Chapter 150: Go Upstairs and Sleep First

“You’re finally here, Daoist priest.” The calico cat gazed at the Daoist from the beam.

Her tone was quite natural, as if she had merely climbed the willow tree to play and happened to encounter the returning Daoist, rather than being driven onto the beam by someone.

The Daoist walked directly through the people at the door. This time, they did not faint, but they were too startled to make a sound.

The Daoist entered the room, stopped under the beam, and looked up at the cat with his arms extended.

“Lady Calico, please come down.”

“Mm...” The calico cat locked eyes with him for a moment before standing up on the beam. She adjusted her position slightly and then leapt down gracefully, like a delicate swallow.

The Daoist caught her steadily, as promised.

Holding the cat, he turned around and scanned the people present, asking, “I am Song You from Yizhou of Lingquan County. May I know who the son of the Grand Commander of this residence is?”

Though he asked, his gaze was fixed on the young man in the crowd. It was quite easy to distinguish between the master and the servant.

The young man swallowed nervously, his fear palpable, but he tried to muster some courage. “Where did you come from, Daoist? Do you know this is the residence of the current Grand Commander?”

“I am aware,” the Daoist replied.

“Then how dare you intrude...?”

“Such words are useless.” The Daoist shook his head, unwilling to engage in idle chatter about these matters. Instead, he said, “I only ask you, since you know Lady Calico can speak and is not an ordinary cat, why do you still insist on taking her away from me and depriving her of her freedom?”

“...” The young man glanced between him and the cat in his arms.

Both the Daoist and the cat looked back at him.

The Daoist’s gaze was calm as he pondered whether he would counter with an argument, avoid the topic and continue accusing him of trespassing, or use his noble status to press the issue.

The cat, on the other hand, looked quite intrigued with her eyes wide open.

“You think you can act recklessly just because you know some Daoist magic! This world belongs to the Great Yan, and this is the capital of Great Yan under the Emperor’s rule. Don’t think you can get away with this!”

“Interesting.”

The Daoist met his gaze, shaking his head and showing no desire to continue the conversation. “The steward I dealt with, I have sentenced him to a lifetime of muteness. Since you conspired with him, you cannot escape this fate either.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Yesterday, when I returned, I investigated your usual behavior. I heard that you enjoy listening to slander and often oppress the common people. Therefore, I have sentenced you to a lifetime of deafness, hoping to cure your heart's ailments with this affliction. As for the flatterers who used to flatter you, you will have to deal with them yourself.”

“How dare you...” The young man’s eyes widened in anger, his voice growing louder. But before he could say much more, he fell silent.

He heard no sound at all. He even doubted whether he had spoken just now.

The world seemed utterly silent, and not even a whisper could be heard. The young man’s eyes widened further.

The Daoist spoke, and strangely, he was the only one who could hear the Daoist's voice. “I possess considerable cultivation skills, and the method I have used is rare and difficult to resolve. Like the steward, I hope you will reform and act with integrity in the future. If, after many years of traveling, I return to the capital and hear of your good deeds, I may lift this affliction. If not, then you may remain deaf for life.”

“...” The young man stood stunned.

The Daoist glanced at the others, not making things difficult for them, and left the residence with the cat.

The cat remained content in his arms.

This time, no one tried to stop him. At most, some looked on from a distance, but no one dared approach.

“Are you enjoying yourself here, Lady Calico?”

“Not really.”

“Why not?”

“Last night, they chased after me. This morning, they tricked me into the house, trying to capture me and send me to a place called the Empress.”

“The Imperial Palace,” he corrected.

“Yes, they tricked me, saying you sold me.”

“And then?”

“Haha, they were too foolish! They couldn’t catch me at all, nor could they deceive me!”

“Lady Calico, you’re brave and invincible, with unmatched wisdom.”

“Exactly!”

The Daoist looked down at the cat in his arms. The cat looked up, both their gazes calm and clear.

“But what if they had caught you?”

“They can’t catch me.”

“What if they did catch you?”

“If they did catch me...” This puzzled the cat, which blinked its eyes.

“Hmm?”

“Then I’d run away!”

“And if you couldn’t run away?”

“If I couldn’t run away...”

“Right.”

“Then you would come find me!”

“Lady Calico, you know magic, right?”

“Yes!”

“Why not use magic then?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“They are human.”

“When we were in Yidu, you even said you would bite the thieves who stole from us to death.”

“I was lying to you!”

“Even if you might get hurt, you still want to avoid hurting others?”

“

Meow

!” Lady Calico turned her head and looked away.

“I see.” Song You had known from the first time he met Lady Calico on the Jinyang Road that she was naturally affectionate toward people and almost never hurt anyone, which led him to deduce that she was the descendant of a pet cat.

It had been almost three years since then.

The wary Lady Calico who had fled the temple and eyed him cautiously was now peacefully nestled in his arms.

Time indeed flew.

“Now you know, not everyone is a good person, and only good people deserve our kindness,” the Daoist said. “For bad people, especially those who try to harm you, you must be brave enough to show your claws. This is both a way to protect yourself and to uphold justice.”

“I don’t understand.”

“If you encounter bad people who wish to harm you again, and they refuse to listen to explanations, then use magic to deal with them,” the Daoist said. “As for whether to injure them or kill them, you can decide for yourself, right?”

“Yes...” Lady Calico responded instinctively.

She then squirmed in the Daoist's arms, turning to face him and asked, “Are we home now?”

“Of course.”

“Let me down. I can walk on her own.”

“Are you uncomfortable with me holding you?”

“...”

“It seems I still need to learn.”

“...”

The area they were passing through was lined with the residences of nobles and ministers. The morning was relatively quiet, with white walls and eaves. The Daoist walked along the wall, with Lady Calico taking small, dainty steps beside him.

“Then we won’t be able to get the money today?”

“Most likely not.”

“Oh...”

“But if you learn the right way to handle bad people from this, then not getting the money isn't much of a loss.”

“It’s not much of a loss!”

“Exactly.”

Throughout the journey, there was no one around.

Lady Calico whispered to the Daoist, talking about how big the house with a mountain and a lake they had visited was, though it was actually just a small slope and a pond. She mentioned that there were many mice in the house, and she had caught a lot in one night. If she had to catch them all, it might take many days.

The Daoist was a good listener, occasionally agreeing or commenting on her stories. However, his attention was focused elsewhere.

By the time they had finished this quiet stretch of road and Lady Calico had finished talking—or rather, could no longer talk because the area had become bustling—he turned to her and said, “Why don’t I teach you to count tonight? That way, you will know how many mice you’ve caught and how many more days it will take to catch them all...”

“...”

“Your silence means you agree.”

“Alright, I agree.”

Lady Calico stared at him in a daze, turning her head to look at him. The Daoist, however, did not look at her.

***

It was early morning, and Willow Street was bustling with activity. The shops on either side had already opened, and as soon as the steam basket in the steamed bun shop was lifted, the rising steam revealed the full vibrancy of the day. Stalls lined the streets, and people were coming and going, creating a lively scene.

At the entrance of the neighboring house, a woman sat on a small stool with her arms crossed over her chest while leaning against the door wall, seemingly lost in thought. This was unusual.

Song You rarely saw this heroine in the morning. Although it was still early, according to her usual habits, she should have already been out.

At this moment, Heroine Wu noticed them.

The Daoist stopped at the door and greeted her, “Heroine, are you not going out yet?”

“I’m free today, so there’s no hurry.” Heroine Wu casually glanced at them. “Where have you been? You didn’t come back all night.”

“Lady Calico was out catching mice.”

“Then why didn’t you come back?”

“I was accompanying Lady Calico,” the Daoist said as he climbed the steps, getting closer to the woman. He smiled and said, “This morning, we offended some influential figures in Changjing. There might be some trouble. If someone comes to search, please act as if you don’t know.”

“Hm?” Heroine Wu’s expression stiffened as she looked up at him.

Seeing that he seemed sincere and not pretending, she said nothing. She just stood up, took her small stool, and went inside.

Song You understood and followed her in.

Heroine Wu walked inside and then turned around, her eyes wide as she stared at them. “Which influential figure in Changjing did you offend? How did you offend them?”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Tell me, I have some connections. Perhaps I can help you.”

“The Grand Commander.”

“Goodness! A first-rank official!”

“Yes.”

“How did you offend them? Is it serious?”

“They wanted to send Lady Calico to the imperial palace as a gift to the current Empress.” Song You explained honestly, “I broke into the residence and brought Lady Calico out.”

“Did you hurt anyone?”

“I’m not sure if it counts as injury.”

“How so?”

“I used a minor spell to punish the steward with lifelong muteness and the young master with lifelong deafness,” Song You replied.

“The current Grand Commander may not have real power, but he is a royal relative and an elder statesman from the previous dynasty. He had no children for most of his life and only had one son in his old age, whom he dotes on greatly. He is the only heir,” Heroine Wu recounted in detail, “You’ve turned his son into a deaf person. How could he possibly let you off the hook?”

“Indeed.” Song You nodded. The imperial court was an integral part of the human realm, and human affairs were often tumultuous and chaotic. As long as one could not fully transcend the mundane and remain untouched by worldly matters, they would inevitably be involved. Offending the local nobility was indeed a troublesome matter for a Daoist.

“Now you’ll have to leave Changjing and continue your travels. You should leave quickly,” Heroine Wu said. “Go get ready, I have my ways.”

“I need to stay in Changjing until next year.”

“What will you do then?”

“Don’t worry, heroine. You’re a person of the

jianghu

, and the

jianghu

has its own methods. I’m a Daoist, and Daoists have their own ways,” Song You replied respectfully. “Just remember, if officials come to search the neighboring house, don’t pay any attention. If they ask you, you can say whatever you like.”

“Is it really that simple?”

“For the time being, yes. The Hidden Dragon Temple has a certain reputation. If it becomes a big deal, someone will step in to resolve it.”

“Who will step in?”

“Those who allow the powerful and arrogant to run amok.”

“Those who allow the powerful and arrogant to run amok?” The heroine looked puzzled. “Why would they come to help you?”

“It’s a complicated story.”

“Are you really sure?”

“I wouldn’t deceive you, heroine.”

Heroine Wu’s eyes flickered as she considered, occasionally glancing at him. After a short while, she nodded in agreement.

“Alright then, I’ll go out and avoid the situation.”

“You’re decisive, heroine.”

“Let’s see what you’re capable of.”

“I fear the officials might trouble you.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“I’m a bit tired now, so I’ll return to my place.”

“Alright...”

“Farewell.”

Song You continued to cup his hands respectfully to her. Then, holding the cat, he returned to his own room. He took his time, went upstairs, and decided to take a nap first.