Cat Ghost

"Cat Immortal, no need."

Lin Chan shook his head in refusal.

How could he possibly follow a cat to cultivate—wouldn't that turn him into a human-cat hybrid?

As for sending Little Li, that was even more ridiculous.

Little Li had the intelligence of a two-year-old child, couldn't even speak clearly, and wasn't as clever as his own Cow Cat underling.

If he sent Little Li to train under the Orange Cat, she'd be exposed within an hour at most.

"Why?"

The Orange Cat was somewhat displeased. Previously, a tiger with shallow cultivation had wanted to become its disciple, and it had refused. Now, being turned down by a mere Tricolor Cat—where would its face be left?

"Cat Immortal, my master hired me to catch mice at home, and I've already paid respects to the Kitchen God and signed the Cat Contract. How could I just leave on my own?"

Without much thought, Lin Chan came up with a very fitting excuse.

"You're not a dog—why be so loyal?"

"Cat Immortal, is loyalty a bad thing?"

Lin Chan continued to play dumb, since there was no way he was going with the Orange Cat.

Though Lin Chan's words sounded naive, they left no room for rebuttal. The Orange Cat was silent for a long while before saying:

"There are no Cat Ghosts here. I plan to leave tomorrow. If you change your mind, come find me at this same time tomorrow, and I'll take you with me."

With that, the Orange Cat stepped forward, ready to leave.

Its name was Ah Huang, a cat disciple of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect. This trip down the mountain was for training—first, to survive its Centennial Calamity, and second, to eliminate Cat Ghosts.

Cat Ghosts were common cat-related monsters. When a cat died with lingering resentment, it could turn into a Cat Ghost. In cities with large cat populations, Cat Ghosts might appear.

Some evil sorcerers also refined Cat Ghosts to harm people.

As a good cat demon of Shu Mountain, eliminating Cat Ghosts was a duty not to be shirked.

As for enlightening its kin and spreading the Golden Flower Cat Moon Drawing Method, that was merely a side task to accumulate some Good Karma.

It would only teach for one day. How much these kin learned or mastered, Ah Huang wouldn't bother with.

"Cat Immortal! My mind is set. Even if it's tomorrow, I won't go with you."

Lin Chan caught up to Ah Huang.

He didn't want to see Ah Huang play some game of feigned indifference. Even if the Orange Cat waited here tomorrow, he absolutely wouldn't come.

Ah Huang had been about to use the Moon Shadow Technique to quickly vanish, but seeing Lin Chan catch up, it stopped the spell and slowed its pace.

"Why are you so stubborn? If you follow me in cultivation, you'll have a chance to reach Shu Mountain and ascend to immortality. Isn't that better than clinging to your little master?"

Ah Huang couldn't understand why Lin Chan was so obstinate, and the other soul inside this cat's body didn't speak up to argue either.

Ah Huang had never considered that Little Li's body was occupied by Lin Chan.

After all, a person possessing a cat—an ordinary Tricolor Cat that hadn't even started cultivating—who would believe that if told?

Why be human when you could be a cat? Was being a cat better?

Humans were created in imitation of the ancient immortals' Dao Body, inherently possessing Dao resonance and suited for cultivation. Every member of the Demon Race, upon reaching a certain level, yearned to undergo Form Transformation into a human.

"Shu Mountain?"

Lin Chan didn't know what was going on in Ah Huang's head, but he caught a very impressive term.

"The Shu Mountain Sword Sect, the largest sect in Rong Country."

Ah Huang explained to Lin Chan with a hint of pride.

The Shu Mountain Sword Sect was a pilgrimage site every cultivator in Rong Country's immortal realm yearned for.

As a good demon of Shu Mountain, Ah Huang was quite proud.

"The Shu Mountain Sword Sect—are they all demons?"

Seeing that even cats and dogs could enter Shu Mountain, Lin Chan thought it was some kind of Demon Cultivator alliance.

"Sigh! How many demons are there in Shu Mountain? It's very hard for demons to get in. Most of Shu Mountain's disciples are normal human cultivators."

Ah Huang was a bit exasperated. Talking to ordinary cats was such a hassle.

Any demon with even a shred of cultivation would be scared out of its wits at the mention of Shu Mountain's name.

Only these clueless ordinary cats, ignorant and fearless.

"Cat Immortal, where exactly is Shu Mountain?"

Having learned of a place with human cultivators, Lin Chan grew excited.

It had been nearly ten years, and he'd finally gotten news of immortal practitioners.

"The Sword Sect is hidden in the Shu Mountains. How could a little cat like you easily know that? Since you won't come with me, go back. I'm leaving the city."

Ah Huang didn't want to talk to Lin Chan anymore.

"Cat Immortal, my master's family is wealthy beyond measure. If you teach me the Golden Flower Cat Moon Drawing Method today, I'd like to thank you by inviting you to my home for some dried fish."

Lin Chan, catching Ah Huang's impatience, spoke up.

"This... this doesn't seem quite right!"

At the mention of dried fish, Ah Huang stopped in his tracks.

"Cat Immortal, my home is this way. Please follow me!"

Lin Chan then led the way.

The two cats sprinted back to the Lin estate. After slipping through the cat door, Lin Chan directly guided the Orange Cat into the kitchen.

When the Lin family's Guard spotted 'Little Li,' he thought nothing of it and didn't bother them.

Dried fish, dried meat, live chickens, live rabbits...

After sampling a bit of every kind of meat in the kitchen, Ah Huang let out a satisfied, loud burp. These things tasted even better than what he'd had in the Shu Mountains.

Demon Cultivators didn't practice fasting; they just had higher cultivation and could endure hunger longer.

"So you live in a wealthy household. No wonder you didn't want to come with me."

Ah Huang seemed to understand something as he spoke.

"Cat Immortal, I'm not someone who chases pleasure. It's just that my master treats me well. I want to wait until my master grows up and go with him to cultivate in the Shu Mountains."

Lin Chan spun a tale for Ah Huang.

"So you want to ask about the location of the Shu Mountains."

Ah Huang nodded.

Having eaten his fill, he felt a bit indebted—his body was small, but his belly held another world, and he'd just wolfed down over a hundred catties of meat from the kitchen.

"Strictly speaking, I shouldn't say much, but I can tell you a few things. The Shu Mountains are no secret; even mortals know where they are. If you want to take your little master to seek immortals, just head straight into the Shu Mountains, find any mortal town to settle in, and the Sword Sect's elders open their mountain gates to recruit disciples every few years. People from those towns can also participate."

Ah Huang said slowly and deliberately.

"Cat Immortal, I've noted it all down."

Lin Chan was overjoyed to get this information.

"If you're going, go soon. Time waits for no cat."

Ah Huang added another remark.

"Cat Immortal, I'll train hard every day and not waste a moment."

Lin Chan nodded solemnly. He understood that Ah Huang was talking about their kind—if they didn't cultivate properly, they wouldn't have many years to spare.

"Good. Then I'll be off. I hope to see you in the Shu Mountains in a few years."

With that, Ah Huang walked out of the kitchen and leaped onto the eaves. Lin Chan followed closely, ready to see him off a bit further.

"Cat Immortal, go slowly!"

Watching Ah Huang disappear into the distance, Lin Chan mewed.

The Orange Cat sprinted across the rooftops, bounding faster and faster, until he turned into a shadow beneath the moonlight and vanished from Lin Chan's sight.

Having already traveled far using the Moon Shadow Technique, Ah Huang suddenly remembered something—he should have left Lin Chan a spell, some means of self-defense.

"That guy's clever enough. He won't miss one or two spells."

Soon, the Orange Cat Ah Huang, with his small Peachwood Sword strapped to his back, put the matter out of his mind.