Chapter 59: A Meeting of Minds

Chapter 59: Mutual Understanding

The phantom cat was suddenly lifted into the air, looking completely bewildered.

Clearly, it could not understand why the innate ability it relied upon for survival had no effect on Qin Zhe.

However, upon hearing what Qin Zhe said, the phantom cat settled down somewhat.

Spirit beasts possessed a high degree of intelligence, and naturally, it did not enjoy being trapped in a cage.

Following Qin Zhe meant having good food and avoiding confinement in a cage—why wouldn't it be happy to comply?

Meanwhile, the stall owner was dumbfounded, staring blankly at the young man.

Everyone who owned a phantom cat treated it like precious royalty, terrified of displeasing the feline master.

Yet this brother was something else; he just grabbed the cat by the top of its head and hoisted it up like it was nothing. Was he for real?

And that naming sense of his was truly something special...

Big White?

It was clearly still just a kitten; wouldn't Little White sound much better?

Before the owner could fully process it, Qin Zhe turned and walked away with the phantom cat perched on his head.

Watching the man and cat move away safely and soundly, the owner still found it hard to believe.

The phantom cat... was subdued just like that?

For real?

Qin Zhe walked with the phantom cat resting on his head, unafraid that it might try to escape.

Considering he still planned to wander around the market for a while, Qin Zhe attempted to communicate with the phantom cat.

"Big White, your ability is worthless in my eyes. I bought you primarily because you have a good appearance. I won't lock you in a cage, so behave yourself and don't cause any trouble for me. Make sure you don't affect anyone else, understand?"

As he spoke, Qin Zhe took out another top-grade spirit stone and raised his hand to offer it right above his head.

What does it mean to appeal to one's emotions and reason with logic?

The phantom cat understood human speech, but it hadn't taken Qin Zhe's words seriously at first.

However, when yet another top-grade spirit stone was presented, the phantom cat's pupils contracted in sudden shock.

This current owner seemed... actually not bad?

Should it... perhaps be a bit more obedient?

Opening its mouth to clamp onto the previous spirit stone, it then extended two furry paws to take the new one from Qin Zhe's hand, letting out a soft "meow" in response.

To Qin Zhe's surprise, the moment the phantom cat made that sound, a profound connection immediately sparked deep within his heart.

Was it already tamed?

Qin Zhe paused in his tracks, momentarily stunned.

He had originally planned to spend time petting the cat back home until it was completely willing to submit, never expecting things to be resolved right here and now.

Didn't the stall owner say... this cat had a rather nasty temperament?

Secretly puzzled, Qin Zhe shifted his thoughts and issued a mental command to the phantom cat, telling it to transform into the likeness of a Ragdoll cat.

There were quite a few people in the market who recognized phantom cats. Seeing one perched blatantly on his head without any protective measures, people hurried to detour around them, terrified of falling victim to hallucinations.

Making the "walking top-grade spirit stone" look like a "walking fluffy doll" was clearly necessary, and it also happened to fulfill his past wish of owning a Ragdoll cat that he couldn't afford.

The phantom cat was very obedient. At Qin Zhe's mental urging, its appearance quickly transformed. It then curled up on top of his head and squinted its eyes, pressing the two spirit stones firmly beneath its body.

This scene came as a slight surprise to Qin Zhe.

Mainly because he could sense that the phantom cat was currently absorbing the spiritual energy from the spirit stones to nourish itself.

So... spirit beasts could absorb spirit stones directly?

Qin Zhe felt a sense of wonder. Remembering how the Cold Moon Divine Dog had simply gnawed on them directly when he fed it before, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

Cats really are like celestial maidens, whereas dogs...

The rest of the trip passed quietly. After spending most of his remaining top-grade spirit stones in the market—saving just a few to serve as rations for the phantom cat when necessary—Qin Zhe set off on his return journey with a thoroughly satisfied heart.

On the way back to the academy, the Ragdoll-like appearance of the phantom cat attracted the attention of numerous passersby.

Whether due to the spiritual energy revival that had begun a century ago or other factors, many species in this world simply did not exist.

The Ragdoll was one of the species absent from the current world, and huskies had never appeared here either.

Because of the existence of cultivators, people were long accustomed to ethereal and graceful female cultivators.

Nourished by spiritual energy, practically any female cultivator chosen at random was an absolute beauty, and seeing them so often naturally made people feel somewhat bored.

However, they had never seen a fairy-like fairy cat.

The phantom cat's original appearance was no less stunning than a Ragdoll's, but aside from cat owners, hardly anyone dared to touch one.

Now, seeing a celestial cat with such a noble aura—and a species they had never seen before—how could people not be curious?

Curiosity was one thing, but no one stepped forward to investigate.

Most people walking on the streets were ordinary folks.

There were cultivators among them, but their cultivation levels were generally low.

The phantom cat perched on Qin Zhe's head clearly wasn't an ordinary creature; it had to be a spirit beast.

Anyone wealthy enough to keep a spirit beast undoubtedly possessed a cultivation level that was far from low!

This realization made many curious onlookers keep their distance.

On one hand, rashly stepping forward to inquire was impolite; on the other hand, offending someone powerful wasn't worth the risk.

Before long, Qin Zhe successfully returned to the academy.

Just as he reached the entrance, he saw Liu Qingzhi walking toward the academy from the other end of the street.

Rarely seeing the head minister walking instead of flying, Qin Zhe raised a hand in greeting.

"Minister."

"Good evening."

Liu Qingzhi walked closer and responded, her beautiful eyes glancing at the phantom cat with a questioning look.

"This cat..."

"I bought it at the market. To avoid running into trouble on the way back, I had it change its appearance."

Qin Zhe answered truthfully without concealing anything.

"A phantom cat?"

Liu Qingzhi's expression shifted slightly, and she involuntarily stepped back by half a pace.

Seeing this, Qin Zhe blinked, lifted the cat into his hands, and offered it forward.

"It's fine. I've already tamed it, and it's very obedient. Would Minister like to pet it?"

Unlike ordinary women who had no resistance to cute things, Liu Qingzhi gently shook her head.

"Better not. My Heart-Clearing Art has just reached a bottleneck recently; if I were affected by illusions, it might disrupt my progress."

Since Qin Zhe dared to offer the cat, he had naturally given the phantom cat some prior "ideological work."

Liu Qingzhi was a formidable thigh to lean on; if he was going to trick anyone, she was definitely the last person he would target.

Seeing that the minister had her reservations and declined, Qin Zhe placed the cat back on top of his head and said,

"Minister, it's already evening. Aren't you a day student? Why are you back at the academy again?"

"The dean wants to see me about something and called me over temporarily."

Liu Qingzhi said, pausing for a moment before speaking.

"Would you like to come with me? It might be that there's news from the research institute."

Just as Qin Zhe was about to reply, a sudden exclamation rang out from behind him.

"Wow! Where did you get this cat, Qin Zhe? It's so cute! Why haven't I ever seen it before? Let me hold it!"

Before her voice had even faded, a pair of slender, delicate hands immediately reached out.

Qin Zhe only felt a lightness on his head as the cat was snatched away, causing the corners of his mouth to twitch uncontrollably.

Beside him, Liu Qingzhi raised her eyebrows slightly at the sight and swiftly shot him a meaningful look.

Aside from Yao Jing, there wasn't a second girl in the academy who would be as bold and uninhibited with Qin Zhe as this.

Catching the minister's subtle signal head-on, Qin Zhe was rendered speechless and pretended not to notice.

In his impression, Liu Qingzhi had always been an unsmiling iceberg goddess, never one to harbor thoughts of setting people up.

Yet Yao Jing's appearance had thoroughly subverted that demeanor.

Qin Zhe couldn't help but ponder deeply... Just how deep was the "grudge" between the two of them?