Chapter 22: Apprehended
Bai Jingxue watched as the infant in the cradle finally settled into a peaceful sleep, the baleful energy cleansed from its tiny body.
She turned to Luo Nianshang, who had just withdrawn her hand after performing the purification ritual.
Fu Yuan, standing beside the cradle, her expression anxious, addressed Luo Nianshang. “Master.”
Luo Nianshang glanced at the sleeping infant. The task itself had been simple, but the audacity of someone performing such a dark ritual within the Ejian Sect angered her.
“The child is fine now,” she said.
Fu Yuan, relieved, bowed low. “I have something to confess, Master,” she said, her voice trembling. “Please punish me for my deception.”
The cat and dog, their ears perked up, exchanged confused glances.
Luo Nianshang, who had been about to leave, paused, her voice sharp. “What deception?”
A wave of pressure descended upon Fu Yuan, making her head bow even lower. Her breath caught in her throat, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. “The child,” she stammered, “might be the offspring of a sect disciple and a flower demon. I… I wanted to conceal this information, out of loyalty to my fellow disciple. But now, with the child exhibiting such strange symptoms, I fear there might be consequences for the sect.”
Lü Qingyan couldn’t believe her ears. She wanted to whisper to Bai Jingxue, but she was afraid of being swatted. She let out a soft whine.
“Jingxue, can mammals and plants even have children?”
Bai Jingxue frowned. “You’re worried about scientific accuracy in a cultivation story?” she retorted. “Have you ever seen a fire-breathing cat before?”
Lü Qingyan blushed, then resumed her observation, her tail wagging.
Luo Nianshang considered this. Her past self would have dealt with this swiftly and harshly. But now, she hesitated. “Do not speak of this to anyone,” she instructed. “Tell me the disciple’s name. I will discuss this matter with the sect leader and the Elders. Your punishment will be decided later.”
The pressure lifted, and Fu Yuan, her head still bowed, rose to her feet. “Thank you, Master,” she said, her voice shaky.
She let out a sigh of relief, then her gaze fell upon the black cat sitting by the window. She remembered the cat’s desire to cultivate.
Glancing at Luo Nianshang’s impassive face, she cautiously offered her suggestion. “Master, I often see Little White in the library, reading books about demon beasts,” she said. “Perhaps she wishes to cultivate.”
Bai Jingxue blinked, surprised. Fu Yuan had been paying attention, even remembering a cat’s wish. She was desperate to transform back into a human.
She leaped down from the windowsill and rubbed against Luo Nianshang’s leg, her tail held high as she meowed softly.
Luo Nianshang finally understood. “Little White wants to cultivate?” she asked, scooping up the cat.
Bai Jingxue nodded eagerly.
She had initially thought being reborn as a cat was a terrible fate, but now, she was starting to see the benefits. She had a powerful protector, a sturdy thigh to cling to. It wasn’t so bad.
Luo Nianshang might have seemed aloof and unapproachable, but all it took was a bit of shameless begging to win her over.
Seeing the usually independent cat acting so clingy, Luo Nianshang realized that Fu Yuan was probably right.
She considered this for a moment, then stroked Bai Jingxue’s head. “I’ll go to the Demon Realm and borrow a method for you,” she said.
Bai Jingxue’s tail swished excitedly.
Luo Nianshang, watching her cat act like an overenthusiastic dog, glanced at the white dog perched on the table by the window. Lü Qingyan tilted her head, her expression a silent “What are you looking at?”
Luo Nianshang sighed, deciding that it was time to return the Demon Lord’s dog.
The thought of the Demon Lord brought back unwelcome memories from the secret realm. Her ears flushed, and she muttered under her breath, “That scoundrel.”
Bai Jingxue, nestled in her arms, heard her clearly. “Meow?” she asked, confused.
Luo Nianshang, realizing her slip, quickly composed herself. “Go play,” she said. “But be back before nightfall.”
Bai Jingxue leaped from Luo Nianshang’s arms and onto the cradle, peering down at the infant.
The child, free from the baleful energy, slept soundly, its features perfectly human, with no trace of its flower demon heritage.
Bai Jingxue gently patted the infant’s tiny hand with her paw.
It was so small and soft. She couldn’t resist petting it again, her tail swishing gently. She seemed quite content.
Lü Qingyan, seeing her happiness, wagged her tail and settled beside the cradle, watching.
Luo Nianshang, observing this heartwarming scene, reconsidered her decision to return the dog.
She wasn’t sure how to face the Demon Lord. The sight of that alluring face, that mischievous smile, always triggered a surge of anger that made her want to draw her sword.
It was easier to avoid her altogether.
She glanced at Bai Jingxue, then turned and left, flying back to her chamber at the peak of the mountain.
She had recently abandoned her cultivation practice in favor of learning to cook. However, her attempts at culinary mastery resembled a wood-chopping competition.
With the formidable figures gone, Fu Yuan finally relaxed. She wiped the sweat from her brow, her voice filled with surprise. “Ancestor Luo isn’t as cold and unapproachable as they say,” she murmured.
She poured herself a cup of tea and took a sip, then her eyes widened in horror. She had forgotten something crucial.
“I forgot to tell Master who the disciple is!” she exclaimed.
Bai Jingxue, startled by her outburst, her fur bristling, quickly calmed down.
She had seen enough of the infant. She decided to go for a walk. She usually explored the mountain, but this time, she wanted to visit the village below.
This was a big step for a homebody like her.
The snow wasn’t as deep down here, but it still crunched beneath her paws.
“Jingxue, wait for me!”
The familiar voice reached her ears, and Bai Jingxue sighed.
She had been trying to escape Lü Qingyan, but the dog’s teleportation ability and keen sense of smell made it impossible.
Lü Qingyan, oblivious to the cat’s intentions, wouldn’t have cared anyway. She was always happy to be with Bai Jingxue.
No one in the village paid much attention to the cat and dog, though they did comment on their unusual breeds and sleek, well-groomed fur. They assumed they were pets who had wandered away from a wealthy household.
With that assumption in mind, they simply observed them briefly, then went about their business.
Lü Qingyan was content with her current life. Despite Bai Jingxue’s continued aloofness, she was happy to simply be near her former lover.
“Life is good,” she sighed. “The female lead is definitely more normal than the Demon Lord.”
Bai Jingxue, remembering the pile of mangled cutting boards back in Luo Nianshang’s chamber, disagreed. The female lead was incredibly clueless at times.
Her stubbornness and tendency to overthink things made her inflexible.
But Bai Jingxue, still trapped in her feline form, couldn’t offer any advice. And even if she transformed, the difference in their status would make it difficult to approach Luo Nianshang.
Lü Qingyan, however, wasn’t one to dwell on such matters. Her attention was caught by an old man fishing by the river. She dashed over to watch him.
Bai Jingxue, realizing that the dog was gone, panicked for a moment, then spotted her by the river.
She was relieved, but also frustrated. She couldn’t bring herself to be truly harsh with Lü Qingyan.
Annoyed by her own conflicting emotions, she climbed onto the roof of a nearby house, observing the dog.
The old man, noticing his furry audience, chuckled and offered the dog a fish from his basket.
Lü Qingyan, however, wrinkled her nose and pushed the fish back with her paw.
The old man laughed. “What a clever dog,” he said.
Assuming the dog understood him, he set aside his fishing rod and turned to face Lü Qingyan.
Lü Qingyan tilted her head, confused, then stood up and placed her paw on the fishing rod, whimpering softly.
The old man chuckled, then his expression turned serious. “Little one, you should go home,” he said. “There have been a lot of dog and cat thefts lately. With your white fur, you’re an easy target.”
Lü Qingyan scoffed. She was the dog who had managed to steal the Demon Lord’s shoe. She would single-pawedly take down these dog thieves.
She abandoned her observation of the fishing session and, realizing that Bai Jingxue was gone, sniffed the air, her nose twitching. Her eyes lit up as she located the cat.
Bai Jingxue was on a rooftop. She was about to teleport, but then she remembered that the villagers were all mortals.
She glanced at the old man, who was watching her with a smile, then abandoned her plan, opting to run towards the house.
The family living there had a dog, a small, scruffy mutt with piercing eyes that barked at her incessantly.
Lü Qingyan, understanding dog language, was disgusted by the mutt’s crude insults. She growled, baring her teeth.
The mutt tucked its tail between its legs and fled.
Lü Qingyan, having dealt with the annoying mutt, stared up at the aloof cat on the roof, her ears drooping. She wanted to whisper to Bai Jingxue.
Could she somehow…
She surveyed her surroundings and realized she had a problem. She was surrounded by a pack of dogs, summoned by the mutt she had intimidated.
She wasn’t afraid of them, but their presence had attracted the attention of the villagers. Using her teleportation ability was no longer an option.
Bai Jingxue, watching from the rooftop, couldn’t help but smile. She hesitated for a moment, then leaped down, landing gracefully on Lü Qingyan’s back. “Let’s go,” she said softly.
Lü Qingyan’s head dipped slightly under the cat’s weight. “Have you gained weight, Jingxue?” she asked.
Bai Jingxue froze. She had been enjoying the good food and comfortable life with Luo Nianshang. Weight gain was inevitable. But she didn’t want to hear it.
She bared her teeth, her voice low and menacing. “What did you say?”
Lü Qingyan, realizing her mistake, quickly changed the subject. “Oh, right! Let’s go catch those dog thieves!”
Bai Jingxue, amused by the dog’s desperate attempt to appease her, resumed her comfortable position. “You’re so ridiculous,” she said, shaking her head.
Lü Qingyan, carrying Bai Jingxue on her back, leaped over the pack of dogs, her voice filled with excitement. “This could be bigger than we think,” she said. “What if those dog thieves are actually demon cultivators? We could be heroes!”
She had spoken in jest, but as they were captured, she realized, with a sinking heart, that her words had been prophetic.
“Oh no,” she whimpered. “They really are demon cultivators.”
Bai Jingxue, trapped alongside her, glared at the dog. “You and your big mouth,” she hissed.
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