The Journey of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 231 - 147: Suspicion

Chapter 231: Chapter 147: Suspicion

The cultivator stepped forward and grabbed the nape of the Cat Demon, hoisting it into the air while laughing and scolding: "Nothing but a Qi-gathering stage demon that can’t even transform into human form; trying to slip into our group and muddle through? Tonight, we’re going to cook you alive, and have you as a Dragon and Tiger dish!"

Dragon and Tiger dish refers to a dish that cooks cat meat and snake meat together; it has a rather strong flavor that not everyone can enjoy, but it is a dish greatly loved by many gourmets.

The cat struggled hard, but its mana was so weak that the cultivator suppressed its demonic power in a matter of moments. Its physical strength was barely stronger than that of a real cat—how could it escape from his palm?

The girl was stunned for a while before realising what was happening. Looking between her bound grandfather and the cat being held by the cultivator, she wasn’t sure who to embrace first and finally, she burst into a loud cry!

"Ahua is our family’s cat, not a demon!" Finally, she ran towards her grandfather.

"What family cat? This is clearly a Qi-gathering stage demon. You raised a demon in your home and claim you didn’t know? Who would believe that?" The cultivator sneered at her coldly.

The elderly man on the ground hurriedly said: "Old man truly didn’t know. Our family makes a living selling noodles. This cat came to my house by itself seven years ago, never needing us to feed it, going out to hunt at night and only sleeping at my place during the day. It often even catches mice stealing our flour, so I allowed it to stay."

He didn’t mind the rough ground and kowtowed a few more times: "If it weren’t for the master’s guidance, both my granddaughter and I would still be fooled, perhaps eaten by this Cat Demon one day. The master has saved our lives, this old man is endlessly grateful!"

His tearful and sorrowful plea was nothing more than an effort to distance himself from the Cat Demon while flattering the cultivator, hoping that the latter would let the grandfather and granddaughter go. Though only a mortal, he had decades of life experience under his belt.

The Cat Demon seemed to understand human speech. It had been struggling desperately in the cultivator’s hands, but after listening to the old man’s words, it visibly paused, and the fluffed-up fur slowly deflated. It stopped moving and just stared steadily at the old man on the ground, eyes gradually filling with despair and hopelessness. But the old man continued to bow his head to the ground, never looking up at it.

Ning Xiaoxian had never thought that the eyes of a non-human could show such vivid emotions.

Only the little girl wouldn’t give up. Having grown up with this Cat Demon, whom she normally slept with in her arms and had never considered it might eat her, she charged forward, hoping to snatch back her cat. The old man might be aged, but he was quick to stop her, blocking her no matter how much she cried and screamed, not allowing her to step forward.

The cultivator was comfortably flattered and, looking at the grandfather and granddaughter and then at the Cat Demon in his hand, he sighed: "It’s not surprising for mere mortals to be unable to recognize a demon. Get up and be on your way." The old man was greatly relieved, kowtowed a lot more on the ground, then quickly picked up his granddaughter and hurried towards the exit of the pass. From beginning to end, he never gave the Cat Demon another glance.

Having walked a dozen or so yards away from the pass, people could still hear the girl’s cries for "Ahua, Ahua."

The mortals waiting to pass through, who had all directly or indirectly suffered at the hands of demons, now saw the Demon Mirror reveal its power and expose the demon, and the Immortal Master displayed his Divine Skills to capture the Cat Demon. They were full of admiration, showering the cultivator at the pass with praises, almost elevating him to the heavens. The cultivator, in turn, wore a self-satisfied look, took out a cage and threw the Cat Demon inside, then sealed it with talisman paper, preventing it from escaping the cage.

"Lock it up," he instructed others.

Only a few members of the large merchant teams had their heads down, neither agreeing nor opposing. Having seen more of the world, they knew that this little Cat Demon was cannon fodder in the world of demons, and capturing it wasn’t particularly a matter of pride. But since the power to grant passage lay with others, why should they make unnecessary trouble?

Ning Xiaoxian felt somewhat uncomfortable, but she had no ties with the Cat Demon and had her own guilt weighing on her, eager to leave the checkpoint as soon as possible. Thus, she lowered her head and hurriedly moved on. Once past this checkpost, she would be on Leizhou’s territory. Although still pursued, the overwhelming manhunt would subside somewhat.

Just when she had stealthily let out a sigh of relief, Changtian’s voice sped into her ear: "The Scorpion Demon, Da Zi, is here, be careful not to let her fixate on you." During these past days of travel, he had also told Ning Xiaoxian about Da Zi’s True Body—a Scorpion Demon more than a thousand years old.