Chapter 110: Minor Accomplishment (Three More Parts)
Chapter 110: Minor Accomplishment (Three More Parts)
Magical beasts couldn't understand human speech.
Mo Hua now knew this for certain.
Over the next two days, the cat demon, seemingly intimidated by Mo Shan, cowered in its iron cage. Even when let out, it refused to come out, let alone attack Mo Hua as instructed.
No matter how Mo Hua tried to explain, the cat simply couldn't comprehend, only giving him fierce yet somewhat timid glares.
It was only when Mo Hua fed it meat that its gaze softened a little.
This meant he couldn't practice the Flowing Water Step.
What should he do now?
Mo Hua pondered for two days before finally coming up with a solution.
He starved the cat for two days, and when it was hungry and its eyes glowed green, he fed it the special dried fish prepared by Liu Ruhua.
This dried fish was also a type of demon beast—its meat was of poor quality and had a strong fishy smell, so cultivators didn't eat it, but cats that loved fishy flavors relished it.
Mo Hua then threaded several of these dried fish onto a string, hung it around his neck, and pointed to the fish and then to the cat demon.
The general idea was: "If you want the fish, come and get it yourself."
This was similar to the rules when he sparred with Bai Zisheng, except now his sparring partner was this little cat demon.
Even though the cat couldn't understand human language, it got the message.
And so, the previously timid cat, driven by hunger, began to try to snatch the dried fish from around Mo Hua's neck.
However, it clearly remembered Mo Shan's fierce gaze, so it dared not hurt Mo Hua at all. Its target was only the dried fish around his neck.
Thus, in the remote side room, the silhouettes of man and beast chased each other back and forth.
After sparring with the cat demon for several days, Mo Hua couldn't help but marvel at the fact that demon beasts were indeed much stronger than cultivators.
This cat demon was only at the initial stage of the first grade; it wasn't particularly strong in terms of strength, but its speed was exceptionally fast, and its movements were agile beyond compare, even rivaling that of a typical cultivator at the sixth layer of Qi Refining.
The cat's forms of attack were also more diverse and erratic compared to those of cultivators, to the point of being bizarre.
Cultivators' attacks were straightforward—close-range physical cultivators relied mainly on punches and kicks, while elemental cultivators used long-range spells. Their actions were predictable.
On the other hand, the cat demon could attack with its mouth, sharp claws, and tail, and its angles of attack were erratic and unpredictable.
Moreover, the cat demon had an innate ability to blur its figure for short periods, making it almost invisible to the eyes; Mo Hua had to push his spiritual sense to the limit just to barely perceive its location.
And this was only the initial stage of the first grade. If it were at the middle or late stage, its speed would be even more unimaginable.
No wonder the demon hunters in the Demon Hunting Teams usually needed a group of about ten people to form a team.
What about second-grade demon beasts, whose cultivation levels were equivalent to Foundation Establishment cultivators? How powerful would they be?
Ordinary cultivators would probably be reduced to a pile of bones in an instant.
Mo Hua couldn't help but shudder at the thought.
"I must master the Flowing Water Step so that even if I can't win, I can at least run away."
Mo Hua thought to himself.
Sparring with a demon beast was also a process of improving through practice.
At first, Mo Hua wasn't familiar with the cat's techniques, and the dried fish around his neck would soon end up in the cat's mouth.
The cat would then lie in its iron cage, leisurely chewing on the fish while licking its paws, occasionally glancing at Mo Hua with a look of satisfaction and contempt.
As Mo Hua gradually became familiar with the cat's attacking habits, he could vaguely predict whether the cat was about to pounce with its claws, bite with its teeth, or lash out with the needle-like spines on its tail.
The cat's innate ability was impossible to guard against the first time, but after witnessing it several times and making predictions, Mo Hua was gradually able to see through its traces with his spiritual sense.
Thus, the process of the cat eating the dried fish became more difficult.
Sometimes, when Mo Hua was careless, the cat would manage to snatch a fish or two to fill its stomach.
The innate nature of demon beasts was not something that could be easily changed.
Mo Hua had no intention of killing it, though. Instead, he planned to honor their agreement and set it free.
Even though the cat demon couldn't understand human speech, it had no idea about this agreement.
One evening, Mo Hua placed the cat demon back into the iron cage, covered it with a black cloth, and carried it to the foot of the nearest mountain outside the Great Black Mountain, just outside the city of Tongxian.
Demon beasts and other living creatures couldn't be stored in pouches, so they had to be transported in iron cages.
Mo Hua deliberately covered the cage with a black cloth to prevent other demon hunters from discovering and killing it on sight.
When Mo Hua was sure no one was around, he uncovered the cage, opened the gate, and set the cat demon free.
The cat demon, upon seeing the surrounding mountains and trees, paused for a moment, its eyes lighting up with joy.
However, instead of leaving immediately, it warily watched Mo Hua, its gaze alert.
"I'm letting you go, as I promised. But remember, it's best not to eat people. If I come across you again and find that you've been harming humans, I will definitely kill you. Even if I don't, other demon hunters surely will," Mo Hua said to the cat demon, even though he knew it couldn't understand him.
"Humans don't taste that good anyway. It won't hurt to eat more fish instead."
"If you don't provoke cultivators and make use of your natural agility, you should be able to live a long life..."
...
Mo Hua continued to ramble on, giving advice even though he knew the cat couldn't comprehend his words. Finally, he waved his hand and said, "Go on now."
The cat demon looked at him with confusion, took a few tentative steps forward, and saw that Mo Hua didn't try to stop it. Instead, he nodded encouragingly.
Encouraged by this, the cat demon ventured further, step by step, toward the Great Black Mountain. Just as it was about to enter the mountain forest, it suddenly accelerated and, with a whoosh, disappeared into the depths of the mountain.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.
Now, he had achieved both goals. His Flowing Water Step had reached a minor level of accomplishment, which should be more than sufficient to deal with cultivators of the same level or even demon beasts.
And he had successfully released the cat demon into the mountain forest.
With the vastness of the Great Black Mountain, he figured he probably wouldn't encounter it again. Even if he did, the cat demon would have grown and changed in appearance, making it unlikely for him to recognize it.
He could only hope that it wouldn't kill other cultivators and that it wouldn't fall prey to other demon hunters.
However, that was beyond Mo Hua's control.
With a spring in his step and his hands tucked behind his back, Mo Hua whistled as he made his way home.
Unbeknownst to him, the cat demon hadn't gone far. It was hiding in the grass, secretly observing Mo Hua.
After Mo Hua left, a hint of confusion flashed in the cat demon's slit pupils. Soon after, its pupils dilated, committing Mo Hua's departing figure to memory. Then, with cautious glances in all directions, it made its way deeper into the Great Black Mountain.
The cat demon navigated through the mountain forest, crossed a poisonous swamp, climbed over rocky terrain, and eventually reached a small stream nestled within the mountain.
Finding no cultivators or other demon beasts in the vicinity, the cat demon leaped into the stream. It washed away the dust that had accumulated on its body, then emerged from the water, shaking off the droplets. The black stripes on its fur became more pronounced, and its white fur shone with a crystalline luster.
At the same time, the floral pattern on its forehead became more distinct, gradually forming the character for "king."
(End of Chapter)
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