Second Capture, Successful Favor

As dawn broke, I got up. I hadn't slept deeply last night, my mind constantly replaying the contents of the fragmented Beginner Spirit Beast Taming Guide the System had given me. I had memorized every word, especially the section on the "weak period."

It will come.

I know it will come.

When I walked out of the cultivation dwelling, I had a small cloth bag in my hand, containing the Clear Heart Grass powder I had prepared the night before. This grass isn't found everywhere; I only found it on the north slope of the valley after the System's prompt. Drying it, grinding it, and removing impurities took half a day. Now, it's evenly mixed with spirit crystal fragments. The scent is faint, but for that silvery-white spirit beast, it should be an irresistible aroma.

Ten feet away, beside a bluestone, I had already placed three newly condensed spirit crystals. They were larger and more translucent than last time, each repeatedly warmed by the pure energy drawn in through meditation. The sun hadn't yet touched the ground, dew still clung to the tips of the grass, and the air was damp and cold—its most relaxed time.

I sat on the gnarled roots of an old tree nearby, legs crossed, hands on my knees, slowing my breathing. I didn't close my eyes, just lowered my gaze, keeping the spirit crystals in my peripheral vision. There wasn't the slightest fluctuation of spiritual power from me, and even the flow of energy within my meridians was controlled with extreme steadiness. I couldn't rush, nor could I panic.

After about half an incense stick's worth of time, there was movement in the woods.

A shadow slid out of the mist, as light as wind rustling through grass. It stopped five feet away, its ears twitching slightly, its nose gently sniffing the air. Its movements were slower than the previous times, and the light on its horns was less bright than before. A small patch of fur on its shoulder was stuck to its skin, as if it had gotten wet with dew and hadn't dried.

Now.

I didn't move, nor did I make a sound. In my sea of consciousness, I silently recited the incantation for the Binding Spell, a reward from the System after I answered a question correctly. Spiritual power flowed down my meridians, seeping from my fingertips into the soil, spreading along the grass roots like an invisible net, silently laid out where it was about to step.

It finally drew closer.

Its front hooves landed on a stone next to a spirit crystal, its body leaning forward slightly as it lowered its head to sniff the powder mixed with Clear Heart Grass. At that moment, its center of gravity fully settled, its limbs relaxed, and even its tail drooped lower.

I opened my eyes, raised my hands, palms down, and said softly, "Bind."

The spiritual energy threads beneath the ground tightened instantly. A faint, almost invisible circle of light rose from the grass, wrapping around its limbs and torso. There was no explosive sound, nor any sign of struggle. It only let out a short cry, like a startled little bird, and then fell silent.

I immediately got up and walked over.

It stood in place, its eyes wide open, its chest heaving rapidly, but it didn't struggle forcefully. The restraint wasn't tight; it was more like a gentle embrace around its body, preventing it from running away. I could feel its fear, but it didn't charge.

I squatted down, still half a step away from it.

"You ate what I left out," I said. "I've been sitting here every day, not bothering you. I'm not an enemy."

It looked at me, its gaze still wary, but not filled with the hostility from last time. I slowly reached out, palm up, positioning it near its nose. It flinched back, but didn't retreat too far.

I moved forward another inch.

My fingers were only two finger-widths away from its face. I could see its nostrils twitching slightly as it smelled my scent. After a few seconds, it didn't shy away.

I gently touched its forehead.

The touch was cool, like touching a stone in the early morning. Its fur was smooth, with a faint sensation of wind, as if there was a gentle flow of energy circulating within. I withdrew my hand and took out the last spirit crystal, which I had warmed for three days, placing it on the ground in front of it.

"You don't have to eat it," I said. "But I want you to know that I won't force you."

It lowered its head to look at the crystal, then looked back up at me. This time, its ears weren't pressed back; they were naturally perked up. I breathed a sigh of relief and began to recall the Beginner Contract Rune the System had rewarded me with.

Stroke order, starting position, blood-drawing method... I had memorized it all.

I bit my fingertip, then raised my hand and drew the rune on its forehead. When the first stroke landed, it flinched, but didn't move. As the second stroke was drawn, the pattern began to emit a faint silver light. With the completion of the third stroke, the light flashed and sank beneath its fur.

A very faint resonance echoed in the air, like wind blowing through harp strings.

It suddenly knelt down, its front legs bending, its entire body prostrating on the ground with its head bowed. This wasn't submission, but more like... acknowledgment.

I reached out and placed my hand on its back. This time, it actively nudged my arm.

The System flashed in my sea of consciousness, no questions, no penalty notifications. Only a line of text appeared: "Beginner contract established successfully."

I smiled.

Not a loud laugh, nor an excited jump, just a natural upturn of my lips. After so many days of waiting, reflecting on failures, and adjusting my methods time and again, I had finally reached this point.

I stood up, and it also stood up, positioning itself half a step behind and to my side. Not too close, not too far. I took a step forward, and it followed. I stopped, and it also stopped.

"Let's go back," I said.

It didn't respond, but I could feel it following more steadily.

On the way back to the cultivation dwelling, the sky was fully lit. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. I walked slowly, allowing it to adapt to the surroundings. It occasionally stopped to sniff the grass by the roadside or look up at passing birds, but it never strayed too far from me.

Entering the house, I took out the jade slip and flipped to the last page.

I picked up my brush and wrote: "Second capture, contract successfully formed."

Before the ink was dry, I heard a soft sound from behind me.

It nudged the corner of the table with its horn, as if reminding me of something.

I turned to look at it. It was staring at the pen in my hand, its eyes a mix of curiosity and seriousness.

I put down the pen and walked over to it, reaching out to stroke its neck.

"From now on, this is your place," I said.

It lowered its head and leaned against my shoulder, its warmth transferring through my Daoist Robe, feeling comforting.

I hadn't expected it to accept me so quickly.

The stream outside continued to flow, and the wind, whistling through the window seams, rustled the papers on the table. I sat still, and it lay beside me, its ears twitching occasionally, listening to the sounds outside.

Around noon, I tried circulating the Heavenly Cycle cultivation technique. It lay on the ground, eyes closed, but its ears followed the rhythm of my breathing. When my spiritual power flowed to my Dantian, it suddenly lifted its head, flared its nostrils, and let out a soft hum, as if in response.

I continued practicing.

This time, the absorption rate of spiritual energy was slightly faster than usual. Though not by much, it was definitely there.

Could it be... it can actually affect cultivation?

Before I could think it through, it suddenly stood up, turned towards the door, its ears fully erect, its body tensed.

I also stopped my circulation and looked outside the door.

The door was closed, no one was moving outside, and there were no footsteps. Yet it stared there, unmoving, as if it sensed something.

I slowly got up, walked to the door, and placed my hand on the door panel.

The wood was very cold.

Just as I was about to open the door, it suddenly blocked me, its head facing outward, its horns pointed in the direction of the doorway.

Its breathing grew heavier.

I also held my breath.

Beneath the crack of the door, a shadow was slowly moving.