Chen Yuexi was gone, but the rain continued its steady rhythm. Li Fan carried the bowl of medicine, from which Chen Yuexi had taken only a sip, back to the inner room. It would be a shame to waste it. Thinking back, the girl had been interesting. His remedies could only heal mortals, not cultivators. Yet this gentle woman, who looked so lost and worried as she wandered aimlessly in the downpour, had been kind enough to play along with his little charade. It was a pity. They would likely never meet again. He was a mere mortal; she was a young cultivator. Their paths were never meant to cross for long. Li Fan rubbed his sore neck and prepared to head back to the kitchen to cook. After a meal and a short rest, he would see if this rainy day brought any more patients his way. Suddenly, his ear twitched. “Meow.” The faint cry drew Li Fan’s attention. He looked toward the clinic’s entrance, where a small white head had just poked around the doorframe. Mile closer, he found a white-furred kitten. Judging by its size, it couldn't have been weaned long ago. The white kitten showed no fear as he approached, simply staring up at Li Fan with large, gray-blue eyes. “Oh, a little stray.” Li Fan squatted and scooped the kitten into his arms. It didn't resist, but settled into his embrace as if in a daze. He stroked its soft fur, a pang of pity in his heart. The kitten was undeniably cute, its body a pure white, like an ice lotus on a snow-capped mountain. Looking closer, he noticed a strange, purple pattern on its forehead. Without thinking, Li Fan leaned down and kissed the spot. But as he held the kitten, he felt that something was wrong. His fingers found numerous small wounds hidden in the fur. On its lower abdomen, blood had matted the snow-white coat into a grim crimson. The injury looked severe. Of course. The storm yesterday had been ferocious. For a person, such a downpour was a mere inconvenience. For a tiny animal like this, it was a catastrophe. Li Fan’s brow furrowed. “You’re hurt quite badly.” The white kitten weakly licked the corner of Li Fan’s sleeve. Li Fan smiled. “Hold on. I’ll get you some medicine.” He placed the kitten gently on the counter and went into the back room. The moment he was gone, the kitten’s eyes narrowed, a glint of murderous intent flashing within them as it licked a paw. To think a tiger would be hounded by dogs, a phoenix pecked by common hens. She, Su Jinxi, a mighty figure under the throne of the Ten Thousand Monsters and the great elder of the Nine-Life Demon Cat Clan, should have been transcending her thunder Tribulation Crossing last night. Under the full moon of the demon realm, she was supposed to ascend to the Grand Ascension period. Instead, she was ambushed by other demons mid-tribulation. She had failed. The Tribulation Crossing lightning had struck her, leaving her half-dead. Grievously wounded, Su Jinxi had fled for a day and a night, losing all track of how far she’d run. She had finally collapsed in the mountains, her power so depleted she couldn't even maintain her human form, reverting to her true demon cat body. Then, it had rained all night. To make matters worse, the nearby Blackwater City was home to an ancestor of the Zhao family, a cultivator who had reached the eighth Establishment of the Soul Division Stage. The old man had sensed her presence and given chase. In her weakened state, Su Jinxi could only wield a fraction of her power. She was quickly overwhelmed, forced to use her last teleportation artifact to escape into the city. She had suffered a devastating loss. She had expended countless magical treasures just to survive the Tribulation Crossing lightning—a force that had claimed innumerable experts far stronger than her. She was lucky to be alive at all, but her body was shattered. Compounding that with the recent fight against the Zhao family ancestor, her tenth-level Tribulation Crossing cultivation was now completely sealed. Worse, she had been teleported directly into her enemy’s territory. The Zhao family ancestor would surely find her soon. In her prime, she could have annihilated a hundred Zhao family ancestors with a single move. Now, her life was forfeit. But Su Jinxi had no intention of giving up so easily. If she could devour the mortal before her, she might recover a sliver of her power. It might be enough to turn the tables… Besides, that human had just touched her all over. And kissed her! She, Su Jinxi, was the most beautiful woman of the Nine-Life Demon Cats. Countless males in the demon clan had vied for her affection, only to be kicked away for their audacity. And now she had been reduced to being petted and kissed by a common mortal! The humiliation! She wouldn't be satisfied until he was dead! Su Jinxi seethed silently, lying on the counter with her eyes closed, concentrating on enduring the waves of pain wracking her body. When Li Fan returned with the medicine, he saw the kitten seemingly asleep on the table and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. “Don’t sleep, little one. Spring is more important.” He set the bowl on the table and gently patted the white cat’s back. “It just so happens Miss Yuexi didn't finish her portion. You can have the rest. It will be good for warming you up. I’ll bandage your wounds afterward.” The white cat lazily opened its eyes. Seeing that the mortal had actually brought it medicine, she scoffed internally at his foolishness. Such a concoction would have no effect on her, of course. A thunder Tribulation Crossing injury could only be healed by consuming the rarest of celestial treasures. Still, she had little strength left. To let this mortal lower his guard, she decided she would humor him and lick at the bowl. And then… “Hmm… Hm? Meow?!” Su Jinxi froze. Something was wrong. This medicine… it contained an immense amount of pure, healing power! Su Jinxi was stunned. After only a few laps of the brownish liquid, the deep-seated injuries from the thunder Tribulation Crossing were healing at an astonishing rate. Not only that, she could feel her demon body showing signs of a breakthrough. A demon’s physical form was separate from their cultivation, evolving only through rare opportunities. For the Nine-Life Demon Cats, the lowest form had black fur, followed by purple, white, silver, and finally jade. Su Jinxi’s talent for cultivation was immense, but evolving her demon body was far more difficult, limited by her bloodline. Though she was a tenth-level cultivator, her demon body was merely white. But now, after just a few sips of this soup, the form that hadn't advanced in centuries was beginning to evolve. “Huh?” Li Fan had been watching the kitten drink, and now he noticed something odd. The cat’s fur was gradually shifting to a shimmering silver-white. He blinked, and on closer inspection, saw that its eyes were glowing with a faint silver light, seeming brighter than before. “Well now, this silver color is much prettier than the white. I haven’t seen a silver cat in a long time.” Though the stray kitten’s fur had changed color for some unknown reason, Li Fan didn’t think much of it. The world was full of strange things; a cat changing its coat was hardly worth remarking on. It actually broke through… just like that? Su Jinxi couldn’t believe it. A threshold she hadn’t been able to cross for hundreds of years had just been shattered here, in a tiny clinic in a human town, after she’d been stranded and gravely injured. All from a few sips of soup. And that wasn’t all. The latent injuries from the thunder Tribulation Crossing were completely gone. Her tenth-level Tribulation Crossing cultivation was fully restored, ready to be used at will. But… But now she didn't dare make a single move. Because the bowl of medicine before her was glowing with the faint brilliance of the stars and the moon. This was Star-Moon Divine Water, ranked eleventh on the “Celestial Herb Roll.” A single drop was a priceless treasure, yet here before her sat half a bowl of it. And that mortal… No, he was no mortal. Mortals could never come into contact with Star-Moon Divine Water. To them, such a divine medicine was no different from a deadly Hex. And she… she couldn’t see through this young man’s cultivation at all. She, Su Jinxi, was a tenth-level Tribulation Crossing survivor. For there to be someone in this world whose power she couldn't perceive, it could only mean one thing: he was a supreme expert in the Celestial Sovereign Stage. What else could it mean? The man before her had to be an unfathomably powerful being. A cold dread washed over Su Jinxi. An expert of his caliber… how could he not see that she was a Nine-Life Demon Cat? But he didn't seem to care in the slightest, which meant that in his eyes, her entire clan was no different from a common stray. Not worth a second thought. And it was true. The leader of the Nine-Life Demon Cat Clan was only at the fourth Establishment of the Grand Ascension Stage. To this man, they were all just wild cats he could touch and pet as he pleased. And she had wanted to devour his soul? Wasn't that just courting death? At that thought, Su Jinxi looked up, trembling. Li Fan was staring down at her, his expression unnervingly cold. A tremendous pressure suddenly descended upon her, so immense she felt she couldn’t even breathe. “Be a good girl and finish your medicine.” Li Fan tapped the side of the bowl, his voice slightly stern. This little cat must think the medicine is bitter. But it can’t refuse to drink it. After being out in the rain for so long, it needs to warm its body. When raising a small animal, one had to show a bit of the owner’s strictness. Su Jinxi froze. She hesitantly dipped her paw, then her head, and lapped up the rest of the medicine. She then quickly retracted her paws, hugged her belly, and looked up at Li Fan with a fawning expression. Li Fan was amused by the kitten’s antics. “You’ll stay with me from now on. I’ll take care of you.” … The Zhao family of Blackwater City was once a great and rare power in the dynasty. However, they were plagued by a familiar problem: each generation was weaker than the last. Now, the Zhao family had lost most of the industries their ancestors had built, and could only cling to their old nest in Blackwater City. In the main hall of the Zhao family mansion, Zhao Cheng, the eldest young master, was in a foul mood. His good-for-nothing fiancée had run off instead of staying in her room to try on her wedding dress. She had no respect for him! The marriage had been arranged by the ancestor himself. He knew the Chen family was treating the Zhao family like a dumping ground, marrying off a useless daughter just to forge a “connection.” In truth, Chen Yuexi was of no use to the Chen family anymore. She was just a piece of trash they were selling off cheap. But by marrying her, Zhao Cheng and the Zhao family could claim a tie to the Chen family. That part didn’t matter to Zhao Cheng. What mattered was that Chen Yuexi, now a cripple, still dared to act arrogant and show him, her future husband, such disrespect. Well, Zhao Cheng had already made up his mind. Chen Yuexi had once been a genius far beyond his reach, but now she was just a hot potato the Chen family had tossed to him. They would no longer support her. After the wedding, he would make Chen Yuexi taste his authority. Just then, Chen Yuexi strode into the hall, braving the unrelenting rain. “Where have you been?!” Zhao Cheng slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet, his face contorted with anger. “…Where is your Zhao family’s ancestor?” Chen Yuexi shot him a contemptuous glance. She could see right through Zhao Cheng now. His second-level Golden Elixir cultivation was pathetically shallow. A mediocre, incompetent fop. And she was to be married to this creature? Chen Yuexi suppressed the urge to draw her sword and cut him down on the spot. “The ancestor is out on important business. He has no time to see a useless woman like you.” Zhao Cheng sneered, his eyes raking over Chen Yuexi’s rain-soaked form. Chen Yuexi raised an eyebrow. She knew perfectly well that her current cultivation was at the seventh Establishment of the Nascent Divinity. A fool like Zhao Cheng could never perceive it. He thought she was still the same waste whose cultivation was in constant decline. “Listen here, Chen Yuexi. My Zhao family is treating you with courtesy because we remember the genius you once were. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be qualified to be my maid!” “Now get back to your room and try on your wedding dress! If you don’t, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Zhao Cheng pointed a threatening finger at the door. “…Try on the wedding dress, is it? Very well.” Hearing this, a faint smile touched Chen Yuexi’s lips. She gave him one last, sarcastic look, then turned and walked away. The moment her back was to him, her smile twisted into a cold, sharp arc. Since the Zhao family placed so much importance on this marriage, she would utterly trample their dignity on the most solemn of occasions.

Chapter 3: A Visitor in the Rain