Chapter 1: Scraping the Bottom of the Pot

Little Taotie slept like a rock. When he finally woke up, his whole body felt weak, his throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire, and his stomach was gnawing at him with hunger.

Bleary-eyed, he cracked his lids open—only to find a pale face suddenly looming right in front of him.

“Hey, little demon, you’re awake?” the boy asked, eyes full of concern.

Little Taotie had no idea who this was. He sat in a daze, and before he could process anything, a bowl of water was pushed to his lips. His thirst was unbearable, so he didn’t bother with manners—he grabbed the bowl and chugged it all down in one go.

The cool water soothed his throat, and his head started to clear. Only then did he finally get a good look at the boy sitting before him.

The kid was wearing a faded blue robe patched up in more places than he could count. His face was pale and delicate, with a sickly air about him, and he carried the faint scent of earth and plants.

Covered in dirt and yet so pale… What is he, a radish spirit?

But what really caught Little Taotie’s attention was that the boy wasn’t scared—not even a little—despite sitting so close to him. That was new.

Little Taotie blinked at him. “Who are you?”

The moment he spoke, his entire body froze.

Wait. That soft, milky little voice… That came from me?!

An awful sense of foreboding crept over him. He stretched his hands out in front of him, heart pounding.

Gone were the sharp, menacing claws that could tear through anything. In their place were small, chubby hands—soft and pale, with neatly trimmed nails.

What the—?!

Panic surged through him. He immediately tried summoning his demon energy to revert to his original form, but his power scattered uselessly through his body, refusing to take shape. He gritted his teeth and forced it harder—

Poof!

Two tiny horns popped out of his head, along with a fluffy little tail.

…

“What’s wrong? Does something hurt?” The boy watched him struggle and asked in a gentle voice, “I’m the Earth God that used to be worshipped in this restaurant. Over ten years ago, the restaurant shut down, and I lost my offerings. I was getting ready to pack up and leave when I found you. For some reason, you were in a deep sleep, and since I couldn’t wake you up, I had no choice but to stay here and wait.”

An Earth God? No wonder he smells like dirt.

Hearing this, Little Taotie finally remembered what had happened.

He had been exploring an uncharted secret realm, searching for food, when he accidentally ate something poisonous. The next thing he knew, he had fallen into a deep slumber.

Who knew how long he had been asleep? The secret realm had disappeared, the world had changed, and the lingering poison had messed up his powers, leaving him stuck in this ridiculous form.

“I want a mirror,” he muttered, sulking.

Even while pouting, he still looked cute. The Earth God stifled a laugh, rummaged through the abandoned restaurant, and pulled out an old mirror, handing it over.

Little Taotie hesitated, then slowly raised his eyes to look.

Staring back at him was a child no older than four, dressed in spotless white clothes. His soft, dark brown hair curled slightly at the ends, and two tiny black horns poked out from his head. His face was delicate and almost unnaturally perfect—like a doll carved from jade—but there was still a faint trace of ferocity hidden in the slight upward tilt of his eyes.

He bared his teeth.

Two tiny baby fangs peeked out.

Oh no.

Even his terrifying fangs—the ones that made other demons tremble in fear—were gone.

His fists clenched in frustration. But when he looked down, he realized his hands were so small and soft that even his knuckles weren’t visible.

How can a mighty beast have tiny, squishy fists?!

This is humiliating!

Just then—

“Grrr…”

His stomach let out a loud, desperate growl, demanding food.

“You must be starving after sleeping so long,” the Earth God said kindly. “Just wait a bit, food will be ready soon.”

Little Taotie glanced at the patched-up robe the Earth God was wearing, then took a look around. The restaurant was practically empty—just a few worn-out tables and chairs. The bowls on the table were so spotless he could see his reflection in them.

Completely broke. Where’s the food supposed to come from?

To be honest, the Earth God himself looked more like a meal. Wasn’t there something about Earth Gods being edible…?

Little Taotie gave him a long, silent stare, his expression clearly saying: Are you sure there’s really food?

The Earth God cleared his throat awkwardly. “I may be down on my luck, but I still have a few devoted worshippers. Over the years, they’ve been offering food, which is how I’ve managed to take care of you all this time.”

“You don’t seem like any demon I’ve seen before,” the Earth God continued, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. “Do you remember why you were in such a deep sleep? Do you have a name?”

“I’m Tao—” Little Taotie abruptly stopped himself, then awkwardly corrected, “My name is Tao.”

He was already humiliated enough—no way was he revealing his real identity.

“Tao, as in Taoran^[1]as carefree as a peach blossom or serene like spring?” The Earth God smiled. “Good name. My name is Yun Fenghe. From now on, you’ll take my surname—let’s call you Yun Tao. If people ask, we’ll say you’re my son. It’ll make things much easier.”

Little Taotie’s eyes widened in shock.

“???”

I was eyeing you as food, and you want to be my dad?!

Completely oblivious to Little Taotie’s horrified expression, Yun Fenghe tilted his head in thought. “Actually, given my age, having a son this big doesn’t really make sense. Let’s say you’re my little brother instead.”

Little Taotie wanted to refuse.

But before he could speak, Yun Fenghe suddenly turned away and coughed twice. His already pale lips turned almost colorless, his whole body looking like a gust of wind could knock him over.

For a moment, Little Taotie hesitated. This scrawny, struggling little god had taken him in and cared for him for years, without even knowing who—or what—he was.

He swallowed back his refusal. “…Fine.”

Yun Fenghe smiled warmly and ruffled his hair. “Call me brother.”

There was no one else around, and Yun Fenghe had no idea what he really was.

Without hesitation, Little Taotie called out, “Brother.”

Yun Fenghe’s smile deepened, revealing two little dimples at the corners of his lips. “Good boy. From now on, we’re family.”

“Family?”

Little Taotie blinked, feeling an odd sensation stir in his chest.

He’d gone to sleep alone, with no attachments to this world. Now, he had a name—and somehow, he had gained a family. The feeling was unfamiliar. Strange.

He silently repeated his new name in his head. Yun Tao…

Just then, the window creaked open slightly.

Yun Fenghe’s lips curved into a smile. “Our guests are here.”

Yun Tao caught a faint whiff of something fishy—literally. The so-called “guest” seemed to be carrying fresh fish.

…Wait a second. What kind of devout worshipper shows up with a live fish and doesn’t even come through the front door?

He stared unblinkingly at the window, only to lock eyes with a pair of round, golden ones peeking out from behind the curtain.

It was a fat orange cat.

And in its mouth, a still-wriggling fish.

Yun Tao’s face darkened. “Brother, is this the ‘devout worshipper’ you were talking about?”

Had they really fallen so far that they had to rely on stray cats for food? Just how poor were they?!

Yun Fenghe awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose. “You might have to endure this for a while. But don’t worry, now that you’re awake, I can finally leave this place and find a way to support us. I promise I’ll take good care of you.”

Something in Yun Tao’s chest twinged—part sadness, part something else he couldn’t quite name. His little tail swayed twice.

But honestly, once Yun Fenghe finds out his real identity, he’d probably regret making that promise. No one in history had ever dared to say they could definitely afford to feed a Taotie.

The orange cat hopped down from the window, and then effortlessly leaped onto the dining table. It dropped the fish into a battered metal basin and gave itself a good shake, flinging off stray droplets of water. It was clearly a regular here. Moments later, more stray cats began filing in one by one, each carrying a small fish as an offering.

Finally, the last one arrived.

It was a striking black cat, larger than the others, with pure white paws that stood out like fresh snow. Its deep sapphire eyes gleamed like gemstones, and in its mouth, it held a fish so big that its tail dragged along the ground. Despite the size, the cat carried it with effortless grace.

Yun Tao immediately recognized it—this was no ordinary stray. It was only a step away from gaining full spiritual intelligence.

The moment the black cat appeared, the others immediately stepped aside, respectfully perching on chairs as they watched it drop its catch into the basin. Then, with its head held high, the cat strolled past its little followers with an air of noble indifference and came to a stop in front of Yun Fenghe.

With great dignity, it lowered its head and rubbed against Yun Fenghe’s leg, as if waiting for praise.

Yun Fenghe chuckled, crouching down to give its head a thorough ruffling. “Ta Xue, you outdid yourself today! Did you guess that my little brother was about to wake up and bring us an extra feast?”

So many fish—it was practically a holiday feast. These little cats must have worked hard!

Ta Xue purred in satisfaction. When Yun Fenghe finally let go, it sauntered over to Yun Tao and gently bumped its head against him.

Yun Tao froze.

He was a fearsome beast, feared across the Three Realms. No fragile little creature had ever dared to approach him before.

Yet here was this cat, not only unafraid but even acting affectionate?

“Meow~“

Ta Xue nuzzled him again, its tail lifting high in the air.

Yun Tao hesitated. He figured that if he ignored it, the little thing would eventually give up and leave.

…Right?

Flop.

Without warning, Ta Xue flopped onto the floor right beside him, rolling onto its back and exposing its soft belly. Its face practically screamed: Pet me. Pet me now.

Yun Tao narrowed his eyes. Was this cat… charming him?!

Well, he had evidence now! He wasn’t hesitating anymore. Reaching out, he lightly tapped one of Ta Xue’s ears.

The cat instantly nudged its head into his palm, completely surrendering.

Soft. Warm.

…So this was what small creatures felt like.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

The other cats immediately swarmed closer, rubbing against Yun Tao and sneaking glances at Ta Xue. When it didn’t object, they grew bolder. One particularly daring kitten even climbed onto Yun Tao’s shoulder, its fluffy tail brushing against his neck and making him squirm and laugh.

Yun Fenghe watched the scene with amusement before picking up the basin of fish. “I’ll go make dinner.”

Whoever said Taotie weren’t picky eaters was definitely spreading misinformation. Yun Tao, for one, was picky—he much preferred cooked food.

He was starving, but for the promise of a good meal, he could wait just a little longer.

Soon, Yun Fenghe brought out a steaming pot of fish soup and filled a big bowl for Yun Tao.

The soup was a milky white, its rich aroma filling the air. Yun Tao eagerly took a sip… and immediately regretted it. It was fishy, completely unseasoned, and the fish scales hadn’t even been cleaned off properly.

His so-called guardian… had absolutely no idea how to cook.

“How is it?”

Yun Fenghe’s expectant gaze was locked onto him. Yun Tao pressed his lips together, then cupped the bowl in both hands and downed the entire thing in one go—bones and all. Not like those tiny fish bones could do anything to him anyway.

He curved his eyes into a smile. “Tastes great.”

Yun Fenghe visibly brightened and immediately ladled out another full bowl. “Eat more. You’ve been asleep for so long—you need to build your strength back up.”

By the time they finished, the pot was scraped clean. Yun Fenghe glanced at Yun Tao and asked, “Are you full?”

Yun Tao glanced at the tired little cats sprawled around and answered with a straight face, “Yeah, I’m full.”

He wasn’t. Not even close. For a creature like him, that little bit of food was like trying to put out a wildfire with a cup of water.

Yun Fenghe let out a relieved sigh. “There’s still some fish soup left in the kitchen for later. I’m going to rest in my shrine for a bit—don’t wander too far. We’re leaving at first light.”

Yun Tao blinked. “We’re leaving tomorrow?”

Yun Fenghe nodded. “Staying here isn’t a long-term solution.”

With that, he stepped into the small shrine at the restaurant’s entrance and disappeared.

Yun Tao followed and peered inside. The shrine was simple and worn, the inscriptions faded almost beyond recognition. The incense burner was spotless—just like their empty bowls.

No wonder Yun Fenghe was so weak. Without incense offerings, his power would continue to fade. If things went on like this… would he disappear?

The thought made Yun Tao frown, his delicate face clouding with worry. He had just “picked up” this guardian—he wasn’t about to lose him so soon.

His stomach grumbled again.

After a moment of thought, Yun Tao tucked away his little horns and tail, then slipped out of the restaurant.

If his new guardian couldn’t feed him, then he’d just have to feed himself.

And while he was at it, he’d make sure his “brother” had a proper meal waiting for him when he woke up. After all, Yun Fenghe had barely eaten anything—he’d left most of the soup for Yun Tao and the cats.

That wouldn’t do.

Time to hunt.