Chapter 367: Payment to Be the Scapegoat

The mountain night was remarkably quiet. Only faint sounds of water and lapping could be heard.

“

Splash

...”

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

“

Slurp, slurp

...”

The fox demon remained perched on the willow tree, occasionally swinging her legs, which were paler than the moon’s reflection in the water, causing small ripples to form. At times, she would lean down and scoop up a handful of water, letting it trickle through her fingers.

Her actions were entirely self-indulgent, like a small animal delighting in play. Yet, her every movement was so effortlessly beautiful that it seemed almost intentional.

The Daoist priest, however, kept his eyes shut, sitting cross-legged in silent meditation.

The cat lay sprawled nearby, head bent over its bowl, licking it with serious concentration. Every now and then, it would pause, lift its head, squint its eyes, and sit in a sudden, inexplicable daze—whether in a trance of delight or confusion was unclear. After a moment, it would resume its focus, lowering its head to lap at the bowl a few more times.

The cat glanced at its Daoist priest, then at the fox, then scanned the surroundings, seemingly in search of the fox’s tail.

“

Whoosh

...”

A gust of mountain wind swept through, carrying the chill of early spring.

The previously warm and cozy cat suddenly felt a shiver, trembling slightly in place. When it bent down again to drink more of the rice wine soup, it misjudged its footing, wobbling to the side. Though it quickly regained balance and avoided an embarrassing tumble, it accidentally nudged the small bowl of rice wine soup.

The bowl, still containing some of the soup, tipped over immediately.

The good news was that the bowl was on the ground, so it didn’t break. The imperial-quality, priceless bowl didn’t end up shattered.

The bad news was that the spilled soup soaked directly into the bedding—a woolen mat and blanket shared by the cat and the Daoist priest.

“...!”

Oh no!

Lady Calico froze visibly, staring blankly at the woolen mat, then turned her gaze to the overturned bowl. Her reactions, dulled from the effects of the rice wine soup, took a moment to catch up. When the panic finally set in, she quickly reached out with her paws to right the bowl.

Then, realizing the mess she’d made, she lunged toward the woolen mat and began frantically using her paws to scoop at the soaked surface, as if trying to lift the spilled soup from the fibers.

Of course, even if a cat’s paws could hold water, there was no way to scoop up liquid that had already seeped into the mat.

Naturally, she ended up scooping nothing but air.

Yet she persisted, attempting the action several more times before finally realizing the futility. She then resorted to clawing at the mat, furiously scraping at it.

This approach was slightly more effective, at least managing to dislodge some of the rice grains.

“...”

It was a while before Lady Calico stopped her efforts. Slowly, clarity returned to her, and she slumped down, sitting on the ground with a defeated expression. She glanced down at the now nearly empty bowl, then turned to look at the woolen mat, still damp and reeking of rice wine soup.

This mat, their long-time companion, was now ruined. Her expression was dazed as she turned her head toward her Daoist priest.

The Daoist remained seated, cross-legged and eyes closed, the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual qi continuing to converge around him.

She turned her head again, this time toward the fox.

The fox was still playing with the water, her movements peculiar. She scooped at the water a few times, then grabbed a wine jar resting on a nearby tree branch and tilted her head back to drink under the moonlight.

It seemed she hadn’t noticed the commotion on this side.

“...”

With a quiet

puff

, Lady Calico transformed into her human form. She cautiously crawled over to the woolen mat, picked it up, and began wringing it out. At the same time, her mind worked furiously.

Her Daoist priest had warned her long ago that rice wine soup was toxic to her. Drinking it would affect her as alcohol did humans, potentially leading to trouble. He had warned her not to drink too much. But she, overconfident in her own abilities, hadn’t listened.

Now she needed to think of a solution.

“Daoist Master, you’re truly impressive. You simply sitting here without moving was enough to scare a group of ghost officials out of their wits,” came the fox’s voice from nearby.

Lady Calico was startled, momentarily thinking the comment was directed at her. After listening closely and glancing at the fox, she saw that the latter was still tilting her head back, drinking from the wine jar, paying her no mind. Her own Daoist priest remained sitting motionless, as if he hadn’t heard anything. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and continue wringing out the woolen mat.

“I had no intention of doing so,” the Daoist said after a moment.

Lady Calico flinched again at the sound of his voice, quickly abandoning the mat and sitting upright.

“Daoist Master, aren’t you concerned that those ghost officials will return to Mount Ye and report to the State Preceptor that they encountered a divine figure on the road? The State Preceptor could very well prepare for your arrival,” the fox said, dipping her feet into the water, creating ripples as she turned to look at him.

She added, “Or perhaps you deliberately want the State Preceptor to know you’re coming, so that when you reach Mount Ye, he’ll come out to greet you personally—saving you from being stopped by the army at the gate and having to go through the hassle of announcing your name?”

The Daoist opened his eyes at her words and looked at her. In the moonlight, her pale legs gleamed.

“Do you also suspect there’s something fishy about Mount Ye?”

“Isn’t it precisely because you find Mount Ye fishy that you’ve decided to head straight there?” the fox countered instead of answering directly.

“You’re quite perceptive.”

“I wouldn’t dare claim so.”

Every time the word “fish” was mentioned, Lady Calico’s ears twitched involuntarily.

Just then, there was a stir in the distance.

The maid emerged from the darkness, walking back toward them.

“There are so few demons around here. I searched for ages and only found a few minor mountain spirits,” the maid said as she walked over. “No word of any great demons passing through, no sightings of the white rhinoceros or the marsh dragon. But I did hear that the waters of the Yin River suddenly churned without reason, with waves rolling forward layer by layer. It’s likely that a great demon passed through underwater—my guess is one of the marsh dragons.”

“I see,” the fox woman replied calmly.

“I also heard that the land route to Zi Commandery has been cut off. It was washed away by floods last year, so the only way to reach Zi Commandery now is by water.”

“How much farther do we have to go?”

“They say it’s about 700 li to reach Zi Commandery—similar to the distance we’ve already traveled. But Zi Commandery is remote, with difficult roads. Plus, it’s vast. It’s mostly desolate mountains, and few people venture there. By my estimate, we’re about ten days away from Zi Commandery,” the maid explained.

She continued, “If the Daoist Master doesn’t want us to head to Mount Ye, we can stop at Zi Commandery instead and try to reconnect with some old acquaintances. From there, it’s about two or three more days to Yinnan County if you don’t take any wrong turns.”

“Ten days, huh.”

“Mm...” The maid nodded. She then walked off to the side and approached Lady Calico. Her expression brightened with a playful smile, as though teasing a child. “It’s been a while! Finished your rice wine soup? Want another bowl? I’ll pour you more!”

The little girl lifted her head to stare at her with a serious expression, then turned to glance toward the fox and the Daoist in the distance.

“

Swish

!”

The little girl extended her hand, palm open. In her small hand lay a row of black coins.

The fox’s sharp eyes adjusted easily to the night. Under the moonlight, she could clearly see the coins—about four or five copper ones.

“Hm? What’s this for?” The maid blinked, momentarily stunned as she looked down at the coins.

The little girl said nothing. She simply pushed her hand forward, holding the coins out to her.

“For me?”

The little girl still didn’t speak but simply nodded.

The maid chuckled, reaching out to accept the coins with a cheerful grin.

“Lady Calico, you’re too polite.”

“...”

The little girl remained silent. She turned around, transforming back into her cat form, and bounded a few steps across the grass. Reaching the woolen mat, she burrowed into the bedding and promptly fell asleep.

“It seems we’ll be parting ways with you soon, Daoist Master,” Miss Wanjiang said with a shake of her head. “We’ve been stuck in Changjing for nearly ten years. Ever since leaving Changjing and traveling with you, Daoist Master, I no longer have to play the role of the immortal goddess in the hearts of Changjing's scholars, deal with those ignorant animals in the wild, or hide my identity as a demon. Truly, it’s been liberating.”

“...”

The Daoist remained silent, seated cross-legged with his eyes shut.

The fox demon, knowing he was meditating, paid it no mind. She continued indulging in her own amusements—scooping moonlit water in her hands, basking in the scent of blooming flowers, raising her wine cup to the moon. She had no need to pretend to be human.

As the night deepened, the bright moon began its descent.

The chill of the mountain air grew sharper.

Finally, the wine-loving fox demon finished her drink. She pushed off the tree trunk and, as if weightless, floated gracefully back to the carriage.

Before long, the Daoist opened his eyes and returned to his bedding.

Beneath the moonlight stood a withered tree. On its branch perched a swallow, resting but vigilant. It glanced at him as he passed. Nearby, the jujube-red horse lay curled up, while the cat was nestled in a corner of the bedding, utterly still.

The Daoist lifted the woolen blanket and slipped underneath it.

“Why does the mat smell so strongly of rice wine soup? Did Lady Calico spill some?”

“...!”

The cat froze, her expression stiffening as she raised her head. Without a word, she turned her gaze sharply toward the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the maid was grinning as she pulled out the five copper coins, ready to tell her mistress that the calico cat had given them to her—for reasons she couldn’t quite understand. However, hearing the conversation outside, she froze in place.

“...!”

Suspicious, she lifted the curtain and peeked outside.

The Daoist’s sleeping spot wasn’t far from their carriage. In the moonlight, the cat’s eyes glowed, staring fixedly at her.

“...”

The maid blinked, her expression stiffening slightly, but she quickly composed herself and reacted promptly. “I-It was me. It was my fault. I accidentally spilled a bit of rice wine soup on your mat earlier while pouring some for Lady Calico. Please forgive me, Daoist Master.”

The cat nodded, withdrawing its gaze.

The Daoist glanced at the maid, then at the carriage, before shaking his head with a faint smile. Saying nothing, he lay down, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, they resumed their journey.

Zi Commandery was indeed as remote as rumored. Its remoteness was both geographical and cultural.

Zi Commandery bordered only Yaozhou, but the treacherous mountain roads were infested with tigers, leopards, and wolves. Moreover, better routes to Yaozhou existed, so even those traveling there avoided passing through Zi Commandery.

The area had been desolate since ancient times—vast but barren, sparsely populated, with no commerce, no unique products, and even lacking in natural beauty. Outsiders had little reason to visit, and the region was so undesirable that officials were only sent there as punishment. As a result, few people ventured in or out, creating an air of isolation despite its not-so-distant location.

Had it not been for his interest in Mount Ye, Song You, even as a world traveler passing through Fengzhou, would likely have bypassed Zi Commandery entirely, opting to take the Yin River instead.

Within Zi Commandery, Yinnan County was the most remote and impoverished region of all. Similarly, without prior knowledge of Mount Ye, even if the Daoist entered Zi Commandery, it was unlikely he would have ventured into Yinnan.