Chapter 287: The Demons’ Strategy to Breach the City

After making another visit to the infirmary, Song You emerged just as the sky was beginning to lighten.

He paused at the doorway for a moment, then turned his head and saw the towering walls of Yuanzhi City, rising like cliffs. A sudden thought struck him. Turning back briefly to borrow a small bowl, he set off, making his way up to the city walls.

Standing at the battlements, scarred by countless nicks from swords and knives, he looked out over the distance. Before him stretched a vast expanse of mountains and grasslands, heavy with morning dew. The sun was just beginning to rise in the east, casting its first rays of light over the horizon.

“...”

Song You took a deep breath.

From the crisp morning air, he could sense the vitality and spiritual energy of the grasslands, tinged faintly with the aura of battle—somber and blood-soaked.

Holding the small bowl in one hand, Song You raised the other, forming a sword finger. Pointing toward the grasslands in the distance, he made a slight beckoning gesture. Instantly, a drop of morning dew rose from the grasslands and floated into the bowl.

Descending from the walls, he returned to his room and spread out a sheet of white paper. Fetching an ink stick, he asked Lady Calico to help grind the ink. Using the morning dew from the grasslands as the medium, he mixed it with the ink. The characters written with this ink would carry the fresh, invigorating spirit of the grasslands.

Earlier, when visiting the infirmary where the generals were recovering, Song You had considered asking Mr. Jiang to convey his regards to his old master. But upon reflection, he realized that with his master’s temperament, such a message might not even be delivered.

Moreover, since Mr. Jiang would eventually bring the small chest to the temple, it made more sense for Song You to write a letter and place it inside the chest for safe delivery.

With the brush dipped in ink, Song You paused to think carefully.

The last letter he had written was sent from Yidu, delivered by the Daoists of Fuqing Temple. It had been four and a half years since then.

It felt like such a long time. Where should he begin this time?

Naturally, he should start with Yidu.

From Yidu to Changjing, the journey had been long and arduous. The mountains and rivers of Anqing were as picturesque as an ink painting, a sight worth describing. Yet as he walked the roads, he couldn’t help but think that they were likely the same ones she had traveled in her youth.

The abbot of Zoujiao Temple still remembered her name. In her youth, she had witnessed the old Swallow Immortal of Anqing's thousand-year cultivation and obsession with immortality, as well as the Great Liujiang Gathering of the southern

jianghu

people.

From Xuzhou to Pingzhou, there were hundreds of li of mountains. While the Mountain God he encountered there had met many of Hidden Dragon Temple’s ancestors, he had never encountered her in her younger days.

The scenery of Yunding Mountain and Mirror Island Lake, along with his own experience of attaining enlightenment—where a single night stretched into a year—were worth writing about in passing.

Song You lowered his head and began writing carefully. He also considered asking about Fuyun Temple in Jingzhou.

Next, he planned to recount his experiences in Changjing—the lives of its people, the political undercurrents at court, the legendary Grandmaster Fuyang, the Snake Immortal of Mount Beiqin, and the shifting powers of the underworld.

After leaving Changjing and heading north, he witnessed countless demons, ghosts, and monsters wreaking havoc, causing the suffering and hardships of the common folk.

Song You wrote with both detail and verbosity. Yet, if asked to condense it, he wouldn’t be able to remove a single word.

After all, it had been five years since he descended the mountain.

He felt the weight of longing, though he refrained from speaking of it directly—such sentiments, if expressed, would seem overly sentimental. Instead, he divided that longing into thousands of fragments, embedding it within every word on the page.

Perhaps he was writing so earnestly that he didn’t even notice Lady Calico standing beside him, staring intently without blinking. Or perhaps he deliberately ignored her, intending for her to read it. Only when he paused to think and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye did it occur to him that he ought to include her in the letter.

Lady Calico’s attention grew even more focused.

He wrote intermittently, pausing at times to think, at times in silence, and at times meeting the cat’s gaze without speaking. Without realizing it, the morning light of dawn turned into noon, and then he spent the entire afternoon, using who knows how many sheets of paper.

When Song You finally put down his brush and began collecting the pages, carefully stacking the dried sheets in order, he noticed Lady Calico standing on the table. She tilted her head upward, staring at him without a word. Her gaze followed his every movement, and no one knew what she was thinking about.

***

Another early morning came.

Song You woke before dawn, lit a lamp, and began washing up. Feeling that the time was right, he took the letter and Lady Calico with him to find Big Belly Jiang.

On the way, he ran into Advisor Zhang.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

By coincidence, as they entered the room, Big Belly Jiang, who had been lying there for a full day and night, woke up at that exact moment.

“

Huff...

”

Big Belly Jiang sat up, his eyes wide open, gasping for air.

It was as though he had been suffocating for ages or had just awoken from a terrible nightmare.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Jiang?” Song You asked.

“Did you manage to find the place Mr. Song mentioned? Were the messages delivered?” Advisor Zhang asked with concern.

“...”

Big Belly Jiang, eyes still wide, glanced around the room before turning to look at Song You. Finally, with a mixture of a wry smile and exasperation, he said, “Mr. Song, you truly are a divine immortal...”

“What do you mean?” Advisor Zhang immediately pressed.

“Only a divine immortal would live in a place so radiant with spiritual light, shrouded in celestial qi!” Big Belly Jiang said, clearly unsure whether to laugh or cry. “If Mr. Song had warned me beforehand, I wouldn’t have been so frightened!”

“Did you manage to find it, Mr. Jiang?” Song You asked calmly, without bothering to explain that he had indeed warned him to be cautious.

“Tell us quickly!” Advisor Zhang urged impatiently.

“I followed Mr. Song’s instructions and found the place without much trouble. Along the way, I even encountered an old man who seemed on the brink of death but could communicate with my spirit form. I asked him for directions, and he confirmed it was Yin-Yang Mountain.

“When I arrived, I didn’t see a temple, so I called out as Mr. Song instructed, saying that Mr. Song had sent me. To my surprise, in an instant, the entire mountain transformed into what seemed like an immortal’s residence. The spiritual radiance ahead nearly scattered my spirit form!”

Big Belly Jiang, still pale and shaken, continued, “Summoning my courage, I called out a few more times, ensuring I remained respectful. But then a gust of wind surged out from inside. The wind nearly tore my spirit apart, and I immediately lost all sense of direction. Instinctively, I fled back toward my physical body and somehow made it back here.”

“Did you see Mr. Song’s master? Did you mention the matter of the Quzai Vine? And where did the wind come from?” Advisor Zhang fired off his questions in rapid succession.

“I didn’t see anyone—nothing at all! I did mention the Quzai Vine. It was right after I said it that the wind came rushing out!

“As for where the wind came from—how would I know? My spirit form’s vision isn’t the same as that of my physical body. The entire mountain was glowing with spiritual light, so much so that It seems even the Heavenly Palace and heavenly court above could hardly compare to this!

“The brilliance was so blinding that my spirit’s eyes nearly went blind. I could only see radiant light everywhere. Just the spiritual energy radiating from the outside was already brimming with celestial qi. Even catching the slightest trace of it made this humble one feel intoxicated, as if drunk. How could I see anything clearly? All I know is that the wind came rushing out from within...”

Big Belly Jiang, though still rattled, patiently answered each question.

Big Belly Jiang, still wearing a pained expression, turned to Song You and said, “Mr. Song, you really should have said more in advance. My spirit, when out of body, is no different from a small ghost—how could I dare to casually visit such a celestial place?”

Advisor Zhang listened, feeling as if he were hearing a tale of immortals from a storyteller or an elder in the village. If not for the urgency of the situation, his curiosity might have led him to ask a few more questions.

For now, he could only turn his gaze toward Song You.

“Don’t worry, Advisor,” Song You said.

He had been lost in thought, mulling over Big Belly Jiang’s description. Noticing Advisor Zhang’s gaze, he snapped out of it and explained, “My master isn’t a difficult person to get along with—just straightforward by nature. In her later years, she simply grew tired of hosting visitors.

“Since Mr. Jiang has already conveyed the message, my master must have heard it. Having made the journey to Yin-Yang Mountain, he only needs to follow through and deliver the items as usual.”

“The Quzai Vine must be incredibly precious,” Advisor Zhang said, still uneasy. “W-Will your esteemed master agree to it?”

“The temple has always passed down its teachings to only one disciple per generation,” Song You replied.

“Ah! Then we owe you our gratitude, Mr. Song!”

“At most, I’ll write another letter to accompany the chest, just in case.”

“As you suggest!”

Advisor Zhang quickly called for ink, paper, and a writing set.

Song You wrote a few more lines on the paper, explaining why he had sent someone, how the chest worked, and the request for 300 seeds of the Quzai Vine. Once finished, he placed the letter inside the chest.

“

Huff...

”

He gently blew on the letter to dry the ink completely.

Song You then took a thick stack of paper from his robe, placing the freshly written letter on top and setting the stack into the small chest inside the larger one.

The sight of the hefty pile of letters left Big Belly Jiang momentarily stunned, though he dared not ask any questions. He closed the small chest securely, then shut the larger chest, forming seals with his hands while murmuring under his breath. There was almost no visible change, but when he opened the larger chest again, the small chest inside had vanished.

“It’s done.”

Big Belly Jiang, seemingly worried that the small chest might not have made it to its destination, finally exhaled in relief. Turning to Song You, he said, “Barring any unexpected issues, the small chest should return in three days. If the immortal on the other side agrees, they’ll retrieve the original contents, place the seeds of the Quzai Vine inside, and in three days’ time, the item you need will be here in the camp.”

“What an impressive skill.”

“You flatter me...”

Having glimpsed with his spirit the Grotto-Heaven and Blissful Land brimming with spiritual light, akin to a dwelling fit for immortals, Big Belly Jiang could no longer act casually in front of Song You. A constant sense of unease stirred in his heart.

Song You, however, calmly checked the swollen lumps on the backs of the afflicted generals once more, ensuring there was no unusual activity. Only then did he take his leave, with Advisor Zhang respectfully accompanying him.

Halfway along the road, they ran into Yin Wenxing.

Noticing Yin Wenxing’s hurried steps, Advisor Zhang called out to him, “Mr. Yin, where are you rushing off to?”

“I was just on my way to find General Chen and you, Advisor.”

“Have you heard something new?”

“Yesterday, the northern frontier king’s camp and the remaining demons spent the entire day discussing their strategy to counter Mr. Song and breach Yuanzhi City. I overheard part of their plan and was rushing to report it to you and the general, Advisor!”

“Quick, tell us!”

“Advisor, do you remember the demon in the northern frontier army who is skilled at observing celestial phenomena and forecasting the weather? And that wicked creature wielding the Water-Splitting Blade?”

“Of course I remember.”

“I’ve heard that tonight the weather will change—a heavy storm, a torrential downpour, lasting three days. They’ve summoned all the demons in their army to use the rainstorm to their advantage.

“With the Water-Splitting Blade, they plan to gather the rainwater pooling on the grasslands. If that’s not enough, they’ll divert water from the Lanshui River to the north and, with the combined power of the demons, launch a flood attack against Yuanzhi City and Mr. Song!”

“Ah...”

Advisor Zhang frowned deeply at the news.

It was now summer, the rainy season on the grasslands, and the renowned Lanshui River lay just a few dozen li north of Yuanzhi City. The infamous Battle of Lanshui had once been fought along its banks.

Although the demon wielding the Water-Splitting Blade wasn’t particularly powerful on his own, that blade gave him the strength of a Water God. The moat outside Yuanzhi City had previously been drained in an instant when he simply waved that blade.

“A flood attack...”

Advisor Zhang’s eyes shifted toward Song You.

Song You, however, remained composed and calmly asked, “Did they truly summon all the demons in their army?”

“That’s what I overheard,” Yin Wenxing answered honestly.

Advisor Zhang was momentarily stunned. He then carefully observed the expression on Song You's face and, all of a sudden, felt reassured.