A Guide to Raising a Cat-Demon Villain

Originally titled: The Fish Beneath the Villain's Claws

Save the kitty and heal the big bad villain~

Overworked office drone Cheng Yu transmigrated into a book, becoming... a fish in a certain fantasy novel.

And not just any fish, but one about to be eaten by the villain as a child!

At the time, the villain hadn't yet turned evil. He was innocent and easy to fool.

Cheng Yu spoiled the plot right then and there: "Your senior brothers, senior sisters, and master are all bad people. Your sect will sever your meridians and gouge out your spiritual bones. In the end, they'll cut out your demon core and leave your corpse in the wilderness."

"And me? I'm an immortal sent by Heaven to help you!"

"Send me money, I mean, protect me, and I'll help you survive this deadly calamity!"

The villain, still a little white flower, burst into tears on the spot.

But he said:

"Although my senior brothers and sisters make me do all the dirtiest, hardest work and never save me any food, Master says it's to train me. I'm not..."

Rumble.

The sound came from the villain's stomach.

The villain: "...I'm hungry."

Cheng Yu, still a fish, flapped his tail and fins. "...How about you put me in the water first, and I'll teach you to cook?"

*

In the original novel, the villain was a black cat, a calamity everyone despised. It wasn't until near the end that his nature was revealed to bring good fortune to others, but not himself.

After winning the villain over with a bowl of millet porridge, Cheng Yu thought long and hard, then decided to flee the sect with him.

He dragged the villain off a cliff, only to discover a rich patch of fertile black soil.

He coaxed the villain into growing vegetables. Pests ran rampant, but they eventually worked out how to keep them away.

He took the villain up the mountain. The villain lost his footing, only to fall into an unclaimed mine.

Cheng Yu: How is he a calamity? He's clearly a lucky cat who brings in treasure and wealth!

But Cheng Yu wasn't an unscrupulous boss. He used the vegetables the villain grew to prepare a delicious celebratory feast for him, and traded the iron ore the villain unearthed for silver so he could buy him new clothes!

At first, the villain as a child stared at Cheng Yu's bright fish tail and drooled. "I want to eat it."

Cheng Yu pushed his mouth away. "Koi can't be eaten!"

Later, the grown villain's golden beastlike eyes reflected the shimmer of scales on Cheng Yu's tail. "I want to eat it."

Cheng Yu tried to push him away again. "I told you, koi can't be eaten... Hey!"

Cheng Yu couldn't understand it. He'd devoted himself to advancing the villain's career, so why did the other seem not to care at all, and only want to cling to his side?

#I'm helping the villain recruit followers, I'm all about his career#

#Why is the villain putting food in my bowl instead of his underlings'#

#Villain: My Dao companion is slow on the uptake, but I love him#

[Dependable, considerate koi fish shou x Gentle, clingy cat gong]

One-on-one, HE, a sweet story with no restraints

*The gong may be a little weak at first

*The gong thinks the fish is his big brother, while the shou treats the gong like a cat (what)

*The shou loves cuddling cats! He pets him now and then, and then the gong gets all fired up (?)

*Helpful snail maiden (x) Koi maiden (√)

*Also known as: The Feasibility of Investing in a Villain for a Comfortable Retirement

[Blurb written on January 5, 2022, lightly revised on August 19, 2025]

Theme: Root out prejudice and protect animals.