type
status
date
slug
summary
tags
category
icon
password
Once, there was a wealthy young man known for his literary talents, living a happy life with his prosperous family. Both of his parents were alive, and his siblings lived harmoniously. They owned numerous servants and had a special fondness for cats, having more than a dozen of them—white, old, black, yellow, and various others. During meal times, he would allow the cats to surround the table, constantly calling out to them, feeding them with delicious food, and letting them sleep on blankets. This was their accustomed way of life.
One day, after finishing a meal, he and his wife were chatting, with the servants not in close proximity. The lady called out to the maids a few times, but received no response. Suddenly, they heard a peculiar voice from outside the window. The young man drew back the curtains, only to find no one outside. Instead, there was a cat perched on the windowsill, looking back at him with a grin. He was startled and quickly ran to inform his wife.
Upon hearing of the incident, his brothers came out to see the cat and jokingly asked, "Was that you speaking just now?" The cat replied, "Yes," leaving everyone in shock. Their father sensed it as an ominous sign and immediately ordered them to capture the cat. The cat said, "Don't catch me, don't catch me!" It then leaped up and fled to the roof, staying away for several days. The whole family was fearful and engaged in various discussions.
One day, a young maid was feeding the cats, and the talking cat mixed in with the group to eat. She quietly ran into the house and informed the young men. In response, they rushed out to catch the cat, binding and beating it dozens of times. The cat only cried out, appearing stubborn and defiant. They wished to kill it, but their father stopped them, saying, "It could transform into a demon. Killing it might bring misfortune. Let it go." The young man secretly ordered two servants to put the cat in a bag filled with rice and throw it into the river. As they reached the city gates, the bag suddenly tore open, and by the river's edge, it was empty. The cat had returned.
It walked into the bedroom, pushing aside the curtains to enter. At that moment, all the young men were gathered around their parents discussing the cat's situation. They were all stunned to see the cat return. It jumped on top of a nightstand, gazing angrily at their father, its eyes sparking with fire, revealing its teeth. It harshly scolded him, saying, "You old man! How do you have the face to live? You actually wanted to drown me! In your house, everyone calls you the master; but in my family, someone like you would be, at best, my grandson. How can you be so heartless? Moreover, a major catastrophe is looming over your family; it's imminent. You aren't afraid, and you even wanted to kill me. Isn't that absurd? Don't you reflect on your actions? You were born as an ant, relying on flattery to gain official positions. When you first became an official at the Ministry of Justice, you curried favor with your superiors. Later, you became the governor of two provinces, and you grew even more greedy and cruel. You tortured the people with instruments of punishment, believing yourself to have power and authority. In your twenty years as an official, you've killed countless innocent people, and you aren't even aware of it. You dream of enjoying your later years, living amidst the beauty of nature, and becoming a morally upright individual. It's a delusion! Your 'human face, beastly heart'—you're the real monster in this world! You're astonished at my way of speaking, but it's you who is truly peculiar!" The cat continued to scold them relentlessly, even their ancestors. The whole family went into disarray, everyone wanting to capture the cat and using various objects to attack it.
The cat sneered, leaped up, and said, "I'm leaving, I'm leaving! Your family, on the brink of collapse, I don't want to contend with you anymore." It ran out the door, climbed up a tree, and disappeared. From that day onward, it never returned.
Six months later, a deadly epidemic struck their household. Three or four people died each day. The young man was dismissed from his official position. His parents, grieving excessively, passed away one after the other. Within two years, all of their brothers, sisters, sisters-in-law, nephews, and servants had died, with almost no one left. Only the young man, his wife, one elderly servant, and a young maid remained, now impoverished and destitute.
As the ancients have said: demons are created by human actions, and if you don't treat them as monsters, they will vanish on their own. Another ancient sage said, "Seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, the extraordinary becomes ordinary." This phrase doesn't mean that you should be indifferent to everything; it's about having clear reasoning. Nevertheless, it's not easy to be fearless when you harbor guilt within your heart.