The narrow, old alleyway was too tight for carts to pass through. The peeling paint on the walls and the moss-covered corners bore the marks of time on this small town. A young boy, no older than ten or twelve, dressed in tattered clothing, led a young Daoist priest wearing a well-worn robe through the passage.

The scene was not entirely out of place. However, with a calico cat trotting behind the Daoist, her little paws padding quickly, and a bird perched on his head, the oddity of the procession became subjective to the observer's perspective.

The boy occasionally lowered his gaze to the cat and then glanced up at the bird, cautious but refraining from asking questions.

The Daoist spoke, his voice calm. “Judging by your demeanor and the way you carry yourself, you seem like someone from the

jianghu

.”

“I just wander around trying to make a living.”

“May I ask how I should address you?”

“…” The boy hesitated briefly before looking up at the Daoist. “Shouldn’t you first introduce yourself, Daoist Master?”

“My apologies,” the Daoist replied with a polite smile. “I am Song You. The cat accompanying me is called Lady Calico. She has traveled the world with me since the late summer of the first year of the Mingde era. It has now been five and a half years.”

“…” The boy fell silent again before slightly turning his body to offer a respectful bow. “I am Xu Qiu’an. ‘Xu’ means ‘promise,’ and ‘Qiu’an’ means ‘autumn peace.’“

“Your name has a refined elegance.”

“Whether it’s refined or not has nothing to do with me.”

“You seem to practice martial arts?”

“In my free time, I practice a few self-defense techniques. Hardly worth calling martial arts,” the boy said humbly and calmly, without a hint of youthful arrogance. Perhaps it was because in these times, children were expected to take on responsibilities at such an early age.

He even chuckled at Song You self-deprecatingly as he continued, “It’s not easy to roam the

jianghu

, even less so at my age. I just don’t want to be bullied.”

“I see.” Song You smiled at him and left it at that, choosing not to pursue the conversation further.

The Daoist didn’t know martial arts and couldn’t discern someone’s skills from their aura or gait. However, having dealt with several top martial artists in the world, he noticed the boy had a solid build. The thick calluses on his right hand were clearly not from manual labor but rather from wielding a blade or sword in training, while his left hand appeared normal.

Regardless of the boy's current level of training, it was clear he wasn’t just practicing for self-defense.

During this era, most martial artists started young. For a teenager like this boy, it was the prime time to learn martial arts.

The Great Yan empire valued martial prowess, especially in the northern regions, so it wasn’t unusual.

Following the boy farther and farther through several alleyways, the calico cat began sneezing as it walked. Seeing this, the Daoist sniffed the air and caught a faint scent of spices.

He immediately knew the boy wasn’t lying. Of course, he had already known this long ago.

They arrived at a

chema

inn near the northern city gate, a place that offered accommodations but was simpler than an inn. Unlike inns, they offered more convenience for parking carriages and stabling horses, as well as warehouse facilities for storing goods.

“I’ll go enquire,” the boy said, glancing at Song You before approaching the innkeeper to inquire which room the spice merchant was staying in.

He quickly got an answer.

It was unclear whether it was because he felt some connection to the Daoist, who had spoken with him politely along the way, or because he saw the Daoist as an usual, lone traveler, reminiscent of the immortal master described by the storyteller in the teahouse earlier, who had helped the army vanquish demons at the Yanzhou border.

Perhaps it was simply that a boy of his age found such figures intriguing, or maybe it was the common habit of Great Yan people to show care for monks and Daoists.

Whatever the reason, the boy, who would normally have collected his fee and left by now, lingered. Instead of rushing off, he even offered to help Song You negotiate with the spice merchant, speaking on his behalf with the merchant, whose accent was heavy.

He was helping Song You to the end.

The merchant was welcoming and invited Song You inside to browse the goods.

The boy, however, hesitated to enter and instead leaned against the doorframe, his eyes wide as he observed. Occasionally, he glanced back to exchange curious looks with the swallow perched on a nearby tree.

“Sir, you have a good eye! This is top-grade cumin from the Western Regions. We brought it in through Changjing and are taking it to the prefecture city to sell. We stopped here for a bit of rest. If you’re interested, I’ll give you a good deal—whatever you take lightens our load on the road to the city, even if it’s only by one jin or two taels.”

Song You picked up a few of the spices and brought them to his nose for a sniff. It was cumin, but top-grade? That was debatable.

Song You had lived in Changjing for a year, primarily in the western part of the city, and had visited the West Market several times. This cumin, in Changjing’s West Market, was nothing more than an ordinary good.

Just as he was about to inquire about the price, something caught his eye.

His gaze shifted to a sack nearby, its mouth open, revealing dried red spices within.

“This…” Song You paused, visibly intrigued.

“Ah, sir, you’re truly an expert. You spotted something special right away,” the merchant said in his thick accent. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen this or heard the tale of the Swallow Immortal bringing superior seeds. It’s said that while the Swallow Immortal delivered superior seeds to end a famine and save lives, it also brought this. The Immortal named these chili peppers.

“These chili peppers have a spiciness akin to

cornus officinalis

[1], sichuan pepper, or ginger, but their heat far surpasses them. They can be used as a seasoning, as an ingredient in dishes, or even medicinally to treat rheumatism and expel cold qi, as well as aid digestion and stimulate appetite.”

The merchant paused, eyeing the Daoist. “We’d never seen this before, but many southern regions have started cultivating it. We tried a dish made with it down south and found it incredible, so we decided to bring some north to test the market. If you’re unsure, we can give you two peppers to try.

“If you like them, come to the eastern street market early tomorrow to buy more—we’re packing up and leaving by the afternoon.”

“I believe you,” Song You said with a smile.

“I’m not making up this Swallow Immortal story, you know! Every word is true!” the merchant insisted earnestly, as if afraid that Song You didn’t believe him. “The Swallow Immortal is a deity now—who would dare fabricate tales about him?”

“I believe that too,” Song You replied with a smile.

The feeling was akin to the one he’d experienced when he first entered Zhumo County yesterday morning and saw a woman processing century eggs on the roadside. It was a surreal, direct realization of the changes his presence had brought to the world—so immediate, so tangible, and yet so indescribably profound.

Lady Calico seemed to sense something unusual as well.

Her feelings, however, were clearly different from the Daoist’s. She simply sat at his feet, glancing back over her shoulder at the swallow perched on the tree outside, as if she were trying to communicate with it. She resembled a curious child in school who, hearing the teacher or a book mention something about a classmate, couldn’t help but turn to look at that classmate.

“Now then, sir…” the merchant prompted.

“Let me see the rest,” Song You replied.

“Of course…” the merchant said, though he couldn’t hide a hint of disappointment.

The merchant quickly regained his cheerful demeanor.

This was because the Daoist ended up purchasing several types of spices and in generous amounts. Seeing the Daoist’s generous manner, the merchant had initially quoted slightly inflated prices. However, the young boy who had led the way proved particularly annoying—knowing the merchant’s prices in the eastern market, he casually mentioned them and forced the prices back down to their usual level.

The merchant begrudgingly remembered how he had paid the boy a few wen to lead him to this very

chema

inn upon arriving in Zhumo County just days ago.

Fortunately, the boy didn’t continue to chatter. Besides, when they came here a few days ago, the boy not only guided the way but also helped carry goods, showing a sense of responsibility. As a result, the merchant didn’t lecture him.

The Daoist, satisfied with his purchases, left the inn. The merchant, too, was content.

“Thank you for your help just now,” the Daoist said to the boy, bowing slightly in gratitude.

He then took out dozens of wen from his pouch and offered them to the boy. “Were it not for you, I’d have spent much more. Here is your payment for guiding me and a bit extra as thanks for helping me save money—consider it your share of the savings.”

The boy glanced up at him and extended his hand. But he only took five of the coins from the Daoist’s palm.

With a calm expression, he replied, “Since you’re my paying customer, of course I had to help you out. This is part of my work as a guide. A fair payment is enough—no more, no less.”

Song You noted the boy’s stubbornness. It was a rare kind of stubbornness, one belonging to youth. A person slightly older would likely have shown less of it.

“Then, thank you,” Song You said with a smile. He didn’t press further and withdrew his hand. “But goodwill shouldn’t go unanswered, and a favor shouldn’t go unpaid. That’s also a rule of the

jianghu

. I’ll save my thanks for the next time we meet.”

“Sir, you’re just passing through. Although Zhumo County is small, meeting again won’t be easy.” Though the boy’s clothes were worn and his face sun-darkened, his features were handsome, and his bearing was refined. He was unlike the children of farming families who had matured early. He now carried a cold and aloof demeanor as he replied, “But if we do meet, we’ll talk about it then.”

“Very well,” the Daoist replied calmly.

The boy turned and left. The Daoist also made his way back to the inn.

Zhumo County was small and difficult to get lost in. Along the way, he bought a flowerpot and, passing an unpaved section of the road, collected some humus from the woods.

Back at the inn, Song You carefully laid out the spices he had bought on the table. Lady Calico quickly leapt onto the table, sniffing the spices curiously. She couldn’t help but let out another sneeze.

After sneezing, Lady Calico couldn’t resist leaning in for another sniff.

“Don’t get too close…” Song You gently moved her away with his hand.

The little cat wrinkled her tiny nose twice, but she didn’t persist. Instead, she turned her gaze to the Daoist and finally had the chance to ask, “Why was the storyteller earlier today saying things that weren’t true?”

“It wasn’t exactly untrue.” Song You reached out to scratch her head. “This place is very far from Yanzhou. Even Yuezhou was a long journey, and if you were coming from Guangzhou or Hanzhou, it would be even farther. The storyteller in the tea house hasn’t seen anything with his own eyes, nor has he heard firsthand accounts.

“He’s just repeating tales from the

jianghu

—stories that might have been incomplete and filled in with his own imagination. That’s how

jianghu

legends are; as they’re passed along, they tend to change.”

“Why do they change like that?”

“They change to become something people enjoy listening to more.”

“Why did I turn into a little tiger?”

“A cat is a little tiger!”

“That’s true…” Lady Calico furrowed her brow in thought before adding, “But I don't turn into wind and fly away…”

“That’s a demon’s divine power. Whether one can comprehend it depends on both talent and luck—it can’t be forced.”

“Nor do I grow larger with the wind…”

“It’s

expand

with the wind.”

“

Expand

with the wind!“

“That sort of spell isn’t too difficult,” the Daoist said to her. “For a minor transformation, there’s the art of size-shifting to grow bigger or shrink smaller. For a more powerful technique, there’s Titan's Ascension, which can also make one grow larger. They achieve a similar effect.”

“Can you do it, Daoist priest?” Lady Calico immediately fixed her gaze on him.

“I cannot,” Song You replied with a gentle smile. “However, in my temple, there are manuals on such techniques. If you want to learn, you only need to wait a decade or so. Once we return to the temple, you can borrow them from the library and study at your leisure.”

“Really?” Lady Calico continued to stare at him intently. “Will the temple owner let me borrow them?”

“The temple owner, huh…”

Song You paused for a moment at her words, shook his head, and then smiled at her, saying, “I don’t know either. It’ll depend on whether you can win the temple owner’s favor when the time comes.”

There was a hint of melancholy in his smile.

1.

Cornus officinalis

is a species of flowering plant in the dogwood family Cornaceae. ☜