Xu Yang slipped. His front paws lost their grip on the edge of the tiled rooftop, and his small black body slid forward. He tried to catch the wooden beam beneath him, but his claws only scraped against the smooth surface. For one brief moment, he managed to hold on with his hind paws. Then they slipped too. Oh, no...His body dropped over the edge. Xu Yang's eyes widened as the courtyard rushed into view below. The roof was higher than he had thought, and the stone ground looked unpleasantly hard.He twisted in the air, trying to turn himself around, but his paws could find nothing to hold on to. Wait. Am I actually going to fall?.. His heart began to pound.Just as he was about to hit the ground, the scene around him seemed to pause.He blinked, then looked down at his paws. What? He turned his head, trying to understand what had happened. A moment ago, he had been falling. Now Evrything seemed to pause...Then he remembered Shen Lian. Her voice returned to his mind, clear and familiar. You are the centre of it. Xu Yang's ears twitched. Was that conversation real? He tried to recall what had happened afterwards. He remembered the lantern light, the quiet shrine, and the bell moving without wind. Yet the more he thought about it, the less certain he became. Wait. Wasn't I asleep? ...
Xu Yang stared ahead. So the conversation with Shen Lian was a dream?.. He slowly lowered his head. That would explain why everything had felt so strange... But why would I dream about her saying those things? Was my mind simply putting together everything that happened yesterday, or was there something I had missed?...He looked around him. What if her words were connected to the changes in the village? What if I really am at the centre of something, even if I don't understand what it is? His ears lowered slightly. And what about that warning? Your life might actually be in danger...He let out a quiet breath. Wonderful. Even my dreams have started giving me trouble...
Before he could think further, The sound of a bronze bell reached his ears, followed by the distant calls of villagers beginning their morning work.He blinked slowly. I suppose I was thinking too much about Shen Lian's words yesterday. Still, what if the dream meant something?... He glanced towards the village, where people were already moving between their houses. No. I should not start treating every strange dream as a warning. There are already enough things in this place that I cannot explain..He stretched his front paws and stood up, shaking the dust from his fur.
The villagers moved through their daily routines, yet their actions lacked their usual ease. Some stopped in the middle of a task, while others looked around as if they had forgotten why they had come outside. Near the old well, Qing Li stood with one hand resting on its stone rim. His brow was furrowed as he tried to make sense of the memories troubling him since yesterday. Yan Luo approached quietly, his robes brushing against the narrow stone path. He stopped beside the well and glanced at Qing Li. "You've been here since dawn." he remarked. Qing Li did not look up. His fingers continued tracing the rough edge of the stone. "Do you remember the first time we met him?" he asked.
Yan Luo's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean Xu Yang?" Qing Li shook his head. "No. I mean the cat he is now, and the man he was before the world forgot him." Yan Luo fell silent. His gaze shifted towards the shrine steps, where the black cat was sitting. "I remember him differently." he finally said. Qing Li turned towards him. "How?" Yan Luo folded his arms, searching his memory. "In my memory, he was perfectly healthy. He was sitting quietly on the shrine steps, watching us as though we were late arrivals to something that already belonged to him." Qing Li stared at him in disbelief. "That's not what I remember." Yan Luo raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you remember?" Qing Li slowly removed his hand from the well. "He was injured. Bleeding and barely able to move. You were the one who carried him to the shrine steps." Yan Luo's frown deepened. "I don't remember carrying him." "But I remember seeing you do it." "And I remember him sitting there without a single wound."
Neither man spoke for a moment. Both memories were clear. Neither felt like an illusion, and neither could be dismissed as a simple mistake. Yet they could not both be true. Qing Li looked towards the shrine again. "Two memories," he murmured. "Both complete. Both undeniable." Yan Luo's expression grew serious. "And both wrong." They began examining smaller details, hoping that something ordinary might reveal where their memories had changed. Qing Li glanced towards the bronze bell beneath the shrine roof. "When did the shrine bell last ring?" he asked. "Last night," Yan Luo answered without hesitation. Qing Li shook his head. "Yesterday morning." Yan Luo turned towards him. "Are you certain?" Qing Li nodded. "I remember standing near the steps when it rang. It made a hollow sound that lasted longer than usual."
Yan Luo looked up at the bell. "I remember that sound too, but sunlight was falling across the bronze when it rang." He paused, his brows drawing together. "I also remember hearing it last night." Qing Li stared at him. "Both?" Yan Luo gave a slow nod. "Both feel true." Qing Li lowered his voice. "And neither should." Across the square, a farmer led his ox towards the fields. He held the rope in one hand and walked at a steady pace. When he passed near the shrine, he glanced at Xu Yang and relaxed slightly, as though the sight of the cat had reassured him. His steps remained firm as he continued along the road. However, after walking several paces farther, he suddenly stopped. He looked down at the rope in his hand, then towards the distant fields. "Did I feed the animals?" he muttered.
The ox turned its head, but the farmer only frowned. He tried to remember, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. After a moment, he turned around and looked towards the shrine again, as if the place itself could help him recover the missing memory. Qing Li watched him carefully. "Did you see that?" he asked. Yan Luo nodded, his gaze following the farmer. "His memory was clear when he passed the shrine." Qing Li looked towards the road. "But the moment he moved farther away, he began to doubt himself." Yan Luo's expression darkened. "The closer they are, the more consistent their memories become." Qing Li nodded slowly. "And the farther they go, the more Heaven rewrites." A faint shimmer appeared along the horizon.
At first, it looked like heat rising from distant earth, but the morning air was cool. The shimmer stretched across the sky, forming thin geometric lines that intersected at precise angles. Yet the pattern refused to remain steady. Some lines disappeared while others appeared in slightly different positions. Qing Li raised his head. "The lattice." he whispered. Yan Luo's gaze hardened as he watched the changing pattern. "It's recalculating." The lines flickered again, and a section of the sky seemed to shift out of place. "Heaven wants him gone," Qing Li said, his expression tense. Yan Luo shook his head slightly. "No. Heaven wants him counted." He watched another line appear and vanish before adding quietly, "And it's failing."
At the market, two brothers were arguing beside a wooden stall. Their voices were not loud, but the confusion between them soon drew the attention of nearby villagers. "You promised to help with the harvest today!" one brother complained, pointing towards the baskets piled beside the stall. The other frowned and shook his head. "I helped you yesterday. Don't pretend you've forgotten." "Yesterday? You weren't even here yesterday!" "Of course I was. We finished before sunset." Neither could convince the other. Each memory seemed equally certain, and neither appeared willing to accept that he might be mistaken.
A woman standing nearby tried to settle their argument, but she stopped halfway through her sentence, looked confused, and then began speaking about something else. The world seemed to be placing one version of the truth over another without allowing either to disappear. Meanwhile, Xu Yang padded slowly through the familiar village paths. His steps were quiet, and his tail moved behind him as he passed the wooden houses and small courtyards. He had spent the morning watching the villagers, and although he did not understand everything happening around him, he could tell that something was troubling them. Should I go back?he wondered. His ears moved as he considered the question. Or should I stay here?... He glanced towards the road leading away from the shrine.
Despite everything happening around him, there was still one place in this strange world where he felt comfortable. It was only a small house, with an ordinary courtyard and a few worn household items, but it had become familiar to him. Lin Chen had never treated him like some strange creature that needed to be examined. He had simply given him food, a place to rest, and enough space to come and go as he pleased. Xu Yang slowed near the final turn. It's just a small house, he thought. Nothing special... He looked towards the familiar roof beyond the lane. But it feels like home... He stood there for a moment before continuing.
By the time Xu Yang reached the house, the lantern inside was already lit. Through the open doorway, he could see Lin Chen busy with his evening work. A small pile of grain sat beside him, and he was sorting it into a wooden container while repairing a worn piece of household equipment.Xu Yang stopped at the entrance. He watched Lin Chen for a moment, then lifted his head and let out a clear sound. "Meow."
Lin Chen froze. His hands stopped moving, and he slowly raised his head towards the doorway. For one heartbeat, he did not move at all. Then his eyes widened, and he quickly pushed himself to his feet. "You?" he exclaimed. The wooden tool slipped from his hand and landed on the floor, but Lin Chen barely noticed. He hurried towards the entrance, almost stumbling over the grain container. "You're finally back!" he said, dropping to his knees in front of the cat. Relief spread across his face so openly that Xu Yang was momentarily caught off guard.
Lin Chen leaned closer, but his hands stopped just above Xu Yang's head. "I'm not dreaming, right?" he asked, looking carefully into the cat's golden eyes. His fingers trembled slightly before he finally reached out and touched Xu Yang's fur. "I thought you were lost." His voice softened, and he lowered his head for a moment. "I looked for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere." Xu Yang simply sat in front of him. He had expected Lin Chen to be surprised, but he had not expected such obvious worry.
Lin Chen slowly stroked the top of his head, then let out a shaky breath. A small laugh escaped him, filled with relief. "You really scared me." he said, giving the cat another gentle pat. Xu Yang blinked at him. I didn't realise he had been this worried.. He looked towards the man's face. I was only gone for a little while, wasn't I?... Lin Chen seemed unwilling to let him out of his sight again. After giving him one last gentle stroke, he stood and hurried inside. "Wait here. I'll get you something to eat." Xu Yang watched him disappear into the room.
A short while later, Lin Chen returned carrying a small bowl. He placed it in front of the cat and crouched beside him. "Here," he said softly. "Eat first." The food was simple, warm, and familiar. Xu Yang lowered his head and looked at it for a moment longer than necessary. The familiar smell brought back a quiet feeling he had not realised he was missing.He began eating, while Lin Chen remained beside him, watching with a relieved expression. Every now and then, Lin Chen reached out to smooth his fur, as if making sure he was really there. Xu Yang did not stop him. For once, he decided not to complain.
Outside, the village continued its daily routine, though the strange changes had not stopped. A child passing the house noticed Xu Yang sitting near the doorway and waved enthusiastically. "Hello, Little..." The child paused, his raised hand slowly lowering. He frowned as he tried to remember the cat's name. "I know you." he muttered, looking at Xu Yang with uncertainty. "But what was your name again?" His mother called him from farther down the lane, and the child soon ran away without finding an answer.
A woman carrying a basket passed another house and began speaking to her neighbour. Halfway through her sentence, she stopped, blinked, and continued with different words. She did not notice the change, and the other woman did not question it. Near the shrine, Qing Li watched these small incidents with growing concern. He had moved closer to the steps, while Yan Luo stood a short distance behind him. Xu Yang was still near Lin Chen's house, but even from there, the strange connection between the shrine and the cat was becoming difficult to ignore. Qing Li looked towards him. "He anchors the memory the world cannot rewrite." he said quietly. Yan Luo followed his gaze before turning towards the flickering lattice. "And destabilizes what Heaven insists must hold."
Qing Li walked towards the lowest shrine step and placed his palm against the old stone. A faint vibration passed beneath his fingers. It was subtle but steady, like a heartbeat beneath the earth. He pressed his hand against it for a little longer, then slowly looked up. "Memory gathers here." he said. "Not because of the shrine itself." Yan Luo followed his gaze towards Xu Yang. His expression became thoughtful as he understood what Qing Li meant. "Because of him." he finished. At that moment, the lattice along the horizon flickered violently. Several lines overlapped, and the precise angles collapsed into one another.
For a brief moment, the pattern seemed to spread across the entire sky. The space beyond it appeared deeper and older, as though something vast existed just beyond the reach of their understanding. Then the lines snapped back into place. They were no longer perfectly aligned. Some remained faint, while others appeared slightly crooked, as if the lattice itself were struggling to maintain its shape. Qing Li slowly lowered his hand from the stone. "It's not just rewriting," he said, his voice carrying a trace of unease. "It's layering. Memories are stacked on top of one another. Each version can still be seen through the next. None fully dominates, and none disappears."
Yan Luo did not answer immediately. He was remembering something that troubled him more than the conflicting memories of their first meeting. He could recall a conversation with Xu Yang that had never taken place. In that memory, the cat had spoken to him about the shrine, and Yan Luo had answered as though they had known each other for a long time. Yet he also remembered a day when they had barely exchanged a word. He could not tell which memory belonged to the world they were living in. "I remember speaking with him." Yan Luo finally said, looking towards the cat. "But I cannot remember when it happened." Qing Li turned towards him. "What did you speak about?" Yan Luo shook his head. "I don't know. Every time I try to recall it, the details change."
Before Qing Li could respond, the shrine bell rang once. Its clear note travelled across the courtyard and reached the far end of the village. There was no wind, and the bronze bell did not appear to have been touched. Yet its sound lingered beneath the wooden eaves. At the horizon, the lattice flickered again. The lines overlapped briefly, forming a pattern far more complex than the previous ones. For an instant, it seemed as though the sky had revealed something hidden beneath its surface. Then the pattern vanished. The sky forgot it. Below, the black cat sat quietly, his golden eyes reflecting the world's uncertain alignment. He remained at the centre of the strange memory orbit, as though the world was trying to arrange itself around him.
Qing Li watched the cat for a long moment before crouching near the shrine steps. One hand rested on the stone, while the other hung loosely beside his knee. Yan Luo stood behind him with his arms crossed, observing the villagers and the distant horizon. "Look at them!" Qing Li said, gesturing towards the square. "Do you see it? Every step they take, every movement, feels measured. But it's not just discipline. Their memories are folding onto themselves." Yan Luo's eyes followed the villagers as they moved between the houses. "I see it. The changes are subtle at first, almost impossible to notice. But the farther they move from the shrine, the more obvious they become." He paused as a man crossed the square and stopped beside a wooden cart. "Objects, names, times... even yesterday's events are being rewritten."
Qing Li rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the pressure building behind his eyes. "I keep remembering two versions of the same thing. Our first meeting with Xu Yang is the clearest example. Sometimes he is injured, sometimes he isn't. Sometimes he speaks, sometimes he doesn't." He looked towards the cat, his expression growing more serious. "And it isn't random. The memories are layered, as though the world is replaying itself over and over, trying to correct something it cannot understand. Or perhaps trying to erase it."
Xu Yang sat nearby with his tail curled neatly around his paws. His black fur remained smooth and unruffled, and his golden eyes moved lazily between the two men. He had heard everything, but he showed little interest in their discussion. After a moment, his voice entered their minds. The words did not pass through the air. They appeared directly in the thoughts of Qing Li and Yan Luo. "It's delusion!" Qing Li turned towards him at once, surprised by the sudden interruption. Xu Yang blinked slowly, his expression carrying a hint of amusement. "You see patterns everywhere. You believe there must be a reason behind every little change. Memories are fragile and easily altered. That is all."
Qing Li's fingers tightened against the stone. "Easily altered?" he repeated, his voice rising slightly. "Do you even realise what you're saying? The villagers are forgetting themselves. Their names, their homes, their histories! The world itself is changing what they remember." Xu Yang gave a small yawn, showing little concern. "They will forget and remember again. Your concern is misplaced. They are not my responsibility." Yan Luo shifted his weight and stepped closer. His expression remained calm, but his eyes were serious. "Do you understand the scale of what is happening? The lattice at the horizon is Heaven itself trying to define you. It is forcing the world to recognise your existence, and it is failing. That failure is what is causing these distortions."
The cat flicked one ear. I am not the centre. I am a witness. The lattice, the threads, and these so-called distortions are all delusions. They are perceptions created by beings who insist on finding order in everything... Xu Yang's tail moved once. "You are wasting your concern." Qing Li stared at him in disbelief. He leaned forward slightly, as if trying to make the cat understand how serious the situation was. "A witness?" he asked. "You're sitting in the middle of the storm and calling it a delusion?" Xu Yang lifted his head. His golden eyes caught the pale morning light. "Perspective," he replied. "From where I sit, the patterns are obvious. From your position, they are terrifying. I simply do not fear what you fear."
Yan Luo stepped forward, his expression hardening. "Whether you fear it or not does not change reality. You are at the axis. The world is orbiting around you, and if it cannot remember you properly, it will begin tearing itself into layers." Xu Yang remained still. He did not even bother to straighten his posture. "Then let it orbit. Let it tear. It matters little to me. Memories bend. They change. They have never been as permanent as you seem to believe." Qing Li clenched his fists. His jaw tightened as he looked from Xu Yang to the villagers. "I don't need a lesson about permanence. I need to understand what is happening! If we ignore this, people will forget everything, including themselves. Look at the villagers. They are already losing their memories. You can sit here as if nothing matters, but the world is collapsing around them." Xu Yang's gaze shifted towards him. "Collapsing?" he asked, his voice calm. "You see threads where none exist. You create patterns and then convince yourself they must have a purpose. The lattice will adjust. You will adjust. Everyone will adjust. You are mistaking instability for meaning."
Yan Luo's eyes narrowed. He raised one hand and gestured towards the well and the empty square. "Purpose or not, the threads are here. Look at that boy." A young child was running across the square, chasing another child with a wooden toy in his hand. "His path bends near the shrine, but when he reaches the market, it shifts. His memory of yesterday's breakfast is different from the one he told his mother this morning. Even his own name seems to slip from him." Yan Luo lowered his hand. "Calling all of this a delusion is dangerous." Xu Yang blinked slowly. "Danger is a concept people cling to. I do not cling to it." Qing Li shook his head, unable to hide his frustration. "Whether you cling to it or not, the threads exist. The lattice is struggling, and reality itself is straining. You may choose to ignore it, but I cannot." Xu Yang looked away from him. His tail flicked once before he rose to his paws. He padded a few steps towards the villagers, stopping near the edge of the square.
A pair of children ran past him, while an elderly man stood beside a wooden cart, struggling to remember where he had left his tools. Xu Yang watched them for a moment before speaking again. "They will remember what they need to remember. The rest is noise." He glanced back at Qing Li. "You worry because you cannot ignore it. That is weakness." Qing Li's eyes widened. He stepped forward, his hands tightening at his sides. "Weakness? Or responsibility? You refuse to act, but the world refuses to let you hide." Xu Yang returned to his place near the shrine and sat down again. He curled his tail around his paws, then closed his eyes as if the conversation had become tiring. "Then watch, if it comforts you."
Yan Luo shook his head. His expression had grown more troubled, and his voice was quieter when he spoke again. "This is no ordinary delusion. Look at how the villagers interact. They stumble over names, repeat sentences, and misplace their tools. They are not simply forgetting things. Their memories are being rewritten and layered over one another." He looked towards Qing Li, then back at Xu Yang. "Each version remains, even when it contradicts the last. They are living with memories of events that never happened and versions of themselves that never existed." Qing Li moved closer to the shrine railing. He looked down at Xu Yang, his expression filled with frustration and concern. "You are at the axis of all this. If the world is forgetting itself, it is because it cannot properly account for your existence. The lattice is failing because it cannot define you." His voice grew firmer. "You can call it a delusion, but that does not make it one. You are lying to yourself."
Xu Yang opened one eye and looked at him. Then he gave another lazy yawn. Perhaps. Or perhaps you see patterns because you insist they exist...He shifted his paws slightly, making himself comfortable. The villagers are fine. They are simply confused. I find their confusion rather entertaining... Qing Li clenched his teeth. "You're impossible!" Xu Yang did not answer. He merely settled back down, his tail flicking once as his golden eyes became half-closed. The villagers continued with their daily work, unaware of the strange force pressing against their memories. At the market, the baker argued with a customer because he could not remember whether the man had paid for his bread the previous day. Nearby, two children began a simple game, but halfway through, they forgot whose turn it was and started again.
An elderly man carrying a basket stumbled over his words while speaking to a neighbour. He stopped, frowned, and repeated the same sentence with different words, apparently unaware that he had changed what he was saying. Yan Luo watched them with a tense expression. His arms slowly unfolded, and he looked towards the horizon again. "Even if he ignores it, even if he insists this is all a delusion, the threads still exist." He paused, his gaze following the faint lines in the sky. "And someone else will notice eventually." Qing Li turned towards him. "Who?" he asked. After a moment, he added, "Do you mean someone like Shen Lian?" Yan Luo shook his head. His expression remained unreadable as he looked beyond the village rooftops. "Or someone far subtler." He lowered his voice. "Someone who watches the threads themselves, not just the world above them."
Far beyond the village, hidden among the low hills, Wang Xio was watching. He crouched beneath the shadow of an old pine tree, his dark robes blending into the surrounding rocks and branches. From that distance, the village looked quiet and ordinary. Smoke rose from a few rooftops, villagers moved through the narrow streets, and the shrine stood near the centre of the square. But Wang Xio was not watching the houses or the people. His attention was fixed on the invisible threads connecting their memories to the world around them. His eyes shimmered faintly as he examined them.
Each villager's thoughts and recollections appeared as tangled lines, some stretched tightly while others crossed and overlapped. The threads shifted whenever someone moved. A memory would become clear for a moment, only to bend and join another version of the same event. Some threads faded before returning in a different form...Wang Xio followed their movements without speaking. He could see the way they connected to the shrine, the old well, and the paths running through the village. Yet all of them led towards the same point. The black cat. He narrowed his eyes slightly.
The threads gathered around Xu Yang, forming an uneven circle that shifted with every change in the lattice.Wang Xio remained still, studying the strange arrangement. He had seen many kinds of spiritual formations and had witnessed Heaven alter the fate of countless beings. But this was different. The lattice was not simply failing to control the village. It was struggling to decide how the cat should exist within the world. Wang Xio's lips curled into a faint, unreadable expression. "So..." he murmured, his gaze fixed on Xu Yang. "This is the one everyone struggles to erase." He continued watching, taking note of every shifting thread and every hesitation in the lattice.
Below, the villagers faltered in their daily routines. Near the shrine, Qing Li and Yan Luo remained troubled by the changes they could neither explain nor stop. And at the heart of the square, Xu Yang sat quietly, his golden eyes reflecting every attempt the world had made to define him—and failing. Wang Xio slowly rose. His dark robes moved with the faint breeze as he stepped back beneath the trees. He gave the village one final glance before withdrawing into the shadows. The shrine bell rang once faint, deliberate, unaccompanied by wind. Threads of memory pulsed in response. Some snapped. Others shimmered faintly. Xu Yang remained unmoved.