Chu Qiguang stumbled his way deeper into the bamboo grove, one step deep, the next shallow. The bright moon overhead was screened by the increasingly dense bamboo, leaving the surroundings progressively dimmer and eerier.
His heart pounded ever faster, his nerves wound increasingly taut.
Suddenly, a fierce gale tore through. As the bamboo grove clattered and shook violently, Chu Qiguang's ears were filled with rising and falling wails, like the cries of wolves or foxes.
Dark shadows surged into the air one after another, like ancient mountain demons from ghost tales patrolling the woods by night to abduct people and drink their blood.
Mountain forest, dead of night, cat demons, wailing cries, dark silhouettes—the scene before him made Chu Qiguang feel as though he had plunged headfirst into a demon's den, with countless pairs of covetous eyes roving hungrily over his flesh and blood.
Looking down again, he saw that the two feral cats leading the way had already pulled far ahead, on the verge of vanishing into the darkness.
Chu Qiguang shouted and sprinted after them. Though the two feral cats walked upright on two legs, their bodies coiled and twisted like dragons and serpents, seemingly possessing some mystical rhythm. Their pace was not slow in the least; in the blink of an eye, they had left Chu Qiguang even further behind.
Just as he watched the two cat demons vanish into the dark, Chu Qiguang dashed a few more paces and found that he had burst out of the bamboo grove onto a clearing.
When the sight in the clearing met his eyes, he froze in shock, his heart seeming to skip a half-beat.
All sorts of feral cats, wild dogs, foxes, crows, and sparrows were gathered in a circle around a massive boulder. Squatting or sitting, bobbing their heads and swaying from side to side, they produced strange, bizarre sounds—resembling a private schoolhouse where pupils recited classics after their teacher.
The two feral cats who had led the way walked up to the boulder and prostrated themselves, like students paying respects to their master. From their mouths came tender, slurred speech, reminiscent of toddlers babbling their first words.
Atop the central boulder, an orange cat sat cross-legged, casting a sharp gaze toward Chu Qiguang.
With the orange cat's gaze, the surrounding beasts turned to look at Chu Qiguang as well. Green, gleaming eyes filled with inhuman emotions fixed upon him, sending a slight chill through his heart.
"You have come?" The orange cat nodded toward Chu Qiguang, then turned to the other beasts and spoke: "Do not be distracted. Attend to your lessons. Have I not told you before? 'Though Mount Tai collapses before you, let your countenance remain unchanged; though a deer leaps beside you, let your eyes not blink.' That is the distinction between humans and beasts.
"In the future, when you encounter people and events, you must remain calm and composed. No longer scatter like frightened birds and scurrying rats, or dash about like wolves and swine at every rustle of leaves. Only then will you have made progress and gradually shed the base demeanor of beasts."
The orange cat enunciated clearly, with round and resonant tones. Its measured cadence carried the unmistakable air of an old pedant from an academy. This touch of civilization diluted the feral aura of the scene, easing the tension in Chu Qiguang and gradually steadying his nerves.
As it spoke, the other beasts obediently turned back, swaying their heads as they resumed chanting. Only a few foxes and feral cats could not suppress their curiosity, glancing back at Chu Qiguang from time to time.
Watching this scene unfold, Chu Qiguang's mind raced: 'There are this many demons? The dark shapes I saw in the bamboo grove earlier were probably similar demons, weren't they?'
Although the orange cat had spoken with him earlier, Chu Qiguang had known nothing of its true capability. Seeing so many birds and beasts directed in such orderly fashion by this cat, its value in his eyes surged dramatically.
Though Chu Qiguang was currently nothing more than a mortal, looking at the creatures before him sparked a nascent thought.
'If I can secure the help of these demons—or even take control of them—what would a petty Wang family matter?'
Chu Qiguang immediately cupped his fists, his face morphing into an expression of unreserved admiration as he poured on the flattery: "Master is truly an immortal among cats! Such grace in enlightening all living creatures is truly a blessing for the realm, a blessing for the Great Han!"
The orange cat, who had been sitting cross-legged atop the boulder, sprang lightly to its hind feet. Then, with a single blur of movement, it appeared before Chu Qiguang as if teleporting.
Hearing Chu Qiguang's words, the orange cat's whiskers twitched, and the corners of its mouth couldn't help curling into a broad, delighted grin.
Though it could speak, Daoist temples kept watch throughout the Great Han Dynasty; how could it dare speak casually to humans? It had been cooped up and stifled for years.
As for the beasts under its charge, those who could manage more than a few words were already considered clever; expecting them to sing its praises was pure fantasy.
Hearing Chu Qiguang's lavish praise now, it instantly found the boy to be honest, wholesome, and delightfully pleasant to listen to.
With its front paws clasped behind its back, it circled Chu Qiguang and said, "Five days ago, I sensed that your primordial spirit had broken free, and your vital energy and blood showed signs of losing true nature and succumbing to inner fire before gradually calming down. I suspected then that you had awakened past-life wisdom, and testing you today proves it to be true. The Zhou Ergou of the past would never have dared venture up the mountain alone in the dead of night to see me."
Seeing an orange cat standing upright on two legs, swaying its head and evaluating him like a scholar, Chu Qiguang felt an indescribable sense of absurdity. But hearing the meaning behind its words, his heart tightened.
Yet the deference on his face did not waver in the slightest: "Master's discerning eye is truly beyond compare. Over these past few days, I have indeed felt my mind growing increasingly sharp."
The orange cat's whiskers twitched, and it looked at Chu Qiguang with a beaming smile: "Come now, no need to call me Master. Just call me Qiao Zhi."
Seeing that it hadn't exposed his identity as a transmigrator, Chu Qiguang breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Glancing at the beasts being schooled like pupils, he deduced that this cat loved mimicking humans and playing the teacher. Since a mere title could win over the cat's favor, he was naturally going to lay it on thick.
"Master Qiao's learning bridges heaven and man," Chu Qiguang said. "Instructing beasts in speech carries the very demeanor of ancient sages. You more than deserve the title of Master."
Qiao Zhi's tail curled higher and higher. Enlightening these demons had been his proudest achievement over the past two years; hearing Chu Qiguang praise it so, how could he not be ecstatic?
The two of them chatted and laughed, and with Chu Qiguang deliberately ingratiating himself, the atmosphere grew ever more harmonious.
Seeing Chu Qiguang's deferential posture, Qiao Zhi thought to himself, 'After all, he was just a country lad before. Even if he awakened past wisdom, after Lord Qiao here showed off some immortal arts, he has submitted completely.'
Watching the cat's tail curled so high it looked ready to snap off, Chu Qiguang thought to himself, 'After all, it's just a country demon. A few casual flatteries and it's completely lost its head.'
While plotting how to use the other party, Chu Qiguang appeared all the more respectful and courteous on the outside. Seeing that the time was ripe, he finally asked, "Master Qiao, please enlighten me: what exactly is my situation? And what influence does this past-life wisdom bring?"
For years, the orange cat had cultivated in the mountains. But with the Daoist temples holding sway, it had never dared reveal anything miraculous before humans, which felt like wearing embroidered robes while walking in the dark.
Today, being treated with such deference by a human was rare indeed, and the title 'Master Qiao' filled it with delight. Its gaze upon Chu Qiguang grew increasingly benevolent. "Unlocking past-life wisdom naturally makes your mind sharper—that is entirely reasonable. As for where your past-life wisdom came from, that is because you were originally a banished immortal from the heavens. I have come today to deliver you and guide you back to the immortal ranks."
Chapter 8