How can you call it stealing when it comes to cats

Bound by Destiny?

The cat Du ke focused his gaze on the long sword resting on the Qingxuan Sect Master's knee. The sword looked ordinary and plain.

Just like a mass-produced sword that could be bought for a few taels of silver at any blacksmith's shop.

As he stared at this ordinary-looking long sword, a different thought emerged in Du ke's mind.

If this sword was as amazing as the Qingxuan Sect Master claimed, could it be used for alchemy?

What kind of elixir could it produce?

Sword Pill? Sword Pellet?

What would the effects be?

Could it be consumed?

How should it be used?

A series of questions flashed through Du ke's mind, and his tail involuntarily perked up, flicking back and forth at the tip.

"Talking about this stuff again..."

The young girl Ling'er pouted, seeming quite unhappy. The Qingxuan Sect Master also didn't want to chat more with his disciple, and waved his sleeve.

"Alright, go out now, I need to nurture this sword."

"I know!"

As the girl Ling'er drawled her response, she turned and left the tent. Before she could even step out, the Qingxuan Sect Master added: "Keep that spiritual hound you're holding in the tent. Don't carry it around everywhere."

"Creatures like that are no less valuable than a Loose Tongue Grass. Look after it properly and we can settle accounts when we're back at the mountain gate."

"Yes."

The girl Ling'er briskly exited the tent, leaving the young man Ziyin alone with his father.

"Master, my junior sister is still young after all..."

"She's already seventeen, how is that still young?" The Qingxuan Sect Master peered through the crevice at his departing daughter, then spoke again: "I've had a bad feeling recently, my eyelid keeps twitching, my heart is uneasy. I'm afraid something is about to happen."

"Keep an eye on Ling'er, have the other disciples guard the camp well, don't let anything go wrong."

"I understand, Master."

"Go on now, after dinner, remind them to attend the evening lesson."

"Yes!"

The young man Ziyin left, leaving his master alone in the tent. Du ke sat curled in a corner of the tent, watching the Qingxuan Sect Master intently.

The cat licked his prickly tongue over his lips, then sauntered out of the tent as well.

He already had plans for what to do next.

Although his abilities were lacking, he was not without options.

If he couldn't beat those at the Meridian Opening or True Qi realms with brute force, couldn't he still overcome them with his bone constitution cultivated through the Water and Fire Immortal Garments?

But all that could wait until nightfall.

The cat who slipped out of the camp found a nearby wooded area and maintained his state of assimilation with the light. At the same time, he took out a twice-refined Bone Tempering Pellet from his Black Cauldron space.

In Du ke's opinion, any elixir that had undergone secondary refinement by the Black Cauldron's flames not only concentrated its medicinal essence, but also strengthened its effects and even removed any medicinal toxins.

Moreover, the constant consumption of Sun Essence and Moon Blossom Pills seemed to have brought about some changes in his body.

He couldn't quite pinpoint what those changes were, only that he intuitively sensed he had transformed in some way, though the specifics eluded him.

After swallowing the twice-refined Bone Tempering Pellet, his intestinal churning dispersed its medicinal power. In but the blink of an eye, Du ke felt a potency unlike that of the Blood Vigor Pill coursing wildly within him.

This medicinal power pierced through his fascia and organs, acting directly on his bones.

It was a numb, tingling sensation.

As soon as the medicine took effect, Du ke immediately began stance training. Under the effect of his stance work, his inner force transformed into vibrating power, resonating with his bones while the medicine simultaneously began tempering them.

The Bone Constitution realm required the tempering of the entire skeleton, marrow cleansing and blood renewal. The subsequent fusion of renewed blood with inner force and power would then nurture inner energy.

Two hundred twice-refined Bone Tempering Pills would be enough for him to complete the entire Bone Constitution realm.

As vibrations rippled through him during his stance training, Du ke's throat trembled as well, as if tiger roars and leopard growls were welling up within. But Du ke kept his mouth open slightly, coordinating his breathing with the stance work, letting the rippling power grow and resonate.

...

Midnight at the Qingxuan Sect's camp.

Tap tap ding ding...

As the damp firewood was thrown into the bonfire, sparks sprayed out while the moisture was roasted away, also producing thick smoke.

"Cough cough cough..."

The Qingxuan disciples keeping watch over the fire were choked by the thick smoke, coughing repeatedly. One complained: "Hey, keep it down, don't smother the fire!"

"Oh don't worry, I know what I'm doing, it won't go out."

The disciple who had tossed in the wood used a branch as thick as a child's wrist to poke the bonfire, dispersing the thick smoke while making the flames burn more vigorously.

"Winter's just passed and spring's just around the corner, it's the coldest time of all. Why'd the Sect Master bring us to this godforsaken place?"

"Oh, stop complaining!"

"That's right, the Sect Master has his reasons, we should just obey obediently!"

"I actually think it's been interesting coming out here, definitely more fun than being cooped up at the mountain gate."

"Besides the endless fog and man-eating beasts, there's nothing fun about Steaming Cloud Mountain!"

"Alright alright, stop talking, stop talking, or Eldest Senior Brother will scold us if he catches us."

...

The Qingxuan disciples gathered around the bonfire chatted idly as they warmed themselves by the fire.

"Oh, I need to pee, anyone want to come with me?"

One disciple stood up. The others immediately jeered: "Why, your lazy ass needs company to go take a piss?"

"Oh fine, go with him. Eldest Senior Brother said no matter what we do, always travel in pairs."

"Alright alright, I'll go with you!"

The two Qingxuan disciples set off one after the other, walking away from the bonfire. After just a few steps, someone pelted them with a rock.

"Are you dumb? That's upwind, go downwind to take a leak and shit!"

"Got it!"

The two changed direction reluctantly, heading downwind to relieve themselves.

In the pitch-dark mountain woods far from the bonfire, the mist obscured all vision. With the waning moonlight, nothing could be seen at all.

The two walked very slowly, dawdling until they reached an isolated spot.

"Hurry up and go, don't drag your feet. We still have to keep watch later!"

"I know, I know!"

Urged by his companion, the Qingxuan disciple lifted his long robe with both hands and bent over, but before he could even pull down his pants, something struck the back of his head. He immediately collapsed.

Just as the disciple fell, an invisible force cushioned him, gently lowering him to the ground.

"Hmm, shouldn't have killed him!"

Maintaining his state of assimilation with the light, the cat Du ke set the disciple he had struck down gently on the ground. He then felt the back of the head he had just clawed - apart from a fist-sized lump, there was no blood.

"No blood, then he should be fine. As for internal injuries and such... oh well, that's up to fate!"

The cat squatting by the man mumbled to himself: "After all, this is my first time doing this, no experience."

"Hope this kid's alright!"

After muttering to himself, Du ke stripped the disciple naked, putting his clothes into his Black Cauldron space. Without making a sound, he then leapt up a tree and pounced swiftly towards the other disciple.

The cat somersaulting through the air pointed his claws down and struck precisely at the crown of the other's head.

Withdrawing his claws in an instant, Du ke watched as the man collapsed silently.

The cat landed on the ground, biting the back of the man's collar and dragging him behind a tree. After hauling him a short distance, the cat heard a ripping sound - the collar had been torn to shreds.

"What kind of shoddy fabric is this?"

Spitting out the shreds of fabric and thread, Du ke hesitated briefly.

"Time is limited, can't drag this out."

The cat grasped the disciple with his claws. As he stood up, he also sprang back rapidly.

Accustomed to walking on four legs, the abrupt switch to standing upright made Du ke feel his center of gravity tilting continuously backwards, causing him to hop and stumble backwards.

But the ingrained human habits from his past life quickly took over. After a few hops, Du ke had adapted to upright walking.

Though uncomfortable due to the cat's reversed joints, he could still manage.

After dragging the man behind the tree, the cat swiftly stripped him naked in three moves, throwing the belongings into his Black Cauldron space. He then headed towards the bonfire.

After walking a distance, the cat suddenly realized that it was still standing upright.

"Hmm, I can adapt to walking on two legs, but it's still not as fast as having four!"

The cat quickly crawled back down and raced towards the bonfire, swiftly taking care of the remaining people - stripping them of their clothes and throwing them into the black cauldron while tossing the bodies by the fire.

Having dealt with the night watch disciples, Du ke swiftly charged into the camp.

The bonfire crackled as it burned, but those who were supposed to tend to it had all lost consciousness.

Entering the camp, Du ke pricked up his ears, glanced around, and quickly slipped into the tent closest to him. Taking advantage of the deep slumber of the person inside like a dead pig's, he knocked him out with one slap and proceeded to ransack everything.

This was Du ke's way of countering these people - if they insisted on camping here for a protracted war, he would steal all their belongings overnight.

By the time they noticed, the cat would be squatting on the sidelines watching their dismay.

Doing this would deal a severe blow to the morale of the Qingxuan Sect and make them paranoid, but most importantly, it would easily incite chaos.

When that happened, amidst the turmoil, taking the dog away would be as easy as stealing candy from a baby for the cat.

After raiding several tents, Du ke finally stopped in front of the tent of the Qingxuan Sect Master.

The Qingxuan Sect Master had said his sword was linked to his life.

There was nothing special about this claim, until Du ke took an interest in seeing what was so unique about this sword.

As the cat slipped into the tent, a sudden, inexplicable cold gust blew past the periphery of the camp. The flames of the bonfire swayed violently, and the disciples by it disappeared without a trace, as if they had never been there.

All that remained was the vigorous crackling of the bonfire. Amidst the shower of sparks, the mist grew increasingly dense.