However, after the State Preceptor left, Song You frowned.

As the Heavenly Dao evolved, the difficulty of dying and becoming a ghost had slightly decreased, and the probability had increased. Countless people had died in the north and along the borders. Many of the border soldiers were skilled fighters, unwilling to accept their fate, and many resentful spirits linger in the border regions.

Thus, there were likely to be numerous ghosts appearing in the north and along the borders. The Daoists, monks, and old ghosts under the State Preceptor’s command were escorting them to Fengzhou to prevent chaos from erupting, which was why people had witnessed terrifying scenes of a hundred ghosts roaming at night.

Fengzhou’s Mount Ye had imprisoned a large number of ghosts, resulting in the emergence of Ghostface Grass.

Everything seemed to make sense. Even General Chen’s dreams had an explanation.

These days, the character of soldiers in the army varied greatly. No matter how good a general was, he must make choices, sometimes turning a blind eye for the sake of combat effectiveness and defending the country.

Among the soldiers at the border, some, confident in their strength, behaved poorly. After being brought to Fengzhou’s Mount Ye, it was inevitable that they would come into conflict with the Daoists, monks, and old ghosts under the State Preceptor’s command, leading to suppression and punishment, or even extermination.

Mount Ye was originally designated as the boundary between the realm of the living and the underworld, where the ghost city of the underworld was located.

Since Song You had never been to the north or Fengzhou, and he didn’t know much about the State Preceptor’s grand plan, he found it difficult to pinpoint any flaws.

Yet he felt that something was off.

“…” The Daoist shook his head, hoping that the ghost of the scholar would return with some useful information.

Unable to come up with anything, he decided not to think about it for now. He turned around to call for Lady Calico and began to prepare a meal.

***

More than half a month later, General Chen came again.

The talisman Song You had given him hadn’t been effective; he still dreamed from time to time of soldiers he had fought alongside, calling for help as they were consumed by fire. Even though he was invincible on the battlefield, he felt powerless against the illusions in his dreams and could only send secret orders to the north, instructing his subordinates to investigate the matter closely.

Song You could only comfort him and casually chat, inadvertently asking about those soldiers. The answer was not easy to say.

General Chen was famous for his strict military discipline, but not all his subordinates were good people. Some were bandits he had recruited, while others were martial artists drawn to him. He could only ensure that these people were strictly restrained after joining him; as for the misdeeds they committed before, if he were to worry about that, he wouldn’t have this invincible elite army.

Moreover, these individuals were indeed brave and fierce, so they likely wouldn’t be good souls even after becoming ghosts.

After discussing some matters regarding the north, General Chen took his leave.

Song You was very patient, not in a hurry at all.

After a few more days, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The scholar ghost had not returned. The neighboring heroine had also not come back.

However, Changjing quickly became lively. There was a lantern festival on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Changjing was already a bustling city that never slept, but today it seemed even more vibrant. Since half a month ago, some shops had begun setting up stalls at their entrances. By today, it felt as if everyone had been anticipating the sunset since waking up in the morning, especially those cultured scholars and noble ladies. Having heard the tales told during the lantern festival, they likely began practicing at home by noon.

The Daoist had some free time in the afternoon. He slept for a while, and woke up for dinner, which brought him to dusk.

As the sky gradually darkened, the moonlight illuminated the willow branches swaying in front of the house. The ancient buildings formed a continuous line, and a bright moon hung above the eaves, a yellow circle that had remained unchanged for countless years.

A soft and delicate voice began to read from behind him, “I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon… I then lower my head to think of my hometown...”

The voice of Lady Calico was truly delightful. Upon hearing it, Song You couldn’t help but momentarily lose focus.

Slowly, it seemed he could no longer distinguish which place was truly home—the brightly lit city or the tranquil Daoist temple atop the mountain.

Unfortunately, time never showed mercy. After being away for so long, not only had the tranquil Daoist temple blurred in his memories, but even the details had become difficult to recall. The plants and trees on Yin-Yang Mountain also began to fade from his mind.

“…”

Song You shook his head and turned to look at the calico cat lying on the bed, staring at the roof with its tail swaying while reading poetry aloud. He called out, “Lady Calico.”

“…!” The reading immediately stopped, and the tail stilled.

The calico cat turned its head to stare at him but remained silent.

“Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and there’s a lantern festival by the Eastern District river. It’s getting dark now,” Song You continued, “Why don’t we go out for a stroll?”

“Where to?”

“To the lantern festival.”

“Is it fun?”

“It’s very lively, with lots of lanterns.”

“I’ll go if you go.”

“Are you turning into a human, or will you remain as a cat?” Song You asked this question again, which he had also posed back at the temple fair. “If you turn into a human, you can walk beside me. If you turn into a cat, you might get stepped on.”

“I’ll go just like this.”

“Then let’s go.” Song You smiled at her and got up to head downstairs.

Master Dou's painting was still hanging on the wall, but it had been a while since the

jianghu

people of Changjing had tried to make a move on it.

When the neighboring heroine was around, he didn’t need to worry; she was well-informed and often came by in the evenings to share news about the happenings in Changjing's Jianghu, telling him what rumors were circulating and what thoughts were being entertained. Now that Heroine Wu had gone to Fengzhou, Song You didn’t know if they were brewing some other plan.

But he didn't care much.

Once he stepped outside, he found that there were indeed many people on the road, all seemingly heading in the same direction. This lively scene reminded him of when the curfew had just been lifted earlier in the year.

In half a year, Changjing had stabilized considerably.

“Be careful, Lady Calico.”

“I’m very skilled, don’t worry.”

“Perhaps…” Song You stepped forward, following the crowd, with the calico cat trailing behind him.

The streets were filled with people out to admire the moon and the lanterns, and the ground was a sea of moving legs and feet. The calico cat moved agilely, carefully avoiding the pedestrians, who also stepped aside for her. Occasionally, a surprised gasp would be heard, or someone would question whose cat was running in the street.

There were also times when she encountered rude individuals, but it seemed she had long since gotten used to it. She pretended she hadn’t heard and continued to move forward.

Indeed, Lady Calico was quite skilled.

However, it was no easy feat to weave through so many legs and feet, and even more challenging to discern which one belonged to her own Daoist amidst the throng.

Suddenly, the Daoist stopped in his tracks.

The calico cat continued to skillfully navigate among the legs, taking countless tiny steps in an instant. However, as she walked, she instinctively looked up but could not find that familiar figure among the crowd.

“…?” The cat paused, perplexed.

Then she quickly raised her head, looking left and right, trying to spot her Daoist from among the many strangers.

Yet the throng of people was unfamiliar; there was no sign of her Daoist anywhere.

“Lady Calico.” The Daoist's voice came from behind her.

The calico cat immediately turned her head to look.

She saw the Daoist had somehow run up behind her, standing still with his head down, watching her intently. “Lady Calico, it must be tiring to walk like this. How about I carry you?”

“…?” The cat gazed up at him, her little face expressionless, not revealing what she was thinking.

After a moment, she slowly walked back to the Daoist's feet, raised her upper body, and placed her front paws on his shins.

The Daoist bent down and picked her up. Then, the pair continued forward.

The cat’s body was warm and soft, but once she settled securely in his arms, she didn’t feel as light and fragile as he had imagined, like she might slip out at any moment. Instead, he could genuinely feel her weight and bones.

“Is this comfortable?”

“

Meow

?”

The calico cat turned her head back to look at the Daoist.

“I learned how to hold a cat from others before. If you’re not comfortable, Lady Calico, just let me know, and I’ll adjust,” the Daoist said.

“…” The calico cat withdrew her gaze, then nestled against his chest, looking around at the pedestrians on the street.

The closer they got to the riverside, the livelier it became.

There were vendors selling snacks, trinkets, lanterns, and even performers doing acrobatics and magic tricks. The mingling of smoke and light, along with the crowd’s cheers and laughter, created a festive atmosphere of this era.

This scene resembled the temple fair from before.

However, the previous temple fair had been during the day, mainly focused on goods purchasing, with other activities merely adding to the bustle. In contrast, the current lantern festival was in the evening, primarily for entertainment. The goods traded and the acrobatics and operas were merely supplementary for better amusement, flipping the focus.

Suddenly, distant shouts caught their attention. A crowd had gathered over there.

Song You glanced down and saw the calico cat stretching her neck and turning to fixate in that direction, her eyes filled with curiosity. He stepped forward, whispering, “If you want to go anywhere or see something, just let me know.”

“

Meow…

”

The man and the cat made their way to the edge of the crowd. Standing on tiptoe, they peered inside.

It was a performer from the martial arts world showcasing a magic trick.

A middle-aged man with a bearded face spoke to the onlookers, using words meant to entice them for donations. He took a brush and painted a woman on the wall beside him, then lifted a bowl of wine to feed the woman depicted on the wall.

A full bowl of wine was poured onto the wall, yet it vanished without a trace, neither flowing down nor seeping into the wall. After a while, the painted woman’s face turned bright red.

The onlookers were fascinated, clapping and cheering. Copper coins bounced on the ground, creating a lively scene.

Song You could clearly sense something unusual about the cat in his arms. Glancing at her, he found that she was fixated on the copper coins on the ground, her head lowered and her eyes unblinking. This led him to feel that—had he not been holding her or brought her out with him—she might have jumped down to collect them.

After a while, the painting on the wall began to fade. Soon, it completely disappeared. Then, murmurs arose among the nearby spectators.

Song You perked up his ears to listen carefully, turning his head to look.

A few scholars were present, along with two familiar monks, enjoying the lanterns. It seemed one of the monks had some magical skills and often performed for the audience. Apparently, he had said something earlier that prompted his friends to egg him on to perform.

The monk, not wanting to steal the spotlight, tried to decline several times. However, he was unable to resist, especially since the middle-aged performer had graciously invited him, so he had no choice but to step forward.

He was a slightly plump, smiling monk. After stepping out, he first bowed to the original performer and exchanged pleasantries to avoid offending anyone. Then, he mentioned he had some skills of his own that he wanted to demonstrate in this fortunate place to bring more joy. He stated that all earnings would go to the original performer, removing any competitive intent and framing it as an exchange.

The monk walked over to the wall where the earlier performer had painted, leaning against it. He smiled gently at everyone, then stepped back until his entire body pressed against the wall.

It was night, and the torches lit up the area—not too bright, yet not too dim.

It was clear enough to see, yet obscure at the same time.

The monk’s figure became blurry, and he seemed to slowly disappear into the wall. By the time the onlookers reacted, only a lifelike painting of the monk remained on the wall, capturing his likeness perfectly.

The monk had vanished, and the crowd erupted in astonished exclamations.

The calico cat in the Daoist’s arms widened her eyes, twisting her head from side to side in an attempt to find the monk’s whereabouts.

After a moment, the painting began to fade slowly as well.

“Great performance!”

“He deserves to be tipped!”

“Where is he?”

The sound of coins clinking filled the air.

“

Meow

?”

“…” Song You turned around while holding the calico cat.

Sure enough, the monk emerged from a fabric shop behind him, just as the painting of the monk on the wall had faded and disappeared.