She hobbled about with a stick, asking door to door if anyone wanted kittens. In those days, people barely had enough to eat, let alone any grain stored at home. Who would want a cat? Old Granny Zhang could only return home disappointed every day.

It must have been fate that day; Old Granny Zhang went out early looking for people who wanted cats. The cat, unbothered, was sunning itself by the door of the thatched hut. Yang Baosan spotted it immediately. Yang Baosan was instantly furious. This old wretch, not content with eating his food three times a day, was now raising a cat to eat what little he had! A surge of anger welled up in him, and he picked up a brick and smashed it onto the cat’s head.

The cat’s skull was nearly shattered by the blow; it should have died instantly. But thinking of the little ones in its belly, it somehow managed to get up in one burst of energy, staggering away to somewhere else. Yang Baosan was momentarily stunned that the blow hadn't killed the cat. Seeing it run far away, he didn't bother to chase it. Later that afternoon, he saw Granny Zhang returning, leaning on her stick. He strode into the paddy field and cursed loudly: “You old devil! Eating my food, wearing my clothes, and constantly stirring up trouble all day, now you’ve gone and kept a cat! Are you asking for a beating, looking for trouble?”

Hearing this, Granny Zhang knew something was amiss and hurried toward the thatched hut, nearly falling in her haste. Reaching the hut, she called out, “Huang Mao! Huang Mao!” But the cat didn't come. She only saw a pool of blood by the door, with a few drops trailing off elsewhere. Tears immediately flooded Granny Zhang’s eyes. She cried out, “Oh, my sinful child, you’ve cost lives! Huang Mao! Huang Mao!” She followed the trail of blood, weeping and calling out. Yang Baosan cursed the old woman’s meddling from behind.

Granny Zhang followed the trail until she reached an earthen ditch by a field, where she saw the cat. Its head was a mangled mess of blood and flesh; it had long passed away. Lying against its belly were four slick, wet kittens, nursing greedily. It turned out the cat, knowing it was doomed, had held on just long enough to give birth to its young before dying. (Note from Old Jiu: The cat being fatally struck on the head and giving birth before death is a true event witnessed by my mentor in the Northeast! Here I sigh at the greatness of maternal love.) Granny Zhang stood by the cat and wept bitterly, burying the mother cat. She carried the four kittens home. For days, she boiled thin congee with sugar for them. In less than half a month, the sugar ran out. Granny Zhang was worrying when the largest kitten, a yellow-furred one, somehow caught a small field mouse by itself. The four kittens tore at it and ate it clean. From then on, these cats never touched another bite of Granny Zhang’s food; they caught birds and mice for themselves. As they grew larger, the four cats would play in the woods during the day and bring back several sparrows to Granny Zhang at night. Granny Zhang carefully roasted the sparrows and was able to have a bit of meat from time to time. This delighted Granny Zhang immensely.

Fearing her son would beat the cats again, she ran to his place and told him that if he struck the cats again, she would go to the town government and declare him unfilial! This truly frightened Yang Baosan. If word of this spread too widely in town, it would do him no good at all.

And so, Granny Zhang had the company of several cats, and her days were much happier than usual. She named the kittens according to their fur color: the biggest one was named Da Huang (Big Yellow), and the other three were named Huazi (Spotted), Xiao Bai (Little White), and Xiao Hui (Little Gray). Last winter, these four cats brought back a black puppy from who knows where, looking like it had just been weaned. Granny Zhang took in the puppy and named it Heizi (Little Black). Da Huang and Heizi became very close and never fought; Da Huang loved to sit on Heizi’s back and run through the mountains and fields together. This brought Granny Zhang immense joy.

Things had been going reasonably well until a few days ago, on the day Yang Baosan was hosting a banquet. Granny Zhang had just fallen asleep when she suddenly heard a few strange shrieks and a sharp, high-pitched laugh, startling her awake. She saw Da Huang pacing restlessly by the head of the bed, occasionally letting out soft, mournful meows. Being so old, Granny Zhang sensed something was terribly wrong with the sounds. She got up to find Yang Baosan, but after a few words, she was sent back.

The next day, Granny Zhang could clearly see that things had gone wrong. Heizi and the four cats huddled at home and refused to go out. Granny Zhang’s heart pounded with dread. She thought: Is old age finally coming for me? And these dogs and cats know it, guarding the house to see me off! She wasn’t afraid of dying, but she was afraid of what would become of these little things without someone to care for them.

As it neared dusk, Heizi grew agitated, refusing even the thin porridge in its bowl. Granny Zhang sat by the bed, constantly calling Heizi’s name, tears streaming down her face. She said, “I’m going, you all must go up to the mountains together, don’t stay here in the house!” Before she finished speaking, she saw Heizi and the cats touch mouths and then walk back toward the bedside. Seeing by the fading light, she noticed Heizi’s dog eyes were full of tears. This terrified Granny Zhang until her body went numb. If the family dog wept, it meant great danger was imminent for the household.

She dared not delay and got up again, intending to go speak to her unfilial son one more time. Just as she was about to step out, Heizi gently took hold of her trouser leg, preventing her from leaving.

Granny Zhang felt a slight easing of her heart, wondering if the impending event concerned only herself. In the blink of an eye, darkness fell completely, and the thatched hut was suddenly assailed by howling winds, punctuated by eerie noises that rose and fell. Granny Zhang’s face went pale with fright. Though she did not fear death, facing it head-on still filled her with extreme unease.

“Jiji,” “Jiji,” she heard outside, like a large group of something rushing past in the wind, suddenly in front of the house, then behind it. Granny Zhang smelled a noxious stench and collapsed onto the bed, truly not knowing what monstrous thing had arrived. Heizi suddenly stood up, and the four cats meowed incessantly, jumping and darting around the room, making Granny Zhang chant Amitabha Buddha over and over.

Heizi let out a low growl and shouldered the door of the thatched hut open, rushing straight out. Granny Zhang cried out in alarm for Heizi. In that opening, she saw several flickers of green light shining unsteadily, like small balls of ghostly fire, terrifying her spirit until it almost fled her body. Then she heard Da Huang let out a distinct “Meow!” The four cats, tails sticking straight up, rushed out together.

Outside, the cats' cries became piercingly mournful, while Heizi barked wildly, running everywhere. Occasionally, a "jiji" sound was heard, as if something were mocking them. Granny Zhang recited scriptures continuously, praying to the Buddha to protect these little ones from harm by any demonic entity. After a short while, she heard Heizi let out a sharp, tragic scream, which made Granny Zhang sit bolt upright in bed. A cold gust of wind blew the door of the thatched hut open, and she saw Heizi standing motionless at the threshold. Just as she was about to call to it, she noticed a dark shadow sitting behind Heizi. The shadow let out two "jiji" sounds, seemingly triumphant, and slowly rose up from the dog’s back.

Granny Zhang trembled, unable to speak. The shadow appeared to be about the size of an infant, with limbs like a baby’s, but its two eyes faintly emitted red light in the darkness, utterly sinister. At that moment, a low feline growl sounded from behind the shadow, and Da Huang sprang forward, tackling the shadow to the ground. The shadow let out two (miserable cries), and the outside was suddenly dotted with green light, the demonic aura swirling hazily. Another gust of wind swept through, closing the door again. Granny Zhang did not sleep the entire night, unsure when the commotion outside subsided. When the cats eventually returned, their cries were hoarse and miserable, but Heizi was nowhere to be seen.

The next day, when the sun rose, Granny Zhang rushed outside to look. She saw a trail of blood leading all the way to her vegetable patch. Going over, she nearly fainted. Heizi lay there, covered in blood, its belly ripped open with a large gash; it had clearly died long ago. Granny Zhang sobbed for a while, then labored to bury the dog. As she was burying it, she saw Yang Baosan and Liu Yuzhi, their faces ashen, hastily leaving with small bags.

The nights for the next few days were restless. Three cats died successively; all the dead cats had a large hole gouged out of their bellies. Granny Zhang’s tears were nearly dried up from the relentless terror, not knowing what evil entity they had encountered. Young Master Liu heard the account and was deeply shocked, saying, “Oh, Granny, the creatures you raise are all spirit animals! If something comes calling, it must be after these spirit animals!”

Hearing this, Yang Baosan’s anger flared up, and he retorted, “I told you not to raise useless things! Now you’ve attracted evil, look what you’ve done!”

Liu Dashao quickly interjected, “You can’t blame Granny for this; a cat that comes begging with a 'cup' has a special meaning!”

Yang Baosan quickly asked, “What special meaning?”

Liu Dashao explained, “This is a House-Guarding Cat. Such a cat only appears when good fortune is coming to the household. If you keep such a cat, the house will be safe for a year. If you drive it away, it means you are chasing away coming peace, which is inauspicious for both the person and the family!”

This explanation left Yang Baosan flustered and dry-mouthed, unsure if Liu Dashao was deceiving him, but he dared not say anything. Granny Zhang wiped her tears and added, “Only Da Huang is left here now. I haven’t seen it tonight either; I don’t know if it’s alive or dead!” Saying this, she was overcome with sorrow again.

Just as Liu Dashao was about to comfort her, a low snarl sounded from outside, and something scraped the door with a loud crash. Yang Baosan’s legs went weak, and he cried out, “Oh, Mr. Liu!” Liu Dashao spun around, catching sight of a magnificent, imposing cat with yellow fur and black spots standing at the door under the lamplight. It let out a loud “Wu-wa!” that made the light inside flicker.

Granny Zhang was overjoyed and cried out, “Da Huang! You’re still here!” Liu Dashao sucked in a cold breath and exclaimed, “What a cat! A spirit cat!”

Yang Baosan stammered, “What? Mr. Liu says this cat is…”

Liu Dashao rejoiced, “This is hardly a cat!” The words made Yang Baosan instantly jump behind Liu Dashao, trembling, “Oh, Mr. Liu, it’s not a cat, it’s a demon…?” Liu Dashao thought to himself, When this man gets scared, does he immediately jump to the supernatural? He gave a wry smile, “I mean, this cat doesn’t look like a common cat; it looks more like a small tiger.”

Da Huang, sensing two people inside, was highly alert. It let out a meow, its fur bristled up, and its tail formed a perfectly straight line with its body. Its mouth opened, revealing two sharp fangs. Granny Zhang gently called out a few times, “Da Huang, Mr. Liu is a good person, don’t be aggressive, he’s here to save you!”

Hearing Granny Zhang speak, the cat’s fierce gaze softened. It retracted its tail and slowly walked inside.

Liu Dashao’s eyes lit up as he watched the cat’s gait. He declared, “This cat is truly extraordinary. People say a wolf walks like a tiger, but the steps this cat takes truly possess the bearing of a tiger!” He reached out to touch it, but the cat let out a cry and leaped to Granny Zhang’s side.

Yang Baosan was anxious about his own home and urged, “Mr. Liu, let’s look at the cat tomorrow; please come to my house first!”

Liu Dashao was truly anxious because the moment Granny Zhang spoke, he knew the external threat was aimed at the spirit animals she kept. As for the matter concerning Lin Anxing, though there was no clue yet, it truly had no connection to the disturbances of the past few days. Just as he was trying to think of a way to postpone, several strange cries sounded from outside, and it felt as if a small gust of wind had swept through. Though sitting inside, Liu Dashao and Yang Baosan couldn’t help but feel a chill.

The cat suddenly stood tall, its eyes wide open, every whisker trembling lightly. It opened its mouth and let out a mighty roar: “Meow…!” This terrified Yang Baosan into paralysis. He hid behind Liu Dashao and muttered, “Oh, Mr. Liu, look, they’re back!”

Liu Dashao turned around and said, “Blow out the lamp, and take good care of Granny!” He then swiftly drew the Celestial Master Sword from his bag—the treasured heirloom of the Longhu Mountain sect, passed down by Zhang Enpu.

Yang Baosan, shaking violently, blew out the lamp after several attempts. Only then did they hear Granny Zhang cry out, “Oh, Da Huang… Don’t run out!”

The cat sprang off the bed with a tiger-like leap and slipped out by the door. Liu Dashao was greatly surprised. He crept to the door and peered through the crack to see what kind of creature was outside.

It was as black as ink outside, with dozens of pairs of small green dots moving as if forming a formation, shifting from east to west. The cat had barely taken twenty steps outside when it was encircled by the green dots. Liu Dashao thought, Could these dots be eyes?

Hearing several “jiji” calls, Liu Dashao immediately understood. He turned to Yang Baosan and said, “I think it’s the Yellow Weasels making trouble!”

When Yang Baosan heard that the creatures causing chaos at his house every day were just weasels, his face flushed red with anger. He snatched a broken stick from the ground, ready to rush out and beat them to death.

Liu Dashao grabbed him, saying, “Oh, my captain, you can’t act rashly. These Yellow Weasels might not be so simple!” Yang Baosan, initially full of rage and eager to strike the weasels, paused when he heard Liu Dashao’s words. He suddenly realized something, quickly put down the stick, and sat back by his old mother’s bed, saying, “Mr. Liu, have the weasels turned into demons?” Liu Dashao shook his head, “It’s unlikely they’ve become demons, but Yellow Weasels usually give off a musky odor. Why does this smell so foul and rancid? I think they have become monsters!”

Yang Baosan retorted, “Aren’t they the same thing? Demons and monsters both kill people!” Liu Dashao dared not say more, letting out a soft hiss, and looked outside.

He saw Da Huang surrounded by a pack of Yellow Weasels, yet it showed no panic at all. It flicked its tail, as thick as a child’s wrist, lowered its body, and kept up a low, rumbling growl. Its tail swept back and forth along the ground, stirring up clouds of dust, the sheer imposing manner of which scattered some of the surrounding weasels. The posture it struck was utterly domineering.

Liu Dashao thought, If it were just these dozens of weasels, they probably couldn’t cause so much trouble. Wanting to observe the skill of this tiger-like big cat, he crouched by the door, watching the battle between the small tiger and the pack of wolves in silence.

The surrounding Yellow Weasels, relying on their numbers, though fearful of the fierce cat, began to circle again. One weasel, about the size of a domestic cat, was likely the leader. It moved silently, creeping up behind Da Huang, trying to launch a surprise attack with light footsteps. Da Huang’s triangular ears swiveled slightly, sensing the large creature approaching from behind. Yet, it pretended not to notice, only growling low at the ones in front. When the lead weasel was only a few steps away and saw the cat still seemed unaware, it coiled its hind legs, preparing to spring into action.

Liu Dashao watched with a pounding heart, about to shout and frighten the weasel away to help the big cat.

The big cat heard the movement but made no attempt to dodge. It jumped straight up from where it stood, letting out a “Meow!” It leaped nearly two feet high, twisting its sturdy body gracefully in mid-air to face the threat. As it landed, it crouched low, sprang off its hind legs, and charged the coiled lead weasel like a hungry tiger.

This sudden turn and charge was as fast as lightning. The lead weasel only saw a blur before the cat’s sharp claws clamped down just beneath its neck. It felt an intense pain as the cat gripped the fur beneath its throat firmly. The cat secured its target and arched its body, launching the weasel up nearly a foot high. The weasel shrieked in pain.

The cat coiled its hind legs in the air and delivered a powerful kick to the weasel’s neck, sending it flying more than a foot away. Black blood sputtered from its mouth; it was clearly not going to survive. The weasel staggered up, let out two weak "jiji" sounds, and then collapsed again.

This decisive victory awed the smaller weasels nearby, causing them to retreat slightly. Liu Dashao saw it clearly and shouted internally, “Good!” He thought that among these beasts, there could indeed be such spirit creatures; it was truly the work of providence.

Liu Dashao had keen eyesight and saw clearly as a slightly smaller weasel darted forward, snatched up the half-dead weasel, and dragged it away. Liu Dashao marveled inwardly, thinking: If this pack of weasels wasn't being manipulated by an evil entity, they must have cultivated some spiritual awareness, as they had even learned to collect their dead.

Just as this small weasel was about to flee in terror, another weasel, about the size of a small dog, emerged from the darkness. Its pair of green eyes were full of cunning intent. Without seeming to exert much effort, it bounded over in three quick hops to the big cat’s front. Liu Dashao noticed this weasel was missing an ear, and its fur was somewhat blackened. He wondered what sort of ancient monster it was.

The big cat knew a worthy opponent had arrived, its throat rumbling like boiling water, its eyes wide open. Its body arched like a bowstring, ready to unleash a thunderous strike on this One-Ear. One-Ear, however, seemed unconcerned, continuing to move stealthily, darting left and right in front of the cat. The big cat couldn't judge One-Ear’s next move and had to keep its heart tight, not daring to look away for an instant. Liu Dashao also felt a bead of cold sweat form in his hand.

At this crucial moment, a much smaller weasel crept stealthily from behind the big cat, attempting to sneak up. When it was barely half a foot away, it crouched low and then sprang up like lightning. Being light, it leaped over a foot high, twisting its body mid-air to gain a superior position, and landed squarely on the big cat’s back. As soon as its feet touched the cat’s body, its pointed little snout opened to bite the back of the cat’s neck. Liu Dashao gasped softly, “Oh!” He thought, These weasels are this cunning? This feint is truly extraordinary. He gripped the Celestial Master Sword tighter, ready to rush out the moment the cat appeared to be in danger.

Yang Baosan and Granny Zhang dared not look. The inside of the house was dark, and hearing Liu Dashao exclaim, they had no idea what had happened. They didn't dare to ask, feeling both worried and terrified.