Gatekeeper Boy, Body Like a Crane, Exhale and Inhale Essence

After his initial shock and jealousy, all that remained in Filch's heart was anger.

A young wizard had not only broken school rules by sneaking out at night, but also dared to lay hands on his cat?

He strode toward Rhine, shouting furiously.

"Let go of my cat!"

"If you dare do anything to her, I'll never forgive you!"

As Filch came striding over, a flicker of impatience crossed Rhine's eyes.

He was not one of Hogwarts's delicate new students, who could only run from Filch. He had plenty of strength and means to make Filch forget everything he had seen and heard tonight.

But just as Rhine was about to act, a line of information appeared on the system screen before him.

As you tour Jade Void Palace and tease the spirit beast within, the gatekeeper boy of Jade Void Palace glares at you with hostility. It turns out this spirit beast is his beloved pet. How could he possibly allow you to tease it?

Though the gatekeeper boy of Jade Void Palace possesses no cultivation and is an insignificant figure, he has remained in Jade Void Palace for many years. Befriending him may bring minor benefits.

Reach Casual Acquaintance with the gatekeeper boy to obtain the talent—Sharp Ears and Clear Eyes. As a gatekeeper boy, he patrols the lands surrounding Jade Void Palace. Without keen eyesight and hearing, countless mistakes would have occurred long ago. This talent increases your vision and hearing.

Reach Close Friendship with the gatekeeper boy to obtain the talent—Body Like a Crane. Jade Void Palace gathers the wonders of heaven and earth, its Dao Charm naturally formed. After staying here for long enough, even boys without cultivation talent can train their bodies to resemble cranes. This talent makes your body light and agile, reduces impure energy, and makes it easier for you to absorb spiritual energy than ordinary people.

Reach Life-and-Death Friendship with the gatekeeper boy to obtain the talent—Exhale and Inhale Essence. Though the boy has no aptitude for cultivation, he has never slacked off in his practice. He has long mastered breathing and energy circulation methods. This talent increases the efficiency of spiritual energy absorption during cultivation.

Rhine, who had been prepared to act, suddenly paused, surprise appearing in his eyes.

Having read the original story, he naturally knew that Filch was a Squib incapable of using magic.

He had thought the system would not react to him, yet befriending Filch could actually earn rewards.

And while these rewards were hardly grand or impressive, they were quite practical.

The talents from Close Friendship and Life-and-Death Friendship in particular could both help improve the efficiency of spiritual energy absorption.

For Rhine as he was now, they were actually more useful than those miraculous cultivation methods.

His upgraded Feast on Wind and Drink Dew talent, combined with the simple cultivation method from the Flying Tiger Military Strategy, and then stacked with the Body Like a Crane and Exhale and Inhale Essence talents... the speed at which he gained spiritual energy should undergo a qualitative transformation compared to before!

Still, befriending Filch would not be easy.

Filch could not use magic, yet he had to watch young wizards fool around with magic in the castle every day. One could imagine how that felt.

He had practiced tirelessly day and night, devoting all his spare time to it, only to prove that he lacked the talent and was a Squib.

Yet those gifted young wizards did not cherish their precious time at school at all.

Filch's attitude toward young wizards had naturally become twisted because of this, making him someone hated by generations of students.

Befriend Filch?

If other young wizards heard that, they would probably think it was the joke of the century.

But a moment later, an idea came to Rhine.

No matter how difficult a person was, there was always something they cared about most.

Filch was a lonely outcast who could only keep cats for company. Apart from his longing for magic, Mrs. Norris was everything to him.

The easiest way to build a relationship with Filch was to start with Mrs. Norris.

By then, Filch had already marched up to Rhine menacingly.

He stared fixedly at Rhine.

"You?"

"Ah, I remember you. I remember every young wizard's face, even if you've only been here for one day."

"Gryffindor. You're from Gryffindor. Sneaking out on the very first day of school? I'll tell Professor McGonagall and have Gryffindor lose points!"

"Now, give me back my cat!"

Filch tried to take Mrs. Norris back from Rhine's arms.

But Mrs. Norris took half a step back and dodged Filch's hand. Instead, she rubbed herself against Rhine's hand several more times.

Filch's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Rhine gently stroked Mrs. Norris's head a few times, then looked at Filch with a stern, angry expression.

"You're this cat's owner?"

"How do you take care of cats?"

"How did you let her end up like this?"

Filch was a little dumbfounded.

Whenever he charged over so aggressively in the past, young wizards would either flee at the sight of him or prepare to resist him to the end.

Yet this young wizard was talking to him about caring for cats?

It left him thoroughly confused.

But since it concerned Mrs. Norris, Filch still spoke up.

"What's wrong with Mrs. Norris?"

Rhine replied irritably.

"She's been raised into this state, all skin and bones. Can't you see that?"

"Severe malnutrition!"

He was not exaggerating. Mrs. Norris was in terrible condition, and he had no idea how Filch had been caring for her.

Then again, Filch was so stubborn that expecting him to learn anything about cat care was probably unrealistic. He had most likely just been feeding her however he pleased.

Filch panicked.

"Malnutrition?"

"Y-you're talking nonsense. She's only old..."

But after a moment, his voice lowered, and concern and struggle appeared in his eyes.

"Then what should I do?"

Rhine's gaze shifted slightly as he spoke.

"Remember this: cats are obligate carnivores. Although they occasionally eat vegetables on their own and like bread crumbs and the like, they eat the former to clear their digestive tract, while the latter is simply because they crave it. In reality, they are hard to digest."

"So don't feed her bread and leftovers all day. Give her meat, and don't let the source of meat be too limited. She needs all kinds of meat and organs."

"I could already sense her condition just now. I'll give you a formula. Prepare her food according to those proportions, and after a while, she'll reach the weight she should be at. Her fur will become much glossier too."

"Oh, right. Most importantly, this..."

Rhine carefully took out a pill the size of a fingernail, seemingly kneaded together from various herbs.

The moment Mrs. Norris saw it, her eyes lit up with fascination.

This was the scent that had driven her wild just now.

Rhine handed the pill to Filch.

"Scrape a little powder from it into every meal. It will be very good for her, lift her spirits, and extend her lifespan."

"If you keep feeding it to her, it should let her stay with you for a few more years."

"Since you remember me, come find me again once you run out. I'll figure out a way to make more."

When Filch heard that this pill could let Mrs. Norris stay with him for a few more years, his eyes lit up. He carefully put it away as though it were a priceless treasure.

Still, as he looked at Rhine, confusion remained on his face.

He held ill will toward young wizards, and young wizards had never shown him kindness. He did not understand why Rhine would treat his cat like this.

"Why?"

Rhine smiled faintly, teased Mrs. Norris again, and said to Filch.

"No reason. Cats are innocent. As long as you like cats, we're friends."

"If there's anything you don't understand, you can come ask me anytime after class."

"All right, Mrs. Norris. Go back to your owner."

Mrs. Norris rubbed her cheek against Rhine's face reluctantly before finally jumping into Filch's arms.

Filch looked at Rhine. The fierceness had faded from his expression, replaced by something much gentler.

"You just arrived at Hogwarts, so you must have gotten lost. It doesn't count as sneaking out at night. I won't tell Professor McGonagall."

"And you're a good kid, unlike those mischievous Gryffindors, especially the Weasley brothers who love playing with Stink Bombs. Don't get too close to them. Those two red-haired boys are no good!"

"If you need to find something in the castle, or a particular room, you can come to the caretaker's office and find me..."

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"Don't let other young wizards see. Otherwise, they'll exclude you."

With that, Filch hurried off with Mrs. Norris in his arms.

He could not wait to try Rhine's formula and properly nourish Mrs. Norris.

A message that surprised Rhine appeared on the screen before him.

Your relationship with the gatekeeper boy of Jade Void Palace has reached Close Friendship.

You have obtained the reward—Sharp Ears and Clear Eyes talent.

You have obtained the reward—Body Like a Crane talent.

A hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He had thought he would only reach Casual Acquaintance with Filch, but they had already reached Close Friendship?

That fierce-looking Filch was actually so easy to befriend?

A moment later, Rhine understood.

Perhaps he had spent his whole life as an outcast and was simply too lonely.

After all, Filch was only a lonely old man.

Looking at the new rewards on the screen, anticipation appeared in Rhine's eyes.

"I already have night vision, and now I have the Sharp Ears and Clear Eyes talent. If I collect a few more similar talents, could I perhaps fuse them into something like a Heavenly Eye, Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils, or Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Accompanying Ear?"

But what Rhine looked forward to most was tomorrow's Transfiguration class.

He took another pill from his robes, made from exactly the same ingredients as the one that had driven Mrs. Norris wild.

It was simply the size of a longan now, rather than a fingernail.

A smile curled at Rhine's lips.

"Professor McGonagall's cat form is no ordinary cat."

"To show proper respect, this amount should be enough, right?"