Chapter 16: Welcome to the Church of Truth (Please vote and follow!!!)_1

Marvin didn't even know how he had gotten back to his bedroom.

His mind was full of cats—not love, or maybe just a little...

In any case, he both loved and hated the kitties.

Compared to food, providing shelter for the kitties was much simpler. The church he had bought was the site of an old church, abandoned for many years. Aside from the upper structure, there was also a dungeon underneath. Although it was gloomy and damp without any sunlight, it would make a nice secret base with a bit of cleaning.

As for the entrance to the dungeon...

He had concealed it behind a statue.

When night fell, the kitties could return to the church to live, and during the day, they could go out to bask in the sun. Even if a few were seen, it was no big deal; after all, stray cats appearing anywhere was not strange.

"Daddy, no! I want to sleep with Daddy and Yuniya!"

"No! Mrs. Cecil has prepared a room for you; go back to your own room to sleep!"

At the bedroom door, a disagreement arose between Marvin and his daughter.

Yuniya, holding her little bear, insisted on staying with her father, while Marvin believed that habits should be cultivated from a young age. Yuniya was bound to grow up, and what child sleeps with their parents forever?

Besides, his single bed was far too cramped for two!

"Why can Fat Orange and the others sleep in the same room as Daddy?"

Yuniya asked, pouting.

Marvin was taken aback for a moment: "They are cats, not like you... How about this, if you're afraid of the dark, I can have Fat Orange and Little Black sleep with you, how about that?"

"Hmm... okay then." Yuniya suddenly said, "But I want Daddy to tell me a story!"

"No problem."

Telling stories was a piece of cake for Marvin. He was most proud of his eloquence. Back in the debating competition, he had single-handedly faced off against four opponents from the other side, speaking eloquently and forcefully, leaving them staring in bewilderment, leading his three teammates all the way to the finals.

If it hadn't been for the grilled sea cucumber he ate for five yuan at the roadside, which resulted in him getting diarrhea to the point of exhaustion on the day of the final, their team would definitely have been the champions!

In the warm room, Marvin tucked Yuniya in, sat beside the bed, and selected a well-loved story:

"Once upon a time, there was a boy who aspired to be the Shanghai Pirate King since he was young..."

"Why did he want to be a Pirate King, Daddy?"

"?"

Fat Orange and Little Black, paws tucked under, lay at the head of the bed, casting a sidelong glance at the awkward and stiff-faced Marvin, appearing somewhat perplexed.

"Ahem... it's Pirate King, not Pirate King in that sense. The Pirate King is the recognized leader among pirates."

"Oh."

"In his 17th year, he bravely embarked on his journey aboard a small boat..."

Although the story sounded interesting, Yuniya's eyes were struggling to stay open; she was just too tired. After she fell asleep, Marvin kissed her forehead, turned off the kerosene lamp, and quietly left the room.

...............

The next day, in the early morning.

"Meow meow meow!"

"Meow meow meow!"

Amidst a piercing chorus of cat meows, Marvin, still half asleep, opened his eyes and sighed deeply.

After getting dressed, he headed to the church. As soon as he opened the door, a group of famished kitties swarmed around him, rubbing against him and mewing incessantly.

Although he couldn't understand them, Marvin knew very well what they were saying without even having to think.

Dried fishies~ Dried fishies~ We want to eat dried fishies~

How many worries can one cat have?

"Be good, I'll go buy you some food in a bit."

Just then, Mrs. Cecil, wearing a wool sweater, came down from upstairs. At the sight of this scene, she was startled: "Priest, why are there so many cats in the church?"

"It's a long story..."

Marvin sighed and took out his wallet, counting out nine Gold Coins to give to Mrs. Cecil: "Could you trouble you to go to the morning market and buy some fish to feed them?"

"Nine Gold Pounds?!"

Mrs. Cecil exclaimed in shock, "Priest, how many fish are you planning to buy?"

"Buy as many as possible."

Marvin felt like his heart was bleeding. His current total savings were no more than one thousand gold pounds. At this rate of spending, he'd run out within half a year.

He needed to find a way to make money fast....

"Alright, I've got it."

Mrs. Cecil nodded, not asking anything further, and walked to a small door on the side of the church, saying, "I'll go home to change my clothes first, then head to the early market to buy fish. Remember to bring in the newspapers, Priest, or they'll get damp."

Because of last night's emergency, Marvin hadn't let Mrs. Cecil go home; the church was the safest place. By the time everything settled down, Mrs. Cecil had already fallen asleep in the guest room.

Creak...

Mrs. Cecil opened the small door, just about to leave, when suddenly her body trembled, retracting like lightning the foot she had halfway out, and with a 'bang', she closed the door.

"Priest! Priest!"

"What's the matter?" Marvin looked at her.

"Outside... outside are all people!"

Mrs. Cecil's eyes were wide with disbelief: "Too many to count!"

Marvin raised an eyebrow and walked to the door, carefully opened a sliver, and pressed his head against it to observe the situation outside.

And a bloodshot eye was likewise peering into the church.

"Damn!"

"Fuck!"

Marvin recoiled, his heart nearly stopping with fright, blurting out a curse. The person on the other side wasn't faring much better and fell directly into the crowd.

"What's it like, Priest? The place outside is all people, right?" Mrs. Cecil asked anxiously, "Why are they gathering at the church entrance? What exactly happened last night?"

Unable to withstand her persistent questioning, Marvin succinctly recounted the events that had transpired in the city the previous night. After listening to the whole story, Mrs. Cecil stood with her mouth slightly open, her gaze vacant, and it took her a long while to come back to her senses.

"The fact that the church is raising cats must absolutely not be revealed," Marvin warned her, "Don't tell anyone, including your son who serves as a knight squire, understand?"

"Ah... Yes."

Mrs. Cecil quickly nodded, "But what about these kitties? With so many people outside, they're bound to be discovered!"

"They are cats... Cats' jumping ability far surpasses that of humans. They can enter the backyard through the windows and then climb onto the roof to leave," said Marvin, "Leave this to me; you exit through the back door."

"Alright."

After Mrs. Cecil left, Marvin began herding the kitties, trying to get them to leave through the windows. However, the cats simply wouldn't listen to his commands. He'd pick up one, and another would slip from his embrace; back and forth it went...

"Fat Orange and Little Black!!!"

"Here mew! Here mew!"

Hidden under the stairs, Little Black, upon hearing his master's 'gentle' call, immediately ran out, "What would you like me to do, master mew!"

"Where's Fat Orange?"

"Goddess Yuniya is still asleep; big brother said he wanted to stay with her mew."

"Do these cats listen to you?"

"Of course, mew!" Little Black confidently declared, "I'm the most trusted confidant of big brother mew!"

"Good, get them out of the church quickly, and have them follow Mrs. Cecil to the market. Mealtime is soon!"

"Understood mew!"

Little Black dashed into the throng of cats and let out a few meows. The previously lazy cats suddenly perked up their ears, their eyes filled with longing for dried fish. In groups, they climbed up the windows, quickly following in Mrs. Cecil's footsteps.

Soon, only Little Black was left in the church.

Marvin pulled out his pocket watch and saw it was already 8 o'clock in the morning. It was time to open the church doors. He straightened the wrinkles in his clothes, stepped forward to the door, and unlocked it.

Click!

The main doors slowly swung open to both sides, and the morning sunlight flooded into the church. Marvin stood at the entrance, revealing a slight smile to the crowd below the steps:

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Church of Truth."