Chapter 31: I’m Really Going to Be Petted Bald!

After successfully snatching the Purple Ice Soul Stone, Lin Chuyun, as a cat, completely embraced the life of a salted fish. Outside of sunbathing, he just lay in his little disciple’s arms and slept.

The original book did mention other opportunities Bai Linghan obtained, but those weren’t very useful for Feng Xixing.

Plus, his little disciple had told him Bai Linghan had already used the Spirit Token to teleport out of the Thunder Echo Grotto…

Lin Chuyun decided against going to snatch them.

Then, just as Lin Chuyun thought Feng Xixing had only mentioned it in passing, he discovered his little disciple was upset again.

Because he had given the Spirit Token to Bai Linghan.

But that was clearly the original host’s blunder! And yet, he still had to do the coaxing!

Recalling how he had soothed his little disciple back then, Lin Chuyun felt utterly exhausted.

He seriously felt he needed to find time to properly review the original host’s memories and demand back everything the original host had given to Bai Linghan.

Otherwise, if this happened a few more times, his fur would be petted right off!

Lin Chuyun now suspected the fur on top of his head was already going bald!

An irritable cat tail flicked back and forth relentlessly. Seeing this, Feng Xixing couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Shizun was angry again.

Feng Xixing had a headache, feeling a rare twinge of regret.

Originally, he had just wanted to make Lin Chuyun soften and let him pet some fur. Who would have thought that seeing the little black ball obediently sprawled under his hand, letting him pet without running, he’d get carried away and pet a few too many times.

And so he had angered his Shizun.

For the past two days, Lin Chuyun had not only ignored him, but refused to be touched or held. Feng Xixing hadn’t been able to get near the little black ball for three days.

Feng Xixing sighed and offered the Spirit Fruit in his hand to the little black cat. But the little black cat simply turned around, presenting its back to him and lying down again, clearly still fuming.

This could not go on!

Feng Xixing’s gaze hardened. He took two steps forward, spiritual power slowly coalescing in his hand. Then—

He half-knelt before the rock, offered four or five Ice Crystals, and said softly, “Shizun, Xixing knows he was wrong.”

Knows he’s wrong, knows he’s wrong. Every time, he admits his fault instantly, but never changes!

Lin Chuyun lifted his paws and pressed them firmly over his furry ears, using action to state his position.

But even covering his ears, he could still smell the fragrance of the Ice Crystals. His pink nose twitched incessantly, and the tail behind him began to waver.

“Shizun, these Ice Crystals were condensed by your disciple these past few days as a token of apology.” Feng Xixing coaxed gently.

Lin Chuyun was so angry his Cat Pupils widened. Here he was, painstakingly raising a disciple, and this kid, instead of cultivating diligently, was wasting Spirit Power on coaxing a cat!

Even if the cat being coaxed was himself, it wasn’t allowed!

The little black cat instantly bristled, turning its head to scold this disobedient disciple, only to have an Ice Crystal popped into its mouth. The icy, sweet flavor spread instantly through its mouth. To Lin Chuyun, Ice Crystals worked even better than catnip.

The previously furious little black cat visibly softened. Its tail swung over, as if wanting to hook around Feng Xixing’s wrist, but hesitated and pulled back slightly. In the end, it just brushed gently past Feng Xixing’s wrist.

As if it was teasing him.

Feng Xixing narrowed his eyes. His fingertips curled inward, restraining the urge to play with that mischievous tail. Otherwise, the little furball he’d worked so hard to soothe would get angry again.

The successfully pacified little cat bundle soon returned to Feng Xixing’s arms. Only then did Feng Xixing’s eyes curve in satisfaction.

The Thunder Echo Grotto’s trial lasted only a month. On the final day, all surviving disciples were teleported back to the plaza.

Feng Xixing didn’t stand with Yan Sha and the others, choosing a corner of the plaza alone. He deliberately looked around, confirming that Bai Linghan indeed hadn’t appeared on the plaza.

So he really had left early…

He just didn’t know how Bai Linghan had explained it to Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan stood with his arms crossed in the center of the plaza. A single glance told him how many disciples were missing.

He couldn’t help frowning. Although trials always involved unexpected casualties, the Thunder Echo Grotto was the Star Point Sect’s own Trial Cave Abode. Most of the Demonic Beasts inside were only at the Core Formation Early Stage. How could so many disciples have died?

And the majority were from Spirit Wind Peak…

His gaze landed on Xu Quanfeng, the question obvious in his eyes.

Xu Quanfeng’s face paled slightly. He bowed his head in salute. “This matter… this disciple will report to my Shizun.”

Meaning Spirit Wind Peak would handle this themselves.

Zhu Yan wasn’t one to meddle. Hearing this, he asked no further questions. After confirming there were no other issues, a wave of his hand dismissed the disciples to return on their own. He himself took Yan Sha with him back to Spirit Fire Peak.

“So? Get anything good?” Zhu Yan wasn’t one for rigid formalities and directly told Yan Sha to sit in the chair beside him.

He knew his own disciple best. Yan Sha couldn’t hide his feelings at all. In the plaza, he’d seen the kid beaming from ear to ear, clearly having gotten his hands on some treasure.

Yan Sha rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. “Shizun, you noticed.”

As he spoke, he brought out two items. They were precisely the Gold-Devouring Rat’s Demon Core and the Flame Tree Demon Core Feng Xixing had given him earlier.

Zhu Yan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He knew his disciple’s strength well. The Gold-Devouring Rat was within Yan Sha’s capability, but the Flame Tree Demon had clearly reached Core Formation Mid Stage. That wasn’t something Yan Sha could handle alone.

“Who were you with?” Zhu Yan asked curiously.

Yan Sha didn’t hide it. He honestly replied, “Junior Brother Feng.”

Zhu Yan’s first reaction was to frown. Not because of Feng Xixing, but because of Feng Xixing’s Shizun. Thinking of the treasures and Spirit Stones Lin Chuyun had swindled from him, Zhu Yan ground his teeth in hatred.

Though the treasures and stones were secondary. The main issue was that despite clearly suffering a loss, he could only swallow his anger.

“That kid…” Zhu Yan furrowed his brow. “He’s pitiful.”

How badly Lin Chuyun treated his one and only disciple was no secret in the sect. It was fortunate Feng Xixing had his own drive and talent, managing to break through to the Golden Core stage through sheer effort.

Yan Sha fell silent. He had previously thought Junior Brother Feng was quite pitiful too. But after this trip, he felt he might have been wrong.

How was Junior Brother Feng pitiful? He was clearly protected in the palm of Immortal Lord Lin’s hand.

But no one would believe him if he said it. Yan Sha could only quietly swallow the words back down.

“Alright, with these two, you can properly reforge that broken blade of yours.” Zhu Yan didn’t say much more, casually tossing Yan Sha a High-grade Fire Crystal before shooing him away.

Yan Sha cheerfully went off to find the people from Spirit Wind Peak.

Meanwhile, Feng Xixing had encountered trouble.

Seeing the figure standing before his Bamboo Hut, Feng Xixing instinctively tucked the little black cat deeper into his robes. He stepped forward two paces and bowed his head in a respectful salute. “Sect Leader Gu.”

“Acting Sect Leader.” The man corrected, clasping his hands behind his back as he turned to face Feng Xixing. He asked directly, “Where is Lin Chuyun?”

Feng Xixing’s heart tightened. “This disciple does not know…”

“I asked Steward Wang. One month ago, Lin Chuyun went to deliver Spirit Tea to you.” Gu Jingshan’s voice was even, as if he wasn’t demanding Lin Chuyun’s whereabouts but simply making conversation. “After that, he vanished.”

Feng Xixing was silent for a moment before asking, “Why does Acting Sect Leader believe this disciple would know Shizun’s whereabouts?”

Gu Jingshan looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly.

The last time he had seen Feng Xixing was at the Disciple Grand Competition two years ago. Although Feng Xixing had lost his match then, his state of mind had remained undamaged. So how was it that now, he faintly showed signs of a Devil Transformation Omen?

“Lin Chuyun has a Tracking Spell placed on him by Shizun. As long as he is within the Star Point Sect, the spell shows no abnormal activity. But a month ago, the spell indicated he left the Star Point Sect.”

Both Feng Xixing and the eavesdropping Lin Chuyun were startled.

“And just moments ago, the spell indicated he has returned to the Star Point Sect.” Gu Jingshan stated calmly.

The only event that matched this timeline was the opening of the Thunder Echo Grotto.

Feng Xixing kept his head lowered, his gaze flickering rapidly.

“No need to be so guarded.” Gu Jingshan’s eyes swept over Feng Xixing. “My purpose here is simply to deliver something to Lin Chuyun, on Shizun’s orders.”

Shizun…? Fang Tianyuan? Wasn’t Fang Tianyuan in seclusion? Lin Chuyun, having eavesdropped for a while, felt even more confused.

Lin Chuyun knew he couldn’t hide anymore. He struggled to poke half his little head out of Feng Xixing’s robes and meowed quietly at Gu Jingshan.

“Meow…” Eldest Senior Brother, I’m here.

Hearing the sound, Gu Jingshan’s gaze instinctively dropped. Upon seeing that half a fluffy little head, even Gu Jingshan’s perpetually calm expression showed a hint of daze.

Feng Xixing frowned, feeling an inexplicable reluctance to let others’ gazes fall on the little black ball.

He lifted his hand, placing the little black ball in his palm while shielding it thoroughly with his other hand. Turning sideways to Gu Jingshan, he said, “Acting Sect Leader, let’s speak inside.”

Gu Jingshan snapped out of it and nodded.

After a month of vacancy, a thin layer of dust had settled in the Bamboo Hut. Gu Jingshan didn’t seem to mind, standing quietly with his hands clasped behind him in the center of the room.

Feng Xixing carefully wiped the dust from the table before setting the little black cat down upon it.

It was Lin Chuyun’s first time facing someone else in this form. He felt a bit scared and instinctively hooked his little claw tips into Feng Xixing’s sleeve.

Seeing this, Feng Xixing stood right beside him, one hand gently shielding him before he raised his eyes to look at Gu Jingshan.

Under the combined gaze of the person and cat, Gu Jingshan was silent for a long moment before he spoke. “Shizun… before he went into seclusion, warned me that you might experience some… physical issues.”

It was simply that he truly hadn’t imagined it would be this kind of issue.

Lin Chuyun blinked. Regarding the original host’s Shizun, he didn’t really have much of an impression.

In the original host’s memories, interactions with that Shizun were minimal. He just remembered that after Fang Tianyuan brought the original host back, he went into seclusion not long after.

So… why would Fang Tianyuan have the Precognition to know he would drink the Poisoned Tea himself and turn into a cat?

Lin Chuyun felt a faint sense that something was wrong. It was as if he had misunderstood something, or gotten some fact twisted.

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but walk forward two steps, closer to Gu Jingshan. His emerald Cat Pupils stared fixedly at him.

“Meow meow meow meow?” So what exactly was the poison in that tea I drank?

Gu Jingshan stared at the little black cat on the table, then fell silent.

Seeing him stay quiet, Lin Chuyun grew more and more panicked. Could it be that the poison had no Antidote, and he would be stuck as a cat forever?

Just as Lin Chuyun was getting anxious and restless, Gu Jingshan finally reacted. He slowly raised his hand and then, lightly but quickly, touched the top of Lin Chuyun’s head.

Lin Chuyun: “…”

Stop it. I’m really going to be petted bald!!!