After returning to Yun Manor, Chen Changsheng took a rest.

Yun Li went back to the inner mountains and arranged for several servants at the door, so they could report promptly if anything happened.

Chen Changsheng sat and rested for a while, then released Jian Shenghua, the Tabby Cat, and the Black Dog.

Jian Shenghua clasped his hands respectfully toward Chen Changsheng and said, “Greetings, Mr. Chen.”

“You’ve finished your reunion?” Chen Changsheng asked.

Jian Shenghua nodded, then glanced at the Black Dog.

The Tabby Cat licked its paws and said, “Mr…. Mr. Chen, right?”

Chen Changsheng chuckled, “What advice do you have, Tabby Cat?”

“Can I borrow your Black Pagoda?”

The Tabby Cat added, “I’ll give you a reward.”

“What reward?” Chen Changsheng asked curiously.

The Tabby Cat said, “I can be your guard! Huahua said you’re pretty amazing.”

“A guard for me?” Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and replied, “Isn’t this more about you using me as a shield?”

“No, I will protect you,” the Tabby Cat said seriously.

Chen Changsheng glanced at the Black Dog beside it. “Is this your idea too?”

“…”

The Black Dog looked helpless, not knowing what to say. Lihua was so clueless.

Jian Shenghua gave a dry laugh. “Mr. Chen, Mo Yu and Lihua were forced by the Demon Sovereign to cooperate back then. They mean no harm.”

Chen Changsheng looked at them and said, “I don’t have plans to keep cats or dogs right now.”

“Please!”

The Tabby Cat anxiously protested, “I catch mice! Mo Yu guards doors! You don’t even need to feed us; we find our own food!”

“Why should I help you?”

“Huahua said you’re a good man.”

Chen Changsheng turned his gaze to Jian Shenghua.

Jian Shenghua looked helpless. “Mr. Chen, I didn’t…”

The Tabby Cat blinked. “Did I say something wrong?”

Chen Changsheng looked at the Tabby Cat and remarked, “Once, I knew a child about as slow on the uptake as you.”

“Huh?” The Tabby Cat tilted its head. “Are you insulting me?”

It sat upright, staring at Chen Changsheng.

“Of course not.”

Chen Changsheng stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Honestly, the journey had been lonely lately. This Tabby Cat was amusing, and this Ink Jade Qilin was also interesting.

Moreover, he might need more help once the Underworld started running.

“I accept.”

The Black Dog, who had been ready to leave, paused in surprise.

“Huh? You agree?” the Black Dog asked doubtfully.

Chen Changsheng said, “I’m not foolish. I’ll need your help later.”

“Small things, sure. But if it’s something life-threatening, I can’t help,” the Black Dog stated firmly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chen Changsheng replied.

The Black Dog gave him a look, thinking the man was surprisingly straightforward.

How had such a goofy cat convinced him?

“The Ghost Sword Immortal is right,” the Black Dog said to Chen Changsheng. “You really are a good man.”

“…”

Chen Changsheng let out an awkward laugh.

It sounded more and more like an insult.

“Good man! Good man! Good man! Good Human Chen!”

The Tabby Cat yowled excitedly. It seemed to enjoy giving everyone nicknames.

Jian Shenghua was a “Young Master Sword” — imposing, right? But the Tabby Cat insisted on calling him “Young Master Hua,” then “Huahua.” Maybe three syllables were too hard to say.

“So, can we borrow the Black Pagoda now?”

“Not yet.”

The Black Dog wasn’t surprised; that was expected.

“Maybe later,” Chen Changsheng added.

The Black Dog nodded. “Rest easy. I’m true to my word. From now on, when we follow you, you won’t be sent to the front lines.”

“Hm.”

The Black Dog grunted in agreement, then padded behind the door and lay down.

It seemed reluctant to talk further.

Probably didn’t enjoy living under someone else’s roof.

“He doesn’t seem very pleased,” Chen Changsheng observed. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Jian Shenghua explained, “He’s staying because Lihua wants to.”

“I see,” Chen Changsheng murmured, his eyes shifting back to the Tabby Cat.

An expression of pure foolishness shone in its wide eyes.

Chen Changsheng remarked, “Those two seem very close.”

Jian Shenghua nodded. “When the Demon Sovereign captured Mo Yu back then, Lihua could’ve escaped. Instead, it chose to follow him.”

“That’s… nice.”

Chen Changsheng took a sip of tea, then asked Jian Shenghua, “They call you Ghost Sword Immortal. Were you really a Sword Immortal once?”

Jian Shenghua smiled wistfully. “That’s ancient history. Years of imprisonment dulled my edge.”

“I know a friend of mine,” Chen Changsheng said. “If he saw you now, he’d definitely demand a sparring match.”

“Once I get my strength back, I might manage,” Jian Shenghua replied.

“No hurry.”

A gentle breeze drifted down from the mountain stream into the courtyard.

Chen Changsheng sat beneath the tree. He sipped his tea and let out a long sigh.

His gaze lingered on the tranquil courtyard.

Near the entrance, the large Black Dog slept curled up on the ground.

The Tabby Cat busied itself digging enthusiastic holes in the courtyard dirt, a picture of single-minded effort.

Chen Changsheng realized he truly enjoyed sitting idle this way.

Listening to the wind. Sipping tea, or perhaps wine.

It felt… right.

Indulging in relaxation for a while surely wasn’t laziness.

Yet, on second thought, Chen Changsheng felt he was utterly hopeless when it came to laziness. But did it matter?

With that, he leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

The morning sun’s rays touched him, its warmth gently chasing away the lingering chill of dawn.

He was bathed in warmth. Chen Changsheng slept soundly all morning.

The only annoyance was the Tabby Cat’s loud digging — bits of noise persisted regardless.

Eventually, the Tabby Cat seemed to tire from playing.

It ambled slowly to the slumbering Black Dog, nudged close to its belly, and settled down to sleep beside it.

The cat and the “dog” looked surprisingly peaceful together.

Chen Changsheng opened his eyes around noon and saw them. He felt a strange sense of contentment.

“Mmm…”

A thought struck him — perhaps his fondness for a place didn’t stem from the location itself, but from the people or memories it held.

Here he was, in Qingyuan Yun Manor, unfamiliar territory. Yet, seeing the Tabby Cat and the Black Dog brought him inexplicable peace.

With nothing pressing, Chen Changsheng decided to practice his sword skills in the courtyard.

He feared losing what he’d learned if he neglected training.

Back then, Bai Ziqiu had only taught him a move or two. Lose those, and they’d be gone for good.

He suspected his lack of grace as a Sword Immortal stemmed from a simple truth: he lacked real connection to the sword. Even as he spoke to Jian Shenghua, he sensed something fundamentally different — a spirit within real Sword Cultivators, Jian Shenghua too possessed it. That same aura had surrounded Bai Ziqiu when he stood before Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng pondered deeply before the answer dawned on him.

Perhaps what he truly lacked was fervent devotion to the art of the sword.

He hadn’t genuinely pursued swordsmanship.

Most likely, he had only ever appreciated how elegant it looked when others wielded it.