Lu Jueming, a young man who perished while rescuing victims from a wildfire, reincarnates as a gray-streaked civet cat at the Qi Refining Second Layer on Mount Taiming. Inheriting the original body's memories, he learns that the cat's parents were murdered by demon hunters from the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, and that the cat had been evicted from its cave and left to die by a weasel demon that stole its winter food. Now starving and weak, Lu Jueming drags himself into a dilapidated temple. The temple holds a statue of Taeming Mountain God, its incense nearly cold, offerings scarce. Suddenly, a system awakens: the Deity Role-Playing System. The system binds him to the Taeming Mountain God, whose faith is at a critical low—only four believers remain. The system displays a panel showing his lifespan (24/80), cultivation technique (Leopard Cat Transformation, Beginner), and the bound deity's statistics. It explains that by acting as the mountain god, bestowing blessings, and increasing believers, he can convert the power of incense into spiritual power to heighten his cultivation. He inhales a wisp of incense from the burner and instantly rises from Qi Refining Second Layer to Third Layer. The system also unlocks the divine ability "Divine Dream Entry," allowing him to send warnings or guidance through dreams. A novice quest appears: listen to villagers' wishes and convert potential believers into formal ones.The following morning, a young herbal farmer named Xu Ling enters the temple to collect her offerings. She discovers that the dried salted fish on the plate is missing. With Aunt Sun, she searches the small shrine. Lu Jueming, hidden behind the deity statue, uses his innate Leopard Cat Transformation—a shape-shifting talent of the civet cat race—to turn his entire body into a broom, barely escaping detection. Xu Ling returns home to her brother Xu Ping'an, who lies gravely ill in bed. Despite his condition, he scolds her for any disrespect to Lord Taiming, revealing his deep devotion. Xu Ping'an's illness has drained their savings, and the local bully Zhou Liqiang has been harassing Xu Ling, hoping to force her into marriage once her brother dies. Meanwhile, Zhou Liqiang has been secretly feeding chickens to a weasel demon that he saved in the Black Obsidian Forest. This weasel demon is the same one that had tormented the original cat demon. It speaks human language and prefers chicken over human flesh. Zhou Liqiang asks the demon to injure and frighten Xu Ling, to make her more dependent on him. The weasel agrees, demanding tender chickens as payment. This alliance directly threatens Xu Ling and positions the weasel as Lu Jueming’s sworn enemy.To protect Xu Ling and win her unwavering faith, Lu Jueming creeps to her thatched hut at night. Standing on the windowsill, he uses Divine Dream Entry to project himself into her dream as a glowing gray-white figure. He leads her through the Black Obsidian Forest to two granite boulders, where a plant with pale purple leaves—Zijing Silver Ginseng—grows, the very herb needed to cure Xu Ping'an. Xu Ling wakes convinced that Lord Taiming has guided her and resolves to search for the ginseng at dawn. To ensure the herb remains untouched, Lu Jueming goes to guard it early. There he spots the weasel demon wandering in the area. Xu Ling will soon arrive and almost certainly encounter the demon. Lu Jueming knows he must neutralize the weasel to protect her. But the weasel is at Qi Refining Sixth Layer, far stronger than his own Third Layer. Direct confrontation is suicide.He retreats and surveys the terrain for an ally. He spots a colossal wild boar demon sleeping in a mud pit with its piglet, both covered in mud. The boar’s bristles stand like iron spikes; its body is the size of a small mountain. Lu Jueming decides to provoke the boar into attacking the weasel. His plan: use Leopard Cat Transformation to take the weasel’s form, kidnap the piglet, and then frame the weasel. However, when he tries to drag the piglet away, the pig is far too heavy, and he barely moves it a few meters before collapsing from exhaustion. He cannot carry out the abduction. So he changes tactics. He will use Divine Dream Entry directly on the boar, constructing a vivid nightmare where the weasel attacks and harms the piglet. This requires no physical strength and carries no immediate risk. He approaches the mud pit, concentrates his spiritual energy, and begins casting the dream entry, his amber eyes glowing with white light. His ultimate goal remains clear: to accumulate faith in Taeming Mountain God, unlock more divine authorities, and grow from a weak cat into a true deity. This moment marks the first real test of his cunning and the system’s power, as he takes a dangerous step toward protecting his believers and securing his own path to ascension.
