Chapter 112: The mission begins
(Beast Subjugation Arc — a.k.a. "The Pet Arc")
The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
Mist rolled between ancient trees, every droplet shimmering faintly with spiritual energy. The air carried a scent of ozone and moss — thick, heavy, almost alive.
Li Ming crouched beside a cracked boulder, scanning a set of deep claw marks on the ground. "Three claws. Wide spacing. Pressure’s too clean to be a wild beast. That means it’s intelligent."
Bai Guo fluttered onto his shoulder, peering down. "Or it’s just very neat about its murder habits."
Li Ming ignored him, tracing the marks with two fingers. The Qi residue still pulsed faintly, bright and cold. "Definitely a spirit beast. The sect said it’s been absorbing ambient Qi at a ridiculous rate. If it keeps growing, it could destabilize the entire valley."
He stood, brushing off the dust. "We subdue it. Quick and clean."
Bai Guo nodded, though his tone was skeptical. "And by ’subdue,’ you mean—?"
Li Ming adjusted his sword at his back. "Force it into submission before it eats half the sect’s fields."
"Right. I’ll start preparing your funeral speech."
Li Ming shot him a look. "I’m not dying to a fluffy animal."
"Descendant, those are famous last words."
---
The deeper they went, the more the forest warped. Roots coiled like veins beneath their feet. Strange glowing spores floated through the air. The spiritual pressure thickened until the air buzzed with vibration.
Then — a low sound.
Not a growl. Not a roar.
Something in between.
A soft, uncertain chirp.
Li Ming froze. Slowly, he turned his head.
From behind a bush, two enormous golden eyes blinked at him.
It was... small.
Round.
Almost cute.
A beast cub — about the size of a housecat, though its fur shimmered with faint lightning patterns, and two stubby horns poked from its head.
Bai Guo squinted. "That’s it? That’s the dangerous beast?"
Li Ming frowned. "No. It can’t be. The report said it leveled half a mountainside."
The cub tilted its head. Then, suddenly, it sneezed.
A flash of light burst from its nose — BOOM.
The nearest tree vaporized.
Li Ming just stared. "...Ah. I see."
Bai Guo blinked slowly. "Correction: it’s adorable and apocalyptic."
---
The cub blinked up at Li Ming, then toddled forward on unsteady legs. It sniffed at his robes... and suddenly butted its head against his shin.
Li Ming tensed. "Is it attacking?"
The cub made a soft humming noise — and rubbed its head against him again.
Bai Guo tilted his head. "I think it likes you."
"That’s not—" Li Ming stopped mid-sentence as golden energy flared around the cub. A faint, ancient symbol pulsed on its forehead — and then glowed on Li Ming’s palm.
His eyes widened. "It just—!"
"Imprinted," Bai Guo finished. "Congratulations, descendant. You’re now a father."
Li Ming froze, staring down at the glowing cub that purred like thunder. "...No."
The cub climbed onto his boot, curled up, and immediately fell asleep.
"...Absolutely not," Li Ming whispered.
Bai Guo sighed. "You can tell that to the universe. I’m sure it’ll listen."
---
The forest went still again. The mist cleared just enough to reveal the ruined clearing — trees scorched, earth cracked, and a perfectly content lightning beast snoring at Li Ming’s feet.
He looked at Bai Guo, voice flat. "This was supposed to be a subjugation mission."
Bai Guo grinned. "And you succeeded. Emotionally."
Li Ming pinched the bridge of his nose. "I’m reporting this as an accident."
"Of course, descendant. A catastrophic accident involving parental responsibility."
Li Ming sighed, scooping up the glowing cub, who yawned and nuzzled against his arm.
Somewhere deep inside, he already knew—
this mission wasn’t ending anytime soon.
---
Li Ming carefully adjusted the cub in his arms. Its little claws dug into his robes, and every heartbeat made the faint lightning patterns on its fur flare.
Bai Guo hovered beside him, wings twitching. "Descendant... are you sure you want to carry it back to the sect? That thing just vaporized three trees with a sneeze."
Li Ming groaned. "It’s small. It won’t—"
The cub sneezed again. Sparks flew. A nearby rock disintegrated.
"...Right. Small."
---
The journey back was... eventful.
Every step Li Ming took, the cub imitated like a mirror. When he stumbled on a root, it stumbled into his foot. When he ducked under a low branch, it launched a tiny electric bolt that singed his hair.
Bai Guo winced. "I said this was a bad idea before we left the clearing!"
Li Ming muttered, guiding the cub. "It’s fine. Just... mostly fine."
A flash of lightning shot from the cub’s horn as it leapt, bouncing off Li Ming’s shoulder. He barely kept his balance on the slick marshland.
Bai Guo’s tone dropped to a stage whisper. "Mostly fine... famous last words."
---
Finally, they reached the outer courtyard of Azure Sky Sect. Li Ming peeked around, seeing the early risers practicing Qi control and sword techniques. No one had noticed yet.
"Okay... keep it calm, keep it quiet," he muttered.
The cub sniffed the ground. A glow formed beneath its paws — faint sparks of energy. Li Ming’s eyes widened. "Don’t—"
The next moment, a streak of miniature lightning shot toward a training dummy, frying it instantly.
Bai Guo clapped his wings over his face. "Descendant... just breathe."
Li Ming sighed, carrying the cub toward the medicine hall. "Quiet, tiny monster. You are not allowed to wreak havoc indoors."
The cub yawned. A small pulse of electric energy shot from its mouth, setting the mat on the hall’s floor ablaze — harmlessly, but enough smoke to make Li Ming cough.
"...I can’t even."
Bai Guo hovered, utterly exasperated. "You are so doomed, descendant."
---
Inside the Medicine Hall, the cub curled up on a low table, already marking its territory with sparks. Li Ming muttered a litany of apologies to the various herbs and vials, none of which answered.
Bai Guo leaned forward, tapping a claw against a jar. "Don’t think this means you get off easy. That thing likes you. You’re going to be cleaning up after it for years."
Li Ming sat down heavily beside it. The cub purred, tiny thunder rumbling from its chest. Every time it twitched, bolts of minor lightning shot around the hall, zapping unattended ingredients.
"...Why did I sign up for this mission?" Li Ming whispered.
Bai Guo smirked. "Because destiny clearly has a twisted sense of humor."
The cub yawned again, sparks flying, and nestled against Li Ming’s arm.
"...Fine," Li Ming said after a long pause. "If I’m its parent, I’ll train it. But only after we survive breakfast."
Bai Guo tilted his head. "Breakfast?"
The cub chirped, sparks flickering across the room.
Li Ming groaned. "Exactly."
And somewhere deep in the quiet, the little lightning beast blinked up at him — wide-eyed, innocent, and already completely convinced that Li Ming’s life belonged to it.
---
The scene froze on Li Ming’s resigned face as Bai Guo whispered, "Welcome to parenthood, descendant. May the heavens have mercy."
The next twenty Chapters, he would come to regret every "cute" sparkle, every little tail swing, and every single "adorable" growl.
To be continued...