Chapter 178: It’s Excellent, Of Course

Since the veil had been lifted, Song You no longer respected the other’s privacy and asked directly, “You, as a great demon, should be cultivating in the mountains. Yet, you conceal yourself in the capital, amassing wealth through your

qin

tavern. Why do you disguise yourself so heavily?”

“I dare not deceive you any longer,” the woman said, lowering her head before asking, “Do you know about Princess Changping?”

“Of course.”

“Then let me explain...” the woman sitting opposite him replied helplessly. “I am originally a demon from Yangzhou. Many years ago, Princess Changping traveled south to Yangzhou and formed a bond with me; she showed me kindness.

“A few years ago, I came to the capital. One reason was to witness the splendor of Changjing, and the other was to find my benefactor from those days and personally thank her.

“When she saved me back then, she was unaware that I was a demon. Now that I’m in Changjing and she knows my true identity, she expects me to repay her kindness, as I have considerable abilities.

“I have always preferred a free and unrestrained life and never wished to be bound. However, I must repay her for saving my life. If I don’t repay her, my cultivation will stagnate right here.”

Upon hearing this, the Daoist remarked, “You’re quite appreciative and polite...”

The woman simply shook her head in resignation and continued, “Back then, there was a famous courtesan in Yangzhou who captivated many with her beauty and exceptional

qin

music. Later, a powerful noble sought to force her into submission. She was always strong-willed and refused to serve anyone in such a manner, so she jumped into the river and drowned.

“Coincidentally, I enjoyed plucking the strings of the

qin

during my tedious cultivation, and over the years, I developed considerable skill. Under the princess’s arrangement, I took her name and reputation, paid off her debts, and came to Changjing to open this Hexian Pavilion.”

“You are too modest.”

“Ha...”

“So, you work for the princess.”

She said, “Don’t underestimate the small size of Hexian Pavilion; it brings in quite a sum daily. One, it serves to gather wealth for the princess; two, those who enjoy listening to music and are willing to spend lavishly are mostly the powerful figures in Changjing, including some of the more reclusive elites who are hard to approach.

“Yet they all gather here, believing I am a master of the

qin

, transcending worldly matters, and they speak to me without reservation. Even if I don’t engage with them too much, just listening to their idle chatter and occasionally interjecting a few words, I can learn a great deal.”

Miss Wanjiang spoke with a hint of sarcasm and a touch of helplessness, “Unfortunately, they do not know that I am not what they imagine.”

“It seems you feel quite helpless.” The Daoist narrowed his eyes, finding the situation amusing.

“Helpless isn’t quite the right word; I just feel that my

qin

skills are wasted. Back when I was in the mountains, whenever I plucked the strings, extraordinary phenomena would occur. Yet now, in Changjing, I can only occasionally find that feeling when I deeply resonate with the music.”

“Then this time...”

“This time, it was also the princess who heard about your abilities and learned that His Majesty had summoned a Daoist to the palace for a night banquet. So she sent me to investigate your background and strength,” the woman said. “Upon hearing about your deeds, I guessed you were likely a disciple of the legendary Hidden Dragon Temple, but I did not inform the princess when she inquired.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know...” The woman smiled. “Perhaps it’s fate. Maybe our first encounter at Mount Chang was too beautiful, and I didn’t want to cause you any harm. Or perhaps I feel that you are not someone who belongs to the court, and that would be too inappropriate.”

“Then I must thank you.”

“Not at all.”

“How will you explain this when you return?”

“I can’t bear to trouble you, but the princess has saved my life,” the woman paused as she spoke. “You are a master from Hidden Dragon Temple, and I have been in Changjing for seven years. You are the only one who saw at a glance that I am not human. And I have heard some things about Hidden Dragon Temple. I will just inform the princess honestly; she is wise and will likely not trouble you.”

“You truly excel at concealment.”

“However, there is one person who guessed that I am not human.”

“Could it be the State Preceptor?”

“Indeed.”

“I wonder how you explained it to the State Preceptor.”

“I told him I am the spirit of the

guqin

.”

“Wonderful.” Song You couldn’t help but smile.

“Please excuse my foolishness.”

“I have one more question.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Do you really keep a gold-feeder ghost?”

“Of course. Would you like to see it?”

“No need.” Song You found the situation quite amusing.

With her abilities, Princess Changping should be able to seamlessly orchestrate the replacement with another woman equally skilled at playing the

qin

. Even if someone grew suspicious, she had the means to handle it. If it truly came to a confrontation, with this woman's remarkable cultivation and astonishing ability to conceal herself, the most that could be discovered was merely the fact that she has raised a minor ghost.

Even if the State Preceptor guessed, he would only conclude that she was not human.

Her

qin

skills were divine and unparalleled, deserving of respect, and few would doubt or probe further. Even if some might not believe she was human, who would dare to believe that a demon possessed such extraordinary

qin

skills? She should be regarded as an immortal among the

qin

.

Even if not an immortal among the

qin

, at least a spirit within the

qin

.

Truly, things happened one after another. If Song You hadn’t happened upon the Qingming season, he wouldn’t have been able to rely on the timing. With only the spiritual energy of Qingming, he likely wouldn’t have been able to discern her true form and would have remained in the dark.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“Now that you know that I am a demon, what do you think?” the woman asked, looking at him.

“Demons and ghosts shouldn’t dwell in human cities,” the Daoist came back to his senses and honestly stated his position. “However, I am neither a City God nor a divine officer from the Heavenly Palace, just a wandering Daoist. If the demons and ghosts in the city have not caused any chaos, I truly shouldn’t interfere.”

“What about the one from Anle Pavilion?”

“Also the same.”

“Thank you, Daoist master.” The woman sincerely bowed her head in gratitude.

“Just a word of advice: please be sure to keep a low profile. The affairs of the court are human matters, and there are people to manage those. You really shouldn’t involve yourself.”

“I will keep it in mind.”

“Do you have any other matters?”

“Then I shall take my leave. Please forgive my intrusion.”

As the woman spoke, she stood up but paused, looking at the painting on the table in front of her. She asked him, “Do you still like this painting, Daoist master?”

“I like it very much,” the Daoist replied from the heart.

“Then I shall give it to you.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, Daoist master...” The woman spoke, preparing to leave, but halfway turned back to look at the Daoist. “There is one more thing that I must clarify with you.”

“What is it?”

“Though I wove several lies to deceive you, it was merely to conceal my identity. It was a necessity. However, our encounter on Mount Chang that day was truly a fateful coincidence. Feeling inspired by the scenery in the painting, I invited you and your calico cat into the painting out of impulse. Therefore, when I returned the painting to you today, it was sincere both in deed and in heart, with no pretense.”

Her expression was calm, her gaze indifferent.

“Thank you,” the Daoist replied, also standing.

The woman deeply bowed again, then raised her head to ask, “May I come to visit you again in the future?”

“Of course,” the Daoist said.

This woman was also a “master.”

Not just in terms of her cultivation skills, but her extraordinary

qin

skills deserved the title of a world-class master. Whenever Song You arrived at a place, he would always visit such masters, and there was no reason to turn them away.

“Then thank you, Daoist master.”

“...”

“If you ever wish to listen to the

qin

, feel free to find me at Hexian Pavilion,” the woman said. “The so-called fee is merely a way for the princess to select influential figures. I am just a mountain creature who has become a demon, seeking only cultivation and freedom. There is no benefit to me from such things. If you wish to come, just look for me directly.”

The maid beside her also smiled and added, “You can look for me as well.”

“...” Song You looked at her and her maid, a smile appearing on his face as he asked, “Do you and your tail have separate thoughts, or are you multitasking?”

“...” The woman paused for a moment, then quickly bowed. “I’ve embarrassed myself.”

“It’s fine.”

“Then I shall take my leave.” The woman turned to leave, and her maid glanced back at him with a smile before following her out, both of them boarding the carriage.

With the sound of the carriage wheels fading, the Daoist finally shifted his gaze away.

This woman appeared weak and delicate, her beautiful exterior easily evoked a sense of pity, and those who played the qin often gave off an impression of being gentle and uninterested in conflict. However, on that day, with the clarity brought by the Qingming Festival, it became evident—this was clearly a great demon!

He wouldn’t claim to be precise in guessing her cultivation level. But judging by his intuition, she was probably no less than the Swallow Immortal from Anqing or the Snake Immortal from Mount Beiqin. She was truly the most powerful great demon he had encountered in his life.

“Nine-tailed fox...” The Daoist inexplicably thought of this term.

It was certain that the woman was a fox, but whether she was a nine-tailed one was unclear. Legends claimed that nine-tailed foxes were top-tier auspicious beasts with abilities comparable to inherent gods, though it was uncertain whether that was true.

A faint sound came from the staircase. The Daoist turned to look, and saw a calico cat peeking at him from the middle of the staircase, its eyes bright as amber.

“I’m done writing, Daoist!”

“Impressive.” The Daoist immediately set aside his distractions and focused on the calico cat, asking, “Have you been writing the whole time?”

“I only wrote for a little while; the rest of the time, I was playing!” the calico cat replied without hesitation.

“Indeed, you are exceptionally talented. There’s no need to write many times; just a little practice is enough for you to create something great. In this life, I admire such extraordinarily gifted individuals the most.”

“Admire the most!”

“Yes.”

“What’s on your table?”

“A painting.” The Daoist called for the calico cat to come and take a look. “Lady Calico, come over and see.”

“...”

The calico cat didn’t respond but immediately stepped down the stairs. Before reaching the bottom, it darted through the railing and jumped down to the ground. It took two or three steps onto the stool, leaning over to inspect the painting. Its eyes were filled with curiosity and contemplation.

“It’s a painting!”

“Yes, what do you think of it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Take another look.”

“It seems a bit familiar.”

“Don’t you remember? This is Mount Chang, where we went in spring.”

“I remember now!” the calico cat replied without a second thought.

“What do you see in this painting?” The Daoist pointed at the silhouette of a person and a cat in the painting. “What is this?”

“A person and a cat.”

“Take another look.”

“This looks like a Daoist priest.”

“And then?”

“That person seems to be wearing the same clothes as you.” The calico cat said, turning its head to glance at the Daoist. “Not the one you’re wearing today. Why don’t you wear the same outfit every day?”

“That's my fault.”

“Hmm...”

“Can’t you see it?”

“I see it!”

“What did you see?”

“I don’t know...”

“This Daoist is me.”

“Huh?” The calico cat was suddenly taken aback. “Then who is the cat beside you?”

The Daoist couldn’t help but feel helpless, unsure whether to call her clever or foolish. Perhaps cats and humans thought differently; in some ways, their thoughts diverged, and what was considered smart or foolish was naturally different too.

“Of course, it’s you.”

“...!” The cat turned its head, staring blankly at the Daoist.

“You came with me to stroll around Mount Chang that day, and someone saw us and painted it, so both you and I are in this painting.” Song You paused for a moment, revealing a faint smile. “Speaking of which, this is our first time appearing together in a painting.”

“Me and you?” The cat redirected its gaze back to the painting, seemingly examining it more carefully than before.

“Yes.” The Daoist also looked down at it, finding himself liking it more the longer he stared. He smiled and asked, “So how do you feel about this painting now?”

“It’s excellent, of course,” the calico cat replied softly while continuing to look at it.