Cat Demon Raising Manual - Chapter 3

Shen Qingyan always maintained an image of elegance and gentleness in front of others, but deep down, she was arrogant, self-satisfied, gloomy, and borderline insane.

Choosing to work as an art teacher at an ordinary school in Maocheng felt, to her, like a compromise. She detested her tacky colleagues, the noisy and foolish students, the pretentious administrators, and most of all, herself, for despising everything around her yet being forced to stay and feign compliance.

Once, she had shone brightly on the international stage, a prodigy whose early fame left the world in awe and envy.

She was hailed as a genius painter. At just twelve, she was exceptionally admitted to the nation’s top institution, continuously channeling her creative energy to produce over a dozen masterpieces. Yet by sixteen, her brilliance had faded into mediocrity.

Ten years slipped by like a dream.

Now, she lived secluded in a third-tier city, cutting off all past connections to escape the gazes that had once admired or envied her, now filled with pity or even scorn.

Opening an art gallery became her final facade.

Shen Qingyan ate quietly from her bowl, her appetite small, just a few bites and she was full. In a daze, she heard a delicate, infant-like cry.

No, it must be a cat.

She looked down and saw a white paw print on her horse-face skirt.

Following the trail upward, her eyes met the owner of that fluffy paw, a pair of heterochromatic eyes shimmering with spring light, as if trying to convey something.

It was a relatively clean, fluffy calico cat with strikingly beautiful eyes.

Its yellow and green eyes roamed over her, clever yet betraying a hint of greed.

Was it eyeing the shrimp in her bowl?

Shen Qingyan had no particular fondness for cats or dogs, but her public persona was that of a beautiful, kind-hearted art teacher. Faced with a well-groomed cat, she could certainly play the part.

She placed a shrimp on a wet napkin and set it before Hua Wangxuan.

The kitten finally released her horse-face skirt. Shen Qingyan glanced at the wrinkled fabric out of the corner of her eye, her willow-leaf brows subtly furrowing.

“Eat up, little calico,” Shen Qingyan said, her voice lazy and amused, her expression vivid as a flame orchid under moonlight, sacred and compassionate, the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye both alluring and refined.

Hua Wangxuan couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at Shen Qingyan’s face, thinking to herself: This female human is quite pretty, no wonder I chose her as my temporary follower. With just a little coaxing, she understood and offered me the shrimp.

Female humans are so easy to please. No matter how beautiful, they can’t resist my charm. Hua Wangxuan gleefully nibbled on the shrimp.

Heavenly flavor! With just one bite, Hua Wangxuan’s pupils rounded with delight, and she couldn’t help but purr happily.

So fragrant! Perfect for my taste! She devoured the shrimp eagerly, her paws kneading the ground, unconsciously forming little peach blossom shapes.

But it’s too little! Is this meant for a cat or a bird? Hua Wangxuan wanted to complain but kept her voice low and sweet, sounding to Shen Qingyan like a satisfied cat seeking more affection.

“You ate it all so neatly, what a good kitty,” Shen Qingyan’s lips curved into a smile, but her eyes held no warmth. Her arm twitched slightly before she withdrew it.

Hua Wangxuan cast a regretful glance at the table, which was laden with greens and vegetables, clearly not to her taste. She let out a soft meow toward Shen Qingyan.

“Thanks for the hospitality. Next time, prepare more, alright? This royal feline has memorized your scent. Wait for me to grace you with my presence, you beautiful, wicked woman.”

Hua Wangxuan turned, the tip of her tail brushing against Shen Qingyan’s skirt like a tiny hook. After taking a few steps, she glanced back at Shen Qingyan’s fingers, which were hidden on her knees.

A female human with decent culinary skills, great potential. I like her. Hua Wangxuan mentally noted, licking the fur at the corner of her mouth. Before anyone could spot her, she darted swiftly into the small grove.

Back in the tree, she licked her paws and washed her pretty face, savoring the delicious meal she had just eaten. Her tongue couldn’t help but salivate at the memory, and the more she washed, the wetter her face became. Rubbing against the bark, she leaped onto a sunlit branch.

The woods were never short of small birds, and she effortlessly caught one as a post-meal dessert.

After licking her sharp claws and silencing the annoying chirps, she closed her eyes contentedly, shifting into a comfortable position on the branch. Her body relaxed, soft and pliant like melting marshmallow.

Time for another nap.

With that thought, she quickly drifted into a dream.

When she woke, she jolted violently, nearly falling from the tree. All four claws dug desperately into the trunk, her fur bristling like a hedgehog’s.

She had had a nightmare, in it, she failed her tribulation, lost all her powers, and turned into an ordinary cat.

Luckily, a female human had picked her up. Unluckily, that human was a pervert who wanted to do strange things to her. The woman poked her bottom with a damp, bird-beak-thin stick, bound her limbs with an evil towel, rendering her immobile and helpless.

Even worse, the wicked woman tried to drown her.

In the dream, she wretchedly blew bubbles, her eyes vacant and filled with tears.

It was absolutely terrifying! Just recalling those scenes made Hua Wangxuan’s scalp tingle and her fur stand on end.

She had to succeed in her tribulation, she couldn’t fall captive to that evil female human.

The sky darkened quickly, and the noisy humans had long since departed, leaving behind a hundred small saplings.

Hua Wangxuan glanced apologetically at the young trees. They were doomed, her tribulation lightning would surely strike them dead.

What a sinful cat I am… But what ill intentions could a cat possibly have? She only wanted to succeed in her tribulation.

The humans were the wicked ones, why did they have to plant trees on the very day of her trial?

Hua Wangxuan had already forgotten that it was precisely because they chose to plant trees today that she could hitch a ride.

There was no moon tonight, making the sky exceptionally dark. The shadows of the forest loomed faintly like ghostly figures, and a layer of mist began to rise in the deep mountains.

Hua Wangxuan stood on the highest peak, gazing at the scattered lights below. The thick fog slowly enveloped her.

Clouds gathered overhead, moisture condensing rapidly. Soon, the churning, reforming clouds turned pitch black, and the air grew thick as syrup, exuding an oppressive pressure.

Birds and beasts within a hundred-mile radius fled in panic. Hua Wangxuan’s expression hardened, yet she stood firm and unyielding.

The thunder tribulation began to brew, and the wind around her grew wild and frenzied.

Hua Wangxuan’s front paws drooped before her chest, her cat eyes clear and bright, shimmering with a dazzling light. Her long fur was tousled by the wind, and the crown-shaped mark on her forehead glowed with a faint luminescence.

In an instant, a brilliant flash illuminated the land, bright as daylight.

The next moment, a thunderous roar shook the heavens, and as the lightning struck, time seemed to stand still.

With a deafening crash, a thick bolt of purple lightning struck Hua Wangxuan directly, engulfing her entire feline form.

A piercing, agonized cry echoed, chilling all who heard it.

As the light faded, a torrential downpour began.

A tiny figure plummeted from the sky, plunging into the turbulent waters of the Qingyi River.

Water splashed high with a heavy splash.

Then, all traces vanished.