Building a sect from scratch.

Chapter 440 The Cat's Eyes
[Don't call me bad] I rubbed my eyes hard and found that there was indeed nothing where the brown figure had been. I was a little confused.

He must be seeing things!

Scratching his head, unable to figure it out, he put the matter out of his mind and began searching everywhere for rare spiritual plants and herbs that could be transplanted.

Meanwhile, the player who had transformed into Kapibal was looking dejected as he transformed back into human form, clutching his milk tea and riding the wind back to Chang'an City from the back mountain—which was actually very close to Chang'an City, separated only by a small hill.

Anlezhi, who habitually hides his ID as "Bean-Eyed Purple Jelly," is true to his name—a lowly, unambitious individual who prefers to hide in a corner, basking in the sun and daydreaming. So every time he logs on, he finds a secluded spot and transforms into various animals to lie there. This time, he specifically chose a secluded place to soak in a spiritual spring, only to be caught by a player—would a decent person cast an Appraisal spell on a Kapibal?! Utterly speechless!
So, just as he was about to be discovered again at the Spirit Spring, he darted into the bushes, avoiding the sight of the approaching person.

Oblivious to the fact that Anle was even more bizarre, he flew at low altitude, irritated, wondering where he could go to daydream.

Once inside Chang'an City, unlicensed flying is no longer permitted on Chang'an Avenue.

Because Anlezhi had been slacking off, he hadn't had time to get his flight permit and had to land prematurely.

Then, he turned into Chang'an Avenue from a small alley and casually tossed his milk tea cup into a roadside trash can. Looking up again, he saw two lazy police officers lounging in the sandpit in front of the Sand Sculpture Hotel, and an idea immediately struck him.

……

Not far from the Sand Sculpture Hotel, at the entrance of the Spiritual Energy Research Institute, Wang Qiqing, who had just logged in, was discussing the relocation of the research institute with Lü Wenyuan.

"You mean the entire institute has to move there?"

Lu Wenyuan frowned, somewhat reluctant.

Wang Qiqing nodded and explained, "That's right. The facilities there are more complete, and it won't be long before they are fully connected to the power system. At that time, there will be a chance to develop various research instruments and equipment. The research conditions will be much better than here. More importantly, ordinary people will not accidentally wander in there for the time being, so we can carry out some research on radioactive elements or weapons with greater destructive power without any restrictions."

"What about this side? We've bought all the houses here. If we don't use them, we can just leave them empty. Houses in the Chang'an Avenue area aren't cheap these days!"

"We've changed it to the review department and related offices for *Lingqi*. We've already published two issues of *Lingqi*, and the response has been excellent. I've heard that cultivators from various sects in the southern part of Central Continent are using the quality and level of papers published in *Lingqi* to judge the research level and capabilities of the research institutes and laboratories they're applying to. This is a good thing; it shows that *Lingqi* is becoming increasingly authoritative in the industry. However, I can't always focus my energy on this. I'll need to hire someone separately to handle these matters. My two students are capable of managing it, but we'll definitely need to hire assistants to help..."

Wang Qiqing muttered to himself, then suddenly sighed, "Life is full of regrets, like water flowing eastward forever. We are different from you; our lifespans are truly limited. We must strive forward with all our might within our limited lives... As the saying goes, 'If one hears the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening.' Do you know what the discovery of spiritual energy means to us? It's like the birth of the atom, like the first ray of light in the universe! As long as it is matter, as long as it exists, it will definitely appear in the Blue Star Realm! It will definitely point the way for the future of humanity!"

Lu Wenyuan looked at Wang Qiqing in silence and sighed.

Having already entered the Golden Core stage and clearly having the potential to reach an even higher realm in his lifetime, his lifespan could already be measured in millennia. Yet, the Taiyin Sect disciple before him, who was both his teacher and friend, was said to be nearly forty years old.

Lu Wenyuan then asked, "What about the classes at Zhongzhou University?"

"Oh right, the notification should come down in a few days. After the New Year, the courses and continuing education courses at Zhongzhou University will be completely separated. Our course falls into the latter category, and we only need to come once a week. The teleportation array is quite convenient; I can just catch the teleportation shuttle bus. As for the former, it's said that they will adopt the model from our Blue Star, implementing a unified examination and admission system, with one exam per year. Upon graduation, they will receive a certificate called a 'graduation certificate,' which will become a basic requirement for future cultivators to apply for jobs in the market..."

Lu Wenyuan had recently learned a lot about Earth, and he immediately understood the meaning behind it, but he was somewhat disapproving: "Monopoly? Isn't that a bad thing?"

"It is a monopoly, but it is not a monopoly. Perhaps we can call it 'official control.' This can effectively maintain social fairness, just like the admission quota of Zhongzhou University, which has nothing to do with the level of cultivation or background, but only with the exam results."

Lu Wenyuan retorted, "But there are still many people who can't even read, so how can we talk about fairness?"

"It will be resolved. Literacy schools are becoming more widespread, at least in the Taiyin Sect's jurisdiction, they are being established in every town. We have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. We are all working hard to do something meaningful."

Lu Wenyuan was deeply moved as he looked at Wang Qiqing, whose expression remained calm.

However, the next second, Wang Qiqing solemnly instructed, "So you need to work overtime these next two days and get these experiments done. I have a feeling that the core key to antigravity lies in these experiments!"

Lu Wenyuan rolled his eyes: "Overtime? Is there overtime pay?"

"Don't be so materialistic!" Wang Qiqing retorted. "I just used the money in the financial books to reserve equipment. The sect subsidy and patent dividends won't come until next month..."

Lu Wenyuan interrupted Wang Qiqing's incessant chatter: "So there's no overtime pay?"

"Oh, okay, I'll pay you back later, alright?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Wenyuan deliberately sneered, said "I've made plans to have hot pot with my junior sister," and strode away, leaving Wang Qiqing behind sighing and groaning. He was too embarrassed to chase after her and stomped his feet in frustration.

"Sigh! I still need to find a way to make some money..."

With that, he returned to the research institute.

People came and went on Chang'an Avenue, all in a hurry. There weren't many players inside; most were cultivators from other places, and a few were small vendors who roamed the streets and alleys.

Some of these vendors carried baskets on their backs and called out their wares, while others carried loads on shoulder poles or drove oxcarts or donkey carts. Most of them sold snacks and treats, while some peddlers sold miscellaneous items. They displayed blank, pre-cut talisman paper and cinnabar in the most conspicuous place. This was for passing cultivators who needed to draw talismans on the spot but didn't have the materials with them. The prices were a bit higher than in specialized shops, but they could sell them individually and also provided free writing brushes and ink, so many people didn't mind.

An Lezhi snuggled up with his orange tabby cat, Jin Xiaohu, lazily watching everything on the street, and yawned.

This wasn't the first time Jin Xiaohu had been with An Lezhi's group. An Lezhi's yawn made him yawn as well. He got up, stretched, and then curled up back up, casually asking, "Why do you like to turn into our cat form?"

An Lezhi squinted and replied, "I don't like being with people..."

Jin Xiaohu was a little confused: "Having more people is great! They can open their fingers to pick things up, and they're smart too!"

"But people are troublesome and noisy."

Although Jin Xiaohu had learned some of the flower language, he still didn't quite understand the specific meanings of many of the words, so he humbly asked, "What does 'noisy' mean?"

"It just means it's quite noisy."

Jin Xiaohu twitched his ears, wholeheartedly agreeing: "That person is indeed very noisy!"

"There's still a lot to do."

"That's right!"

Jin Xiaohu agreed more and more. As a member of the Chang'an City Guard, he had to deal with endless troublesome things every day at work!
An Lezhi stretched like a cat, curled up, closed his eyes, and said, "The sun is so nice, I should take a nap."

"Hmm! It's time for a nap!"

Jin Xiaohu nodded vigorously and closed his eyes, just as he was about to drift off to sleep, when suddenly he felt a claw strike his head—

"Jin Xiaohu! Don't you know what time it is! Aren't you going to change shifts?! Do you still want your performance bonus this week?!" Her amber-like eyes were full of anger. She had retracted her claws, but she still hit Jin Xiaohu with considerable force, making his head thud.

"Meow-"

Jin Xiaohu jumped in fright, letting out a scream as he hid behind An Lezhi, pleading, "I'll never do it again, boss! Be gentle, meow meow meow—"

Amber was unmoved by Jin Xiaohu's pleas for mercy. She angrily rebuked him, "I've heard that sentence so many times! Go and relieve the general of your shift!"

"Go now!"

Jin Xiaohu's ears were practically glued to his head, he was so scared he had developed airplane ears, and his tail was all puffed up. He tumbled and crawled out of the sandpit and ran wildly toward the police station.

An Lezhi squinted and watched the whole thing unfold. After Jin Xiaohu disappeared from sight, he yawned and casually asked Amber, "Want to sleep together?"

Amber turned her head and stared at An Lezhi with a serious expression, making An Lezhi wag his tail awkwardly before finally asking, "Are you harassing the police?"

"Don't misunderstand," An Lezhi quickly denied, "I'm a cat now, and cats like to huddle together to sleep, don't they?"

"Cats are solitary animals,"

Amber's furry face was expressionless. She was very good at learning the language of flowers, and her pronunciation was very standard and clear: "In most cases, living together is only possible because the territory is rich in resources or the living environment is too harsh."

"As for sleeping huddled together, it's because we're afraid of getting cold."

She licked her paws and squinted in the somewhat glaring sunlight: "Winter is very cold. If we don't have a suitable nest, we'll die if we don't huddle together to sleep."

An Lezhi turned his head away somewhat awkwardly. Fortunately, after transforming into a cat, his facial expressions were less noticeable, and his skin color could not be seen through the cat's fur.

He apologized softly, "I'm sorry."

“It’s alright,” Amber shook her head. “You’re not a cat, you’re a human, so of course you don’t know what a cat is. There’s no need to apologize.”

Anle explained, "I just find being human troublesome."

"follow me!"

As Amber spoke, she leaped up along the walls surrounding the sandpit and landed on the top of the wall next to the eaves.

"Aren't players not allowed to go up on the roof?"

Although Anle said this, she still followed behind Amber, imitating her movements as she jumped up and down the wall.

However, he was not a real cat after all, and could not control his limbs and balance as a cat very well. After falling several times, he finally remembered to use the Wind Riding Technique and flew up to the top of the wall.

He glanced down from the top of the wall at the ground; it was frighteningly high, and a sense of panic immediately rose in his heart.

However, Amber urged him a few more times, so An Lezhi had no choice but to grit his teeth and force himself not to look down. He followed behind Amber, walking eastward along the wall.

After skipping two alleys and passing through several courtyards, Amber led Anle to a huge ginkgo tree.

“Meow meow—”

Amber meowed twice, and the ginkgo leaves rustled as if in response. Then, a branch bent at an incredible angle stretched out towards them, like a path.

Amber took the lead and jumped onto the tree branch, turning back to Anlezhi and urging, "Come on up!"

Anle was both surprised and curious, and then carefully climbed up the tree branch.

Then, the branch swayed and began to slowly rise.

Amber remained seated, even licking her paws. Anle, however, was in no condition. With his extremely poor balance, he nearly fell off the branch. He frantically scrambled to his feet, clinging tightly to the branch with all four paws, as if afraid of falling.

In a matter of seconds, like riding an elevator, the two of them—no, the two cats—were lifted to the fork in the trunk of the ginkgo tree. Amber nimbly jumped over and found a relatively wide spot to sit. Anle tried to imitate Amber's jump but misjudged the distance and almost fell. Luckily, he had a flash of inspiration and hooked his paws onto the bark of the ginkgo trunk, then climbed up using both his front and hind paws, finally finding a triangular fork in the trunk to lie down in—after all, theoretically, a triangle is the most stable.

Amber patiently waited for Anlezhi to finish tinkering before introducing, "The view here is excellent; you can see most of the buildings in Chang'an City."

Anlezhi followed Amber's gaze and looked outside.

"Wow……"

Most of the ginkgo leaves have fallen in winter, with only a few remaining at the very top, golden and resembling a crown.

Without the leaves obscuring the view, from this height one can indeed overlook the entire city of Chang'an.

Amber slowly lay down, tucked her paws in, and instructed An Lezhi, "This ginkgo tree is almost finished, so try not to catch it next time."

"It...it...it's going to become a spirit!?"

Anle was startled, but then she thought it made sense. After all, if they weren't spirits, why would they use tree branches to catch them?
"'Becoming a spirit'? You could say that!" Amber pondered for a moment and said, "It should be over 1,200 years old. Its age was determined by your Taiyin Sect disciples. It doesn't even know itself! But that's why it was kept in the city... However, in terms of cultivation, it should have only been cultivating for a few decades. It only recently gained intelligence and spiritual awakening."

"For some reason, you Taiyin Sect disciples always like to water it with spiritual spring water, but you at least know to water it with low-grade spiritual spring water to avoid killing it... There are literacy classes here every night, and it can even read! It also understands the language of flowers!"

As if hearing Amber's story, the ginkgo leaves began to rustle again, and one of them landed right on An Lezhi's head, golden and shimmering.

An Lezhi did not move; he never liked to move unless necessary or when he was not interested.

As he listened to Amber's story, he squinted, the sunlight falling on him shattered into shimmering spots by the shadows of the tree branches.

"Look, another disciple of the Taiyin Sect has come to water it with spiritual spring water!"

Upon hearing what Amber said, Anle looked down.

A female player with the ID "柴狗菜菜" was carrying a small bucket, carefully watering the entire ginkgo tree while muttering to herself:

"Ginkgo, ginkgo, grow quickly, so you can become a fairy and come to my house..."