Cat and Dog

The Cat-Eared Loli before him was clearly a demon.

So-called demons were creatures that had gained Spiritual Wisdom.

Just as recorded in mythological tales, after accidentally gaining Spiritual Wisdom, they absorbed the essence of the sun and moon to cultivate themselves and strengthen their power.

But the essence of the sun and moon was not so easily absorbed, so they usually rose earlier than chickens, slept later than dogs, and worked harder than oxen.

Their path of cultivation was even more arduous, requiring far longer stretches of time. It often took decades, or even centuries, before they achieved any results.

After such long years, they continuously strengthened and perfected themselves, becoming ever more outstanding, until finally...

—They became mounts for immortals.

Whenever Lu Xun read mythological stories on Earth, he would wonder, "Did immortals compare mounts the way young people compared their cars?"

The more he imagined that scene, the more amusing it seemed.

But on Earth, there was certainly no shortage of "mounts," as long as one had money.

Some cost a few hundred, some a few thousand, and some even cost tens or hundreds of thousands!

—Such as bicycles, motorcycles, and cars.

While traveling, Lu Xun had once regarded Ji Li as a mount, but he had never dreamed that one day, he himself would be regarded as one.

Could it be that demons held a grudge against the role of "mount," having suffered enough from being ridden by others?

That possibility was surprisingly high, and it actually seemed rather reasonable.

Seeing that he had not replied, the Cat-Eared Loli floating before Lu Xun continued in a loud, babyish voice, "I am Mao Nanbei. It is your honor to become my mount."

Lu Xun could not help feeling slightly startled upon hearing this.

She was Mao Nanbei?

That somewhat comical-sounding name was very famous in Heavenly Dust.

She only appeared midway through the game. She was a peerless great demon, absurdly powerful, and abused players like dogs.

She was extremely popular, ranking among the top female NPCs, simply because the image of a Cat-Ear Girl had left such a deep impression on people.

Any forum post related to her could easily surpass a thousand replies, and many shameless players even lined up begging her to abuse them.

However, she had appeared as a cat-eared young woman back then. Lu Xun had not expected her to be a loli at this point.

But that made sense. By the middle of the game, according to the timeline, many years would have already passed.

Encountering Mao Nanbei now, Lu Xun felt faintly excited.

It was not because he had any particular fetish. What excited him was not Mao Nanbei's appearance, but... her identity!

He knew very well just how special Mao Nanbei's identity was.

Sure enough, Murong Yan, who stood nearby, could not bear listening any longer. A fawning smile spread across her plump face as she said to the little loli, "Little Martial Grand-Aunt, wouldn't this... be inappropriate?"

Lu Xun was not surprised in the slightest by the title Little Martial Grand-Aunt, but Ji Li opened her mouth wide in shock beside him.

The little loli's ghost-slaying display had already stunned her, after all...

—She had not seen much of the world.

What she had not expected now was that this powerful little girl possessed such a high seniority as well!

The little loli named Mao Nanbei glared at Murong Yan. The smile on Murong Yan's face grew even broader, making her plump face look even more guileless.

Seeing her foolishly innocent appearance, the little loli's fiery temper simply could not flare up.

The sect had made a very sound decision in assigning Murong Yan as her companion!

She stopped floating, turned in midair, and landed on Murong Yan's broad shoulder.

Murong Yan was plump, so lying on her was especially comfortable.

Furthermore, Murong Yan was a big girl over six feet tall. Sitting on her shoulder, Mao Nanbei was even slightly higher than Lu Xun.

With both hands on her hips, she curled her lips and said to Murong Yan, "What rules are there to follow or not follow? Aren't rules meant to be broken?"

Murong Yan's expression turned somewhat complicated. Looking at the little loli on her shoulder, she said, "Little Martial Grand-Aunt, it's fine to say that outside, but don't let the Law Enforcement Elder hear you."

The Cat-Eared Loli swung her little feet through the air and said unhappily, "I'm his Martial Uncle. Why would I be afraid of him?"

Yet somehow, she sounded like she was putting on a brave front.

"And besides, I didn't say that. Second Senior Sister did. If he has the ability, let him go trouble Second Senior Sister!" she added.

Sure enough, she was still a coward at heart.

When this sort of state appeared on a loli, people usually called it "fierce but adorable."

Mao Nanbei continued swinging her little feet in the air as she looked at Lu Xun. "So, have you thought it over? Become my pretty mount, and you'll lack neither cultivation techniques nor magical treasures, nor spiritual pills and wondrous medicines. How about it?"

A mount was a cultivator's public image, and Lu Xun was exceptionally handsome. She felt that he would make her look very impressive.

Ji Li, standing beside Lu Xun, suddenly stretched out her little chubby hand and gently tugged at the corner of his clothes.

Lu Xun usually spoke to her without any restraint, and she feared that he would speak to the little loli in the same way.

She did not know that Lu Xun was already scheming against the little loli.

He had originally planned to use Ji Li to get in touch with Murong Yan, then use Murong Yan to reach her sect.

It was not that he was taking advantage of Ji Li. This would fulfill her wish while allowing him to carry out his plan for a perfect start. It was a win-win situation.

But with Mao Nanbei suddenly appearing... everything seemed to have become much simpler.

So, he smiled.

His smile was exceedingly warm.

Ji Li had only seen that smile once before, when they had talked about cultivators in the teahouse.

Seeing Lu Xun's smile, Mao Nanbei liked him even more.

He really was handsome!

Like a mortal who truly knew nothing of the world, Lu Xun asked, "Are you very strong?"

"Of course!" The little loli was full of confidence. "I came here to eliminate a nearby Ghost King. You saw those hundred-plus Fierce Ghosts just now, right? They were incarnated clones formed after the Ghost King died. I chopped off all their heads with one slash!"

The meaning behind those words was easy to understand: After that smooth display just now, do you still think I'm not awesome?

Lu Xun was momentarily stunned. A Ghost King had appeared already? How many Experience Points was a Ghost King worth? Slurp!

"Then is your sect also very formidable?" Lu Xun continued asking foolishly.

"Of course!" The little loli lifted her head and puffed out her chest, seeming deeply proud of it.

Her seniority within the sect was extremely high. The more formidable the sect was, the more formidable she naturally appeared as well.

"Then can I go take a look first before making my decision?" Lu Xun asked again.

That was his ultimate goal!

He wanted to go to this sect. Only then could he begin the legendary "perfect start."

Such great sects all had grand formations. Low-level newbies with little cultivation were very unlikely to find them. One simply could not sense them, and even if one stood directly before one, one would not notice anything special.

The little loli's brow lifted slightly. She did not like it when others haggled with her.

But this person was truly handsome, and she did not want to miss out on him.

After thinking for a moment, she nodded.

At that moment, Lu Xun revealed an even warmer smile at just the right time.

That smile seemed to conceal the nervousness and anticipation of a village boy entering a great city, while also resembling someone at the foot of a mountain wishing to see the scenery above.

The little loli did not know that Lu Xun was not someone at the foot of the mountain.

He had seen the scenery atop the peak before.

At this moment, he was merely revealing once more his nature as someone who loved playing games and pulling tricks.

If one had to give people like this a name to match Mao Nanbei's, then they could be called dog bastards.