At the window on the second floor, the little girl had put down the mirror but now held her new bowl, peering out at the light through the window.

The bowl contained half a bowl of water.

Under the light, the bowl seemed to have a ring of delicate floral patterns, which were hollow but allowed light to pass through without leaking water. This fascinated her, and she couldn’t help but reach out to touch it.

From her actions, it was clear that beneath her human appearance, there was the soul of a cat.

“Isn't it beautiful?”

“Very beautiful!”

“This bowl is quite precious. It’s so expensive that I could buy countless bowls for the price of one of them, and it is easily breakable. However, you’re always careful and extraordinarily nimble, so you shouldn’t easily let it break,” Song You said.

He continued, “Perhaps you could even use this bowl for many years. If, in the future, it still hasn’t broken, we could find a place to bury it. Maybe, in a thousand or even a thousand years later, someone might dig it up and treasure it as a precious relic or show it to the whole world, making people wonder whose bowl it was and what it was used for.”

“It belongs to me!”

“Indeed…”

“

Gulp, gulp

…” The little girl lifted the bowl and drank the water in one go. She didn’t lower her head to lick it, which made Song You feel relieved.

Bang!

The little girl set down the bowl, turned, and walked straight up to the Daoist. She stared intently at him and said, “Yin-Yang Method.”

“Alright, I’ll teach you,” Song You said, somewhat helplessly. “However, while diligence in practice is important, we should also follow the natural course of things. Don’t be too demanding or rush things.”

“I don’t understand.”

“That’s okay. I’ll explain it to you slowly in the future.”

“How will you explain it?”

“Slowly.”

“Then you explain.”

He said, “The Yin-Yang Method focuses on absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. Demons often focus on one side first, using the other for adjustment. When one’s cultivation is advanced, the other side is supplemented to achieve balance and improvement.

“However, since you’re of a deity origin and have been with me for a long time, the balance of yin and yang is already inherent, so you can seek the balance of yin and yang from the beginning. This is the great Dao.”

“I don’t understand.”

“To put it simply…”

The Daoist’s voice began to slow down. This time, he explained it in the simplest terms.

Luckily, this was Changjing. Ordinary animals didn’t understand human speech, and common folk didn't practice cultivation. If this were on Yunding Mountain from years ago, or in some other spiritual energy-rich and spiritual resonance-filled deep mountain, who knew how many mountain spirits and wild creatures would have gained enlightenment from his words.

***

In the evening…

On the second floor, the Daoist was still sitting across from the little girl. She was practicing with her eyes closed while he looked on with affection. Meanwhile, a knock echoed from downstairs. �

The little girl opened her eyes and said softly, “It's that person!”

“I can tell.”

The little girl tilted her head thoughtfully, then focused on the Daoist. “She also brought cooked lamb.”

“She’s still not as good as you, Lady Calico.”

“Should we continue?”

“She is already knocking at the door.”

“You need to open it!”

“Yes.” The Daoist had already stood up.

“And me?”

“Of course, you should follow.”

“Oh!” The little girl stood up and followed.

The big and small figures descended the old wooden stairs, each step creaking with their weight. The knocking grew more urgent.

“Is anyone there? Are you home?”

“Yes…” The Daoist opened the door at a leisurely pace.

Standing outside was the neighboring heroine, holding a package wrapped in multiple layers of lotus leaves, looking somewhat anxious.

“Hurry up! I bought lamb. It’s top-quality north-western lamb, with no gamey smell at all. It’s fatty but not greasy. I bought prime ribs and lamb neck! Hurry, it’s still warm. We wouldn’t want it to cool down!”

“Don't rush…” Song You let her into the house.

The heroine entered quickly, unwrapping the lotus leaves on the table. The outer leaves were fresh, while the inner ones were cooked. As she peeled away layer after layer, the lamb inside was revealed.

The aroma spread with the steam. It looked like there was quite a bit of lamb.

This heroine wasn’t stingy but usually didn’t spend extravagantly. She had likely earned a fair amount, but she was frugal in her daily life. Though she had a big appetite, she typically ate simply when alone, often settling for whatever was convenient.

She didn’t mind, and only when inviting Song You for a meal did she indulge more, using the occasion of having a friend as an excuse.

Lamb was the most expensive meat in Changjing. Top-quality north-western lamb was especially hard to come by. This lamb was probably her way of compensating Song You for the trouble of cooking during the past few days. It was a gesture to show her appreciation.

Interestingly, she felt that picking elm samaras from trees cost her nothing, while Song You had spent on labor, flour, and other seasonings. Thus, she felt like she had gained a benefit.

Conversely, Song You enjoyed eating the elm samaras she brought from outside for several days, finding it quite pleasant to be able to eat special seasonal produce without having to lift a finger. Thus, he felt like he was the one who benefited from her efforts.

But Song You didn’t stand on ceremony.

As he tasted the lamb, it was indeed extraordinary. Although it appeared to be simply boiled with just some green onions and salt, it had no gamey odor and was full of meaty fragrance.

The ribs were perfectly balanced between fat and lean, clearly a high-grade cut. The lamb neck was tender and juicy, even more exceptional. This few jin of lamb was probably worth several hundred qian.

“Do you still need money?” The heroine asked while grabbing some lamb to eat.

“Yes.”

“How much do you need?”

“A lot.”

“Have you used up the money you had before?”

“Yes,” Song You replied between bites, “Today I went out to the West Market and bought a mirror and a small

chengyao

blue-and-white bowl, using the money Lady Calico earned catching mice.”

The heroine glanced at the little girl next to her upon hearing this. The little girl was clutching the meat with both hands, oblivious to the outside world.

“Just in time, I took down another notice!” The heroine grinned, “There’s been a water ghost causing trouble by the Jade Belt River. I came back this afternoon and saw someone posting a notice, so I took it down right away!”

“Do you know if this water ghost is any different from the others?”

She said, “Nothing special, really. The county head and his men tried to capture it several times but couldn’t catch it. The local soldiers set traps and even shot arrows, but couldn’t kill it. The river is its domain after all.

“When I saw the notice on my way back, I just took it down. It’s offering twenty taels of silver, which I’m sure even the masters from Tianhai Temple wouldn’t bother with. So, if you come along with me, that’d be perfect.”

Song You asked, “Since there’s nothing particularly special about it, you can handle it by yourself. Why did you ask me to come along?”

“How can I do that?” The heroine paused her eating and said, “We’ve worked together to catch demons and ghosts twice before, so we’re a team. With this easy task, how could I keep all the reward for myself?”

“I see.” Song You smiled at her response and asked, “When shall we set off?”

“This water ghost usually harms people at night and is not far from the city. If you’re free tonight, we can head out after we finish this meal.”

“Alright, I’ll follow your lead,” Song You agreed without further discussion.

After finishing the lamb, which was quite satisfying, he found that there was no lingering gamey smell despite eating with his hands. There was only a subtle meat and milk aroma.

They washed their hands and then set off. It was dusk as they left the city.

The heroine took her horse for a quick run. Meanwhile, the Daoist leaned on his bamboo staff and walked slowly along the dusty road, accompanied by the calico cat.

Changjing had a river called the Jade Belt River, which flowed from the east and passed through the outskirts of Changjing, and moved toward the southwest. The river was named for its year-round green color and winding shape, resembling a jade belt. There were likely many rivers across the country with similar names, like Jade Belt River or Jade Curve River.

The area along the Jade Belt River was dotted with many villages. The current trouble was coming from a stretch of the river near a cluster of villages.

Reports indicated that someone was lured into the water while washing clothes at dusk, and another person fell in while boating at night. There were also unidentified individuals, presumably wanderers from the

jianghu

, who were found dead after falling into the river while bathing or walking at night.

Some people were confused by it but managed to escape, while others were dragged into the water by it but managed to break free. The survivors reported it to the authorities, who then realized it was the work of a water ghost.

“We're approaching Wang Family Village now; it should be in the section of the river below the village,” said the heroine as she looked up at the increasingly dark sky. “The moon is quite bright tonight, which will help us see the way.”

“Summer is almost here, so it’s not too cold at night.”

“It's no wonder so many people have drowned; they were probably bathing or swimming in the river.”

“Do you know if there have been tigers in the city?”

“Tigers?” The heroine furrowed her brow and turned to look at him. “Why bring up tigers all of a sudden?”

“It’s just something that came to mind.”

“Why did you suddenly think of tigers?”

“This morning, Lady Calico told me that while catching mice in the eastern city, it heard some commotion outside and found two huge tigers,” Song You said, noting the change in her expression. He added, “Do you know anything about this?”

“I haven’t seen any tigers in the city,” the heroine said, leading her horse forward.

Her eyes flickered as she continued, “However, that senior of mine, who was a friend of my master, was the one who lived in your house before. He was torn apart and killed. I examined his wounds; the hole in his thigh was so deep I couldn’t reach the bottom with my finger, and the claw marks were extensive. Very few animals could cause such wounds.”

“That was a few months ago, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“I recall you mentioning that he was involved in some

jianghu

matters?”

“Pretty much,” the heroine said. “There was some treasure, worth far more than gold. He had been in Changjing for a long time and was quite informed. When he got wind of this, he went after it, hoping to secure a comfortable life in his old age. By the time I saw him, he was already dead.”

“There shouldn’t be any tigers in the city.”

“Who’s to say? It’s likely the work of some

jianghu

expert,” the heroine shook her head. “In the

jianghu

, as long as money isn’t involved, everyone follows the rules. Once money gets involved… Hmph. I used to think I owed him for his kindness and that I’d take care of him during his old age in return when I made a name for myself. Heh, it seems like he didn’t trust me very much.”

“You value loyalty.”

“It's not just about loyalty; it's how things are in the

jianghu

. When someone has helped you, you naturally owe them. If you don’t repay it, you can’t survive in the

jianghu

.”

“Will you seek revenge for him?”

“Heh!” The heroine chuckled softly, then shook her head. “Even if someone else had come and killed him, I’d have to think about it. But he was the one who had gone out to seek treasure and fought for it. He couldn’t match up to his opponent and died. What part of that requires revenge?”

“I see.” Song You found the conversation intriguing. The heroine’s way of speaking was quite interesting; she used casual expressions that seemed flippant but actually reflected her true feelings.

Jianghu

people often struggled to express themselves directly, so they spoke this way.

Gradually, they began to hear the sound of the water.