[Host, there is currently a potential store guardian inside the store.]
A floating screen appeared in front of Hao.
Name: Kurome (Pumbral Void Lynx)
Age: 222
Cultivation: Greater Abyssal Beast
Kurome?
His first thought was the mother cat, but he quickly dismissed it. There was no way.
But as he looked around, there was only one possible candidate.
And it was the mother cat!
All of the customers who had entered were human or at least, they appeared to be. Unless someone was secretly disguising themselves, there shouldn’t be any beasts among them.
He read the name again.
Kurome… is it really Kurome?
His eyes slowly moved toward Kurome, who was curled up on the counter, her paws tucked under her chin.
The mother cat that I adopted…?
No, that couldn’t be right. She was just a stray he picked up, right?
But if that were true, then why was her name on the screen? And what the hell was a Pumbral Void Lynx?
Then again, there was never a hundred percent chance she was just a normal cat. Hao didn’t have any kind of detection ability – he was just a mortal.
For all he knew, she could’ve been anything from the start.
[Yes, host. The mother cat is the store guardian candidate.]
“…”
’I’ve been petting her… scratching behind her ears… even carrying her around like she’s some pampered house cat.’
If Kurome wanted to, she could’ve slapped me straight into the afterlife.
Now that he thought about it… Mo Xixi had been weirdly tense around Kurome yesterday. At the time, he didn’t think much of it, but now… it made way too much sense.
Hao gulped. ’System… what’s a Greater Abyssal Beast?
[It is a spirit beast rank equivalent to a powerhouse cultivator at the 4th to 6th Stage of the Heavenly Emperor Realm, host.]
Hao’s lips twitched. He slowly turned back to the mother cat.
’…What kind of monster did I bring into my store?’
He took a deep breath, trying to process everything.
’System, a spirit beast can be a store guardian?’
[Yes, host. But that’s not the limit. Any species can qualify, as long as they possess intelligence and the ability to act independently.]
Hao nodded, though he still wasn’t sure how to approach Kurome.
How was he supposed to convince her?
Would he need to bribe her with food?
Just as he was thinking about it, Kurome slowly opened her light blue eyes and blinked at him. She had clearly noticed him staring.
Hao hesitated, then shook off his doubts. Whatever happened, she was still Kurome – the fat cat he met on his first day in this world.
He decided to just go for it.
Hao cleared his throat and tried to act natural.
“Kurome, come here.”
Kurome stretched before walking closer to Hao.
Hao crouched.
“I won’t ask about your identity or your past. But I have a proposal for you.”
Kurome tilted her head, her tail swishing lightly.
“Do you want to officially be part of the store as a store guardian?”
He paused.
“You can decline, and nothing will change. You and your children are already part of the store.”
Though in Hao’s mind, Kurome and her kittens weren’t just store members. They were part of his little family.
’I accept.’
’You took me and my children in without expecting anything. That alone is enough for me to serve you, Master.’
Hao froze. ’Master?’
Did… did Kurome just speak to him?
“You… can talk?” he whispered.
Kurome listened to her Hao’s confused voice and blinked slowly.
Did he not know? No, that couldn’t be it. Someone as unfathomable as him should have already seen through her identity. And, of course, he would know that a spirit beast of her level could speak.
…Was this a test? Or maybe he was just pretending. Yes, that had to be it. Perhaps it was a habit of his.
After reaching the peak, maybe he sought something different – experiences beyond mere strength and power. A way to interact with the world from a new perspective.
’Yes, Master. I can speak.’
Hao had read enough cultivation novels to know that high-level beasts could talk, but actually experiencing it was something else.
Kurome continued. ’When you allowed me to stay in the store, I was injured and my children’s survival was uncertain.’
’But then, you gave me a share of your noodles. It didn’t fully heal me, but it gave me the strength to hold on. Thanks to that, my body recovered enough, and my children were born safely.’
’From that moment, I had already made my decision, Master.’
She didn’t need a contract to bind her. A mere agreement meant nothing compared to what she owed.
This store, this place, was where she and her children were given a chance to live. And the man before her, the one who took them in without hesitation, was someone she had already chosen to serve.
’Master, long before you offered, I had already vowed to protect this place.’
Kurome lifted her head.
’I know I am not as strong as you, Master… but I will prove myself useful.’
Even if she was far more powerful than most cultivators in this city, she believed it was nothing compared to Hao.
If he wanted to, he could probably erase her existence with a single thought.
That was why she had to prove herself. To show that she was not just another spirit beast, but someone worthy of serving under him.
Hao scratched his cheek, feeling a little awkward.
“I think it was just fate that brought you to the store, Kurome.”
“There’s no need to feel like you owe me anything.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “And you don’t have to call me ’Master’ or anything like that.”
“If you’re more comfortable with it, then fine, but you really don’t have to think of yourself as lower than me.”
“You could think of me as a friend.”
Kurome was 222 years old. Compared to her, Hao was just a kid. If anything, he should be the one learning from her.
’A friend…’ Kurome mulled over the word. It was not a concept spirit beasts often thought about.
Strength dictated relationships in this world- master and servant, predator and prey.
She had never considered the idea of standing beside someone as an equal.
’Alright, Master.’