The problem was that everyone Li Xuan could contact was at the bottom of society, with no high-level sources of information.
Most of his current information came from the gossip of palace maids and eunuchs, at most from the Cairen in Yan Qu Hall.
These people themselves couldn't access any secrets, so naturally, they couldn't hear any useful information.
But thinking about it carefully, it was wishful thinking for Li Xuan to want to contact high-level figures with his current strength.
Even if they were willing to discuss confidential information in front of him, a mere cat, it would still depend on whether he had the ability to hear it.
Just like last time in Yan Qu Hall, when Zhao Bugao and Wei Chengji were secretly talking in the main hall, Li Xuan didn't even have a chance to get close due to the heavy guard of the Flower-Clad Eunuchs.
"Don't think about these things for now; focusing on improving my strength is the way to go."
Li Xuan shook his head, dispelling his previous worries.
He was on the verge of a breakthrough now, and he couldn't afford to overthink things.
After all, if he wanted to achieve more and control his own destiny as much as possible, there was no other way than to become stronger.
"Meow—woof!"
Li Xuan was originally deep in thought, walking along the wall with his head down, when a sudden sound exploded in his ear, startling him.
"Who is it, so ill-mannered!"
He looked up and was momentarily stunned.
Opposite him was a one-eyed tabby cat with bristling fur, arching its back and scolding him, its cat-speak full of low-class behavior.
It was none other than Cat Overlord.
Behind Cat Overlord, two other heads peeked out from either side, their eyes full of curiosity.
But upon seeing that it was Li Xuan, their eyes lit up, and they meowed and meowed, cheering on their boss from behind him.
"Oh my, how did I run into these three guys?"
Li Xuan instinctively flinched; he still vividly remembered that beating he took.
But then he realized that he was no longer the same as before.
The Cat Overlord brothers grew more and more excited with their meows, and their commotion had already attracted the attention of the nearby palace maids and eunuchs.
Those who were idle looked over with interest, seemingly waiting to watch a wild cat fight.
But anyone with a discerning eye could see that the lone black cat was at a disadvantage in terms of both size and numbers; it remained to be seen if he could escape or at least take fewer blows.
"There are too many eyes and ears; I'll lure these three guys to my territory before dealing with them."
Li Xuan made up his mind, jumped off the courtyard wall, and then fled into the distance.
"Meow~~~woof—"
Cat Overlord gave an order, leading his two underlings in hot pursuit.
They already knew this coal ball was a coward and were prepared.
The moment Li Xuan ran, they also instantly started, not falling behind at all.
"Haha, they're fighting, they're fighting."
The onlookers let out joyful laughter, watching the spectacle.
There wasn't much entertainment in the palace for them to enjoy, so an occasional grand show like this naturally made for an interesting watch.
It was just a pity that these cats ran too fast, disappearing in a flash, which left the onlookers feeling somewhat disappointed.
Li Xuan controlled his speed while keeping an eye on the three cats behind him.
"They're really too slow."
He was only moving at a leisurely pace, yet the three cats were already panting and out of breath trying to keep up.
If Li Xuan hadn't controlled his speed, shaking off the three guys behind him would have taken only a blink of an eye.
At this moment, Li Xuan already understood that the gap between them was like an unfathomable chasm that could never be bridged.
The four cats meowed and meowed as they ran through more than half of the West Palace, attracting countless gazes and causing the imperial concubines to giggle endlessly.
After all, this scene was truly rare and comical.
Those who didn't know might have thought Li Xuan was the boss, leading his three great generals into battle.
Before long, the four cats arrived, one after another, at an alley near Jingyang Palace.
At the end of the alley was a dead-end gate.
This place was rarely visited, making it a perfect spot for a brawl.
"Meow woof—"
Seeing Li Xuan's path blocked, Cat Overlord let out a triumphant meow, panting as he stepped forward.
His muscular physique swayed from side to side with each step, clearly not just fat but truly a muscular cat.
Cat Overlord slammed one of his patterned forelegs down in front of Li Xuan, looking down at him from above, his eyes full of disdain.
"Meow! Woof!"
Li Xuan was momentarily stunned, then his eyes narrowed slightly.
After chasing for so long, they finally said something that could pass the censor.
Cat Overlord's words meant: "Surrender, and I'll spare you!"
But in the face of Cat Overlord's domineering declaration, Li Xuan merely twisted his mouth, revealing one of his canine teeth.
That disdainful smile immediately enraged Cat Overlord's pride.
"Meow~woof! (You're ungrateful!)"
Cat Overlord raised his patterned foreleg, extended his sharp claws, and viciously swiped at Li Xuan.
Behind him, Fat Orange and Niu Niu shouted in unison: "Meow meow, meow meow! (Boss, mighty!)"
Sharp meows accompanied by crackling sounds, and the quiet alley instantly became a chaotic mess.
The noise lasted for about ten seconds, then completely quieted down.
Cat Overlord maintained the posture of holding up one patterned foreleg, but before his eyes was already a clear blue sky and white clouds.
He seemed to have had a nightmare just now, an overwhelming expanse of pitch-black cat paws trampling on his body again and again.
"But if it was a dream, why does my body hurt so much?"
Although Cat Overlord was unwilling to believe it, he already had a guess in his heart.
His previous guess was correct; the paw print on Niu Niu's face was indeed left by this kid.
Thinking of a junior who was casually bullied by him just a few months ago, but now possessed strength beyond his imagination, Cat Overlord couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"After all, I'm getting old."
This heroic decline seemed to move the heavens, as the fur on Cat Overlord's head gradually became damp.
But before Cat Overlord's eyes, it was still the scene of blue sky and white clouds, with no sign of rain.
Feeling the damp warmth on his head, even though Cat Overlord was not in the mood, he still let out a soft meow.
"Niu Niu, stop peeing."
This meow was filled with bitterness and helplessness, completely devoid of his usual Domineering.
But perhaps because of this, the damp area on Cat Overlord's head grew larger and larger.
"Meow woof!" (Too vulgar, unable to pass censorship!)
Cat Overlord endured the pain and stood up, grabbing Niu Niu, but then he himself stumbled.
Cat Overlord looked down carefully and saw that the tails of all three of them were tied together, with a fancy bow knot!
"Meow—woof—"
Cat Overlord's unwilling and humiliated cries echoed for a long time in this deserted alley.
...
The gate of Jingyang Palace suddenly opened, and Yu'er rushed out from inside.
"Li Xuan, Li Xuan!"
Yu'er called out anxiously, but the next moment she saw her little cat elegantly walking out from the corner, looking refreshed and invigorated.
She quickly walked over, laboriously picked up Li Xuan from the ground, and checked him all over.
"Li Xuan, are you okay?"
"I heard the cats outside meowing so fiercely, I thought you were being bullied."
Seeing that Li Xuan had no injuries on his body, Yu'er couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"From now on, just play at home; there are too many bad cats outside."
"Those bad cats won't spare you just because you're cute."
Li Xuan immediately rubbed Yu'er's cheek with his head, letting out a soft, delicate meow, appearing extremely well-behaved.
"So well-behaved!"
"Li Xuan is so soft and gentle, what will he do if he gets bullied in the future?"
Yu'er's tone was full of doting affection as she held Li Xuan and returned to Jingyang Palace.
Meanwhile, in the quiet and deserted alley, the mournful meows still echoed endlessly, narrating their respective tragic plights.