Chapter 37: The Orange Cat's Companion, Old Black

"Found you!"

In the dim room, a sweet, milky voice pulled Ye Feifan out of his thoughts. By the sound of it, it was Dahuang who had returned.

Dahuang leaned against the doorway. Ye Feifan was quite surprised; he hadn't expected her to actually slip past the sentries of the Wufa Sect.

"You're back?"

"Did you forget about me?" Dahuang looked very angry. She was soaked, and her fur was a tangled mess.

Ye Feifan kept his gaze steady and said calmly, "Nonsense. I’ve been looking for you for ages and couldn't find you. How dare you ask me that?"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Dahuang turned her head and coughed.

It was a bluff, but Ye Feifan realized he had accidentally stumbled upon the orange cat's weakness.

"Where did you go?"

"To see an old friend."

"You have friends?" Ye Feifan was astonished. They had always moved together, and he had never seen any such friend. They had left Tianzi City together; if she had a friend now, it could only be someone near the Wufa Sect. How could he not be surprised?

"I just met him a few days ago."

"What kind of person is he?"

"Not a person. A black dog."

"A black dog?"

"I call him Old Hei. His strength is a bit higher than mine."

"A bit higher?" Ye Feifan seriously doubted that "bit."

"Can you take me to meet him?"

"Tomorrow. It's dark now, and it's not safe for you to go out."

With that, Dahuang shook the water off her body. Once the steam evaporated the moisture, she hopped onto Ye Feifan’s bed and curled up under the covers... covering her eyes with both paws, though she left gaps between them.

(ฅ>ω*ฅ)

Peeking from the shadows...

Ye Feifan nearly laughed out loud. He had seen blatant acts before, but never one so brazen that still tried to hide behind a facade. The orange cat's antics refreshed his understanding of the world.

After drying himself off, Ye Feifan put on his clothes, crawled into bed, and pulled Dahuang into his arms.

"So soft, so comfortable!"

"Don't touch me!" Dahuang looked resistant, but a moment later, she honestly nuzzled against Ye Feifan's chest.

Well, it was a bit cold outside.

It was comfortable under the covers. Having trained hard, Ye Feifan’s blood was surging with vitality, and his body temperature was relatively high, making him feel like a heater—and cats loved warm places most of all.

Despite some shyness, Dahuang quite enjoyed this heater.

Outside, the storm howled. Ye Feifan twitched his ears and faintly heard a few rumbles of thunder. Many people would likely die in Tianzi City tomorrow.

***

Sinking into his dreams, Ye Feifan began his frantic "dream fishing." The consumption of energy liquid and the acquisition of points were slow; they were scarce items, and he needed more powerful tools to alleviate the external pressure.

Dahuang could share some of the burden, and Baoyu and Li Xunhua could also help... but their strength was too low; they likely couldn't help with major matters.

He still needed to find other helpers. The friend Dahuang spoke of was not human, making the target less likely to be exposed, which might actually help him.

The orange cat herself was no ordinary demon, and her friend would certainly not be an ordinary monster either. He would have to go and see tomorrow. If suitable, he could temporarily take it as his pet.

The "dream fish" caught were processed, but Ye Feifan was disappointed. He still hadn't found the memories he wanted in Liu Decai's dreams... that old fox's dreams were constantly being interfered with by Hua Wenliu. Unable to find a loophole, he temporarily abandoned the idea of getting information from him and turned his focus to Liu Chen.

Liu Chen's dreams were also very monotonous—the typical "Dragon Pride" plot where he was always bickering with Zhang Da. It was the same routine in a hundred different ways, so much so that Ye Feifan felt they were both comedians wasted by the path of cultivation... If someone were to film a comedy series called *The Jealousy War of the Two Young Masters of Tianzi City*, the ratings would definitely be No. 1!

After fishing and refining dreams, all Ye Feifan could do was absorb the "dream essence" to cultivate until dawn.

...

Daylight arrived, and Ye Feifan left the room.

The dark clouds in the sky had not yet dispersed, but the rain had lightened significantly (barely a drizzle). You could stand in it for half a day without getting soaked through, though it left a sensation like hair gel.

Glancing around at the surrounding structures, Ye Feifan shook his head. The facilities of the Wufa Sect were too weak... but he didn't have good materials to build with, so he set it aside for now, planning to renovate once he had the means.

Leaving his room, Ye Feifan found Tong Xuan in the main hall.

"Master, I intend to go out and gain some experience. I will return in anywhere from a month to half a year."

Tong Xuan looked the same as ever, though there was a bit more gratification in his eyes. His vitality was even more surging than before; it looked like he could barely suppress the signs of a breakthrough.

"Go. If you can't beat them, come back. If you are defeated by someone of your own generation, I will not intervene. But if the older generation acts against you, I will not stand by and watch."

After a moment of contemplation, Tong Xuan waved his hand. "Take this. If you encounter an assassination by the older generation, crush it."

A jade plaque floated from the stone table and landed in Ye Feifan's hand... he looked at it; the character "Wu" (None/Nothing) was inscribed on it.

"Thank you, Master."

"Go."

"Disciple takes his leave."

After Ye Feifan left, the darkness in the main hall dimmed a bit more.

"What do you think of this?"

"That cat is not simple."

"He is also a person of great fortune. I hope he doesn't fall too early."

"He won't. I will never make the same mistake as before."

"Look on the bright side; you are also close to ascending."

"I can wait. I must kill that old guy."

"Sigh..."

...

Leaving the main hall, Ye Feifan arrived at the exit of the sect.

At the steps, the guards on duty were still Dong Guan and Fang Zheng. Neither had a drop of water on them. Seeing him approach, they quickly bowed.

"Good day, Senior Brother."

Ye Feifan smiled and nodded. "Don't be so formal. Just call me Brother Feifan from now on."

"Understood, Brother Feifan." The two nodded. Dong Guan suddenly asked, "Are you heading out, Brother Feifan?"

"One cannot become strong by staying in the sect forever. Seeing the world outside is also a form of cultivation."

"I have learned much. Be careful out there, Brother Feifan. I heard that a great master's tomb has appeared in the wilderness recently, and people from other sects will be sneaking in."

"I see."

One could decide for themselves whether to descend from the Wufa Sect; the Sect Master would not interfere as long as you did not break the sect rules. Everything else was negotiable.

After bidding them farewell, Ye Feifan leaped onto the stairs and ran toward the opposite peak. The pressure he had felt during the examination was gone.

Perhaps due to being too focused, he didn't notice that the orange cat on his shoulder felt a bit guilty. Several gazes in the main hall had made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles... fortunately, she hadn't lost her temper on the spot, or she would have long since become a soul under their hands.

After crossing five thousand steps, Ye Feifan followed the path he had taken to reach Wuju Town.

"That scared the life out of me," the orange cat said, clutching her chest while walking through the mountain forest.

"What's wrong?" Ye Feifan asked, feeling strange.

"I..." Just as she wanted to say something, Dahuang recalled Tong Xuan’s gaze. Her body shuddered, and she said, "Nothing, just a bit cold."

"Oh!" Ye Feifan didn't doubt her and asked, "Where is the black dog?"

"In an alley in Wuju Town."

"How did you two meet?"

"He stole some pork from the shopkeeper's house, and I happened to help him."

Hearing this, Ye Feifan turned his head and asked with a skeptical look, "You didn't steal their fish, did you?"

"How could I!" Dahuang’s fur instantly puffed up, and she said righteously, "That was given to me by their daughter."

"Fine, you win. Where is their shop? I'll go pay for both of you."

"Alright then..."

Under Dahuang's guidance, Ye Feifan found the shop, paid the owner, and explained that the stray, helpless dogs were the companions of a deceased fellow Daoist.

Wuju Town was quite magical. It was small, had few criminals, and the yin energy wasn't heavy; no ominous things came out at night... Ye Feifan suspected they refrained from crazed actions only out of fear of the Wufa Sect's power.

It was a good thing that no ominous creatures appeared.

"We're here. Just ahead." The orange cat stood up on Ye Feifan’s shoulder, looking excited.

Ye Feifan brought the cat to an alleyway, but his gaze flickered, and his heart began to tense.

Such heavy demonic energy!

[PS: Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendliness.]