Qu Qi’s pupils shook with shock: “!” How did you know?
Suddenly, a “meow” came from behind them.
The two turned their heads to see a black cat sitting regally on the wooden table. Its posture was elegant and noble as it lazily lowered its head to groom its fur with a tiny pink tongue.
The two women looked at each other.
Shouyi was baffled: “It is just a cat; what do you have to hide?”
Qu Qi breathed a sigh of relief and acted bashfully: “Isn’t it cute? I wanted to give you a surprise.”
Shouyi looked thoughtful: “A surprise indeed. Let me look at this cat…” She took a step forward and circled the table, her expression filled with scrutiny.
The heart Qu Qi had just calmed instantly leaped into her throat again: “Master, stop looking, she is shy.”
The black cat glanced at the white-haired old lady, slowly flicking the tip of her tail. Her golden eyes were filled with disdain for humanity.
A mere cultivator at the early stage of the Mahayana Realm was nothing to fear.
“You call this shy?” Despite it being an ordinary cat, Shouyi felt a strange sensation of being looked down upon.
She had previously used her spiritual power to probe it and found the cat was only the lowest grade of spirit beast, so she relaxed and remarked casually: “This cat looks much smarter than you. Where did you catch her?”
Qu Qi felt like a heavy burden had been lifted, but then she reacted with shock: “Master, that is not right!” She admitted the cat was impressive, but she was not stupid either, was she?
“As the saying goes, a cat takes after its owner. Mimi is so cute and smart; she clearly takes after me. Right, Mimi?” After speaking, she reached out and vigorously rubbed the cat’s head.
The black cat let out an angry howl, and the fur she had just finished grooming became a mess again.
Shouyi’s gaze was full of motherly affection: “My dear child, look, your Mimi disagrees with you.”
Qu Qi lied through her teeth: “She is showing that she strongly agrees with me.”
The black cat could not help but hiss at her, baring two small, snowy white fangs.
Shouyi was greatly shocked: “Disciple, I have not seen you for a few days; how have you become so thick-skinned?”
Qu Qi smiled slightly: “No! This is called confidence, having the courage to embrace your own uniqueness.”
Shouyi laughed and shook her head.
Recalling Qu Qi’s former personality, she had been withdrawn and arrogant, refusing to communicate with those around her and believing only she could be trusted. Shouyi had always told Qu Qi she must change this personality or it would lead to disaster, but she had always been brushed off.
She did not expect that after a trip to the back mountain, Qu Qi would become different from before. It was not bad like this; though she was a bit sillier, she was much more likable.
Shouyi made a few clicking noises at the black cat to tease her: “Kitty, come here, come on.”
The black cat started grooming her fur again and did not even lift her head at the sound.
Shouyi said joyfully: “This cat is quite proud.”
Qu Qi nodded: “She is just like that.” She reached out and gently pinched the top of the black cat’s head a few times.
The latter looked at her and did not dodge, until the fur on her head was pinched into a mohawk shape. Only then did she let out a fierce meow at her.
Shouyi watched with extreme envy: “She is very close to you.”
No cat owner disliked hearing those words. Qu Qi nodded proudly, acting triumphant: “We have a bond forged through life and death!”
The black cat’s tail curled into a confused question mark.
Qu Qi ignored the question marks all over the cat’s head, straightened the tail into an exclamation point, and asked: “By the way, Master, why did you suddenly come up the mountain?”
Shouyi crossed her legs, poured herself some tea, and said leisurely: “Naturally, I am here to take you down the mountain.”
Qu Qi’s eyes widened; she was supposed to stay on the back mountain for a full month: “Right now? But it has not been thirty days yet.”
Shouyi took a calm sip of tea, her tone arrogant: “It has only been a few days, but if I want to take you away, who would dare stop me?”
Qu Qi looked at her bandit-leader aura and her exaggeratedly sturdy muscles, and she was instantly filled with respect: “Indeed, nobody would dare stop you.”
Thinking about it, going down the mountain was quite good, as long as she avoided the female lead. There were many inconveniences on the mountain; she could not eat rice, there were many bugs at night, and she could not buy daily necessities.
She looked at the black cat on the table, extended a palm toward her, and asked: “Mimi, be good. Are you willing to go down the mountain with me?”
The black cat looked at the girl, suppressed the urge to bite her, and condescendingly placed a small paw in Qu Qi’s palm.
Qu Qi gently held the paw and shook it up and down like a handshake, her eyes curving into crescents: “Then it is a deal!”
Before leaving, Qu Qi took the black cat back to the mass grave to say goodbye to the spirits.
Upon hearing that Sheng Xizhu was leaving, the spirits wanted to set off firecrackers to celebrate. She had ruled the mass grave for over a hundred years; now they could finally be free and become masters of their own home!
But since Qu Qi was leaving, they felt a bit reluctant in their hearts, crying as they huddled around her.
On one hand, they were crying because they could no longer smell human food; on the other hand, the mass grave had finally become lively and interesting, and now that Qu Qi was leaving, it would return to desolation.
Qu Qi was also very reluctant and bowed repeatedly to the spirits who usually fed her: “Thank you for taking care of me. I will come back to play with you if I have the chance!”
Spirits: “Squeak, squeak, squeak!” Next time you come alone, do not bring the cat!
Qu Qi held a bouquet of flowers and ran to the nameless tombstone, saying reluctantly: “Tombstone, I am leaving. I do not have time to burn spirit money for you. Thank you for giving me this cultivation. I wish you a good reincarnation, a safe and happy life.”
The bouquet was picked from various spiritual flowers and grasses on the mountain. Qu Qi did not know what the owner of the tomb liked, so she simply picked one of every kind. The bouquet was colorful and brilliant, looking very beautiful.
Sheng Xizhu stood silently by her side, her thoughts in a whirl.
She never expected that one day she would receive flowers, and the first bouquet would come from Qu Qi.
For nearly a hundred years, no living person had visited the mass grave to tend the tombs. After all, it was always desolate and eerie; even birds and beasts were unwilling to approach, let alone humans.
And today, a beautiful bouquet of flowers lay quietly before the nameless tombstone, injecting a strange and vivid color into this lifeless place. It was like a ray of sunlight piercing through a gap in the dark clouds; weak, but incredibly bright.
The girl who gave the flowers blinked and showed a smile as bright as the bouquet: “These flowers represent my heart and my blessings. I hope you like them.”