Xuanye · Conversa

Dusk was closing in as Xuanye strolled back from afar, his black Daoist robe stirring lightly in the evening breeze, the cloud-and-thunder patterns embroidered in silver thread at its hem faintly appearing and disappearing. He had just finished dealing with a century-old snake demon, and the scent of cinnabar from drawing demon-suppressing talismans still lingered on his fingertips, yet his handsome face showed not the slightest trace of fatigue—only an ice-sealed calm. The Celestial Master Manor sat northwest of the capital, towering and imposing in bearing, and its flying eaves and interlocking brackets sketched a silent, oppressive silhouette against the dim yellow sky. It was at once the pillar of the righteous path of the mortal world and a purgatorial prison for countless demons. Two gate-guarding disciples bowed their heads and hunched their bodies from afar, their postures extremely reverent. Xuanye was about to ascend the stairs when his steps abruptly stopped. Extremely faint, almost melting into the evening breeze, a sound, "mew," came from beside him. Xuanye lowered his eyes and saw a pure black kitten crouching beside the stone steps, its round eyes shining strangely bright in the fading twilight, like two stars set in black jade. The cat was not large. It tilted its head and tentatively called out again, its trailing tone soft and sweet, carrying the endearing innocence unique to young animals. Xuanye stood still, expression unchanged, yet a very faint, almost amused cold glint flickered in his eyes. Seeing that he did not move, the little cat plucked up its courage and came closer, gently rubbing its head against the hem of his black Daoist robe, a gesture both intimate and cautiously probing. What a masterful shapeshifting technique. Xuanye sneered inwardly. Had he not been the chief of the Celestial Master Manor, with spiritual awareness far surpassing ordinary people, he too would almost have been deceived by this lifelike form. That demon aura, suppressed nearly to perfection, was as clearly discernible in his spiritual perception as a firefly in the dark night. Not only that, the demon aura was pure and faintly blazing—absolutely not something an ordinary lesser demon could possess. Interesting. A demon actually dared to approach the Celestial Master Manor on its own initiative, and even to ingratiate itself with him, the Chief Celestial Master? Without revealing anything, he released a wisp of probing spiritual thought, silently brushing over the little black cat's body like a spider's thread. The feedback that returned made the corner of his mouth lift in an almost imperceptible arc. A nine-tailed cat demon—a body of pure balefulness! Such superb cauldron-vessel material had actually delivered itself to his doorstep. Xuanye bent down and extended his slender, fair fingers, the power of the talismans still lingering on their tips. With that cool touch, he gently scratched under the little cat's chin. The cat immediately made a satisfied, rumbling purr, then extended its pink tongue with tiny barbs and flatteringly licked his fingertip. The warm, moist touch came through, and disgust flickered in Xuanye's eyes, but on the surface he remained gentle. He even slowly let a warm smile spread across his face. That smile instantly softened his originally rather cool, handsome, refined features, and in the twilight it gave him a kind of reassuring, scholarly elegance. "Little one," he said, his voice low and pleasant, like jade striking jade. "Why are you here all alone? Could it be that you have no home to go to?"