The Mist Lord finally recovered.
With lingering fear in his eyes, he came over to Chen Lin and bowed.
"Thank you for saving me, fellow Daoist. I will remember this kindness forever. If you ever need anything of me, I will not shirk my duty."
Chen Lin waved a hand.
"It was your cat who asked me," he said calmly. "He said that if I saved you, he would help me once in the future."
The Mist Lord froze for a moment.
He looked at his cat, his expression souring as a possibility occurred to him.
The black cat stretched lazily.
With a meow, he leaped up and landed on Chen Lin's shoulder.
He spoke to the Mist Lord in human language.
"I think he's more likely to help me find my mother, so let's part ways. I'm going to follow him from now on."
The Mist Lord hesitated, wanting to speak.
In the end, he merely nodded in silence.
Chen Lin gave the black cat a surprised look, then said with interest, "I never said I would help you find your mother. Besides, I don't like keeping an unfamiliar cat around."
"Do you want to sign a contract?"
The black cat spoke languidly.
After saying that,
he opened his mouth and spat out a black bead.
"This is my monster core. You can leave a contract mark on it, but I can only serve you for a thousand years. No, nine hundred and ninety years. Once that time is up, our contract ends, whether you've helped me find my mother or not."
He paused.
The little black cat continued, "If you help me find my mother, you'll gain my friendship, as well as a reward from her. Trust me, the benefits will be beyond your imagination."
The Mist Lord's