Xuan slipped out the back door of the Wang house just as the sky began to lighten.
The hour of the Tiger-3 to 5 a.m.-when the boundary between Heaven and Earth thinned, qi purest, yin giving way to yang.
He'd been doing this every day since arriving in Markham, a habit that was part of his cultivation regime. The elders had drilled it into him: "Cultivate at the hour that the world breathes most deeply."
He moved quickly across the backyard, feet barely touching grass, using the Ten Thousand Steps technique. It wasn't a true teleportation-like the reckless spatial jumps of golden-core cultivators-but a Daoist art of folding distance.
One breath, clear intentions, and the world blurred past while cultivation increased- it was a technique Xuan absolutely loved.
Today as he moved through the steps, trees, fences, sleeping houses slid by like a flash.
He gathered energy as he went-thin threads of Heaven's breath from the sky, Earth's pulse from the soil-drawing it into his dantian in gentle spirals. The technique also sharpened his awareness: every leaf rustle, every distant car hum, every sleeping soul in the houses he passed.
Harmony. That was the point.
To move through the world without disturbing it.
Not that he wouldn't have loved to be a bit more lazy and teleport to places of energy he sought for cultivation.
But he learned that lesson the hard way- a metropolitan city is not the best place to practise it.
Especially if you are too focused on seeking placed filled with intense energy - without doing a Google check on where it is actually on the map!
Two weeks ago, after picking up that Bakaneko, he had teleported near Union Station downtown-Toronto's busiest hub.
He was just focused on the energy point he discovered - pure, concentrated qi, almost sacred. So he missed the basic check all cultivators do before teleporting - if people were around or not.
It was his carelessness but Xuan blamed the Bakaneko for distracting him. He ended up appearing in a flash before a poor older guy - a jogger who had rounded the corner at that exact moment. Poor guy was terrified and cursed out loud while jerking back and almost lost balance.
That confusion helped Xuan - he vanished in the next second before the guy could confirm anything. Hopefully he thought it was some odd lighting!
Xuan had checked from the rooftop nearby to where he had teleported: the man sat for some minutes on the curb nearby breathing hard, hand over heart, muttering to himself and looking around.
But that guy didn't need any help - at least no 911 calls made. And he continued jogging too - but very likely that he will avoid this route for some time!
For Xuan though - he was proud of his skills and control and this mistake made him irritated and guilty.
No more teleporting till I learn the landscape and have Google map in my head.
After that, he refined the Ten Thousand Steps.
It was somewhat harder but at least not as risky.
Tonight he aimed for a small wooded pocket behind a community center in Scarborough-strong qi flow, no houses nearby, just trees and a creek.
He folded space twice, breath steady, world blurring.
First jump: past the highway.
Second: into the trees.
The air smelled of pine and wet leaves. Perfect.
Xuan started to smile but then sighed - a slight weight had settled on his right shoulder.
Soft fur.
Tiny claws hooking gently into his tunic.
The bakeneko. Again!
The kitten-still kitten-shaped, though its aura betrayed what it truly was-had been following him since they brought it home that night behind the school.
They'd sneaked it into his room in a cardboard box lined with an old towel.
Cat had wanted to keep it at her place, but Xuan wasn't sure - what if the Bakaneko starts playing it's tricks?
Mei Wang took one look at the box, sighed and said,
"Fine. But find its owner. And Xuan, you're responsible- for everything, cleaning, feeding- all of it."
That silly Bakaneko however had ignored Cat that whole evening.
It watched Cat but never came close.
Xuan, "Hey Neko-san you should know that your actual benefactor is this girl here?"
Cat had laughed. "It's probably your kung-fu or all this Qi charm. It must feel right at home here."
Xuan looked at Cat seriously, "It should actually be the opposite, as a Yokai it should be staying away from me and digging into someone like you who has the affinity...it's a bit - weird".
Cat had shrugged, "Let's get it healthy and then add him to Pet-pick-up program nearby? He doesn't look scary anyways. Very cutie cute."
Xuan didn't reply.
You want some poor kid to take a Bakaneko, that too one as weird as this one, home.... so you actually hate people who adopt pets huh?
After Cat left that night, Bakaneko kept watching Xuan. It was like the Yokai was testing his new master.
Or it thinks it's the master and I am it's pet?
That night was the first time Xuan dreamed - ever in his whole life.
As a 9 path cultivator, Xuan knew the power of dreams especially to cultivators like him. Unlike regular humans who dream of both good and bad and cannot easily distinguish messages from Heaven and Spirits in their dreams, cultivators can.
And so dreams are very very rare for a cultivator and were taken very seriously.
But now he had dreamed.
And just like silly humans, he couldn't remember it.
Except the feelings he could vaguely remember as not his own.
What the heck.
The reason for his dream was not hard to find. He had woken up to find Bakaneko on his chest.
It wouldn't move and had clung to his shirt till he actually removed it.
He tried his best to warn the cat but nothing changed from then.
A new routine was formed.
Every night since, it slept on his pillow.
Every morning, it rode his shoulder when he cultivated in the backyard.
Every time he left the house, it followed-silent, invisible to everyone else.
Ever tried sitting in a noisy class, trying to act normal while a Bakaneko was sitting on the teacher's desk watching you?
And none else could see the damn thing, so you couldn't even scold it loud when it scratched over test papers...
Frustrating!
This morning was no exception - Mr Neko san was here to disrupt his meditation.
Xuan sighed, reached up, gently lifting the kitten down.
It dangled in his palm, tiny paws waving, eyes half-lidded in contentment.
"Why just me, why don't you go bother that human girl, Cat?" he murmured.
The kitten yawned, showing needle teeth, then nuzzled his thumb.
Xuan sighed again-longer this time.
Back at the house, he set the kitten on the bed. It immediately curled into a perfect circle on his pillow, tail over nose, purring like a tiny engine.
Xuan bowed once and waved his hand-a glowing eight trigrams at the cardinal points, a yin-yang swirl in the middle came to life. He used a chalk-drawn version of it when others were present.
Can't shock humans with an actual magic array show!
He placed the jade pendant carefully in the heart of the formation and sat opposite it, legs crossed, palms resting on his knees.
The bakeneko watched from the pillow, amber eyes glowing faintly.
Xuan closed his eyes and began to breathe-slow, deep, the Tiger-hour rhythm. He channeled the enriched qi essence down his meridians, refining it in his dantian, then pushed a thin stream outward-careful, controlled-into the pendant.
This was a routine something he hadn't shared with anyone else- Cat was present in the evening when her Yin energy complimented and enriched the Yin power of night.
In the morning however, he just channeled the Yang essence directly.
The jade drank it greedily; colors flickered along its surface:
The kitten rose silently, padding across the bed. It stepped onto the floor, circled the array once-tail high-then sat precisely at the eastern nodal point, one of the eight trigrams: Zhen, the Thunder position.
A perfect alignment.
A thread of crimson-purple qi flowed from the kitten into the array, weaving with Xuan's stream.
The pendant brightened.
The air in the room thickened, like the moment before a storm.
In Xuan's mind, suddenly an image flashed.
A girl. Beautiful. Foreign, wearing clothes from an older time.
Her face was pale, eyes wide and shimmering with tears.
She sat in a rocking chair in a high room, wrists bleeding, clutching a lock of black hair.
Life was dimming from her brilliant eyes.
Her lips moved, forming a name.
"Lian..."
Xuan didn't know why but it felt like that whispered name, hit him like a physical blow.
In shock, he opened his eyes and stared into the eyes of the Bakaneko.
What did I just see?
Why do I feel so sad?
Why did the sight of that girl crying make me feel so bad, even though I haven't ever seen her before?
Whose memory is being shared with me?
Xuan exhaled slowly.
"Thank you."
Looks like this Bakaneko is helping with bringing up the secrets of this pendant.
Xuan stared at the pendant.
It felt like something had woken inside it.
He got up and started getting ready for school but he had a nagging feeling he'd missed something important.
He stood, bowed to the array, and left the room.
Downstairs, breakfast was already underway.
The bakeneko- Yao Yao now to everyone else-was curled in the best chair at the dining table, tail flicking lazily.
Mrs. Wang was cooing over it, setting a tiny saucer of cream in front of the kitten before serving anyone else.
Mr.Wang sat squashed against Ethan, his chair taken by kitten.
"Yao Yao, sweetie, here's your breakfast" Mrs. Wang said, scratching behind the kitten's ears.
Ethan, squeezed beside his dad, looked resigned. "Why do I have to sit squeezed next to dad? Does that kitten need a whole chair? I'm starting to think she owns the house."
Mrs Wang and Mr Wang shushed him.
"You dare hurt our little Yao Yao!"
Xuan paused in the doorway.
Amused. Irritated.
The kitten had fully claimed the family in less than two weeks. They'd named her Yao Yao after Mei suggested "something cute and sparkly," and Henry agreed because "she looks like she's wearing little white socks."
In two days no one even talked about finding her owner anymore.
Yao Yao glanced up at Xuan, amber eyes gleaming. She mewed once-soft, demanding.
Mei beamed. "See? She knows you're here. Come eat, Xuanlin. I made extra congee."
Xuan sat. Yao Yao immediately jumped into his lap, curled up, and purred.
Ethan stared. "She never goes so easily to anyone else"
Xuan sighed,"Same gripe here- she never goes to anyone else!"
Henry chuckled. "That's just how cats are... And boys, remember- this is also how women are - which is why we compare them to kittens a lot! "
Mei laughed. "What are you teaching! And that too about poor Yao Yao.."
They walked to school together. Ethan was quiet, hands in pockets.
"You okay?" Xuan asked.
Ethan shrugged. "Yeah. Just... Cat's been coming over every day. For the pendant thing. And now for Yao Yao too. And somehow for both, she connects with you while I am just..here and there.. Especially with that kitten, it kinda feels like you two are... I dunno. Parents or something."
Xuan tilted his head. "How can we humans be parents to a kitten? Humans can only birth humans- mostly!"
Ethan flushed. "Not like that - don't take things soo literal dude ! I meant-you guys are like all talking and planning about that kitten together.. like what to feed..what to do with it..all that. But with me, the guy who really wants to talk to her? It's just... hey, hi, bye."
Xuan considered. "If we go by what Uncle Wang said and apply same principle for a kitten to a woman.. then - be patient, remain quiet, don't irritate, keep something tempting with you and wait for it or her to come to you."
Ethan kicked a pebble. "Like dad would know! He met mom like a million years ago. And Cat.. she is different.. I don't think she looks at guys...maybe she is into something else"
Xuan smiled faintly. "Ah. I get it. If that thought brings you comfort, keep it close."
Ethan laughed. "Ok, You're something else dude. And you - you're kinda the same. You don't look at girls too. Maybe you're into something else too huh?"
Xuan nodded, "I am. I'll be till I breakthrough the 6th layer, which can happen when I am 15 or 25 or may be 45..."
Ethan just stared.
This guy has no plans to date. Like ever. Why am I talking about my dating problems with this icebox?
They reached school soon.
Cat wasn't in school-she'd replied to a text from Ethan the night before: "Family friend wedding. Off school tomo. C u after 5."
The day dragged.
Ethan was playing some video game while Xuan half-listened in class, mind circling back to the morning vision.
Somehow his mind felt unsettled.
The girl's face-tears, grief, calling "Lian."
Something about it tugged at him. He'd missed something important.
He couldn't place it.
After school, he skipped basketball practice-Ryan groaned, "Dude, we need you! You're our secret weapon!"-and walked home early.
He needed to check it again.
In his room, he drew the chalk array-simpler this time, just for calming the mind.
Sat in lotus.
Closed his eyes.
Breathed.
Later, he didn't hear the front door open.
Downstairs.
"Hello Sweetie, wow you look amazing. Did you come straight from the party?" Mrs Wang.
Cat's voice-soft, a little tired "Thanks Auntie..yes I thought I'll finish this and go home to crash for a good sleep. So tired.. hope Xuan comes home soon!"
"Oh Xuan is already up. Looks like he came early, Ethan is still at school. Boy looked serious. You are going up already?"
Cat felt irritated as she started walking up, "Yes Auntie.. if he already started then, maybe I can finish and leave early."
So you're starting without me huh? Then all that speech about my presence helping and all... Just for show?
Cat pushed the door open with some force.
She was still in her wedding dress-soft blue, knee-length, hair half-up with a flower clip.
As she stepped inside, Yao Yao lifted her head.
Cat smiled at the kitten. "Hey, cutie."
Then she looked at Xuan.
He sat motionless, eyes closed, breathing even.
She hesitated, then sat opposite him on the floor-dress pooling around her knees.
Cat was feeling irritated with Xuan and with herself too. As soon as she reached home after party, she'd given some excuse to her parents and rushed over to wait for the boys to be back home.
Be honest, just for one boy...
She didn't know why she wanted Xuan to see her dressed like this- older, prettier, more feminine than her usual hoodie-jogger style.
Maybe because he'd never seen her dressed up.
Maybe because she wanted him to look at her with the same admiration she was used to getting from guys- Ethan for example.
Maybe because the pendant had been making her feel... strange lately. Closer to him.
Like she knew him.
She watched him.
Somehow it never got boring to just look at this boy just sitting still.
His face was serious, handsome, young yet strangely mature.
Sharp jaw, long lashes, black hair tied back neatly.
In the soft afternoon light, he looked almost like....
Suddenly she started seeing the vision she was waiting for.
A handsome man - in his early 20s, smiling.
At her or someone special to him.
Long hair casually tied, wearing simple but elegant robes.
She didn't know him.
Yet she knew him, deep affection bloomed in her chest-familiar, aching.
She knew his name.
It hovered on her tongue.
Lian...
Xuan, deep in meditation, suddenly felt the shift the moment Cat crossed the threshold.
The effect was new for him.
The air around him thickened, qi swirling strangely.
He couldn't open his eyes-something held him still, gentle but firm.
Then came the flashing visions like a movie trailer.
A young boy in cultivator robes- Xuan's sect's style- fleeing through rain, wounded and bleeding.
A ship tossed by gales, sails tearing.
The boy older, turning to meet a pretty girl in a lemon grove.
A pistol's crack.
Blood on marble.
And at the end, the girl he saw in the earlier vision.
Beautiful but with a devastated look, hazel eyes, crying.
Calling a name..
"My Lian..."
The word echoed in his mind-and in the room.
Xuan's eyes snapped open.
Cat was sitting opposite him, tears shimmering in her beautiful eyes- staring at him but not quite seeing him.
Her lips moved.
"My Lian..."
Xuan stared.
The dress.
The hair.
The face.
That girl from the vision
Something clicked-sharp, final.
The nagging feeling all day.
Why did I see Cat or someone very much like her?
Why is Cat calling that name?