The Aloof Master Relies on This Cat's Kisses to Survive - Chapter 30

The Little Cat’s Head is a Bit Hot

The moonlight spilled over the stone bridge, dividing the two ends of the small river into sides of light and shadow.

Ahead lay Zhaoli, bathed in brightness, while this end remained shrouded in gloom.

Suddenly, a circle of small bamboo shoots erupted from the ground, piercing upward and skewering the two corpses.

“Aaah! Who is it?! Who’s there?!” The corpse-driver was frantic. She hurriedly drove the corpses in her hands to give chase, then spun around to glare at Ji Wu.

Ming Xi immediately retracted her look of enjoyment. Her fur stood on end, her back arched, and she let out a vicious hiss.

The wild cemetery crows, which had been emitting short, intermittent caws from the shadows, instantly fell silent. The world became deathly still.

However, the bamboo clearly fell outside the scope of Ming Xi’s intimidating pressure. The two rotting corpses by the bridge, burst apart by the bamboo shoots, could no longer maintain their forms. They exploded into fragments, with a stray hand or two splashing into the river below.

The corpse-driver had just started to run over when she was intercepted by a flash of sword light. “Monster! You still wish to move forward?”

Where did these human cultivators come from?

Ming Xi turned toward the few humans who had appeared out of thin air.

The corpse-driver’s cultivation was likely mediocre; she only realized after being blocked by the sword light that she and Ji Wu weren’t the only living beings in the bamboo forest. Several cultivators dressed in fluttering white robes descended upon the riverbank with light, flowing steps. Their every gesture carried a sense of innate nobility and grand poise.

“From the Xuanling Sect?” The corpse-driver glanced at their attire and recognized their waist tokens.

“Bold monster, you actually intend to lead these corpses into Zhaoli under the cover of night?” The one blocking her with a sword was a tall woman with a heroic aura, sporting sharp sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes—the quintessential face of a righteous sect member.

She looked exactly like the upright “Eldest Martial Sister” type found in storybooks, though this woman spoke a bit more fiercely than the ones Ming Xi had read about.

Usually, the Eldest Martial Sister is supposed to look cold on the outside but be gentle on the inside, right?

Just like her Ji Wu.

“Stop farting! Is this your first time in Xitan? Have you never seen corpse-driving before? Is corpse-driving ever done during the day? If I don’t drive them toward the county, should I drive them into a chicken coop?” Xiao Xiyue, the demon-jiaos corpse-driver, was fuming with rage. After her outburst, she continued to mutter curses, throwing out several ear-piercing phrases in the local dialect.

Ming Xi only half-understood, but she gathered that the woman called herself “Xiao Xiyue.”

It was a pretty name, fitting for a storybook character.

Well, this miserable, damp journey had finally found a bit of entertainment; Ming Xi was actually getting to see a storybook tale come to life.

The white-robed group were likely locals who understood Xitan’s corpse-driving traditions and could understand Xiao Xiyue’s insults. “Who are you fooling? While the night path is convenient, shouldn’t you be heading toward the mortuary at this hour? Is the mortuary in the middle of the county? You know exactly what you’re trying to do!”

“What can I do with a few corpses? What else is there to do but drive them?” Xiao Xiyue held glowing fine threads in her hands; as she moved, the corpses swayed along. “I advise you to mind your own business. If you delay the Great Priest’s ceremony, you won’t be able to bear the consequences!”

“The Great Priest? Hah.” The heroic Eldest Martial Sister sneered. “To put it bluntly, you’re just delivering these corpses for sacrifice, aren’t you? Everyone knows. We just haven’t seen someone drive corpses as poorly as you! You can’t even keep a handle on eight corpses, yet you have the nerve to send them to the ceremony.”

Another slightly older Xuanling Sect member beside her chimed in with a question, “Explain this: the one you’re currently leading, the one in white—that is clearly a disciple of our Xuanling Sect. Where did you get them? How does a lowly corpse-driver like you have a body belonging to the Xuanling Sect?”

“A body belonging to the Xuanling Sect? Hah!” Xiao Xiyue laughed out of sheer anger. “The Xuanling Sect is quite romantic, aren’t they? Following the tropes in picture books—’belonging to you in life, and your corpse belonging to you in death’?”

“Show some respect!” The other party pointed their sword directly at her.

“Senior Sister, don’t be too polite with her. She’s no corpse-driver.” Another round-faced Xuanling Sect sword cultivator looked at Xiao Xiyue with disdain. “She’s just a demon-jiao, a monster half-demon and half-jiao. A corpse-driver? Are you even human?”

“I know what I am. If you don’t, then ask humbly. Don’t act as if anyone is desperate to be human.” Xiao Xiyue clearly had extensive experience in bickering; she was currently in a foul mood with nowhere to vent, so she wasn’t about to let these sect members off the hook.

She chanted a mantra once more to ensure the corpses remained obedient, then put her hands on her hips with an imposing air. “Anyway, pay up!”

“Pay up? You actually have the nerve to open your mouth. You lost control just now, didn’t you? We were the ones who stopped them. Besides, if we hadn’t intervened, those two corpses would have fallen into the river. If they are worth anything, we helped you recover your losses!”

The clever round-faced girl mimicked Xiao Xiyue’s pose, putting her hands on her hips and tilting her chin up as she retorted.

“Oh, I see.” Ming Xi watched from the side with great interest.

She snuggled against Ji Wu, finding a comfortable position to lie in. She didn’t even lift her head, simply shrinking into Ji Wu’s arms to enjoy the show. “Wuwu, they are your fellow disciples, aren’t they?”

“Mhm, they are from the Xuanling Sect.” However, Ji Wu didn’t have a strong impression of these young people. The Xuanling Sect had grown considerably in later years, establishing outposts everywhere for disciples to rest and conduct business, as well as to supervise members and protect the common folk.

Ji Wu was traveling for private reasons this time and didn’t want to use the official channels of the Xuanling Sect, which was why she wasn’t even wearing her white robes.

“Then are you going to help?” While listening to the argument, Ming Xi couldn’t help but reach out a paw to fiddle with the ribbon tying Ji Wu’s hair.

Ji Wu swatted her hand away but still held Ming Xi tightly. Her expression remained cold. “If you’re done watching, we shall cross the bridge.”

“I’m watching, I’m watching.” Of course, Ming Xi wanted to watch.

Though the demon-jiao Xiao Xiyue was alone, she didn’t back down an inch. “Hah? Recovering losses? Recovering losses?!”

Xiao Xiyue raised her voice. “If a corpse falls into the water, I can just fish it back out. It’s not like they can die a second time. But if they’re blown up, they’re blown up! Are you going to piece them back together for me bit by bit?”

She pointed to the corpse that only had half a shoulder left. “This one cost me a fortune. In life, she was a young miss nurtured daily by spiritual pills and treasures. That one wasn’t cheap either—a famous dancer from far and wide. Aren’t you supposed to be righteous people? Surely you won’t destroy someone’s property and refuse to compensate?”

“How dare you even utter the word ‘righteous’? Treating people like mere goods?” The round-faced cultivator was indignant.

“It’s none of your business what I consider them to be. They are your kind, not mine. Don’t you humans tame demons? Don’t you tame beasts? The ones you tame are even alive. I merely bought corpses to offer to the Great Priest to ensure her ceremony is perfect. I’m doing a great deed, what do I have to fear!”

“A hybrid monster like you thinks delivering a few corpses counts as merit?” The tall, heroic cultivator looked disgusted. “A mere half-demon dares to extort the Xuanling Sect? Scram. You really think this pile of rotten meat is worth money?”

“Hey, hey, hey. I’m not selling these corpses to you. You’re the ones who destroyed my things without a word, so now you need to compensate me. This isn’t a transaction; it’s a way for you to make amends for your own evil deeds.” Xiao Xiyue spoke with logic and reason, neither humble nor arrogant.

Ming Xi, listening, also felt it made sense.

As a Dream Beast, she lacked any moral stance whatsoever. Ji Wu felt the urge to guide Ming Xi toward the righteous path while she was still an amnesiac fade by another three degrees.

She sighed softly. Just as she had begun to think this Dream Beast was a bit cute, the creature revealed her old, wild habits again.

Wait.

I didn’t think she was cute.

Ji Wu was suddenly caught off guard by her own thought and cleared her throat to hide the fleeting moment of flusteredness that no one could have noticed. “Ahem.”

This light cough was very weak, but it was still caught by Ming Xi. She suddenly flipped from her lazy lying position, her little paws resting on Ji Wu’s collarbone as she sniffed. “What’s wrong? Did you catch a chill from the wind, or did you not fully recover from soaking in that cold water two days ago?”

“I’m fine.” Ji Wu shook her head.

The demon-jiao was still making a scene.

“I spent a lot just maintaining them along the way; I must be compensated for every bit! No more nonsense, just hand over the money. Spirit stones will do.”

Xiao Xiyue was perhaps tired of arguing. She stepped back a few paces and leaned against the bridge railing to rest her waist. She didn’t even bother to wrap her beautifully patterned cloak back around herself; she simply took it off and casually threw it over the corpses over there.

However, her aim wasn’t great. She missed, and the cloak landed on the ground. Picking it up would be too undignified, so Xiao Xiyue made a mental note to clean it up later.

The Xuanling Sect members seemed eager to enter Zhaoli County and were truly reluctant to keep bickering, so they entertained the idea of settling the matter to get rid of her. “How much?”

“Eight thousand spirit stones.” Xiao Xiyue raised her hand and gestured a number. “Five thousand for the young miss, three thousand for the dancer. I have receipts from when I got them. Including the maintenance costs, I’m not even making a profit. I just want to break even.”

“Eight thousand? I think you’re intentionally using two pieces of rotten meat to bait some suckers here.” Naturally, the white-robed Xuanling disciples refused to pay that much. “Five hundred spirit stones. Not a bit more. Take it and leave.”

“Are you treating me like a beggar? My most ordinary one costs over a thousand. Five hundred spirit stones—that’s enough to buy you, hmph.” Xiao Xiyue had a sharp tongue; there was no insult she couldn’t counter, and she ensured every word was unpleasant.

Ming Xi found it fascinating. She changed her position of clinging to Ji Wu, leaning over Ji Wu’s shoulder while rubbing against her and critiquing, “She’s so interesting, and she’s pretty, too.”

The demon-jiao’s glowing scales trailed from her ankles all the way to the slit of her skirt, a beauty she made no effort to hide—vivid and arrogant.

Even though her face was still pale and tinged with green, Xiao Xiyue now looked completely different in flavor.

“Then go be her cat. She’s interesting, pretty, and has corpses for you to pounce on,” Ji Wu replied.

“No, Ming Xi is just looking. Ming Xi only wants Wuwu.” This Dream Beast was incredibly thick-skinned. She tilted her head and bumped the top of it against the side of Ji Wu’s neck.

The little cat’s head was a bit hot. Her soft fur brushed against Ji Wu’s delicate skin, making her feel a bit itchy.

“Behave yourself.” Ji Wu reached up to grab her, but Ming Xi slipped away, circling halfway around the back of her neck. She even intentionally stretched out her front paws as if she were about to lose her balance, bracing herself haphazardly against the “snow-laden peaks” of Ji Wu’s chest.

“Ugh!” Ming Xi was immediately pinched by the scruff of her neck. “Ow, ow, stingy Wuwu.”

“Stay still, or I’ll throw you down,” Ji Wu said coldly.

Despite her words, the Ancestor only gave the cat’s neck a very light pinch, tolerating her mischief time and time again.

Ming Xi, of course, understood. Her master was naturally the most gentle.

“Oh, oh, oh, alright, I see now.” The argument over there had finally stopped. Xiao Xiyue’s tone shifted as she turned to look at Ji Wu and the cat. “It’s you two, isn’t it? You’ve been walking not far behind me ever since I came out of the small path. I thought it was a coincidence, but it turns out it was intentional.”

Intentional what?

Ming Xi didn’t understand.

Xiao Xiyue was busy working out her own logic. “You two have had your eyes on my corpses from the start, haven’t you? You didn’t want the ceremony to go smoothly right from the beginning!”

As she spoke, she moved a few steps toward where Ji Wu was standing. The demon-lacquer silk threads wrapped around her fingers twitched slightly, hooking onto one of the corpses.