Chapter 13 : Bizarre Dream

Shi Pengpeng lit a yellow talisman, held her breath, and carefully searched around the house. 

After about fifteen minutes, she completed her round and returned to the living room.

Lu Junqing and Guo Jintai watched her nervously. 

Lu Junqing asked, “How is it? Did you find anything?”

Shi Pengpeng shook her head, looking somewhat puzzled. 

“Everything in your home is normal. There’s nothing haunting it.”

By all accounts, Lu Junqing’s condition was a classic case of Sui Meng—dreams haunted by spirits.

Sui Meng, also known as ghostly dream intrusions.

However, after thoroughly searching the place, she found nothing unusual. 

Moreover, since Lu Junqing was in business, he had already invited the Earth God and the God of Wealth into his home. 

If any ghostly entity had appeared, it would have disturbed the divine forces. 

Yet, everything about his Earth God and God of Wealth remained unchanged.

“I see…” 

Lu Junqing exhaled in relief, yet he also felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment. 

He scratched his head and said, “Could it really just be my overthinking manifesting in my dreams?”

Shi Pengpeng couldn’t figure it out either, so she said, “Let’s perform the ritual first.”

Regardless of whether his cat had truly appeared in his dreams, holding a ritual for it would at least be a form of consolation.

Lu Junqing had already prepared all the necessary ritual items in advance. 

He cleared the dining table to serve as a temporary altar, and the group arranged offerings like flowers, fruits, and incense according to the ritual protocols.

Then, Lu Junqing took out a palm-sized wooden plaque, exquisitely crafted with two little cat ears carved on top—clearly made with great care.

“I had this spirit tablet made online for Banzhuan,” Lu Junqing explained.

The front of the wooden plaque bore the three characters “Lu Banzhuan,” along with a small photograph. 

The picture depicted a beautiful tortoiseshell cat with graying whiskers and fur, yet still plump. 

The cat lay lazily on a cat tree on the balcony, basking in the sunlight.

Lu Junqing placed the plaque at the center of the altar. 

Just then, he felt a soft, furry sensation against his calf. 

Looking down, he realized that the potted plant that had been on the balcony had somehow made its way inside and was now curiously observing them.

Lu Junqing was wary of this little troublemaker and was about to shoo it away, but before he could act, the cat named Huapen (Flowerpot) moved faster. 

With an agile leap, it jumped onto the altar, stretched out its paw, and started batting at the wooden plaque.

“Meow—”

“Huapen, no!” 

Lu Junqing exclaimed in shock, reaching out to grab it. 

But Huapen ignored him completely. 

It leaped forward, nimbly dodging his hand, then grabbed the plaque with its mouth and sprang onto a nearby cabinet.

Lu Junqing clutched his face in despair. 

“Oh no, no, no—”

With Huapen’s destructive tendencies, Banzhuan’s spirit tablet was doomed!

Then, to his astonishment, Shi Pengpeng moved with a swift and fluid motion. 

She lunged forward, scooped her right hand down like a slam dunk, and effortlessly caught the fluffy tabby cat, pinning it neatly under her arm.

Lu Junqing: “…?”

He immediately fell silent and gave her a big thumbs-up. 

“Damn, sis, you caught it just like that?!”

“What’s the big deal?” 

Guo Jintai chimed in, hands on her hips. 

“You should see her in action when she’s catching ghosts!”

Yan Jing, watching from the side: “…”

Is this the energy of modern university students? 

I kind of envy it.

Huapen, clearly not expecting to be subdued by a mere human, yowled furiously and flailed its claws at Shi Pengpeng. 

Unfortunately, it was no match for her, and soon, the wooden plaque was pried from its grip.

Lu Junqing quickly took back the plaque and inspected it. 

“Phew, it’s fine, no bite marks.”

Huapen had a powerful bite. 

If it had exerted any real force, the plaque would surely have been left with a few tooth imprints. 

But thankfully, despite all the fuss, the plaque remained perfectly intact.

Still, Lu Junqing was annoyed. 

Angrily, he carried Huapen into a room and shut it inside. 

“You need to reflect on your actions!”

After his stern warning, he even locked the door to prevent any more chaos.

With all distractions removed and the timing just right, Shi Pengpeng instructed Lu Junqing to place Banzhuan’s spirit tablet back on the altar and officially began the ritual.

She burned a talisman first and then started reciting an incantation:

“By the decree of the Supreme Lord, may your soul transcend, across the Yellow Springs and the jade heavens, receiving blessings through the four cycles of rebirth…”

Following her instructions, Lu Junqing stepped forward to light an incense stick.

From a metaphysical perspective, pets are considered part of a person’s Children’s Palace (a sector in fate readings governing offspring). 

Thus, he did not kneel in worship but performed a simple offering ritual instead.

Yan Jing and Guo Jintai stood by, watching. 

Guo Jintai nudged Yan Jing with his elbow and whispered curiously, “Bro, if pets are counted in the Children’s Palace, then since Junqing has now adopted Huapen, does that mean he has a second child?”

Yan Jing’s temple twitched. 

“…I don’t know.”

Just as they were speaking, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through the room. 

The candle flames on the altar flickered violently, and the neatly stacked gold foil joss papers scattered, rustling as they fluttered across the floor.

Guo Jintai felt a chill run down his spine. 

Just as he was about to rub his arms for warmth, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder—it was Yan Jing’s hand.

Guo Jintai was puzzled. 

“Bro, what are you doing?”

Yan Jing’s expression remained calm, exuding the steady composure of a worldly man. 

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you.”

Guo Jintai was momentarily stunned by his overwhelming masculine aura. 

Touched, he said, “Thank you, bro, but… can you be a little gentler?”

He felt like his shoulder was about to be crushed.

Yan Jing shot him a disapproving glance. 

If it weren’t for the fact that Shi Pengpeng was busy, he wouldn’t even be bothering to comfort him. 

Though he secretly looked down on Guo Jintai, he still loosened his grip slightly without changing his expression.

Meanwhile, Lu Junqing’s heart pounded wildly. 

He nervously looked at Shi Pengpeng, who continued chanting incantations. 

However, even she found this situation puzzling. 

These were clear signs of a summoned wandering spirit, yet there were no lost souls in Lu Junqing’s house…

Suddenly, a chilling cat’s wail pierced the night.

“Awwooooo—”

Lu Junqing jumped in fright and looked around. 

“Was that Banzhuan? Where is he?”

“No.” 

Yan Jing’s face turned slightly pale, but he managed to maintain his composure. 

He glanced toward the room where Huapen had been locked. 

“The sound came from there.”

Lu Junqing snapped back to attention and listened carefully. 

Sure enough, the cries were coming from Huapen.

Not only that, but Huapen was frantically scratching at the door. 

The sharp scraping sound of claws against the wood screeched through the eerie cold air, making the atmosphere even more unsettling.

“Huapen is really strong,” Guo Jintai marveled. 

“It sounds like the door is about to break…”

“That damn cat! No, this time I have to teach it a lesson!” 

Lu Junqing was already on edge, and this only fueled his frustration. 

He got up, ready to storm into the room.

“Wait.” 

Shi Pengpeng stopped him.

“What?” 

Lu Junqing asked.

Shi Pengpeng pointed at the altar. 

“Look.”

Lu Junqing followed her gaze and saw that the three incense sticks he had just placed were now burning fiercely. 

Thick white smoke rose into the air, swirling together with the scattered joss paper ashes before slowly drifting toward the room where Huapen was.

Lu Junqing was baffled. 

“W-what does this mean?”

Shi Pengpeng furrowed her brows. 

“Wandering spirits… where do they linger?”

Her voice was serious. 

“It seems like Banzhuan’s spirit is… right there.”

Lu Junqing froze, then his eyes widened in excitement. 

“Banzhuan is back?!”

“No.” 

Shi Pengpeng shook her head. 

That was exactly what confused her the most—this spirit had not been summoned. 

Instead, it seemed like… it had been here all along.

But she was absolutely certain that there were no ghostly entities in this house.

The white smoke, paper ashes, and burnt talisman fragments continued to drift toward the locked room, while Huapen’s cries grew sharper, filled with an almost violent resentment.

Shi Pengpeng gave Lu Junqing a look. 

“Let Huapen out first.”

“Oh, oh—” 

Lu Junqing quickly ran over. 

As soon as he opened the door, Huapen let out a loud yowl and shot out like a bullet, making him stumble backward in shock.

Thankfully, Huapen didn’t attack him. 

Instead, it sprinted into the living room, leaped onto the altar with a powerful jump, and began furiously tearing into the offerings.

Lu Junqing was both shocked and panicked. 

“Huapen, what are you doing—?!”

Huapen completely ignored him. 

With its immense strength, it sent plates and offerings crashing to the ground in a chaotic mess. 

The sound of breaking porcelain and scattering food filled the room.

Guo Jintai let out a loud “Holy shit!” and exclaimed, “What’s wrong with this cat?! Banzhuan’s ritual is ruined…”

However, Shi Pengpeng didn’t seem as agitated as the others. 

In fact, she took a step back and simply observed Huapen as it rampaged across the altar.

She noticed that ever since Huapen had come out, the swirling white smoke and paper ashes had stopped drifting randomly.

Instead, they now circled around Huapen.

Could it be…

Lu Junqing’s earlier thoughts about Huapen resurfaced one by one, and suddenly, a strange idea popped into his mind. 

Everything bizarre that had happened seemed to have an explanation.

Shi Pengpeng looked up and called out to Lu Junqing, “Xiao Lu, try calling its name.”

“Huapen?” 

Lu Junqing was confused. 

“I’ve been calling it the whole time, haven’t you noticed it’s been ignoring me…”

Shi Pengpeng shook her head. 

“Not that. Call it Banzhuan.”

“Huh?” 

Lu Junqing was even more puzzled, but as if realizing something, he turned to look at the still-crazed Huapen. 

His voice trembled as he called out, “Hey, Banzhuan… is that you?”

As soon as his words fell, Huapen’s movements abruptly halted, as if frozen in a still frame from a movie.

Then, its fur rapidly shifted colors, fading into a pale tortoiseshell pattern—until it completely took on the appearance of Banzhuan from the photo.

Finally, it slowly turned around, its bright green eyes swirling as they scanned the room. 

Then, with a soft “meow,” it leaped into Lu Junqing’s arms.

“Oof.” 

The cat was quite heavy, and the impact made Lu Junqing stumble. 

He quickly reached out to support it.

Banzhuan rested its front paws on his shoulders, rubbing its head affectionately against his chin—a stark contrast to its previous cold and aloof demeanor.

“Banzhuan… it really is Banzhuan!” 

Lu Junqing was both shocked and overjoyed, but mostly confused. “

This… what on earth is happening?”

Shi Pengpeng stepped closer and formed a hand seal, pressing it lightly against Banzhuan’s forehead. 

The cat blinked at her, let out a soft meow, but did not dodge.

After a moment, Shi Pengpeng was completely certain of her suspicions. 

She said, “Banzhuan has already reached a certain level of spiritual cultivation. Its bond with your home should have ended, but it must have been unable to let go of you—so it came back.”

Guo Jintai’s eyes spiraled in confusion. 

“I don’t get it. Can you translate that into plain Chinese?”

Shi Pengpeng sighed. 

“Simply put, Banzhuan is on its way to becoming a spirit.”

The saying ‘An old creature gains wisdom over time’ applies to animals as well. 

Banzhuan, as a long-lived old cat, had already unlocked spiritual awareness and was on the verge of becoming something beyond a normal cat.

For an animal to continue its cultivation, it must separate from the mundane world, meaning Banzhuan had to ‘fake its death’ to leave.

However, shortly after it left, it sensed that Lu Junqing was in danger. 

Unable to put its worries aside, it wanted to return. 

Yet, their bond had already been severed, and it was no longer meant to be a part of his life.

The only way to stay was to sacrifice a portion of its spiritual energy, change its appearance, and return in a different form—to protect him.

That was why “Huapen” appeared on that rainy day, running out from the roadside to cling to Lu Junqing’s leg—not by coincidence, but to stop him from walking past that dangerous flowerpot.

But Banzhuan’s actions went against the natural order. 

It had to expend part of its cultivation, so the only way to truly stay was for Lu Junqing to recognize it again.

“This is actually a form of ‘seeking recognition,’” Shi Pengpeng explained.

In folklore, animals that reach a certain level of cultivation will seek confirmation from humans—asking for koufeng (a verbal acknowledgment) to solidify their abilities.

The most well-known example is the weasel, which, according to legends, would stand upright, put on a straw hat, and ask passersby, ‘Do I look like a human?’ 

If the person responded ‘Yes’, the weasel could then complete its transformation into a human.

For Banzhuan, the koufeng it sought was simple: it needed Lu Junqing to call its name.

Only by being recognized again could their bond continue, allowing it to pass this trial.

But since Lu Junqing, as an ordinary human, couldn’t see its true form, he unknowingly gave it a new name—“Huapen”—which frustrated it immensely.

That was why it ignored him no matter how much he called it. 

That was why it chewed up his shoes out of sheer frustration.

Banzhuan was never truly dead, so its soul never left its body.

Shi Pengpeng, assuming it was just a stray cat Lu Junqing had rescued, hadn’t paid much attention and thus failed to notice anything strange.

Because Banzhuan had originally belonged to this house, the Earth God and the Wealth God didn’t react either. 

In fact, they even helped clear away its faint lingering spiritual aura, making it impossible for Shi Pengpeng to detect it.

And that was why, during her earlier search, she had found nothing out of the ordinary.

Since Banzhuan was technically alive, the forced exorcism ritual had naturally angered it.

Realizing the truth, Lu Junqing hugged Banzhuan tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. 

“Banzhuan, it’s all my fault! I almost ruined everything for you!”

Guo Jintai, touched by the moment, sighed. 

“This is basically another version of Your Name, isn’t it?”