Chapter 35: Coaxing the Little Cat, then the Big Cat

The base woven from hemp rope supported a flexible stand, with a butterfly poised to fly at the top.

This was not the strange image of the moth-like Taoist. The butterfly Chen Xi had crafted was exquisitely made. Not only were its whiskers lifelike, but even the patterns on its wings were so beautiful, they seemed like a dream. The most brilliant feature, however, wasn’t the exterior, but the butterfly’s posture as it fluttered its wings. Glowing phosphorescence spilled from its wings, falling to the ground and transforming into small glass beads of various sizes, dazzling the eyes.

“I know you like this too, but you usually don’t catch it because you think it’s dirty. I made this one, so it won’t get your paws dirty even if you touch it,” Chen Xi said, his voice gentle as he patiently coaxed the sulking Moonlight Celestial Beast in his arms.

When the Moonlight Celestial Beast saw the butterfly, its mood instantly brightened.

Chen Xi, seeing it perk up, placed the butterfly on the stone table. As he moved, the butterfly’s wings fluttered, scattering a trail of neon light.

The Moonlight Celestial Beast’s bright cat eyes widened, and it carefully leaned in to sniff. Then, it enthusiastically swiped at the butterfly with both paws, happily playing with the glass beads that fell to the ground.

So fun! So interesting!

The Moonshadow Celestial Beasts, who had been watching, couldn’t resist and began to itch for a turn. However, the Moonlight Celestial Beast wasn’t about to share, so they could only turn to Chen Xi, begging him to make one for them as well.

“But I don’t have any spiritual power. This was made with help from Xu Miao and the others. How about I ask Goudan to make one for you to play with?” Chen Xi said, a little unable to resist the eager little eyes of the fluffy creatures. But since the object wasn’t something he could make on his own, he had no choice.

“Meow…” The little orange fluffballs, having received no positive response, sighed and lay down on the soft cushion, looking dejected. Chen Xi couldn’t come up with a better solution, so he softly comforted them, promising to make them one as soon as Xu Miao was free.

But that’s not the same. After all, once Xixi has a Dao companion, the only thing that matters to him is the master! The Moonshadow Celestial Beasts couldn’t help but cover their eyes with their paws, imagining the sad future where they were completely neglected, cast aside by Chen Xi. They certainly had a flair for drama.

Meanwhile, the plump the fatty bird tilted its head, still confused. After observing the butterfly the Moonlight Celestial Beast was playing with, it suddenly had an epiphany.

It’s because of food!

“Chirp, chirp chirp.” The fatty bird called over a few of its friends, then pulled out a snack from its own pocket—fried locusts that Chen Xi had prepared—and eagerly shared it with everyone, saying, “Don’t be shy, I have plenty!”

The atmosphere became awkward.

The Moonshadow Celestial Beasts, who had been inwardly playing out a complex emotional drama, looked at the innocent and angelic the fatty bird, only to realize their new little brother seemed a bit silly.

They sighed and gave a mournful lick to the fatty bird’s head, feeling emotionally exhausted.

—

Meanwhile, in the Immortal Palace of the Ninth Heaven, there was someone even more upset than they were—Emperor Qing Yang.

Originally, after his success with the jade pendant, Emperor Qing Yang had been in a great mood, outshining the Moonlight Celestial Beast. But now, everything had flipped.

Upon hearing that Chen Xi was planning to make an immortal palace for Li Yin, the Emperor’s jealousy flared. However, his situation was the complete opposite of the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s.

While the Moonlight Celestial Beast was being gently pampered by Chen Xi, Emperor Qing Yang could only endure his loneliness. Seeing the Moonlight Celestial Beast showered with attention, his heart sank. Even the tassel he had been playing with for days no longer seemed fun.

That Night, A Silver Cat Appears at the Zefeng Cave Mansion

That night, the figure of a large silver cat appeared at the Zefeng Cave Mansion.

It seemed to have set up some sort of barrier, as the usually sharp Moonshadow Celestial Beasts failed to notice its arrival, not even the Moonlight Celestial Beast or Li Qianling.

The silver cat casually took a look around and, upon seeing the fluffy balls of fur sprawled on the cushions, flicked its tail in disdain before jumping onto the stone table. It circled the butterfly toy that the Moonlight Celestial Beast had gotten that day, examining it from top to bottom.

Annoying!

With a swift swipe of its paw, the butterfly was hit hard. As the five-colored lights floated in the air, glass beads fell with a crisp, clear sound. The silver cat watched intently for a while, then finally couldn’t resist pouncing on the beads, playing happily.

—

Chen Xi was awoken by the sound of the glass beads. Originally, he thought it was the Moonlight Celestial Beast waking up and playing in the middle of the night, but upon opening his eyes, he realized something wasn’t right.

The little fluffball was still curled up against his neck, sleeping in all sorts of awkward positions. On the soft mat on the floor, the tabby cat, the fatty bird, and the orange fluffballs were all piled up together, not one missing.

It couldn’t possibly be Goudan, right?

This amusing thought immediately jolted Chen Xi awake. Carefully placing the Moonlight Celestial Beast back onto the bed, he put on his clothes and stood up. As he stepped out of the bedroom, he saw the silver cat on the stone table, happily pouncing on the glass beads.

“You’re here?” Chen Xi immediately recognized the silver cat—it was the one he had met before. The cat’s appearance, very much like the adult form of the Moonlight Celestial Beast, left a deep impression on him. Moreover, its aloof and proud demeanor, identical to the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s, only made Chen Xi want to get closer.

However, the silver cat didn’t seem to appreciate the attention. As soon as it saw Chen Xi, it turned its back on him, sitting on the stone table and wrapping its tail around its body, refusing to let Chen Xi see it.

Hmph, now you want to please me? It’s too late.

Chen Xi couldn’t quite figure out what was going on with the cat. After a moment, he thought perhaps it was hungry, considering it had shown up last time when it was looking for food.

He gave the silver cat another glance and increasingly felt his guess was correct. So he greeted the cat and walked toward the kitchen.

In October, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers filled the air, the perfect time to warm a cup of yellow wine and crack open a plate of crabs.

Although the passage of time in the immortal realm was imperceptible, Chen Xi still followed the seasonal customs from his memories, using the best ingredients for the dish.

He simmered crab shells with high-quality pig’s trotters and chicken bones to create a rich and flavorful broth. After cooling, the savory meat flavor was locked in the jelly-like consistency of the stock. He then added crab meat to the filling, stirred it, and wrapped it all into a dough skin made with cold water.

With one spoon of filling and one spoon of broth jelly, Chen Xi skillfully pinched the dough into twenty-eight pleats. Soon, a basket of crab soup dumplings was ready.

Placed in a steamer over cold water, it only took five minutes to achieve the ultimate freshness. Paired with seaweed soup and steamed crabs, even simple home-cooked dishes could rival top-tier delicacies.

The sweet, fresh aroma of the crabs soon spread from the kitchen. However, strangely, the orange fluffballs, who would normally rush in at the scent, were still sound asleep, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Chen Xi was puzzled, but quickly realized that the silver cat must have set up some kind of barrier, preventing the others from sensing it.

Perhaps it didn’t like being disturbed?

That fleeting thought crossed Chen Xi’s mind, but he quickly set it aside and focused on taking care of the silver cat. What happened next, though, took him by surprise.

No one could have anticipated that after only two cups of yellow wine, the once aloof silver cat would suddenly change its behavior.