The gentle slope, covered in wild grass, stretched under the vast heavens, an endless expanse of withered yellow. Two barren trees at the top of the slope, usually the only feature in this open landscape, had company today as a small group stopped to rest.

A young girl skillfully gathered dry branches and wild grass, stacking them in the best way to catch fire. She lowered her head, whispered a quiet chant, and pointed a finger.

“

Whoosh

...” A small fire ignited before her.

She’d done this countless times in recent years, so much so that it had become second nature, something she barely thought about.

Once she finished, the girl yawned and stretched as if she were merely relaxing, with no desire for praise or further action. Casually, she sat down next to the Daoist, turned her head to gaze at whatever piqued her interest, lost in her own thoughts.

The wind blew the flames in a single direction.

The black horse was tied to a barren tree in the distance, while the jujube-red horse stood alone nearby, both grazing quietly with their heads lowered. The Daoist, meanwhile, turned his gaze to the road below.

A neglected official road stretched beneath them, overgrown with weeds. Who knew how long it had been since anyone had traveled this path?

The swordsman’s voice came from beside him. “There’s not a single soul.”

“Indeed.”

They had been traveling for half a day, covering no less than forty li, yet aside from a few travelers just after they left the city, they hadn’t encountered a single person since.

It seemed that in this direction, there were neither travelers coming nor going. The world was vast and empty, fields of gold stretching far and wide. From any small hilltop, one could see into the great distance, yet under this sky, there was only their small party. It felt both solitary and liberating.

There came a faint rustling sound.

The swordsman had taken out some lamb he’d bought in town and, without any seasoning, skewered it and placed it over the fire to roast. Song You put his thoughts aside and went over to help.

The young girl, having finished her task, could now sit beside the Daoist, watching the adults at work. If she grew tired of watching, she could simply lean over and rest against the Daoist. Aside from that, she had ample time to do whatever she pleased and think her own thoughts.

The fresh lamb was of such quality that it didn’t need any marinating; just roasting it over the fire brought out a rich aroma with not a trace of gaminess.

Song You took out a small clay jar.

Inside was a blend of hand-ground dried chili powder mixed with a variety of spices, creating a unique dry seasoning unlike anything else of this era. It was so flavorful that even dipping a piece of boiled wood in it would taste amazing. Unfortunately, up to now, only two people and one cat have had the pleasure of enjoying it.

He sprinkled the precious spice carefully over the roasting meat.

This seasoning was rare; Song You had only managed to grow two plants of it mid-year, and wasting even a little would pain him.

Then, he opened the saddle bag from Magistrate Liu. As he had expected, it contained only some snacks and dry rations—some needing to be consumed within the next couple of days and others easier to carry, along with a few dried persimmons.

Song You took a few pieces of the snacks, splitting them in half to share with the swordsman, and they enjoyed them alongside the fragrant roasted lamb for lunch.

A meal like this on the road was truly delightful. Though it was a time of disasters and turmoil, he felt no shame in his modest comfort, having traveled this road exorcizing demons all along the way.

After they finished, each enjoyed a dried persimmon.

Lady Calico didn’t care for persimmons, but seeing that both adults had their post-meal treats, she was not about to be left out.

The young girl stood up, trotted over to her bag, and rummaged around for a moment. She seemed to pull out two small balls, then she returned and sat back down. Song You glanced over casually and noticed that they were two tiny balls, barely larger than a thumb, covered in gray wood shavings. He couldn’t immediately tell what they were. Ŕ𝒶𐌽∅𝐛ЕŠ

Then, the young girl, without a second thought, smashed the two little balls together.

“

Crack

...”

Peeling away the gray wood shavings and then the eggshell, she revealed two dark green, almost black, bird eggs. The eggs were adorned with beautiful pine branch patterns.

Even Song You was momentarily surprised.

He didn’t know when she learned to do this or when she made them, only that her pouch was filled with various “private cat items,” an assortment of odds and ends. Since Lady Calico never rummaged through his things, he naturally never looked into what she kept in her pouch.

“...?”

The young girl noticed his gaze, raised her head, and gave him a puzzled look, as if wondering why he was staring at her. But she didn’t ask, nor did she mind. She simply finished peeling the shell, brushed off some of the dust, popped one of the eggs into her mouth, and started chewing contentedly.

She offered the second egg to the Daoist, who shook his head. Then, she offered it to the swordsman, who also politely declined. Unfazed, she popped the second egg into her own mouth.

She chewed with a blank expression, but inside, she felt blissful.

Humans truly were clever. If a cat left leftover eggs or meat, it would soon be devoured by bugs. But humans could come up with so many ways to preserve meat and eggs, turning them into something bugs didn’t want to eat.

No wonder humans kept cats, and not the other way around. Good thing she was smart and loved to learn…

With that thought, the young girl felt an immense sense of joy.

After finishing their meal, they cleaned up the fire pit, sat quietly for a moment to rest, and then continued on their journey.

They walked from midday until dusk.

They were still within Pu Commandery’s borders, and the official road remained largely deserted. Throughout the afternoon, they encountered only an elderly farmer collecting grass on the hillside and two groups of travelers heading toward Jingyu.

The presence of the snowfield had effectively turned Gui Commandery into a place akin to the fabled Mount Ye of Zi Commandery the ghostly scholar often spoke of. Though not completely cut off, it was practically isolated.

Besides locals with specific needs, no one entered Hezhou from Gui Commandery, nor did anyone travel from Hezhou to Yanzhou through Gui Commandery. Merchants and travelers bypassed it entirely.

Since the outbreak of the plague, it had become even more isolated.

Thanks to a steady pace and minimal delays, they reached the border between Pu Commandery and Gui Commandery just before sunset.

A checkpoint stood here, with soldiers stationed for guard.

Although the terrain here was flat, a wide river flowed from east to west, deep and swift, with the checkpoint set up along one bank. Known as Beifeng Pass, it was one of the few passes in Hezhou and certainly the most critical.

Song You and the swordsman led their horses toward the checkpoint.

Perhaps the guards, having gone a long time without seeing anyone travel toward Gui Commandery, were on high alert. Spotting the swordsman’s imposing demeanor, they intercepted the group early and approached with questions.

“Who are you? What’s your business?”

“Greetings, Officer. My name is Song You, a wandering Daoist bound for Gui Commandery,” Song You said politely, bowing. “I carry an ordination certificate, and having recently passed through Jingyu of Pu Commandery and met the magistrate, I have a personal letter from Magistrate Liu. May we ask for your assistance in passing through?”

The guard, hearing this, didn’t ask why they were headed to Gui Commandery nor immediately take the certificate or the letter Song You extended. Instead, he froze for a moment in surprise.

The guard then turned to call a fellow soldier to inform the general, after which he relaxed his stance, took Song You’s certificate, and examined it. He glanced up at the jujube-red horse, the calico cat dressed in a cloak with a hood, and the imposing swordsman beside Song You, as if making comparisons.

Gradually, the slight trace of indifference on his face vanished, replaced by a mix of respect and solemnity.

“Greetings, Mr. Song!”

“No need for such formality.”

The sound of armor clinking filled the air as the commanding officer and his guards approached.

The general was a stout man with a broad chest, full beard, and a powerful presence, exuding the air of a formidable leader.

“

Thud

!”

The general cupped his fists in greeting. “Are you the same Mr. Song You who has been slaying demons along the way through Hezhou?”

“Just a few minor demons,” Song You replied modestly.

“I am Zong Xiuwu. It’s an honor,” the general said, bowing.

“The honor is mine.”

Song You had assumed that his demon-slaying deeds in Hezhou had reached them, explaining their respectful reception.

But after a few words, General Zong clarified, “For some time now, word of your demon-slaying feats has reached us. In August, General Chen passed through here and specifically instructed us, saying that a certain gentleman would be traveling north through Hezhou. If the gentleman heard of the plague in Gui Commandery and the demons of the Snowy Plains, he is sure to pass through here.

“He warned us to keep an eye out and not to treat the gentleman with negligence. Putting the details together, I surmised that you must be that very person.”

“General Chen?”

“General Chen Ziyi!”

“Has General Chen returned to the north?”

“Since this past summer, the eighteen tribes of the northern grasslands have once again launched a large-scale invasion. The imperial court was alarmed and ordered General Chen to return to the north with all haste to defend the northern frontier.”

“I see.” Song You nodded in understanding.

Though these soldiers were stationed in Hezhou’s Pu Commandery, they were actually here to defend against invasions from the northern frontier army. Hezhou was mostly flat with few natural defenses, so if the northern frontier army managed to push past Yanzhou and moved south through He Plains, Hezhou’s only defense would be a few key river crossings like this one.

If these were breached, the entire Hezhou would be defenseless against the cavalry. The northern frontier army would be able to ride south unimpeded, all the way to Angzhou, where only then would the Central Plains Dynasty have natural barriers to rely on.

The northern military command was largely under General Chen’s control, and it was likely that this general at the checkpoint was one of his men.

In the past, the northern frontier army had been decisively defeated and had remained quiet for a few years. Occasional minor skirmishes were expected, but the scale suggested by General Zong hinted at a major offensive, which seemed unusual.

It’s unclear whether this is a ploy orchestrated by the confidants of General Chen Ziyi from the northern border army, seeing that the general has been held up in Changjing for a long time without returning, or if it was related to General Chen Ziyi's earlier mention of writing a letter to the north to investigate the souls of his fallen soldiers that he had seen in his dreams.

Song You set these thoughts aside; once he passed Gui Commandery, he would reach the Snowy Plains, and beyond that lay Yanzhou’s border. Since General Chen had returned north, it was likely he would encounter him there.

“To be honest, Mr. Song, guarding this pass is often monotonous. Both officers and soldiers pass the long nights by retelling stories of your demon-slaying feats to keep our spirits up,” General Zong said, glancing at the setting sun in the distance.

“It’s getting late. Once you cross this bridge, you’ll be in Gui Commandery. How about resting here for the night? You can head out in the morning, and we’ll have the honor of hosting you for a bit. What do you say?”

Song You thought for a moment before replying, “I appreciate the kind offer, General, but we’ll cross the checkpoint and continue on. Your warm welcome is more than enough, and we’re grateful. But our purpose is simply to reach Gui Commandery. Though it’s late, we can still make some progress before nightfall. General, we would be immensely grateful if you could simply allow us to pass through the checkpoint.”

“Very well!” General Zong didn’t waste any words, waving a large hand to signal immediate passage.

Song You bowed to him and, alongside the swordsman, led their two horses slowly through the checkpoint.

At times, it felt almost surreal; for someone like him, there was now a day where his name alone garnered respect throughout an entire prefecture. If he had told his younger self—resting under an ancient cypress tree on Jinyang Road after leaving Hidden Dragon Temple—that this would happen, he would have hardly believed it.

Life indeed had a way of taking people to places they never expected.

Of course, this reputation wasn’t conjured out of thin air. It had been built from season after season, through four commanderies of Hezhou, where he had exorcized demons and defeated monsters at every turn, letting tales of his deeds accumulate.

Once they crossed the pass and then the river, they had entered Gui Commandery.

Dusk was falling, the transition between day and night bringing an eerie atmosphere. The road was scattered with bleached bones, strange birds screeched over the wilderness, and the setting sun cast a foreboding light, deterring any traveler. Walking here alone, one might unknowingly find themselves in the company of ghosts.