Chapter Seventeen: The Sudden Appearance of the White Cat

Junyang curled up, squeezing himself beside You Xiyue.

He had barely closed his eyes when he sensed a small creature attempting to breach his protective barrier. The formation itself was showing signs of loosening. How strange.

The highest cultivation on Phoenix Perch Mountain belonged to Yuan Yibai, but he was only an Earth Immortal, so Junyang had casually set up a divine-level formation. He hadn’t expected anyone to be able to challenge it.

Junyang leapt down from the Dream Mushroom, transformed into human form, glanced back at You Xiyue, and with a wave of his white-sleeved robe, appeared outside the door.

There, a snow-white cat crouched at the edge of the barrier, completely unaware of Junyang’s arrival. At that moment, it was greedily absorbing the essence of the barrier, gradually causing it to loosen.

Junyang had never witnessed such a method of breaking a formation—not by force, but by absorption. Upon closer inspection, he realized the cat was merely a celestial-grade spirit beast, something even his young apprentice, Feng Qinghe, could easily handle.

“Aren’t you afraid of bursting?” Junyang mused, curious how much of the barrier the cat could absorb.

The little creature’s belly was already round and taut, with a visible mass of energy struggling inside it. In the end, the barrier remained intact, as the cat simply couldn’t take in any more.

It looked down at its swollen belly, so full that its front paws couldn’t reach the ground, forcing it to sit awkwardly.

“Hic—”

Though small, the cat’s burp echoed with the intensity of the morning bell rung by the Phoenix clan, resounding throughout the entire estate.

“......”

Junyang was nearly stunned by the sound.

Yuan Yibai, hearing the commotion, stepped outside and saw Junyang in human form.

Hearing the door open, both Junyang and the cat turned to look.

Yuan Yibai’s expression was complex as he glanced at Junyang.

“Senior, did you perhaps eat spicy roast chicken again?”

“???” Junyang glared speechlessly at Yuan Yibai. “That was the cat’s burp, not mine!”

Yuan Yibai’s expression grew even more complicated, as if he didn’t believe him. Such a tiny cat, and such a large, imposing figure as Junyang.

Such a deep, resonant burp...

The cat eyed Junyang and Yuan Yibai warily, its front paws clenched tight, belly puffed out, emitting a hissing threat. This was likely its fiercest pose, but to Junyang and Yuan Yibai, it appeared rather comical.

“Is it going to relieve itself after overeating?” Junyang raised a brow in distaste.

“So it really was the cat’s burp?” Yuan Yibai finally noticed the small white cat, its belly bulging as if about to explode.

Just then, a disturbance arose outside the guest courtyard. That burp had surely attracted attention.

Junyang and Yuan Yibai exchanged glances, then looked at the white cat. Sensing imminent danger, the cat struggled to turn, its hind legs digging into the ground, making a desperate leap forward. But its swollen belly hindered it, and it barely moved, repeatedly struggling like a rabbit with lame legs.

“This cat... truly amusing,” Yuan Yibai remarked.

Junyang nodded in agreement. “Indeed.”

After much effort, the cat finally hopped to the base of a tree beside the wall, hiding itself from view.

No sooner had it concealed itself than Feng Yanhua arrived with Feng You and a retinue of servants, marching in grandly.

Feng Yanhua paused upon seeing Junyang.

“May I ask who this esteemed guest is...?”

Junyang arched a brow. “Me?”

“Yes... Might you be the friend Master Yuan recently invited?”

Yuan Yibai’s lips curled in a slight smile. “This is Senior Junyang, the contract beast of Brother Qinghe’s master.”

“Ah...” Feng Yanhua suddenly understood, relaxing. “So it’s Senior Junyang—my apologies for not recognizing you...”

“Senior, Master Yuan, did you happen to see a suspicious white cat?”

“White cat?” Yuan Yibai glanced at Junyang, who remained utterly unconcerned, and shook his head. “No, we haven’t.”

“Is that so?” Feng Yanhua explained worriedly, “As you know, the Phoenix clan lost its feather, and it was this very white cat who took it, so...”

He paused, studying Junyang and Yuan Yibai’s expressions before continuing, “Would you mind if I searched the guest courtyard? The cat might be hiding somewhere.”

Junyang still looked uninterested, so Yuan Yibai nodded, “Please, go ahead.”

After all, it was their own estate, and Feng Yanhua was being polite. How could they refuse, especially with a family heirloom at stake?

“Thank you for your understanding.” Feng Yanhua bowed respectfully and waved to the servants.

The servants immediately dispersed, searching the courtyard.

Yuan Yibai watched the searchers approach the tree where the cat hid, his brows knitting. He glanced at Junyang, who remained impassive, not even looking their way.

‘He doesn’t care about the cat?’ Yuan Yibai wondered. ‘I thought he’d be interested.’

Three servants drew ever closer to the tree. Yuan Yibai couldn’t help but cough.

Everyone turned to look at him. Yuan Yibai smiled, “I’m thirsty, I’ll return to my room for some water.”

Junyang shot him a look as if he were a fool, then turned away.

The three servants exchanged nervous glances, barely daring to breathe, each circling the tree from a different angle.

But when they reached it, nothing was there. Yuan Yibai, drinking water inside, was equally surprised.

The search turned up nothing, even after a thorough sweep.

Feng Yanhua’s anger simmered beneath a composed face. He bowed to Junyang, “Apologies for the disturbance, Senior. We’ll search elsewhere.”

Junyang responded indifferently, watching the group depart, then pushed open the door to find You Xiyue inside, cradling the very white cat in her arms.

Yuan Yibai, curious, followed, and seeing the cat settled quietly in You Xiyue’s embrace, understood what had transpired.

By now, the cat’s belly had returned to normal. It opened its eyes and glared at the two men at the door.

Junyang and Yuan Yibai entered, closed the door, and sat across from You Xiyue.

Yuan Yibai raised his hand, intending to stroke the cat’s fur, only to be met with its fierce gaze.

“A four-colored heterochromatic eye—quite rare indeed.” Yuan Yibai wisely withdrew his hand.

Hearing this, Junyang looked up at You Xiyue, “Is this the half-demon?”

“Half-demon?” Yuan Yibai released his spiritual sense, probing the cat, but sensed no immortal or human aura, only thick demonic energy. “Senior Junyang, you’re mistaken. This is a true demon, no other bloodlines.”

“No other bloodlines?” Junyang was shocked, his pupils narrowing as he probed for a long while, finally disappointed. “So it really isn’t a half-demon?”

“No,” You Xiyue replied, still stroking the cat’s fur, a slight curve to her lips, “but it could be considered as such.”

“Considered as such?” Junyang was baffled. “What do you mean?”

As the two puzzled over this, Yuan Yibai interjected, “Are you searching for a half-demon bloodline?”