Chapter 399: Lady Calico, the Most Diligent

“We need to go faster...”

Song You sat atop the high platform, a trace of helplessness in his expression.

He glanced downward—

The fox demon remained as she always was: drinking wine when idle, playing the

qin

when in the mood, and collapsing onto the instrument to sleep when drunk. She was carefree and unbothered, speaking to no one.

Behind her, a maidservant—whoever she might be—sat obediently and quietly. She neither slept nor spoke, occasionally tilting her head to doze briefly, but most of the time, she gazed curiously upward, staring at the Daoist.

At this moment, the fox demon was still playing the

qin

.

After a moment of silence, Song You finally spoke, “Are you cultivating the Yin-Yang Method?”

The woman continued to play the qin without pause, replying only with her voice, “Naturally.”

Most demons cultivated the Yin-Yang Method, drawing in the essence of the sun and moon. They primarily focused on lunar energy and yin power, then refined solar essence and yang power later to balance the two. Only then could they become great demons.

“I need to borrow a bit of pure yin-yang spiritual energy.”

The fox demon remained silent, neither agreeing nor refusing, her gaze fixed on the strings of her qin.

However, the maidservant behind her stood up. She glanced up at the high platform, then began walking slowly toward it, choosing the nearest path.

She ascended the floating steps spiraling around the stone pillar, circling several times before finally reaching the top.

“Greetings, Daoist Master...”

Her voice was soft and delicate. After speaking, she lowered her head and walked to stand behind Song You. Kneeling down, she sat quietly.

“And you are...?”

“I am Qi Qi...”

“Thank you for your trouble,” Song You replied politely.

“It’s no trouble,” the maid replied softly.

Song You had almost pieced it all together.

Whether it was the fox demon herself or her maid, they were both foxes—fox demons. Even if their tails occasionally betrayed them, they were still under their own control. And even if not strictly “themselves,” at the very least, everything was directed by one brain.

The fox demon was a great demon, perhaps one of the closest in the world to the ancient powerful beings. Producing pure yin-yang spiritual energy was no issue for her. Since it was entirely free of impurities, Song You could take it, refine it slightly, and seamlessly use it in the Yin-Yang Four Seasons Formation.

***

The summer days passed in the blink of an eye, and before long, autumn arrived.

During this time, the ghostly and yin qi in Mount Ye had not been replenished. Exposure to wind and sunlight, combined with Lady Calico’s symbolic absorption and expulsion efforts, had significantly weakened the lingering energies. Thanks to the swallow’s diligent work, small clusters of plants had begun to sprout across the land.

Most areas, however, remained bare, as grass and flower seeds had only recently been planted, waiting for the spring to germinate.

Beyond Mount Ye, some dozens of li away, lay a region untouched by yin qi, ghostly qi, or the destruction of ancient battles.

In the early autumn, cicadas still chirped, though their calls were growing hoarse.

On a patch of wild grass and hills, the jujube-red horse grazed, lowering its head to munch on the grass.

Not far away, a small girl in a three-colored outfit, her hair tied into two round buns, busily worked. Her face was clean and fair, her small arms pale and slender. With her sleeves rolled up, she bent over, one hand expertly pulling grass from the ground, while the other held a small knife, slicing through the blades with precision.

The grass she harvested was the horse’s favorite.

From time to time, she wiped her forehead with her small arm—though she was really just brushing away the strands of hair that tickled her face—then continued cutting. Her movements were smooth and practiced.

This place was quite a distance from the mountain, but it was the only area where grass was abundant.

Around Mount Ye, although the swallow had planted some grass, it was grass painstakingly sown by the swallow and unsuitable for consumption. The horse couldn’t eat it. Besides, they couldn’t come out this far every day for fresh grass. Lady Calico had her own tasks to handle, and the horse had to stay nearby when she was busy. Thus, she came out to this area every other day.

Each time, she let the horse eat its fill and cut a bundle of grass to take back for it to eat later.

It also gave her a chance to bring something back for the Daoist.

“Hmm...” Lady Calico suddenly noticed a long tail on the ground. Pausing in her grass-cutting, she took two steps forward, reached down, and grabbed it. Out came a snake with a triangular head and patterned scales.

“This one’ll do.” She lifted it, gave it a smack, stuffed it into her pouch, and then bent back down to continue cutting grass.

Her work wasn’t delayed in the slightest.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Before long, she had gathered another bundle of grass.

Then, a gust of wind blew by.

In the breeze, the young girl caught a whiff of a strange scent. She paused and looked into the distance.

A figure was approaching—a monk dressed in a yellow robe and wearing monk’s shoes.

The monk was slightly plump, with a round face. He carried a pack on his back and held a curved, dried wooden branch as a walking stick. Leaning on the stick, he walked cautiously, testing the path as he made his way closer.

Behind the monk followed two large ghosts.

The ghosts were fierce-looking, clad in armor and armed with weapons, walking through the wilderness in broad daylight.

“...?” Lady Calico tilted her head, staring curiously at the approaching group.

As the monk and the two large ghosts approached, they noticed her as well.

The trio immediately stopped in their tracks.

The little girl in her three-colored outfit stood there, holding a bundle of fresh grass under one arm and a small knife in her other hand. Her head was slightly tilted, her expression blank as she stared at them.

The two ghosts scanned her up and down, instantly becoming alert.

“Amitabha...”

The slightly plump monk smiled warmly, pressing his palms together in greeting. He glanced at the jujube-red horse nearby and said, “Young one, are you gathering grass here for your horse?”

The girl kept her gaze fixed on him but said nothing.

The two large ghosts, however, grew more cautious.

“Master, this little girl isn’t an ordinary child—she’s not simple. She’s likely a demon in human form!”

“Master, be careful!”

As they spoke, the girl slowly turned her head to look at them, her blank expression unchanged.

The two ghosts became even more wary.

Though they had been purified by the monk’s rituals, which rid them of their yin and ghostly qi and allowed them to walk in daylight, their translucent forms still looked distinctly inhuman. Yet, in the girl’s eyes, there was no fear—only curiosity and scrutiny.

The tip of a snake’s tail peeked out from her bundle, adding to their unease.

“We shouldn’t be rude...”

The monk maintained his warm demeanor, pressing his palms together and bowing slightly to the girl. He then glanced toward Mount Ye in the distance, as if about to ask a question. But as his eyes returned to the girl, he paused and examined her closely.

Her three-colored outfit, her fair and pretty face...

Expressionless, uninterested in speaking to strangers.

Her unblinking stare locked on them, observing their every move.

Suddenly, the monk’s memory snapped into place, becoming clear.

“Lady Calico?”

The little girl continued staring at him blankly, her expression serious and unchanging, without uttering a word.

That was all the confirmation the monk needed.

A faint glimmer of nostalgia flickered in his eyes as memories flooded back—of that snowy night on the plains when they first met. A small girl had tossed him a thin blanket. Most of the time after that, she had taken the form of a cat. He also recalled the day they parted, in the midst of a blizzard, with endless snow and a blurred horizon.

He could still see those determined figures braving the wind and snow, heading toward the demonic kingdom of the Snowy Plains.

Three or four years had passed, but the memory hadn’t faded in the slightest.

It remained one of the most radiant moments of his life.

Afterward, the monk returned to Gui Commandery to quell the demon plague. Once peace was restored, he heard rumors of mountains suddenly appearing on the Snowy Plains, sealing away a supreme Demon King. He then traveled through the northern lands, spreading Buddhist teachings and goodwill. Though he never had the fortune to meet that Daoist again, he often heard tales of his deeds.

Snapping out of his thoughts, the monk found the scene before him sharpening into focus. The little girl was still there, holding a bundle of grass in one arm and a knife in the other, staring at him intently.

“Could it be that Daoist Song is also in Mount Ye’s Ghost City?”

“...!” The little girl didn’t speak, but she gave a firm nod.

“It has been a long time, and I’ve missed him greatly. Please, Lady Calico, guide me to the Daoist so I may see him again.”

“...”

Without a word, the little girl turned around, holding her bundle of grass, and walked off in another direction.

Here, a large pile of grass had already been stacked, with a few scattered chicken mushrooms on the ground.

The little girl skillfully bundled the grass together, called the horse over with a wave of her hand, and waited for it to kneel down. She then loaded the grass onto its back, picked up the mushrooms, and shoved the snake—nearly slipping out of her pouch—deeper into her arms. Climbing onto the horse’s back, she began walking away, occasionally glancing back at the monk.

The monk quickly understood and followed.

“It’s been three or four years since we last met. Lady Calico, you seem to have grown taller. I never expected to meet you here in Fengzhou. At first, I didn’t dare recognize you. Please forgive me, Lady Calico,” he said with a smile.

“!”

The little girl turned her head, staring at him seriously, while glancing sideways at the two large ghosts following behind him. She asked curiously, “Why are you bringing two ghosts?”

“Lady Calico,” the monk replied, “I heard that south of Fengzhou, an earthquake caused the ground to shift and the river to change its course. I assumed the disaster would be severe, with the people suffering greatly, so I came here upon hearing the news. However, this place was almost deserted, and the suffering wasn’t as widespread as I imagined.

“Instead, I encountered General Feng and General Chang here. From them, I learned about Mount Ye’s Ghost City and suspected that the so-called ground-shifting disaster wasn’t a natural occurrence but rather related to the Ghost City. So, I came to investigate.”

Lady Calico scratched her head after hearing this, unsure how to respond. She simply turned her gaze forward and continued walking.

The monk, however, asked, “May I ask, Lady Calico, what was the true cause of this so-called ground-shifting disaster?”

“Fighting!”

“...”

The monk pressed his hands together in prayer and softly uttered a Buddhist mantra. The two ghosts exchanged glances, unable to conceal their shock.

The group slowly made their way toward Mount Ye Ghost City.

As they ascended a hill, the monk and the two ghosts couldn’t help but stop in their tracks and gaze into the distance, holding their breath.

Although the sunlight illuminated the world before them, the land remained shattered and scarred. The scene was one of devastation: a hill had a semicircular chunk blown out of it, a mountain peak had been sliced cleanly in half by divine light, the ground was cracked, and countless lakes of emerald green and azure blue dotted the area around Mount Ye.

A massive humanoid indentation marked the earth, resembling a battleground where gods and demons had clashed.

The monk and the two ghosts stood frozen, overwhelmed by the sight.

“...!”

The horse ahead stopped in its tracks, and the little girl on its back turned around to glare at them seriously.

“Oh, oh...”

The monk quickly moved to catch up. They continued gradually approaching Mount Ye.

When the ghost officials guarding the gates of the Ghost City saw Lady Calico, they immediately opened the gates. Lady Calico, still seated on the horse, glanced back at the monk before leading the way inside.

The monk hesitated not a moment, following her in without question.

Behind them, the two ghost generals exchanged glances. Seeing that the monk had already entered, they hurried after him.

The light began to dim.

The balance of yin and yang in the atmosphere, along with the natural spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, was gradually replaced by dense yin qi and ghostly qi.

Along the passage, ghost soldiers stood guard while ghost officials came and went. As they passed through the tunnel, the group entered a Ghost City under construction. Countless ghosts and spirits were bustling about, each busy with their tasks.

At the center of the Ghost City, a massive stone pillar rose like a bamboo shoot from the earth, with spiraling floating staircases wrapping around it. Above, streams of radiant spiritual light crisscrossed, exuding infinite spiritual resonance and profound mystery.

The monk’s first impression was—

The interior space of Mount Ye seemed larger than the entire mountain itself from the outside!