Chapter 408: Insights in the Mountains

The Daoist found an open space and sat down cross-legged.

The little girl, despite her small stature, imitated his movements and sat cross-legged as well. Her posture was almost identical to his, and she even tried her best to mimic his serene expression as she gazed at Mount Zunzhe before them.

This spot was where two mountains met, forming a small clearing. Across from them stood the stone mountain shaped like a revered elder. Behind them was another mountain, taller than the so-called Mount Zunzhe. From its peak, one could easily overlook Mount Zunzhe. However, this back mountain was rather unremarkable—lacking the steep grandeur of Mount Zunzhe and devoid of mythical legends—so it was naturally overlooked.

This location provided shelter from the wind and a place to rest, while still being close to Mount Zunzhe. Many travelers had chosen to pause here, either sitting or lying down at their leisure.

Most people who traveled for leisure tended to be easygoing. Even those who were usually reserved found themselves indulging in a rare moment of relaxation during such journeys. As a result, the area buzzed with conversation. Many of the travelers were strangers to one another, some even hailing from places beyond Yaozhou and Langzhou.

Yet, as long as they found each other agreeable, they would start chatting freely. There was no need to worry about running out of topics—simply being on this mountain together was a ready-made connection and conversation starter.

Only the Daoist and the young girl sat cross-legged in silence, facing Mount Zunzhe. They neither spoke nor let their gazes wander.

Even the young official surnamed Wei went back to find the elderly man surnamed Xiong, speaking with him respectfully. No longer probing or testing, he set aside his ulterior motives and conversed with the kind-faced old man, whose gentle tone belied a past that had undoubtedly weathered many storms. With humility and courtesy, the young official engaged in sincere dialogue—and naturally, he benefited from it.

After talking for a long while, he was soon drawn away by other scholars and officials, pulled into discussions about mountains and seas, exchanging thoughts and making connections.

Meanwhile, the Daoist and the young girl remained seated cross-legged, eyes fixed ahead.

Or rather, only the Daoist truly kept his gaze unwavering. The young girl was merely imitating him. And since it was imitation, she had to observe what the Daoist was doing.

Thus, though Lady Calico mostly sat still, staring intently at Mount Zunzhe as if she were trying to pierce through it, to uncover the secret of how one could quickly cultivate into a great demon, she still couldn’t help but occasionally shift her gaze just a little to the side, sneaking a peek at her Daoist.

When she saw that he remained as motionless as ever, she would swiftly retract her gaze and resume seeing through the mountain.

The wind on the mountain was strong, carrying a trace of coolness even in summer.

Yet no matter how the wind blew, a veil of mist clung persistently to Mount Zunzhe. It shifted slowly under the mountain breeze, stretching and thinning, a wisp torn away only to be replaced by another. No gust could scatter it entirely.

“

Haah

...”

Lady Calico couldn’t help but yawn. She was starting to get bored.

Turning her head to glance at the Daoist again, she found him still as motionless as before. Smacking her lips in resignation, she forced herself to focus, determined to study diligently. Her small face took on an expression of utmost seriousness.

But truly, an unchanging mountain was not all that interesting. At first, it had seemed novel, but after a few more glances, the novelty faded into dullness. Expecting a cat to do something like this... was indeed making things difficult for a cat.

Lady Calico wanted to stay focused, but her body refused to cooperate. Slowly, she leaned sideways, tilting toward the Daoist until she finally rested against him.

The Daoist’s body was warm. His robes, though not particularly soft, had a familiar and comfortable texture, carrying a scent she was used to. Leaning against him meant she wouldn’t fall over—how incredibly comfortable.

And so, the moment she settled against him, she couldn’t bring herself to sit up again.

I can still look at the mountain like this...

She thought, still facing the direction of Mount Zunzhe, forcing her eyes to stay open and fixed upon it.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The Heavenly Palace was a dwelling formed by the world’s beings for the gods, a place of profound and mysterious wonder. Mount Zunzhe, being one of the few places in the mortal realm closest to the heavens, has naturally absorbed a touch of this mystical spiritual resonance.

But Lady Calico couldn’t perceive any of that. All she knew was that this was a comfortable place, especially when she was leaning against the Daoist. That made it even better.

Her eyelids started to droop, and her vision blurred in and out of focus.

Something she always found strange was how time behaved when she dozed off. Sometimes, it would pass in an instant—she’d lower her head for just a brief nap, and when she raised it again, a long time would have already gone by, as if a part of her time had been stolen by an unfamiliar cat.

Other times, it felt as though ages had passed, as if the entire day had nearly slipped away—only for her to realize that barely any time had gone by at all. There was no pattern to it.

Perhaps it was time’s fault. If she had to find a pattern, then the only one was that time was always against her.

Whenever she wanted time to slow down, it would slip away in an instant. And whenever she wished for it to pass quickly, it would crawl at an agonizing pace.

Today, Lady Calico’s thoughts were both strange and complicated. She wanted time to slow down, yet she also wanted it to speed up. Both desires had their own reasons, and as a result, it seemed even time itself didn’t know what to do to frustrate her.

Unknowingly, a peculiar sensation emanated from the Daoist beside her. As if influenced by this, her already blurry vision became even more surreal.

The wind atop Mount Zunzhe seemed to blow faster. The veil of clouds shifted more rapidly. Everything appeared to accelerate—yet at the same time, it felt as though her own eyes had slowed down.

The clouds on the mountain now truly looked like a cloak draped over its peaks, trailing a long tail that fluttered with the wind. Tiny wisps of cloud were torn away by the mountain breeze, drifting downward, disappearing before they could reach the horizon. Distant clouds continuously shifted their shapes, moving at great speed, vanishing and reforming again and again.

The sky darkened swiftly.

“...!”

Lady Calico sensed that something was off.

When her vision abruptly cleared, she straightened up, pulling herself away from the Daoist. The world before her, everything within it, had returned to its normal pace.

Yet the sky had indeed darkened for real.

She hesitated for a moment before turning to look at him, calling out, “...Daoist priest.”

“What is it, Lady Calico?” His voice was as calm and gentle as always.

“Have you been watching the mountain this whole time?”

“Yes.”

“Just now... did you see the clouds in the sky... moving really... really fast?”

“No.”

“But you were watching that way the whole time?”

“Yes.”

“Then what did you see?”

“I saw what I wanted to see.”

“So what did you see?”

“The flow of spiritual resonance, subtle wonders, and the entrance to the Heavenly Palace.” Song You lowered his voice as he spoke to her, then smiled slightly and added, “It seems you saw something interesting too.”

“I saw...”

The little girl turned to him, staring blankly for a moment before flailing her hands, struggling to put into words what she had seen. She stammered and hesitated, doing her best to describe the scene in her mind.

Once she finally finished, she stared at the Daoist, still uneasy.

“Did you understand what I meant?”

“I did.”

“Really?”

“Of course.” The Daoist smiled at her. “When one becomes attuned to the heavens and the earth, time often slips away unnoticed. Lady Calico, you’re highly perceptive in spirituality and intuitive—that’s why, without realizing it, you were able to enter a state of oneness with the world.”

“I suddenly remembered that it was getting dark and that I hadn’t gathered firewood for you yet. I got scared and snapped back.”

“Then stopping here was just the right moment.”

“Hmm...”

The little girl studied him for a while, wearing the same expression she had when she was in her feline form. Then she shook her head, glanced at the fading daylight in the distance, and wobbled to her feet. She made her way toward the large mountain behind them, heading off to gather firewood for cooking and keeping warm through the night.

Now, only the jujube-red horse and the swallow remained by Song You’s side.

The travelers who had ascended the mountain during the day were now making their own plans. Some, having finished their sightseeing at Mount Zunzhe, began their descent early. Others had already picked out sheltered spots to sleep, wrapping themselves in blankets and bedding. Meanwhile, groups of like-minded individuals gathered, lighting torches, bringing out wine, and breaking into poetry and drinking games, seemingly intent on reveling through the night.

The Daoist glanced around at them once before withdrawing his gaze. The spiritual resonance and mysteries of Mount Zunzhe had already settled in his heart.

Not long after, the young official surnamed Wei returned once again. He approached Song You and cupped his hands in greeting. “Many thanks to you, sir, for dispelling the fog of confusion today. I feel much more at ease and relaxed now. Earlier, I saw that you were deep in meditation and did not dare disturb you. But now that you seem to be free, I wanted to ask if you might be interested in joining us.

“We have a few officials and scholars from various mountains across the land gathered on our side, drinking wine, eating some warm meat, and resting by the fire. They’ve found a nice, sheltered spot away from the wind...”

Song You said, “Thank you for your kind offer, but we have brought plenty of provisions with us. We have enough to get through the winter and are not lacking in food or water, so we won’t trouble you.”

“It is I who should be thanking you, sir.”

Hearing the polite refusal, the young official did not press further. However, he did not leave immediately either. Instead, he stood before Song You and asked,

“By the way, I heard today that you are from Yizhou. Might I ask where you traveled from most recently?”

“From Fengzhou.”

“Sir, you also came from Fengzhou?”

“Yes, from Fengzhou.” Song You smiled faintly, patient enough to continue the conversation. “But we are not gods who perished in Fengzhou’s flood and ascended to the Heavenly Palace for new appointments.”

“Haha...” The young official couldn't help but laugh before adding,

“I only wished to ask—did you travel to the southern part of Fengzhou?”

“Of course.”

“Oh?” The young official’s interest immediately piqued. “And how is it there?”

“That would depend on what exactly you are asking about.”

“Naturally, I mean the landscape, or anything peculiar about the region.” The official’s curiosity was evident as he continued, “I have always been fascinated by extraordinary mountains and waters.

“While traveling along the coast of Langzhou, I heard rumors about the earthquake in the south of Fengzhou—that the Yin River astonishingly reversed its flow, surging back into its former elevated riverbed. They said that during those days, the south of Fengzhou was filled with wailing spirits and sudden thunderclaps under clear skies.

“I had wanted to go see for myself, but on one hand, I heard it was nothing but barren mountains and treacherous waters, lacking any real scenery worth visiting. If the rumors were false, it wouldn't have been worth the trip. On the other hand, if the rumors were true, then I feared it was the work of demons and monsters, and I dared not venture there.”

The young official looked at Song You and asked, “Since you’ve just come from there, how was it?”

“I traveled through that region this year, but I didn’t encounter any demons or monsters,” Song You replied truthfully. “The rumors do sound quite terrifying, and even now, the people of Zi Commandery still fear setting foot in that area. But if you have the courage to be the first to go, I believe the scenery south of Yinnan will surely reward your bravery.”

The young official’s eyes widened in surprise as he turned to look at the Daoist.

Yet the Daoist only met his gaze with a calm, knowing smile. There wasn’t a single trace of falsehood in his eyes.