Transmigrated Into the Body of a Sickly Villain's Kitten - Chapter 18.2

Later, when these remarks reached the cultivation world and other demon-hunting families, they gradually distanced themselves from the Xue family.

Xue Lin’s stubbornness, coupled with the scandal involving his disciple, made Shen Xiaobai’s magnanimity and compassion appear all the more virtuous in comparison.

The Xue family, thoroughly looked down upon, eventually faced extermination. It was only with help from the demon realm that they managed to survive to this day.

The Xue family had never hunted demons indiscriminately, they only took action when a demon caused harm. In fact, some demons were even considered nuisances by the demon realm itself, so the Xue family’s efforts sometimes helped eliminate problems for the demons as well.

Over the years, the Xue family managed to endure while other demon-hunting families transitioned into different professions, turned to business, or moved abroad. With the decline of spiritual energy, few demons remained, and even fewer caused trouble. So, what was the point of clinging to empty traditions?

Yet the conviction of the Xue clan has endured to this day. They have endured too much blame and scorn. No one truly cares about the truth of what happened back then. As long as the Xue clan exists, there remains a chance to clear their name and seek revenge.

Moreover, the current Xue family is vastly different from what it once was. Xue Qingxian was elected as the president of the International Demon Extermination Association, and he truly possesses considerable skill.

“I know the Xue family is not only adept at subduing demons but also highly skilled in exterminating evil spirits. During the great war between immortals and demons, those demonic creatures were driven back to the demon realm. The demon leaders agreed not to set foot in the human world again, yet some still slipped through the net. Xue Lin, with his exceptional abilities, eliminated many of these demons. In your generation, I hope the techniques for vanquishing demons have not been lost?”

“Of course not!”

Xue Qingxian was already somewhat agitated after hearing Shi Yao’s words. Pointing to a Tang blade displayed in the main hall, he said, “My father once told me that the Xue family suffered an immense disgrace. If the opportunity ever arose, I must restore our family’s honor and clear our name. Therefore, I have committed every technique passed down by our ancestors to memory, not daring to forget a single one. If you wish for me to exterminate demons, that is my duty. As for this card, please take it back.”

Shi Yao’s gaze did not fall on the card Xue Qingxian had placed back on the table. Instead, she noticed the cat perched on the porcelain jar had caught a koi and was munching on it with relish.

“Once I give money, I never take it back. Consider it compensation for your fish.”

Xue Qingxian turned and saw that a koi had already fallen prey to the cat. Suppressing his heartache, he maintained a pained yet polite smile.

“With your attitude, I am reassured. The events surrounding the Xue family back then were indeed shrouded in suspicion. Shen Xiaobai has reentered the cycle of reincarnation, Qi Wushuang has secluded herself in cultivation, the immortal realm is growing restless, and the demon realm hides among humans. When the time is ripe, I will summon you to Wuqi Mountain. Remember to bring this blade of yours when you come to exterminate the demons.”

“Understood. But… do demons still exist now?”

“If demons can hide so thoroughly in the human world, why couldn’t evil spirits do the same? And they are even more adept at concealment than demons.”

Xue Qingxian’s brow furrowed slowly, clearly troubled.

Shi Yao did not elaborate further. For Xue Qingxian, or for the Xue family, hatred would drive them to fulfill their duties with greater dedication. It would be better to wait until her suspicions were confirmed before explaining everything to him, lest he become distracted.

Once the Xue family’s vengeance was achieved, he would surely feel a profound sense of relief.

Noticing the cat had finished the fish, Shi Yao stood up, picked her up, and took two tissues from the table to wipe Fu Rou’s mouth. Teasingly, she asked, “Was it delicious?”

“Meow~” It was quite tasty.

Though Shi Yao didn’t understand what the cat was saying, she could sense the feline’s satisfaction from her tone.

Turning to Xue Qingxian, she said, “There’s no need to worry. After all, I am here. By the way, are you planning to livestream it?”

“Ah? Probably not. Some livestreams require highly dramatic scripts to attract viewers, and what you’ve tasked me with is of great importance. I dare not treat it carelessly or frivolously.”

Shi Yao’s purpose was to muddy the waters even further. If they were really going to livestream, she wanted the audience to see the true faces of those cultivation sects. But since Xue Qingxian was unwilling, she saw no need to force the issue.

Holding Fu Rou in her arms, Shi Yao prepared to leave. The door opened automatically, and Putao, standing in the courtyard, curiously glanced toward the entrance. Upon seeing Shi Yao, she quickly turned her back, not daring to look at her.

After Shi Yao left, Putao scurried over to Xue Qingxian and asked, “Master, who are they? And that cat… it feels so strange.”

Xue Qingxian let out a long sigh and said, “They are people my ancestors could only look up to from afar.”

As for the white cat…

“Putao, if you ever encounter that cat again, you must treat her with the utmost respect. She may be a descendant of the Xue family’s benefactor. Understood?”

“Oh, I see.”

Xue Qingxian returned to the main hall and stood before the straight, sharp Tang blade, exhaling deeply.

By the time Shi Yao and Fu Rou left, dusk was approaching. The warm golden light of the setting sun bathed them as they walked.

Shi Yao asked the cat in her arms, “Do you want to explore outside a bit more, or should we head home now? If you want to play, meow twice. If you want to go home, meow once.”

“Meow, meow~”

Of course, she wanted to play!

Since transmigrating, Fu Rou had been confined to the mountain and had no idea what the outside world was like. This outing was a perfect opportunity for her to see it for herself.

Shi Yao strolled casually through the streets with her. The little cat’s head swiveled left and right, her ears twitching cutely.

As night fell, the streets gradually grew busier, and the enticing aromas of food wafted from nearby shops.

Fu Rou spotted familiar treats like barbecue, bubble tea, and fried chicken.

Oh, how cruel! Ever since becoming a cat, she hadn’t been able to enjoy these delightful junk foods. Though fish was delicious, the joy of junk food was something ordinary cats could never understand!

The little cat’s eyes remained fixed on the street food stalls. Shi Yao suddenly had a mischievous idea. She bought a skewer of fried squid and deliberately held it under the cat’s nose to let her smell it.

“Do you want to eat it? If you transform into a human, you can. Want to transform now? Or should I take you somewhere private to change quietly?”

“Meow!” So, you’re the one stealing all the bamboo shoots from the pandas in the mountains!

If I could transform, I would have done it long ago!

I wouldn’t need you to tell me!

After Shi Yao walked away, the squid vendor shook his head and sighed, “Who would have thought such a cool-looking girl would be into anime culture? You really can’t judge a book by its cover…”

He had always assumed that people who said things like “You transform!” to their cats online were all otaku types. Never did he expect to witness such a shocking scene in person.

Shi Yao took a bite of the squid, which she wasn’t particularly interested in, and frowned slightly, seemingly unable to describe the taste. But as she slowly ate it, she found it rather enjoyable. The little cat stared up at her, drool nearly dripping from her mouth.

How mean! She would never forgive this big villain!

Some things were tolerable, but being denied food was absolutely unforgivable!

Sensing the little kitten in her arms seemed a bit down, Shi Yao couldn’t help but chuckle with a slight shrug. “Alright, even as a cat you can eat this. After all, you’re not an ordinary cat, I was just teasing you, don’t be mad, okay?”

Fu Rou didn’t feel like responding to Shi Yao, her expression still sulky. Shi Yao had only taken a bite of the squid’s protruding tentacles earlier, leaving a large piece of the squid steak untouched, its aroma still enticingly fragrant.

That skewer of squid was brought to the cat’s mouth by Shi Yao. Fu Rou’s pink little nose twitched slightly, and she hesitated for a moment, as if resisting the temptation in her heart. But after just a few seconds, she opened her mouth and bit into the squid skewer.

Still so greedy for food.

A faint smile curled at the corners of Shi Yao’s lips.

She had only taken a couple of steps forward when two girls approached her, their faces filled with expressions of wanting to speak but hesitating.

The cat in her arms was still munching happily on the deep-fried squid. Blocked by the two girls, the smile on Shi Yao’s face gradually faded, and her expression turned cold.

Seeing how quickly Shi Yao’s expression changed, the two girls hurriedly spoke up: “Miss, you can’t just casually carry a cat around like that. She might have a stress response. And the food from these stalls is too oily and salty, it’s bad for her kidneys and will shorten her lifespan…”

Fu Rou had just finished half of the squid. She looked up at the two girls and suddenly remembered that this seemed to be true.

But Shi Yao had said it was okay to eat, so she ate it without giving it much thought.

“So?”

“Huh?”

The two girls hadn’t expected Shi Yao to respond so confidently. They exchanged glances, and one of them, who looked quite cute, said, “We just wanted to remind you. If you’d like, we can also teach you how to take care of a cat.”

“Yeah, miss, would you like to exchange WeChat contacts?”

So, they weren’t here to teach her how to raise a cat, they just wanted her WeChat?

Fu Rou stopped eating, licked her lips, and looked at the two girls. Suddenly, she let out a soft, sweet meow.

You two are so annoying.

“This is the first time I’ve seen such an adorable cat! Her face is so round and cute, her whiskers are so well-shaped, and her eyes are actually blue! Miss, which cattery did you get this cat from?”

One of the girls reached out to pet Fu Rou, but Shi Yao subtly took a step back.

She didn’t want to waste time on these humans and prepared to walk around them, but the two girls followed her again.

“Hey, miss, we came to kindly remind you how to take care of a cat. Why are you ignoring us?”

Shi Yao was growing increasingly impatient. She glared at the two girls, suddenly wondering if they no longer wished to see the sun rise tomorrow.

Ignorant humans, did they really think the cat in her arms was an ordinary one?

In the past, this cat could drink alcohol and eat spicy food without any problem. Whenever she saw something delicious, she’d rush over to try it. Was there anything she couldn’t eat?

“Have you ever raised a cat?”

“No, we haven’t…”

“And you’re here to teach me how to raise a cat?”

“We just read about it online… Well, we happened to pass by, so we thought we’d mention it. Don’t be angry, we mean no harm.”

Shi Yao let out a cold laugh and glanced at the two reckless sisters. “I’ve raised her for so many years. If I didn’t know her habits, how would I dare to feed her so casually? Instead of wasting time trying to chat me up and pretending to know so much about raising cats, why don’t you go care for some stray cats and adopt a few? That would be far more meaningful than blocking my way here.”

The large squid in her hand had already been devoured by the cat in a few bites. Shi Yao tossed the skewer into the trash bin and hurried away, holding Fu Rou in her arms.

The two girls stood there, their faces flushed red, completely lacking the courage to chase after them.

“What kind of person is that? Just because she’s pretty, she thinks she can do whatever she wants. So rude.”

“Raising a cat like that, it won’t live long. Hmph!”

Coincidentally, a stray cat jumped into a nearby trash bin, but they ignored it, linked arms, and walked away together.

Shi Yao carried Fu Rou to another street with fewer people.

“Meow~”

You’re so cool, my love. I’m totally into you.

“I didn’t want to spill blood today. Were you meowing like that to plead for them? I’ve never heard you meow so sweetly for me before.”

Huh? What kind of wild talk is this?

Fu Rou, now full, lay lazily in Shi Yao’s arms, unwilling to move. She stretched out a paw and began licking it, the picture of feline lethargy.

The cat looked utterly carefree. Shi Yao shook her head, both amused and resigned, and asked, “Well, had enough fun? You’ve eaten, too. Give me a meow, and we’ll head back?”

“Meow~ purr~”

Shi Yao continued walking toward less crowded areas. Just as she reached the entrance of a street, she suddenly stopped.

Fu Rou paused her paw-licking, looked up at Shi Yao, and followed her gaze to two women on the opposite side of the street.

One was gentle and amiable, the other soft and sweet.

“So, they’ve met after all…”

Shi Yao’s tone and expression were deeply suggestive, and Fu Rou sensed it keenly.

Shen Xiaobai was holding a large stack of books when, jostled by the crowd, she lost her grip, and they all clattered to the ground. Qi Wushuang, who had been following her, quickly stepped forward to help pick them up.

They crouched down together, shielding themselves from the passersby, and gathered all the books. When Shen Xiaobai looked at Qi Wushuang, she smiled brightly and said, “Thank you.”

How nice, a very idol-drama-style first encounter.

Fu Rou watched the two intently. After hearing their inner thoughts, she chuckled to herself, settled back into Shi Yao’s arms, and closed her eyes.

Perfect. A classic amnesia trope with past lives, reincarnation, and reunion, one silently guarding, the other inadvertently recalling fragments of the past.

Why does this plot feel… somewhat familiar?

Shi Yao stood there, watching Qi Wushuang and Shen Xiaobai with amusement. Shen Xiaobai, still holding her books, had things to do and crossed the street to leave. Qi Wushuang remained standing there, lost in thought.

Until she felt an intense gaze and turned sharply toward Shi Yao, her expression growing wary.

Shi Yao chuckled softly. She looked down at the cat’s fur and suddenly remarked, “It wasn’t easy bringing you out today. The only downside of this city is all the dust. When we get back, I’ll give you a bath and brush your fur. How does that sound?”