Yang Baosan and Granny Zhang dared not look; the room was pitch black. Hearing Young Master Liu cry out with an "Aiyo," they had no idea what had happened. They dared not inquire, yet their hearts were filled with both worry and fear.

The cat let out a mournful yowl, about to roll over and shake the little yellow wolf cub off its back. Who knew that One-Ear would suddenly launch its real killing blow? As the big cat turned its head, One-Ear dipped low and struck like a venomous snake toward the big cat's throat. With an enemy behind and another attacking in front, if not for divine intervention, this big cat might not survive. Seeing their advantage, the surrounding wolf cubs cheered excitedly and slowly closed in again.

Young Master Liu pushed against the door, ready to rush out.

But then he saw the cat let out a sharp roar, flip onto the ground, pull its thick hind legs back close to its body, and then lash out like lightning, kicking One-Ear squarely in its sharp face. One-Ear grunted, rolled a long way across the ground, and when it got up, its face was covered in black blood; it was likely blinded in one eye. It shrieked in agony.

The big cat rolled on the ground and pinned the small yellow wolf cub under its paws. It opened its jaws and bit down on its neck. A distinct crunch was heard as it snapped the cub's throat bone in one go. The cat tossed the limp body of the cub onto the ground, let out a soft "meow," radiating unparalleled dominance—quite the bearing of a petty hegemon.

Young Master Liu was overjoyed. He thought to himself that even this small place of theirs had produced such a fierce cat. He wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not. Meanwhile, the wolf cubs, stunned by the great cat’s might, dared not approach. Just then, a sharp, mocking laugh—"Hee"—pierced the air, and the three people inside felt as if a basin of icy water had been dumped over their heads in the dead of winter—a chill to the bone.

Yang Baosan’s teeth chattered as he spoke: “Mr. Liu… it was… it was… that thing laughing, it’s going to kill us!” Young Master Liu gripped his sword tightly, staring intently outside.

From beneath Yang Baosan's straw stack, a dark shadow slowly emerged. The shadow moved with extreme languor, as if taking a slow-motion walk onto a stage. Young Master Liu thought, This is serious. The monster produced by this house has learned how to strike a pose? The big cat let out a low "Miao," its voice trembling slightly, showing extreme fear. The fur along its back stood on end, every strand rigidly vertical. As the shadow drew closer, Young Master Liu’s heart tightened. After seeing all those strange things last night, now comes another one today!

A yellow wolf, nearly the size of a half-grown dog, stalked toward the big cat, swaying with each step. On its pointed face, two tiny, bean-sized eyes glowed with an eerie green light. It stuck out its tongue and licked its lips, as if drooling over a delicacy. Young Master Liu racked his brain, unable to fathom how a mere wolf cub could laugh. Those ancient tales of creatures transforming into demons—could they actually exist in this world? He secretly bit his index finger and drew a Wolf-Repelling Charm on his sword. This was an old spell Taoist priests used in the wilderness to drive away fierce beasts. At this moment, Young Master Liu truly couldn't think of any other talisman that might be useful.

Then came another "Hee" laugh from the large yellow wolf. Suddenly, a dark shadow flipped up from beneath its belly. This shadow settled itself on the back of the large wolf, seemingly quite pleased, emitting continuous, sharp, and sinister "Hee, hee" sounds that gave the three people inside goosebumps all over. Young Master Liu looked closely and saw the shadow moving its limbs as if it were a tiny infant. This thoroughly terrified Young Master Liu. Isn't this the child from the Ghost Cave? Why is it riding a wolf out now?

The infant-like little monster, seeing the big cat’s tension, tugged the large wolf’s ear, causing it to turn around. With a soft Puchi, a faint cloud of black smoke puffed out from its rear end. Young Master Liu thought, Not good! This wolf is releasing poison gas.

In the countryside, when trapping yellow wolves, they used bamboo tubes with a simple snare. If a wolf was caught, people would strike it from a distance with a bamboo pole, making sure it had cleared its bowels before daring to approach. If one was careless enough to catch it before it relieved itself, they would suffer nausea and malaise for half a day.

As the wolf released its blast, the big cat was caught completely off guard, hit squarely by the stink. Unlike humans, the cat couldn't pinch its nose. After inhaling, it became dizzy and unsteady, letting out a mournful whimper on the ground before flipping completely onto its back, exposing its large belly.

The little monster urged the wolf forward. It grunted twice, and a throng of other yellow wolves immediately surrounded the cat, their sharp muzzles gaping wide as they lunged to bite at the helpless creature. Young Master Liu realized that if he didn't intervene now, the cat would surely die. He roared, "Hai!" pushed the door open, and leaped out. Yang Baosan, having been completely engrossed by the scene, was just gathering the courage to peek when Young Master Liu’s sudden shout startled him so much that his legs went weak, and he fell right onto his backside.

The little monster, leading its pack of wolves, had been causing havoc in the village for days, terrifying dogs into staying indoors and people from venturing out at night. They had long since stopped paying attention to lesser things. Suddenly, a person burst forth, holding a glittering object. This startled the pack of wolves, sending them scattering in a panic. The little monster was startled at first, then its face contorted into rage. With a sharp screech, it slapped the head of the large yellow wolf and charged toward Young Master Liu.

Uncertain of his opponent’s true strength, Young Master Liu immediately pulled two talismans from his satchel and shouted, "Bind!"

The two talismans dropped as if weighted heavily, landing on the ground. Just as the large yellow wolf was about to jump over the charms, white smoke erupted from them, bursting into a ball of red flame. Although this creature was not a ghost, it possessed an innate fear of bright things. Since the flames were so close, they singed off several of the wolf’s whiskers. The wolf let out a piercing squeal and bolted sideways, violently shaking the small monster off its back.

Young Master Liu’s vision blurred; it seemed an infant was lunging for his face. He cursed inwardly, Damn it, that fast? With no other option, he quickly held his blunt wooden sword in front of his face. He felt a fishy, foul wind assault his nostrils, and a small, furry claw brushed past his left cheek. Young Master Liu was greatly alarmed. He shoved the sword outward, but his hand met empty air. Focusing his eyes, he saw the little monster bouncing across the ground as if it didn't touch the earth, landing back on the large yellow wolf’s back in just a few leaps.

The black clouds in the sky gradually dispersed a little, allowing a sliver of pale moonlight to shine through. Young Master Liu observed that the little monster, though shaped vaguely human, looked more like a monkey. Cold light flickered in its eyes, seemingly assessing this sudden interloper. The other wolf cubs hid far away, watching the standoff. Young Master Liu thought, Even if I don't know what you are, I cannot lose face here. He immediately gripped his sword horizontally in his right hand and formed a Celestial Master Demon-Subduing Mudra with his left, striking a formidable pose.

This single figure facing a host of monsters showed no sign of cowardice, causing Young Master Liu to internally praise himself greatly. Just then, the spot on his face that had been touched began to burn as if on fire. The pain stabbed straight to his heart and lungs, making him grimace and nearly cry out for his mother. Just as his Grandmaster composure was about to crumble, the little monster pursed its lips and let out a long whistle. The yellow wolves, large and small, turned and fled, vanishing like a sweep of black shadow. Dust and smoke billowed up from the ground, alarming Young Master Liu greatly.

As the dust settled, only the large yellow cat remained, lying belly-up in the moonlight. Young Master Liu approached and picked it up; it felt like holding a small pig. He mused, If this cat is fed well, it might truly grow into a little tiger. At that moment, the skin on his face began to twitch painfully, and tears welled up uncontrollably in Young Master Liu’s eyes. He quickly turned back, took a few steps, and pushed open the door of the thatched hut.

Upon entering, he heard Yang Baosan cry out in fright, “Aiyo, who is it?”

The great storm outside hadn't scared him, but this sudden shout made Young Master Liu break out in a cold sweat. He hurried to say, “It’s me!”

Granny Zhang also cried out, “Amitabha! Young Master, are you unharmed? And my Big Yellow, is it alright too?”

Yang Baosan complained, “Why didn’t you give a signal? With all that ghostly wailing outside, what if you scared someone to death by just barging in?”

Young Master Liu gasped from the pain and rushed, “Captain Yang, quickly light a lamp!” Unaware of what had happened, Yang Baosan quickly lit the lamp. As the light flared, Yang Baosan’s hand shook, nearly dropping the lamp. He pointed at Young Master Liu’s face and gasped, “Aiyo, Mr. Liu, your face…”

Young Master Liu knew something was terribly wrong. He handed the big yellow cat to Granny Zhang and said, “Captain Yang, I need to look inside your house, quickly! Quickly!”

Granny Zhang took the cat. Seeing it unresponsive, she was about to weep, but then the cat twitched its claws and wagged its tail—it seemed fine. She hugged the cat tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Yang Baosan, frantic with worry, hurried ahead to open his own door. Since Young Master Liu had said he needed to see something in his house, and Yang Baosan didn't know what the trouble was, he ran along in a daze, his body feeling weak. “Aiyo, what is wrong in my house? Mr. Liu, please say something!” Young Master Liu and Yang Baosan shoved the door open. Yang Baosan rushed in with questions. Young Master Liu asked, “Captain Yang, which room is yours?” Hearing that his own room was the destination, Yang Baosan nearly fainted from fright.

He led Young Master Liu into his room, where Young Master Liu held the lamp up to a mirror. Yang Baosan quickly asked, “Is there something wrong with the mirror in this house?”

Young Master Liu replied, “Not exactly. I’m checking to see what happened to my face!”

Yang Baosan felt a surge of anger. Why didn’t you just say that first? You had me worried sick! If he hadn't needed Young Master Liu’s help today, he would have been shouting by now!

Young Master Liu looked at his reflection and was shocked. The half of his face that had been touched was completely blackened and bruised. He cursed loudly, “Aiyo, what a poisonous bastard!”

Yang Baosan asked anxiously, “What poison, Mr. Liu? Is it your face?”

Young Master Liu paused to think, then said, “It’s just the dust I touched on the ground and got on my face. However, these wicked things have certainly left their venom around your place!”

Yang Baosan panicked, “Aiyo, Mr. Liu, what should we do?” Young Master Liu lowered his voice, “Let’s go to the Granny’s place first. This matter is probably connected to that big yellow cat!”

Yang Baosan gritted his teeth, “I knew those cats weren't good for anything!”

Young Master Liu countered, “Aiyo, Captain Yang, if it weren't for those cats, I fear you would have been in serious trouble already!”

Yang Baosan was momentarily stunned. “What do you mean by that?”

Young Master Liu explained, “Captain, that night when Lin Anxing came to your house again, I’m afraid it wasn't for a good reason. It was thanks to that cat that the thing—neither human nor ghost—was driven away!”

Yang Baosan remained silent.

They arrived at Granny Zhang’s thatched hut. Young Master Liu sat by the bed and saw a flicker of spirit return to the yellow cat's eyes. Knowing it was fine, he turned to Yang Baosan and said, “Captain Yang, this cat is a spirit cat! You cannot let the Granny and this cat stay in this shack anymore!”

Yang Baosan stood up abruptly. “Hey, Mr. Liu, what nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean, spirit cat?”

Young Master Liu slapped his leg. “When I heard the Granny mention that the mother cat begs for food with a ladle, I knew there was significance to this cat!”

Yang Baosan was confused. “What significance is there?” Young Master Liu replied, “This kind of cat is called a House-Guarding Cat!”

Seeing Yang Baosan’s jaw drop, Young Master Liu continued, “There is an old saying: When a man is down on his luck, dogs lose their loyalty; when a household prospers, cats show righteousness. When a person begins to have good fortune, loyal dogs and spirit cats will naturally appear at their door. When a person falls into bad luck, even a loyal family dog cannot be kept. Captain Yang, your village affairs have been going smoothly, and your household is flourishing. This is a time of great luck. This spirit cat came to your door, but you drove it away with a brick—isn’t that equivalent to driving away good fortune and inviting disaster? The recent disturbances in your house are mostly due to you chasing that cat away!”

Seeing Yang Baosan look down silently, he added, “It’s a good thing Granny is kind-hearted and kept both the yellow cat and the black dog. You are experiencing bad luck now, but the dog and cat have taken a blow for you! You must both care for the Granny and this cat well, and I guarantee you will have continuous good fortune and peace in your household from now on!”

Yang Baosan was troubled but believed half of what Young Master Liu said. He thought, if this weren't true, why would Young Master Liu go to such lengths to speak up for this old woman and the cat?

Young Master Liu touched his face and said, “Also, I need to do some work around the front and back of your house to cleanse it. You need to prepare some millet for me!”

Yang Baosan’s eyes bulged. “H-how much?”

Young Master Liu grinned cryptically, “At least twenty catties!”

Then he turned to Granny Zhang and said, “I might need this Big Yellow Cat again in a few days. Granny, I'll come to catch her then!”

Granny Zhang asked anxiously, “Are you planning to harm the cat?” Young Master Liu replied, “Of course not. I think if things are to be quiet around the precinct, this cat will be essential!”

Yang Baosan came over with a bag of millet, looking extremely reluctant. Young Master Liu asked him to bring his precious flashlight, and the two of them went around the front and back of the house to draw several talismans and bury some of the millet. As for the rest, Young Master Liu said he needed to bury it in various parts of the village. He quickly bid farewell to Yang Baosan and left, carrying the rice on his back.