Transmigrated Into the Body of a Sickly Villain's Kitten - Chapter 8

Shi Yao’s resolute tone left Fu Rou at a loss for words.

How could she be so certain she was Youyou?

But Fu Rou truly had no memory of it whatsoever. She had clearly lived as Fu Rou for over twenty years, she wasn’t Youyou!

Moreover, the original book only offered fragmented descriptions of Shi Yao and Youyou. All she knew was that the two protagonists had paid a steep price to defeat the antagonist: one lost a thousand years of cultivation and reverted to being a pear blossom tree, while the other, an alchemist, lost half of her memories and returned to her sect to continue training.

That pair of protagonists had suffered greatly, leaving many readers with a lingering sense of injustice. And surely, Shi Yao and the cat hadn’t met a good end either.

The cat in her arms remained completely unresponsive. Shi Yao lowered her head, stroking the kitten’s back, and chuckled softly, “Let’s not dwell on the rest for now. You’re so fragile now, nothing like the majestic Lord Yun Mi of the past. It seems that bowl of Mengpo’s Soup has addled your mind, and all your cultivation is gone. The Wuqi Mountain is rich with spiritual energy, I’ll take you there to slowly rebuild your cultivation.”

Mengpo’s Soup? What part of the plot was this?

Fu Rou felt like a complete fool, understanding nothing, aware of nothing.

Yet, just moments ago while sleeping, she had felt as though she were dreaming, though upon waking, she had no memory of it. How strange.

Under the hazy moonlight and blurred shadows, Shi Yao recalled how, many years ago, she and Youyou had sat atop the highest tavern in Jinling City, watching the cultivators from various sects brawl over a treasure, enjoying the spectacle from the sidelines.

“When will the greed in this world ever cease?” Youyou had wondered aloud, genuinely perplexed.

Shi Yao gently patted Youyou’s head and explained softly, “Greed will never cease. As long as one remains in the mortal realm, desires are inevitable. Even an ascended immortal like you can’t resist the allure of dried fish, can you?”

“Hmph! Then, since you’re also in the mortal realm, shouldn’t you have desires too?” Youyou retorted, unconvinced.

“Of course.”

Shi Yao didn’t deny it. Suddenly, her hand felt empty, the warmth and softness gone. Youyou had leaped onto her shoulder, her tender yet prickly tongue lightly licking Shi Yao’s earlobe. “Then tell me, what is your desire?”

Youyou never got her answer. Mid-fight, the cultivators suddenly noticed Shi Yao and the cat on her shoulder, illuminated by the moonlight.

The antagonist’s entrance was always so dramatic. The moonlight cast Shi Yao’s silhouette in an elongated, ethereal glow, as if she were a deity descending from the heavens, her robes billowing, too dazzling to behold directly.

She let out a soft, lazy laugh, a sound both captivating and chilling.

“I suspect that tonight, the temples near Jinling City will be engulfed in a great fire. Esteemed immortals, why squabble over the Feichen Pearl? Hurry back and save your temples from the flames.”

No sooner had Shi Yao spoken than a crimson glow enveloped the outskirts of Jinling City, the raging flames painting a scene straight out of hell, terrifying to behold.

Panicked, the cultivators scattered in haste. The Feichen Pearl, once fiercely contested by the great sects, now lay in Shi Yao’s hand.

She opened the square box and took out the pearl. Holding it up to the moonlight, she examined it as the light filtered through, casting a shimmering crimson glow in Shi Yao’s eyes. Youyou, standing nearby, remarked sarcastically, “It’s just an ordinary pearl, no spiritual energy at all. Are you planning to take it back as a family heirloom?”

“Many things in this world are inherently worthless; their value lies in the meaning others attach to them. Do you like this trinket? It’s yours.”

“What would I do with it? Just throw it away.”

Shi Yao casually tossed it aside, and the pearl landed on a street somewhere in Jinling City.

A playful child happened to pass by and, spotting the red pearl on the ground, instinctively picked it up. Looking up in awe, the child exclaimed, “This pearl is so beautiful!”

Later, when Shi Yao was surrounded and questioned about the pearl, she merely shook her head. Recalling those past events and Youyou’s resolute figure as they headed to the underworld, her heart felt as if it were being sliced by a knife.

Her greed had merely been a desire for genuine affection.

But that affection had been lost by her own doing.

Now, facing such an outcome, it was all retribution.

“Meow~”

Shi Yao had been silent for too long, and Fu Rou sensed something was amiss. Shi Yao clearly heard that soft, adorable meow. With a smile in her eyes, she gazed intently at Fu Rou and said, “I feel as though this moment is like a dream. Such a beautiful moon, such scenery, and you… are all of this real?”

Fu Rou detected a note of sorrow in Shi Yao’s tone.

She stopped meowing. Shi Yao’s eyes dimmed, and she held Fu Rou even tighter.

“I long to hear you say, with your own voice, that you’ll never leave me. I always feel like you still want to go, that your affection for me is just a temporary measure.”

Fu Rou: “…”

You have quite the imagination, don’t you?

As Shi Yao’s melodrama continued, Fu Rou had had enough and let out an angry meow.

“Meow!” How could a simple little kitten like me deceive anyone? If I said I’d stay, then I’ll stay, alright?

“Throwing a tantrum?”

Shi Yao vigorously ruffled Fu Rou’s little head, then gently pushed her over and began stroking her soft belly.

Fu Rou: “Meow!!!” Ahhh! Harassment!

The little kitten was genuinely angry now. She bit Shi Yao’s finger to stop her from petting her, but with her baby teeth not fully grown, those tiny milk teeth held no threat at all.

Shi Yao said, “Don’t move. I’m clearing your meridians.”

Oh, so that’s why there’s such a warm, soothing feeling in my belly.

Fu Rou gradually relaxed, and her body suddenly stretched out quite a bit. Her little pink paws stretched straight out, soft and utterly adorable.

“This body of yours is quite suitable for cultivation.”

Shi Yao smoothed out Fu Rou’s ruffled fur and gently tapped her little head with a finger.

Fu Rou had resigned herself to it all. Whatever Shi Yao wanted to do was fine. She nestled in Shi Yao’s arms, closed her eyes, and prepared to sleep. After all, they had already admired the moon, and with the night still young, wouldn’t it be a shame not to catch some beautiful dreams?

Watching the little kitten in her arms begin to purr softly, Shi Yao pressed her lips together in a faint smile. She looked up at the moon, and the small dark-red mole on her eyelid seemed to grow even more vivid and striking under the clear, radiant light.

“This time, no one will take you away from me again.”

In the blink of an eye, Fu Rou had already lived in the ancient mansion for nearly a month. She had grown into a two-month-old kitten, just at the age of peak adorableness.

A few days ago, Shi Yao once again covered her eyes with a cloth. When Fu Rou asked Ke Fan why Shi Yao was doing this, Ke Fan only explained that it was an old ailment and refused to say anything more to Fu Rou.

Fu Rou felt bored and spent the next few days acting like an aloof cat, ignoring everyone as she lay on the scratching post sharpening her claws.

By now, Fu Rou’s claws had grown quite long. Sometimes, if she wasn’t careful, she would snag a thread from Shi Yao’s clothes.

Shi Yao didn’t seem to mind much, but these days, Guan Jin had been carrying nail clippers, insisting on trimming Fu Rou’s claws. Fu Rou leaped around, refusing to let Guan Jin get close, which gave Guan Jin a massive headache.

“The Master’s clothes are expensive, you know! Aren’t you worried about ruining them?”

Huh, how expensive could they be?

Fu Rou had already explored every corner of the ancient mansion. After getting familiar with the three demons, she would watch Liang Zhuo cook in the kitchen while Shi Yao handled her affairs, Ke Fan brewed medicine in the backyard, and Guan Jin tested out cosmetics.

It had to be said, working under Shi Yao was quite nice. Liang Zhuo and Guan Jin not only had weekends off but were also food and beauty bloggers in their spare time, seamlessly blending into the modern era, nothing like the antiquated relics one might expect from deep in the mountains.

Seeing Fu Rou perched on the kitchen cabinet, Guan Jin was about to approach and trim her claws when Shi Yao came over and picked Fu Rou up instead. “She doesn’t like having her claws trimmed, so don’t force her. “But, Your Honored Master…”

“Guan Jin, is the yao realm that poor?””

“Well, not exactly.”

“Can I not even afford a few pieces of clothing?”

Guan Jin: “…”

Shi Yao held Fu Rou close and whispered, “Come on, let’s go to the back mountain to see some excitement.”

Is this really about the clothes?

This is clearly about spoiling this little kitten rotten!

Guan Jin sighed helplessly, muttering under her breath, “Just go ahead and spoil her!”

“Meow~” What kind of excitement are you taking me to see in the back mountain?

After spending so much time with Fu Rou, Shi Yao could now understand the meaning behind her meows. Shi Yao explained, “Every month, people from the immortal sects send a few cats to my back mountain. I used to ignore them and let them fight over territory. It was amusing to watch them disrupt the balance, but now that you’re here, I can’t let them run wild anymore.”

No one dared to stop Shi Yao from doing as she pleased. Fu Rou nestled in her arms as they headed to the back mountain, where Shi Yao proceeded to round up all the hidden cats as if she were shopping, over two hundred in total.

They were all encased in bubbles, and when they saw the little white cat cradled in Shi Yao’s arms, they understood what was about to happen.

For some reason, Fu Rou suddenly felt a sense of being spoiled and arrogant.

The way the other cats looked at her was strange, a mix of fear and envy.

“Mount Wuqi belongs to me now. You’ve been freeloading here for years, absorbing spiritual energy to cultivate. It’s time to pay it back.”

With a gentle lift of her hand, golden streams of energy began to seep out of the cats.

This wasn’t the first time Fu Rou had seen such a scene. Last time, the golden energy had flowed into Shi Yao’s fingertips, but this time, it gathered in her palm, forming a sphere about the size of a ping-pong ball.

After the cats had their spiritual energy drained, they collapsed one by one inside the bubbles and slowly drifted down the mountain.

Shi Yao’s eyes remained covered, but her full red lips curved into a confident smile. Before Fu Rou could react, she felt a scorching heat spread through her entire body. Her limbs felt as if they were about to split apart, the pain unbearable.

“Meow! Meow!!”

Fu Rou’s cries were pitiful. Shi Yao stopped her actions, having already transferred all her spiritual energy to Fu Rou. Why then…

“What are you doing, you big meanie?! It hurts so much, it hurts so much, ahhh!!”

“So, this is how you usually curse at me? I’m a big meanie?”

Fu Rou: “…”

How come she could suddenly understand meowing?