An Ho..

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  The inner disciples of the Supreme Dao Sect had been sc the Whispering Grove for weeks, their mission veiled in frustration and exhaustion.

  Beh the shade of an aree, they rested, sharing a modest meal they had prepared in haste. The air was filled their murmured pints about the fruitlessness of their search.

  "Big Brother, I don't think we find him. Maybe that bastard's already dead, taken down by some powerful beast," one of the younger disciples muttered, gnawing on a pieeat.

  "I agree. We've been looking for almost a month now, and still, no sign of him," another chimed in, his voice tinged with irritation.

  The leader of the group, a burly man with sharp features and a scar running across his brow, gred at them, his toting.

  "Shut your mouths. We 't return without firmation, or Young Master Niu will finish us himself. Eat quickly—we've still got some areas oskirts to search."

  As the group resumed their meal in silence, one of them suddenly noticed a fsh of movement. A small, lithe figure darted toward their camp, snatg a piece of their meat before disappearing into the underbrush.

  "Big Brother! Look! That cat just took our food!" one disciple excimed, pointing at the retreating figure.

  The leader turo gnce, his expression indifferent. "Let it take a piece. A single morsel won't hurt us. Besides, cooking food ourselves already makes it taste terrible."

  But as his eyes lingered on the creature, his casual demeanor evaporated. His face went pale, aammered, "ait… T-this… this isn't a cat."

  "What are you talking about, Big Brother?" one of the younger disciples scoffed, rolling his eyes. "It's clearly a cat, a white little cat. Have you gone mad from all this searg?"

  The leader's temper fred. With a swift motion, he delivered a sharp punch to the young man's head. "Idiot!" he barked. "Do you think I'm blind? Look carefully!"

  The group turo where the creature had disappeared into the shadows. The leader rubbed his eyes, disbelief etched across his face. "That's no ordinary beast. It's... it's a Thunderous White Tiger—a Legendary-Lineage beast, desdants of the Heavenly Thunder Sn White Tiger, one of the Divine Lineage Beasts!"

  "What in the heavens is it doing here in the Mystic Evergreen Forest? Legendary-Lineage beasts like this aren't supposed to exist in these parts, they are extremely rare."

  The younger disciples gaped at him, their fusion giving way to awe and unease.

  "What are you talking about, Big Brother? You're not making any sense," one of them ventured cautiously.

  The leader took a deep breath, posing himself, though his voice still carried a mix of excitement and fear. "Listen, fools. Beasts grow in strength based on their lihe higher a beast's lihe more respect it ands and the greater its potential."

  "Their bloodlines are cssified into tiers: oner Lineage, Rare Lineage, Unique Lineage, Noble Lineage, Royal Lineage, Imperial Lineage, Legendary Lineage, Mythical Lineage, A Lineage and Divine Lineage."

  He paused, his eyes narrowing. "In our sect, there's only one Royal-Lineage beast—the mount of the Sect Master—and a Great Elder of Supreme Dao Sect. This tiger... this beast... surpasses them. It's of Legendary lineage, and its very presence here defies logic."

  The disciples exged nervous ghe weight of the revetion sinking in. Finally, one spoke up hesitantly, "Big Brother… if this beast is as powerful as you say, shouldn't we just leave it alone? What if it's dangerous?"

  Another blow nded on his head, courtesy of the leader's fist. "You fool!" the leader snapped. "Do you think I'd suggest taking on an adult Thunderous White Tiger?"

  "Look at it! It's just a cub—weak, hungry, and likely abandoned for months. Its strength 't be more than High-Ranked Demonic Beast Rank. If we attack together, we subdue it easily."

  His tone shifted, ing and ambition seeping through. "If ture it and offer it to Young Master Niu, he'll reward us beyond our wildest dreams. We could even receive promotions. This is our ce, you idiots!"

  The leader's words lit a spark of greed in the disciples' eyes. Despite their lingeriation, the thought of glory and favor from Young Master Niu began to outweigh their fear. Slowly, they stood, readying themselves for a coordirike.

  The leader's voice rang out like a and. "Surround it. No mistakes. We'll have this beast, and our names will echo across the sect!"

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  In the Present Time

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  Reoly hoisted the white cat onto one shoulder and Cloudia onto the other, their trasting forms perched like yin and yang.

  With a warm smile, he g Cloudia, his hand reag up to rub under her in the spot he knew she loved.

  "Cloudia," he said softly, his toeasi affeate, "how about we prepare a feast for your new friend?"

  Cloudia, however, wasn't so easily pcated. She cast a wary g the white cat, her eyes narrowing slightly as though assessing an uninvited rival—an intruder threatening her pce by her master's side.

  If looks could speak, hers would have decred, "You're stealing my spotlight!"