At dawn, Li Meirong met with her partners for the upcoming journey through the treacherous woods.
The sky seemed coated with a layer of honey, providing them with a warm and bright feeling as the sun rose higher towards the heavens.
"Good morning, Brother Wei and Sister Ying Yu." Li Meirong called cheerfully to her companions as she caught sight of them.
The seniors heard her greeting and walked over.
"Good morning, Junior Sister." Senior Wei replied. Ying Yue nodded her head in greeting.
Her seniors were both dressed in the sect robes, holding only one small cloth bag clutched in Wei's hand. Since they had already practised cultivation, it made sense that neither of them required sustenance for the journey.
Li Meirong felt overly prepared in comparison. She had sewn herself a backpack and enforced it with thin wooden planks for more durability. She made sure to bring several flasks containing water and had stored them in her bag, along with an assortment of preserved meats, dried vegetables and a separately packaged loaf of bread.
She also had a small pouch fastened around her slim waist. Chou was resting comfortably inside.
The group had gathered near the stables of their division. Mounts were already lined up across the field by the edge of the island, saddled and ready for the journey. Most inner sect disciples were gliding at the distance on top of their mounts. A few of the disciples waited their turn to follow, hoping to test their luck in the upcoming quest.
Unlike the cranes of Healer's Peak, the mounts of the Bestiary Division were demonic felines.
They ranged from big cats such as tigers and leopards to overly large house cats, each with a coat of fur uniquely marked by a wide variety of colours and patterns. Some felines bore long sabre fangs, while others sprouted horns or feathered wings. The domesticated cat demons were all twin tailed with long whiskers.
"Let's hurry on, the sooner the better!" Senior Wei declared as he made his way towards a yellow, thick coated Amur Leopard, decorated in black spots from head to toe. The big cat stood perfectly still, waiting patiently to be mounted.
In one swift motion, senior Wei jumped on its back. Ying Yue approached the same beast, grasped her husband's outstretched hand and allowed him to help her onto the mount's rear, behind him. The Amur Leopard crouched and pushed off from the ground, swiftly ascending from the island.
Li Meirong watched the perfectly matched immortal pair flying on top of a Leopard Spirit. It was an image so striking that she couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy creeping in the pit of her stomach.
She impulsively muttered, "It must be wonderful to live life with a partner to share all your happiness and sorrow with."
'Master, don't forget. You have me.' Chou responded. Roused from his sleep, his voice sounded slightly raspy.
"Thank you for staying with me Chou, I really appreciate it." She whispered back to her little pet. No need to clarify what she meant. His sentiment did make her feel better, nonetheless.
Li Meirong confirmed Chou was safely tucked inside the pouch as she made her way to the nearest mount. An enormous domesticated cat. The feline's coat was a stormy grey with darker coloured stripes across its back.
The cat lay down on the floor with eyes sealed shut as its face rested on its fluffy paws, the very image of laziness. As she approached it, its pair of tails began slowly flicking left and right.
She braved a gentle tap to its back.
"Why are you bothering me, hmm?" The Cat answered with a shrewd, condescending voice, slurring through the end of its sentence. It opened one of its large almond shaped eyes. A striking vibrant green with a sharp slit pupil emerged.
"I need to descend from the island. Can you take me to the lower floor level?" Li Meirong asked as politely as she could. Her hand itched to pat the soft fur in front of her eyes, but she resisted for now. She had a soft spot for cats, having raised a few herself. They may come off as apathetic and unfriendly, but she knew it was only their outer shell.
The Cat Spirit gazed at her with its one open eye, assessing the girl carefully.
"Are you stupid? Just go down on your own. You don't need me!" It exclaimed as it shut its eye, then proceeded to mumble, "...Pesky humans, bothering me when I'm trying to sleep..."
Chou barraged her with violent suggestions, 'This cat is rude! Let's teach him a lesson, I'll eat him up!'
Li Meirong coughed loudly, choosing to ignore her angry plant. The cat let out an exasperated sigh as it opened both of its eyes this time. "Yes, what do you want now? I can't help you."
Some cats were inherently lazier than others and don't care for orders. She had to coax it somehow.
Her gaze hardened with determination as she suddenly boldly cupped its large head with both her arms and tilted it up.
"How dare you touch me?! Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Oh…mhmm… that feels good…" Outrage soon turned into a long, rumbling purr as Li Meirong rubbed her fingers under the cat's fuzzy chin and scratched behind its ears. It rubbed its head against her in eager satisfaction.
"You have a lot of skills, for a human. Good job! Rub over there." The cat turned exceedingly docile under Li Meirong's fingers.
She stifled a laugh at its quick change of attitude.
'Master, I didn't know you were so good at coaxing spirit beasts! No wonder you captured my little plant heart when I met you.' Chou shamelessly flattered her with lies.
Li Meirong rolled her eyes at Chou's comment. 'Since when did my spirit plant learn to lie so blatantly? As if! you just wanted to drink my blood!'
After appeasing the spirit beast with rubs and scratches, it finally agreed to carry her.
"Fine. I shall concede to your demands. Just this once." It bent over its front paws to let her climb more easily onto its back.
Once they'd flown over the misty blue ocean, finally reaching their destination, Li Meirong carefully dismounted. She caressed its fur gently, and the cat responded by rubbing her face affectionately with its big fluffy cheek.
"Seeing as you're so incompetent, you may call my name when you wish to return to the island. I am known as Cai Huise. Don't forget it!" The Cat arrogantly proclaimed as it leapt back into the air and flew away without waiting for a response.
She shook her head with a knowing smile, turned and found herself standing right at the entrance to the Thousands Beasts Forest. A sense of nostalgia washed over her. Recalling that fateful day all those years ago, and the man who had carried her away from the brothel.
Li Meirong cleared her mind of useless thought. No time to think of the past. There were people waiting for her.
As if cued by this thought, Ying Yue's voice could be heard from the distance. "We've been waiting for almost half a day now, hurry up!"