Wolfdog Quest

"Qin Yue, look at this hunting quest. Should we take it?"

Song Xiaomei's voice drew Qin Yue and Li Xuan's attention. The girl and cat immediately turned to look at the guild's quest board.

"Go to the Black Forest, hunt wolfdogs, and obtain wolfdog fangs?" Qin Yue murmured as she looked at the quest panel.

"Yes, lots of people can take this quest. Once we accept it, we can gather with the issuer at the city gate tomorrow.

Look at the number of people who accepted it—there are more than twenty. With so many people, it'll definitely be safe," Song Xiaomei analyzed.

"It does seem safe. Then let's accept this quest."

"Alright, this is the one."

Song Xiaomei quickly handed over their bounty hunter badges and accepted the wolfdog hunting quest.

"What luck, getting such a good quest! This is wonderful." Song Xiaomei bounced about happily, eager to celebrate.

Qin Yue beside her was also delighted. The quest reward was quite decent; she could earn money to support herself and her summoned beast.

The two happily agreed to meet at the East City Gate at seven the next morning, then went home separately.

Qin Yue's home was in the commoner district. It was a small courtyard with only three rooms, and she was the only one in her family. This surprised Li Xuan.

Meow, meow~

Li Xuan noticed the photograph on the cabinet and raised a little paw to point at the middle-aged woman in it.

"That's my mother. She passed away two months ago. Now it's just me."

Qin Yue's mood sank slightly. Her fair little hand took the photograph and gently stroked it.

Meow, meow~

Li Xuan raised his little paw again, wanting to ask about Qin Yue's father.

"What is it, kitty? Are you hungry?"

Qin Yue did not understand what Li Xuan meant, mainly because she had nothing to go by.

Meow, meow~

Li Xuan pointed at Qin Yue's mother on the left side of the photograph, then at the blank space on the right. His meaning was already obvious.

"You mean my father? Mother said he died not long after I was born. It was just Mother and me, relying on each other for survival."

Qin Yue's mood grew even lower, as though she had recalled the hardships of the past years.

Meow~

Li Xuan gave a light leap onto Qin Yue's shoulder, raised a little paw, and patted her small head in gentle comfort.

Being comforted by her own summoned beast was an absolute first for Qin Yue.

Thinking that she would have the little kitten with her from now on, and would no longer be so lonely, made her feel much better.

"Thank you, kitty. From now on, we'll rely on each other."

Qin Yue gently rubbed the side of her little face without the birthmark against the kitten's head and slowly smiled.

"Right, it's time for me to cultivate. The spiritual energy breathing technique must be practiced every day. Only then can I improve my strength faster."

Qin Yue rubbed the kitten's head, took out a book on breathing techniques, reviewed it once more, then sat cross-legged and began breathing at a specific rhythm.

This was a cultivation breathing technique unique to this world. It could increase spiritual power, raise mental strength, and strengthen the physique.

After years of cultivation, Qin Yue's mental strength had reached the qualifications of a summoner. Otherwise, she would not have participated in the summoning ceremony.

Her body had also been strengthened to a certain degree, giving her at least some ability to protect herself.

Of course.

She was a summoner. She relied more on summoned beasts in battle, so her physical enhancement naturally could not compare to her mental enhancement.

Seeing Qin Yue cultivate, Li Xuan grew curious as well. He walked straight to the breathing technique book and carefully studied its contents.

"Huh?"

Li Xuan felt a flicker of surprise in his heart and gradually became serious.

This breathing technique was extremely complex and involved many different aspects, yet after giving it some thought, he found it very reasonable.

The more Li Xuan looked, the more absorbed he became. He simply lay down before the book, staring at it with wide cat eyes.

Time slowly passed in this atmosphere.

When Qin Yue finished cultivating and opened her eyes, she saw her summoned beast reading the breathing technique. After finishing a page, it even turned the page with its little paw.

The sight greatly astonished Qin Yue. Her summoned beast seemed far too intelligent.

"Kitty, can you understand it?" Qin Yue asked curiously.

Meow~

Li Xuan nodded, indicating that he could understand.

Although this breathing technique was very complicated, it was not particularly difficult. Its only challenge was the sheer amount of knowledge involved and how much needed to be memorized.

This was precisely what Li Xuan was best at. In his previous life, memory had been his strongest skill in school, so the more he read, the clearer it became.

"Eh? You really understand it?" Qin Yue asked, her little mouth slightly agape.

Meow~

Li Xuan nodded again, indicating that it was not difficult.

This response left Qin Yue even more astonished, her large eyes widening round.

When she had attended school, even with her teacher's patient instruction, it had taken her a full year to learn it.

And she had been considered relatively smart. Some people in her class had needed two years to learn it.

Now.

Seeing her summoned beast understand it on its own without anyone teaching it, Qin Yue felt both struck by the contrast and increasingly amazed by how extraordinary the little kitten was.

"You're really amazing. Wait, I've only just realized—you can read? Then can't we communicate through writing?"

Qin Yue suddenly came to a realization. Her adorably dazed self had finally caught on.

Meow~

Li Xuan rolled his eyes at Qin Yue, feeling that she was foolish in an adorable way.

"Kitty, here are paper and pen. We can communicate with words." Qin Yue hurriedly brought over paper and a pen, looking at Li Xuan expectantly.

Sleep!

Li Xuan dipped his little paw in some water and wrote the two words "Sleep" on the paper, then curled up in the corner of the bed to rest.

After becoming a Wind-Wing Cat, Li Xuan had also been influenced by some feline traits. He had become fond of sleeping and of lazily curling up.

"So amazing!"

Qin Yue stared at those two words on the paper, then looked at Li Xuan in astonishment, deeply curious why the kitten was so intelligent.

But seeing that Li Xuan was unwilling to say more, she did not force him. After quickly washing up, she snuggled beside Li Xuan, held him, and went to sleep.

Time flowed by bit by bit, and soon it was the next day.

The following morning, sunlight spread across the earth, bringing vibrant life to all things.

Qin Yue rose early. After breakfast, she carried the little kitten to the East City Gate. To her surprise, many people had already arrived, and even Song Xiaomei had come early.

"She's here. Leader, look, this is my friend Qin Yue." Seeing Qin Yue arrive, Song Xiaomei hurriedly pulled her over to speak with the leader.

The leader was the issuer of this quest. He was a plump young man leading a sturdy Red-Tusk Pig.

When the plump leader saw the little kitten in Qin Yue's arms, he could not help frowning.

"A juvenile Wind-Wing Cat? Are you sure you want to take part in this quest? Can your pet handle scouting duties?"

"It... it probably can," Qin Yue answered uncertainly, her voice so soft that she sounded completely lacking in confidence.