"I just wanted to loosen the soil in the herb field—how did that turn into me being sent into the ring?" —Lin Zhou
1 | Three Morning Tasks: Water the Field, Feed the Bird, Deal with Xiao Li
Morning fog hadn't lifted yet. In the backyard of the Spirit Herb Workshop, Lin Zhou squatted by the herb plot, loosening the soil bit by bit with a small hoe. He moved slowly, like he was having a romance with the dirt.
Xiao Li crouched beside him, using a twig to draw a formation diagram on the ground. As he drew, the formation eye drifted off toward the wall, and the whole diagram looked like a despised flip-flop.
"Bro, I drew a 'Step-and-Splat' formation," Xiao Li said seriously. "In case bad guys come—whoosh! wham!"
"Sounds powerful," Lin Zhou praised with a straight face. "Move the formation eye to where bad guys will step, not by our door."
"Oh." Xiao Li shifted the formation eye, and the diagram immediately got stomped into mush.
A puffball dropped from the tree with a flutter—Fuzzball Bird—with something shiny in its beak, cooing proudly. Lin Zhou looked up. "Spit the ring out."
Fuzzball Bird cooed twice and refused. Xiao Li folded his arms. "Spit it out, or I'll use the 'Step-and-Splat' formation on you." Fuzzball Bird heard that, immediately went "plop," spat it out, and hopped onto the Shrinking-Shell Turtle's back for refuge.
"Today's a good day." Lin Zhou patted his hands and stood. "We're doing three big things: water the field, feed the bird, and deal with Xiao Li."
Xiao Li blinked. "Why deal with me?"
"Because yesterday you sprinkled ten catties of the Crown Prince's Legion's salt over the drill ground like snow."
"That's more slip-resistant, isn't it?" Xiao Li said righteously.
"…Sure. Especially when they were practicing lightfoot techniques."
The courtyard gate creaked open. A messenger charged in with a drum on his back, beating as he ran, the thumping making Fuzzball Bird poof out like a dandelion.
"Spirit Pet Championship! Moved! Up!" he bellowed in one breath, then ran out of stamina and leaned against the doorframe, panting.
Lin Zhou's small hoe paused. "What's that got to do with us?"
"It does—!" The messenger planted his hands on his hips. "Last time your Fuzzball Bird stole a judge's coronet. The judge says you owe a 'guest appearance.' Today's perfect to make it up."
Xiao Li shot his hand up instantly. "I'm signing up! Me, Fuzzball, Shrinking-Shell Turtle, the three of us—on the field!"
"Hold on," Lin Zhou raised a hand. "Isn't the Spirit Pet Championship where spirit pets go onstage and the owner howls from the stands?"
"In principle," the messenger stood straighter, "yes. Except—today's format changed at the last minute to a master-and-pet co-op match. The master has to go up too."
Lin Zhou was silent for three seconds. "Who suggested that?"
"…Word is Prince Chiyan suggested it, Honglei seconded, and the Dragon Clan Holy Son nodded without a word."
"Got it." Lin Zhou slung the hoe over his shoulder. "I'll go change into something I can roll in."
2 | Registration Desk, Cultivation-Style "DMV Window"
The Spirit Pet Championship is held every year; today was especially lively. The arena was set up on the flat ground outside Frostmoon Camp, banners snapping, the crowd roaring. The registration line was so long it could have wrapped the camp three times.
"Next—hey? It's you lot." The registrar looked up, recognized Lin Zhou and Xiao Li at a glance, and almost jumped off his little stool. "VIP lane, VIP lane!"
"When did we become VIPs?" Lin Zhou asked.
The registrar obsequiously handed over three number tokens. "The rumored 'royal spirit pet squad' of the Cursed Child, of course."
"…Say that again?" said Lin Zhou.
The registrar coughed into a proper tone. "Kidding, kidding, don't mind me. What's your team name?"
"Call us—" Xiao Li stuck his face in, "the 'Big Bro Bless Me Not to Faceplant' Team."
"…Approved." The registrar scribbled fast. "Master-and-pet co-op match. Primary controller—Lin Zhou. Co-controllers—Xiao Li, Fuzzball Bird, Shrinking-Shell Turtle."
The line behind erupted in murmurs. "That's him! The Cursed Child himself!" "Heard the places he's walked: eaves self-explode, manholes pop, floor tiles go slick!" "He's going onstage himself this time? How many spirit stones is my life worth?"
Lin Zhou turned expressionless. "Watch your mouths. I'm still under warranty."
A gentle laugh came from the side. "How long's the warranty?"
Lin Zhou looked back. Prince Chiyan stood behind him with two roast chickens, smiling like an old friend who'd push you into the fire and then hand you a drink. Honglei leaned on a flagpole, toying with a wine cup. "Lifetime warranty." The Dragon Clan Holy Son patted his war beast's neck. "Heirloom warranty."
"You lot here to play too?" Lin Zhou asked.
"Not to play," the prince said, face turning solemn. "To escort you to victory."
"Win what?"
"Win dignity." Honglei tipped her eyes at him. "Aren't you a normal person? Then let a normal person win once and show them."
"…," Lin Zhou looked at his little hoe. "You're not afraid I'll embarrass you?"
"We're afraid you'll embarrass yourself," the Holy Son said blandly.
"Thank you," Lin Zhou nodded without a ripple. "Now I can embarrass myself with confidence."
3 | Opening Ceremony: The Host Goes Off Script
Drums thundered. The match began.
The host was a fast-talking cultivator with an amplification talisman in hand and a voice loud enough to crack tiles. "First match! Bei Ridge's Er Gouzi and his Flame Pig! Second match! Nan Market's A Hua and her Koi (note: carried in with a water tub)! Third match—special guest—Lin Zhou!"
The whole arena went "whumm" and fell silent. The host clutched his chest. "My destiny tells me this one will either take the crown or force me to retire early."
"Good luck." Honglei shoved her wine into Lin Zhou's hands. "For your nerves."
Lin Zhou took it and handed it back. "If I drink, I really will fight by your rules."
"That's not bad either," she smiled.
Xiao Li bounced ahead; Fuzzball Bird circled him cooing, and the Shrinking-Shell Turtle strained valiantly, crawling like a little moving bun. Lin Zhou stepped into the arena. A gust of wind blew—crack—tiles under his feet split a hairline seam.
The host inhaled hard. "All right, the 'Cursed—cough, cough—Lin Zhou Team' takes the field!"
4 | First Bout: The Ironhide Rhino's Social Demise
Across the way came a pounding—an Ironhide Rhino, armor plates gleaming. Its master was a bearded body cultivator wearing the expression "If I don't stomp you into the ground today, I lose."
"Begin—"
The Ironhide Rhino had just raised a hoof when Lin Zhou lifted a hand. "Wait."
The whole arena blinked.
Lin Zhou crouched and pulled… salt out of his pocket.
Prince Chiyan flinched, guilty in a flash. "Wasn't me wasn't me, I already padlocked the legion's salt warehouse!"
"This is for traction." Lin Zhou carefully sprinkled the salt into a small circle. "I've slipped and fallen before. I've learned."
The bearded cultivator snorted. "Parlor tricks!"
The Ironhide Rhino snorted too and stepped into the circle—its four hooves were steady as an old dog, stamping the salt into four little paw prints. It froze: not slippery. Very safe. Very comforting.
It lifted its head and looked at Lin Zhou, as if seeing the smile from when a calf stands for the first time. The next second, the two-zhang tall beast dropped to its knees with a thump, pressed its head to the ground, snorted two hot streams from its nose, and paid Lin Zhou a solemn bow.
The stands exploded.
The host gaped. "Is this—the legendary 'spirit beast kneeling to acknowledge a master'?" Judge A: "No, that's a comfort kneel." Judge B took notes earnestly. "Salt circle → sense of safety → submission response. Learned something."
The bearded cultivator turned to stone. "You—you used Yin-Yang Salt?"
"Sea salt," Lin Zhou said calmly.
"…." The referee waved his flag. "Lin Zhou Team wins—by an overwhelming margin!"
Lin Zhou turned to Xiao Li. "See? Traction matters."
Xiao Li bobbed his head like a pecking chick. "Matters matters."
In the stands, Honglei clapped slowly, eyes smiling. "He does nothing, and the world steps aside for him."
The Dragon Clan Holy Son said low, "Or rather—it won't allow him to be touched."
5 | Second Bout: Koi Relocation and 'No Move Beats a Move'
The second opponent: "Nan Market's A Hua and her Koi." A little girl cradled a water tub carefully; the koi swam leisurely inside, tail shimmering. Many in the crowd raised wish cards.
"Begin—" The words barely left the host's mouth when the arena floor gave a gentle jolt. The tub slid with a glug and was about to smash. Lin Zhou instinctively stepped in, supporting the base with his palm, and set it down steady.
The movement flowed like water, as if rehearsed. The koi flicked its tail, a ring of gold rippling across the surface. A Hua's eyes lit up. "Jinjin likes you!"
Judge A's eyes grew misty. "He didn't attack, yet dissolved the opponent's anxiety—that's a state of mastery!" Judge B nodded furiously. "No move beats a move! Conquering fish with virtue!"
The host started rhyming on the spot. "He doesn't move, the hand still moves—" A staffer tugged his sleeve. "Bro, breathe."
The referee waved the flag again. "Lin Zhou Team, victory!"
Lin Zhou: "We didn't even fight."
Honglei's smile rolled like wind and water. "You've already won twice."
6 | Third Bout: Night Cat and the Human Mount
The third opponent brought a Night Cat. Its eyes glowed like two little lamps, and even its breath carried a chill. The master smiled darkly. "Others sleep at night. It doesn't."
"Begin—"
The Night Cat took a step, suddenly stopped, and tilted its head at Xiao Li. Xiao Li tilted his head back, locking eyes for three seconds, then reached down and—crack—scratched out a formation diagram even uglier than the last.
"'Step-and-Splat,' upgraded," he whispered.
The Night Cat stepped into the diagram. The tiles under its feet went "shoop," and it performed an elegant feline backbend, tail twitching like an electric fan. The arena burst into laughter.
"Cheating!" the master roared.
The referee looked down at the floor. "Mm… that's personal on-site ingenuity. It conforms to the 'field self-arrangement' clause."
In the royal stand, Prince Chiyan applauded hard. "Good!" Honglei arched a brow. "The formation looks atrocious, but it works." The Holy Son nodded blandly. "Noted."
The Night Cat struggled up, about to pounce—when a faint "bzzz"—Xiao Li's ear tip twitched. He yanked Lin Zhou aside by the sleeve.
A hidden dart howled into the spot where they'd just stood, pinning through tile. The stands erupted.
"Who threw that?!" "Check the formation eye!" "Grab whoever stole my jujube cake last night too!"
The crowd devolved into chaos. The Night Cat's master looked utterly innocent. "Not me!"
Honglei's gaze went cold. The wine cup spun into a razor ring of mist between her fingers and flicked toward where the dart had come from, hooking out a scrap of sleeve. A tiny three-petaled flower was embroidered on it.
The Dragon Clan Holy Son glanced at it. "Sanyu Hall's secret mark."
Prince Chiyan's smile faded, voice soft. "Looks like someone doesn't want him to keep 'winning.'"
Lin Zhou finally caught up to events and patted Xiao Li's head. "Your ears work pretty well."
Xiao Li stared, a ball of heat still thrumming in his chest like a restless star. He didn't dare mention it, only nodded hard.
The referee weighed things for a long beat. "Hidden-weapon interference. Lin Zhou Team advances directly."
The host hugged his amplification talisman. "I announce—Lin Zhou Team, three straight wins!"
The whole place went "waaah"—petals, confetti, and spirit fruit rained down like a storm. Fuzzball Bird opened its beak to catch fruit and got its mouth stuffed full.
Lin Zhou looked up. "Who made it so festive? I haven't even had breakfast."
7 | A Live-Action Rumor: "My Master Is Actually the Pet"
Halftime. Vendors in the stands were already hawking "Lin Zhou–brand Salt Packets," "No-Move-Beats-Move Lecture Notes," and "Master-Pet Coordination Secrets." Someone waved a little banner reading: "Equality Between Person and Pet—Lin Zhou Leads the Way."
"Uh…" Lin Zhou passed a stall while holding a salt packet. The wrapper was printed with a silhouette of him holding a little hoe.
The stall owner beamed. "Commoner's Sea Salt—sprinkle it and they kneel! I mean—sprinkle it and they yield!" He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Heard you're actually the mount of some ancient god. This is the god-beast's favorite brand. Interested in being our spokesperson?"
"I'm interested in you shutting up," said Lin Zhou.
Farther up the stands, a few Frostmoon Camp veterans whispered. "The Cursed Child… is he actually the hidden king of the spirit pet world?" Another corrected earnestly. "He's the king of the king's mount in the spirit pet world." A third sighed. "That's… complicated."
Prince Chiyan stood with one hand on his hip, laughing so hard he could barely stand. "Ten out of ten rumor." Honglei lazily twirled her cup. "Nine out of ten. Minus one because 'mount' jokes are old." The Holy Son nodded. "Suggestion—change it to 'Heaven's portable pendant' for a fresher vibe."
"Have you said enough?" A voice like an ice blade cut in behind them—Hanshuang. No one knew when she'd arrived. She glanced at the arena and then at them. "Anyone who dares make him a joke, I'll dismantle your smile myself."
All three shut up at once. "Responsible adult's here," Honglei murmured with a low laugh.
8 | Tiebreaker: Spirit-Beast Resonance and a Flash of Gold Thread
The committee suddenly announced a tiebreaker. "All with three straight wins enter the 'Spirit-Beast Resonance Trial.'"
They wheeled in a stone statue the size of half a hill to the center of the field—half dragon, half deer, with a serene expression. The host hyped it to the heavens. "Whoever can stir the stone beast's heart gains the blessing of the Mandate!"
The crowd booed. "Every year it's the same. The stone doesn't move; we do."
Lin Zhou stood before the statue, wondering how to say good morning to a rock, when Xiao Li suddenly went "ah." A thread-thin glimmer of gold flickered at his fingertip—so fine it was like spider silk, bright enough that only he and Lin Zhou, who was closest, could see it.
In that instant, Xiao Li felt as if a warm hand pressed gently to his chest. A whisper rose by his ear again. "Come back."
Deep in the statue's eye sockets, a very faint light stirred, like a wind rising from the bottom of an ancient well.
The host's jaw fell open. "…It—it moved?" Judge A dropped his pen. "Thirty years as an examiner, it's my first time seeing it blink!" Judge B drew a sharp breath. "Not a blink—it's… a heart stirring."
The crowd roared. Xiao Li, however, touched his chest in confusion. The gold thread flashed and vanished. He snuck a look at Lin Zhou. Lin Zhou was looking back, with no surprise in his eyes—only this:
"Tired?"
Xiao Li froze, then smiled with crescent eyes. "Not tired."
"Then let's go eat."
"Okay!"
The two of them turned and left, leaving the fireworks of speculation behind for Prince Chiyan, Honglei, and the Dragon Clan Holy Son to handle. Hanshuang followed in silence, like a spear planted in the wind.
9 | Award Ceremony: Champion? Better Cook Him Noodles
By dusk, the award ceremony began in a glorious mess. The host's voice outshouted the sunset. "This year's Spirit Pet Championship—Lin Zhou Team, champions!"
Streamers fell; drums boomed. The judges presented a giant golden basin, the rim engraved with four large characters: "Pet and Master, Shared Glory."
Lin Zhou stared at the basin for three seconds. "This… will be good for washing vegetables."
Judge: "It's an honor!"
Lin Zhou nodded solemnly. "It's also an oversized veggie-wash basin."
The judge began to doubt his life choices.
Prince Chiyan shoved a roast chicken into his arms. "Take it. Extra dinner tonight." Honglei tapped the basin with a knuckle. "Also good for wine." The Holy Son was the most practical. "Or, you can wear it as a helm—for traction."
Lin Zhou considered. "Makes sense."
Xiao Li ran up waving a little flag that read "Equality Between Person and Pet—Lin Zhou Leads the Way," but he misread it aloud as "Equality Between Person and Pet—Flat… Pan."
Lin Zhou flipped the flag right-side up. "The words are fine. You're holding it upside down."
"Oh." Xiao Li flipped it back and stifled laughter all the way.
10 | A Little Tail in the Night
Late night. The backyard of the Spirit Herb Workshop was quiet again. Lin Zhou squatted by the herb plot, upended the golden basin to use as a small water trough, dropped in a few strands of water grass, and turned to ask, "Fuzzball, can you stop stealing rings?"
Fuzzball Bird cooed obediently twice—either agreeing or burping.
Xiao Li sat on the steps, kicking his legs, a tiny grain of salt in his palm. He put it on his tongue and squinted. "So salty."
"Of course." Lin Zhou handed him a bowl of noodles. "Champion's extra dinner—sea-salt clear broth noodles."
Xiao Li took it and sipped a mouthful. Suddenly heat flared in his chest again, traveling up his spine to the nape of his neck, like an invisible flower slowly blooming. He couldn't help making a soft "mm."
"Too hot?" Lin Zhou asked.
"No." Xiao Li was a little embarrassed. "Just… the world feels less noisy."
"Good." Lin Zhou lifted his own bowl. "Eat, then sleep. Tomorrow we keep loosening soil."
"Okay!" Xiao Li answered crisply, then added in a small voice, "Bro, if I… become powerful someday, I still shouldn't take over loosening soil for you, right?"
"If you try to take over, I'll mess the soil up on purpose for you," Lin Zhou said with solemn seriousness.
Xiao Li snorted into laughter, eyes crinkling. But at the same time, his fingertip glimmered lightly in the night and went dark again. No one saw that, on the other side of the courtyard wall, the shadow of that stone beast seemed to sharpen a fraction in the moonlight.
11 | Epilogue: The Wind Blows This Way
Early next morning, three flying letters arrived at Frostmoon Camp simultaneously:
Shangqing Academy: Specially invites "Child Xiao Li" as an observation disciple. Full tuition waiver, room and board included, plus… late-night snacks.
Qingyun Sect: Please bring Xiao Li to our sect's trial. If suitable, to be inducted into the core seed program the very day.
Dragon Clan Sacred Hall: The dragon clan doesn't take disciples. We take kin (underline this).
Prince Chiyan snatched the third letter with a snort-laugh. "These dragons—clumsy tongues, but their hearts are true." Honglei flicked a finger. "No rush. Let them line up to learn—how to eat with people." The Dragon Clan Holy Son was silent two beats, then said blandly, "I'm already learning."
Hanshuang handed the three letters to Lin Zhou. Lin Zhou didn't take them, but looked at Xiao Li. "We'll pick after he wakes."
"Okay," Hanshuang replied, brief as ever.
Wind blew in through the camp gate, carrying a faint scent of grass. Far off, a certain tower lit a lamp and dimmed it again. Unseen silhouettes conversed in the wind, bandying words like "Cursed Child," "spirit beast's heart stirred," and "Echo Constitution."
Let them talk. In the courtyard, two bowls of noodles were already empty. Lin Zhou stacked the bowls. Xiao Li, with a tiny contented hiccup, leaned against his shoulder—like on every ordinary night before.
"Bro."
"Mm?"
"I'm definitely going to become very powerful." Xiao Li tilted his head, voice soft. "But I won't stray too far from you."
"Then I'd better plant more rows of vegetables," Lin Zhou said seriously. "You'll have more to eat when you come back."
Xiao Li laughed, and the sound gently bumped the golden basin, making a hollow ring—like from very, very far away, answering with a single word: "Okay."