had clearly jumped into the sewer right alongside the rat. Could this, too, be a stratagem? He tentatively felt the hard object inside his backpack—the handle of the scythe was certainly much shorter than before, otherwise, it wouldn't fit. He wondered if it was still the same one. Was the scythe truly that vital for rebirth?

As Xiaoyu pondered his mysteries, Ah Li came running to the main entrance looking for him. Upon seeing Xiao Hei’s utterly wretched state, she gasped in surprise. "What happened to Xiao Hei? He was just perfectly clean moments ago!"

"He fell into the sewer. Think of a way to clean him up. What did the doctor say?" Xiaoyu carefully lifted Xiao Hei using two fingers from each of his front legs, holding the animal a half-foot away from his body. Dirty black water dripped steadily from Xiao Hei, who looked pitiful, like a drowned chicken.

"Let’s go to the canteen to buy a washbasin and some towels to bathe him. The doctor said having two family members take turns watching him is fine for now. Once the situation in the city stabilizes, he’ll still need to be sent to a big hospital for proper treatment." As she spoke, Ah Li took the lead, guiding Xiaoyu to the canteen. They bought a basin and towels, wrapped Xiao Hei up, and placed him inside the basin, leaving only a small triangular head peeking out, vigilantly observing their surroundings.

"Oh, I thought the doctor who called me out was some great genius; turns out he still needs a transfer!" Xiaoyu teased. They chatted idly, carrying the basin to the hot water room.

Ah Li had been clever and resourceful since childhood. The first time she met Xiaoyu in Miao Village, she delivered a pot of tea brewed in an earthenware jar to him when he was still a prisoner. Now, she was taking on the role of Xiao Hei’s full-time nanny. First, she filled the basin with water perfectly balanced between hot and cold. Then, she gently placed the shivering Xiao Hei into the water and began slowly scrubbing him with a towel. She scrubbed until the entire basin of water turned tea-black. Then, she changed the water for a second basin and continued the process.

However, after washing for a while in the second basin, that water, too, turned tea-black. Not only that, but Xiao Hei’s originally jet-black, lustrous fur began turning white. He resembled an elderly person sporting a head of salt-and-pepper hair. Xiao Hei huddled into a ball in the warm water, seeming terribly cold.

"Uncle Ming, are you sure this is Xiao Hei?" After washing for a long time, Ah Li suddenly asked. Xiaoyu, who had been staring into space, snapped his head around. Seeing the dark little civet cat dyed as if with pigment, instantly turning into a mottled Ah Li upon contact with water, he replied in confusion, "Yes, it is. I saw him jump into the sewer with my own eyes. I waited nearby, and only heard him cry out when I realized the rodent trap had caught him."

"I’ve only heard of cat and dog traffickers dyeing animals to sell them at high prices; I’ve never heard of a civet cat dyeing itself black," Ah Li observed, looking at the towel in her hand, now stained tea-color, then glancing at the mottled, whitish Xiao Hei, puzzlement etched on her face.

"How about we ask Xiao Shu to take a look?" Xiaoyu suggested. Ah Li nodded, tossed the towel into the sink, and scurried off toward the ward.

When she returned, Xiaoyu had vanished without a trace, leaving only a shivering, small calico cat huddled in the basin. Upon seeing Xiao Shu, the little calico looked frightened, as if it had already been violated by strangers and no longer needed human intimacy.

"This is bad," Xiao Shu slapped her thigh. "This isn't our Xiao Hei. Something must have happened. We need to find Xiaoyu immediately."