’What’s going on?’

’I’m back, but Xiaojiu didn’t even greet me. She just turned and ran?’

’Did the little one get into some trouble?’

Yang Qi stopped, not opening the door right away.

Then, he heard a strange noise from the backyard. There was a RUSTLE in the grass at the foot of the hill as a small animal quickly scurried away.

’A stray cat?’

Yang Qi raised an eyebrow.

’Did Xiaojiu make friends with a stray cat during the two days I was gone?’

’It can’t be that she got mixed up with that Xiaohuangmao.’

’Xiaojiu has an awakened intelligence; there’s no way she’d be interested in an ordinary stray.’

’That leaves one other possibility: she made a new female friend?’

’And during the two days I was away, she even brought this "friend" home...’

At this thought, Yang Qi smiled to himself, deciding not to expose her.

He walked a few steps forward, took out his key, and opened the door to his dorm. With a soft CLICK and the flick of a light switch, the familiar sight of the room came into view.

The first to greet him were Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard.

Bai Wan was calm, Hu Zi was steady but concerned, and Leopard was the most enthusiastic. The three dogs surrounded him, rubbing their heads against his leg and letting out affectionate whimpers, their tails wagging happily.

After two days apart, they had clearly missed Yang Qi very much.

Xiaojiu also leaped gracefully down from the top of the sofa’s backrest, reappearing in the light. She approached with elegant steps, looked up at Yang Qi, and meowed twice. Her emerald-green eyes flickered in the light, seeming a little guilty, yet also filled with the joy of their reunion.

"Alright, alright, you’re all being so good."

Yang Qi smiled and rubbed each of their heads in turn, praising them, "You all did so well while I was away. Brother Chen told me you were very obedient."

After a few more comforting words, Yang Qi put down his backpack and went into the kitchen.

It was getting late, but not yet bedtime. Yang Qi decided to cook some Spirit Rice Porridge for a late-night snack and to replenish the energy of his Guardian Beasts.

He washed the rice, added water, and pressed the button on the rice cooker.

As the indicator light came on, a faint yet refreshing and unique aroma began to slowly fill the air.

While the porridge was cooking, Yang Qi went to the backyard and skillfully set up the components of the Demon Extermination Array, adjusting their angles and adding new dry ice and bait.

This setup had become a stable source of contribution points for him. Although the yield wasn’t large each time, every little bit counted.

After setting everything up, he went back inside. The aroma of the Spirit Rice Porridge had grown much stronger.

Xiaojiu had followed him closely. She circled his feet three times, then looked up with her emerald eyes. As if having made a great resolution, she hesitated for a long while before finally confessing.

[I’m sorry, Master.]

[I... I did something without telling you first.]

"What is it?"

Yang Qi already knew, but he didn’t let it show on his face, simply watching her gently.

Xiaojiu lowered her head, pawed at the ground, and continued.

[I... I invited a friend to stay at our home for two days.]

[She... She ate a lot of our food.]

’Just as I thought!’

Yang Qi said to himself. It was just as he had suspected.

He reached out, gently stroking Xiaojiu’s smooth head while using the Basic Spirit Communication Technique to reply gently.

"It’s alright. It was just some cat food, nothing serious. Next time, you don’t have to make her sneak around or leave in a hurry. Since she’s your friend, she’s welcome to visit and eat as much as she wants."

Feeling the tolerance and understanding in Yang Qi’s tone, Xiaojiu visibly relaxed. Her tense body loosened, and she rubbed her head hard against Yang Qi’s palm, letting out a coquettish meow.

[Master is the best~]

"When have I ever not been?" Yang Qi asked with a laugh.

Xiaojiu seemed embarrassed.

After a pause, she continued.

[My friend just gave birth to seven kittens, so it’s very hard for her to find food on her own.]

[I saw how hard it was for her and how much weight she’d lost, so... so I let her come home to eat the food Master had stored.]

’Seven in one litter?’

Yang Qi raised his eyebrows. It seemed Xiaojiu’s friend was quite an impressive mother cat.

But at the same time, the pressure of feeding seven hungry kittens must be immense for a stray mother cat.

"Raising seven little ones is certainly not easy."

Yang Qi said gently, "Tell her she’s welcome to come eat here anytime. If she has any other difficulties, you can also tell me, and I’ll do my best to help."

Meow~

[Thank you, Master.]

Xiaojiu was overjoyed. Her emerald eyes were filled with gratitude and affection as she continuously rubbed her head against Yang Qi’s hand, purring with delight.

"Woof~"

Just then, Leopard, who had been listening with pricked ears, let out an exaggerated sigh, as if he’d been holding his breath for a long time.

[That was killing me! I can finally talk.]

[I told you! I knew Master wouldn’t blame you.]

[See? I saw it coming. Master is the most generous.]

Hu Zi also gave a steady nod.

[Mmm, Master is the most reasonable.]

Bai Wan wagged his tail and calmly interjected: [I was never worried.]

Hearing this, Xiaojiu shot a glance at Bai Wan with her emerald eyes, then looked at the credit-stealing Leopard and huffed.

[I’ll remember this.]

"Woof?"

Leopard looked completely bewildered.

[Remember what? That we were praising Master?]

Xiaojiu couldn’t be bothered with the big dope anymore and turned her head to lick her paws.

[How weird.]

Leopard wagged his tail and trotted over to the side to lie down.

"Haha~"

Watching the interactions between the lively bunch at home, Yang Qi couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

This relaxed, warm atmosphere of mutual trust, mixed with a bit of playful bickering, made him feel exceptionally relaxed and warm.

This was more than just a master-pet relationship. They were more like family, partners who fought side-by-side and lived together.

...

The aroma of the Spirit Rice Porridge grew stronger and stronger, and the indicator light switched to "keep warm."

After letting it cool for a bit, Yang Qi served a bowl to each of the little ones and had one himself.

The warm Spirit Rice Porridge went down easily, not only warming his stomach but also nourishing his body and mind. The fatigue from the day seemed to melt away.

After the late-night snack, Yang Qi took a hot shower, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Then he went to the upstairs room, once again set up the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array, and sat cross-legged on the Meditation Cushion to begin his nightly cultivation.

The Magical Power within his Dantian slowly circulated under the influence of the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique, as pure Five Elements Spiritual Qi was continuously drawn in and refined.

The Magical Power he had consumed over the past two days was quickly restored.

His cultivation also showed a clear, slow increase.

Although it was slow, the feeling of steady, solid progress, bit by bit, left Yang Qi quite satisfied.

Especially with the added boost from the feedback of fortune provided by Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard, his cultivation became even smoother.

...

「The next morning」

Early the next morning, as the sky began to lighten, Yang Qi awoke from his meditative state, ending his cultivation session.

He first went to the backyard, skillfully packed up the Demon Extermination Array equipment that had been running all night, and cleaned up the residue.

Then he tallied his gains. The total contribution points came to exactly four hundred.

’Four draws in a row!’

The first, second, and third draws were Low-Grade Spirit Rice (ten catties), a Strengthening Pill, and a Qi Condensing Pill, respectively.

They were all routine consumable replenishments, but it was better than nothing.

The fourth draw...

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn a prize: Comprehension +1]