The cat ran ahead again, sniffing the grass by the roadside. It sniffed and then took a couple of bites.

While chewing, it glanced back at the two people and the horse behind it.

Heroine Wu was leading the horse and pointed to a path, saying, “If we go this way, we’ll reach the famous Changjing Ghost Market.”

“I’ve heard of the Changjing Ghost Market as well.”

“Where did you hear about it?”

“At a tea house.”

“Have you been there?”

“No.”

“I thought so.”

“Yeah.”

The ghost market was located outside the city and only opened at night. If they were to visit, they definitely wouldn’t return until late. With the soundproofing of the small building and this woman’s vigilance, she would likely know if he didn’t return home one night.

“I’d like to take a look at it, but I’m not sure how to get there, what makes it special, or if there are any particular customs?”

Song You wanted to ask her for guidance.

Heroine Wu didn’t hesitate and replied, “The ghost market opens on the fourth, seventh, and tenth days of the month. Today is the fourteenth of May. We’ll need more than a day to reach Mount Beiqin, and if we find Divine Doctor Cai, it might take some time. If we don’t find him, we won’t be returning right away.

“If we can make it in time for the market on the seventeenth, I can take you there. But if you want to go deep into Mount Beiqin to look for the Snake Immortal, I won’t accompany you. You can go by yourself, and if you return by the twentieth or twenty-fourth, you can also visit the market then.”

“Is it fun?”

“It’s not exactly fun, but it’s different from an ordinary market.”

At this point, they had already passed the small road they had just taken, so Heroine Wu had to turn back and point to that road, saying, “Follow that path all the way. There’s a fissure in the ground, several zhang wide at its widest point, at least two zhang at its narrowest, and about ten zhang deep in the deepest areas, stretching for dozens of li long. It doesn’t get any sunlight except at noon.”

“Is it naturally formed?”

“It’s said that during the late years of the previous dynasty, when the world was divided, and demons were causing chaos, gods descended to the mortal realm. Some extraordinary divine immortals or demons fought here, splitting the earth and creating this fissure.”

“That’s quite miraculous.”

“I’m not sure if it’s true or not. Have you heard of it?”

“I haven’t heard of it.”

“You haven’t heard of it? It’s probably just a rumor, maybe it came from the earth dragon turning over,” Heroine Wu said.

She added, “Since the fissure is outside Changjing City, people gradually started doing some shady business here. Originally, it was just some outlaws and shady people coming here, but it grew bigger over time. Now, a lot of brave and curious townsfolk sometimes come to join the excitement, calling it the ghost market. I’ve heard that sometimes real mountain demons and ghosts come here to do business.”

“I see.”

She said, “There are some special features about it too. Once you step inside, it’s quite unique. There are stone caves carved out on both sides of the fissure, and it’s often shrouded in mist. The goods sold there are strange and varied; you can find things that aren’t commonly seen in Changjing, and even things that aren’t allowed to be sold on regular streets.

“If you’re capable, you might even acquire some secret information. However, there are often government officials mingling around, so those strictly prohibited items are hard to come by, like armor. If they do show up for sale, the place will be surrounded by guards the next day.”

“Does the government usually not interfere?”

“They do, but not too much. That’s how the government operates; they enforce strict regulations within the city, but once you’re outside, it’s quite lenient,” Heroine Wu explained. “They usually conduct major inspections every few years, and routine minor checks are of little consequence. The ghost market has been around for hundreds of years and is entangled in too many affairs; it won’t easily be shut down.”

“I understand now.”

As they were talking, they had already walked quite a distance.

Suddenly, a chorus of cicadas quickly approached, intermittent and loud. The Daoist couldn’t help but look down.

He saw the calico cat trotting back toward him with lively little steps, holding a cicada in its mouth. The cicada let out a few feeble cries, as if pleading for mercy, but they did nothing to sway the cat's cold heart.

The cat walked right up to the Daoist and pawed at his pant leg.

He bent down and opened his hand, and the cat dropped the cicada into his palm, then looked up at him:.

“Eat the cicada.”

“I won’t eat it.”

“People eat cicadas.” The calico cat stared at him and continued, “There are people in the city who eat cicadas, roasting them over a fire; you should roast it too.”

“I won’t roast it.”

“I’ll help you roast it.”

“I appreciate your kind offer, but you should eat it yourself.”

“You’re hungry.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re tired from walking.”

“I’m not.”

“…”

The calico cat stared at him for a long time, then took the cicada from his hand and bit into it, not wanting to waste anything.

With that, it trotted off ahead again.

“Your cat really cares about you,” she remarked.

“She’s afraid I’ll starve,” came the response.

“How interesting.” Heroine Wu couldn’t help but smile.

Such warmth could influence those around her.

At this moment, the morning had gradually shifted to noon; although it was overcast, lacking the blazing sun, there was still a bit of sultriness.

Amidst the heat, there were occasional breezes that brought refreshing coolness with each gust.

The small path was lined with scattered summer flowers, which lacked the delicate charm of spring blossoms but possessed their own brilliance. Accompanied by the cicada sounds echoing from all directions, it felt much like every summer she remembered.

It was a bit surreal.

This summer was already half gone; she had been bustling about almost every day, enduring the scorching sun and the summer heat. Today was the first day she had the leisure to admire the summer flowers by the roadside and listen to the cicadas by the path. It wasn’t until half the summer had passed that she truly felt the essence of the season.

Suddenly, she heard a faint sound, almost imperceptible like a kettle coming to a boil.

Not just her, but the bouncy, carefree calico cat ahead was also drawn to the sound, stretching its neck to gaze in the direction from which it came.

As they walked over, they saw four or five village children walking barefoot along the road.

Two of the children were wearing pants that were only half-length, while three others had rolled their pant legs up to their knees, their feet caked in mud. One of the children was even carrying a basket, likely heading to the river to catch fish or loaches. Each of them also had half a pea pod in their mouths, producing various bright or deep sounds when blown.

The cacophony of noises was quite jarring.

“Hey, kids!” Heroine Wu called out to them, “Where did you find that

jiaojiao

?”

“Huh?” The children immediately stopped, looking bewildered.

Although Heroine Wu spoke in a feminine voice, she had her face covered with cloth. She stood tall and was leading a horse while carrying a sword, which gave her an imposing presence.

“I’m asking where you found that

jiaojiao

!”

“What…?”

“The

jiaojiao

, the horse dung

jiaojiao

,” Heroine Wu clarified, then realized the term might be different in Changjing. She pointed to her mouth, “The one you blow.”

“There’s some further up the road.”

“Let’s go,” Heroine Wu waved her hand.

A group of children immediately quickened their pace, glancing back at them as they walked and continued to whistle.

The calico cat also stood in place, staring at them intently.

It wasn't until the children had walked far away, along with the Daoist and the heroine, that it withdrew its gaze and hurried after the Daoist.

After a while, the calico cat had transformed into the shape of a little girl, and like Heroine Wu, she had a wild pea pod whistle in her mouth. The two walked side by side, the small girl and tall woman producing sounds reminiscent of a kettle, making the feeling of summer in her memories even more complete.

The Daoist was surrounded by the noise but wore a smile.

In the distance, the shadows of mountains could be seen, seemingly unreachable in the far horizon.

***

As they got closer, the mountains loomed nearer, their silhouettes growing clearer. However, upon approaching, more indistinct mountain shadows appeared behind them.

Indeed, there seemed to be no end to the mountains in this world.

After resting by the roadside at night, they arrived at the continuous Mount Beiqin the following morning.

The majestic mountains rose high, and within the depths of the white clouds, there were homes.

“

Toot toot toot

!”

The little girl continued to blow her whistle, walking in an unsteady manner. She swayed deliberately toward the Daoist, bumping into him before straightening up, only to sway back again and bump into him once more.

It seemed she found this very amusing.

The path up the mountain was indeed hard to find and navigate; one could easily stray if not careful.

Fortunately, there were many houses up the mountain, as well as temples and monasteries. The path was not narrow, and in some places, stone steps had been built. Heroine Wu had come here twice, leading the yellow-maned horse, chatting with him while diligently searching for the way.

Thus, amidst the great mountains, a small path slanted deep into the woods. Just then, the four of them—two persons, a cat, and a horse—slowly made their way up the mountain.

Sometimes it was a dirt road, and other times it was stone steps.

The roadside was overgrown with unknown shrubs, covered in tiny thorns, bearing small blue-purple flowers. In the distance, the silhouette of an ancient temple could be faintly seen at the mountain peak.

The mountain breeze filled the air, causing the grass and trees along the path to sway. The scenery was beautiful; the world appeared both clear and dim, the sultriness gone, and her mood became exceedingly pleasant.

The group ambled along, gradually entering the depths of the white clouds.

They would occasionally encounter some

jianghu

folk, seemingly coming to seek Sir Dou, who might regard them as competitors and would exchange fierce glances with them.

Song You usually ignored such encounters, focusing earnestly on the path, while Heroine Wu insisted on meeting their gazes, waiting for them to shift their eyes first or for them to pass before she turned away.

“If I remember correctly, it should be up ahead.”

“So he’s a recluse living deep in the mountains, huh?”

“Not exactly a recluse,” Heroine Wu's voice rang out. “Don’t be fooled by his residence in the mountains; he actually lives here to facilitate gathering herbs and sampling various plants. He spends only a few months at home each year, usually wandering around to provide consultations. Wherever he goes, he’s treated as a guest of honor, so it doesn't matter that his residence is somewhat remote.”

“There’s a house!” The little girl temporarily took the whistle from her mouth, pointing ahead. After speaking, she wiped the saliva from the whistle and stuffed it back into her mouth.

“

Toot toot

!”

“

Pfft

!”

She couldn’t keep it in and it fell to the ground.

The little girl immediately reached out to pick it up, but was swiftly stopped by the Daoist, who grabbed her hand.

“My whistle…”

“It’s dirty.”

“No, it’s not!”

“There are more on the way.”

“Oh.”

Indeed, in the distance, there was a thatched cottage.

As they approached, they saw several thatched houses with their doors closed, one of which had a pair of fish tails pasted on the door.

“No one is home,” the little girl said softly.

“

Knock, knock

…”

Heroine Wu tapped on the door, but as expected, no one responded.

“Looks like we’ve come at a bad time.”

Heroine Wu furrowed her brow and bent down to look at the entrance, running her hand over it before checking her fingers. “There’s a layer of dust in front of the door. Even if the wind is strong up here, it seems like no one has come in or out for quite some time.”

“I’ve let down your trust, heroine.”

“He must have gone out to treat patients,” Heroine Wu shook her head. “What do you think?”

“I came here on a whim. If I find the person I’m looking for, that would be great, but even if I don't, I've already had my fill of enjoyment,” Song You replied with a smile. “Besides, I was originally trying to escape the troubles of Changjing, so not finding him is no big deal. But you, heroine, seem to have something more important to seek from Doctor Cai. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”

“What can I do?” Heroine Wu sighed. “I plan to wait here until tomorrow afternoon. If no one comes, I’ll head back and try again next time.”

“Then I’ll wait until tomorrow afternoon as well.”

“Alright.”

Not minding the dirt, the two sat down by the door, leaning against it as they enjoyed the mountain breeze while waiting for nightfall.