Transmigrated Into the Body of a Sickly Villain's Kitten - Chapter 18.1

Jiang City was the most prosperous urban center in the hilly region, not too far from Wuqi Mountain.

As Shi Yao walked down the street holding Fu Rou, many people secretly took out their phones to snap pictures.

Though beautiful women were common these days, a stunning beauty with such an icy aura cradling an adorable, fluffy cat was a sight that made people turn back for a second, or third look.

However, when those who took photos later scrolled through their galleries, they would find the woman and her cat hadn’t been captured at all, only a blurry white smudge remained.

“Strange, is my camera lens dirty?”

A passerby who wanted to take a few more shots looked up, only to find the woman and cat had already vanished from the street.

Shi Yao paid no attention to the curious or admiring glances around her. The bustling city center seemed to have nothing to do with her.

She turned into a narrow branching alley beside the downtown area. As soon as she reached the alley’s entrance, Fu Rou felt a gust of wind sweep toward them.

Surrounded by towering buildings, the alley likely hadn’t seen sunlight in years, and the breeze carried a distinct chill.

Fu Rou’s ears twitched warily.

Shi Yao continued deeper into the alley, murmuring softly to Fu Rou, “Don’t be afraid. The number of deities still lingering in this world can be counted on two hands. Anyone who tries to cause trouble for me is just seeking death. We’re only here to pay a visit.”

They reached the depths of the alley. Shi Yao paused, and Fu Rou turned to see a grand, gold-lacquered gate with a plaque that read: International Demon Extermination Association.

Fu Rou didn’t know why Shi Yao had come here, but judging by her earlier words, was she planning to stir up trouble for the celestial sects… or for herself?

They hadn’t been standing at the gate for long when the lacquered doors swung open. A sweet-faced girl with twin braids peeked out and asked, “Are you just passing by, or are you here to exterminate demons?”

“I’m looking for Xue Qingxian.”

The girl nodded, said “Oh,” and asked them to wait a moment before closing the doors again.

Shi Yao found it somewhat amusing and remarked, “Xue Lin’s descendants truly are remarkable. Nowadays, demons hide so deeply and rarely cause trouble, you hardly see any on the streets. Yet he’s managed to deceive humans into elevating the Xue family’s reputation this high. Quite impressive, really.”

Fu Rou didn’t fully grasp Shi Yao’s meaning, but she had some recollection of the Xue Lin, Shi Yao mentioned.

In the original story, the Xue family was a renowned demon-hunting clan. Before the pear blossom demon Shen Xiaobai achieved immortality, Xue Lin had caused her no end of trouble, earning him the ire of readers as an annoying, persistent pest.

Once Shen Xiaobai ascended to immortality, he could no longer interfere, after all, there was a fundamental difference between demons and deities.

Fu Rou hadn’t expected the Xue family to survive to this day.

Before long, the girl returned, pushed the grand doors open, bowed to Shi Yao, and said, “My master is waiting for you in the main hall. Please follow me.”

Shi Yao carried herself with an undeniable aura. The young girl leading her to the main hall, perhaps unaccustomed to encountering such a stunning beauty, couldn’t resist stealing occasional glances at her under the guise of casual turns.

Initially, Fu Rou had found the girl rather quirky and spirited. But witnessing her boldness, the cat suddenly propped herself up against Shi Yao’s arm and let out a fierce, deliberate meow, a rare display of aggression. With her mouth wide open, revealing sharp little fangs, she appeared more endearing than intimidating.

Shi Yao was pleasantly surprised. Gazing at the soft, barbed-tipped tongue, she couldn’t resist extending her index finger to gently touch it.

Fu Rou froze, promptly closing her mouth, only to accidentally trap Shi Yao’s finger between her rows of tiny, pearl-like teeth.

Feeling no pain, Shi Yao maintained the pose, casting a displeased yet softly low gaze at the young girl. “Our little darling is jealous,” she murmured, her tone tender but firm.

The girl’s face instantly flushed crimson. She stiffly turned her head away, refusing to look at Shi Yao again.

Fu Rou was equally stunned, never expecting Shi Yao to tease her so openly.

Embarrassed by the term “little darling,” the cat in Shi Yao’s arms released the finger, quietly burying her head in the crook of Shi Yao’s elbow.

Better pretend I understood nothing. If I didn’t understand, then there’s no awkwardness.

In the main hall, Xue Qingxian had been seated early, calmly arranging tea utensils. He had been poised while pouring tea, lifting the cup to savor its aroma, but the moment he glanced up and saw the woman at the doorway and the cat in her arms, his hand trembled. The cup slipped, crashing onto the tea table, splattering tea across the surface and staining his clothes with a few drops.

Xue Qingxian slowly rose to his feet, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief. “You… you are…” he stammered tentatively.

“What’s wrong, President Xue? I’m not some man-eating beast. Is such a reaction really necessary?”

Shi Yao walked directly over and sat down opposite him. Fu Rou emerged from her embrace, leaped onto the tea table, and fixed her large blue eyes unblinkingly on Xue Qingxian.

Xue Qingxian’s hands were shaking. Steadying himself, he said to the girl who had escorted them in, “Putao, you may leave. Remember to close the door behind you.”

“Shouldn’t the table be wiped?”

“No need, I’ll handle it. Go practice your drills.”

“Oh, alright.”

Though only in his early thirties, Xue Qingxian had shouldered the responsibilities of the Xue family since he was twenty. After revamping their promotional and operational strategies, he invited numerous media outlets to witness his public “demon captures,” gradually elevating the Xue family’s reputation. Now, they were considered leaders in the demon-hunting industry.

The Xue family maintained a ledger documenting the experiences of successive family heads over the years.

Xue Qingxian had memorized every supernatural incident recorded by his ancestors, holding a particular reverence for the infamous evil mermaid goddess who shook the world seven hundred years ago.

The ledger contained detailed descriptions of the evil mermaid goddess’s appearance: captivating phoenix eyes, exquisite features, and a mesmerizing red mole on her eyelid.

Even the constant presence of a white cat by her side matched perfectly!

Xue Qingxian had no idea what to do now. He took a cloth from the side and wiped the spilled tea from the table, then poured a fresh cup for Shi Yao.

Shi Yao lifted the teacup to her nose and sniffed, but showed no intention of drinking it.

“Is the tea not to your liking?”

“Not at all.”

Fu Rou stopped crouching on the table to stare at Xue Qingxian. She looked around and noticed many strange and curious objects displayed in the main hall.

She could sense the threat emanating from some of the weapons nearby, but instead of feeling afraid, she felt an urge to play with them.

Xue Qingxian couldn’t fathom the reason behind this great deity’s sudden visit. Trembling, he sat down but forgot to pour himself any tea. He sat ramrod straight, like a student waiting to be assigned homework, anxious and uneasy.

Shi Yao set down her teacup, glanced at the mischievous cat, and gave a light laugh. “No need to be nervous. I didn’t come here today to ruin your reputation. That livestream collaboration you did with the demon realm was approved by me, otherwise, how would you have captured so many demons?”

Back then, to boost the Xue family’s reputation as demon hunters, Xue Qingxian had no choice but to collaborate with the demon realm to stage a show.

After the performance, the Xue family gained fame, while the demon realm obtained a spiritual artifact that the Xue family had acquired years ago. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Over the years, the Xue family and the demon realm had maintained a peaceful relationship. Centuries ago, the Xue family had relied on the demon realm’s support to survive; otherwise, they would have been wiped out by the cultivation sects.

The tangled web of old grudges and new conflicts among these factions could take seven days and seven nights to recount.

Beads of sweat formed on Xue Qingxian’s forehead. Hearing Shi Yao mention the livestream made him uneasy. He forced an awkward smile and said, “Yes, we owe thanks to the demon realm for their assistance. It’s only with their help that the Xue family can make a living in the human world.”

“President Xue, you’re too modest. Compared to your ancestors and predecessors, you are the one I admire more.”

As soon as Shi Yao finished speaking, Xue Qingxian heard the sound of metal hitting the floor behind him. He shuddered and quickly turned to look.

The cat crouched on a shelf, looking completely innocent. The Demon-Suppressing Whip had rolled a couple of times on the floor before coming to a stop. The cat tilted its head, glanced at it, then leaped onto another shelf.

“Meow~” What’s this thing? It looks like so much fun~

It fell over with just a touch of a paw pad, so not sturdy at all~

Xue Qingxian hurried over to pick up the Demon-Suppressing Whip. Just as he placed it back, he saw the cat had jumped onto his desk and was about to push a white jade paperweight off the edge. He rushed over and pressed down on the paperweight, his face pleading.

“Ancestor, oh great deity, please stop causing trouble. These are all items I’ve painstakingly collected. Could you spare them?”

Man and cat stared at each other. The cat licked its lips, and Xue Qingxian immediately understood. He stepped aside and pointed to the fish in a large porcelain jar. “Look, aren’t the fish in here fun? These are koi I had specially transported from Jiangnan. They’re quite well-raised, I offer them to you?”

The water in the jar was crystal clear, the aquatic plants lush and green, and several red koi swam gracefully inside, making them highly ornamental.

“Meow?” There are actually fish here.

The kitten jumped to the edge of the porcelain jar, extended its paw to touch the water surface, and the fish inside immediately fluttered away.

After diverting the kitten’s attention, Xue Qingxian breathed a sigh of relief. He sat back down, poured himself a cup of tea, and without bothering to savor it slowly, quickly took a sip to calm his nerves.

Shi Yao’s indulgence toward the kitten was absolute. However, the fact that Xue Qingxian could so easily handle Youyou’s mischief truly made her view him in a new light.

“I won’t beat around the bush, President Xue. Today, I’ve come to ask a favor of you to help me with something.”

Xue Qingxian quickly set down his teacup and nodded repeatedly. “Please, go ahead. I will definitely do it.”

Shi Yao took a card from her coat pocket, placed it on the table, and slid it toward Xue Qingxian.

“This is a personal request from me, unrelated to the demon realm. So, there’s no need to feel awkward about accepting the money. Understood?”

Looking at the bank card on the table, Xue Qingxian hesitated but eventually took it.

He was afraid that if he didn’t accept it, the powerful figure before him might just eliminate him on the spot.

Seeing him take the bank card, Shi Yao smiled with satisfaction and began explaining the real purpose of her visit: “Seven hundred years ago, Xue Lin busied himself over a pearwood tree that had gained sentience. He accused it of harming disciples under the Xue family. Later, Shen Xiaobai explained that the disciple had behaved improperly toward the tree spirit, which was why the tree spirit killed him and buried him under its roots, gradually turning him into nourishment…”

At the time, Shen Xiaobai was on good terms with Qi Wushuang. The cultivation world, eager to curry favor with Qi Wushuang, and with Shen Xiaobai just one step away from ascension, acted as mediators. Without investigating the truth, they tried to persuade Xue Lin, saying that his disciple’s actions were already disgraceful and that there was no point in pursuing the matter further, especially since Shen Xiaobai was about to ascend.

“My disciple never showed interest in women and remained unmoved even by the most alluring demonic charms. How could he have acted so recklessly as she claimed? She’s clearly making excuses to avoid taking responsibility! How could such a being ever achieve ascension? Disgusting!”