“Squeak, squeak…”

Wake up, little one…

Though it was just a squeak, Shi Qian realized he could somehow understand its meaning.

Having just transmigrated, his body felt strangely exhausted, and to make matters worse, he found it difficult to open his eyes.

After several tries, he finally managed to pry them open.

Dim light filled his vision, and the first thing he saw was a huge furry face, which took up his entire field of view.

The light wasn’t very bright, so Shi Qian could only make out the large, dark, gleaming eyes of the “mother” who had just woken him up.

The giant rat king of Wuye Mountain breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her little cub finally awake.

However, her exhale, completely unexpected, caused the defenseless cub to roll over in the soft, feathery nest like a ball.

Shi Qian, who had just rolled a full circle: …

He was, understandably, a bit confused.

Seeing this, the rat king sighed inwardly and stepped back, bringing a bowl of milk closer to the feather nest so her cub could drink and regain strength. She had snatched this milk from another beast, and it couldn’t be kept for too long.

A few days earlier, she had put her two cubs through a rolling endurance test, but her youngest had accidentally fallen into a cold pond.

Although the water was freezing, beastkind was known for their thick skin and resilience.

But to her dismay, her five-year-old cub, who was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, fell ill for two days just from the cold water.

As the mighty rat king of Wuye Mountain, a fierce beast with a powerful bloodline, she found it baffling. Her eldest was as sturdy as a tiger, but this little one—small and weak—had been a source of endless headaches.

Seeing that her youngest hadn’t moved, the rat king urged impatiently, “Squeak!”

Drink your milk, little one!

Shi Qian, snapping out of his daze, forced his unfamiliar limbs to move closer to the bowl of milk.

Thankfully, it was only a few steps away. After wobbling and slipping a couple of times, he finally made it to the bowl.

Compared to his large rat mother, the bowl of milk was more reasonably sized—just an ordinary ceramic bowl.

Despite the smell of milk, Shi Qian still felt unwell and had no appetite.

But knowing that the milk would help him recover, he obediently stood next to the bowl, suppressing his discomfort, and lowered his head to lap up the milk.

As he drank, Shi Qian contacted the system in his consciousness, his thoughts filled with concern.

[1958, why do I feel so bad? Am I going to fail right after arriving and end up owing points to the Transmigration Bureau?]

That’s right, Shi Qian wasn’t originally from this cultivation world.

In his original world, he had died of exhaustion while saving a group of children from drowning.

After his death, his soul was taken to the Transmigration Bureau, where he learned that, over nine lifetimes, he had accumulated enough merit to become a “Ten-Life Good Samaritan.”

Thanks to his past efforts, Shi Qian was rewarded with a permanent job at the Transmigration Bureau.

From then on, he wouldn’t have to face death anymore and could live eternally in spirit form.

As a new employee, Shi Qian also had the chance to experience different lives in various worlds under the Bureau’s jurisdiction.

When selecting his position, Shi Qian, who loved cute creatures, immediately chose the newly established Animal Division.

After all, who could say no to adorable animals? Certainly not Shi Qian!

Even though the newbie system, 1958, had emphasized that this new department might be full of surprises, Shi Qian had jumped in without hesitation.

What he didn’t expect was that “full of surprises” translated to “filled with glitches.”

[And another thing, wasn’t the starting setup supposed to be ‘strong and cute’? Why am I so weak right now?]

1958’s voice was soft, almost as if it felt guilty.

[Don’t worry, Brother Qian. You’ll feel better soon, I promise. You won’t die before you even start! As for the setup, your current beast form is absolutely adorable. And as for strength, this body has top-tier growth potential with a very strong royal bloodline. In the future, you’ll be able to dominate your entire species.]

[Also, this world is a cultivation realm, where it’s hard for beasts to survive against humans with higher cultivation. But your form is special—you’re a rare treasure-hunting rat. People will want to protect you!]

Listening to 1958, Shi Qian sifted through the simple memories he had received, realizing that everything the system said was true.

The conditions, for a mission, were actually quite favorable.

After all, transmigration wasn’t just for fun. Transmigration Bureau employees had missions to complete in every world they visited.

Only by completing tasks could they earn points, which made their life more comfortable.

Shi Qian’s mission in this world could be summed up as saving the protagonist, Long Aotian.

Long Aotian, whose real name was Long Ye, would go on to live the typical protagonist’s life, defeating the main villain and saving the world.

However, the Transmigration Bureau had recently detected an anomaly—something was disrupting the world’s progress.

If left unchecked, the world’s energy flow would scatter, and Long Ye might not grow strong enough to defeat the villain, leading to a catastrophe for the entire realm.

Shi Qian’s main task was to identify the hidden threat, helping Long Ye grow stronger and ensuring he could fulfill his role as the ultimate villain-slayer.

As Shi Qian mulled over his mission, his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise.

In the depths of the cave, his rat mother had started digging at the rocks, clearly agitated.

Shi Qian let out a smaller, softer squeak, asking, “Squeak, squeak?”

Mom, what’s wrong?

Even in this world, where everyone was ridiculously good-looking, his rat mother was quite beautiful, resembling a large, majestic hamster.

Except much larger, and with the fierce aura of a warrior queen.

With one paw, the giant rat king cracked a massive stone, her voice agitated, “Squeak, squeak!”

Your foolish brother Hei Mao (Black Fur) has gone off again! Might as well not come back!

Right on cue, a loud reply echoed from the entrance of the cave.

“Squeak, squeak!”

Mom, I’m back!

Shi Qian raised his head and saw another large, round figure rushing toward him, carrying a brilliantly-feathered pheasant in its mouth.

Shi Qian sighed inwardly.

Sigh, how is it that we’re from the same litter, but my brother is almost twice the size of our mother, and I’m so small?

As his brother approached, Shi Qian’s shock grew as he took in the sight of Hei Mao’s brawny face, large teeth, and bulging muscles.

There was simply no comparison.

Next to his brother, even a heavyweight boxer from the animal kingdom—like a kangaroo—would look like a weakling.

If their mother was a warrior queen, then his brother Hei Mao was the most heroic and muscular general under her command, the kind of figure you’d ask, “Do you have the strength to lift mountains?”

Hei Mao had even given himself a title: King Hei Mao.

On his first day out, he received some loving education from Mother Rat, marking the beginning of his dreams.

When Hei Mao saw his little brother awake, he happily ran over and placed a pheasant beside his brother’s small milk bowl.

“Squeak squeak squeak!”

“Brother, I caught a pheasant. After you finish your milk, have a couple of bites of meat!”

A couple of bites.

That phrase stung Shi Qian. He probably couldn’t even manage two bites, so he politely pointed to his milk bowl. “Squeak squeak.”

Not feeling too well, I can’t even finish the beast milk.

Hei Mao sighed dramatically and spun around in circles, trying to calm his anxious heart. Why did his little brother eat so little? Ten pheasants wouldn’t be enough for him.

But… today, his brother actually responded to him!

Realizing this, Hei Mao’s dark face lit up with obvious joy. “Squeak squeak!”

“Brother, you talked to me!”

Huh?

Shi Qian, being overly polite, realized he was starting to break character.

Hei Mao was the type with strong limbs but a simple mind. He had always shown off his strength, never considering how it might make his weaker brother and Mother Rat feel. He was usually kind and enthusiastic, but the original “mouse brother” rarely responded to him.

Ten questions, ten silent responses. The relationship between the two brothers was maintained solely by Hei Mao’s one-sided enthusiasm.

Seeing Hei Mao’s barely hidden excitement, Shi Qian didn’t know what to say, so he glanced at him and then lowered his head to finish his milk.

Hei Mao remained thrilled.

His little brother had always been small and weak. With his simple mind, Hei Mao took to heart Mother Rat’s constant reminders to take care of his brother. Besides fighting and playing outside, his mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of his little brother.

Although his brother rarely paid attention to him, Blackfur adored this small, beautiful, and adorably cute sibling.

His excitement was so overwhelming that he began running circles inside the cave, squeaking loudly about how his brother had spoken to him.

Shi Qian almost choked on his milk from all the noise. Was this really necessary?

Mother Rat thought the same. She stopped her eldest son as he ran past and gave him a good smack.

Thud, thud, thud…

The mother and son got into a lively tussle.

Meanwhile, Shi Qian finished his milk and began to reflect on his memories.

To survive in this dangerous world of cultivation, he couldn’t forget his training.

Luckily, Mother Rat had recently given him a thorough review during a graduation test, covering all the essential skills. Shi Qian only needed to “refresh” himself on a few things.

As a treasure-seeking rat, Shi Qian had four skill sets: exploration, hunting, fleeing, and the innate talent of treasure-seeking.

Since he hadn’t ventured out much, his treasure-seeking skill was undeveloped, like an unlit board waiting to be activated. The other three skills, however, were in good shape. His talent for escaping was particularly sharp—his mastery of the five-element escape technique was so advanced that even Mother Rat couldn’t keep up.

Shi Qian mentally reviewed the necessary spells, techniques, and ways to channel spiritual energy.

Hei Mao, still immature, was no match for his mother. Defeated, he humbly offered the pheasant to Mother Rat. He was a devoted son and did so without feeling the least bit upset, especially since he had already eaten outside and knew his little brother didn’t want the food.

Unexpectedly, this fresh meat triggered Mother Rat’s appetite, and she quickly instructed Hei Mao to watch over his little brother while she went out to hunt.

Hei Mao, seeing his mother leave, grinned and eagerly approached his brother’s feather nest. “Squeak squeak squeak.”

“Brother, say something else to me, please.”

Shi Qian, who was trying to practice walking, looked at his simple-minded older brother and said, “Squeak squeak.”

“Brother, you smell. Go take a bath.”

Hei Mao became even more excited. His little brother actually cared about whether he had bathed!

Thud thud thud…

Hei Mao rushed outside and leaped into the nearby lake to wash himself.

Still inside the cave, Shi Qian heard the loud splash and couldn’t help but find this cheap macho big brother somewhat endearing.

So easy to please, just by asking him to take a bath.

In a good mood, Shi Qian wobbled out of the feather nest to practice walking.

Left front, right front… No, that’s not right. Shi Qian tumbled forward.

Left front, right back, right front, left back… He fumbled through several rounds but managed to walk somewhat steadily.

Outside, he could hear the sound of splashing water.

Curiosity got the better of Shi Qian, and he temporarily forgot about practicing walking. Although his legs were still weak, he forced himself to walk out of the cave, driven by his curiosity.

Whether it was the mysterious benefits of transmigration or just his growing strength, he felt that the discomfort in his body was fading, and his energy was increasing.

Reaching the outside, he stood on a high ledge at the entrance of the cave and looked down. Not far away, Hei Mao was frolicking in the lake, scrubbing himself vigorously.

Hearing the noise, Hei Mao raised his head. Remembering why his brother had gotten sick, he hurriedly shouted, “Squeak!”

“Brother, don’t get too close to the water!”

Shi Qian wasn’t afraid, despite having drowned in his previous life, just like the original “mouse brother” of this body.

“Squeak squeak.”
“That’s the cold pool.”

Shi Qian reminded his brother as he walked closer to the lake, taking the opportunity to examine his reflection in the water.

One look, and Shi Qian almost fainted from his own cuteness.

His fur was pure white, fluffy all over like a little snowball, absolutely adorable. His perfectly puffed-up face was chubby and also covered in clean white fur.

The only exception was his perky round ears, which had a gradient from white to gray, adding a bit of charming flair to his otherwise cute appearance. His eyes were round, shiny, and black, and his nose, mouth, and little paws were a delightful pink.

An extremely adorable top-tier chinchilla!

I want to hug myself! Hug myself until I’m bald!

Wait… how do I even hug myself?

Hei Mao, watching his little brother staring at his reflection, grew increasingly concerned.

The round, bear-like, big black rat floated in the water, struggling to make eye contact with the small white puffball of a brother standing on the stone ledge above.

“Squeak squeak?”

“Brother, what’s wrong?”

Shi Qian, feeling both delighted and frustrated, glanced at his older brother and replied, “Squeak squeak…”

“Brother, clean yourself up and let me take a few sips….”