Chapter 1

In the season of flourishing spring, mist shrouded the skies over Tianjing Mountain, veiling dawn and dusk alike.

Yu Tao finished her morning lessons and, hurrying through the scattered disciples. She walked across the mist-laden forest, her gaze scanning the surroundings.

It was only when she spotted that small silhouette in the distance, resting on the Training Platform, that she finally paused.

There, on the training platform covered with a soft plush mat, it lay lazily, half-reclined against a pillow with its eyes half-closed. The warm golden sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a gentle glow on its sleek, unblemished black fur, softening it with a touch of warmth.

Its fluffy black tail dangled carelessly over the edge of the platform, swaying leisurely with a languid rhythm.

!!

It was actually sleeping in the cozy nest she had prepared for it yesterday!

Yu Tao’s eyes curved into a smile.

She had been in the sect for a month now and came to the Training Platform every day to cultivate. This was the training spot her senior brother had arranged for her—quiet and secluded, with no one to disturb her.

Until yesterday afternoon, when an unexpected guest suddenly arrived on Training Platform and, without a trace of courtesy, claimed the center of her training platform.

A black cat.

In the month she’d spent at the sect, Yu Tao had barely interacted with others. When she encountered difficulties in cultivation, she’d only go to ask her second senior brother, Hua Lian, for guidance.

Perhaps it was her nature, but she preferred practicing alone.

Training Platform was a perfect spot, nestled deep in the forest and rarely visited. In the month she had been here, not once had she encountered anyone accidentally wandering in.

Yu Tao moved closer to observe the black cat, feeling that it was incredibly beautiful. Its light golden eyes glimmered faintly, and its tail swayed with an elegant, reserved grace.

Those eyes actually bore a resemblance to someone else’s—a clarity like the morning sun.

She paused briefly, then smiled.

Moreover, this black cat wasn’t the least bit afraid of people. When it saw her approach, it only lazily lifted its eyelids, glanced at her once, and then looked away, continuing to bask in the sun.

“You’re so adorable,” Yu Tao said sincerely.

The cat probably couldn’t understand human words, Yu Tao thought.

Perhaps because of a certain similarity to someone she knew, she didn’t feel bothered at all about it taking over her training platform.

Leaning on the edge of the training platform, Yu Tao tried negotiating kindly, “Though you’re very cute, I need to cultivate. This is my training spot. Would you mind moving over a bit?”

Her attempt at communication was clearly futile.

The aloof cat simply ignored her.

After waiting a while and seeing no response, Yu Tao had no choice but to reach out and pick it up.

But as soon as she extended her hand, even before she could touch its fur, she was scratched unexpectedly, and she winced in pain.

The black cat lifted its head slightly, its slit-pupilled eyes narrowing with a hostile gleam, sharp claws extended from its soft pink paw pads in warning.

Yu Tao refused to give up and reached out her hand again.

Predictably, she earned herself two more red scratches.

Nothing she said seemed to get through to it, and she couldn’t touch it without getting scratched. After half an hour of stubborn standoff between the two, Yu Tao had no choice but to…

Under the black cat’s icy gaze, she cautiously edged her way onto the platform, squeezing herself to a corner to practice.

An entire afternoon of cultivation left her cramped and sore.

In fact, she could have taken a break from training. A few days earlier, something had gone wrong, causing a slight sting in her dantian after practice.

Her second senior brother, Hua Lian, had advised her to rest for a few days before continuing.

But Yu Tao was not willing to rest.

She was originally an orphan with no remarkable talent. Being admitted to Wuchang Sect was already a stroke of incredible luck, not to mention becoming a disciple of Master Xuan Yuzi himself—it felt like she’d stumbled into some wild fortune.

Xuan Yuzi had three disciples: her senior brother Jiang Xingjing, whose abilities were unpredictable, her second senior brother Hua Lian, a master alchemist, and her little senior brother Yu Li, who was born with the rare sword-bone physique.

Each of the three were famous throughout the cultivation world.

And then there was her—the weakest and most ordinary disciple, the one who had been left over when the uncles had selected talents on the day she entered the sect.

In fact, becoming Xuan Yuzi’s disciple had brought a touch of shame to the sect.

Yu Tao didn’t want her master to feel embarrassed by having her as his student, so from the day she entered the sect, she had dedicated herself tirelessly.

Although she might be clumsy, she was determined to work hard.

She believed that one day, she would become as remarkable as her senior brothers!

As for now…

Yu Tao covered the scratch on the back of her hand, closing her eyes in resignation. This was the result of weak cultivation—not even being able to handle a cat, and having to wait for the cat’s approval to practice.

This only strengthened her determination to cultivate diligently.

Soon or later, she would tame this black cat until it was obedient and would do nothing but meow.

When she finished her evening practice and opened her eyes, she saw the black cat stretching and standing up and seemed to be preparing to leave as well.

She snorted softly, “You sure can sleep, and nap the whole afternoon.”

The black cat gave her a slow glance, glanced up and down, then gracefully jumped off the training platform and disappeared into the woods.

Yu Tao wondered where this black cat had come from. Its fur was smooth and glossy, not like a stray. However, it was far too aloof, refusing even a single touch.

That attitude reminded her a bit of that person.

As she watched the cat leave, Yu Tao patted her own body, noticing that her dantian didn’t ache after cultivation this time.

How strange—why was that?

She couldn’t figure it out, but was glad there were no issues with her body. After adjusting her breathing, she jumped down from the platform, about to leave when something made her pause.

After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled a plush mat from her bag, folded it a few times, and placed it in the corner. She even made a small pillow, creating a little nest.

Looking at the simple cat bed, she clapped her hands, satisfied.

Yes, she told herself, it was only to stop it from taking over her training spot again the next day. It wasn’t because she was worried that the platform would be too cold and it might be too cold!

…Fine, she admitted it—she just loved small animals too much.

Yu Tao had always been alone since childhood, so it became natural for her to spend time with the stray cats and dogs on the streets. She wasn’t good at interacting with people or talking much, but she always got along well with animals.

Well… this black cat was probably an exception.

It was the first little creature she’d met that scratched her right away.

Walking back to her room under the moonlight. Yu Tao entered her small space, which had only a bed, a desk, and her treasured sword, hanging on the empty wall.

After washing up, she lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. People said cats couldn’t resist soft, cozy beds—she wondered if it would like the nest she’d made.

And… would it come back tomorrow?

—

Now, watching yesterday’s proud, defiant little cat sleeping soundly in her makeshift nest, Yu Tao couldn’t help but smile.

As expected, no kitten could resist a soft bed!

“Not bad, I’m pretty smart,” she praised herself.

Now it would sleep in the corner and wouldn’t disrupt her training.

Kill two birds with one stone!

Yu Tao couldn’t suppress a grin as she walked to the edge of the training platform, ready to climb up.

Just then, the black cat suddenly opened its eyes, giving her a slow look. She wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but Yu Tao thought she saw a hint of mockery in its light golden pupils.

The cat lazily stood up, curled its tail, and dragged the bed back to the center of the platform. With elegant, almost dignified movements, it settled back into the nest right there in the middle.

Yu Tao: “…”

Was she seeing things, or was it really mocking her?

Right? Right?

So infuriating!

Yu Tao, feeling defeated, poked the cat bed angrily. “You’re sleeping on ‘my’ bed, and you’re still acting so arrogant.”

She muttered, “Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘When you take someone’s food or use their things, you should act humbly’? Bad kitty.”

The black cat seemed quite spiritual, and Yu Tao figured that in this cultivation world, cats probably understood human speech.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have immediately slapped her in the face after she praised herself.

But it was no use getting mad—the black cat wouldn’t budge at all, leaving Yu Tao to humbly squeeze herself into a corner of the training platform to cultivate for the day.

Fortunately, the cat seemed a bit kinder this time, giving her just enough space so she wasn’t as sore as yesterday and could sit cross-legged.

Since the “moving-bed strategy” clearly wasn’t working, Yu Tao decided on a new tactic. She stopped cultivating early, before sunset, ending her practice just as the sun was about to dip below the horizon.

She stretched her waist, shot a resentful glare at the still-sleeping black cat, then jumped off the platform with a loud thud, hoping to startle it awake.

But when she looked back, it was still asleep.

Huh? Still not awake?

Yu Tao’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Then… she could sneakingly touch it!

Her mischievous hands crept toward the sleeping cat. Holding her breath, Yu Tao moved closer, carefully lifted it, and reached for its soft little paw.

Ahhh, so soft and cute!

She couldn’t help but give the paw a gentle squeeze, but in the next second, a flash of black fur darted away—the fluffy bundle leapt off her, using her shoulder as a launchpad. She covered her neck and winched in pain.

“Hiss! Ouch, ouch, ouch!”

Alright, the cat was awake.

As she looked into its round, light-gold eyes fixed intently on her, Yu Tao felt a surge of guilt for some reason.

It is obviously just a cat, after all.

Awkwardly fiddling with her fingers, she stammered, “Um, well, you had rolled off the training platform, so I was just… putting you back in your bed.”

“Like I’d sneak in a cuddle while you were sleeping—that’s totally impossible, okay? I’m not that kind of person!”

The more she talked, the guiltier she felt. Fearing another scratch, she quickly backed away and dashed off, vanishing without a trace.

Once her figure disappeared into the shadows of the forest, the wind stilled, and the leaves grew quiet.

A shimmering light flickered across the forest, and suddenly, a young man in white appeared on the platform, leaning casually against the training platform. His expression was cool, though his ears were suspiciously red.

Those beautiful light-gold eyes narrowed slightly, fixed on where she’d disappeared among the trees. His slender, jade-like fingers tapped anxiously on the platform as he tried to regain his composure.

It seemed she had touched him… just now…

—

As night fell, Yu Tao crouched beside a fish vendor’s clear water tank, locked in a staring contest with the last fish inside.

When the vendor was about to close up, he walked over and saw her eyes light up as she pointed to the tank, “Boss, I’ll buy this one!”

The fish vendor looked down: “…”

Sure enough, the fish had turned belly-up, bubbles floating from its mouth—obviously it was dead.

She’d waited it out until it died.

Next to the tank, a small sign read: ‘Half-price for dead fish.’

Yu Tao pointed to it and asked, “It’s half-price, right, boss?”

The vendor packed it up, slightly exasperated. “It’s just one fish… it’s worth…”

For just a few coins, was it really worth spending the whole evening by his stall just to save a little?

Yu Tao lifted her head, eyes sparkling, and handed over her savings. “Boss, I’ve saved up for half a year, just enough—here you go!”

The vendor: “…”

Yu Tao thought to herself.

Since she’d held the cat without permission, she’d offer this fish as an apology… well, actually, as bait to convince it to let her have Training Platform back. That should do it, right?

The girl happily left the fish stall, swinging the dead fish as she jumped down the street, while the vendor stared at the small, scattered spirit stones in his hand, dazed.

It wasn’t until late at night, as he lay sleepless in bed, that he rolled over and caught sight of the crescent moon outside his window.

The vendor raised a hand to wipe away a tear that had slipped down his face.

This cursed moon.

… Looked just like that dead fish.