Cat Demon

"What does it look like?"

"Like a cat, just born not long ago, only two or three feet long, its patterns aren't fully developed..." Aunt Jiang explained.

"Can I have it? I'll pay with spirit stones!" Mo Hua eagerly requested.

Aunt Jiang waved her hand, "If you want it, I'll have Uncle Chu bring it to you tomorrow, no need for spirit stones."

Mo Hua insisted on paying with spirit stones.

Aunt Jiang firmly refused, "Liu Sister has helped me a lot, and you've been helping us with formations. I can't accept the spirit stones."

Aunt Jiang, who appeared reserved and shy, could also be quite stubborn at times.

Mo Hua reluctantly agreed not to pay with spirit stones but planned to discuss giving Aunt Jiang some extra wages this month with his mother.

"But, what do you want with this demon beast? They can't be kept as pets."

After a while, Aunt Jiang asked curiously.

All demon beasts have a natural animosity towards cultivators.

Some demon beasts prey on flesh and will hunt and devour cultivators.

Even those that don't eat flesh will kill weaker cultivators, disemboweling them before leaving.

Young demon beasts have the same nature, so they can't be raised by cultivators.

Some cultivators in Tongxian City have raised demon beasts.

When demon beasts are young, they're weak and won't harm their owners. Once they grow stronger and taste human blood, they'll kill their owners and consume their flesh.

Many cultivators have perished because they kept demon beasts as pets.

Aunt Jiang thought Mo Hua was too young to understand the nature of demon beasts and worried, "Keeping a demon beast is very dangerous..."

"Aunt Jiang, don't worry, I'm not keeping it as a pet," Mo Hua explained.

Aunt Jiang nodded. She would tell Mo Hua's parents about bringing the demon beast. Mo Shan was a demon hunter and quite familiar with demon beasts, so there shouldn't be any problems.

The next day, Aunt Jiang brought the cat demon.

This was Mo Hua's first time seeing a young demon beast, so he couldn't help but scrutinize it closely.

The cat demon was thin and small, with wrinkled fur mainly white with some black patterns. Covered in mud, its fur looked dull.

Despite its small size, the cat demon had sharp claws and two long fangs protruding from its mouth. Its eyes were alert yet harbored a fierce wildness.

Mo Hua had told his parents about the cat demon last night, so today Mo Shan stood by.

The cat demon was confined in an iron cage with scratches on the bars.

Perhaps due to Mo Shan being a demon hunter with too much demon blood on his hands, although the cat demon's eyes glinted with hostility, it kept its head down and didn't dare to act rashly.

Mo Shan frowned as he observed the cat demon.

"Dad, what kind of demon beast is this? A cat?" Mo Hua asked.

"It's too small to tell. Some demon beasts look drastically different in their youth and adulthood, making it hard to identify them. But judging from its appearance, it should be a type of night cat or luminous cat," Mo Shan speculated cautiously.

"Are cat demons known for their speed among demon beasts?"

Mo Shan nodded, "Correct, feline demon beasts aren't physically strong, but they're agile and elusive, making them quite troublesome."

Mo Shan brought the cat demon from the iron cage to a storage room at home.

This storage room was originally used for miscellaneous items, but Mo Hua requested to use it, so Mo Shan temporarily cleared it out.

Mo Hua explained his plan to Mo Shan; he wanted to use the demon beast to practice his martial arts.

Mo Shan had some concerns but eventually agreed.

The cat demon was young and not very powerful, making it suitable for martial arts practice. Otherwise, facing an adult demon beast directly could lead to being swallowed alive.

However, Mo Shan still cautioned, "Even though it's young, some demon beasts have innate talents and are extremely cunning. We mustn't underestimate it."

"Got it," Mo Hua nodded and took out several pieces of beef, tossing them to the cat demon.

The cat demon eyed Mo Hua warily, sniffed the beef, then greedily devoured it.

Uncle Chu had caught the cat demon with the intention of killing it sooner or later, so he hadn't fed it.

After eating the beef, the cat demon looked somewhat better.

"Practice once, I'll watch from the side," Mo Shan said, still concerned for Mo Hua's safety.

Mo Hua gently opened the iron cage.

The moment the cage door opened, the cat demon, previously weak, suddenly glared fiercely. In an instant, it disappeared from Mo Hua's sight. When it reappeared, its sharp claws were aimed straight for Mo Hua's eyes.

"Truly cunning and fierce!" Mo Hua was surprised but had expected this.

Mo Hua was at the fifth level of Qi refining, with a spiritual awareness beyond ordinary people. Despite the cat demon's ghostly and swift movements, Mo Hua could clearly perceive its every move.

Mo Hua tilted his head back, avoiding the cat demon's claws.

While still in the air, the cat demon adjusted its posture and, upon landing, charged towards Mo Hua like an arrow.

Mo Hua's gaze narrowed slightly. He supported himself with his hands, flipping lightly in the air to evade the cat demon beneath him.

But then, the cat demon suddenly disappeared.

Mo Hua's pupils contracted. Focusing his spiritual awareness, he sensed its presence behind him after a couple of breaths.

Mo Hua dodged to the side, but was a moment too slow. A claw flashed with white light, tearing Mo Hua's sleeve and leaving a shallow scratch.

The cat demon landed, licking the fresh blood from its claws, its eyes even more ferocious.

"Seeking death!" Mo Shan shouted angrily, his right hand clenched as flames ignited, as if he intended to crush the cat demon directly.

"Dad!" Mo Hua quickly intervened, "It's just a minor injury, I'm fine."

Mo Shan's hand was halfway raised in the air. He shook his head, "This fiend has already tasted human blood. It cannot be spared."

"Dad, let me keep it for a month," Mo Hua insisted.

After all, young demon beasts weren't easy to come by. Whether young or adult, most cultivators would kill demon beasts they encountered.

Some demon beasts, to prevent their offspring from falling into cultivator hands, would even kill their own young.

Mo Shan frowned for a moment, looking at Mo Hua's determined gaze. He sighed and withdrew his hand, saying, "Fine, keep it for a month."

Then Mo Shan turned his head to look at the cat demon, his gaze sharp as a sword. "However, if this cat demon injures you again next time, I'll crush it immediately."

The cat demon cowered in the corner, trembling under Mo Shan's aura.

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Dad, don't worry. I was just careless."

Then, Mo Hua addressed the cat demon, "Behave yourself this month, accompany me in practicing martial arts. After a month, I'll release you."

Mo Shan couldn't help but remark, "Hua'er, demons don't understand human speech."

"What if it does?" Mo Shan shrugged, seeing Mo Hua's childish persistence.

"Fine..." Mo Shan sighed, "Wear your vine armor and be cautious of the demon's innate powers. Within this month, if the cat demon shows any signs of craving human blood or losing control, it must be killed early."

Mo Shan cautioned once more.

Mo Hua listened carefully, silently remembering everything, then nodded repeatedly.

(End of the Chapter)