Yue'an finally understood the meaning behind the wise old cat's words: "One cannot defy destiny." The gravity of this realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

Cradling his fallen tail in his paws, Yue'an stroked and nuzzled it, reluctant to let go. He knew that once a tail was lost, it would gradually disappear as the human's wish was fulfilled. With eyes as blue as the deepest ocean, now glistening with unshed tears, Yue'an watched helplessly as his precious tail slowly faded into nothingness.

The frustration was unbearable. The injustice of it all made him want to yowl at the heavens.

As the last wisps of his tail vanished into thin air, Yue'an's back legs coiled and sprung, launching him onto the chest of the human still lying in the egg-shaped protective shell. Upon landing, his paws met firm muscle beneath tattered clothing, and his irritation spiked even further.

Losing a tail was one thing - it was destiny, after all. But to have his dreams of immortality shattered by some hard-bodied man instead of a lovely young woman? This was adding insult to injury!

Yue'an's fur stood on end, his round eyes growing even wider with indignation. Perched on the blood-stained man's stomach, he could feel the life force beneath him growing stronger by the second. His claws instinctively extended as he contemplated where he might strike to send this foolish human peacefully into eternal slumber.

But as he raised his paw, poised to strike, Yue'an hesitated. This human, after all, was the one he had sacrificed a tail to save. If not this man, it would have been someone else. The old cat's words echoed in his mind: until someone sincerely wished for a cat's ascension, no nine-tailed cat could escape the cruel fate of struggling with that ninth tail.

Yue'an glanced at his extended claws, then back at the vulnerable, unconscious human. A new thought occurred to him: since he had sacrificed a tail to save this human's life, didn't that make this life his property now?

With this rationalization, Yue'an retracted his claws. His soft paw pads came to rest on the man's chest, feeling the gentle rise and fall of relaxed muscles with each breath. Almost unconsciously, Yue'an began to knead, his paws rhythmically pressing and releasing in a comforting motion.

He recalled more of the old cat's advice: since it was inevitable, why not find a young, attractive, and kind-hearted owner? After all, they only had to stay for twenty years until the wish was fulfilled, then they could simply vanish. Twenty years would pass regardless of where they spent it. And who knew? Maybe they'd get lucky and find someone who genuinely wished for their ascension.

Only young, naive nine-tailed cats like Yue'an tried to escape their destiny. Those who had been through it a few times had generally given up the struggle, choosing instead to find a suitable "can opener" (human servant) to serve as their master. After all, there was always that slim chance - if luck was on their side, they might just ascend to immortality.

As these thoughts swirled in Yue'an's mind, his beautiful blue eyes flickered, focusing on the man beneath his paws. He lowered his head, only to find himself staring directly into the human's gaze.

The man's eyes were as dark as the night sky, with pinpricks of light dancing in their depths like distant stars.

Yue'an's kneading paws froze mid-motion. He blinked, suddenly at a loss.

Xiu Jun had never expected to survive. Even more surprising was the fact that, upon opening his eyes, he felt no pain beyond a slight numbness and weakness. Not only were his recent injuries gone, but even old, chronic ailments and injuries that had required long-term care had vanished without a trace.

It was as if his body had undergone a complete overhaul, purging all discomfort and leaving behind only the vigorous, pulsing blood and robust physique of youth.

But what surprised him most of all was... being "assaulted" on the chest by this small, furry creature.

Marshal Xiu Jun, of Galactic origin and now the de facto leader of the Synthes Empire, heartthrob of billions, the nemesis of enemy forces and space pirates alike, whose very name could stop enemy children from crying at night - this iron-blooded, silver-bladed marshal found himself in a rather unique situation.

Having narrowly escaped death and mysteriously healed, he was now being kneaded by a fluffy, soft, and undeniably adorable unknown creature.

It was, Xiu Jun thought with his characteristic stoicism, quite a novel experience.

He gazed impassively at the round-eyed creature, which appeared to still be in its growth phase, and calmly reflected on this unexpected turn of events.

Yue'an, still somewhat dazed, stared at the human for a moment before glancing down at his paws, still resting on the man's chest. Tilting his head slightly, he slowly retracted his paws, settling them back on the man's stomach. Noticing the sooty pawprints he'd left on the human's chest, Yue'an decided the best course of action was to pretend nothing had happened. He turned his head, feigning interest in the surrounding landscape.

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Originally, this spot had been a small hill, crowned with a large rock. Beneath that rock was a spacious cave - dry and warm. The area was rich in geothermal resources, and when lined with properly treated animal furs, it made for a cozy den. Even during the rainy season, when everything outside was damp, the elevated position and the protective stone kept most of the rain out, maintaining a comfortable dryness inside.

Yue'an had lived here for decades and had grown incredibly fond of his home. But now, not only was his den gone, but the natural stone cave had been completely obliterated, with a large portion carbonized by the extreme heat.

The thought of it made Yue'an angry all over again. Unable to scratch the human, he instead expressed his frustration by bouncing twice on the man's stomach.

Xiu Jun: "..."

After his little tantrum, Yue'an swished his tail, the soft, warm fur brushing against the man's abdomen. The slight moisture in the air of his territory had been completely evaporated by the heat of the fallen egg-shaped object, leaving everything hot and dry. Only this man's body still held a hint of coolness.

Yue'an looked down at his own fur, now stained black with soot, then at the equally disheveled human. Under the man's gaze, he let out a soft "meow" and raised his paw, giving it a gentle wave.

Several small streams of water appeared out of thin air, seeming to have a mind of their own as they danced between the bedraggled pair, washing away blood stains and grime. It was a far cry from the powerful spell it had once been in the days of abundant spiritual energy, when it was said to be capable of moving mountains and seas. Even on Earth, it had been reduced to a mere shower. Here, it couldn't even manage that - just enough water to quench thirst or clean hard-to-reach spots.

Yue'an raised his front paws, using the water to clean his blackened paws and reveal the cute, delicate pink pads beneath. After finishing his front paws, he raised his hind legs for the same treatment.

Xiu Jun watched the small creature nonchalantly grooming itself on his stomach. His fingertips twitched slightly - he was finally starting to regain his strength.

Oblivious to the human's recovery, Yue'an finished cleaning both himself and the human. His first order of business was to examine the human's face more closely.

Yue'an didn't have much of a concept of human aesthetics; his standards were largely based on his first owner's preferences. He found girls like her - fresh-faced, occasionally wearing light makeup, lively and slightly spoiled - to be attractive. He also appreciated the mature, powerful women his owner had admired.

As for men, his owner had mostly gushed over delicate, fair-skinned pretty boys. So Yue'an considered that type to be the most attractive among males. When he had first managed to take human form, he had been quite pleased to find himself fitting that description.

The man before him, however, was nothing like that. His facial features were sharp, his gaze cold and intimidating. Yue'an's eyes swept over the now-clean body, noting the tall stature and well-defined muscles. Even lying motionless, the man exuded an aura of raw power.

Lacking any real understanding of human aesthetics, Yue'an's gaze returned to the face that was far from his idea of a pretty boy.

"This human is ugly," thought the kitten, utterly devoid of human beauty standards.

But his strength seemed adequate. Yue'an grudgingly accepted this human as his new caretaker. The possibility that the man might not want to keep him never even crossed Yue'an's mind.

After all, who could resist an adorable little cat? Especially one that had saved his life.

With this thought, Yue'an settled comfortably on the man's stomach and began to groom himself. His fur was still slightly damp from the magical cleaning, which was a bit uncomfortable for a cat.

Just as he had finished licking his front paws and rolled over to tend to his belly fur, his human cushion slowly sat up. Yue'an slid from the man's stomach down to the space between his legs, looking up in confusion at the human who was now examining him with an expressionless face.

Recalling how he used to act with his first owner, Yue'an licked his little nose and let out a sweet, soft "meow."

Xiu Jun's icy gaze flickered momentarily. He looked around at the desolate surroundings before speaking in a hoarse voice, "Did you save me?"

Yue'an swished his tail. "Meow."

Xiu Jun hadn't expected a wild animal to understand human speech, nor did he interpret Yue'an's meow as a response. However, he wasn't particularly surprised by the notion that he might have been saved by this cute, clean, unknown wild creature.

The universe was vast and boundless. In the two thousand years since humanity had entered the interstellar age, they had discovered countless new intelligent species and beings with special abilities. Yet they had never reached the edges of the universe.

Xiu Jun simply considered himself lucky to have encountered a special creature with unique talents on an unknown planet - one that wasn't yet recorded in the galactic database.

This special being had likely pulled him back from the brink of death and gifted him with a body as healthy as a newborn's.

Xiu Jun lowered his gaze to his stomach, where there should have been a gaping wound. The memory of intense pain lingered, but the horrific injury had vanished.

The stranded Imperial Marshal gently picked up the small creature sitting in the hollow of his legs. Despite his hard, cold demeanor, the man's movements were incredibly gentle, careful not to harm what he presumed to be his savior.

His hands were large, cupping the strange being carefully. He found himself staring into a pair of azure eyes, as clear as sun-dappled shallows. Xiu Jun could even make out the intricate patterns in the irises.

The Marshal withdrew his gaze, acutely aware of how small and soft the creature felt in his hands, as if he could accidentally crush it with the slightest pressure.

After a moment's consideration, he ran his calloused hand over the creature's soft, warm fur. This elicited a contented nuzzle and a soft meow from the small animal.

It had been a long time since anyone had held Yue'an and petted him like this. He gazed at the human who had cost him a tail, narrowing his eyes in pleasure, nearly purring.

Observing the creature's obvious comfort, Xiu Jun, driven by a sort of scientific curiosity, carefully turned the small animal over to expose its belly. His gaze fell on the area near Yue'an's tail.

Yue'an, who strongly disliked having his belly exposed, was about to flip back over when he suddenly froze. He looked up at the human, who had been treating him so nicely just moments ago, with utter disbelief.

The human's hand had unerringly landed on Yue'an's... private parts. And he even had the audacity to give them a gentle squeeze!

"Hmm, male," Xiu Jun noted mentally as he withdrew his hand.

He looked at the small creature, whose eyes were wide with shock, mouth slightly open revealing tiny fangs. Even across species, the expression of utter bewilderment was clear.

Xiu Jun's normally impassive face showed a flicker of confusion.

Xiu Jun: ?