Despite Zanxing having various guesses in her mind, she never expected the egg to hatch into a cat.
Not considering other details, how could a cat possibly hatch from an egg? Although in cultivation novels, there was no need to adhere to science, hatching a cat from an egg was just too unscientific!
The kitten in front of her took a few unsteady steps, licked Zanxing’s fingers, and somehow, it felt like her heart was instantly struck.
But no matter what, this exceeded Zanxing’s understanding. So, she found a piece of cloth to wrap the kitten, groomed it a bit, and then carried it out of the door, planning to let Xuan Lingzi take a look.
Just as she stepped out, she bumped into Tian Fangfang, who was about to go for morning practice. Seeing Zanxing holding what looked like a swaddled bundle, Tian Fangfang’s expression changed, and he came over with excitement, asking, “Did it happen? When did you hatch the egg?” He seemed like a gossiping relative coming to see a newborn baby, about to ask, ‘Is it a boy or a girl?’
When Zanxing showed Tian Fangfang the kitten in her arms, he immediately went crazy.
“It’s a cat, it’s a cat!” Tian Fangfang exclaimed joyfully, dancing around. “It’s actually a cat! So adorable, Junior Sister Zanxing, can I hold it?”
Zanxing: “…”
She handed over the swaddled bundle, and Tian Fangfang vigorously wiped his hands on his robe before cautiously reaching out to take the kitten. As he gazed into the kitten’s eyes, he looked like a mother looking at her baby.
Unable to bear it any longer, Zanxing said, “Let’s go. I need to go to the Miaokong Hall and let Sixth Senior Uncle take a look at what this creature is.”
“No matter what species it is, it’s so cute,” Tian Fangfang said softly. “Junior Sister Zanxing, I envy you. I also want a kitten like this.”
Truly, he was tough on the outside but tender on the inside.
Pretending not to hear, Zanxing said, “Let’s go, let’s go. We’ll all go together to see the excitement.”
When they arrived at the Miaokong Hall, Xuan Lingzi was already up. Being older, he required less sleep. He had been up early watering plants and tending to the grass. When Zanxing and Tian Fangfang arrived, he was momentarily surprised. Before he could say anything, Zanxing thrust the swaddled bundle under his nose and said, “Sixth Senior Uncle, the egg I found has hatched.”
Xuan Lingzi leaned in, and the timid kitten in the swaddled bundle looked at him with trepidation, almost causing him to slip.
“This… this is a cat! How could a cat hatch from an egg?” His shock surpassed even Zanxing’s own astonishment. After a moment of silence, Zanxing asked, “Sixth Senior Uncle, do you also not know where this cat came from?”
“I… I’ve never seen a cat hatch from an egg before,” Xuan Lingzi said, perplexed. He reached out and gently touched the kitten’s head, causing its head to tilt to one side. He continued, “But it looks like an ordinary cat.”
“That’s not a cat,” a voice came from behind the hall.
They turned to see a young man stepping out from behind the hall. It was Gu Baiying. Today, he was dressed in a snow-white outfit, with plum blossoms embroidered in ink at the corners of his clothes, looking fresh and handsome. There was a hint of youthful arrogance in his features. He walked up to Zanxing, glanced at the kitten in the swaddled bundle, then looked ahead and said, “This is a Silver Moon Lion.”
“Silver Moon Lion?” Xuan Lingzi looked at the kitten, then at Gu Baiying. “Junior Brother, I remember, Silver Moon Lions don’t look like this.”
Zanxing asked, “What is a Silver Moon Lion?”
Xuan Lingzi cleared his throat. “The Silver Moon Lion is an ancient divine beast, mentioned in ancient records. However, approximately five hundred years ago, the Silver Moon Lions became extinct.” Pausing for a moment, he continued, “According to the ancient records, to the east of the North Sea, there were Silver Wolfs, resembling lion-like creatures, with silver bodies, snow-white feet, and they fed on clouds. But… this…”
The sleepy appearance of the kitten did not resemble a “lion-like creature” in any way.
Gu Baiying said, “It is a Silver Moon Lion, yet it isn’t. This cat carries the bloodline of the Silver Moon Lion, but it’s extremely diluted, almost negligible. This minute bloodline will never awaken, even until its natural end. So,” he looked at Zanxing, “you can treat it as a normal house cat.”
“Only a trace of bloodline…” Xuan Lingzi lamented, “What a pity. Even if used as a spirit beast, it wouldn’t be very qualified.”
However, Zanxing didn’t think so. It was said that dangerous beasts roamed around Gufeng Mountain at night. But when she crawled out of the Black Marsh that day, she encountered no danger. In the end, she even spent the night under a tree without any harm. At that time, she only thought it was the protection of the Xiao Yuan Pearl, but… what if it was because of this egg?
As it carried the bloodline of a divine beast, perhaps the beasts in Gu Feng Mountain sensed something and dared not approach. Although the kitten appeared ordinary now, being a member of the cat family, who’s to say it won’t develop into a lion one day?
“Sister Zanxing,” Tian Fangfang interrupted Zanxing’s contemplation. He stared at the kitten and said, “Whether it’s a cat or a lion, it’s yours now. Do you want to give it a name?”
Zanxing hesitated, “Um… Then let’s call it Mimi.”
“Sure!” Xuan Lingzi clapped his hands. “That’s a good name!”
Gu Baiying furrowed his brows, “What’s good about it?”
Xuan Lingzi chuckled, “It’s poetic and meaningful. Zanxing is good at naming things. Let’s call it Mimi!”
Zanxing didn’t bother to correct Xuan Lingzi’s interpretation. Besides, “Mimi” did sound much better than “Miao Miao.” [T/N: Apothecary Diaries?]
Tian Fangfang was playing with Mimi, while Zanxing sensed a gaze on her and turned to find Gu Baiying looking away.
After a moment of contemplation, she approached Gu Baiying and asked, “Why do you always sneak glances at me, Seventh Senior Uncle?”
The young man looked surprised at first, then puzzled, “Who’s sneaking glances at you?”
“You,” she asserted.
Gu Baiying looked down at her, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Why would I look at you? Are you that beautiful?”
Zanxing replied calmly, “I think I’m not bad.”
The girl before him had a slender figure and calm demeanor, her facial features were delicate and charming, but the intersecting black marks on her right cheek made it difficult to describe her as “beautiful.”
Gu Baiying sneered, “You think too highly of yourself.” Seemingly uninterested in engaging further with Zanxing, he turned and left, brushing off his sleeves.
Watching his departing figure, Zanxing understood.
As a seemingly ordinary new disciple, she wasn’t worth the attention of someone like Gu Baiying, the pride of the heavens. She reckoned that his frequent observation of her was likely due to the book “Qing’e Flower-Picking Staff.”
After all, in a sense, she was also a disciple of Gu Baiying’s mother, which somewhat linked them together.
However, “Qing’e Flower-Picking Staff” didn’t exist in the original work, and Gu Baiying didn’t even have a name in the original. Yet now, each incident seemed to connect them in various ways.
Zanxing lowered her head, looking at the red mark on her palm.
This time, even the subplot had changed.