In front of the construction site, a middle-aged man in his forties stood at the entrance with his hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed in a white Zhongshan suit.

He was the Demon Hunter from the Bai Family.

"Master Yu, I didn't expect you to arrive so soon," Su Yu said, stepping forward to greet him. He clearly already knew who the man was. "Let me introduce you. This is my friend, Tu Xiao'an. I also asked him to come and help."

His name was Yu Zitong. Although he was a member of the Bai Family, he wasn't from the direct lineage. Rather, he was a Martial Cultivator who had pledged his allegiance to them, eventually becoming a professional Demon Hunter.

Yu Zitong glanced at Su Yu and said coolly, "Hello, Boss Su. I didn't expect you to hire someone else. Isn't that a bit redundant?"

He glanced at the young Tu Xiao'an out of the corner of his eye, a slight frown on his face.

Su Yu explained, "This rat plague is quite severe. Brother Xiao'an here is also a Martial Cultivator, and he has an Awakened Snake Species, which should be very helpful against the rats."

"Do you know why the Bai Family sent me?"

Yu Zitong suddenly asked, his tone indifferent.

Su Yu was taken aback.

"Because I have a pet that is the bane of all rats."

"Oh... is that so? Is it an Awakened Creature, too?" Su Yu's eyes lit up.

Only then did everyone notice the quiet cat cradled in Yu Zitong's arms. Its entire body was covered in golden spots, making it look as if it were draped in a tiger's skin. It was a striking sight.

Perhaps it was the attention from the onlookers that made it uncomfortable, because the cat suddenly brandished its fangs and claws at the crowd. It let out a fierce cry, its aura incredibly vicious and its presence unnerving. Its pupils were sharp and piercing, radiating a golden light.

It startled Su Yu so badly that he stumbled back several steps.

"My apologies, Boss Su. I didn't mean to startle you," Yu Zitong said, feigning an apology. "This cat of mine is an Awakened, mutated breed. It possesses the might of a tiger and the presence of a lion. It's one in a million. Not only is it the bane of rats, but it's also the bane of the Snake Race."

As he spoke, Yu Zitong glanced at Tu Xiao'an, as if to say, 'What's so great about an Awakened Snake Species?'

'This cat of mine handles rats *and* snakes.'

Tu Xiao'an didn't mind the man's condescension. 'Perhaps my presence just annoys him. Since Su Yu already hired him, why hire someone else? Does he not trust Yu Zitong?'

In reality, it was all a misunderstanding. Su Yu hadn't meant anything by it.

The cat in the man's arms, however, did surprise Tu Xiao'an. 'This is no ordinary cat.'

'Its bloodline seems to be no less impressive than that of the Cat Spirit Haitang.'

'It looks majestic and fierce, like a miniature tiger. And its eyes... they glitter with a golden light, just like the Eyes of Golden Flame, full of power and authority.'

Those eyes felt familiar to Tu Xiao'an, and then it suddenly dawned on him. 'Those are Yin Yang Eyes!'

'Just like my Black-eared Xiaobai after it awakened, this cat possesses Yin Yang Eyes, capable of seeing through the illusions of this world.'

'Any creature born with Yin Yang Eyes is truly remarkable. They're all first-class House Guardian Beasts.'

'In ancient times, there was a saying that mystical black cats ward off evil. Even today, people say that black Xuan cats are used to guard homes, and they're no less effective than dogs.'

'This is also why most households raise either a cat or a dog.'

'If they are spiritually aware, both creatures can serve as House Guardian Beasts, protecting the home.'

'It's also why cats and dogs are like two tigers in one mountain. A family either has a cat, or they have a dog.'

'Put them together, and they'll always fight.'

'It's like they're competing to see who's stronger.'

'Insight.'

"DING... Level 19 Mutated Golden Pupils. High Rank Creature, Overlord of Cats. Possesses the might of a tiger and the presence of a lion. Harbors Yin Yang Eyes."

'What an impressive Awakened cat. Although it hasn't become a Rank Two Cat Spirit yet, its bloodline is incredibly noble, even more so than Haitang's. It's going to become a terrifying Demon one day.'

Tu Xiao'an was staring at the cat, but the moment its gaze fell upon him, it suddenly flew into a frenzy.

"ROWR..."

It let out a deafening, tiger-like roar and leaped from Yu Zitong's arms. When it landed, all the golden fur on its body stood on end. It was majestic, yet exuded a fierce and violent aura. Its Yin Yang Eyes flared brightly, fixed directly on Tu Xiao'an as if it had seen an enemy and was preparing to attack.

Tu Xiao'an's expression changed. 'The cat's seen that I'm a Snake Spirit. Its hostility is obvious, and its perception is unnervingly sharp.'

"Easy now, my precious. Don't be mean to the young man."

Yu Zitong chuckled as he picked Golden Pupils up off the ground, its fur still bristling. He stroked its soft coat to comfort it.

But Golden Pupils' powerful, intimidating eyes remained locked on Tu Xiao'an, full of wariness.

Su Yu, thinking Yu Zitong was deliberately trying to intimidate Tu Xiao'an, tried to ease the tension. "Master Yu, your cat is truly incredible. It's even more frightening than a tiger! I was so scared my legs went weak."

After he spoke, he patted Tu Xiao'an on the shoulder, as if telling him not to take it to heart.

Seeing such a formidable cat, Su Yu was ecstatic.

'Cats have been catching rats since the dawn of time. They're their greatest natural enemy. It looks like the rat plague at my construction site can finally be resolved.'

"Let's go in. I'm eager to see what kind of Rat Spirit is causing trouble here. Coincidentally, my precious is hungry. It can have a feast today."

With the air of a warrior ready for battle, Yu Zitong strode into the construction site.

Su Yu glanced at Tu Xiao'an and followed after them, whispering, "Brother Xiao'an, since it's come to this, let's just sit back and enjoy the show."

Tu Xiao'an shrugged. He was quite intrigued by the cat. 'It saw that I'm a Snake Spirit with a single glance. It's truly no ordinary creature.'

'This cat has an incredibly noble bloodline, but it hasn't even reached Rank Two yet. It can't even speak.'

'That just makes it all the more remarkable.'

'With Golden Pupils here, I really don't need to lift a finger. Unless we're dealing with an exceptionally powerful Rat Spirit, this should be a piece of cake.'

The group entered the construction site, which was completely silent. Due to the rat plague, not a single worker was present.

After walking for a while, Yu Zitong frowned. "I can't smell any Demon Qi. And how come I haven't seen a single rat?"

"Could they have been scared off by my precious and fled?"

Su Yu said, "Patience, Master. You usually don't see any rats during the day. But as soon as someone enters, they'll swarm out from who-knows-where in no time."

"I certainly hope so," Yu Zitong said with an air of self-importance, intermittently stroking the soft fur of Golden Pupils in his arms, which seemed to calm it down a bit.

The so-called Demon Qi was, of course, the aura emitted by Awakened Creatures.

As for Yu Zitong's claim of sensing nothing, Tu Xiao'an chuckled inwardly. 'The Rat Spirit hiding on this site is no simple foe. I can already faintly sense its presence.'

'It's not something a mere Martial Cultivator can handle.'

Tu Xiao'an didn't know how the strength of Demon Hunters was categorized, but he had used Insight on Yu Zitong. 'He's just a Level 15 Martial Cultivator, equivalent to Rank One Middle Stage.'

'He's not even as strong as the cat in his arms. To be in his forties and only at this Realm... to put it bluntly, a man like that has no future. With such limited Talent, this is as far as he'll ever go.'

'How could someone like that possibly make an Awakened cat of such a noble breed submit to him? It's strange.'

'Possessing the might of a tiger and the presence of a lion means the cat must be incredibly proud and untamable. With such a fierce temperament, it would be difficult for it to swallow its pride and submit to a human.'

'Especially a human as weak as Yu Zitong.'

'You could even say that if Golden Pupils went berserk, it could probably kill three or five men like Yu Zitong without breaking a sweat.'