“It's a demon!”

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

“This cat demon has truly gained sentience!”

“Be quiet! Don't startle the Grand Commander!” Steward Liu immediately scolded, glaring around angrily.

The crowd gradually quieted down. Indeed, the Grand Commander was elderly and gravely ill. The master said that he was most vulnerable to shock; if they startled him, any mishap could jeopardize his life.

While they had quieted their voices, the fear in their hearts remained. They continued to cast fearful glances at the cat on the rafters.

Even the young man was horrified. Steward Liu, however, remained the calmest.

“Don’t be alarmed, Young Master,” Steward Liu whispered. “I’ve heard that in Changjing, demons and spirits are not uncommon. The court's nobles are not necessarily afraid of demons.”

Though subtly phrased, the young man understood the implication.

“Yes, yes...” the young man stammered, his hands trembling as he breathed deeply, retreating as he spoke. “Princes and princesses have interacted with demons, and the Empress often talks to cats. Perhaps she wants to keep a cat demon.”

“Be cautious with your words,” Steward Liu advised.

“Yes, yes! I’ll be cautious...”

“But what you said does make sense,” Steward Liu continued. “Let us first stabilize this cat demon here. Meanwhile, you should send someone to the Juxian Mansion to seek help from high-level masters familiar with the Grand Commander. Simultaneously, inquire with the Empress about her stance. If she likes it, we can still present it to her. If she does not...”

“What if she doesn’t like it?”

“We’re in Changjing, under the Emperor’s rule, we cannot allow a cat demon to run rampant. We’ll then transfer it to the City God.”

Just then, they heard the cat speak from above. “I know the City God.”

“What did you say?”

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

The steward didn’t dare wait for someone to report that the Daoist from yesterday had arrived, fearing that the cat demon might get agitated. No one knew what abilities the cat demon possessed. After giving a few quick instructions, he hurriedly walked toward the main gate.

***

The door creaked open.

Standing at the entrance was the steward from yesterday, seemingly named Liu.

“Steward Liu,” the Daoist greeted with a smile and a bow. “I’m here to collect my cat.”

“Ah, sir, you’ve arrived...” Steward Liu said, showing a look of embarrassment and apology. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“Oh?” The Daoist remained calm, simply looking up at him.

“Young Master is quite fond of cats. Upon seeing your cat last night, he was extremely taken with it. I wonder if you might be willing to part with it?” Steward Liu asked. “Please rest assured, Young Master is not the sort to take things by force. He is willing to offer five hundred taels of silver to purchase your beloved cat. What do you think?”

The Daoist stood at the door, observing carefully.

“That’s not possible,” the Daoist said.

“Why not? Is the amount insufficient?” Steward Liu asked. “You must know, five hundred taels is an astronomical amount even in Changjing. It’s more than a magistrate’s salary for ten years! Even if your cat were to catch mice every day, it might not earn more than ten taels a year.

“Five hundred taels could take decades to earn, and it’s unlikely that even catching all the mice in Changjing would earn that much!”

“You are mistaken,” the Daoist replied. “Lady Calico is not my subordinate; we are companions traveling the world together. There’s no talk of selling her.”

The Daoist still looked at the steward and said, "Under the Emperor's rule, even in the Grand Commandant's residence, there will be no buying or selling by force, right?"

“Indeed,” Steward Liu said, his expression of embarrassment and apology growing even more pronounced, now with a touch of shame. “To be honest, I misled you. The situation is not as I described.”

“Please explain.”

Steward Liu felt uneasy under the Daoist's calm and penetrating gaze, but he continued, “Last night, Young Master was so taken with your cat that he wanted to touch it. However, the cat refused. Young Master, being young and impetuous, insisted on touching the cat and ordered the servants to catch it.

“Unfortunately, your cat is so agile that despite the many people chasing it, they couldn’t catch it. Eventually, in its frustration, the cat jumped onto the wall and escaped.”

“And then?”

“I went after it, but somehow, a flash of golden light appeared, and the cat vanished,” Steward Liu said, pausing for a moment. “I was quite startled at the time. Upon reflection, it seems the cat must have been noticed by a passing master or immortal and taken away.”

Steward Liu immediately bowed, feeling deeply ashamed.

“It’s all my fault! I should have watched over your cat better, which led to this incident! Young Master also feels quite sorry about this, so he’s thinking of offering more money to compensate you. If you find the amount insufficient, I can ask Young Master to add more. Young Master is generous and can easily provide you with several hundred taels more.”

“Is that so...” Song You glanced at the people standing behind the steward.

The few people present were both astonished and admiring. Song You himself also felt a degree of respect.

Even though Steward Liu was lying, he didn’t claim that the cat had harmed his lord and caused his lord to become angry. Instead, he cleverly shifted some of the blame onto his lord, which was quite impressive.

“I’m truly sorry, sir. I apologize for the inconvenience,” Steward Liu said, bowing repeatedly, and then glanced subtly at Song You. “What do you think, sir?”

“Where is Lady Calico? I’ll go in and see for myself,” Song You replied.

“This...”

“Can’t I?”

“I would like to let you in, but this is the Grand Commander’s residence. There are rules against letting just anyone enter,” Steward Liu said, his face showing a look of embarrassment.

He continued, “Moreover, the Grand Commander is elderly and seriously ill. The doctors said he cannot be startled. Even recently, when the imperial guards were searching the city for demons, His Majesty specifically ordered that others should come to inspect the Grand Commander’s residence instead.”

“What else are you going to lie about?”

“I don’t understand what you mean, sir.”

“Although my cat is gentle with people, she has attained a certain level of enlightenment. If you provoke her, those inside may not be able to control her,” Song You said calmly to Steward Liu. “Please let me in to retrieve Lady Calico to avoid further complications.”

“...” Steward Liu was momentarily stunned.

He then recalled the Daoist’s demeanor since the door had opened and realized that the Daoist had been aware all along and had been observing him to see how he would handle the situation.

At that moment, the Daoist took a step forward.

“Wait!” Steward Liu hurriedly stopped the Daoist. “Please wait a moment!”

“Hmm?” The Daoist did indeed stop and continued to look at him with the same penetrating gaze.

Steward Liu could no longer withstand that gaze, feeling as though he couldn’t hide his thoughts.

“Her Majesty the Empress adores cats. If you were to present this cat to the Empress, you would certainly gain wealth and honor in this lifetime. You might even secure an official position. Why then, would you labor in the Eastern District with such difficulty?”

“So, you decided to stop lying, huh?”

“Would you agree, sir?”

“This is not open to negotiation.”

“I understand you have some cultivation skills, but this is Changjing. Even if you disregard the Grand Commander’s residence, do you think you can disregard the Empress?”

“Go on.”

“The Empress desires this cat and has specifically requested it. If you obstruct this, you should consider the consequences.”

“Is it truly the Empress who has requested it?”

“...” Steward Liu was anxious, feeling more and more uneasy under the Daoist's gaze, but he gritted his teeth and said, “It’s well known in Changjing that the Empress adores cats as if they were her own life. How could I lie about this?”

“Interesting,” Song You remarked with genuine interest.

The human heart truly was fascinating.

But at this moment, Lady Calico was still inside, making it inconvenient to engage in further conversation. Otherwise, he would have liked to stop and have a thorough discussion with the steward to see what other excuses or lies he could come up with.

“Please open the door.”

“This is the Grand Commander’s residence! The current Empress is Young Master’s cousin. How dare you force your way in!”

“You should be relieved that Lady Calico is still here. If she had already gone to the palace, I would have had to go there to find her.”

As Song You spoke, he had already taken a step up the stone steps toward the door.

“Stop him!” Steward Liu's eyes widened as he shouted while retreating.

Several house servants immediately moved to intercept, but before they could get close, they seemed to lose their souls one by one, collapsing to the ground in succession.

Steward Liu was even more shocked and continued to retreat, but he was still a man of courage and insight, after all.

“My lord the Grand Commander is a high-ranking official and a relative of the royal family. Although he is elderly and in poor health, if you use demonic means to intrude and frighten him, should anything happen to him, neither the Emperor nor the court will forgive you!”

“I see that there is a heavy aura of death here. It seems that the Grand Commander won’t survive much longer, even if he doesn’t pass not today,” the Daoist said, sniffing the air as he stepped through the door.

“How bold of you!” Steward Liu nearly lost his voice in his panic.

The Daoist stopped and turned his head to look at him. Steward Liu's legs almost gave out, and he barely avoided collapsing to the ground.

“I see you are sharp-minded and articulate, but it’s a pity that you use your abilities for wrongful deeds and don’t follow the right path. It’s truly unfortunate,” the Daoist said calmly, pausing for a moment. “Furthermore, you have lied to me multiple times, attempting to take Lady Calico from me. I am very displeased. I will grant you a lifetime of silence to help you avoid further trouble and reduce your wrongdoing.”

“…”

The steward had just opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out.

In a moment of terror, he not only widened his eyes but also couldn't help but open his arms as if trying to grasp something, flailing wildly in the air.

Then, his head drooped, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The Grand Commander's residence, which resembled more of a garden than a house, had flowers, grass, mountains, and water, with countless servants and guests.

Upon hearing the commotion at the door, more people hurried over.

The Daoist, however, remained unperturbed. He walked through the garden, his steps unhurried and calm. The house servants and guests who came to intercept him fell one by one to the ground without any visible effort from him.

He passed the rockery and walked across the flowing water.

Regardless of the visitors' martial skills or physical condition, as long as they approached the Daoist within a certain distance, they all fell to the ground as if their souls had been sucked out.

From above, it would appear as if human-shaped flowers were blooming on the ground.

Finally, he reached the courtyard and the entrance of a room.

A delicate voice came from inside the room, “I am the cat of the Hidden Dragon Temple. I live on Willow Street and was invited by the Daoist to help catch rats. I have never harmed anyone. If you capture me, the Daoist will come after you. Oh, and by the way, I know the City God you just mentioned. The City God from the temple came to speak with my Daoist recently.”

The group of people at the door, having already forgotten about the cat on the beam, turned their attention to the approaching Daoist, the people lying on the ground, and those who were running toward the Daoist but had collapsed.

The Daoist stopped, a faint smile on his face. Indeed, Lady Calico was quite intelligent.