Zanxing

Chapter 42 - Breaking the Golden Egg (2)

Even though Zanxing had many speculations in her heart, she never expected that the creature inside the egg would actually be a cat.

Putting everything else aside, the problem was: how could a cat be an oviparous animal?

 Although in cultivation novels, there's no need to adhere to scientific principles, hatching a cat from an egg was just too unscientific!

The little kitten in front of her wobbled a couple of steps and licked Zanxing's fingers, giving her a feeling as if her heart had been struck instantly.

But regardless, this exceeded Zanxing's understanding. So, she found a piece of cloth to wrap the kitten up, tidied herself, and headed out with the cat, planning to show it to Xuanling.

As soon as she stepped outside, she bumped into Tian Fangfang, who was about to go out for morning exercises. Seeing Zanxing holding a bundle, Tian Fangfang's expression changed, and he leaned closer, surprised, "Did it hatch? When did it happen?" He looked like a gossiping relative eager to see a newborn, ready to ask, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Zanxing showed the kitten to Tian Fangfang, and he immediately went wild with excitement.

"It's a cat, it's a cat!" Tian Fangfang was overjoyed, dancing around, "I can't believe it's a cat! It's so cute! Zanxing, can I hold it?"

Zanxing: "..."

She handed over the bundle, and Tian Fangfang wiped his hands on his robe before carefully extending his arms to take the kitten, looking at it with the same gaze a mother would have for her baby.

Unable to watch any longer, Zanxing said, "Let's go. I need to show it to Xuanling to see what this is."

"Regardless of what species it is, it's so cute," Tian Fangfang said wistfully, "Zanxing, I envy you. I want a kitten like this too."

Such is the duality of iron will and tenderness.

Zanxing pretended not to hear, "Let's go, let's go! If we delay any longer, everyone will gather to see the excitement."

When they arrived at Miaokong Hall, Xuanling was already up. Now that he was older, he slept much less. He had gotten up early to water the flowers and grass. When he saw Zanxing and Tian Fangfang arrive, he was momentarily stunned. Before he could speak, Zanxing presented the bundle right under his nose, "Martial Uncle, the egg I found has hatched."

Xuanling leaned in, and the timid kitten peered out from the bundle, nearly making him slip.

"This... this is a cat! How could an egg hatch a cat?"

Seeing his shocked expression, which was even more intense than her own, Zanxing paused for a moment and asked, "Martial Uncle, do you not know the origins of this cat?"

"I... I've never seen a cat hatched from an egg," Xuanling said, puzzled, as he poked the kitten's head with his finger. The kitten tilted its head in response, and he continued, "This looks like an ordinary cat."

"That's not a cat." A voice came from the back of the hall.

Everyone turned to see a young man walking out from behind, none other than Gu Baiying. Today, he was dressed in pure white attire, with ink-colored plum blossoms embroidered on the edges, looking fresh and handsome. With a hint of youthful arrogance in his eyes, he approached Zanxing and glanced at the kitten in the bundle before looking ahead and saying, "This is a Yinlang Lion."

"Yinlang Lion?" Xuanling looked at the kitten, then back at Gu Baiying, "Junior Brother, I remember that Yinlang Lions don't look like this."

Zanxing asked, "What is a Yinlang Lion?"

Xuanling cleared his throat, "The Yinlang Lion is an ancient divine beast that has been recorded in the immortal texts. However, it went extinct around five hundred years ago." After a pause, he added, "The texts state that east of the Northern Sea, there is a Yinlang, resembling a lion, with a silver body and snow-colored paws, living off clouds. This..."

The way the kitten yawned did not resemble a "lion" in any way.

Gu Baiying said, "It is a Yinlang Lion, but not entirely. This cat has a trace of Yinlang Lion blood in it, but it is very thin and can be ignored. This meager trace of bloodline will never awaken even when it reaches the end of its life, so," he looked at Zanxing, "you can treat it as an ordinary house cat."

"Just a trace of bloodline..." Xuanling said with a hint of regret, "What a pity! Even as a spiritual beast, it wouldn't be qualified."

However, Zanxing didn't think so. It was said that fierce beasts roamed the mountains at night, making it dangerous. But after she crawled out of the black swamp, she did not encounter any danger and even spent the night under a tree safely. At that time, she only thought it was the protection of the Xiao Yuan Pearl, but... what if it was because of this egg?

Since it had divine beast blood, the fierce beasts in the mountains might have sensed it and dared not approach. Although this kitten seemed ordinary now, all cats are felines; who knows if it might develop into a lion one day?

"Zanxing," Tian Fangfang interrupted Zanxing's thoughts, staring at the kitten, "Whether it's a cat or a lion, it's yours now. Are you going to give it a name?"

Zanxing: "..."

She had never been good at naming. She casually said, "Then let's call it Mimi."

"Great!" Xuanling clapped his hands, "That's a good name!"

Gu Baiying frowned, "What's good about it?"

Tian Fangfang was playing with Mimi, and Zanxing noticed a gaze on her. Turning around, she saw Gu Baiying looking away.

She thought for a moment, walked up to Gu Baiying, and asked, "Martial Uncle, why do you keep sneaking glances at me?"

The young man was taken aback at first, then seemed perplexed, "Who's sneaking a glance at you?"

"You."

Gu Baiying looked down at her, raising an eyebrow slightly, "Why would I look at you? Do you think you're good-looking?"

Zanxing replied confidently, "I think I'm not bad."

The girl in front of him had a graceful figure and calm eyes. Speaking of her features, they were quite charming, but the deep scars on her right cheek made it hard to call her "beautiful."

Gu Baiying scoffed coldly, "You're quite full of yourself." As if too lazy to engage with Zanxing, he turned and left.

Zanxing watched his retreating figure, and she understood.

A newcomer like her, who was nothing special, didn't deserve the attention of this young prodigy. It seemed Gu Baiying's frequent glances at her were due to that book, "Qing E Nian Hua Staff."

After all, in a certain sense, she could be considered a disciple of Gu Baiying's mother, so there was some connection.

However, "Qing E Nian Hua Staff" did not appear in the original work, and Gu Baiying also did not have a name in it. Now, everything was connecting with her in various ways.

Zanxing looked down at the red mark on her hand.

This time, even the subplot had changed.