Chapter 1179: Cat Spirit Temple Established!

This time, she wasn't plagued by bad luck.

Tong Nianyi unleashed her full potential.

She was once again vying for the top three ranks!

When the final day of exams concluded, she felt a heavy burden lift from her shoulders. Her long-taut nerves finally unwound.

As she walked out of the examination hall, servants sent by the Tang Manor steward were waiting to escort her back.

Her father and mother were waiting outside as well.

"Nianyi, Nianyi, how did you do?"

Tong Nianyi nodded. "Everything went smoothly."

Tao'er smiled. "Your Uncle Tang has prepared a banquet at the manor. Come on, let's head back and eat."

Tong Nianyi glanced around. "Aunt Ruyi didn't come?" she asked curiously.

"Your Aunt Ruyi went to help Big Cat look after a temple," Tao'er said. "She'll come find you a bit later."

Tong Nianyi nodded, and the group returned to Tang Manor.

...

Upon seeing Ruyi, Sanyuan True Man paused in surprise. He immediately cupped his hands in greeting. "This humble Daoist, Sanyuan, greets the commandery princess."

Taken aback, Ruyi quickly returned the bow. "You are too polite, True Man. There is no need for such formalities."

"Mister Chen bestowed a great favor upon Quanshan," Daoist Sanyuan said. "As you are the esteemed niece of Mister Chen, it is only right that I pay my respects with such a bow."

Ruyi was rather surprised. She hadn't expected this True Man to have a connection with Uncle Chen.

After all, this man was the foremost leader of Daoism in the world!

Lihua looked at Daoist Sanyuan and smiled. "Priest, we meet again."

Daoist Sanyuan smiled warmly and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Immortal Civet."

Lihua leaped down. "My, you look so different, Priest. You're much more impressive than before!"

Daoist Sanyuan chuckled. "With Quanshan prospering now, I am naturally pleased. Please, both of you, come inside."

Ruyi and Lihua followed him into the Main Hall.

Quan Hall was exceptionally grand, though not ostentatiously luxurious. Instead, it gave off a plain, orderly feel. The placement of objects around the room was meticulous, subtly aligning with feng shui. Even with just a few simple furnishings, the layout made one feel completely at ease.

After taking a seat, Ruyi explained the purpose of their visit and handed over the written note from Yan Nantian.

"This is a wonderful thing," Daoist Sanyuan said. "The Immortal Civet will accrue great merit from this endeavor."

Lihua proudly raised its head. "See? I told you so."

But Daoist Sanyuan's tone quickly shifted. "Then again, this matter won't be easy. The cats in Shangjing City haven't awakened their spiritual intelligence. They're strays, entirely undisciplined. If a few mischievous ones start running wild in the city, they might just draw trouble upon themselves..."

Lihua fell deep in thought. A moment later, it declared, "Then we beat them!"

"Beat them?"

"Ruyi said that if they don't listen, you beat them! If they still don't listen, you beat them again! Beat them until they—Mmph! Mmph!"

Ruyi hastily slapped a hand over its mouth. "Priest, it's just speaking nonsense. Complete nonsense, haha..."

Daoist Sanyuan chuckled. "Actually, that's not entirely unreasonable. You can't reason with these unawakened cats, but fists certainly work."

Lihua wrestled free and glared at Ruyi. "Why did you cover my mouth? You wouldn't let me speak, but the Priest said I wasn't wrong! Besides, isn't that exactly what you told me?"

Ruyi coughed awkwardly, offering no reply.

A warm smile spread across Daoist Sanyuan's face as he watched them. "The method works, though it will take some extra effort. The other issue is the location of the temple itself. Furthermore, it seems the Immortal Civet does not require incense?"

Lihua nodded. "It smells bad. I don't like it."

Daoist Sanyuan gave a slight nod. "That is for the best. It will save us from unnecessary complications."

He searched his thoughts for a moment before arriving at an answer. "There is a dilapidated Mountain God Temple ten li outside the city. Years ago, the Mountain God of that temple threw his lot in with the Imperial Court, and things ended poorly for him. The temple is masterless now, though it is fairly well-preserved. If we have the Ministry of Works renovate it, it would make a fine location."

"As long as the cats have a place to stay, it's good," Lihua said.

Daoist Sanyuan nodded, but then asked, "I must ask, though. If the Cat Spirit does not accept incense, how will the temple be maintained? If you merely wanted a shelter, there would be no need for so much trouble."

Lihua blinked. "I already have a temple back in Qiuyue Fang."

Ruyi then explained how it worked.

Daoist Sanyuan burst into laughter, stroking his beard. "Wonderful, wonderful! What a brilliant Cat Spirit Temple! Excellent! This is truly fascinating!"

He had never imagined a temple could be used in such a manner.

It showed the Immortal Civet's pure heart. Surely, only a demon with such innocent intentions could act without so many concerns.

Before long, the matter was settled.

Because Daoist Sanyuan had personally reached out to the Ministry of Works, they moved with incredible efficiency. By that very afternoon, the temple ten li outside the city had been fully renovated.

That night, Lihua rallied the colony of cats from the city's ditches.

"Little ones! Follow your Great King Lihua! We have a new home!"

Later that night, locals peering through their windows spotted a massive procession of civet cats marching out of the city. The sight gave quite a few people a severe fright.

By the next day, the event was frequently discussed in the tea houses and on the streets.

The talk wasn't pleasant. People said it was cat demons causing mischief, leaving everyone on edge.

However, this was just idle chatter. Within a couple of days, it was forgotten.

The newly opened temple didn't have much business at first.

Some people would take a peek and leave without ever stepping through the doors.

But there were also curious passersby.

"Cat Spirit Temple?"

"Wasn't this the Mountain God Temple? When did it change?"

One man stepped inside to investigate. The moment he entered, dozens of glowing eyes lit up in the shadows. It gave him such a fright that he immediately bolted back outside.

"Why are you running!?" Lihua shouted after him. "Come back here!"

But upon stepping out of the temple, Lihua saw the man stumbling and scrambling away in sheer panic, already far in the distance.

Lihua smacked its lips and turned back inside. "Look at you, scaring people away! No more scaring people! Otherwise, we won't have anything to eat!"

"Meow..."

"Meow, yowlll..."

The temple echoed with endless cat calls, erupting into a bustling, chaotic chorus.

Lihua sighed softly, returning to the table to lie down and sleep.

It still needed to think of a plan.

It couldn't think of any good ideas, but Ruyi ended up solving the problem for it.

Ruyi went to Priest Sanyuan and had a notice posted.

The notice deliberately mentioned the Immortal-Demon Temple outside the city.

"Ten li outside the city by the mountain stream lies the Cat Spirit Temple. No incense is required. Merely offer fish or a few simple provisions and leave your address. Within a few days, the Cat Spirit will rid your home of its rat infestation."

When people heard of this, they grew curious.

One man decided to test it, carrying a fresh fish out to the Cat Spirit Temple.

He offered up the fish and left a piece of paper with his address.

That very night, a horde of cats came scurrying over his walls. Amidst a brief, chaotic racket, his home's rat infestation was immediately resolved.

"It's a miracle! An absolute miracle!"

The story quickly spread.

The Cat Spirit Temple's services were increasingly in demand. These former strays finally had a roof over their heads, and from then on, they would never have to worry about food again.