26 Adopting Little Black

Yao Qian was startled and quickly picked up the small, fuzzy ball. Among Da Hei’s litter, there was only one small black kitten, so she did not even need to identify it. The kitten was tiny to begin with, and curled up in the bedding, it was just a small lump that would go unnoticed unless one specifically looked for it.

Seeing the room empty, Yao Qian had assumed Da Hei had taken all the kittens away. She never imagined one had been left behind. She gently stroked the kitten’s soft fur. "Baby, why didn't your mommy take you with her?"

Perhaps due to its color and size, she had paid the most attention to this kitten among all of Da Hei’s offspring. Every time she saw it unable to compete with its siblings for food, she would worry and often secretly give it extra portions, yet the little thing just ate without gaining any weight.

The kitten’s body was limp, its limbs hanging stiffly in the air. A sense of foreboding rose in Yao Qian's heart. She carefully turned the kitten over for a closer look, but Luo Ming, already accustomed to such things, said dismissively, "Is this kitten dead?"

Leopard cats gave birth to a dozen or so at a time, and there were always a few that would not survive. If it hadn't been for Yao Qian helping to raise them this time, more than just one would have died. When Luo Ming first entered the cave, he had scanned the area and found no signs of life; clearly, this kitten had been dead for a while.

Yao Qian did not speak. She carefully pressed her hand against its small belly and felt a faint warmth. Overjoyed, she cried, "It’s not dead yet!" Not being a veterinarian, she had no idea how to save it, so she simply cast a Dewdrop Talisman on the little black cat.

A gentle rain of spiritual energy fell upon the kitten, dampening its fur and causing its body to rise and fall slightly. A moment later, the little black cat suddenly opened its eyes, a pair of brown orbs gleaming brilliantly.

Luo Ming was bewildered. Could a single Dewdrop Talisman really bring a dead cat back to life? Or had he truly overlooked the kitten when he checked earlier?

Yao Qian didn't think that much; she was just happy that the kitten had opened its eyes. Similar things happened in the modern world—people could be resuscitated even after their breathing and heartbeat had stopped. Despite its size, the kitten had always possessed a strong will to live, knowing that staying near her meant food, and it would often crawl out of the bedding to find her.

Such a tenacious little thing would surely survive! She fed beast milk into the kitten's mouth. "Drink your milk, baby."

The kitten was vigilantly surveying its surroundings when it was suddenly force-fed a mouthful of milk. It instinctively struggled, but its limbs were soft and weak; its tender little paws scratching at Yao Qian's palm felt like nothing more than a tickle.

Yao Qian chuckled softly, cooing, "Don't rush, baby, drink slowly. I have plenty more."

The fragrant milk triggered the kitten's instincts. It subconsciously extended its tiny tongue to lap up the milk drop by drop. After its body remained stiff for a moment, it relaxed and lay in Yao Qian's arms, enjoying her care.

Seeing the kitten drinking happily, Yao Qian felt relieved; as long as it was willing to eat, there was hope. After a moment's thought, she pulled back its hind legs to take a closer look. The kitten sensed something was wrong and struggled desperately, but it was far too weak to resist her.

"Oh? Baby is a boy!" Yao Qian smiled, her eyes crinkling as she hugged the kitten back to her chest to continue feeding it. The kitten’s body stiffened again, its tiny furry face filled with disbelief, though because it was so small and covered in so much fur, its expression went unnoticed.

Luo Ming watched her actions with a twitching lip. He wasn't surprised that she was checking the sex of a leopard cat; he just felt that her attitude toward this kitten was less like raising a slave beast and more like waiting on an ancestor.

She had treated its mother like an ancestor as well, letting it eat and drink for free for so long, and even after it left behind a runt, she showed no sign of anger. He took a gourd of pills from his robe: "These are Spirit-Nurturing Pills, specially refined by cultivators for beast pets. The spiritual energy within is purer than monster meat. You should feed it these in the future; they are easier to store than beast milk."

Yao Qian nodded. The Heaven-Deriving Stele could preserve the milk, but it was better to avoid anything that might draw suspicion. "I'll go buy some tomorrow."

Luo Ming added, "This cub is congenitally deficient; it was likely abandoned by its mother. If you really want to raise it, you can keep it with you while you practice."

Yao Qian asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Luo Ming explained, "When we cultivate, we naturally gather spiritual energy and attract the essence of the Taiyin. These can nourish the bodies of spirit beasts, though it will slow down your own cultivation speed."

In all honesty, Luo Ming wished Yao Qian would just discard the cub. It hadn't even managed to stand on its own after a month, so its potential was likely negligible. Raising such a beast was a waste. However, seeing her holding it like a treasure, he guessed she wouldn't want to hear that.

Yao Qian didn't fear having her spiritual energy shared. She had been keeping Little Gold for so long, and she hadn't noticed her cultivation speed dropping. She lifted the limp little creature to examine it—its black birth fur was glossy and smooth, and its green eyes were as clear as crystal.

Its pink, wet nose made Yao Qian’s heart melt. Judging by Da Hei’s habits, it must have abandoned the kitten simply because it was too weak. She sighed softly; with ten cubs in a litter, the survival pressure was indeed high, and only the strongest could be raised.

If she had to keep it in a spirit beast bag, so be it. Other people’s spirit beasts grew up, and this little cat would too. Yao Qian wasn't worried about its poor aptitude; with her Acquired Purple Breath, she could improve it. She had already improved Little Gold several times.

Yao Qian didn't even dare to show her Golden Silkworm Gu to Jin Xiuer now, because Little Gold was completely different from before, and she feared Jin Xiuer would grow suspicious. Fortunately, Jin Xiuer had no interest in seeing her Gu insects; they were a Gu master’s secret, only released when facing an enemy.

After Luo Ming left, Yao Qian smiled and stroked the milk-drunk, drowsy kitten. She first applied several Dewdrop, Dust-Repelling, and Three-Sun talismans on it. The kitten’s green eyes had been closing, but the talismans shocked it into full wakefulness, its pupils shifting from round to slits.

Yao Qian gave the kitten a thorough cleaning, ensuring it was free of parasites, and then happily hugged it, kissing its little furry face. "Don't be afraid, baby. Big sister is just giving you a bath. Go to sleep now."

The kitten remained stiff as she kissed him. From insects to animals, he had experienced countless lives, but this was his first time encountering such a situation. Were young girls these days so shameless?

Yao Qian was oblivious to the kitten’s complex internal monologue. After contentedly kissing its furry face, she channeled a wisp of Acquired Purple Breath into it and patted its fuzzy head. "Sleep. Big sister is going to cultivate." She placed the kitten on the soft cushion she had prepared and sat cross-legged, determined to make the most of every moment.

Yao Qian’s Acquired Purple Breath was silent and subtle. If not for the kitten’s exceptionally powerful soul and consciousness, it would have been nearly impossible to detect. At first, it thought the girl was casting some other Taoist spell, but then it felt something was wrong.

This aura was faint, yet it seemed to be improving the tendons and bones of this body. Even if the effect was slight, anything involving the refinement of one's foundation was no ordinary treasure. It couldn't help but look up at the girl holding it—who could have imagined this little girl was hiding such depth?

Yao Qian had already begun her cultivation, not forgetting to instruct Little Gold to move the kitten out of the secret chamber if it disturbed her. Little Gold had been eyeing the kitten with hostility; its selfish nature made it dislike sharing its master’s spiritual energy.

However, the kitten lay lazily, not even twitching a claw, let alone disturbing her. It wasn't until the essence of the sun surged toward them that it finally straightened its body, its little face filled with astonishment. Had this girl comprehended a Talisman Seed?

Only by comprehending a Talisman Seed could one absorb so much solar essence with such ease. In short, a Talisman Seed was a form of enlightenment; one could only condense it after achieving a profound understanding of the Taoist arts they practiced.

With a Talisman Seed, cultivation became twice as effective with half the effort, and it was even possible for the techniques to run constantly, even while not actively cultivating. Theoretically, this level of insight was related only to one’s aptitude, not the duration of one's practice.

However, Ji Lingxiao had cultivated for many years and had never seen a disciple who could condense a Talisman Seed at the Opening-Aperture stage. When had Pei Changqing comprehended his? He tilted his head to think—was it at the Foundation Establishment stage? Was this girl’s enlightenment actually superior to Pei Changqing’s?

Ji Lingxiao relaxed and lay down again, watching Yao Qian as she focused on her cultivation. He mused that this time might be more interesting than the last. Wondering how long this body would last, he closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

Yao Qian remained unaware that after her kitten had returned from the dead, its inner shell had been replaced. She continued her routine—cultivating by day and drawing talismans by night—keeping her schedule packed.

The kitten spent most of its time in deep sleep; the current body was too frail to bear such a powerful soul. While Yao Qian’s Acquired Purple Breath could improve its aptitude, it was a gradual process, incomparable to those miraculous treasures that provided instant results.

Yao Qian didn't give the kitten much more of the breath. She still held hopes for Little Gold, given its extraordinary lineage, but the kitten was merely a low-tier leopard cat. Could she really improve its aptitude to that of a Black Shadow Leopard? She gave it the Acquired Purple Breath only in the hope that it would survive; she had no further expectations.

Perhaps because the Spirit-Nurturing Pills were effective for monster beasts, the kitten refused to drink beast milk after trying them. Yao Qian didn't force it; she hadn't bought much milk anyway, so once the supply was gone, she switched the kitten's rations entirely to the pills.

Just as Yao Qian was juggling raising her pet, cultivating, and waiting for the sect to depart, Li Wei, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, suddenly paid a visit. This surprised Yao Qian, as she had assumed he had left on a sect mission.

Li Wei gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. "The sect needs outer disciples to do the heavy lifting for the land reclamation. How could we possibly avoid that by doing missions?"

Yao Qian smiled but said nothing. Li Wei was different from Luo Ming; Luo Ming was an orphan with no family, while Li Wei’s family had a small reputation within the Wuji Sect. Even if they couldn't compare to the great super-clans, they were still better off than disciples like them who had no roots or support.

Unable to gauge Li Wei's intentions, Yao Qian poured him tea and said politely, "Is Senior Brother joining us for the land reclamation? I wonder if we’ll be in the same group. If we are, I hope you’ll look after us."