When they were found by the police one by one, almost all of them suffered a complete mental breakdown.
Some huddled in corners, clutching their heads and screaming not to be shocked.
Some clawed desperately at their own eyes, crying out that needles were about to pierce them.
Others knelt on the ground, repeating over and over, “I don't want to go into the water,” while trembling violently from an invisible terror.
By the time the police arrived at the Cat Cafe, the manager had already been dragged out of the basement by the chains.
His clothes were disheveled, his face was covered in tears and snot, and he curled up on the ground with his arms wrapped around himself like an animal consumed by utter terror.
“Don't beat me...”
“I'll eat, I'll eat...”
“Don't throw the babies out...”
He wailed incoherently.
But not a single person felt any sympathy for him.
The live stream was still running.
Countless people witnessed it.
Every single staff member in the plantation who had participated in the abuse was taken away without exception.
The evidence was overwhelming.
The live stream footage, the plantation's equipment, the ledger in the basement, the surveillance videos, the remains of the dead animals, the chat logs between staff members...
They could not deny it.
And they had nowhere to hide.
In the end, the manager and the staff members who directly participated in abusing and killing the animals were sentenced to life imprisonment.
There was no death penalty.
For them, death was too easy.
The Karmic Retribution Array was still active.
Every single night, they would dream.
In their dreams, they were no longer superior humans.
They would become cats stripped of their fur, freezing to death beside trash cans.
They would become dogs whose teeth were brutally pulled out, unable to even chew.
They would become kittens blinded by needles, fruitlessly searching for their mothers in the pitch-black darkness.
They would become civet cats whose legs were broken, thrown from high places, dragging their broken bodies as they crawled into the distance.
They would become animals trapped in fire, desperately slamming against iron cages, only to watch helplessly as their fur was consumed by the licking flames.
They would experience every single instance of hunger.
Every instance of fear.
Every helpless cry for help.
Every time they were surrounded, mocked, and filmed by onlookers, with not a single person reaching out to help.
When they woke up, no physical wounds would remain on their bodies.
But the pain and terror would be deeply engraved in their souls.
They would remember it vividly.
Vividly remembering how they died, and how they had once treated other living beings.
And then, the next night, it would all begin anew.
Until all the resentment in the hearts of the victims truly dissipated.
Until every single debt they owed was paid back in full.
The Cat Cafe was permanently shut down.
The plantation was cordoned off by the police.
The remaining civet cats were taken in by animal protection organizations for treatment, neutering, rehoming, and observation.
Those with minor injuries who possessed the ability to survive in the wild would be released back into nature with the help of professionals.
Those whose injuries were too severe to live on their own were sent to rescue centers.
For the first time, they did not have to swallow bitter coffee cherries.
They no longer had to fear stun batons.
They no longer had to wait for death in cages.
They could bask in the sun.
They could run on the grass.
They could sleep for as long as they wanted.
Within the retribution array, the last cluster of animal souls slowly raised their heads.
The resentment clinging to them had already faded significantly.
Right at that moment, the System's notification chimed in the ears of Cen Yao and the other two simultaneously.
【Ding—Congratulations to the players for completing the main quest: Escape from the Cat Cafe.】
【Calculating dungeon evaluation...】
【Detected that the players completed an extra hidden event: Expose the Truth of the Cat Cafe.】
【Detected that the players completed an extra hidden event: Rescue the Trapped Civet Cats.】
【Detected that the players completed an extra hidden event: Pacify the Souls of the Victim Animals.】
【Detected that the players altered the direction of the dungeon's core rules.】
【Final evaluation for this dungeon: SSS-rank.】
【Players may choose to leave the dungeon immediately, or remain until the designated time ends to leave automatically.】
Cen Yao, Zhu Lingxi, and Pei Tinglan exchanged glances.
Cen Yao was the first to speak.
“I choose to stay.”
Zhu Lingxi nodded.
“I'm staying too.”
Pei Tinglan flicked his tail.
“We've already come this far. Are we really going to leave the second half to two cats?”
Cen Yao retorted immediately.
“You're a cat right now too.”
Pei the cat glared at her coldly.
“Mute.”
With the quest completed, the dungeon's restrictions began to loosen.
The sun had not yet set.
But a soft white light suddenly enveloped the three civet cats.
In the next second,
Cen Yao reverted to her human form.
Her Witch's robe draped over her body again, and her pointed hat sat askew on her head. Though her face was still a bit pale, she looked much better than she had last night.
Zhu Lingxi also returned to her original appearance.
The Nuo mask hung at her waist, her black hair fell smoothly, and she still carried a faint scent of incense.
Pei Tinglan was the last to transform back.
His wheelchair reappeared beneath him.
As soon as he changed back, he raised his hand to adjust his collar.
Cen Yao looked at the clusters of souls by the retribution array that had not yet departed.
Some animals had already found peace, their soul forms becoming light and airy, as if they could be carried away by the wind at any moment.
But a portion of them still remained where they were.
They did not enter the cycle of reincarnation.
Instead, they quietly watched the plantation being cleaned up by the workers, and gazed at the civet cats about to be sent to rescue centers.
Cen Yao walked over and squatted down.
“Aren't you leaving?”
The first to respond to her was the kitten missing its left eye.
It floated in front of Cen Yao and let out a soft meow.
Zhu Lingxi closed her eyes and listened for a moment.
“It says it doesn't want to leave.”
“It's afraid there will be other kittens like it in the future.”
Cen Yao remained silent.
The drowned black dog also stepped forward.
It lowered its head, but its tail wagged gently.
Zhu Lingxi continued to translate.
“It says it wants to stay and watch over this place, to protect the little ones who are still alive.”
More and more souls drew near.
There were civet cats with broken legs, mother cats who had lost their kittens, and birds with broken wings.
Perhaps they were no longer obsessed with revenge.
But they were unwilling to reincarnate.
They wanted to stay.
Not out of hatred.
But to prevent tragedy from happening ever again.
Cen Yao watched them quietly.
“Then, would you be willing...”
Her voice was very soft.
“...to protect other weak animals in your soul forms?”
The souls fell silent for a brief moment.
In the next second,
Countless tiny specks of light lit up simultaneously.
They did not hesitate in the slightest.
One by one, the souls surrounded Cen Yao, letting out soft chirps and cries.
They were willing.
They were more than willing.
Zhu Lingxi's eyes grew slightly red.
She raised her hand to press the Nuo mask at her waist and murmured, “As long as good intentions endure, the incense will never cease.”
“Since they wish to protect, they deserve a place to call home.”
Cen Yao looked up at the abandoned wooden cabin.
Initially, that was where she had discovered the old newspapers.
And the claw marks all over the walls.
Now that the plantation was shut down, the cabin would be preserved as evidence and a warning.
But before the dungeon's rules completely dissipated, it was still the most suitable place to establish a sanctuary.
“Let's do it there,”
Cen Yao said.
Zhu Lingxi looked at her.
“Miss Cen, do you mean to...”
“Sculpt a divine statue.”
Cen Yao smiled.
“Give them a home.”
The cabin still smelled of old wood.
The claw marks on the wall had not been erased.
Cen Yao did not have anyone repair them.
She let those marks remain.
Not to make people dwell on the pain forever.
But to make future generations remember why the guardian deity was born.
Zhu Lingxi gathered wood, clay, and tools stored in the plantation's warehouse.
First, she cleansed her hands.
Then she took out a small packet of incense ash from her waist, scattered it on the floor, and softly chanted a Nuo opera lyric that Cen Yao could not quite understand.
It was not to summon a deity, but to pacify the souls.
It was to ask all the souls who were unwilling to leave to temporarily settle down.
Afterward, Zhu Lingxi sat in the center of the cabin.
Her hands were incredibly steady.
First, she carved a base out of wood.
Then, bit by bit, she sculpted the silhouette of the divine statue.
It was a crouching cat.
It was neither grand nor menacing.
On the contrary, it looked very gentle.
The cat statue raised its head slightly, its ears pricked up, as if listening to all the faint cries for help in the distance.
Its tail curled around its front, encircling a tiny space.
It was not a defensive posture, but resembled a warm embrace, a safe harbor.
Where its left eye should be, Zhu Lingxi had carved a shallow scar.
Its front right paw was slightly deformed.
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