Bai Fei'er left, and the rain continued to fall.

Gu Heng took the herbal soup that Bai Fei'er had only sipped and placed it back in the rear room; it couldn't go to waste.

Thinking back, he found that girl quite interesting. His medicine could only cure ordinary people, not cultivators. She was a gentle soul, clearly burdened with worries, wandering aimlessly in the rain, yet willing to play along with his act, bringing a bit of joy to them both.

Unfortunately, they probably wouldn't meet again.

He was just a mortal, while she was a young cultivator.

Gu Heng rubbed his sore neck, preparing to cook dinner in the inner room. After eating, he planned to rest a bit and see if anyone would come for treatment on this rainy day. Suddenly, his ears twitched—

"Meow."

A cat's meow caught Gu Heng's attention. He looked toward the entrance of the Medicine Hall, where a small white head peeked out.

Upon closer inspection, it was a small white kitten, likely just weaned.

Seeing someone approach, the white kitten showed no fear, instead gazing at Gu Heng with large gray-blue eyes.

"Oh, it's a stray cat."

Gu Heng crouched down and picked up the kitten, which didn't resist, instead nestling quietly in his arms as if in a daze.

He stroked the kitten's soft fur, feeling a surge of affection. The kitten was very cute, pure white like an ice lotus on a snowy mountain, extremely beautiful. Upon closer inspection, there was a purple mark on its forehead, quite mystical. Gu Heng couldn't help but kiss its forehead.

But then he noticed the kitten's body was covered in numerous small wounds, with fresh blood staining its snow-white fur, indicating severe injuries.

After all, with the torrential rain yesterday, even people frowned at the downpour, let alone a small animal for whom it was a life-threatening disaster.

Gu Heng frowned slightly, "You're badly hurt."

The white kitten licked the corner of Gu Heng's clothes.

Gu Heng chuckled, "Wait a moment, I'll get you some medicine."

He placed the kitten on the counter and went to the back room. The kitten squinted its eyes, licking its paws, a hint of killing intent flashing in its eyes.

Hmph, truly a tiger fallen to the plains, bullied by dogs; a phoenix fallen to the ground, not as good as a chicken.

She was Su Jinxi, a powerful guest under the King of Ten Thousand Demons, the great elder of the Nine-Lives Demon Cat clan. She should have taken advantage of last night's full moon in the demon realm to charge through the tribulation and enter the Great Ascension stage. Instead, halfway through the tribulation, she was ambushed by other demon clans...

The tribulation failed, the lightning almost killing her. Su Jinxi fled with injuries, running day and night, not knowing how far she had gone, finally ending up in the deep mountains, unable to maintain her human form, revealing her demon cat body.

Then, as if things couldn't get worse, there was an old ancestor of the Mo Family in nearby Greenwood City, with cultivation at the eighth level of the Divided Spirit stage!

That old man sensed her and immediately pursued her. Unfortunately, Su Jinxi could only use a fraction of her power, quickly falling into a disadvantage, forcing her to use her last teleportation treasure to escape into the city.

This time, Su Jinxi suffered a great loss.

To save her life, she used many treasures, but the tribulation was not easy to withstand. Countless strong cultivators had died under heavenly lightning. The fact she was still alive was due to her great fortune, but her body was severely damaged. Coupled with the recent fight with the Mo Family's old ancestor, she couldn't use any of her tribulation-level power.

Moreover, she had teleported into the enemy's territory. The Mo Family's old ancestor would likely find her soon...

In the past, even if a hundred of those old ancestors came, she, Su Jinxi, could kill them with a single move!

Now, her life was at its end!

But Su Jinxi wasn't ready to give up.

If she could devour this mortal before her, perhaps she could recover some of her power, maybe even find a glimmer of hope...

Besides, that human had touched her all over and even kissed her!

She, Su Jinxi, was the most beautiful among the Nine-Lives Demon Cats. Many male demons wanted to court her, only to be kicked away. Now she had fallen to being touched and kissed by a mere mortal!

Utter humiliation!

She wouldn't be satisfied until she killed him!

Su Jinxi thought bitterly, lying on the ground, closing her eyes, enduring the physical pain.

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When Gu Heng returned with the herbal soup, he saw the kitten sleeping on the table and couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

"Little one, don't sleep. Healing is more important."

He placed the herbal soup on the table, gently patting the white cat's back.

"Luckily, Miss Fei'er's portion of the soup wasn't finished. You can have it to warm up, and then I'll bandage you."

The white cat lazily opened its eyes, glanced around, and saw that the mortal had indeed brought it herbal soup. It couldn't help but think this guy was foolish. The soup was useless to her; her internal injuries from the tribulation required extremely precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures to heal.

But with her current lack of power, to make the mortal lower his guard, she decided to lick the soup.

Then...

"Hmm... Hmm? Hmm? Meow!"

Su Jinxi suddenly felt something was wrong.

The soup contained a vast and pure healing power!

Su Jinxi was stunned. After just a few sips of the brown soup, the internal injuries from the tribulation were rapidly healing! Not only that, she even sensed a breakthrough in her demon body!

A demon's body was unrelated to cultivation but could evolve with opportunities. For example, the Nine-Lives Demon Cat's lowest form had black fur, then purple, white, silver, and jade.

Su Jinxi had high cultivation talent, but evolving her demon body was difficult, as bloodline determined the limit. So, despite her tribulation-level power, her demon body remained white... But after drinking the soup, she felt her demon body, stagnant for hundreds of years, beginning to evolve!

"Hmm?"

Gu Heng, initially bored, watched the kitten drink the soup. Now he noticed something unusual, as the cat's fur gradually turned silvery white.

He was momentarily stunned, then looked closer, noticing a faint silver glow in the kitten's eyes, seemingly brighter than before.

"Hey, this silver looks better than white. I haven't seen a silver cat in a long time."

Although he didn't know why the stray cat's fur changed color, Gu Heng didn't think much of it. In this world, nothing was too surprising; changing fur color was hardly worth noting.

"To think I broke through just like that..."

Su Jinxi hadn't expected that the barrier she couldn't cross for hundreds of years would be overcome after being injured and stranded in a human town, drinking a few sips of soup in this small Medicine Hall!

Moreover, her internal injuries from the tribulation were completely healed, and she could freely use her tribulation-level power again. However...

Now she dared not act rashly.

Because the soup before her shimmered with starlight and moonlight, it was the Star-Moon Divine Water, ranked 11th on the "Divine Medicine List." Normally, even a single drop was a treasure, yet before her was half a bowl!

And that mortal... no, he wasn't a mortal at all!

She knew mortals couldn't possibly have access to Star-Moon Divine Water, as it was like poison to them.

Yet she couldn't discern this mortal youth's cultivation!

She, Su Jinxi, was at the tenth level of the tribulation stage! If there was someone whose cultivation she couldn't discern, it could only be a supreme power at the Holy Sage stage!

What else could this mean? The person before her must be a Holy Sage stage powerhouse!

Su Jinxi now felt a sense of fear.

For such a strong person, how could he not see she was a Nine-Lives Demon Cat? Yet he didn't care at all, indicating that to him, the Nine-Lives Demon Cat clan was no different from a stray cat, not worth his attention!

Indeed, the Nine-Lives Demon Cat clan's leader was only at the fourth level of the Great Ascension stage. To him, they were indeed like stray cats, to be touched at will.

She had even thought of devouring his soul... Was she living too long, seeking death?

With this thought, Su Jinxi trembled, looking up cautiously. Gu Heng was staring at her, his gaze cold, and she felt an overwhelming pressure, unable to utter a word.

"Behave and finish the medicine."

Gu Heng tapped the soup bowl, his voice slightly stern.

This little cat, refusing to drink the bitter medicine, needed to warm up after being in the rain for so long.

Raising a pet required showing some authority.

Su Jinxi: "..."

She trembled, lifting her paw to gulp down the medicine, then quickly hugged her belly with her paws, looking at Gu Heng with a flattering gaze.

Gu Heng was amused by her demeanor.

"Follow me from now on, and I'll take care of you."

***

The Mo Family in Greenwood City was once a prominent family in the empire.

However, like many families, they declined over generations. Today, the Mo Family had lost most of the ancestral assets, confined to their old stronghold in Greenwood City.

In the main hall of the Mo Family residence, Mo Cheng, the eldest young master, wore a displeased expression.

His useless fiancée wasn't in her room trying on her wedding dress but had gone out!

Such disrespect!

The marriage was personally arranged by the old ancestor. Even though the old ancestor knew the Bai Family was treating the Mo Family like a dumping ground, sending over a useless daughter, marrying Bai Fei'er still meant forming a "connection" with the Bai Family.

To the Bai Family, Bai Fei'er was of no use, just a discarded burden. But marrying her meant the Mo Family could claim an "in-law" relationship with the Bai Family.

To Mo Cheng, it didn't matter much. Bai Fei'er was once an unattainable genius, but now she was just a burden the Bai Family threw away. The Bai Family wouldn't support her anymore. After the wedding, Bai Fei'er would taste his power!

At this moment, Bai Fei'er walked into the hall, drenched from the relentless rain.

"Where have you been?!"

Mo Cheng slammed the table, rising in anger.

"...Where is your Mo Family's old ancestor?"

Bai Fei'er glanced at him disdainfully. She could see through Mo Cheng now, his second-level Core Formation stage cultivation so superficial!

A mediocre and incompetent scion, and she was to be married to such a person... Bai Fei'er suppressed her anger, refraining from drawing her sword to cut him down.

"The old ancestor is out on business. He couldn't care less about seeing a useless woman like you."

Mo Cheng sneered, eyeing Bai Fei'er, rainwater dripping from her.

Bai Fei'er raised an eyebrow. She knew she was now at the seventh level of the Elemental Infant stage. How could Mo Cheng possibly see through that?

The fool thought she was still the one whose cultivation was constantly declining.

"Listen, Bai Fei'er, the Mo Family remembers you were once a prodigy, hence the courtesy. Otherwise, you wouldn't even qualify to be my maid! Now go back to your room and try on your wedding dress properly, or don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Mo Cheng pointed to the door, threatening harshly.

"...Try on the wedding dress, huh? Fine."

Hearing this, Bai Fei'er smirked, casting a mocking glance at him before turning to leave. As she turned, a cold, sharp smile appeared on her lips.

Since the Mo Family valued this marriage so much, she would trample their dignity at the grandest occasion!

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Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan