Chapter 302: Fate Need Not Be Forced

In the early spring of the second year of Mingde, within the Yin-Yang Mountain of Lingquan County...

An old Daoist sat by the window. On the table lay a letter delivered two days prior, which she had read over and over during that time. Yet she hesitated over how to reply.

After much deliberation, she finally reached for paper and brush.

Lowering her head, she began to write:

“...I know you come from another world.

“I don’t know what kind of world it is, but I imagine it must be far more exciting to you than this one. Or perhaps, in that world, there are things you can’t let go of, a place where your heart feels at ease—that’s why you find it so hard to part with.

“...You find this world dull. You see the suffering in the land. You see the ignorance of the people. It’s true that this world is filled with much darkness and folly. But by the time you receive this letter, it will likely be several years later. The mountain paths and waterways are not easy to traverse. By then, you will have seen countless breathtaking landscapes, won’t you?

“Perhaps you will already have realized that this seemingly dim world is no less vibrant than the one you came from. The suffering of the world may be real, the ignorance of the people may be real, and the darkness of life may also be real. But if you judge that this means there is no joy at all, that this world is entirely undeserving of appreciation, then that is a form of arrogance.

“Perhaps humanity is indeed dull-witted, but within each of their bodies beats a heart no different from yours or mine.

“...Even as a traveler through this world, after seeing all its scenery, one must eventually choose a place to settle. You can remain detached from the world, but to immerse yourself in it is the wiser choice. By then, I hope you will have gained some understanding.”

Suddenly, the sound of wind stirred behind her.

Flap, flap, flap...

A jet-black crested myna flew into the room.

The old Daoist’s hand holding the brush paused slightly. Without turning her head, she asked, “Has the guest been sent off?”

“Yes.”

“And were the instructions given clearly?”

“I told them that your health is deteriorating, and that your time may soon be up. I told them not to come next year. Instead, wait for that boy to return in twenty years, and then come.”

“You always know how to phrase things.”

“Shall I deliver the letter to him?”

“Wait until I’m gone.”

“You...”

“What of it?”

The old Daoist held the brush, gazing at the letter before her. If she truly feared death, would death ever have a chance to claim her?

Yet sitting here now, with the brush in her hand and the letter before her, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of dazed nostalgia. Her thoughts wandered to her disciple, and from there, drifted to her own master.

Once, she too had been young. When she played around in this temple, she was nothing more than a little girl. When she descended this mountain and set off on her own journey, she had merely been a young Daoist woman.

At that time, she could never have imagined there would come a day when she, with her hair streaked with white, would sit by a window writing a letter to her own wandering disciple, who had descended the mountain.

At that moment, the old Daoist suddenly understood the feelings her master had all those years ago.

“...”

The old Daoist shook her head with a faint smile and said to the crested myna behind her, “When I’m gone, make sure to bury me next to my master. I miss him very much.”

Her tone was light, almost like a joke.

The crested myna didn’t respond. The old Daoist didn’t mind, lowering her brush to continue writing.

“I’ve never been able to control you, nor will I try now. I only hope you find a place where your heart can rest, wherever that may be. In that place, there will be both cultivation and peace.”

She blew gently on the letter to dry the ink.

Then, she folded it carefully and placed it into a box, leaving time to slowly turn the paper yellow.

***

In northern Yuezhou, the Daoist suddenly opened his eyes.

It had been nothing but a dream...

“...”

He shook his head, realizing he was still sitting cross-legged on the floor. This realization made him laugh softly.

Looking toward the distance, he saw that the night sky remained clear, with no trace of any divine bird. The forest was utterly silent, broken only by the crackling of the nearby fire.

The Daoist reached out and added a few sticks to the flames.

Lady Calico was curled up in front of his legs, wrapped in a woolen blanket. She shared warmth with him, her small body nestled close. Whether she was asleep or not was unclear, but she stirred at his movement. Opening her eyes, she peeked out from beneath the blanket and looked up at him.

“It’s nothing,” Song You said calmly, pulling the wool blanket over her again. “Just a dream.”

“What did you dream about?” Lady Calico’s voice was very soft, muffled further by the wool blanket.

“It’s hard to explain.”

“Has the divine bird come yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Could it have snuck by already?”

“Probably not.”

“Daoist priest, you rest for a while. I will keep watch for it,” she said, wriggling under the wool blanket, trying to crawl out.

“It’s fine,” the Daoist replied quietly, as though worried about disturbing the serene night. “If a divine bird really does fly by, I’ll sense it.”

“But you’ll be asleep.”

“Yes.”

“And dreaming.”

“Yes.”

“Then how will you know?”

“I’m very impressive.”

“...”

Lady Calico poked her head out from under the blanket, turning to look at him with suspicion. Her round eyes were wide and bright, and her delicate little face was strikingly pretty. After glancing at him a few times, she reluctantly pulled her head back under the blanket, still somewhat doubtful.

The world grew quiet once again.

Winter in the north was truly freezing.

Even with a woolen mat beneath him and a woolen blanket draped over him, Song You still felt the cold. If there were a bowl of water nearby, it would likely have frozen solid by now.

There were only two warm places: the fire pit nearby, crackling softly with the occasional snap, and the spot where Lady Calico was curled up against his leg. A cat’s body temperature was higher than a human’s, and as cold seeped up from the ground, the warmth from her body not only eased his chill but also brought a sense of calm with each rise and fall of her gentle breathing.

Combined with the soothing sound of the fire, it was an environment that lulled one to sleep.

On a nearby branch, the swallow perched with its neck tucked in and its eyes half-closed, but it kept a watchful gaze on the distant sky.

Before long, the Daoist’s eyes closed again. In a daze, he seemed to dream once more.

This time, the dream was brief and fragmented.

One moment, he saw the crested myna carrying a letter, flying through the starry night, traversing thousands of li. The next, he saw the northern battlefields from a decade ago, as the iron hooves of the northern frontier invaders trampled Yuezhou.

Fire, slaughter, and pillaging raged. Heavy rain poured over the corpses, washing away all the blood. Under the relentless downpour, stark white bones became visible. In the cold moonlight, the corpses lay abandoned on the desolate yellow sands, with only wandering spirits left to linger.

The white bones lay exposed in the wilderness, unburied. For a thousand li around, there was no sign of human habitation, not even the sound of a rooster crowing. Countless restless spirits lingered in these lands.

The northern regions of Yanzhou were likely in no better condition now.

When he woke again, the moon had vanished, leaving only a sky full of dense, brilliant stars. The fire beside him had dwindled to a pile of faintly glowing embers, the flames extinguished.

“It’s already the fifth watch, huh...”

The chill was now sharper than ever.

Song You looked up at the sky, then at the fire pit beside him. The firewood was already burned out, and it seemed he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again. He decided to pull off the wool blanket and get up.

Flap, flap, flap...

A swallow flew down in front of him, landing on a branch.

“Shall I go collect more firewood?”

“No need.”

“Then shall we...”

“Let’s pack up and head out.”

Before long, a man, a cat, and a horse set off once again. The swallow flew behind them, alternating between high and low.

Not far ahead, they stepped into the Qingtong Forest.

From a distance, the forest had seemed dense, but upon entering, they discovered that each tree stood very far apart. The ancient trees were so enormous that they created the illusion of closeness. Between the trees, only ground-cover plants and occasional shrubs grew, with no other trees, making it not much different from a plain.

Walking through the forest, they felt especially small.

Following the swallow’s guidance, the Daoist made his way step by step toward the largest tree in the center. His mind seemed to waver between thoughts and a blank void.

Alongside the regret in his heart, a deep sense of loss grew. Memories began to resurface little by little.

Thus, step by step, he walked on, unaware of how far he had gone.

Suddenly, the swallow cried out from behind—

“Look!”

Lady Calico swiftly turned her head at the sound. In her eyes reflected a faint blue glow.

Song You also stopped in his tracks, turning to look.

The night sky remained clear, filled with countless stars. Yet beneath this starry expanse, a faint glow of blue-green light appeared, resembling an ethereal divine bird flying from south to north.

The bird had an elongated neck, crowned with elegant feathers. Its demeanor was cold and noble, its movements graceful, as though formed entirely of auroral light. This glow outshone the stars and the Milky Way.

With its wings outstretched and a long tail trailing behind, it flew in from the distance, immense in size. As it passed overhead, it occupied nearly half the sky. In that fleeting moment, the sight was as awe-inspiring as something out of a dream.

Song You gazed upward, utterly entranced.

This was the spiritual resonance of the land, a natural marvel, a visual wonder, and a profound emotional impact. It seemed to draw away the lingering grievances and resentments from this land while simultaneously bringing blessings and harmony to the world.

It was as if Song You could hear its voice. It was clear, ethereal, and resonating across time and space.

As it flew, it scattered flecks of light like stardust, falling softly into the night. It was surreal and dreamlike.

Lady Calico had already been struck dumb by the sight.

The swallow was even more overwhelmed, forgetting to flap its wings and falling to the ground. It tilted its head back, eyes fixed solely on the divine bird in the sky.

The bird gradually flew into the distance.

Just as in the legends, it landed atop the tallest parasol tree in the center of the forest. The massive tree nest was just large enough to hold it.

Perched on the tree, it behaved like an ordinary bird, lazily grooming its feathers. Then, it lowered its head, its gaze piercing through the dense layers of parasol trees, meeting the distant eyes of the Daoist.

Song You remained motionless, gazing upward in return, choosing not to approach or pursue it.

The cat and the swallow also remained motionless.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the divine bird, having rested enough, spread its wings once more and flew off. It then disappeared into the northern sky. In its wake, it left behind streaks of blue-green light, like delicate veils draped across the night.

“

Meow...

”

The cat and the swallow finally withdrew their gazes, though their eyes still reflected awe. They turned to look at the Daoist.

Song You, however, continued to stare into the distance, lost in thought.

After a long while, a faint smile appeared on his face. He exhaled deeply, then began walking forward again.

“Let’s go.”

“Are we still heading for that tree?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

Lady Calico tilted her head, puzzled, staring intently at the Daoist.

The swallow also cast a quiet, curious glance at him.

Though it didn’t know the relationship between Song You and the black crested myna, nor the contents of the letter the crested myna delivered, it could tell that ever since the crested myna left, the Daoist’s mood had been noticeably downcast.

Similarly, though the swallow couldn’t understand what Song You saw or felt in the divine bird, it was clear that after witnessing its departure, the Daoist’s heart had lightened significantly.

The rhythmic clop of hooves and the soft jingle of bells filled the air. The group continued their journey through the towering Qingtong Forest, still as small as ants beneath the immense trees. Dawn was approaching, and their encounter with the divine bird now felt like a rare and precious stroke of fate, beautiful as a dream.

To walk this world, to meet others—wasn’t that just as rare and beautiful?