Chapter 8: Aura of Misfortune 

One day, the teleportation array on Beast Island suddenly lit up without any warning. After the light faded, an immortal with considerable cultivation level appeared from the Lower Three Immortal Realms. Upon receiving the news, Immortal Wu Yi immediately ordered all the immortals on the island to go and greet the newcomer.

Chen Xi, who had been preparing the ingredients for the evening meal in the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s cave, was also called away by a messenger from Immortal Wu Yi. Although the messenger’s attitude was impeccable and faultless, Chen Xi still felt that they had ulterior motives. Sure enough, as soon as he arrived at the location, Chen Xi sensed something was off.

“Young Chen, you’ve arrived.” Immortal Wu Yi was polite to him but only asked a single question before leaving him standing aside, turning to speak with the newly arrived immortal. As for the other immortals on Beast Island, they also treated the newcomer with great respect.

Chen Xi, having seen such preferential treatment often recently, didn’t mind. He calmly followed everyone’s gaze and began carefully observing the new immortal.

The young man before him looked to be in his twenties and was quite handsome. He wore a brocade robe with a jade plaque tied to his waist, engraved with the character “yu” (馭). Based on this, it seemed that he was an acquaintance of Han Qing, who had served Chen Xi previously. As soon as they met, the two began chatting, and even Immortal Wu Yi didn’t seem to regard him highly.

It appeared that this newcomer had a high status. Chen Xi guessed as much, and after overhearing a few more words, he understood the situation clearly.

This young man was named Wang Xun, a third-generation disciple from a beast tamer family in the Lower Three Immortal Realms.

Unlike the lower-level immortals exiled to Beast Island, Wang Xun came here as a privileged scion, similar to a wealthy second-generation heir going to the grassroots for experience. His aim was to earn a good reputation for beast taming on Beast Island, so he could develop further when he returned. However, Chen Xi couldn’t shake the feeling that Wang Xun’s intentions were not pure and that he might be here because of him.

“Beast tamer family…” Chen Xi pondered these words, deciding to be more vigilant in the coming days to avoid being caught off guard.

—

As expected, within just a few days, Wang Xun gained widespread fame on Beast Island. Not only did the immortals on the island respect him, but even many celestial beasts were quite satisfied with him.

Wang Xun was a typical celestial beast tamer, and the meals he made were almost like medicinal pills. However, being from a beast tamer family, his methods were much more effective than those of the amateurs on the island. For example, after eating Wang Xun’s medicinal pills, the feathers of the vain immortal birds became even more beautiful, and their plumage grew fuller.

“So, compared to that mortal, Master Wang Xun is much better.”

“After all, he comes from a prestigious family, and it’s always better than being self-taught.”

Such conversations had become common on Beast Island recently, but Chen Xi was unimpressed.

Traditional Chinese cuisine has been passed down for generations and offers endless variations. It couldn’t be compared to the odd concoctions made by these beast tamer families. Moreover, the original intention of these people in raising celestial beasts was merely to use them as tools, objects of amusement, or even animals. Even though this had been modified over many generations due to changing circumstances, they had only been forced to submit to the celestial beasts and adapt, acting as proper servants in order to cater to their needs.

To put it simply, it was all about mutual benefit, not true affection.

But for Chen Xi, it was entirely different. On Earth, pets were considered family to most people. They brought healing and comfort with their innocence and purity, and the “^[1]“Litter box cleaners” refers to people who clean and maintain a litter box for cats, especially those kept indoors. The litter box is where cats go to relieve themselves, and … Continue readinglitter box cleaners” were more than happy to go out of their way to prepare delicious meals for them, enjoying their companionship and reliance. All of this stemmed from love.

Therefore, the starting points were different, and the considerations were different as well. Even the traditional warmth of the human world was worlds apart.

Stretching out his hand to scoop up the Moonshadow Celestial Beast, who had become tired and was clinging to his pants leg, Chen Xi held it in his arms and gently groomed its soft fur.

“Meow~” The sweet, baby-like sound healed his somewhat heavy heart. Turning his head, he met the worried gaze of the Moonlight Celestial Beast.

“Are you worried about me?” Chen Xi placed the sleeping Moonshadow Celestial Beast aside and walked over to the Moonlight Celestial Beast, quietly asking.

How could I be? The Moonlight Celestial Beast flicked its tail awkwardly and turned its head, avoiding Chen Xi’s gaze. However, its ears, moving back and forth, revealed its conflicting thoughts. The palm-sized kitten sat upright with a proud posture, but when it peeked at Chen Xi, its eyes were clear and focused, as if Chen Xi were its entire world.

A warmth unknowingly surged in Chen Xi’s heart. He leaned in close and whispered in its ear.

“Give me a kiss, and I won’t be afraid of anything anymore.” The soft voice was clear and enchanting, almost seductive. The soft skin so close was equally full of an inexplicable attraction. However, the Moonlight Celestial Beast froze instantly, its pupils suddenly widening.

“Shameless! To ask for affection in public!”

Unable to resist, the Moonlight Celestial Beast slapped Chen Xi across the face and jumped to a higher spot to avoid his touch.

Its temper hasn’t changed. Chen Xi, seeing that it wasn’t pleased, didn’t press the matter and turned back to continue his work. But in just a few seconds, his lips were met with a soft touch.

This was…

Chen Xi was taken aback, subconsciously looking toward the spot where the Moonlight Celestial Beast had been earlier. He saw the small beast, about the size of a palm, turned away from him on a high platform, curled up, but the side of its ear that was not covered in fur had turned a bright color.

Still, not thanking me? Such a clingy servant, only I would spoil it like this.

—

Life for Chen Xi remained as usual. The cave of the Moonlight Celestial Beast constantly exuded the aroma of human food, enough to make anyone salivate.

Even so, it couldn’t stop Wang Xun from temporarily stealing the spotlight. After all, with his family background, the mere word “inheritance” made Chen Xi’s methods seem trivial. Even among the celestial beasts, rumors began to spread that some of Chen Xi’s techniques were just for show and not as powerful as they appeared. They were simply small tricks. Fortunately, because of the Moonlight Celestial Beast, no one dared to openly cause trouble in front of Chen Xi.

But even this delicate balance didn’t last long.

One day, while Chen Xi was resting in his immortal cave, a puppet came to report that Wang Xun had come to visit.

“Why is he here?” Chen Xi was a bit confused but still ordered the puppet to let him in.

“Greetings, Daoist Chen.” As soon as Wang Xun saw Chen Xi, he greeted him warmly, though his smile did not reach his eyes, fake to the point of being nauseating.

Chen Xi casually nodded, not speaking to invite him to speak.

No sense of etiquette. A trace of disdain flashed in Wang Xun’s eyes, but his tone remained cordial: “I should have visited when I first arrived on the island, but due to business, I was delayed. The reason I’m here today is to discuss something with Daoist Chen.”

“What is it?” Chen Xi squinted his eyes, asking casually.

“It’s mostly about the cave matters.” Wang Xun pretended to hesitate, walking a few steps before saying, “It’s all because of the great favor from Immortal Wu Yi. Recently, most of the celestial beasts on Beast Island have been under my management, but my residence is too far away. After discussing with Immortal Wu Yi, I was told to come find you.”

“So, you’re asking me to move?”

“That’s the idea.” Chen Xi asked directly, and Wang Xun dropped the pretensions, saying frankly, “I know it’s unfair to you, Daoist Chen, but as I’m new here and need to manage many celestial beasts, it’s unavoidable.”

Chen Xi raised an eyebrow. “What if I don’t agree?”

“It won’t make much difference.” Wang Xun’s response was dignified: “I’ve heard you’re a mortal. Whether it’s sooner or later, I can wait.”

An outright threat.

Hearing these two sentences, Chen Xi understood Wang Xun’s intentions. However, he hadn’t figured out Wang Xun’s full background yet, so it wasn’t wise to confront him directly. But simply accepting this fate didn’t quite suit his character.

He remained outwardly calm but had already made some calculations in his mind. Recalling the two items the system extracted the previous night, Chen Xi started to formulate a plan.

It couldn’t be more perfect. Just after drawing the new item, 【Aura of Misfortune】, someone came knocking, offering themselves as a test subject. It was a perfect opportunity to study exactly what effects the 【Aura of Misfortune】 would have.

Thinking of this, Chen Xi’s smile became even gentler as he looked at Wang Xun for a moment, then leisurely spoke, “In that case, you may return for now. Let me think about it and I’ll tell you my specific plans later.”

“Then I’ll wait for your good news.” Wang Xun, certain that Chen Xi would yield, left Zefeng Immortal Cave with a victorious expression, completely unaware of the soft murmur behind him: “No problem, as long as you dare stay.”

Watching Wang Xun’s retreating figure, Chen Xi calculated the time and activated the 【Aura of Misfortune】.

System notification: Aura of Misfortune activated, duration: 10 minutes, radius: 1,000 meters.

A dark, ominous glow quickly spread from the center of Zefeng Immortal Cave, covering a 1,000-meter radius. At the same time, chaos and accidents suddenly struck.

I have to say, this 【Aura of Misfortune】 is much more troublesome than the 【Aura of Disgust】 from before. Almost every immortal on Beast Island, without exception, found themselves unable to take a single step without tripping over their own feet—some even had lightning strike them from clear skies.

As for those who were working at the moment, their situation was even more tragic.

Two immortals, who were attending to the celestial beasts, happened to be gossiping together, only to have their conversation overheard. What was worse, it wasn’t just the celestial beast that heard them, but also the patriarch of the beast clan. With just a few words, their future prospects were completely ruined.

As for Wang Xun, his luck was at its lowest point.

The furnace he used to refine ingredients was stolen by the island’s celestial beasts, who treated it as a toy. What was worse, before he could find it, the time to prepare meals had already arrived.

“What should we do?” Han Qing, who was with him, was equally anxious.

“If nothing else, say I’m sick and find someone to cover for me.” Like a skilled cook unable to make a meal without ingredients, Wang Xun had no better solution. He could only make an excuse for Han Qing to clean up the mess. But just as he finished speaking, a heavy iron ball suddenly flew in from the window. Wang Xun didn’t react in time, and the ball struck his chest, causing him to spit blood and collapse, unconscious.

Now, it wasn’t just an excuse—he was genuinely sick.

The sudden turn of events left Han Qing frozen in place. After he realized that the iron ball that had knocked Wang Xun unconscious was actually the spirit furnace that had been stolen and damaged by the celestial beasts, his eyes widened in astonishment.

This was too evil.

A series of inexplicable events sent waves of panic through the people on Beast Island. At the same time, some sharp-eyed individuals began to notice that, including the incident with Zhou Cheng earlier, these events seemed to be connected to Chen Xi. Zhou Cheng had encountered bad luck after causing trouble for Chen Xi, and now Wang Xun’s attempt to take Chen Xi’s cave had ended even worse than Zhou Cheng’s.

Could it be that their immortal bodies, acting against mortals, were going against the will of Heaven?

For a time, everyone grew wary of Chen Xi, even refusing to speak much to him. Rumors soon spread, growing wilder, and reached the ears of the celestial beasts. After all, celestial beasts still made up the majority on Beast Island.

With the example of the Moonshadow Celestial Beast being revived, the Moonlight Clan’s celestial beasts continued to support Chen Xi. Several Moonshadow Celestial Beasts would even sneak out of their caves to comfort him.

“Meow~” Xixi don’t be afraid, we’re here for you.

The Moonshadow Celestial Beast, which was getting rounder by the day, meowed happily while stretching out its little paws to drag the plate with dried fish closer to itself.

“Looks like it’s all up to you,” Chen Xi said, forcing back a smile as he ruffled the little furry head buried in the plate. Just then, the Moonlight Celestial Beast, who had arrived, overheard Chen Xi’s words and couldn’t help but snort coldly.

“Of course, it’s up to me! Who else could protect Chen Xi if not myself? Speaking of which, those idiots from Immortal Wu Yi still haven’t learned their lesson. This time, they even dared to drag the beast tamer family into this.”

“Quite audacious.” Its jade-like green cat eyes narrowed, a cold killing intent flashing briefly.

—

With the Moonlight Celestial Beast on guard, things were still somewhat under control. However, some celestial beasts had been swayed by rumors, doubting that a mere mortal like Chen Xi, with no formal training and no distinguished background, was fit to be entrusted with such heavy responsibilities. Meanwhile, those immortals arranged by Immortal Wu Yi seized the opportunity to support Wang Xun while covertly suppressing Chen Xi.

As a result, the atmosphere on Beast Island grew tense.

However, Chen Xi, the target of all this attention, was not anxious in the slightest. In fact, he was living even more comfortably than before.

He was not a fragile flower sheltered in a greenhouse. In his past life, before becoming the most popular influencer on Weibo, he had endured millions of insults. The petty tactics of immortals, as far as Chen Xi was concerned, were nothing. He had already thought of a way to retaliate.

After carefully observing the feeding schedules of the celestial beasts on Beast Island, as well as who the immortals serving them were, Chen Xi chose the perfect moment. He arrived early at the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s cave, opened the water mirror, and prepared for his counterattack!

He was going all in. Today, he would show them what true celestial beast cuisine really was!

—

Author’s Note:

Moonlight Celestial Beast: Hmph, I knew you were always thinking about pampering me!

Chen Xi: But that was actually meant for the chubby orange ones.