For several consecutive nights, the black cat visited Qu Qi’s wooden hut under the cover of darkness, curling its fluffy body to rest beside her pillow.
It listened to the girl’s soft breathing until the sky brightened into broad daylight before leaping into the shadows to depart.
One human and one cat spent several nights in this kind of “mutually respectful” companionship, yet Qu Qi remained entirely oblivious to it.
Following Ruan Tang’s instructions, she reported to the graveyard punctually every day at the Hour of the Dragon ($7:00text{–}9:00text{ AM}$).
After a few days of observation, she realized it wasn’t so much a graveyard as it was a mass grave. Most of the solitary mounds had no headstones, and the few that did were merely inscribed with names—a sight that invited sighs of pity.
Qu Qi had stayed here for several days. By all logic, this place should have been a haunt for ghosts and ghouls where Yin energy was at its peak, yet she felt quite comfortable. There wasn’t the slightest hint of repulsion; it was even more pleasant than staying at the front mountain of Wangxi Peak.
After pondering for a long while, Qu Qi guessed: This might be related to the original host’s constitution.
In the book, Qu Qi’s cultivation progress was sluggish and blocked. It wasn’t because she didn’t work hard; on the contrary, the original host had been quite calculating, snatching others’ pills and magical treasures to increase her power.
Yet her cultivation always remained stagnant.
The original host didn’t know that this was because she had a “light fate” and an Extreme Yin Constitution.
People with an Extreme Yin Constitution are unsuited for immortal cultivation; instead, they are natural-born geniuses for demonic cultivation. Su Fawhan’s Extreme Yang Constitution was the polar opposite, making cultivation as simple as drinking water.
Only two people clearly knew about the original host’s constitution: the Elder Shou Yi, and the novel’s villainous Great Demon Lord—Sheng Xizhu.
Yes, the very same Demon Lord who swallowed the original host in one gulp.
The book explained that the Demon Lord didn’t have a specific hobby of eating humans; it was just the original host’s bad luck to deliver herself to his doorstep.
An Extreme Yin Constitution happened to be the perfect “tonic soup” for practitioners of the dark arts.
When the Demon Lord discovered her constitution, he swallowed her like a cat catching a mouse. Immediately afterward, his meridians were cleared; as if using a cheat code, his already monstrous strength reached a new level, allowing him to send the female lead vomiting blood with a single palm strike.
According to this progression, Qu Qi was a necessary breakthrough material for the Demon Lord. If Sheng Xizhu wanted to become stronger, he had to find someone with an Extreme Yin Constitution.
Qu Qi suddenly shuddered. Not only did she need to stay away from the female lead, but she also had to steer clear of the Great Demon Lord, Sheng Xizhu.
Falling into the former’s hands meant One Hundred Ways for a Malicious Supporting Female Lead to Die; falling into the latter’s hands meant Cannon Fodder on the Tip of the Tongue. No matter which she chose, it was terrifying!
Fortunately, Sheng Xizhu’s appearance was late in the plot—it was nowhere near time for them to meet.
Qu Qi found a clean spot in the mass grave and sat down. She felt those Yin energies surge up affectionately, gathering around her.
There were also tiny ghost spirits and souls, looking much like long-tailed fireflies, crowding in to snuggle with her.
Qu Qi was a bit scared at first, but she got used to it within half a day and even began to crave the feeling. She sensed that the ghosts here bore her no ill will; some even loved sticking close to her.
No workplace PUA, no dealing with strangers—just harmony, tranquility, and safety.
It was truly a job to make a social phobe rejoice!
Due to the special nature of the mass grave, few spirit beasts or herbs dared to approach during the day. Qu Qi enjoyed the leisure, doing as she pleased.
Five days passed in a flash. The food in her storage ring was nearly gone, so she attempted to hunt the spirit beasts on the mountain.
But the spirit beasts on the back mountain had developed intelligence; they were extremely sharp and could often sense her intentions, dodging away quickly.
Left with no choice, Qu Qi gathered spirit fruits and herbs to stave off hunger, but for a “meat-lover” like her, it was far from enough.
She tried to cultivate, but she felt like a toddling infant who hadn’t even mastered the basic crawl, let alone walking. She possessed a body full of spiritual energy but had no idea how to use it.
With a gloomy face, Qu Qi rested her chin on her hand and sighed all day while rubbing her stomach: “…I really want to eat meat.”
Eating greens every day had made her mouth feel bland; she was practically drooling just looking at those spirit beasts. Her gaze was so intense that the mountain chickens and wild boars would scurry away in terror the moment they saw her.
Hearing her, the spirits surrounding her began to chatter excitedly. After a flurry of noise, as if reaching a consensus, they suddenly flew into the bamboo forest.
A moment later, they actually dragged something back.
Qu Qi looked and saw it was a brightly colored spirit chicken. It had vivid tail feathers, was plump and fresh, and was stretching its neck to squawk and struggle.
The spirits dragged the chicken before her and circled around as if claiming credit.
Qu Qi was flattered: “Is this for me?”
As if in answer, a dusty-looking spirit fluttered its transparent wings and landed, gently placing the spirit chicken into her hands.
That night, Qu Qi had her first barbecue since transmigrating.
She found spirit herbs on the mountain that tasted like salt and pepper and sprinkled them finely over the roasted chicken.
Taking a large bite, the fragrance flooded her tongue. Qu Qi was immediately moved to tears, wishing she could kowtow to the spirits on the spot.
The spirits also seemed to enjoy seeing her happy, and they began to rotate the “menu,” feeding her various small spirit beasts every day.
Qu Qi, who was already a “salted fish” by nature, gave up on her confusing cultivation and completely lay flat.
She was beginning to love this place. The brothers in the mass grave were all talents, their conversation was pleasant, and she absolutely loved staying there.
The only thing that made Qu Qi slightly uncomfortable was that whenever she was in the graveyard, she felt a gaze watching her, though she could never find its source.
After several days of peace, Qu Qi gradually forgot about it.
Occasionally, she would boldly walk deeper into the graveyard, pacing between the burial plots and examining the names on the stones.
Qu Qi soon discovered that she could sense the presence of ghosts at all the headstones except for one, which had neither an attached spirit nor an inscription.
It was a nameless monument, mottled with moss, standing silently in a dark corner furthest from the sunlight.
Whenever Qu Qi passed this spot, the surrounding spirits and ghosts dared not approach. They only watched from a distance, seemingly in great awe or fear.
Qu Qi couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person the deceased had been.
As she approached the headstone, she suddenly heard a very soft “Meow.”
Qu Qi spun around and saw a black cat standing not far away. Its hind legs were seated on the ground, its slender front legs bracing it, and its bright golden eyes were calm and cold.
She had some memory of this cat, remembering she had seen it on her first day moving into the wooden hut. At that time, the cat seemed to have been scared away by her and hadn’t appeared for several days afterward.
Qu Qi could sense a strange aura on the black cat. She guessed it might be a mountain spirit beast that had wandered in by mistake. Bound by her professional ethics as a gravekeeper, she leaned over and called out: “Little kitty, you can’t come here, it’s very dangerous.”
The black cat did not answer; its pointed ears twitched slightly.
Its large, round eyes flowed with a strange golden light, and a crack-like pattern flashed through them, appearing exceptionally bright under the dim bamboo shadows.
Looking at its narrow limbs and dignified sitting posture, the word “elegant” popped into Qu Qi’s mind for some reason. Despite not being human, it displayed more grace than a person.
Dammit, that gap moe is so cute!
Qu Qi involuntarily pitched her voice higher, saying in an affectedly sweet tone: “Little Flower, how about sister takes you away from here?”
Who wouldn’t want a beautiful little cat of their own? If she could just kidnap it back.
She didn’t notice that the shivering spirits around her were silently pulling away with expressions of “ready to die.”
…Little Flower?
Whether it was Qu Qi’s imagination or not, the black cat’s body seemed to stiffen. It looked at her with a very complicated, “indescribable” gaze.
Qu Qi: “What’s wrong? You don’t like that name? How about Erzhu, Dahuang, Jianguo, Mimi…”
The black cat was annoyed. Unable to endure further, it bared its teeth and hissed.
The spectating ghosts and spirits immediately scattered, bolting to a spot over a hundred meters away from the headstone.
Qu Qi: “So you like Mimi! I’ll call you that from now on.”
Black Cat: “…”
Spirits: “…”
The whole world went silent for a moment. The black cat turned and leapt into the deep shadows of the bamboo forest without looking back.
Qu Qi shouted longingly after it: “Mimi, come find me at the hut next time! Sister will treat you to dried fish!”
Seeing the Yin energy left by the black cat dissipate, the spirits finally floated back like survivors of a disaster, chattering around Qu Qi.
Qu Qi finally reacted, asking in surprise: “Eh? Where did you guys go just now?”
Spirits: “Squeak squeak squeak!” (We were right behind you! You hateful human who chooses cats over friends!)
“I’m telling you, I just saw a little black cat. It’s so well-behaved—it doesn’t yell or act mean.” Qu Qi rubbed her hands together, an “auntie smile” spreading across her face. “It’s really too cute. I have to kidnap it!”
Cute?!
Could she be talking about that person?
The spirits looked at each other, circling her with worried squeaks, trying to protest.
Qu Qi held her face with starry eyes: “Right? You guys think it’s cute too!”
Spirits: …Are you okay?! She could crush every soul here with one hand; she’s terrifying, okay!
The sky darkened, and a cold wind swept away withered leaves. The setting sun was like blood, staining this forgotten land of the dead a vivid red.
Qu Qi finished her dinner and “clocked out” on time. The spirits watched her leave the graveyard; they didn’t follow further, silently praying for her in their hearts.
Their range of movement was restricted to the vicinity of their burial grounds. They could not wander as they pleased.
In the entire cemetery, only “She” could come and go freely. And no one knew what that “She” might do to Qu Qi.
Qu Qi returned to the hut, idly passed the evening, and went to sleep in her clothes after washing up.
The summer night was filled with the low chirping of insects and the swaying of bamboo leaves. A cool night breeze blew through the paper window; everything felt inexplicably gentle.
It was as if all of nature was coaxing her to sleep. Qu Qi soon drifted off.
After an unknown amount of time, she was woken by a massive sound. It was as if a bolt of thunder had exploded at the edge of the sky, a muffled blast that made one’s heart flutter with panic.
Qu Qi sat up abruptly in the darkness, her eyes snapping open.
The candle on the table had long since gone out, leaving only a pool of dry wax. In the pitch-black field of vision, she could vaguely see the floor brightened by white moonlight.
A pitter-patter sound came from outside, hitting the gaps in the tiles and slowly dripping down the eaves in a thousand lines. The rain was heavy, and a wild wind crashed against the silent bamboo forest with aggressive force.
So, it was raining.
The sound of rain shattered her dream, leaving Qu Qi wide awake.
She patted her chest with lingering fear and accidentally lowered her head, only to see a pair of golden eyes.
“…?”
Qu Qi screamed: “Mommy! A ghost—!” And it’s on my bed!
Simply a “lecherous ghost,” how hateful!
Black Cat: “…Meow.”
Qu Qi: “I know I have some beauty, so it’s natural to be lusted after. Don’t think I’ll forgive you just because you’re meowing like a cat… eh?”
She reached out tentatively and felt a patch of cool, soft fur.
Qu Qi: “Mimi? Is that you?”
The black cat tilted its head to avoid her warm palm.
The sudden torrential rain had broken the silence, exposing its presence. It had intended to leave just moments ago, but the girl had woken up at an inopportune time, and it had missed the chance to depart.
Qu Qi firmly pressed down on the cat’s head: “Don’t move, I’m going to light the lamp.”
She got out of bed, fumbled in the dark to find the table, and relit the candlestick.
The warm glow instantly illuminated the room, casting two long, narrow shadows intertwined on the wall.
Qu Qi turned around and saw the black cat suddenly arch its back, its whole body tense in a position of extreme defensiveness. Its pupils narrowed into thin vertical slits, staring at her coldly.
Qu Qi soothed: “Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you.”
She sat back on the bed and tentatively reached out, wanting to stroke the black cat’s back.
The black cat instinctively wanted to dodge, but the clean, comfortable scent on the girl made it relax unconsciously. It took a step back, its eyes flickering with strange emotions. Its lips twitched, revealing two tiny sharp fangs, looking as if it were trying to act tough.
Looking at it, Qu Qi’s heart immediately melted.
She suddenly reached out and scooped up the kitten, burying her face in its fluffy back, completely ignoring the cat’s bristling fur: “Mimi, you really came to the hut to play with me! So good, so good. A little kitty like you was born to be eaten up by sister!”