The Daoist was patiently washing elm samaras in the kitchen.

He was not in a rush and had plenty of time, so he meticulously cleaned each one, ensuring it was spotless before spreading them out on a basket to dry.

Meanwhile, the cat was outside, playing with her new toy. She would bat at the fabric ball with her paw. Though it seemed like a light touch, the ball would immediately fly off, prompting her to chase after it or intercept it mid-air with her other paw. She was utterly absorbed in this simple joy, completely lost in her play.

Every now and then, the Daoist would poke his head out to glance at her.

The small house wasn’t very big, and the kitchen was right next to the main hall. While washing vegetables, all he had to do was lean back slightly and look through the door to catch sight of the cat.

Song You found himself reminded of his own childhood.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

During the first few years after arriving at the temple, he was still very young. His master would often fumble around in the kitchen, clumsy and flustered, constantly stealing glances at him to make sure the child she'd taken in a few years earlier was still alive and well. Song You, on the other hand, would often sit on a small stool by the doorstep, staring absentmindedly at the wind blowing through the mountains.

Of course, that didn’t last long.

As Song You grew older, he could no longer bear his master's lack of basic life skills. Gradually, he took over the daily affairs of the temple, assuming responsibility for looking after the old Daoist.

The simplicity of that life often had a way of enchanting people.

At the time, it didn’t seem like anything special—just another ordinary day. But after leaving it behind, he found himself inexplicably nostalgic for those moments. In fact, the farther away he was, the more vivid the memories became, as if they had fermented over time.

Coming back to the present, he saw the cat still playing happily. Indeed, this was a place where his heart felt at peace.

Song You smiled to himself and continued washing.

After a while, Song You gently reminded the calico cat, “Lady Calico, don't wear yourself out. You still have to catch mice tonight.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Tonight is the last house. After catching the mice there, you can rest tomorrow. The day after, shall we go to Tianhai Temple?”

“It’s the last house already?”

Hearing this, the calico cat paused and turned her head, staring directly in the direction of the kitchen.

“Yes.” Song You thought for a moment before continuing, “Lady Calico, you’ve been catching mice for nearly two months. That street’s houses plagued by mice have almost all been cleaned up by you... Before, there was always another house lined up to make a request with us even before the current one was finished. But this is the last one, and no new requests have come in yet.”

“Is no one asking me to catch mice anymore?”

When the voice sounded, Song You realized the calico cat had already arrived at the kitchen doorway. She was sitting upright, gazing up at him, with the cloth ball placed beside her. It was hard to tell what she was thinking.

“It’s just that the mice on that street have been dealt with. I'm sure others will still come to ask for your help,” Song You said after thinking for a while. Pausing briefly, he added, “Besides, everyone in this city needs your help with catching mice. Some people are more desperate, and some aren’t in as much of a rush. There are also those who don’t have money, so they can't come to pay you for help.”

“They don’t have money?”

“Right, they’re very poor.”

“They’re very poor!”

“Which means they don’t have any money,” Song You explained, then paused again. “So, in the future, if someone asks for your help, they might not be able to offer much money. Or, there are some people who really want your help and who really need your skills, but they won’t come to you because they don’t have any money. Then, they’ll have to endure the torment of the mice.”

“Do we have enough money to live on?”

“Yes, we have enough.”

“Then I can help them without asking for money.”

“They would certainly be very grateful to you.”

“...!” Upon hearing this, the calico cat immediately became happy again.

“So after tonight, no matter if anyone else comes looking for us or not, you’ll take a break tomorrow. The day after, we’ll head to Tianhai Temple. How does that sound?” Song You asked again. ᚱ

“Tianhai Temple!”

“It's a temple, someone else's temple.”

“What are we going there for?”

“Just to take a walk.”

“I will follow you wherever you go.”

“Lady Calico, go have some fun.”

“Aren’t you done cooking yet?”

“Almost.”

“Oh!”

The calico cat picked up the cloth ball beside her and dashed out again, as quick as lightning.

Song You smiled and continued with his task.

After washing the elm samaras, he divided them into different portions: one for eating raw, one to coat with flour and steam, one to make into elm samara dumplings, and one to mix into a batter for pancakes. He put a bit of extra care into each, adding some flavor and variety to life.

He then called the cat to go next door and invite the neighboring heroine.

***

Tianhai Temple was originally built during the previous dynasty. Back then, it was located on the edge of the city. But during this dynasty, the capital was expanded, and the city’s boundaries were pushed further out. As a result, Tianhai Temple found itself in the bustling, prosperous part of the city.

When the temple was first constructed, many trees were planted inside its grounds. Now, after centuries, these trees had grown into towering, ancient ones, filling the temple with greenery and vibrant life.

The Daoist and the cat walked side by side.

Before they even reached the temple gates, they could see countless worshippers coming and going. Numerous vendors, sensing a business opportunity, had set up stalls on the street outside the temple. These stalls attracted even more visitors to the temple or just to wander around the street. The cycle repeated itself, and the street became as lively as a temple fair.

The serene atmosphere created by the flourishing trees and plants was completely lost amidst the commotion.

As they stepped through the temple’s gates, they were greeted by the sight of a stone pagoda and a large tree casting a wide shadow. Many people sat on the ground, leaning against the pagoda to escape the sun.

Apart from the temple’s efficacious incense offerings and the presence of many learned monks, Tianhai Temple was most famous for this pagoda.

Although the pagoda was located within Tianhai Temple and funded by the temple, it wasn’t used for incense or worship. Instead, it was a paper burning incinerator built for burning paper with writing on it.

People believed that written words were sacred and should not be desecrated. Once paper had writing on it, it couldn’t be casually discarded. Instead, it had to be burned. The court had even built numerous hollow pagodas specifically for burning paper.

Tianhai Temple, being a place of quiet cultivation, had its monks frequently transcribing scriptures. To facilitate this, the temple built its own paper burning incinerator for burning written paper.

However, the pagoda had long since ceased to be used for burning paper.

At some point, a seed had fallen onto the top of the pagoda, taken root, and sprouted. Against all odds, it grew firmly atop the high pagoda, eventually flourishing into a large tree.

People marveled at this sight, amazed by the tree’s resilience. They stopped burning paper in the tower, allowing the tree to grow in peace. Occasionally, someone would even offer incense to it and pray, and many scholars and poets visited to write poems about it.

Tianhai Temple claimed that this was due to the Buddha’s benevolence. Since the pagoda was within the temple, under the Buddha’s protection, the tree had been able to thrive.

Who knew if it was true or not?

In any case, Song You stopped in front of the pagoda and looked up, momentarily astonished.

The pagoda was by no means small; it stood at least three stories tall. Likewise, the tree was no small sapling but a large, lush tree. It was firmly rooted on top of the pagoda, standing perfectly upright without the slightest tilt.

Strangely, there was no sign of its roots on the stone pagoda itself, as if the tree were growing midair several zhang off the ground. Anyone who saw it couldn’t help but wonder how it managed to survive and grow so large.

“A true miracle…” Song You couldn't help but murmur in awe.

It was indeed a blessing to witness it.

He then glanced down at the cat beside him. The cat looked up at him as well.

Compared to more than two years ago, when they had wandered through Taian Temple in Yidu, she had become much more composed. Although she still instinctively glanced around warily, she no longer showed signs of fear.

As the incense in the censer burned vigorously, the smoke billowed like clouds. The cat merely glanced at it briefly before turning her attention to the large tree growing atop the pagoda and the bird's nest nestled in its branches.

“Let's go,” Song You said, resuming his walk. The cat quickly followed.

They strolled leisurely, lighting a few sticks of incense and reading the couplets on the temple gates, then observing the people who had come to pay their respects to Buddha.

Just like at Taian Temple in Yidu, there were those who came seeking relief from their worries, those who sought fame and fortune, and those who wanted to divine their fate. Some hoped to atone for their sins, and others merely wished to confide in Buddha.

All sorts of thoughts and desires rose into the air with the wisps of incense smoke.

Song You wandered slowly, taking in the sights. After exploring the temple, he made sure not to miss out on a vegetarian meal in the temple dining hall.

A Daoist priest visiting a Buddhist temple was bound to draw attention. Even the monks in the temple couldn’t help but take a second glance at him. However, Song You remained unconcerned by their looks. Occasionally, when someone approached to speak with him, he would respond politely and continue strolling around the temple.

He spent the better part of the day there and felt quite content with his visit. As he was preparing to leave, he once again found himself beneath the pagoda and the tree, when he suddenly sensed something faint.

Turning his head, he saw a wall separating the inner courtyard from the outer courtyard, and the wooden gate was tightly shut. By the wall was a dirt trench, bare and covered with a layer of bamboo leaves, suggesting that bamboo had once grown there.

A middle-aged Daoist stood outside the inner courtyard gate, apparently having just come out. He was accompanied by two elderly monks who seemed to be seeing him off. Seeing him pause, one of the monks looked at him, while the other followed his gaze and looked at Song You. The latter then quietly asked if they had encountered someone familiar.

The middle-aged Daoist smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he did not know Song You, but his gaze remained fixed in Song You's direction.

The young Daoist should be with a jujube-red horse and a calico cat. Though there was no jujube-red horse, the calico cat was present.

The middle-aged Daoist bowed to Song You from a distance. Song You returned the gesture, his mind pondering.

Soon, the middle-aged Daoist began walking toward him. He was limping, and the two elderly monks followed respectfully behind him. The three of them quickly approached Song You.

“I’m Changyuanzi of Fengtian Temple on Mount Luming,” the middle-aged Daoist said with another bow. “Greetings, fellow Daoist from Hidden Dragon Temple.”

“So you are the State Preceptor,” Song You replied, returning the bow. He had already guessed who the man was and was not surprised that the other recognized him. “I am Song You from Hidden Dragon Temple on Yin-Yang Mountain. Greetings, Daoist and the two masters.”

Although the two monks did not know who Song You was, they also quickly performed their salutations.

The State Preceptor said with another bow, speaking with an air of sincerity, “It seems we are fated to meet. Recently, I thought you might have arrived in Changjing and intended to find out where you were staying.

“However, I was unable to do so. I was contemplating whether to visit you after some time or to avoid disturbing your quiet travel, but unexpectedly, I encountered you today while coming to Tianhai Temple to have tea with the abbot.”

“That truly is a stroke of fate.”

“It is purely a matter of fate,” the State Preceptor said with a smile. He paused before adding, “May I ask what brings you to Tianhai Temple?”

“I heard that the incense offerings here are very effective and that Tianhai Temple is unparalleled in Changjing. I came to light a few sticks of incense and pay a visit.”

“Does someone like you even need a god to manifest?”

“I wanted to come and see for myself.”

“Since we have met, if you do not mind, why not accompany me for a while?”

“Of course not.”

“Masters, there is no need for you to see us off any further,” the State Preceptor said to the two monks. He then looked at Song You and waved toward the temple gate. “This way, please.”

“After you.”

The two Daoists stepped out of the temple together, with the calico cat trailing behind them. The two elderly monks watched them, exchanging glances.

Many of the worshippers found it quite interesting and unusual that not only had Daoists come to the Buddhist temple to offer incense, but there were also two of them and senior monks accompanying them. Those from Changjing recognized from the middle-aged Daoist's limp and the monks' respectful demeanor that he was the current State Preceptor, which made them even more surprised.