On Willow Street, inside a small building, the Daoist opened his eyes.

A cloth ball, about the size of a steamed bun, flew through the air. The cat leaped up and caught it steadily, then brought it back.

Initially, the cat was running toward the woman. But upon seeing the Daoist open his eyes, it immediately changed direction and walked over to him, placing the cloth ball on his lap.

“Look at you, how heartless. What a waste of the time I've spent playing with you for so long!” Heroine Wu pretended to be angry, though her tone was light-hearted. She then turned to the Daoist and asked, “What were you doing just now?”

“I just went to handle a small matter,” the Daoist replied, picking up the ball from his lap and tossing it.

Heroine Wu, curious, asked, “Did the Grand Commander’s estate send someone to deal with you? Were they planning to fight you with spells?”

“You’re quite perceptive, heroine.”

“Don’t use the same words you use to coax the cat to try and charm me.”

“It’s a habit.”

“How did the Grand Commander’s estate deal with you? Did they use a curse? Did you resolve it? How did you resolve it?” Heroine Wu seemed particularly interested in these matters. “Tell me in detail.”

“Pretty much,” Song You answered. “The Grand Commander’s estate invited a Daoist to cast a spell on me.”

“So, it seems you resolved that situation?”

“Indeed.”

“You see, I told you the Grand Commander’s estate is not to be trifled with. Besides the government, they can also hire talented eccentrics from the

jianghu

,” Heroine Wu remarked. “Money talks. You’ll have trouble later.”

“I am skilled in magic battles. Troubles with strange techniques are actually simpler for me.”

“That’s quite a boast!” Heroine Wu laughed. “What if the government catches you with a wanted list, how would you deal with it?”

“There are many ways to handle it.”

“Do tell.”

“For instance, I am somewhat adept at transformation techniques.”

“Wow! That’s great! That’s great!” Heroine Wu exclaimed twice, then continued, “I thought you might leave Changjing early due to pressure and continue traveling, but it seems I was overthinking.”

“At least I’ll stay until next year.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m actually a bit reluctant to see you go.”

“But we’ll part ways eventually.”

“Yes,” Heroine Wu replied, feeling a bit sentimental.

“But that’s a matter for the future. Let’s focus on the present,” Heroine Wu paused. “You have quite a bit of skill. Since they've wronged you, will you seek revenge?”

“I have already sought it.”

“Hmm?”

“I have already sought it.”

“How did you go about it?”

“I gave them a minor punishment, advising them to correct their ways.”

“You didn’t make the Grand Commander deaf and mute, did you?”

“Not quite.”

“That’s good.”

“By the way, heroine, are you familiar with Dou Qiuyang from the Dou family?”

“Dou family?” Heroine Wu frowned and glanced at him sideways. “Why do you ask about that person?”

“I encountered his descendants at the Grand Commander’s estate.”

“So, he was hiding in the Grand Commander’s estate? No wonder so many people from the

jianghu

couldn’t find him.”

“I see you know about this.”

“I do.” Heroine Wu pursed her lips and said, “Dou Qiuyang was a master painter from several hundred years ago. It’s said that his skills were divine, with the ability to bring his paintings to life. However, he rarely painted people, and no paintings of people have survived to the present day.

“Some say that there are surviving paintings, but they are all collected by powerful families. Others say that because his paintings brought people to life, those people simply walked out of the paintings, leaving them empty. In any case, I’ve never seen any of his paintings of people or animals that have survived.”

“Was it the paintings left by Dou Qiuyang that the predecessors you mentioned were competing for?”

“How did you know?”

“Just a guess.”

“Clever!” Heroine Wu nodded and continued, “A long time ago, there were rumors in the

jianghu

that Dou Qiuyang left behind a masterpiece, more valuable than any previous work. It was said to have been kept by his descendants. Whether it’s true or not, Dou Qiuyang’s paintings were worth enough to support many

jianghu

people for several lifetimes.

“At first, the Dou family was quite formidable, and many

jianghu

people didn’t dare to openly steal from them. I heard that some thieves secretly infiltrated their residence but found nothing. Later, the Dou family declined, but their descendant was clever and quickly went into hiding in the

jianghu

.

“It’s hard to find someone in this vast world. Recently, there have been rumors that the Dou family descendant’s former bride leaked some information. As a result, a large number of

jianghu

people came searching, forcing the Dou family descendant to pack up and flee once more, his whereabouts unknown.

“The last news I heard was from a year ago.

“Who would have thought that the Dou family descendants was hiding in the Grand Commander’s estate? It’s likely that the painting ended up there as well. This is actually good, as it reduces disputes in the

jianghu

and fewer people will die. I doubt they would dare to steal from the current Grand Commander’s residence, right?”

“I see,” Song You said, nodding repeatedly with a smile.

Since his arrival in Changjing, he hadn’t specifically sought out many things. Most of what he learned was by chance—seeing things when he came across them and hearing things when they came up. As a result, he had gathered many scattered pieces of information.

Today, many of these pieces had connected. He had pieced together a picture in his mind.

After the Dou family’s decline, Dou Qiuyang’s descendant hid in the

jianghu

. It was unclear whether there was any real treasure or they were just rumors. However, some

jianghu

people stirred up trouble regardless, leaving the Dou family descendant with no choice but to hide and move around.

Last winter, the descendant chose to hide in Changjing. It was uncertain how the information was leaked and how the

jianghu

people managed to track them down, but before he could even reach Changjing, he was intercepted by

jianghu

people.

Fortunately, Dou Qiuyang had left behind some treasures, such as the painting of the two tigers fighting over the mountain.

Sir Dou, who had been fleeing and hiding, was almost surrounded outside Changjing but was fortunately rescued by a righteous military officer who was on duty in the capital. The officer brought them into the city.

Unfortunately,

jianghu

people had their own information and considerable skills.

In Changjing, he was frequently visited by people seeking treasures, especially at night, which left him exhausted. The previous occupant of this room was one of them, who ultimately died under the claws of the two tigers. It wasn’t until Dou Qiuyang hid in the Grand Commander’s estate that things settled down.

As he was thinking, Heroine Wu’s voice sounded, “Hey, this isn’t fair!”

Song You’s gaze returned to calm as he turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“You ask me all sorts of questions, and I give you a bunch of answers. But when I ask you something, you just drag it out and hesitate, barely saying anything. You don’t satisfy my curiosity at all.”

“...” Song You thought for a moment and then said, “I’m sorry about that.”

“...?” Heroine Wu widened her eyes and stared at him, as if the words sounded familiar but she couldn’t quite place them. In the end, she just let it go.

Having nothing more to discuss, she stood up and patted her bottom, adjusted the dagger in her hand, and gave a formal farewell to the Daoist. She told him to call on her if he needed any help and then walked out.’

Left alone, the Daoist sat in the room, playing ball with the cat while contemplating. Today had been quite interesting. He had witnessed the painting of a general by a divine master painter and heard about the

jianghu

disputes, full of blood and gore.

He had also seen the current Grand Commander, unwilling to die, seeking a way to extend his life and ultimately being manipulated by a

jianghu

master. The Grand Commander had become neither fully human nor ghost, and would have suffered greatly if not for his encounter with himself.

“

Whoosh

...”

The cloth ball was thrown countless times. Outside, the setting sun gradually sank.

As dusk fell, the air was filled with the sounds of flapping wings, either of swallows or bats. The limping Daoist passed through the palace gates and met with the Emperor that night.

“I was just about to summon you, State Preceptor,” the Emperor said.

“I apologize for disturbing Your Majesty’s rest,” the State Preceptor said, bowing with a hint of a smile on his face, “But something interesting happened in the city today. I thought Your Majesty might like it. I’m not sure if you’ve heard about it yet.”

“I’ve heard some rumors, but I don’t know if they match what you’ve heard,” the Emperor said.

“I would guess they are different,” the State Preceptor replied.

“Oh?”

“I apologize for my rudeness. Your Majesty, you can speak first.”

“I’ve heard that Grand Commander Chang has passed away.”

“I’ve heard that as well.”

“It is said that he died suddenly.”

“That is correct.”

“I also heard that a demon plotted against Grand Commander Chang.”

“Indeed.”

“With what you’ve said, it seems the news I heard is quite different from what you've heard,” the Emperor said with a chuckle. “Please, enlighten me.”

“I’ve heard that Grand Commander Chang, with his life running out and worried about his only son’s future, refused to die and sought out

jianghu

masters to extend his life. He eventually found a demon. This demon pretended to have a divine elixir, deceived Grand Commander Chang into taking it, but actually used dark arts,” the State Preceptor said, walking in the palace garden, slightly bowing.

He continued, “After Grand Commander Chang died, his soul was trapped in his body, and the body was kept temporarily functional to make him believe he was still alive. In reality, he had been dead for two days. As for the so-called master, he took the opportunity to flee with a large sum of money, pretending to collect herbs.”

“Indeed, it is quite different.” The Emperor continued to stroll leisurely, his face showing no surprise. “It seems you know more.”

“Although Your Majesty has heard that Grand Commander Chang was killed by a young Daoist, I believe Your Majesty already understands the situation,” the State Preceptor said. “I assume the Martial Guards have already begun their investigation.”

“Nothing escapes your notice.”

“Your Majesty, you flatter me...”

“Is the Daoist from Hidden Dragon Temple?” the Emperor asked.

“Indeed,” the State Preceptor confirmed.

“Please, continue,” the Emperor requested.

“The only son of Grand Commander Chang, in an attempt to win favor with the Empress for his future, became interested in a divine cat. Unbeknownst to him, the cat was a child of a fellow Daoist from Hidden Dragon Temple. The son of the Grand Commander, taking advantage of his position, acted with arrogance and extortion. Eventually, he encountered a master, who punished him by taking away his hearing,” the State Preceptor explained succinctly.

He continued, “When Grand Commander Chang learned of this, he first sent gifts and begged for mercy at the Daoist’s residence, but the Daoist did not agree. He then sent officials three times, with no result. In desperation, he sought the help of a Daoist known to me, intending to use spells to force the Hidden Dragon Temple Daoist to yield.

“My Daoist friend used a painting as a medium, but the Daoist from Hidden Dragon Temple manifested from the painting and revealed that Grand Commander Chang was already dead. The dark arts were broken, and he was freed on the spot.”

“Manifested from the painting?” the Emperor asked.

“Yes.”

“That sounds like a god manifesting.”

“Among those who cultivate, although they are not gods, high-level cultivators sometimes have abilities that resemble divine manifestations.”

“And the others?”

“Besides losing his hearing, Grand Commander Chang’s son also received the same punishment as the estate steward: he was rendered mute for life.”

“I see.”

The State Preceptor said, “The Daoist invited by Grand Commander Chang to perform the spell was originally from the Juxian Mansion and cultivated with me on Mount Luming. However, I found his intentions corrupt, and his spells were mainly harmful. I expelled him, and he wandered in the

jianghu

of Changjing, reportedly causing harm to many.

“He was punished by the Daoist from Hidden Dragon Temple, who declared that he would be mute for life and could no longer perform spells. He was also tormented by his own harmful spells. I heard that the Daoist from Hidden Dragon Temple told him to return to Mount Luming to cultivate properly, but with so many enemies in Changjing, it is uncertain if he can return to Mount Luming.”

The Emperor asked, “What kind of spell is this?”

“I know little about spells. I only heard that the Daoist from Hidden Dragon Temple did not perform any spells directly but imposed punishments simply by declaring them—making them deaf when declared so, and mute when declared so.”

“Hmm...”

“There was also a painter who, having no intent to cause harm, was not punished because Grand Commander Chang threatened him with his life.”

“Interesting...” The Emperor squinted his eyes. “Do you think that these tales of gods and immortals in popular folklore are like this?”

“Yes...” The State Preceptor’s voice trailed off, showing some disappointment.

The first thing this Emperor asked about was the methods of Daoist techniques, followed by inquiries into the fate of the others, satisfying his curiosity about the cultivation world. As he grew older, his interest in these matters deepened.