Chapter 36 part 2

After turning off her phone, Kong Bi ignored it. After all, she knew that it would send her a lot of messages to persuade her to leave. It was well-intentioned, but she had to be “persistent”.

The big cat’s front paws were broad and powerful, and one front paw was enough to completely cover one side of Kong Bi’s chest. Logically, the experience should have been terrible, especially since Kong Bi wasn’t fleshy. But the big cat stepped on it very vigorously. Kong Bi didn’t know whether it was trying to squeeze out milk or simply expressing closeness…

Since it didn’t move its head over to try to suck, Kong Bi thought it should be the latter.

The big cat happily performed a mechanical, repetitive kneading motion. The unease and fatigue in the tiger eyes gradually dissipated in this behavior, replaced by ease and tranquility. The rhythm of its moist exhalations also became more steady. Only then did it roll over and lie on its side next to Kong Bi. Kong Bi thought about the big cat’s bad breath and buried her head in the fur of its neck, letting out a long breath.

She wasn’t quite sure what the big cat considered her to be – mother? Boss? Older sister? Whatever it was, Kong Bi felt a slight headache because the big cat was acting very dependent, and Kong Bi didn’t want to live in the tiger enclosure. But if she brought it into her own dorm…

Stroking the big cat’s fur, Kong Bi’s hand slid downwards. Although the big cat was affectionate towards her, it had never once shown her its belly. The moment this movement occurred, the big cat’s massive body tensed, and its broad paw instinctively started to lift. After a moment of hesitation, the big cat ultimately only let out a muffled growl from its throat.

Just one little touch, okay!

Kong Bi could feel its tension. Every muscle in its body was taut, and its powerful heart was beating rapidly. Kong Bi maintained a regular, steady breath, conveying this calmness to the big cat, which would help it stabilize its emotions more quickly.

Her hand finally landed on the big cat’s belly. Its body temperature was as warm as a blazing fire. Its abdomen rose and fell with its breath, and a faint, steady rhythm of life emanated from it.

Here, a demon was waiting to be born.

Some individuals with extraordinary talents can become spirits directly when they are conceived, but this is not a good thing for ordinary families.

Monsters need to obtain more energy to ensure their smooth birth, which is a very troublesome thing for the mothers who give birth to them, because monsters do not need ordinary energy, but the qi of heaven and earth that can be transformed into demonic power. If they are not supplied, the instinct for survival will make them suck the mother dry.

But doing so would undoubtedly be like drinking poison to quench thirst. Newly born demons are unable to hunt and lack the years of accumulated experience that adult animals have to combat the outside world. Without a mother’s care, death is their only destiny.

This situation is different from Wang Tianba’s. Not to mention that the energy they require is on completely different levels, just the fact that one is viviparous and the other oviparous makes a huge difference. Even if a hatched demon fails to be born smoothly, the shell provides a barrier, preventing it from harming others. Viviparous creatures are different.

The more powerful the creature, the more difficult its birth. The big cat’s current relationship with its offspring isn’t healthy; rather, it’s more like the offspring is parasitizing it. The moment of birth will be the moment of the mother’s death. Even if the cub is born with extraordinary talent and comprehends the tiger’s unique supernatural power, turning its mother into a Chang Gui^[1]In Chinese folklore, a cháng guǐ (伥鬼, “ghost of the dead”) refers to the spirit of a person killed by a tiger, who then becomes a servant of the tiger, luring more victims. But, a … Continue reading, that would still not be a good thing.

Because the energy to maintain the existence of the ghost is provided by the tiger itself, in this way, the identities of the parasite and the host are reversed, but the result is no change at all, both must die.

At least for the big cat, this was a dead end, so the instinct for survival prompted it to leave its original territory. It was able to give birth to a demon and was on the verge of giving birth. This actually showed that the big cat itself was not bad. In addition, as a local tiger, the big cat’s ancestors had been rich. At the critical moment of life and death, the bloodline prompted it to make the most correct choice.

However, Kong Bi speculated that perhaps the mission rewards she received before the game also played a part in this.

Although Kong Bi hadn’t noticed any changes in herself after joining the Great Sage’s ranks, and neither Huajiao nor Wang Tianba had perceived anything different when facing her, the game wasn’t just offering empty promises or verbal encouragement. So, perhaps the changes had already occurred back then, but she just hadn’t been able to detect them.

But the big cat, driven by its instinct for survival, had sensed it.

Closing her eyes, Kong Bi carefully gathered her demon power in her palm, guiding it through the big cat’s belly towards the little tiger.

She sensed two lives, both very weak. The little demon tiger was weak due to insufficient energy, while the other was weak because the nutrients it needed had been plundered by the little demon tiger.

Ignoring the other ordinary tiger cub, Kong Bi channeled her demon power into the little demon tiger’s body. As long as the little demon tiger didn’t compete for food, the other tiger cub wouldn’t need her intervention and would naturally be born safely.

The demonic power slowly gathered in the heart of the little demon tiger to form a strange rune, which flickered slightly and quickly disappeared into the heart.

The big cat suddenly felt its body lighten, and the heaviness of the past was swept away. It blinked its tiger eyes in confusion, not understanding what had happened.

Kong Bi retracted her hand, feeling the demonic power in her body quickly fading, and her face turned pale.

Her behavior just now could be seen as a contract, or as a transfer of rights. Simply put, although the little demon tiger will still be born from the big cat, all the energy and nutrients it needs are now provided by Kong Bi. In ancient times, when a powerful demon faced a difficult birth among their subordinate females, it often resorted to this method. Not only did it ensure the safety of both the mother and the cub, but it also gained a loyal “foster child”—one that would never betray it.  

Kong Bi didn’t do this when Wang Tianba broke through because Wang Tianba was already an adult. The energy of a other Demon entering her body would only provoke her instinctive resistance. That’s why in ancient times, subduing adult demons relied on force. Only newborn or unborn demons could be treated this way because they simply didn’t know how to resist, and even if they did, their strength would be too weak to mention.

Another aspect to consider is the issue of rejection.

Humans still need blood transfusions from compatible donors, and it’s even more so for demons. From this perspective, Kong Bi’s actions were actually inappropriate and could very likely greatly damage the little demon tiger’s potential. After all, if one could use spirit pills, miraculous medicines, and rare treasures to ensure a safe pregnancy, who would use such a crude and primitive method?

But for the little demon tiger, just being able to survive was good enough; there was no need to consider those other things.

As long as it doesn’t grow wings after it is born…

Powerful demons usually only perform this kind of act on their own kind because what they transmit to the young isn’t just their demon power, but also their demon blood. A demon’s entire body is a treasure, and for the young, there’s no better, gentler supplement than this. For the powerful demon itself, while it might not be a severe injury to their vital energy, they do indeed need to rest for quite a while to recover.

Therefore, every time they perform this act, they are extremely cautious. Moreover, due to their allegiances, this kind of beneficial act usually doesn’t extend to demons of other races. At least in Kong Bi’s inherited memories, this method was used on exceptionally talented or difficult-to-birth offspring of their own kind. A small number of times, it would be used on subordinates – and the races they belonged to – who, although not of the same race, were at least both avian and had made outstanding contributions.

However, a cross-species contract like the one between Kong Bi, a peacock, and a tiger, had never occurred before.

Therefore, Kong Bi was a little worried. She didn’t know what changes her demon blood would bring to the little demon tiger. Would it change its body structure or habits, or would it die directly from the conflict between two different bloodlines?

But no matter what, Kong Bi tried her best. At least in this way, only the little demon tiger died in the accident, and the tiger mother and the other little tiger could survive.

In fact, Kong Bi remembered many ways to save the little demon tiger’s life. For example, there was a magical grass growing in nature. It was full of energy and gentle. It didn’t need to be refined with special techniques. It could ensure the safety of the mother and child by giving it to the big cat directly.

For example, the pregnancy-preserving pill refined by the alchemist also had a good effect.

But the problem is that the raw materials needed for those methods are now extinct. Kong Bi can’t use any external help, even if she takes the big cat to a caesarean section now, because the moment the little demon tiger feels that it is about to be born, the little demon tiger will instinctively absorb the energy around it. At that time, not to mention the big cat on the operating table, the doctor who performs the operation on the big cat will probably be sucked into a mummy.

I hope everything goes well.

Holding the big cat, Kong Bi prayed in her heart.

The big cat stuck to Kong Bi, and when she moved her hand away, its body was no longer tense. The rare sense of relaxation made it quickly feel a strong sleepiness, and soon closed its eyes and fell asleep.

Kong Bi also closed her eyes, trying to let herself fall asleep.

After a while, she stared at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.

Anyone who has slept with a kitten knows how loud the purr is. If a kitten is like this, let alone a cat weighing more than 200 pounds, it has turned from a civilian tractor into a military helicopter. Listening to such a sound at close range, Kong Bi felt that her ears were accusing her, and this bombing would continue until dawn.

Kong Bi really didn’t know how those people who lived near the airport could sleep at night.