Cheng Xinzhan handed over the orchid plant.
He didn’t know what it was, but when it was sent from Redwood Ridge, it was packaged separately.
The woman took it and examined it carefully, muttering to herself, "The leaves are tongue-shaped, lush and green, with thin roots and short stems. Both the flowers and leaves are fragrant. This is a slipper orchid! A top-grade orchid, and it’s been put into a dormant state, so its survival rate is extremely high."
Holding the orchid, the woman asked, "Fellow Daoist, could you part with this slipper orchid? We can discuss the price."
Cheng Xinzhan wasn’t familiar with this, so he asked, "A friend gave it to me. What’s it used for?"
The woman simply replied, "For viewing."
He was a bit surprised.
"Just for viewing?"
Not wanting Cheng Xinzhan to think she was trying to lowball him, the woman explained, "Its main use is indeed for viewing. The medicinal value of slipper orchids is very low—I can’t deceive you, Fellow Daoist. You can ask anyone and they’ll tell you the same.
This orchid hasn’t bloomed yet, but its form is already quite elegant. When it blooms, the flowers are uniquely shaped like a pouch, with a delicate color and a long blooming period. Its faint fragrance attracts bees and butterflies.
It’s a treasure among orchids. However, this flower only grows on steep cliffs deep in the Miaojiang region, making it extremely rare."
Cheng Xinzhan nodded and asked, "What price are you willing to offer?"
The woman thought for a moment and said honestly, "Slipper orchids are extremely rare. To those of us who love orchids, they’re worth their weight in gold. This orchid’s color hasn’t been determined yet—it could be white, red, or purple. Its value should be between one to five gold coins. I’m willing to offer three gold coins. How does that sound?"
The price was a bit unexpected.
Cheng Xinzhan hadn’t realized it was so valuable, so he nodded in agreement.
The woman was delighted.
"Meow~"
Just as the woman was about to take out the money, the last remaining kitten suddenly let out a soft meow.
The woman was startled, then smiled and gently stroked the kitten.
"So Third Sister isn’t mute after all. But since no one wants you, you’ll stay with me from now on."
Cheng Xinzhan glanced at the kitten and then at the other cats surrounding the woman.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that these kittens all had some kind of defect—some had only one ear, others had a limp, and some had broken tails.
Yet, they all seemed happy and well-cared for, playing and frolicking around the woman.
Did this vendor keep all the kittens that couldn’t be sold?
He took a closer look at the calico kitten.
Its fur was indeed beautiful.
He thought to himself, if he ever had to leave and couldn’t take Bailong with him, the dog might feel lonely guarding the cave alone.
Maybe he should get Bailong a companion?
With that in mind, he asked, "Fellow Daoist, when Daoist Yao asked about the price of this kitten earlier, you said three gold coins?"
The woman nodded, then quickly realized, "Fellow Daoist! Are you interested in Third Sister?"
He nodded but had some concerns.
"Is this kitten easy to care for? My Bailong is very low-maintenance. I hardly have to do anything for him."
The woman asked, "Is your Bailong male or female?"
"Male."
The woman smiled.
"Then there’s no problem. Bailong is special in that regard. Male dogs are fierce and alert when hunting, but gentle and attentive when caring for young. This calico kitten is already over four months old and won’t easily fall ill. You can just leave her to Bailong’s care. It’ll be fine."
Cheng Xinzhan nodded.
Back in the Miao village, Bailong had been raised by his father and only went to his mother for milk.
"Then let’s trade this kitten for the orchid."
The woman’s smile was brighter than the flowers on her dress as she picked up the kitten and handed it to Cheng Xinzhan.
He fumbled a bit as he took the kitten.
The little cat, unable to see, squirmed a few times before finding a comfortable position in his arms.
She nuzzled his chest and let out a soft meow.
"It really is fate," the woman said with a smile.
"Before you came, Third Sister never made a sound. We all thought she was mute. But as soon as you arrived, she meowed twice."
Cheng Xinzhan looked down at the kitten in his arms and smiled.
"Fellow Daoist, I still have three packs of cat food left—two are regular food, and one is dried fish. Since there’s no one else here, I’ll give them all to you. Just remember to treat Third Sister well, okay?" The woman handed him the remaining packs of cat food from her stall.
Cheng Xinzhan thanked her.
"Since this is your first time raising a cat, if anything happens—if she gets sick or stops eating—you can come find me at Ní Mountain. My name is Qu Jihan."
He nodded and thanked her.
Then he asked, "Do you have any methods for helping spirit pets absorb qi and transform into demons? I originally prepared this for Bailong, but now I’ll need one for this kitten as well."
"Yes, I do."
Qu Jihan nodded.
With so many cats and dogs in her courtyard, how could she not have such methods? She wanted these animals to stay with her for a long time.
"Here’s the Linu Walking the Spine Diagram and the Dilong Searching the Mountain Diagram. These are the qi-absorption methods for cats and dogs, respectively. They’re actually similar to the body array qi-absorption methods we cultivators use. Just have your spirit pets practice according to the diagrams."
Qu Jihan handed him two illustrated manuals.
He flipped through a few pages and saw vivid depictions of cats and dogs leaping or crouching in various postures.
He accepted them and asked, "How much are these worth?"
The woman replied, "I noticed you still have plenty of chicken blood vine. Just give me five more pieces."
It was practically a giveaway price.
Cheng Xinzhan thanked her and left.
When he returned to Mingzhi Mountain, Bailong came running up to greet him.
Cheng Xinzhan smiled, crouched down, and revealed the calico kitten, holding her out to the dog.
Bailong’s eyes filled with curiosity.
He sniffed the kitten intently, then licked her.
"Meow~"
The kitten let out another soft meow.
Bailong happily circled around Cheng Xinzhan.
He chuckled, set the kitten down on the ground, and then took out a pack of the newly bought dog food.
He poured some of the meat chunks into a bowl.
From the moment Cheng Xinzhan took out the dog food, Bailong’s nose had been twitching nonstop, and his tail wagged so fast it became a blur.
But when Cheng Xinzhan placed the bowl in front of him, Bailong didn’t immediately dig in.
Instead, he gently picked up the wobbly kitten and brought her over, as if telling her to eat first.
Cheng Xinzhan smiled at the sight and patted Bailong’s head.
"This is for you."
Then he picked up a nearby stone, used his magic to carve it, and quickly made a new bowl.
He placed it next to Bailong’s bowl, poured in some cat food, and set the kitten in front of it.
Only after seeing the kitten start eating did Bailong begin devouring his own food like a whirlwind.
Cheng Xinzhan looked at the kitten and smiled.
"I need to give you a name quickly. It wouldn’t be good if you ended up being called ‘Second Wait.’ Let me think…"
He noticed the kitten’s tricolored fur and said, "Qu Jihan called you Third Sister, so I’ll just call you Third Sister too. Now in Wuyou Cave, there are three of us—I’m the eldest, Wait is the second, and you’re the third sister. Haha."
End of Chapter
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