Chapter 416: The Sea-Foraging Cat

The bonfire slowly dimmed, leaving only a pile of deep, glowing embers. Above the sea, a vast expanse of stars filled the sky, with a brilliant river of light stretching across its center. From the forest, countless fireflies emerged, drifting and dancing through the night air—so much so that, from afar, one might mistake them for fallen stars scattered upon the earth.

The wind still whispered, and the waves never ceased.

Song You leaned against the coconut tree, wrapped in a woolen blanket. He remained utterly still, simply savoring the tranquility of this summer night by the sea.

Lady Calico, seemingly tired from playing with the little sand crabs, showed little enthusiasm for the fireflies that flitted around them. After all, she often saw them in the mountains and wild forests. Instead, she nestled close to Song You, her head tilted as she stared unblinkingly at the glowing insects, letting their soft light reflect in her eyes.

Only when a firefly flew particularly close did she lazily extend a paw, swiping at it in the air. Whether or not she managed to catch one depended entirely on fate—if she missed, then so be it. At least she had reached out, and that was enough.

“Daoist priest...”

“What is it?”

“I have the Water-Splitting Blade, so I won’t drown in water. Do you think I can go into the sea to catch fish?”

“Lady Calico, you possess vast divine powers and immense magical strength. Plus, you’re both clever and resourceful—you can certainly make your own decisions,” Song You replied.

After a brief pause, he added, “But I’ve heard that there are enormous fish in the sea. The biggest ones can swallow an entire horse in one gulp, and there are many kinds that can eat people. As for those big enough to swallow a cat whole—there are simply too many. So if you want to go into the water, it would be wise to first familiarize yourself with swimming and the surrounding waters before diving in recklessly.”

“How big are these fish!?”

“Sea creatures are naturally larger than those on land. The tigers of the fish world are likely bigger and fiercer than any tiger on land.”

“Are they bigger than marsh dragons?”

The calico cat’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as she turned to stare straight at the Daoist.

The sea breeze stirred the fire, sending sparks flying into the air. The startled fireflies scattered, their yellow-green glow mixing with the deep red embers, creating a dreamlike scene of flickering light.

Patiently, Song You explained to the calico cat, “If it’s an ordinary marsh dragon that hasn’t gained sentience, then yes—there are many fish in the sea that have gained sentience that are bigger. But if it’s a marsh dragon that has become a demon, then most ordinary fish wouldn’t compare.

“That said, I’ve heard that the largest creatures in the sea can grow far bigger than a house. If they were to gain sentience, I have no idea how large they could become.”

“Huh?”

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Song You turned to look at her. “With fish that big, you wouldn’t be able to finish eating them even in a lifetime.”

“They’d just get eaten by bugs instead...”

“Lady Calico, you’re very smart.”

“Will we be able to see fish that big?”

“Fish that large rarely come near the shore because the water is too shallow for them. They’re so big that if they get too close, they’ll get stranded—stuck on the seabed, unable to move. That would be a disaster for them. But when we take our boat out to the deeper parts of the sea, we might just see some big fish then.”

“What if we don’t?”

“Then we’ll go looking for one especially for you, Lady Calico.”

“Will the big fish eat us?”

“In that case, we’ll just have to be polite.”

“What’s near the shore, then?”

“There are...”

Song You gazed up at the star-filled sky, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

This was, after all, his first time at the sea in this lifetime.

His memories of it were distant, the words associated with the ocean long buried under layers of dust. He had to carefully recall them, blowing away the dust as he went, listing out everything one by one for Lady Calico—the appearance, habits, and rough taste of the various sea creatures, along with the best ways to cook them.

The cat’s eyes grew wide as she listened intently.

Even the fireflies that occasionally fluttered right in front of her, teasingly close, couldn’t distract her. She was fully immersed in the Daoist’s storytelling, lost in her own imagination.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed.

The fire beside them had burned out completely. Even as the sea breeze picked up, it could do little more than cause the spent embers to glow faintly red—there were no more sparks to stir.

Yet the stars above only grew brighter.

The cat curled up beside the Daoist, her small body almost forming a perfect circle. One paw, white like a little glove, rested over her eyes—she had already fallen asleep.

The Daoist withdrew his gaze and looked up at the night sky.

In these times, even in Changjing Yidu, there was still some light to be found at night. But out here, in this remote land of Langzhou, even the state and county capitals likely had few lanterns glowing at their gates. The fishing village had long since sunk into total darkness. The fireflies on the ground were no match for the brilliance of the heavens.

On any moonless, cloudless night like this, the sky itself became a grand celestial spectacle.

The Daoist stared into the sky, deep in thought.

He had previously heard from the young official that there were true dragons in the sea. Though Song You wasn’t entirely convinced, he considered the possibility.

Langzhou was a remote and wild place, and beyond the sea lay lands outside of Shenzhou. Perhaps these creatures were not recorded in Hidden Dragon Temple’s archives. If the so-called Sea Dragon King of the sea truly existed, then maybe—just maybe—it really was the legendary true dragon.

But now, looking at the vast ocean, he felt that was unlikely.

Though... only

probably

unlikely.

Song You still wished to witness it for himself.

However, as the young official had said, of all the strange wonders on the sea—be they ghosts, demons, gods, or spirits—even legendary lands like Yaksha Kingdom and Mustache Kingdom paled in comparison to the Little Kingdom.

The young official had remarkable insight.

If such a place truly existed, where tiny people, no larger than a palm, thrived—and where any outsider who entered would also shrink to that size—then its wonders would surely surpass even that of a true dragon.

Each of the Five-Direction Soil held their own mysteries, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to find one.

Since the State Preceptor had pointed to the seas of Langzhou, the best course of action was to seek out the most mysterious place in those waters. That would surely lead him in the right direction.

But that would mean staying by the shore for a few more days...

Song You lowered his gaze and looked at the sleeping cat beside him. Then, he turned back to the starlit sky. He wondered—beyond those distant stars, was someone watching him from the other side?

At some point, he had drifted off to sleep.

***

The cry of a seabird jolted Song You awake. Morning had already arrived.

He sat up, glancing around.

Beside him lay an opened coconut, a dry biscuit resting on a leaf, and a bowl of fresh water. His belongings were neatly placed nearby. The small boat was still on the beach, and his horse stood beside him, peacefully grazing.

But his cat was nowhere to be seen.

“...”

Song You rubbed his eyes, then stood up. The horse lifted its head and gave him a glance.

“What’s wrong? Does the seaside grass not suit your taste?” Song You asked.

Snort...

The horse responded with a loud huff through its nostrils.

Song You chuckled, then picked up the bowl to rinse his mouth, wiped his face with a cloth, and finally ate the dry biscuit while sipping coconut water. Only then did he turn his gaze toward the distance.

Further ahead, a rocky shore stretched out, speckled with tiny dark figures—likely villagers foraging by the sea. Closer by, a trail of footprints led away. They began as small plum-blossom paw prints, but after a short distance, they turned into human footprints—much smaller than those of an average adult. The trail led all the way toward the rocky shore.

On the sand before him, there was a shallow pit freshly dug near the damp, tide-kissed area of the beach. It was carefully encircled by stones, trapping a small amount of seawater inside.

Song You took his time walking over to inspect it.

Inside, he found several fish of varying sizes, a few crabs, and even an octopus.

“So diligent...”

He suspected she had been up since before dawn. Or perhaps, she had woken up in the middle of the night.

Shaking his head with a smile, he followed the trail of footprints along the beach.

As he walked, the footprints turned to bare feet—still much smaller than those of an adult. A second set of tracks had also appeared—a wolf’s paw prints.

In some places, the incoming waves had washed the trail away, but Song You paid no mind. He continued at a leisurely pace, as if he were simply out for a stroll.

Before long, the figures of the foraging villagers came into clearer view. And amidst them, he saw a small girl clad in a tricolor robe—with a large wolf beside her.

The little girl had fair skin and a petite frame. She was barefoot, yet her pant legs and sleeves were rolled up neatly and precisely. A diagonal satchel hung across her body, bulging and damp, as if filled with something.

At that moment, she was silently following behind a thin, dark-skinned middle-aged woman. Keeping a measured distance of about ten feet, she neither spoke nor moved—just stood there, eyes locked onto the woman’s every motion with unwavering focus.

Even when she heard the approaching footsteps on the sand and sensed someone coming near, she only turned her head slightly. Seeing that it was her Daoist, she said nothing, quickly shifting her gaze back to the woman, her expression thoughtful.

Clearly, she had more important matters at hand. The woman was digging for razor clams.

Lady Calico was studying her intently.

Even when the woman finally unearthed a clam from the sand and held it up, the little girl remained still, satchel slung across her body, eyes trailing the clam as it was placed into a bamboo basket. Only then did she finally look away—at last, she had a moment to spare to glance at her Daoist.

“You’re awake?”

“I’m awake,” Song You replied with a smile. “Lady Calico, you woke up very early. Don’t tell me you came here before dawn?”

Hearing their conversation, the woman turned to look at them.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to find you, Lady Calico.”

“I caught lots of fish and crabs! Big fish and big crabs, just like the ones you wanted to eat. And also that soft, wobbly octopus you mentioned! You should go guard them before someone steals them!”

“I can see them from here,” Song You said. “Besides, the horse is still there.”

“Then you should go play! I will find food!”

“Are you playing too?”

“I’m finding food!”

“Ah, so it’s serious business.”

“Go play already,” the little girl urged him with a stern expression.

“I’d rather stay with you. I feel like that would be much more interesting,” Song You said after a brief pause. “Of course, I don’t have your skills, so I’ll need your guidance. Besides, I’d love to hear what advanced sea-foraging techniques you’ve discovered this morning.”

“Hmm...” The little girl hesitated for a moment.

Foraging by the sea was already incredibly fun—how could a cat not love it? But without a doubt, doing it together with the Daoist would make it even more enjoyable.

Lady Calico agreed.

Without a second thought, she abandoned the middle-aged woman she had successfully learned from, slung her satchel over her shoulder, and strode off on her two little white legs. As she walked, she kept glancing back at the Daoist, motioning for him to follow.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

At the same time, she began excitedly recounting her morning’s adventures. Her words were animated, her gestures exaggerated, painting a vivid picture of her experiences. Along the way, she eagerly displayed her spoils of the morning, proudly showing them off—just like a human child would.