A Feline’s Antics and a Fated Path

Crouching on the ground, Xiao Li licked her paws, a strange sensation stirring within her.

‘Something, something is surging out from my very core!’

‘Power! This is the feeling of immense power!’

With that exclamation, Xiao Li ceased concealing her cultivation, revealing herself to be at the second layer of Qi Condensation!

Apparently, her breakthrough in cultivation had destabilized the spiritual energy within her. With a sudden ‘pop,’ she reverted to her human form as a little girl, tumbling wildly across the floor.

‘This is… the Hajie crocodile form… my ass!’

Such a disgraceful spectacle! Qin Yan reached out, seizing Xiao Li by the ear and effortlessly lifting her entirely off the ground.

“Ma… Master, my ear is going to break!”

Xiao Li quickly pleaded for mercy. She knew, of course, that her recent antics had been a touch too willful, yet as a tanuki demoness, she was driven by instinctual dependence, a force utterly beyond her control.

Xiao Miao watched the entire scene unfold before her, her expression one of utter astonishment.

“My apologies for the spectacle,” Qin Yan said, noticing Xiao Miao’s expression. “This is my spirit companion. If I were to abandon her, she’d simply become a stray.”

Xiao Li offered no rebuttal, for she knew that if Qin Yan had truly forsaken her before, her fate would have been far worse than merely becoming a stray; she would have been a dead cat, meow.

“Cough, cough...” Xiao Miao cleared her throat. “A spirit companion, I understand, truly. I was just concerned that if an ordinary cat had consumed that pill, it might have exploded from the sheer power…”

Despite her words, a hint of a headache lingered in Xiao Miao’s eyes. After all, this was a high-grade second-rank medicinal pill, not to be trifled with.

Qin Yan gave Xiao Li’s cheek a firm pinch. The demoness didn’t resist, instead feigning death and acting adorably. ‘Indeed, well-behaved cats are always trained,’ he mused. ‘She still has much to learn.’

****

Dismissing Xiao Li for the moment, Qin Yan and Xiao Miao settled into the private room.

“Xiao Li, you’ll frighten people like that.”

Qin Yan glanced at Xiao Li, who was crouched on the ground in a posture reminiscent of a guard dog, and couldn’t help but voice his concern.

After all, the majority of patrons in this tavern were mere mortals, not cultivators. Encountering a demoness with cat ears would undoubtedly fill them with dread.

“Oh~”

Xiao Li acquiesced with a soft sound, then transformed into her true tanuki form and leaped gracefully into Qin Yan’s embrace.

Moments later, the private room door swung open. A waiter entered, bearing a tray of tea, and after delivering a brief, enthusiastic spiel about its quality, he discreetly departed.

As Xiao Miao watched Qin Yan gracefully lift his teacup to drink, she couldn’t help but reflect on how many times she had found herself alone with him in such private rooms.

The adage of ‘men and women are different’ stirred a subtle unease within her heart. Unsure of the reason for this burgeoning anxiety, she decided to break the quiet, contemplative atmosphere.

“Qin Yan, where do you intend to go next?” she inquired.

“I don’t know,” Qin Yan replied.

Qin Yan shook his head. His journey down the mountain was solely to witness the myriad facets of life in this world, much like a traveler wandering, experiencing the ebb and flow of human emotions and circumstances wherever he went.

What purpose could such an aimless journey hold?

As the saying goes, ‘reading ten thousand books pales in comparison to traveling ten thousand miles.’ It was akin to embarking on a journey where the destination was known, yet the true marvel lay in the events unfolding along the way.

“Then, Qin Yan, is there anything in particular you wish to do?” Xiao Miao pressed.

Qin Yan shook his head once more. For the past month and more, he had simply drifted between various cities within the Qin Kingdom. When inspiration struck, he would immerse himself in the local landscapes; when it faded, he would depart for a new destination.

Some might find his seemingly aimless wandering utterly bewildering.

Yet, Qin Yan found immense pleasure in this lifestyle. In his previous life, he had already endured more than enough of a rigidly structured existence: studying, taking college entrance exams, falling in love, having children—a prescribed path that nearly every Hua Xia person was expected to tread.

Some veered off this track, while others journeyed to its very end, ultimately aging into oblivion amidst the creaking echoes of time.

“Xiao Miao, is there anywhere you wish to go, or anything you desire to accomplish?”

To keep the conversation from faltering, Qin Yan turned his gaze to the young woman before him.

“Qin Yan, you are truly unbound,” Xiao Miao remarked with a touch of wistfulness, mindful that Qin Yan, before her, was a veritable treasure of their sect. “I intend to seek out a spiritual herb to aid my breakthrough to a third-rank alchemist. My initial plan was merely to earn some travel funds at this Pill Dao Convention before setting off immediately.”

Qin Yan listened, then offered a slight nod.

“I have no pressing matters anyway. I can accompany you in your search for that spiritual herb, though I wonder if I’ll prove to be a hindrance.”

“How could Qin Yan possibly hinder me?” Xiao Miao exclaimed, a jolt of surprise striking her heart. She had never imagined Qin Yan would utter such words. “To have your assistance would truly be my great fortune.”

Gazing at the young man before her—the undisputed, foremost prodigy of the Northern lands in this age—she marveled that he would actually deign to accompany her. Xiao Miao felt utterly unworthy of such an honor.

“Xiao Miaozi,” Shizun’s voice echoed in Xiao Miao’s mind, “I sense that Qin Yan harbors some affection for you. Why else would he speak such words?”

“Shizun, why are you dreaming such things?” Xiao Miao retorted impolitely, her thoughts transmitted via divine sense.

“Hmph! When this Venerable One was a prodigy, countless male cultivators vied for my favor. My glory was unparalleled then! Yet, looking back, none could compare to Qin Yan. In your most desperate hour, he not only refrained from kicking you while you were down, but actively offered his aid. Such a male cultivator is truly a rarity. Furthermore, despite the vast chasm in your statuses, he remains willing to treat you with courtesy, never once putting on airs. His character is exceptional, a gem among gems.”

Hearing this, Xiao Miao silently grumbled. If Shizun extolled Qin Yan so highly, wouldn’t it make her own perceived transgressions even more unforgivable? Yet, a nail was a nail, and a rivet was a rivet; how could the two possibly be conflated?

This observation wasn’t solely about male cultivators; having encountered countless individuals, one inevitably arrived at such poignant reflections.

When one achieved success, sycophants flocked ceaselessly to their side; yet, when one fell from grace, the bustling throngs instantly vanished, replaced by a relentless tide of scorn and animosity.

Others might remain oblivious to such truths, but Xiao Miao, for her part, understood them all too well.

Indeed, adding flowers to brocade could never compare to offering charcoal in the snow. As Xiao Miao gazed at Qin Yan, who appeared like a banished immortal, a wave of profound emotion washed over her.

“Master,” Xiao Li suddenly piped up, looking at Xiao Miao, “I think this young lady is looking at you rather… suggestively, with a certain fiery intensity.”

Qin Yan nearly choked on his tea, spitting it out in surprise. He then glanced at Xiao Miao, who appeared momentarily stunned by the comment, her fair cheeks flushed crimson.

Qin Yan might not have noticed her surreptitious glances earlier, but that damned cat certainly had!