Chapter 336: Don’t Be Suspicious

Unknowingly, several days had passed since their return to the capital.

During this time, the lessons between Ms. Calico and her neighbor-student had progressed from the

Hundred Family Surnames

to

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

. They had also expanded from recognizing individual words to understanding sentences, word choice, and rhyming patterns.

For several nights, Ms. Calico had hidden herself on the rooftop, staying up late by lamplight to study. Each night, she accumulated a heap of questions to ask the Daoist. Eventually, she fully grasped

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

, ensuring she wouldn’t lose face in front of her student. She maintained her image as a genius cat and received plenty of awed and admiring looks from her student.

Meanwhile, realizing that every day in Changjing drained their funds further, Ms. Calico became increasingly eager to earn money. Each day, she pestered her student for news, only to receive unsatisfactory answers time and again.

Under the City God’s governance, the city was indeed much more peaceful than before.

However, the City God’s jurisdiction only extended within the city walls.

Outside the walls, the responsibility mainly fell to the legitimate gods of the Thunder Division.

Of the northern demon kings, the most stubborn had been suppressed by Song You. The others, such as the Yellow Sand King at the border and the White Bull King of Yuezhou, had also been eradicated one after another during joint operations by the Heavenly Palace’s Thunder Division and War Division. Some of these battles had dragged on for over a decade before finally coming to an end.

The remaining scattered demons had mostly gathered in Hezhou. While these demons weren’t as powerful as the demon kings, their sheer numbers and variety made them difficult to eradicate. Even the legitimate gods of the Thunder Division would have needed considerable time to deal with them all.

However, the Daoist had already swept through the area, meticulously cleansing it. As he moved through the northern provinces, though he didn’t clean as thoroughly as he had in Hezhou, whenever he encountered or heard of trouble, he dealt with it decisively, leaving no loose ends.

In addition, Shu Yifan, who had entered the Dao through martial arts, single-handedly cleared Guangzhou. Between them, the Daoist’s journey in the north had saved the Thunder Division and the Heavenly Palace countless efforts.

Now, it seemed, the Thunder Division could finally turn their attention to other regions of Great Yan and address issues elsewhere. Consequently, there were far fewer demons causing trouble outside the city walls.

Still, with Great Yan spanning tens of thousands of li, demons and evil spirits were like diseases in the human body: they could be managed but never fully eradicated.

Recently, however, there had been people lingering around the Daoist’s residence.

The Daoist himself paid little mind to them, but Lady Calico, the swallow on the rooftop, and even the book-absorbed heroine next door were all keenly alert. These minor attendants and lackeys couldn’t escape their notice.

What remained unclear was whether their masters had taken an interest in this unusual Daoist in Changjing three years ago, or if their attention was drawn during his recent return by General Chen.

A few days later, the skies over Changjing cleared again.

With the arrival of light snow, an early message came from the Marquis of Wuan’s household, saying that the Marquis would visit in the afternoon to fulfill his social obligations.

That afternoon, General Chen arrived as promised on horseback.

He brought only a few personal guards, who remained outside the house. Two of them carried gifts inside. General Chen himself entered and addressed Song You, saying, “I hope I’m not disturbing you. I’ve brought a ball of

longtuan tea

, a gift from His Majesty.”

He took the box from one of his men and presented it to the Daoist. “However, I’m not much of a tea drinker myself—I can’t even tell good tea from bad. So, I’m passing this along to you.”

“You’re too polite, General.” Song You accepted it without hesitation.

Then General Chen took two jars of wine from another guard and said to Song You, “I’m from Zhuyu County in Angzhou. The rice wine from my hometown is famous, but since I joined the army, I’ve rarely had a chance to drink it. Even in the barracks, I seldom indulge. This time, when my family heard I was returning to the capital, they sent me several jars. I’ve brought some for you to try.”

“I’ve prepared a good meal for you, General,” Song You replied.

Seeing the wine, Song You immediately understood. General Chen had likely been bottling up countless frustrations recently. In Changjing, he had no one he could freely talk to, and so he had come to this familiar and trusted Daoist for relief.

It was an age-old tradition in Great Yan for nobles and officials to confide in monks or Daoists. Compared to others, Song You was not only more trustworthy but also shared a closer relationship with the General.

Sure enough, as soon as Song You invited him to sit at the table, General Chen began opening a jar of wine and spoke, “They say I returned victorious, my name celebrated throughout the land, and my glory unmatched. But only I know the bittersweet truth. In this vast capital, countless eyes are fixed on me.

“Aside from a few reckless individuals, few dare to visit me, and I don’t dare to visit others lightly. Even with those I’ve known for years, I can’t stay long for fear of arousing suspicion, becoming the subject of rumors, or implicating others. After much thought, I realized that only coming here to see you would avoid raising eyebrows.”

“Is your situation truly so difficult?” Song You asked.

“In ordinary times, it wouldn’t be so bad. But the current situation is unique: His Majesty is aged and frail, the princess has just been deposed, and the court remains unsettled. The princes are all young, and even the State Preceptor is absent from Changjing.

“Before he left a few years ago, he merely transferred Yu Jianbai, the prefect of Yizhou, back to the capital to assist the Prime Minister in managing state affairs. Naturally, all my actions are under close scrutiny,” General Chen explained.

Pop!

General Chen opened the wine.

He poured two bowls. The liquid was slightly milky white, with a strong, fragrant aroma of rice.

“At this moment, there are countless people in the court who are wary of me, wishing to see me eliminated,” General Chen said with a shake of his head.

Song You recalled how three years ago, the emperor had summoned him to the palace and mentioned General Chen. At the time, the emperor had firmly believed that the General had no rebellious intent. Unsure of the current state of affairs, Song You asked, “And what does His Majesty think?”

“His Majesty has been exceedingly kind to me,” General Chen replied, shaking his head with a faint smile. “Right now, half the court officials are likely urging His Majesty to find some excuse to remove me, and many are advising him to be wary of me and avoid meeting with me alone.

“Yet, His Majesty has gone entirely against their advice, often summoning me for private conversations or asking me to accompany the princes on outings or hunts.”

“General, please have some food,” Song You said.

“First, a toast to you, sir.”

General Chen raised his bowl with both hands and gave a distant nod of respect to Song You. Without waiting for his response, the General tilted his head back and downed the entire bowl.

Song You picked up his own bowl and sipped lightly.

He had heard of Angzhou rice wine before, particularly its premium varieties made exclusively from the core of the rice grain. Now that he tasted it himself, he found it extraordinary. Even before drinking, the rich aroma suggested the wine would be sweet and refreshing. However, when it entered his mouth, it was unexpectedly different—most of the flavor was that of traditional wine.

General Chen set down his bowl and picked up his chopsticks, intending to try the dishes. Though the table was laden with novel and aromatic food, his mind was weighed down with troubles, and his appetite was faint. After nibbling a few bites, he returned to airing his grievances to Song You.

The bowls of wine kept coming, one after another.

Although General Chen's expression remained as calm as ever, his speech clear and orderly, the content of his words began to subtly shift, revealing hints of his growing intoxication.

“I’m a military man,” General Chen said with a shake of his head and a faint smile. “I excel at leading armies and waging war, but I’m no expert in court politics. Even so, I do have some ability to read people. From my perspective, His Majesty likely trusts me, but whether he chooses to eliminate me or not has little to do with that trust.”

He chuckled bitterly. “His Majesty holds himself in such high regard, sees himself as practically divine. He believes he can control everything and thinks that under his watch, no one could possibly cause a storm. Naturally, he finds it beneath him to act against me.”

This version of General Chen was markedly different from the one a year ago. It seemed that being recalled to the court had truly been like walking on thin ice.

Song You listened silently, unable to suppress a sigh.

So this was how it was for those legendary ministers and generals, whose accomplishments eclipsed even their sovereign’s—before they were eliminated, they were always aware of their precarious situation but powerless to change it. Unless they truly committed treason, their only option was to await their fate at the hands of others.

They talked for a long while, and eventually, the wine was finished, leaving the table in disarray.

The undefeated general, who had never shown fear on the battlefield, shook his head with a faint, wry smile and remarked, “The court is more perilous than the battlefield.”

Meanwhile, outside, a figure passed by the door.

It seemed the person had intended to visit the Daoist but, upon seeing that he was entertaining a guest, hesitated and quietly turned back.

Though General Chen still showed no visible signs of drunkenness, he immediately stood and bowed to Song You, saying, “I’ve disturbed you long enough and likely made a fool of myself. I’ve had my fill and, seeing that you have other visitors, will take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“I’ll walk you to the door,” Song You offered.

Rising from his seat, Song You also felt a wave of reflection. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Lady Calico descending the stairs. He glanced back at his bowl of rice wine, and without a sound, the previously milky liquid had turned noticeably clearer.

“Sir, just escorting me to the door is enough.”

“Very well.” The Daoist truly stopped in his tracks but merely turned his head to meet his gaze. “I consider you an old acquaintance of mine. If you ever wish to visit an old friend, feel free to come by. There's nothing much here, but at least a simple meal will be ready.”

With a polite smile, General Chen added, “I will certainly return to trouble you again.”

Outside, the guards had already brought General Chen’s horse.

The General clasped his hands in farewell, exchanged a final glance with Song You, and then mounted his horse, riding away.

The Daoist watched him disappear into the distance. When he turned back, he saw the cat leap lightly onto the ground, then, in a swift movement like an arrow, spring onto the table. She sniffed around, locating the Daoist’s bowl of wine, and immediately extended a paw into it.

Sensing the Daoist’s gaze, she froze in place, her paw still in the bowl. Turning her head to meet his eyes, she stared back at him.

Then, as if making a point, she curled her paw and brought it to her mouth, sticking out her tongue to lick it a few times.

“Hmm...” The cat smacked her lips, then licked around her mouth before sitting upright and looking at the Daoist.

“Why are you using my wine to wash your feet?” the Daoist asked.

“I’m not washing my feet!”

“Then what are you doing?”

“I was just tasting the wine you’re drinking.”

“If you wanted to taste it, you could have just told me. I would’ve poured you a separate bowl. Why did you have to stick your foot into mine?”

“Well, you finished it anyway. And this isn’t a foot.” Lady Calico raised her front paw, curling it as if making a fist, and looked at it herself. “This is a hand.”

“But it’s the same hand you use to walk on the ground.”

“It’s just a little dust.”

“...”

“I wanted to see if your wine tastes the same as my wine.”

“And why is that?”

“The woman next door said that wine tastes bitter and burns the mouth, and that it’s also hot when you swallow it. But the wine I drank tasted just like water.”

“Oh, I see.”

So it all started with Heroine Wu.

The Daoist shook his head and began tidying up the dishes, speaking to the cat as he worked. “Don’t you know that before a cat becomes a demon, it can’t taste sweetness, just as a bird can’t taste spiciness before it becomes a demon?”

“Hmm... That seems to be the case...” The cat’s expression turned thoughtful.

“And don’t you know that something humans find warm to eat feels hot to a cat?”

“Hmm... That seems to be the case...” The cat’s eyes widened slightly.

“So how could a cat’s mouth possibly be the same as a human’s?”

“Hmm... That’s right!” The cat’s face lit up with sudden realization.

“Especially since you're not an ordinary cat but a cat god with vast divine powers and immense magical strength.”

“Then it must be even more different!”

“Congratulations, you’re getting good at answering quickly.”

“I’m very smart!”

“Of course.”

“Of course!”

“I’m a Daoist priest, and Daoist priests are essentially monks. Monks don’t tell lies, so why would you doubt me?”

“

Whoosh

...”

The cat leapt down from the table and transformed into her human form, quickly helping the Daoist clean up the mess on the table.

Overcome with guilt, she worked diligently.