Even now, the memories of the twisted, frenzied looks on the villagers’ faces remained vivid in Chu Qiguang’s mind.

In this world, Daoist temples were not only home to demon-vanquishing figures like the one from the story of the reanimated corpse, they were also a figurative mountain weighing down on the people.

The Wang Clan Village was situated in Azure Sun County of the Spirit Province, and while the Wang Clan was a dominant force in the Wang Clan Village, they could only be considered a small landowner in the context of the entire county.

In contrast, the Daoist temples were the true dominant force of the county. They presided over all matters related to weddings, funerals, preaching scriptures, worship, and vanquishing fiends for the county’s entire population of over a hundred thousand.

In addition, countless wealthy clans transferred their land to Daoist temples through various means for tax evasion purposes, whether through donations or the falsification and revision of official records. After all, Daoist temples were exempt from paying tax and forced labor.

The entire Wang Clan Village and the entire Azure Sun County worship the Profound Origin Dao Lord, and they’re extremely fanatical in their faith. The Daoist priests of the county will even capture villagers who they deem to be demons and have them drowned in the rivers.

As for the reasons why people were drowned, they were downright absurd and laughable in Chu Qiguang’s eyes.

Some were suspected of demonic practices simply for dressing inappropriately, some were captured for having bad reputations, and some with mental disorders were also targeted. In fact, in Chu Qiguang’s eyes, some people were drowned simply because they had gotten on the bad side of the Daoist priests, after which the Daoist temples would purchase all of their land at dirt-cheap prices.

The mere thought of this was enough to send chills down Chu Qiguang’s spine, and he didn’t dare consider any overly modern or futuristic strategies.

Before I attain enough power and status, I have to do things in a way that fits the current culture and societal norms.

Grain tax, forced labor, landowners, officials, religion... These were all figurative mountains weighing down on poor farmers like Ergou, suffocating and exploiting them.

If Chu Qiguang hadn’t taken over Ergou’s body, then the two taels and two qian of silver in grain tax would’ve surely been the final straw that crushed Ergou’s family. They would’ve either had to sell their land and become slaves of the Wang Clan, or sell Ergou’s sister just to barely scrape together enough money to pay the grain tax.

And this condition of mine only makes things worse! Shit! I have to improve my quality of life as soon as possible. Otherwise, every single day will feel like torture! Perhaps that orange cat really is an opportunity...

In light of his current situation, Chu Qiguang slowly came to a decision.

It wasn’t like his current situation could get any worse, and if that cat really was some fiend or demon with sinister intentions toward him, then there was likely nothing he could do to stop it anyway.

Another thing he had failed to notice was that his decision had already been influenced by the sense of affection that kept rising in his heart toward the orange cat.

Ergou’s mother lamented their circumstances for a while before going into the kitchen to cook after receiving some more reassurance from Chu Qiguang. Before long, a fragrant aroma began drifting out from the kitchen.

Chu Qiguang and Ergou’s sister were drawn into the kitchen by the aroma, swallowing hard as they stared intently at the two pieces of flatbread their mother was heating up.

Ergou's mother held the pieces of flatbread in her hands, then reluctantly passed them off to Chu Qiguang and Ergou's sister as she said, “Eat up.”

“You should have some too, Mother,” Chu Qiguang said, unable to bear the sight of her gaunt and sallow cheeks.

“I’m full just from smelling them, so you two can have them,” Ergou’s mother replied with a smile.

Chu Qiguang let out an inward sigh, while Ergou’s sister was already wolfing down her piece of flatbread.

“Slow down!” Ergou’s mother urged. “You’re going to choke otherwise.”

Her stomach spasmed slightly as she caught another whiff of the flatbread’s aroma, but all she could do was scoop up a bowl of water from the water vat to fill her stomach.

That night, after Ergou’s mother and sister were already sound asleep, Chu Qiguang carefully got out of bed and made his way to the rear mountain.

***

The place the villagers of the Wang Clan Village referred to as the rear mountain didn’t actually have a name. It was simply an uncultivated mountain that was mostly covered in a bamboo forest. The nearby villagers often came here to cut bamboo for wood, or to dig up bamboo shoots to sell in the county.

In the dead of night, most of the mountain was cast into complete darkness. Chu Qiguang didn’t know what time it was, but fortunately, the moon was bright enough tonight for him to barely make out the path leading up to the mountain summit.

This isn’t a big mountain, but it’s not exactly small either. I wonder where that cat is waiting for me. Even if I were looking for a person, I could easily go an entire night without being able to find them, let alone a cat. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

By the time he was halfway up the mountain, Chu Qiguang was already panting heavily, and he could feel his body growing colder and more exhausted by the second. His stomach was also constantly cramping, sending out intense hunger signals.

As the night deepened, a few shrill cries that sounded like owls or foxes rang out from deep within the forest before being carried away by the wind.

Chu Qiguang was accustomed to modern city life, and the combination of the cold wind and unsettling cries raised goosebumps all over his skin. He was already beginning to regret this little late-night escapade.

All of a sudden, he felt a little puzzled by his own decision-making. It was unlike him to impulsively wander into the mountains in the dead of night.

Maybe I should just go back. I can use my own ways to deal with the Wang Clan.

Just as Chu Qiguang turned around, several specks of eerie green light suddenly appeared in the bamboo forest behind him, dancing in the wind like ghostly flames.

Chu Qiguang instantly tensed up in apprehension, but before he had a chance to react, the ghostly flames began drifting toward him, as if they had noticed him.

Chu Qiguang grabbed the machete hidden inside his clothes, and in the next instant, the ghostly flames darted out of the bamboo forest, revealing two tiny figures that began to approach him. They were about the size of one or two-year-old infants, and they walked with a strange gait, making Chu Qiguang even more anxious and on-edge.

Only when the pair of figures was illuminated by the moonlight did Chu Qiguang realize that they were two feral cats with different fur patterns, and the ghostly green flames turned out to be the green light shimmering in their eyes.

Aren’t these the two cats that were playing with Ergou's sister earlier?

What puzzled Chu Qiguang even more was that the two cats weren’t displaying their usual docile and lazy demeanor. Instead, they were standing upright on their hind legs with their front paws pressed together, much like humans joining their palms together in a greeting salute.

Could it be that these two are also fiends, just like the orange cat?

The white cat at the front meowed at Chu Qiguang as it beckoned to him with one of its front paws, then turned around as if signaling for him to follow.

These must be guides sent by the orange cat.

At first, he was still a little hesitant, but as he thought of the orange cat in Ergou’s memories, an inexplicable sense of trust arose in his heart. In the end, he steeled his resolve and followed the cats into the bamboo forest.