The male supporting character was actually myself.

"Meow~" The fluffy ball the size of a fist squatted down beside Jiang Chen, not much shorter than him, and covered its mouth with its paws and laughed: "The main thing is that this is a completely closed world. In order to avoid us invading and causing an energy imbalance, we could only arrange such a body for you at the beginning."

But don't worry, once the main system gradually adjusts and gets the mission world to accept us, you'll be able to take on human form. Don't rush, it'll happen soon!

Hehehe... This is a rare opportunity, host, please meow for me again!

Jiang Chen: (?oωo?)

"Meow~" He imitated the fluffy ball's movements, scratched his ears with his hind legs, and then carefully observed himself. That's right, this time he had become a black cat at the start.

Moreover, it wasn't very big, only about one size bigger than the little white cat.

If there were mirrors in the dungeon, the scene would be quite interesting: two cats, one black and one white, crouching in the dungeon corridor, staring at each other.

“That’s Ling Qiye.” The fluffy dumpling pointed to the young man lying on the straw mat bed in the cell on the right and lowered her voice involuntarily, “Host, we don’t have a script this time, so we have to play it by ear.”

The main system just gave me the world background setting. This world is an ancient dynasty called Sui Dynasty, and it is now the twenty-first year of Yongshun.

Ling Qiye is a renowned investigator, working for the Investigation Bureau, an investigative agency established by the Sui Dynasty emperor. It's worth noting that this mission world contains both cultivators and demons.

The School Affairs Department recruits talents with cultivation potential, but in the current setting, there is no concept of immortal cultivation. It only makes people highly skilled in martial arts, with a body of copper and iron and quick reflexes. With the help of some magic such as earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows one to fight to a draw with demons and monsters.)

Our protagonist, Ling Qiye, became one of the strongest detectives in the School Affairs Division at the young age of twenty-three, and his cultivation level even broke through to the eighth-level Grandmaster. Logically speaking, with the protagonist's halo surrounding him, he shouldn't have encountered any more trouble.

but……"

The fluffy dumpling tiptoed over and frowned slightly. "His aura has been chipped away, which feels strange. Wait a moment and the main system will grant you special permissions so you can have a clear understanding of why the protagonist's aura has been taken away for no reason."

"Hey, kitten!" Ling Qiye sat up in bed when he heard a meow. He saw a small black kitten squatting at the door of his exam room, so he got up and walked over and squatted down to take a closer look at it.

Jiang Chen looked up at Ling Qiye, who was shrouded in the dim firelight.

He perfectly fits the character's description in the story, with a tall and handsome figure, especially his bright and piercing eyes. Even when imprisoned, he maintains a clean and neat appearance, with his long hair tied up high and hanging down with a red ribbon, giving him a chivalrous air.

He was wearing casual clothes, an exquisitely made, close-fitting white stand-up collar long shirt covered with a red robe with gold trim. The belt was made of leather, wide and luxuriously decorated, and he also wore a valuable gold chain and jade pendant around his waist.

He had clearly just been taken out of prison and hadn't been interrogated yet, which was why he maintained such a refined demeanor.

"Meow~" Jiang Chen tried to speak, but could only make a childish meow.

He felt there was nothing wrong with the cat meowing, but its childish tone was a bit embarrassing, so he couldn't help but lower his head and cover his face with his paws.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, the main system is definitely coordinating urgently. Just wait to receive your mission!" The fluffy little ball suppressed a laugh and reached out a paw to stroke its host's shiny black and soft fur, and couldn't help but exclaim, "No wonder the host likes to pet me, it really feels so good to be fluffy!"

Jiang Chen turned her head to look at the little white cat that kept stroking her fur, looking utterly dejected.

"Little cat, what are you doing here? Can you understand me?" Ling Qiye was obviously optimistic. He picked up a piece of steamed bun that the jailer had brought over that night and said with some disgust, "This thing is a bit spoiled, so I didn't eat it. I guess you don't want to taste the food in the prison either."

"Sigh, I can't even offer a small token of my gratitude for asking you to deliver this message. It's truly pathetic that I, Ling Qiye, have fallen to such a state."

[Mission: Help the protagonist, Ling Qiye, escape the dungeon. Reward: One-time use C-grade item x1; Can speak human language.]

"Huh? Shouldn't we be helping the protagonist deliver a message in this situation? Why are we given such a difficult task right off the bat?" the little white cat muttered in surprise. "But after completing the task, you'll be able to speak human language and communicate directly with the protagonist, which is quite convenient."

Jiang Chen never expected that to carry out this special mission, he would have to earn his skills by completing tasks.

However, since the main system only asked him to help him leave, it means that Ling Qiye's own method of sending a message for help is probably futile. It's not like he's asking a little kitten to clear his name; it's just about leaving the dungeon... Why not just break out of prison?

Anyway, this is a world with demons, and the protagonist, being knowledgeable and experienced, shouldn't be surprised that a demon cat with a rather human-like understanding comes to help, right?

"Meow~" He looked up and meowed again, dodging the other's attempt to rub his head and scratch his chin, then stood up, wagging his tail, and disappeared into the darkness.

Ling Qiye squatted in front of the wooden fence gate and sighed, "It really is just an ordinary kitten. If only it were a demon cat..."

He still can't figure out what happened.

He had only had a few drinks with his friend and went home to sleep, but when he woke up, he was back in his room at that brothel, lying in a pool of blood. His friend, who had been drinking with him the night before, was dead on the spot!

Before Ling Qiye could even regain his senses, constables rushed in and arrested him.

Looking back now, it all seems eerie.

First of all, both I and my friend Song Yubai are practitioners of spiritual cultivation.

He had just broken through to the sixth level of boxing master, making him a leading figure among the younger generation; he himself had broken through to the eighth level of grandmaster last month, and apart from those few old monsters in Kyoto, he could be said to be invincible.

What kind of wine could make someone like me, who has cultivated to the extreme and is almost immune to all poisons, so drunk that I was unconscious?

What kind of person could so easily kill Song Yubai and frame him for it?

The girls in the brothel gave consistent testimonies. Even when the Director of the School Affairs Department personally interrogated them one by one using the True Word Technique, the result was always the same: Ling Qiye and Song Yubai had a fight after drinking all night, and Ling Qiye, enraged, suddenly killed Song Yubai!

The director is a powerful being close to level nine. His ability to speak truthfully is something even he cannot resist, so he would never give a false testimony. In other words, the girls saw it with their own eyes and did not lie.

Ke Lingqi firmly believes that she was not drunk, only slightly tipsy, and even if she were drunk, she would never kill anyone, especially not her best friend Song Yubai.

He sat in his cell, looking up at the leaping flames, his heart filled with sorrow, grief, and resentment.

My best friend is dead, his death shrouded in mystery, his body barely cold! Yet I'm imprisoned as the murderer, awaiting the death penalty, unable to find the real killer to clear my name and give my dearest friend justice.

Ling Qiye pondered for a long time but still didn't know where to start. He thought of having the little black cat send a message to his senior sister, asking her to go to his house to investigate the scene. Since he had been back, he would definitely have left traces.

If the eldest sister can produce evidence to prove that she went home after drinking, she can overturn the testimony of all the eyewitnesses in the brothel who said that she never left the room, and the School Affairs Department can postpone the sentencing and reinvestigate!

It's a pity, when you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems. The little black cat not only doesn't understand human speech and can't help deliver messages, it won't even let me pet it...

"Meow~" Jiang Chen didn't want to always meow in a childish voice, but this body's instincts were too strong, and it would meow as soon as it opened its mouth.

He sighed, put the key ring he had pulled from the jailer's waist in his mouth on the ground, and pushed it forward with his paw.

"A key? What are you doing?" Ling Qiye never expected that this little kitten would act so human-like. Could it be a demon cat? But there was no demonic aura emanating from it, which seemed rather peculiar.

Jiang Chen pushed the key forward again and dodged Ling Qiye's groping hand that was trying to rub his head.

"Little cat, little cat, you don't really think this dungeon can hold an eighth-level grandmaster, do you?" Ling Qiye was amused. Instead of taking the key, he sat down on the ground and laughed heartily, "Don't say that the cage can't hold me. If I really wanted to escape from a mere martial arts constable, even if there were thousands or tens of thousands of people, they wouldn't be able to stop me."

I, Ling Qiye, am an upright and honorable man. I believe the School Affairs Department will clear my name and restore my innocence. However… they probably don’t have a specific direction right now. I just want you to help send a message to them to give them a new direction for the investigation.

Don't waste your time, I won't break out of prison.

That would violate the laws of the Sui Dynasty. I have always been a law-abiding citizen and would never do such a despicable thing.

Jiang Chen: ...

It seems you're a typical protagonist in a wish-fulfillment novel. You're hardworking, have a bit of good luck, and have the protagonist's halo. You basically rely on your own seven or eight points of strength plus the help of supporting characters to make everything go smoothly. You really don't know how treacherous the world is!

Especially now that your aura has run into trouble and luck isn't on your side, the old ways won't work anymore.

Times have changed, little brother!

"Meow~" He reluctantly picked up the key, and with his paws and mouth, he struggled to find the right key to open the lock. Then he pushed open the cell door, pounced on Ling Qiye, bit the corner of his clothes, and pulled him out with all his might.

"Hey? You little cat... are you a demon cat? How come there's not a trace of demonic energy about you? What are you trying to do? Holy crap! Are you even a cat? How can you be so small but so strong?"

Jiang Chen, having failed to drag him, jumped behind him with a long face and, using her soul weapon, secretly pushed Ling Qiye outwards, kicking and shoving him. Ling Qiye, unable to resist, was forced to move forward, muttering to himself. When they passed the jailer, Ling Qiye froze, "Little cat, did you do all this?"

Chapter Two: This is called flexible imprisonment!

Four jailers lay sprawled on the ground, clearly all unconscious.

Ling Qiye turned around and looked at the little black cat, which was not much bigger than his fist, and couldn't help but give it a thumbs up and praise, "Little cat, you're quite skilled and promising at such a young age!"

Jiang Chen rolled her eyes and continued urging him forward.

"Tch~ Of course, I, the soft and cute little white one, am more comfortable doing things like hitting someone with a club!" The fluffy ball followed behind, licking its paws smugly, and secretly giving its host a little pat.

Hehehe, even the host has a time when he can be taken back. We must seize the opportunity to pet him to our heart's content!

Wow, this fur and these paws feel so good!

"Meow!" Jiang Chen turned around and gave a fierce warning, but his childish voice was hardly intimidating.

The little white cat wasn't scared at all; it even seemed a bit smug, chuckling as it pounced on him, rubbing and petting him without any warning. Ling Qiye, on the other hand, sighed and facepalmed. "Little cat, why are you being so fierce? I just couldn't resist you and kept going. Are you a demon cat or not? Why aren't you showing any demonic energy?"

As a prisoner about to be sentenced to death and an eighth-level grandmaster, he was imprisoned directly at the lowest level of the Dali Temple prison without being supervised by the Department of Education to avoid suspicion.

At each heavily guarded gate, the gate would open by itself, and the guards would all lie on the ground unconscious.

"Holy crap! Isn't this the official from the School Affairs Department who was just imprisoned yesterday? What are you doing here?"

"As expected of Lord Ling, who broke through to the eighth level of Grandmaster at such a young age, even his prison break is so stylish?"

"Lord Ling, take me with you on your prison break! I've been framed too!"

"As expected, the jailers were right to worry—how could the Dali Temple prison possibly hold an eighth-level Grandmaster?!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, they ran away, didn't they..."

…………

The bottom two floors did not hold prisoners of the corresponding level, but when Ling Qiye was forcibly driven by the little black kitten to pass by the upper prison, the prisoners on both sides were clinging to the doors and shouting.

"Oh, little kitten, you've really gotten me into trouble." He couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. "I, Ling, have always been upright and honest, but today I'm going to be accused of escaping from prison!"

Jiang Chen ignored him and focused on urging him on.

Since I can't speak and can only meow, I might as well hurry up and kick him out to complete the mission, and in return, I'll gain the ability to speak human language so we can have a proper discussion.

The fluffy dumpling led the way with ease, first knocking down the guards with a club, then opening the gate for them to pass, and finally locking the gate to prevent other prisoners from escaping.

"Little cat, what kind of ability is this? How can you be so powerful?" Ling Qiye prided himself on his extensive knowledge, but he had never seen such a bizarre ability before!

Most importantly, there was absolutely no demonic energy emanating from this little guy. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it was a demon cat.

"Congratulations, host, on completing the mission!" As soon as he stepped out of the dungeon, the little white cat rubbed against him and happily announced the reward.

"Cough cough!" Jiang Chen coughed twice and was relieved to find that the voice was finally speaking human language and was no longer childish. However, the voice was still slightly immature, so it should be a young demon cat. "Lord Ling, if you want to clear your name and solve the murder case, I'm afraid you will have to investigate it yourself. You can't rely on others."

Ling Qiye took a step back in great surprise, "You can talk? You really are a very peculiar demon cat!"

"You snuck out, can you tone it down? And get out of here now before you start talking nonsense, or you'll really be convicted of escaping." Jiang Chen knew that many protagonists would do strange things. They could have left, but they would hesitate at the crucial moment and end up getting blocked, and then they would put on a useless emotional show of you saving me and me saving you.

If you escape, you can leave immediately; there won't be so much trouble then.

"Isn't this what you've been pushing me to escape from?" Ling Qiye looked at the locked dungeon door with a helpless expression, but still refused to move.

Jiang Chen was so angry that she kicked him. "Are you so stubborn! You're going to investigate the case tonight and you're coming back before dawn. Who said you escaped from prison?"

"But what about the prisoners and jailers..."

"Does anyone believe what a prisoner says? You yourself said that if you hadn't surrendered voluntarily, no one could have caught you, and that prison couldn't hold you. But you're already locked up, so why would you bother to escape? The guards didn't see anything. Are you coming or not? If not, go back by yourself and don't waste my time."

Ling Qiye was taken aback, and surprisingly found that the demon cat's twisted logic actually made some sense.

Going out to investigate a case at night and then going back to jail during the day doesn't seem like a prison break, but... it's more like flexible jail time, right?

"What's your name?"