The Magic Willow

Qin Ran sat on the sofa while Chasing the Wind sat on the tea table. Qin Ran stared at Chasing the Wind as he licked his fur.

"What's going on?!" Qin Ran asked Chasing the Wind.

"Meow..." Chasing the Wind took a break from grooming himself and let out a soft, tender meow in response.

Li Shiyin came out from the kitchen, carrying three cups of milk. She handed one to Qin Ran, put one next to Chasing the Wind, and held one for herself as she stood by the sofa.

After taking a big gulp of milk, she asked Qin Ran, "What's up with Chasing the Wind? Did he do something bad?"

Qin Ran took the milk and glanced at Li Shiyin. He noticed a ring of "white beard" around her upper lip where the white milk had stuck, looking rather amusing. He laughed inwardly but didn't plan on pointing it out to her.

Holding back his laughter, he said, "Chasing the Wind has started cultivating."

"Huh? Master, when did you teach him cultivation?" Li Shiyin was puzzled. "How did I not know about this?"

Qin Ran glanced at her. What a silly disciple.

"I didn't teach him," he replied.

"Oh!" Li Shiyin nodded, then realized the gravity of the situation. Her eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, "Can Chasing the Wind cultivate on his own? Did you awaken your bloodline inheritance, Chasing the Wind?"

"Meow meow..." Chasing the Wind meowed helplessly twice. He didn't want to bother with these two boring people. He started washing his face with his paws.

The techniques of demonic beasts could be passed down through their bloodline, similar to how human civilization was passed down through writing. As long as one possessed the bloodline of a demonic beast capable of passing down techniques, they could awaken their ancestral memories and obtain cultivation methods or mystic arts upon meeting certain conditions.

Chasing the Wind was a Xuanming Spirit Tiger, a level 7 demonic beast, and was qualified to inherit techniques through his bloodline. So if he had awakened his ancestral bloodline, it would make sense that he could cultivate.

But...

The problem was, Chasing the Wind had not awakened his ancestral bloodline. He was still too young and did not yet qualify. He may awaken his bloodline inheritance in the future, but not now.

Qin Ran shook his head. "No, he has not awakened his ancestral bloodline inheritance yet."

He looked at Chasing the Wind and said word for word, "So someone must have taught him how to cultivate."

Li Shiyin was shocked. "Who?"

"It wasn't me. And if it wasn't you either, then..." Qin Ran's expression became grave.

Following his train of thought, Li Shiyin also fell silent in contemplation. She took another sip of milk and analyzed, "Someone who is not from Danfeng but could come to Danfeng."

Seeing the master and disciple duo putting on an act, looking utterly serious as they analyzed this issue, Chasing the Wind finished grooming himself, washed his face, glanced disdainfully at Qin Ran, then went over to his milk. He hugged the cup with his two burly front paws and gulped it all down in one go.

He let out a satisfied burp, licked his lips, jumped off the tea table, and stumbled outside... The milk had made him a little drunk.

"Did he just roll his eyes at me?" Qin Ran asked Li Shiyin, pointing at Chasing the Wind walking away.

"Yeah, I saw it very clearly. Scornfully too," Li Shiyin nodded.

"I was looked down on by a cat?" Qin Ran couldn't believe it.

Li Shiyin corrected, "A Xuanming Spirit Tiger."

After having some breakfast, the master and disciple duo discussed their plans for the day.

What? How could Chasing the Wind cultivate?

Well...it could only be said that someone at Danfeng had very poor innate talent for cultivation. He couldn't stand seeing others, especially other creatures, naturally gifted and able to easily embark on the path of cultivation. He wanted to find fault. I won't say who it is, but I hope he watches himself.

As for how Chasing the Wind could cultivate, the reason was that he was the child of a level 7 demonic beast and was extraordinary by bloodline. Even if he grew up freely in the wild, it wouldn't take him long to be able to absorb the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to start on the path of cultivation, let alone growing up at Danfeng where Qin Ran had intentionally explained things in more detail for him when lecturing Li Shiyin...

So Qin Ran was very clear why Chasing the Wind could cultivate. He was just putting on a show!

"It's sunny today. You can continue digging the lake," Qin Ran said, looking out the window at the weather before speaking to Li Shiyin.

"Master~" Li Shiyin drew out the word cutely, "Can't we rest for a day?"

Her coy act made Qin Ran's scalp tingle. He responded coldly, "If you rest today and rest tomorrow, when do you plan on finishing digging the lake?"

"Oh..." Li Shiyin sighed and walked outside with a pout. "No rest today, bad master! Stinky master!"

Qin Ran headed for the stairs, planning to go upstairs.

"Are you going to sleep, Master?" Seeing him go upstairs, Li Shiyin called from the doorway, "Unfair! Unfair! I have to work while you sleep. I want to sleep too, no... I want to play!"

"Sleep?!" Qin Ran responded impatiently, "When do I have time to sleep?!"

Ignoring her, Qin Ran went straight upstairs to the study.

He took out the porcelain bottle containing the willow catkins, unsealed the jade stopper, and examined the catkins' appearance before placing the bottle on the desk.

"Willow tree, Hengduan Mountains, primordial forest, berserk spiritual energy..." he murmured as he searched through the bookshelf. Soon he found a thick tome recording the special plants of the Hengduan Mountains.

There weren't many willow trees that could survive in the primordial forest, let alone thrive arrogantly. He quickly identified the true identity of the willow catkins.

Comparing the drawing of the catkins in the book to those in the porcelain bottle, he easily confirmed their identity:

Devouring Demon Willow!

A legendary being...

According to the records in the book, deep within the Hengduan Mountains there was a willow tree that was at least a level 9 demonic beast. Every thousand years, the Hengduan Mountains would have a massive bloom of willow catkins that drove all the demonic beasts in the mountain range berserk. Rumor had it that the first massive bloom was nine thousand years ago.

Closing the book, Qin Ran felt a chill down his spine. A demonic beast this dangerous actually existed deep within the Hengduan Mountains... Not only that, he happened to run into it during its blooming period.

Moreover, the book only recorded rumors of such a willow tree, meaning no cultivator had actually seen the tree before. How incredibly powerful must this willow tree be?

Qin Ran couldn't help but think of Chasing the Wind's mother chasing the Lightning Unicorn to Daojian Sect and the Golden Cloud Leopard being hunted by the giant snake in the darkness. It was very likely they had been affected by the willow catkins.

"Should I consider running away?" Qin Ran had to contemplate this idea.

He had originally thought the demonic beast frenzy was a small-scale event and planned to have Li Shiyin hurry up and practice her swordwork and techniques to gain experience in the demonic beast hordes. But it seemed the problem was much bigger now!

Qin Ran put the book back on the shelf. Suddenly he heard Li Shiyin giggling loudly outside. He frowned. What was his silly disciple up to now?

He quickly walked to the corridor and strained to see what Li Shiyin was doing. He discovered she was wielding a sword, hacking and slashing in the mud pit.

She was practicing her swordsmanship while also digging the lake, playing joyfully.

"Li..." Qin Ran was about to call out and stop her, but on second thought, didn't.

After watching Li Shiyin practice for a while, he eventually returned to the study.

"Running away is the last resort," he thought.