Always Ending Up as an Animal Cub

Before losing contact yesterday, Lu Lu told Chen Yanli that the police officer imprisoned in Dahe Guangming Temple had been killed and replaced by someone.

The invitation from the fat monk was clearly a trap.
The fat monk had a very close connection with the Great He Guangming Bodhisattva and reported there almost every day.
Chen Yanli's original plan was for Lu Lu to attract the attention of the monk guarding the temple, while he helped from the shadows to rescue Officer Liu.

But now that Lu Lu hasn't replied to any messages, he’s unsure whether she understood the signal he sent and had no choice but to go with plan B.
Just as Officer Liu was about to move out of Chen Yanli’s line of sight, guided by the fat monk, Chen Yanli took a step and was about to chase after them when he heard his roommate's hurried footsteps behind him.
The suspicious roommate was like a walking surveillance camera, following him closely, making it impossible for Chen Yanli to do anything.

Yu Tong realized this too. He raised his paw and discreetly poked Chen Yanli’s chest.
He signaled Chen Yanli to let him down and let him handle the tracking.
Chen Yanli seemed to not understand his intention and continued walking forward.

Yu Tong suddenly felt irritated. That emotion was transmitted from the tool, the Heartfelt Connection.
Oh, Chen Yanli couldn’t bear to let him go.
After being followed for more than ten minutes, Chen Yanli’s fair forehead gradually showed veins.

This damn thing, endless, really annoying.
Chen Yanli suddenly turned around, grabbed his roommate’s arm, and dragged him into a corner where no one could see.
He quickly typed a message on his phone: [Get lost.]

Before his roommate could respond, Chen Yanli suddenly raised his hand and knocked him unconscious with one blow.
After casually tossing the unconscious roommate to the corner, Chen Yanli thought for a moment and kicked his roommate in the stomach twice.
So annoying, damn thing.

The system, which had been watching the entire process, couldn’t help but exclaim: [Is this really okay? Won’t the roommate suspect something when he wakes up?]
‘No, Brother Fachen has a well-known bad temper at the temple. When he gets angry, he hits and curses, no one will think anything of it.’
‘Since his roommate dared to follow him, he must be prepared to be beaten.’
The system sighed at how useful bad manners can be—it saved a lot of trouble.

Yu Tong didn’t say anything. He thought, compared to Chen Yanli, the roommate who stubbornly followed others was the real impolite one.
Chen Yanli was killed every three days, can you expect him to have a good temper?
Being knocked unconscious was fine. That way, when they returned to the dorm later, they could observe the roommate's reaction to figure out his purpose.

The temple was crowded with people, and the antagonist still refused to let the little rabbit go out to track.
At 1.9 meters tall, Chen Yanli was very noticeable in the crowd. Plus, he was handsome, so every passerby had to glance at him.
To avoid suspicion, Chen Yanli was following them slowly and cautiously.

Yu Tong, lying in his arms, couldn’t stand the slow pace.
He turned and bit Chen Yanli’s arm, hoping to make Chen Yanli let him down.
Chen Yanli, who had been walking steadily, suddenly froze, and his pale skin turned bright red.

He grabbed the little white rabbit and shoved him into his pants pocket.
The system blinked in confusion: [What happened to him, why the big reaction? Oh! Is it because of the fake death thing you did before, leaving a psychological scar on Chen Yanli? Is he afraid the little rabbit will get hurt, and he doesn’t want to send you on dangerous tasks anymore?]
Yu Tong had a strange smile on his delicate face.

‘You’re talking about a secondary reason. The main reason is that I accidentally bit the spot on Chen Yanli’s chest.’
‘Rabbit teeth are very sharp and hurt a lot. Chen Yanli probably won’t be putting the rabbit in his pocket again after this.’
[...]
[God, I don’t know who I should envy now!]

Yu Tong: ...
‘Get lost.’
When they went to buy adult toys last night, the system, trying to take advantage of a mall discount event, also bought a couple of promotional items.

One was a "Cat Cat Pounce" skin swap item called "Little Flying Rabbit is Here!" from the same manufacturer.
Other than the name, there was no difference. It shamelessly tried to ride the coattails of an outdated meme, which was very unappealing.
The customers didn’t buy it, and the sales were poor. The mall had to put it on promotion.

In addition, there was another swap item that had been equally rejected: "Three Little Rabbits."
Its original model was "Three Little Pigs."
After using the item, it could randomly generate one of the pigs. The first pig would create a small grass house, the second would create a wooden house, and the third would create a brick house.

The houses were simple and didn’t have much special effect.
However, in the construction side quests, such items were highly demanded, and the "Three Little Pigs" sold well.
The manufacturer made a series of products, including "Three Little Rabbits," "Three Little Dogs," "Three Little Cats," and "Three Little Squirrels"...

Among these, the little rabbits were the least popular.
The little dog, cat, and squirrel could at least generate meat bones, fish, and various nuts.
The three little rabbits, on the other hand, could generate rabbit holes, carrots, and a one-time dead rabbit.

They weren’t needed in the construction side quests, and no other quests needed them either.
The three rabbits were in an awkward situation, worse than "Little Flying Rabbit is Here!"
The system didn’t know what use these two items had, but they were part of the promotion, so it couldn’t help but buy them.

The fat monk walked while introducing the temple buildings to Officer Liu.
Their pace was already slow, and after Chen Yanli followed for a long time, they hadn’t even reached the back mountain.
Yu Tong decided to enter the system space to research the new items the system had bought.

Perhaps because it felt guilty about buying useless items with the host's points, the system had given a blind box from the mall as compensation.
Yu Tong opened it and found a pink little wedding dress and matching headgear.
It was small, probably for toy dolls.

Yu Tong stared at the wedding dress covered in crystal diamonds for a while, then slowly narrowed his eyes.
It was beautiful; he wanted to wear it.
The fat monk led Officer Liu to the back mountain.

When they passed by the donors' dormitory, Officer Liu stopped, looking surprised at the dorm building.
The fat monk smiled and asked, "Is something wrong, Officer Liu?"
Officer Liu adjusted his decorative glasses and asked, "Do I stay here tonight?"

The fat monk nodded. "All the donors who stay at the temple stay in this dormitory."
"I’ve never seen a temple with a dormitory just for donors. Do people stay here long-term? What do they do here?"
"Some parents send their children here to get rid of internet addiction, some pregnant women who can’t be with their families rest here. The environment is peaceful, and many people preparing for civil service exams stay here."

The fat monk’s voice was light and gentle. "Some devout elderly people like to live # Nоvеlight # in temples."
"A good place. After I retire, I’ll try it."
"Officer, aren’t you staying here tonight? You could take this opportunity to experience the dormitory."

Officer Liu smiled but didn’t respond.
They continued walking, and a monk covered in blood came towards them.
The monk was injured, with one broken arm and bruises on his face.

The surrounding pilgrims seemed to ignore the monk's injuries, bowing to him briefly before continuing their sightseeing.
Upon seeing the monk guarding the temple, the angry monk immediately spoke, "Brother, that woman is a soldier, very skilled and difficult to deal with. She escaped to the back mountain..."
Seeing the fat monk give him a frantic signal, the monk blinked in confusion.

Why couldn’t he speak? Outsiders couldn’t hear the true content of their conversation?
Officer Liu’s expression turned serious instantly.
He touched his chest, as if to take something out.

"What soldier? What back mountain?"
The fat monk immediately smiled and introduced, "This is Brother Fase, my junior brother."
Brother Fase also reacted and nodded honestly, wiping the blood off his face to reveal a clean, young face.

"I spoke out of turn, please forgive me, donor."
The fat monk smoothly smoothed things over. He frequently hosted guests and was skilled at managing crisis situations.
Officer Liu’s suspicion gradually faded, and his hand also withdrew from his chest.

The fat monk wiped the sweat from his forehead, secretly signaling Brother Fase to leave quickly.
No one knew what was going on at the temple, but as the monk guarding the temple, the fat monk knew everything.
Yesterday, Brother Fasheng had angered the Great He Guangming Bodhisattva and was killed by the Bodhisattva.

The Six Dust Array in the temple had a crack, and without sound or dust to affect hearing, outsiders could hear the real sounds in the temple.
Only he, the abbot, and the Bodhisattva knew about the Six Dust Array’s existence.
He couldn’t explain the truth to the other monks, who were used to speaking freely. He had already dealt with at least ten disputes caused by monks speaking recklessly.

As he walked toward the back mountain, the fat monk pondered how to quickly find a handsome man to fill Brother Fasheng's spot.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Officer Liu’s graceful face and was momentarily stunned.
"Officer Liu, you look really tall, you’re about 1.8 meters..."

Officer Liu casually replied, "183."
"Are all policemen this tall?"
"Not really. Among the male officers in our department, I’m not outstanding."

Looking at the young man’s handsome face and tall, slender figure, the fat monk smiled even wider.
Taking advantage of Officer Liu’s attention being on the vegetable garden, the fat monk lowered his head and sent a message to the abbot.
[Master, I found a suitable candidate to replace Brother Fasheng. However, he is a policeman, and he probably told his colleagues where he’s going, so his disappearance will raise suspicions.]

The reply came quickly.
[The police have long suspected here. With the protection of the Great He Guangming Bodhisattva, they won’t find anything.]
The fat monk was about to reply when he suddenly saw a shadow moving in the reflection on his phone screen.

He raised his head warily.
The dense tree branches blocked his view, and he couldn’t tell if someone was hiding there.
He gestured with one hand, ready to summon a gust of wind to stir the leaves.

At that moment, Officer Liu, who had lost interest in the vegetable garden, walked over and suggested they hurry to the back mountain.
The fat monk couldn’t stay any longer and carefully checked once more to confirm there was no one hiding in the trees. He then shifted his attention back to Officer Liu.
When they had walked far enough, Chen Yanli peered out from behind a large tree near the donors' dormitory.

He coldly looked toward where the two had stopped, peering through the leaves to lock eyes with the little white rabbit hiding in the tree branches.
A few minutes earlier, he had been busy following the fat monk.
The little rabbit, who had been quietly staying in his pocket, had somehow managed to pull out a pink doll dress and insisted on wearing it.

Once he finished dressing the rabbit and putting on the pink headgear, the little rabbit started demanding to chase after the bad guys.
He was so useless. Chen Yanli didn’t want to send him out.
If this little useless thing got caught, he’d have to find a way to rescue him, which was troublesome.

After being refused, the little rabbit stamped his feet in anger, kicking Chen Yanli’s palm painfully.
Chen Yanli’s hand went numb, and for a moment, he couldn’t catch the rabbit.
The little rabbit immediately jumped to the ground, curled its body, and squeaked toward the big tree near the vegetable garden.

Then, Chen Yanli saw his rabbit fly away.
The white ball of fur seemed to have used teleportation, zipping to the large tree by the vegetable garden. It hid behind the leaves, eavesdropping on the conversation between the fat monk and Officer Liu.
Chen Yanli was certain that the little rabbit hadn’t had this skill before.

The warmth of the rabbit still lingered in his hand as Chen Yanli’s expression darkened, slowly retracting his hand.
The little rabbit was getting bold.
 

After eavesdropping on the conversation between the fat monk and the abbot, Yu Tong learned that they planned to make Officer Liu the second version of Brother Fasheng.
Yu Tong once again used the "Little Flying Rabbit is Here!" item, returning to Chen Yanli and telling him the news.
Chen Yanli’s face still showed little emotion. He kept a firm grip on the little rabbit, his fingers pressing on the back of the rabbit’s neck, as though he might strangle it at any moment.

No one understood Chen Yanli better than Yu Tong. He immediately figured out what was going on in the man’s mind.
He raised his front paws and gestured in the air for a while.
Chen Yanli’s icy gaze gradually softened, and a faint blush appeared on his face.

He accidentally loosened his grip, and the rabbit immediately flew out again.
The system, curious, asked: [I thought the character’s alignment was about to shift again. What did you say to him?]
‘I told Chen Yanli that our rabbit family has two special skills: one is to play dead, and the other is to run away. If I really want to escape, even if the Great He Guangming Bodhisattva is here, no one can catch me.’

[Is that true?]
‘Tsk, I was just lying to him. He doesn’t believe it, so why should you take it seriously?’
[...So, what about him?]

‘I told Chen Yanli that after last night’s love, I think I might be pregnant with our baby. Chen Yanli was so caught up in wondering how male rabbits can give birth and why they give birth with their hands that his brain short-circuited, leaving no time for him to blacken.’
The system looked back.
The antagonist was still standing in place, his handsome face full of confusion.

It seemed like the host had indeed disturbed him, and it took him a while to process everything.
Yu Tong leaped behind the tree branch and peered at the big bald monk moving through the forest.
The deeper they went into the back mountain, the denser the trees became, and the darker the surroundings grew.

The two monks had been waiting there for some time. When they saw the monk guarding the temple arrive, they respectfully greeted him.
Yu Tong recognized them.
On the left was the tall, slender, and effeminate monk, Brother Fachu. On the right was Brother Fawei, with his naturally smiling lips, big eyes, and a small round face.

Seeing the fat monk signal to them, the two monks smiled and led Officer Liu to a large tree.
When they saw the three monks subtly forming a semi-circle around Officer Liu, Yu Tong realized they weren’t planning on having a chat—they intended to capture him.
He stomped his foot, and the tree trunk shook with a loud thud.

The people under the tree all looked up warily.
The little rabbit was no bigger than the size of a palm, and with the leaves blocking the view, they couldn’t see anything.
The fat monk, worried about unnecessary delays, was about to make his move.

Officer Liu, who had remained still for some time, suddenly pulled something out of his chest and aimed it directly at the fat monk’s face.
It was summer, and everyone was wearing light clothing. The people present could clearly tell that Officer Liu had something resembling a gun hidden inside his jacket.
Relying on his fearless nature, the fat monk didn’t dodge.

The next second, a thick liquid shot into his mouth.
Yu Tong was stunned.
A police officer, solo infiltrating a criminal den to find a missing colleague, pulled out... a water gun?

Officer Liu drenched the fat monk’s face with blood, frowning as he muttered, "The Taoist priest said that black dog blood can ward off evil, so why didn’t it work?"
The three monks were momentarily confused by his actions. The fat monk was the first to react, his face darkening.
“Please cooperate with our work, Officer Liu.”

“The sufferings of this world are limited. If we bear more, others can bear less. As a police officer, you must be willing to endure suffering for the people.”
Officer Liu looked at him as though he were a madman, quickly retreating while holding the water gun, his other hand pulling out a string of prayer beads.
It seemed like a precious item, possibly from some temple. As soon as it touched the negative energy of the forest, it emitted a faint golden light.

The three monks appeared slightly fearful of the beads and formed a circle, stepping back to avoid getting too close.
Officer Liu ran in one direction, and the monk closest to him dashed forward to block his path.
Frowning, Officer Liu muttered, “So, the rumors were true. You control the words of the monks and Taoists. It’s clear now—Great He Guangming Temple is just an evil cult disguised under the name of Buddhism.”

“You dared to let me in here. You must have already killed my colleagues. Even if you stop me, it’s useless. Everyone in the police station knows I came to visit Great He Guangming Temple. If anything happens to me here, they’ll be here with a search warrant immediately!”
Brother Fachu and Brother Fawei hesitated slightly, glancing at the monk guarding the temple.
The fat monk’s expression soured, and his eyes glared at Officer Liu as if he were looking at a selfish, despicable person.

“What are you saying, Officer Liu? Monks do not kill. We didn’t harm your colleague. We were just purifying the sins on his body.”
“You have sins as well, and your heart is full of greed. I am only trying to help you cleanse the evil intentions in your heart. If you don’t want that, I won’t force you.”
The fat monk raised his hand, and Brother Fachu and Brother Fawei quickly parted to clear a path.

Officer Liu, like a shield, held the prayer beads in front of him to block anyone from coming too close.
He stepped back slowly, and when he reached a safe distance, he suddenly turned and sprinted down the mountain.
The three monks stood still, not chasing after him. Yu Tong, still perched on the tree branch, saw the fat monk send a message to someone named ‘Kill Junior Brother’.

Guardian Monk: [Officer Liu has a set of prayer beads blessed by a great monk. We can’t get close. He’s now heading down the mountain.]
Kill Junior Brother: [Okay.]
Yu Tong didn’t react immediately, but the system suddenly exclaimed: [Kill Junior Brother?!]

[The first senior brother, second senior brother, and master were all captured by a monster!]
Yu Tong: …?
Months ago, Officer Liu’s master, an experienced officer who had been teaching him the ropes, suddenly disappeared.

His family didn’t report it and kept his disappearance hidden.
It wasn’t until the police station sent someone to search that they learned the officer had been missing for several days.
Officer Liu had a good relationship with his master. He had eaten at his home a few times.

Before, his master’s wife and daughter were fine, but when Officer Liu visited again, they were pale, looking as though they were sick.
Officer Liu asked them where his master had gone.
His master’s wife gave a warm, unsettling smile.

She mumbled something, "He had evil intentions, so we sent him to cleanse them. We wanted him to stop doing bad things, to stop killing."
His master had always been cautious in his work and had never killed an innocent person.
However, just before his disappearance, he told Officer Liu that during a mission, he accidentally hit and killed a stray dog with his car.

He had a great fondness for dogs, and since many animals in this world had attained intelligence, he was concerned that the dog might have gained human-like traits. He felt deeply guilty.
His mother, a devout Buddhist, suggested that he visit Great He Guangming Temple to cleanse himself of the sin.
During his vacation, his master took his family to the temple.

Officer Liu hadn’t thought much of it at the time. His master had been busy trying to rescue a child from human traffickers, and if he had been a second late, the child would have been lost.
On the way, a dog had suddenly darted across the road, and his master swerved the car to avoid hitting it, but he couldn’t avoid the trees on the side of the road.
The dog acted like it had been stirred up, running in random directions. No matter how his master tried, he couldn’t avoid it.

It was just an accident, and his master had planned to give the dog a proper burial and pray for it at the temple.
He never imagined his master wouldn’t return.