Chapter 432: A Different Perspective

Song You stood on the beach, lowering his gaze to the ground.

The sand on the beach in the Little Kingdom wasn’t as fine as the beaches of Langzhou’s Lan'an County or the sandy shores of the Cat Kingdom. To someone of normal size, looking down would reveal a beach of somewhat coarser grains, nothing particularly unusual. But now, with his body reduced to the size of a palm and his feet barely the size of a fingertip joint, the beach seemed much closer.

It was as if the sand had turned into countless tiny pebbles. Yet, these weren’t ordinary pebbles.

What had once appeared as a plain white and yellow beach now looked as if it were sprinkled with colorful stones and crystals.

The variety of colors was astonishing.

Song You couldn’t help but bend down, scooping up a handful of sand. Among the grains, there were still fine particles of sand.

Some grains were indeed as fine as what he had seen before—or even finer. But what had previously seemed like normal fine sand had now transformed in his palm into an assortment of vibrantly colored, oddly shaped little stones.

The colors were dazzling, with varying shades of depth and brightness.

Their shapes were surprisingly diverse, beyond anything he had imagined. Some were covered in intricate patterns, while others were crystal-clear, resembling gemstones that shimmered and reflected sunlight.

“What are you looking at?” The cat’s voice sounded beside him.

After asking, Lady Calico couldn’t help but lift her head and glance at the sky, fixing her gaze on the seagull that had been circling above for some time. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it had ill intentions.

“I’m looking at the sand.”

“What’s so special about the sand?”

“It's beautiful.”

“Hasn’t sand always looked like this?”

“Yeah...”

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Song You couldn’t help but smile, finding it amusing.

What was once an ordinary patch of sand now, when viewed from a different perspective, had transformed into a collection of stunning, colorful stones and gems.

“Sir, welcome to the Little Kingdom.”

Song You looked up to see the white dog waiting ahead, tilting its head as it addressed him, “Please follow me.”

“Thank you.”

Song You brushed the sand from his hands and let the grains fall, surprised to hear the soft sound they made as they hit the ground. This small detail made him smile even more as he tapped his bamboo staff and continued forward.

The cat followed at a leisurely pace, not in any hurry.

“Whoosh!”

Suddenly, the seagull swooped down from the sky.

At that very moment, the cat, who had been trailing some distance behind Song You, seemed as though she had been expecting this. She burst into action with a sudden explosion of speed, leaping forward in an instant.

“Pounce!”

How skilled was Lady Calico at hunting?

Before the seagull could even get close to Song You, before it could reach the ground, and before it had time to react, the cat had already leapt into the air and caught it with her claws, slamming it onto the beach.

“Thud, thud, thud...”

The seagull flapped its wings in a desperate struggle, but it was futile. Lady Calico had bitten through its neck midair, and now, the only thing it accomplished was spreading its blood more evenly across the sand.

Lady Calico loosened her grip, her mouth stained with blood. She turned to glance at her Daoist companion, only to see him walking calmly ahead without so much as a backward glance. His small, short legs moved slowly, but he had already covered quite a bit of distance.

“Hmm...”

How interesting.

Lady Calico licked her lips clean, looked up at the swallow flying in the sky, and finally, with some reluctance, released the seagull. She gave a little trot and quickly caught up to him.

“Daoist priest, you’ve gotten so small that even the birds want to eat you.”

“What should we do then?”

“I will protect you!”

“Then I must thank you, Lady Calico.”

“You’re welcome!”

The cat walked with a serious expression, sticking closely by his side.

This time, she wasn’t lazily trailing behind. Instead, she stayed nearly glued to him, moving step for step.

“There aren’t many of those vicious seagulls in the Little Kingdom,” the white dog explained as they walked. “There are only about a dozen of them, most having been blown here by strong winds. While they pose some threat to the citizens, they’re not a major concern. Normally, as long as people don’t go to the beach, they won’t fly into the forest. If people need to go to the beach to gather seafood, they are usually escorted by the army.”

The white dog wasn’t particularly worried that the seabird would pose any threat to Song You. After all, the size difference between this seabird and Song You was nowhere near as great as the gap between Song You and the Sea Dragon King or the white rhinoceros giant from the day before. “I suppose, sir, you might even find this amusing...”

“Oh? What is it?”

“These dozen or so seagulls aren’t just random creatures. In the Little Kingdom, each one has a name and reputation. The one you just encountered was called ‘Skyrush Demon.’ And now, this so-called demon has met its end under the claws of your cat.”

“Heh...” Song You couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

It really was quite amusing.

Lady Calico, however, had a slightly strange expression on her face.

What used to be a short walk across the beach now felt ten times longer. Previously, Lady Calico had to trot quickly to keep up with the Daoist, but now, she often had to stop and wait for him. After a while, the trio—one man, one cat, and one dog—finally crossed the beach and entered the forest.

Inside, there was a narrow path, much like a mouse trail.

A few officials from the Little Kingdom, dressed in official robes, stood on the path waiting for them. When they spotted Lady Calico walking behind the Daoist, they looked visibly nervous.

The white dog quickly trotted forward to explain the situation.

After hearing the explanation, the officials relaxed a little and politely greeted the Daoist and the cat, even though Lady Calico was staring at them with her wide eyes.

“Greetings, Mr. Song. Greetings, Lady Calico.”

“This is Lord Wen, Vice Minister of Revenue of Little Kingdom,” the white dog explained, lifting a paw and pointing to each of the officials. “This is Lord Yan, the imperial secretary, and the others...”

The white dog carefully introduced them one by one. “As for Mr. Song and Lady Calico, I’ve already given them an introduction about you.”

“Greetings, esteemed lords,” Song You said, bowing respectfully.

“Greetings, esteemed lords...” Lady Calico followed softly, bowing her head slightly.

“As you’re esteemed guests from afar, we have prepared a grand reception to welcome you both properly.”

“I’ve heard that many of your citizens were originally from the Great Yan empire?”

“Yes, most of us were once subjects of the Great Yan, having fled here due to war, famine, or accidental misfortune.”

“Then we are fellow countrymen.”

“That gives us all the more reason to host you warmly.”

“I appreciate the hospitality.” Song You smiled faintly, eager to explore further.

“Please, this way.”

“Alright...”

Song You followed them forward, walking quietly while observing everything around him, lost in thought.

At first glance, the world seemed unchanged—only he had shrunk. But in reality, everything had changed.

What was once mere grass barely reaching his foot had now grown as tall as a person, transforming into a forest thick enough to obscure his view. The weeds that had previously only brushed his knees were now dense woodlands.

This wasn’t simply a matter of having a lower vantage point. It was as if the entire world had shifted in scale and perspective.

Just like the beach, where each grain of sand had suddenly become remarkable, or this grassland, where ordinary plants now seemed extraordinary.

Song You stopped in front of a single blade of grass.

It was early morning, and dew still clung to the greenery. The slender blade of grass bent under the weight of a glistening dew droplet, which shimmered at its tip, reluctant to fall but heavy enough to curve the grass downward.

Song You gazed at it calmly.

The dew droplet was much larger than what one would normally see in everyday life, resembling a crystal sphere—clear and translucent, faintly reflecting his image. Even the tiny insect crawling inside it could be seen with perfect clarity.

“Sir...”

“I’m coming.”

Song You cast one last glance at the dew droplet before turning and walking away.

Ahead, a water channel blocked their path. The cat and the dog easily leapt over it, but Song You used a small wooden branch as a bridge to cross.

The world had become fascinating and strange.

This was a brand-new perspective.

By the time Song You had reached this point, he was already certain—

Even if he didn’t manage to find the Eastern Soil during this trip, the insights and experiences he had gained would make the journey worthwhile.

“Previously, Mr. Bai mentioned that you’ve come to the Little Kingdom seeking a heavenly treasure hidden at sea,” said Lord Wen, walking alongside Song You with a military officer guarding him.

He turned his head cautiously and asked, “This treasure is the reason why our citizens have become small. Given your great power and magical abilities, we know we can’t stop you from taking it. But if you do take this treasure, what will become of our nation?”

“...”

Song You, who had just been studying a “giant” insect by the side of the path, lifted his gaze and addressed the officials in front of him, “The reason the people of the Little Kingdom have become small is due to the mystical spiritual resonance of this place.

“I cannot say for certain whether the mystical spiritual resonance here gave birth to the Eastern Soil or whether the Eastern Soil brought this mystical spiritual resonance to the area. What I do know is that this piece of Eastern Soil did not originate specifically for the underworld of Great Yan.”

He continued, “The concept of the underworld in Great Yan only developed in the last few hundred years, and it has only been actively forming in the last decade. Meanwhile, the Eastern Soil existed long before that. In fact, before this particular piece of Eastern Soil, another piece had already been used to help establish Great Yan’s Heavenly Palace.”

The insect’s hard exoskeleton gleamed with the metallic sheen of tempered steel, and after the rain, its body was immaculately clean, so much so that it reflected Song You’s image. Its beauty was the kind of thing that would usually go unnoticed, even if observed closely.

“We don’t understand these profound mysteries,” Lord Wen admitted, “but we do care deeply about the survival and prosperity of our nation. Please, speak plainly.”

“The mystical spiritual resonance of this land won’t disappear quickly,” Song You explained. “Even if I take this piece of Eastern Soil, it will eventually give birth to a new one. This much, the spiritual resonance of this land has conveyed to me.”

His eyes followed a butterfly fluttering gracefully through the air before continuing, “There will be some impact on the surrounding nations of this sea, but it won’t be significant. The likelihood of you all returning to your original size is low. What will most likely happen is that this sea region will lose much of its previous mystery, and more outsiders will be able to find their way here. But don’t worry—I will take measures to address this.”

“What if we do return to our original size?”

“You should know that regardless of the circumstances, the Eastern Soil will be used to help form the underworld,” Song You said, meeting the gaze of the officials. “Just like when the Five-Directions Soil were gathered to establish the Heavenly Palace, my taking it now will only speed up the process by a few decades.

“As for the possibility that you may return to your original size, I have been considering it along the way and have prepared two contingency plans for you.”

“Please, do tell,” one of the officials urged.

“First, I can help locate more uninhabited islands nearby where you can relocate and live.

“Second, I can negotiate with the coastal officials of Great Yan on your behalf. The county magistrate of Langzhou’s Lan'an County is a just and capable leader. Under his governance, Lan'an County has been thriving, and he has long sought to improve the region further but has struggled due to a lack of people to cultivate and develop the land.

“If you are willing, this could be a great opportunity for you to return to Great Yan. Those among you who are educated and talented could easily find government positions there.”

“Oh?” Lord Wen’s interest was piqued. “What is the current state of Great Yan?”

“It is a time of prosperity,” Song You replied with a faint smile.

“We’ve heard much about it...”

The official seemed genuinely tempted by the prospect.

Song You wasn’t surprised.

In this era, Great Yan was the center of the world. Many nobles and royalty from smaller nations longed to visit Great Yan and settle in Changjing, its capital. Its civilization and prosperity were naturally a source of admiration and aspiration for many.

Song You simply waited patiently for them to take their time and consider their options.

As they continued walking, military officers offered them dew collected from grass blades to drink, and attendants scooped honey from flowers for them to taste. If they grew hungry along the way, a single wild fruit was large enough to be shared among several people.

Eventually, they simply rode on the back of the white dog as it carried them forward. Slowly but surely, they reached the border of the Little Kingdom.