8
Catwoman in the Woods
Qian Lingyan’s heart was filled with both shock and doubt. He had never imagined that “Swift Falcon Pierces the Forest” could change direction multiple times. This man was truly formidable; his mastery of the Beast-Form Fist was no less than his own, if not greater.
Just as Qian Lingyan was about to make another move, his mother stopped him. “Yan’er, don’t be rude. This is your Second Granduncle.”
At this, Qian Lingyan halted and took a closer look at his Second Granduncle. His name was Yang Mutong, a clansman and uncle of Yang Yi. His features carried an air of refinement, though his unkempt appearance made him look rather slovenly. He was nowhere near fifty; in fact, he was only around forty, just over a decade older than Yang Yi.
“Lingyan was rude. I mistook Granduncle for a thief. Please forgive me.”
“Haha! Yan’er, look at you. It’s only been a little over ten years since I last saw you, and you’ve already forgotten your granduncle?”
Yang Mutong spoke with a touch of madness. Qian Lingyan thought to himself, I’m only thirteen now, turning fourteen after the New Year. If it’s been over ten years since you last saw me, have you ever even met me? But he couldn’t say this out loud, so he simply chuckled awkwardly.
Yang Yi spoke up, “I invited Uncle here this time to ask for your guidance in teaching Yan’er fist techniques.”
Yang Mutong grew quiet and said, “Fist techniques rely entirely on self-enlightenment. I’m no great master—how could I possibly teach him?”
Yang Yi pleaded earnestly, “Uncle, just a little guidance would be better than Yan’er trying to figure it out all on his own behind closed doors.”
Having experienced Yang Mutong’s prowess firsthand during their earlier exchange, Qian Lingyan bowed deeply and said, “Please, Granduncle, offer your guidance.”
Unable to refuse, Yang Mutong reluctantly agreed, “In that case, Yi’er, I’ll need to borrow Yan’er for a few days.”
Seeing Yang Mutong’s consent, Yang Yi quickly agreed, “I leave it entirely to Uncle’s arrangements.”
Qian Lingyan, reluctant to leave home, asked, “Granduncle, how many days will this trip take?”
“Longer, a few months; shorter, just over ten days.”
“Yan’er, a true man aspires to greatness far and wide. This is only a few days away—why hesitate?” Yang Yi, noticing Qian Lingyan’s reluctance to leave, chided him.
With the New Year’s Eve just over ten days away, how could Yang Yi bear to be separated from her son? Yet, having Yang Mutong teach this fist technique was the most suitable option. Understanding his mother’s intentions, Qian Lingyan said, “Mother, take care of yourself. I’m off now.”
Qian Lingyan and Yang Mutong turned and left, leaving Yang Yi leaning against the doorframe, her eyes fixed on their departing figures as if trying to see them forever.
Qian Lingyan had been following behind Yang Mutong for an entire afternoon. By now, the sky had darkened, but Yang Mutong showed no sign of stopping. They had long since left Weidao City, and the road had grown uneven. To make matters worse, Yang Mutong deliberately chose remote paths—some barely even passable—leaving Qian Lingyan groaning in discomfort.
Yang Mutong simply wanted to test Qian Lingyan’s agility. Qian Lingyan’s nimble footwork and enduring stamina left Yang Mutong somewhat satisfied.
Before long, the two entered a forest. By now, the sky had turned completely dark, with only the faint glow of the moon and stars illuminating their way. The trees here were tall and dense, and the silence was profound, making the place rather eerie.
“Granduncle, where are we going?” Qian Lingyan asked.
Yang Mutong stopped. “Rizhao Forest. We’ve already arrived, but we need to go deeper. Don’t stop—keep moving.” With that, he dashed forward again.
Qian Lingyan immediately followed, but inwardly he was muttering. Rizhao Forest was home to many fierce birds and beasts, and there were even some demons, though since it was quite close to Weidao City, the demons here were generally restrained. Even so, few people ventured here. It was actually a good place for Demon-Slayers to train—both Qian Lingxue and Qian Lingfeng had come before, but they had always been accompanied by elders from their family. As for him, he only had Yang Mutong following along. Is my grandfather reliable? Qian Lingyan couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
Several more hours passed, and it was now close to midnight. The trees were tall, and a chilling wind blew in gusts. From time to time, the howls of wolves and cries of foxes could be heard, while the eyes of wild beasts glowed eerily in the distance. Qian Lingyan was a bit frightened and had already forgotten his exhaustion, sticking closely to Yang Mutong, afraid of losing him.
In the darkness of night, it was hard to see, so Qian Lingyan mostly relied on sound to determine Yang Mutong’s position, barely managing to keep up. Suddenly, after Yang Mutong turned behind a giant tree, he vanished without a trace, leaving Qian Lingyan alone. There was no one around, not a single sound. Qian Lingyan wanted to call out, but he was afraid of attracting powerful beasts. For now, he had no choice but to stay put and wait for Yang Mutong to realize he was missing and come back to find him.
Terrified, Qian Lingyan leaned against a tree, not daring to move. He cursed inwardly, My grandfather really is unreliable.
Suddenly, Qian Lingyan held his breath, his palms sweating. On a branch directly opposite him, a pair of green eyes had locked onto him. These eyes were like two emeralds in the night, shimmering with a dreamlike, phosphorescent green glow. In another situation, Qian Lingyan would have surely admired them.
But at this moment, how could he have the heart to appreciate them? Qian Lingyan knew the owner of these eyes had already locked onto him, so he decided to remain still and observe the other’s movements.
The emerald-like eyes moved swiftly toward Qian Lingyan. As they drew closer, Qian Lingyan realized the owner of these eyes was a woman. The night was too dark for him to see her expression or make out her features clearly—he could only discern her silhouette, but even from that alone, he could tell she was undoubtedly beautiful.
As the green glow flickered, Qian Lingyan noticed a cat’s tail twitching behind the woman. He thought to himself, This cat demon must have mistaken me for a midnight snack. Perfect timing—I can test my skills too.
In the darkness, Qian Lingyan couldn’t see the terrain clearly, and the other’s movements were only a blur. Even before they began fighting, Qian Lingyan was already at a disadvantage.
As the two clashed, Qian Lingyan found himself constrained at every turn, but relying on his agility, he managed to avoid defeat for the time being. The cat woman also noticed that Qian Lingyan struggled to see in the dark and deliberately forced him to retreat. Coincidentally, there was a tree root under Qian Lingyan’s feet that he didn’t notice. Tripping over it, he fell backward. The cat woman moved with incredible speed, and before Qian Lingyan could react, her claws were already at his throat. Feeling the cold touch of the claws against his neck, Qian Lingyan thought, This is it, and closed his eyes in despair.
Qian Lingyan lay on the ground, eyes tightly shut. But instead of feeling the warm spray of blood from his carotid artery, he felt something furry lightly brushing against his nose.
“Stinky guy, is this your grandson? Why is he so cowardly?”
The cat-woman’s tail swept back and forth across Qian Lingyan’s face, but he dared not move recklessly. Opening his eyes, he saw her speaking to Yang Mutong in the tree, her face turned sideways. At this moment, Qian Lingyan and the cat-woman were even closer, allowing him to see more clearly. Although he only caught a glimpse of her profile, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly at how naturally beautiful this demon was—the lines of her face were so perfect.
“Little kitten, what do you know? If it weren’t for his poor night vision, could you have won so easily? Forget it, it’s getting late. Stop playing around and let everyone get some sleep.” There was a treehouse on the large tree where Yang Mutong was, but with no light anywhere, Qian Lingyan hadn’t noticed it earlier.
The cat-woman stretched lazily, yawned, and leaped onto a nearby tree, also entering the treehouse.
“Grandpa, where’s my treehouse?” Qian Lingyan shouted.
Snoring sounds came from Yang Mutong’s treehouse. Qian Lingyan thought to himself, You really are unreliable. The night was bitterly cold, and although he wasn’t dressed too lightly, if he fell asleep, he would surely catch a chill.
Qian Lingyan had no choice but to practice his fist techniques on the ground, waiting for dawn. As he practiced, he wondered, How could Grandpa be living with a demon?
Although winter was merciless, the Rizhao Forest was rich in spiritual Qi, so the trees had not shed all their leaves. As the morning sun rose and the first rays of light pierced the forest, they added a touch of vitality to this wooded realm.
A layer of frost had formed on Qian Lingyan’s body, and as he practiced his fist techniques, ice crystals scattered with each movement.
At some point, Yang Mutong had emerged from the treehouse. “Yan’er, look at you—not sleeping at night, just fooling around.”
Qian Lingyan thought to himself, So it’s my fault.
“Alright, it’s morning now. Go chop some trees and build your own treehouse.”
“Do you have an axe?” Qian Lingyan asked.
“Don’t you know ‘Mantis Arm Slash’? Oh, right. You haven’t learned the complete fist technique.” As he spoke, Yang Mutong took out a small booklet from his pocket and tossed it to Qian Lingyan. “Practice according to this. I have some matters to attend to outside. If you don’t understand anything, ask Bi Ling.” Bi Ling was likely the cat-woman’s name.
After saying this, Yang Mutong left. Qian Lingyan opened the booklet, which indeed contained the Beast-Form Fist. However, the techniques were more closely integrated with Qi, and many offensive moves had been added. After reading just a couple of moves, Qian Lingyan couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. The combination of fist techniques and Qi was truly ingenious.
The move “Mantis Arm Slash” involved channeling Qi through the arm, rapidly moving it from the elbow to the palm. When executed, it resembled a saw, greatly increasing its power. However, channeling Qi in this way required more mental focus.
Qian Lingyan used this move to chop down trees as thick as a bowl’s mouth, and it proved quite effective. However, he didn’t know how to build a treehouse, so he had no choice but to seek Bi Ling’s help.
As a Demon-Slayer, Qian Lingyan still harbored reservations about demons. Cautiously, he called out, “Bi Ling… sister?” Bi Ling appeared to be around the age of a human girl in her late teens, so Qian Lingyan felt compelled to address her this way.
After calling out several times, Bi Ling finally emerged lazily. It was said that cats loved to sleep, and indeed, this seemed true.
“What are you shouting about in broad daylight? Can’t you let people sleep?” she said, stretching and rubbing her eyes with her hands.
“Bi Ling sister, I don’t know how to build a treehouse. Could you help me?” Qian Lingyan asked.
Bi Ling suddenly seemed displeased. “No respect for elders. What ‘sister’? Call me ‘Grandma.’ Don’t mess up the generations.”
Qian Lingyan was baffled. “We’re not related at all, so how could there be any generational difference?”
“I was somewhat associated with that old rascal, your grandfather. You figure it out—doesn’t that make me two generations above you?”
“Even if we go by my grandfather’s side, I should be calling you ‘Grandaunt.'”
“Then call me Grandaunt. Why are you making such a fuss?”
Qian Lingyan called out, deliberately mumbling so it was unclear whether he said “Grandaunt” or “Your grandma.”
Bi Ling frowned upon hearing this. “Forget it, no need to be so complicated. Just call me Grandma.”
Qian Lingyan looked reluctant but forced himself to utter the word “Grandma,” feeling incredibly awkward.
“That’s more like it,” Bi Ling said with a smile. “You won’t have called me ‘Grandma’ for nothing.”
After saying this, Bi Ling instructed Qian Lingyan to split the felled trees into planks of varying lengths, and Qian Lingyan immediately set to work. Meanwhile, Bi Ling had already gathered many vines and crafted a wooden stick, two wooden buckets, and carried back two buckets of water. Qian Lingyan thought to himself that although Bi Ling was a monster, she was far more reliable than his grandfather.
Once the planks were processed according to Bi Ling’s requirements, Qian Lingyan was ordered to build a stove first. It turned out that Bi Ling had brought back water to mix mud for Qian Lingyan to construct the stove.
Naturally, Qian Lingyan had no idea how to build a stove, but with Bi Ling guiding him step by step, he simply followed her instructions.
After finishing the stove, Qian Lingyan breathed a sigh of relief.
“You there, go to the stream and fetch two more buckets of water.”
Since Qian Lingyan needed her help, he had no choice but to fetch the water. Picking up the two empty buckets, he said, “I’m not ‘you there.’ My name is Qian Lingyan.”
When Qian Lingyan reached the stream, he broke through the ice layer and filled the two buckets with water. But upon returning, he was dumbfounded.
The planks he had prepared were now bound together with vines to form a large wooden barrel, placed atop the so-called stove he had built.
Only then did Qian Lingyan realize that Bi Ling had never intended to help him build a treehouse. She just wanted him to make a wooden barrel for heating water so she could take a hot bath in the dead of winter.
“Bi Ling, you…” Qian Lingyan was so angry he couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Such disrespect. You should call me Grandma,” Bi Ling said lazily. “What’s the big deal about fetching two buckets of water? Don’t glare at me like that. To be honest, this barrel was requested by your grandfather. I told you it was for a treehouse just to motivate you.”
“What’s the barrel for?” Qian Lingyan asked, half-believing her.
“How should I know what that old rascal is thinking? Never mind that for now. Heat the water first so Grandma can take a bath.”
Qian Lingyan lit the fire, splitting firewood and adding it to the stove as needed. Bi Ling showed some consideration by making a small wooden stool for him.
Once the water was heated, Bi Ling leaped into the air, shedding her clothes mid-flight. Her garments landed precisely between Qian Lingyan and herself, draping over the edge of the barrel just as she settled into the water.
“Ah…” Bi Ling sighed contentedly. “Qian Lingyan, sit properly on the stool. Keep splitting firewood and add it when I tell you to.” Qian Lingyan sat on the stool, with the barrel blocking his view so he couldn’t see inside.
It turned out that Bi Ling had made the stool for him simply to keep him seated and prevent him from wandering around and seeing something he shouldn’t. In truth, the barrel was placed on the stove, and its walls were quite high. Qian Lingyan, still not fully grown and not particularly tall, wouldn’t have been able to see anything even if he stood up.
“Qian Lingyan, do I look good, dear?” Bi Ling peeked her head over the edge of the wooden tub, teasing Qian Lingyan. At that moment, water droplets clung to her face and hair, making her appear even more delicate and charming.
Qian Lingyan looked up at Bi Ling, but before he could speak, he saw her suddenly grab her clothes and cover herself.
Qian Lingyan thought to himself, I was just looking at her face, is that really necessary? Besides, didn’t you ask me if you looked good? Following Bi Ling’s gaze, he realized she wasn’t looking at him.
Qian Lingyan heard a dry cough behind him and turned to find Yang Mutong standing on a tree branch behind him.
Yang Mutong leaped down, settling beside Qian Lingyan, and said, “You finished the tub so quickly, quite capable.”
Bi Ling, flushed with embarrassment and anger, scolded, “You rascal, can’t you walk back like a normal person? Why climb trees?”
Yang Mutong replied, “Little kitten, hurry up and get out once you’re done washing. This tub wasn’t made for you—it’s for my grandson’s medicinal bath.” He then shook the herbs in his hand.
Disturbed by the commotion, Bi Ling finished her bath hastily.
Qian Lingyan had already removed his clothes and was sitting upright in the tub. Yang Mutong took out a porcelain bottle and dripped a green medicinal liquid into each of Qian Lingyan’s eyes. The pain was excruciating, causing tears to stream down his face. The tears carried toxins, appearing slightly murky as they flowed.
Qian Lingyan felt a cloth strip being tied over his eyes, his eyelids sticky and unclear about what medicinal paste was on the cloth.
Now unable to see, Qian Lingyan could only listen as Yang Mutong recited the incantation, guiding the flow of Qi to absorb the medicinal power. Qian Lingyan felt the medicine entering his body, as if leaving traces in his meridians, and inwardly marveled at the sensation.
Yang Mutong explained, “Yan’er, this medicine serves two purposes: it widens your meridians and leaves traces within them, which you should be able to sense. The Qi flow in the Beast-Form Fist is intricate and profound. With these traces as a guide, your practice will become much easier.”
Indeed, memorizing such a complex Qi circulation pathway solely through mental effort would be exceedingly difficult. But now, with the medicinal traces as a guide, repeated practice would lead to mastery.
Yang Mutong continued, “Little kitten, maintain this water temperature and keep the firewood stocked.”
“Why should I?”
“Don’t fuss. I still need to gather more herbs, so I’ll be off now.” With that, he promptly left.
Bi Ling had no choice but to accept this tedious task, as she tended to obey Yang Mutong’s words.
Qian Lingyan chuckled and said, “Grandma Bi Ling, does Lingyan look good?” He deliberately provoked her, seeking revenge for earlier when Bi Ling had tricked him into heating water for her.