Ruoshui's quarters were on the east side of the courtyard. That was precisely where the sound had come from—right outside his wall.
Chen Kunsheng and Xiaohua were sleeping in a room on the west side. Perhaps the distance was too far, or perhaps they had simply sunk too deeply into their dreams, but neither stirred at the noise. They did not come out.
Ruoshui didn't go wake them either. If it really was a thief, he could handle it himself.
The wall at the rear of the courtyard was taller than the one facing the front. Light-footed, Ruoshui vaulted onto the stack of firewood piled near the corner. Half crouching, he leaned forward and peeked over the wall.
What he saw outside made him blink.
A ginger cat.A wild boar.A gray wolf.And… ahem, a very short, elderly man.
The boar was black-backed and white-faced, with tiny bean-like eyes that blinked innocently, giving off a dopey air. The wolf, on the other hand, was skin-and-bones thin, with shaggy fur draped over its head and neck like some disheveled hood, lending it a roguish sort of menace.
And that little old man? He wore a robe the color of dry earth, and leaned on a crooked staff fashioned from dead wood. His face was smooth and childlike, but beneath his nose sprawled a full, snowy beard.
To the uninitiated, it would look like some mischievous child had stolen a stage-prop beard from the opera troupe and pasted it on his chin. But Ruoshui recognized him at once: this was the local Earth Deity.
No doubt about it—And that orange cat? That was none other than Little Tangerine.The warning yowl from earlier had clearly come from him.
Now the ginger tom sat proudly at the foot of the wall, his head held high, posture full of regal authority. The two much larger beasts before him—boar and wolf alike—bowed their heads meekly, like wayward subjects in front of their sovereign.
It was unmistakably the air of a commander about to lecture his troops.
The little old man's expression was awkward, his movements nervous. At last, he cleared his throat and spoke in a quavering voice:
"Lord Suanni… this humble spirit's powers are meager. It was only under their pressure that I accompanied them here. I beg Your Lordship not to hold it against me."
Little Tangerine flicked his tail lazily. When he opened his mouth, the voice that came out was deep, commanding, and saturated with authority.
"Forget it. I won't pursue the matter."
His eyes narrowed, and he turned them on the two beasts.
"Speak. What are you doing here?"
The wolf demon was the first to answer. His voice rasped, grating like rusty iron, and in the middle of his words it cracked—jumping suddenly into a shrill falsetto that made it almost unbearable to hear.
"Your Majesty, the Madam and the Consort sent us. They wanted to know if your anger has cooled, and when you will return to the Demon Realm."
The boar chimed in quickly, tripping over his words as he stuttered uncontrollably:
"Y-yes, y-yes, M-M-Majesty, the M-M-Madam and the Cons… consort, they—th-they are most w-w-worried about you!"
Ruoshui nearly burst out laughing. He had to bite his lip and hold his breath to keep from making a sound that might give him away. The effort left his chest aching.
Little Tangerine's eyelids twitched. He growled, "Has our Fenghuo Qingxu Domain truly fallen to this? To send two useless lackeys—one who cannot speak properly, the other who cannot even hold his pitch—to deliver such a message? Are they mocking me on purpose?"
The boar's eyes widened fearfully. He dared not utter another word.
The wolf demon hastened to explain, "Please, Majesty, do not be angry! There are still many strong demons in the domain, but right now the First Prince and the Second Prince are locked in fierce rivalry. Each has been gathering his own faction. Any capable demon we send would inevitably be accused of partiality.
"If we sent one from each side, they'd end up brawling before even reaching you. So, in the end, only the two of us—too weak to be noticed by either prince—were deemed suitable for this errand."
Ruoshui raised his brows slightly. So that was it. No wonder the mighty sovereign had stormed away from home—it was his sons stirring up chaos.
Little Tangerine endured the grating, half-sung cadence of the wolf's voice until the explanation ended. Then he gave a sharp, disdainful snort.
"All this fuss over the seat of Demon King. What is there worth fighting about?"
His tail lashed once.
"Enough. Let them quarrel if they wish. I am old, tired of the squabbles. Tell them this: whichever of them wins, let him have the throne. But they are not to take it too far—settle the matter with strength alone."
The boar gave two urgent snorts—"Hmm? Hmm!"—struggling to widen his tiny eyes in anxious sincerity.
The wolf ventured hesitantly, "Majesty… does that mean you do not intend to return?"
Little Tangerine's forepaw slammed against the ground, sending up a puff of dust. His voice rolled like thunder.
"Enough chatter! I live far more happily here in leisure. Return at once! And hear this clearly: for the next hundred years, not a single one of you is to seek me out.
"If anyone dares come again—I'll strip every last hair from their hide!"
He was Suanni, one of the nine sons of the Dragon, sovereign beast of smoke and fire. Yet by nature he cared little for conflict.
The sordid disputes back home no longer interested him. Here, he had good food, thick village smoke to breathe (not the faint incense the womenfolk adored—he preferred the hearty scent of chimney smoke rising at dusk), and plenty of fine tales penned by a certain scholar to pass the evenings.
This life suited him far better than ruling a nest of quarrelsome heirs.
The wolf and boar hunched their shoulders, exchanging a quick, fearful glance. Without another word, they bowed and began retreating—step by careful step—before spinning around and vanishing into the night at full sprint.
The little old Earth God stood frozen, blinking at their abrupt departure.
"Uh… th-this…" He had, by accident, overheard the family scandal of a divine beast. And not just any scandal—Suanni's scandal. He was utterly at a loss for words, unable to invent an appropriate response, yet too nervous to simply leave without leave. Beads of sweat gathered on his brow as he peeked sideways at the ginger cat. His fidgeting was almost comical.
Little Tangerine busied himself licking a paw, utterly ignoring the deity.
The old man dabbed his brow with his sleeve, then cast another sidelong glance.
The cat began washing his face with studied leisure.
Eventually, the Earth God could bear the suspense no longer. Summoning his courage, he stammered, "Th-then… this little god shall also take his leave…"
"Mn," the cat murmured indistinctly, still rubbing at his whiskers.
Taking that as permission, the old man wasted not a heartbeat. With a puff of smoke, he vanished into the night.
Satisfied, Little Tangerine gave his paw one final lick. At last, he lifted his head, eyes gleaming faintly silver under the moonlight.
"Young man in green robes—have you not grown weary of crouching there so long? Come down at once."
Ruoshui started. So he had been discovered after all.
He had concealed his breath with a cloaking spell—so thoroughly that even immortals would struggle to sense him, so long as he neither moved nor made a sound.
But then, this was Suanni. Divine beasts were born with perception no ordinary immortal could match. Cloaking spells were like paper before their gaze. And besides, divine beasts bore innate pressure—an aura of dominance that naturally cowed lesser beings. No wonder the boar, wolf, and Earth God had trembled so pitifully just now.
Ruoshui dared not tarry. He dropped from the wall and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Suanni, I meant no offense. I did not intend to eavesdrop—"
Before he could finish, the cat flicked his tail, brushing aside Ruoshui's bangs with casual disdain.
"Enough. I know you are not ordinary yourself. Just see that you breathe no word of my identity to Chen or Xiaohua."
No sooner had he spoken than Ruoshui's system chimed in his mind:
[Achievement Unlocked: Encounter with the Divine Beast Suanni][Village Secret Discovered: 2/3]
So that was the trick. Simply witnessing a hidden truth was not enough; one had to confirm it through words, to draw out its identity. That explained why the events he had seen earlier—so secretive in their own right—had failed to advance the quest.
Ruoshui mulled this over thoughtfully.
Meanwhile, Little Tangerine continued, "Still… you cannot linger here eating and drinking at another's expense forever. Finish your business soon, then leave."
With that, he leapt lightly onto the wall.
Moonlight spilled over him, sheathing his fur in silver frost. The tuft of black at the end of his tail shimmered in the glow, as if it were burning with unseen fire.
He glanced back at Ruoshui, a single commanding flick of his eyes urging him to return to his room. Even in the simple guise of a village cat, the aura of a divine beast clung to him—noble, unconcealed, and inescapably majestic.
Ruoshui had just crossed the wall back into the courtyard when Chen Kunsheng and Xiaohua, roused by the faint commotion, hurried out with their robes thrown hastily over their shoulders.
"What happened?" Chen asked in alarm.
Ruoshui kept his voice even. "Nothing serious. A rat slipped into the courtyard. Fortunately, Little Tangerine was quick and caught it."
The ginger tom had already settled himself proudly, chest puffed out. He meowed once, as if demanding recognition for his heroism.
Xiaohua bustled over, crouched down, and stroked his furry head with delight. "Good job, Little Tangerine. Tomorrow I'll give you something delicious."
The cat narrowed his eyes in pleasure, purring softly. Not a trace of divine authority lingered; he was once again nothing more than an affectionate, spoiled pet.
Ruoshui couldn't help thinking to himself: What a drama king, this so-called divine beast.
The following day, Ruoshui resumed his search for the village's hidden secrets. His thoughts lingered on Suanni's words—he could not freeload forever. So, when he set out, he carried a basket with him, planning to at least gather wild greens on the mountain.
No sign of the deer spirit or the sword immortal appeared that day. But he did dig up plenty of vegetables.
By evening, Xiaohua prepared a great pot of wild-vegetable soup, which paired perfectly with the sweet-and-sour pork ribs she had made earlier. The light broth cut through the richness of the meat.
Little Tangerine received his promised reward: several large bones of boiled pork ribs. He crouched in the corner of the courtyard, gnawing with unrestrained glee, meowing happily between mouthfuls.
Looking at him, one might easily think: What schemes could such a creature possibly harbor? A cat knows only its simple joys.
Perhaps even a divine beast longed for the life of an ordinary cat—peaceful, free of quarrels.
Peace was a blessing. And so the quiet night descended once more.
When the moon had climbed high overhead, a faint sound stirred again. But this time it came from within the courtyard itself.
Ruoshui's senses sharpened instantly.
This was no divine beast visiting.
This sounded like… a real thief.
He slipped soundlessly from his room and crossed the courtyard. There—by the front hall—moved a shadow, creeping stealthily toward the main house.
This time, it truly was a thief!