Dayan Kingdom, Mount Tai Ming—A Desote Wilderness

  The autumn wind howled, rustling the leaves and filling the air with a dry, whispering sound.

  By the roadside y a small, motionless figure—from a distance, it looked like a toppled gray-and-white broom. Suddenly, the "broom" twitched.

  "Hungry!"

  "So hungry!"

  Lu Jueming’s eyes snapped open as a sharp, gnawing pain in his stomach jolted him awake.

  "Where… am I?"

  Dazed, he gnced around before looking down at himself.

  "What the—why am I covered in fur?!"

  The distinct gray-and-white striped pattern looked familiar—like that of a Chinese tabby cat.

  Lu Jueming stared at his own body, stunned.

  He lifted his two front paws—each adorned with white "gloves"—and touched his face. The soft pads of his paws brushed against fluffy fur, and the pair of triangur ears on his head twitched instinctively.

  Then, memories from his past life flooded his mind like a reel of flickering images.

  A mountain engulfed in fmes. Thick, choking smoke. Animals fleeing in panic. The distant wail of firetruck sirens.

  "This… isn’t a dream. I really transmigrated!"

  He had truly died—sacrificed while volunteering to help fight a raging wildfire.

  "Sigh." Lu Jueming exhaled heavily.

  After graduating, he had struggled to find a job. To clear his mind, he had taken his father’s old motorcycle out for a ride in the countryside.

  Who would’ve thought that Mount Tai Ming would suddenly catch fire? Whether it was some idiot tossing a cigarette or some other cause, the bze spread terrifyingly fast, turning lush green mountains into a sea of fmes.

  Without hesitation, Lu Jueming had joined the motorcycle rescue team, riding straight into the disaster zone to deliver supplies.

  His st memory was of his bike’s rear wheel hitting a bump on the mountain path during his third supply run. The impact sent him flying backward—then everything went bck.

  "I wonder if they managed to put out the fire in the end…"

  "Wait a minute—why the hell did I reincarnate as a tabby cat?! And a tiny cat demon at that?!"

  It finally dawned on him.

  Most transmigrators at least got to be human. But him? He skipped humanity entirely.

  "Well… being reborn after death is already a gift. Who am I to ask for more?" Lu Jueming quickly adjusted his mindset. He was nothing if not adaptable.

  "Even if I’m a demon now, I can still cultivate, take human form, and maybe even become an immortal." He comforted himself.

  Honestly, things could be worse.

  "Besides, not being human usually means getting stronger anyway."

  Still lying on the ground, he tried to move. His body felt weak, his limbs trembling as if they might give out at any moment.

  Reality promptly spped him in the face.

  With great effort, he lifted one front leg, flexing a bean sprout-sized bicep.

  "…"

  Yeah, no. This was not the body of a powerful being.

  According to the original body’s memories, he was just a lowly Qi Refining Stage 2 raccoon demon, with only one innate racial skill—"Raccoon Transformation."

  This ability was somewhat interesting—it allowed him to mimic the appearance of various objects, but only the appearance.

  "Man, the original owner of this body had it rough."

  Orphaned young when his parents were killed by demon-sying officials.

  "Damn it! Even as a demon, I still get the ‘tragic orphan backstory’ treatment?" Lu Jueming couldn’t help but curse.

  After wandering to Mount Tai Ming, the original raccoon had finally found a small cave with faint spiritual energy and even stockpiled some food for winter—only to be bullied by a weasel demon.

  Not only did the weasel steal his cave and devour all his food, but it also used him as a punching bag.

  The poor raccoon barely escaped, but severely injured and starving, he colpsed in the wilderness before finding another meal.

  And that was how Lu Jueming ended up inheriting this pitiful body.

  "Damn that weasel! I have to get revenge!"

  "But... that bastard is way stronger than me. How the hell is a measly Qi Refinement Stage 2 raccoon supposed to win?"

  "Grrr—"

  Before Lu Jueming could dwell on it, hunger roared through his body like wildfire, seizing control of his brain. His stomach twisted in agony, and he instinctively curled up, trying to endure the pain.

  "No good... If I don’t eat something soon, I’m really going to starve to death!"

  He lifted his head, scanning the distance.

  Under the dim twilight, the faint outline of a temple emerged, shrouded in thin wisps of incense smoke.

  Lu Jueming’s eyes lit up with hope.

  "Let’s check it out. Maybe there’s still some offerings left inside."

  Gritting his teeth, the little raccoon dragged himself forward, limping toward the temple with great effort.

  The Abandoned TempleWhen he finally reached the entrance, Lu Jueming quickly assessed the situation.

  The temple was small and worn, its once-vibrant red doors now faded and peeling. Rust clung to the door rings, and the structure had no windows—only a weathered statue standing tall in the dim interior.

  The deity’s face was obscured by shadows, its once-majestic expression eroded by time.

  A few incense sticks smoldered weakly in the burner, their smoke curling into the air.

  On the offering table y a sparse arrangement of tributes: a vase with a willow branch, a few shriveled fruits, and—most importantly—a single dried salted fish.

  Lu Jueming’s gaze locked onto the fish.

  "Yes! The offerings are still here!"

  He gnced around. No one in sight. Perfect timing.

  But just as he raised a paw to step forward, he hesitated.

  "Wait… is stealing a god’s offering gonna get me struck by lightning?"

  For a brief moment, guilt gnawed at him—but hunger quickly overpowered it.

  "A compassionate god would understand, right?"

  Csping his paws together, he bowed his head.

  "Oh mighty deity, I won’t take your offering without giving something in return. I’ll guard this temple for three days and drive away any pests that disturb it."

  Prayer complete, he stepped inside.

  The scent of old incense and dust filled his nose—but the moment his paw crossed the threshold, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

  [Ding~ The Deity Rolepy System has been successfully activated!]

  A translucent screen materialized before him, lines of text rapidly appearing:

  [Detected nearby mountain god statue. Binding host…][Successfully bound to the deity: Tai Ming Mountain God!]

  "What the—?!"

  The sudden voice and floating panel startled him so badly he nearly tripped over his own paws.

  After a stunned pause, his shock morphed into excitement.

  "A system! Just like in those transmigration novels!"

  Ignoring his growling stomach, he raised a paw and expanded the system window:

  [Deity Rolepy System]Host: Lu Jueming

  Race: Raccoon Demon

  Lifespan: 24/80

  Cultivation: Qi Refinement Stage 2

  Abilities: Raccoon Transformation (Beginner)

  Bound Deity: Tai Ming Mountain God

  Faithful Followers: 6

  Faith Level: Critical! (Only a handful of believers remain. The deity’s influence is fading—host must act quickly to restore worship!)

  Divine Power (Faith Points): 0

  Lu Jueming’s jaw dropped.

  "What kind of system is this?! You expect a Qi Refinement Stage 2 raccoon… to py god?!"

  The sheer audacity of the task left him speechless.