Chapter 436: Setting Off for Yangzhou

At the coastal wastelands in Lan'an County, Langzhou Province...

The shouts of the local tribesmen echoed through the hills.

“There it goes!”

“Block it! Block it!”

“It’s getting away!”

Several young, strong tribesmen were chasing after a jujube-red horse, running wildly across the slopes.

The sound of jingling bells rang through the mountains.

But upon closer inspection, it seemed less like the tribesmen were chasing the horse and more like the horse was toying with the tribesmen.

The tribesmen, swift as the wind, raced up and down the rugged terrain, trying to corner the horse. However, as anyone would expect, humans couldn’t outrun a horse. If the jujube-red horse truly wanted to flee, it could easily lose them in the dense, dangerous forest within moments.

But this horse didn’t do that.

Instead, it chose to run slowly, keeping just enough distance between itself and the tribesmen to stay ahead.

When the tribesmen fell behind, it would slow down. When they got closer, it would speed up just a bit—just enough to make them think that if they pushed a little harder, they could catch it.

Even so, the tribesmen quickly became exhausted, panting heavily as they bent over, resting their hands on their knees to catch their breath. When this happened, the horse would stop and casually graze on the grass. If its figure was hidden by trees, it would even take a few steps forward to make sure they could still see it.

With its wide field of vision, thanks to its eyes positioned on the sides of its head, the horse could easily keep an eye on the movements of the tired tribesmen while munching on grass.

Time and again, it gave them hope, only to dash it moments later.

“This horse is messing with us!”

“I don’t care—I’m going to catch it today!”

“Charge!”

A few of the tribesmen charged forward once again.

But this time, the jujube-red horse didn’t head uphill. Instead, it trotted gracefully down the slope with small, elegant steps.

At the bottom of the hill, among the coconut trees, a young Daoist with a pouch slung over his shoulder was walking toward the horse. The pouch carried Lady Calico, who peeked out occasionally as they made their way forward.

“Neighhh...”

The jujube-red horse stopped next to the Daoist, becoming quiet and obedient. It followed him and stood still at his side without making a fuss.

“Long time no see,” Song You said as he gently stroked the horse’s neck.

The horse remained silent.

Meanwhile, Lady Calico poked her head out of the pouch, glancing once at the familiar horse before turning her gaze back toward the grasslands, eyes sharp and focused on the movements in the distance.

Moments later, several tribesmen emerged from the grass and underbrush. Their eyes immediately locked on the jujube-red horse standing peacefully beside the Daoist, who was stroking its neck and speaking softly to it. The sight stunned them for a moment.

“Huh?” The tribesmen exchanged puzzled glances.

Although they didn’t share a common language with Song You and couldn’t communicate, the scene before them was enough to explain everything. They realized that the jujube-red horse wasn’t a wild horse, nor was it a runaway—it had clearly found its master.

Seeing that the young Daoist wasn’t some dangerous or malevolent person, they quickly left the area, muttering complaints as they disappeared into the forest.

Song You continued stroking the horse’s neck, a soft smile on his face. “It seems like your time here hasn’t been any less exciting than our time out at sea.”

“Snort...”

The jujube-red horse snorted softly in response.

Just then, the weight in the pouch shifted, first heavier, then lighter—Lady Calico had leapt to the ground, landing gracefully. She held a small flag in her mouth.

“Boom...”

A few streams of black smoke hit the ground and transformed into large wolves.

“What do you intend to do?”

“These people chased my horse all over the mountains. That was extremely annoying. So, I’ve called a few wolves to chase them around for a bit,” the cat said sternly, placing the command flag on the ground.

Meanwhile, the wolves had already darted off into the forest.

“Awooo...”

Moments later, the tribesmen’s startled shouts echoed through the woods, followed by the sounds of frantic running.

Song You didn’t stop the cat. Instead, he asked curiously, “You yourself are often chased by people. Why have you never done something like this before?”

“That’s different!” The cat turned her head and looked up at him, eyes fixed on his face.

“How so?” The Daoist continued stroking the horse’s neck, meeting the cat’s gaze.

“Humans are supposed to chase cats. Cats are supposed to be chased by humans. And besides, the cat they’re chasing is me. I don't hold it against them,” the cat said, her words a bit broken and halting but clear in meaning.

Song You understood her.

For some reason, his mind suddenly drifted back to a night seven or eight years ago, shortly after leaving Yidu. They had camped on a mountain, stargazing before bed. Lady Calico and the horse had slept snuggled up together.

Back then, the cat rarely slept next to him. Most of the time, she curled up beside the horse.

“Lady Calico, you truly have a kind heart,” Song You said with a gentle smile. “But you know, they didn’t realize how special our horse is. To them, it just looked like an ordinary, unclaimed horse. It’s similar to when you see valuable fish or shrimp on the beach and want to take them home.

“These people just wanted to take the horse home too. Their intentions weren’t bad. It’s impressive that you care more about the horse’s feelings than your own. You’re willing to stand up for the horse, even when you’d normally let such things slide. But in this situation, you can be just as forgiving as you are with people who chase you.”

“Snort...”

The horse let out a soft snort, as if agreeing with the Daoist.

“...?”

The cat alternated between staring at him and glancing at the jujube-red horse. After thinking it over, she shook her head a few times, then lowered her head, picked up the small flag, and signaled the wolves to return.

“You’re right...”

The cat returned, carrying the small flag in her mouth. She stood upright on her hind legs, paws resting against the Daoist’s leg as she lifted the flag high, signaling for him to put it back into the pouch.

“You’re quick to accept good advice.”

“

Quick to accept good advice...”

A man, a cat, and a horse turned and began making their way toward the seashore.

As they walked, the Daoist spoke casually to the horse, “You’ve definitely been picking up bad habits from Lady Calico...”

“

Meow

?”

“Nothing.”

“

Meow

?”

“I’m just thinking about when we should leave. There are still a few days until the Beginning of Autumn officially begins. Maybe we should stay until then, so you can enjoy yourself a bit longer, Lady Calico... Gather more food, and we can sell the boat before we go.”

“Oh, right!”

Lady Calico’s attention was instantly diverted.

For the next few days, the cat happily continued her seaside adventures. She often took the swallow and the horse along with her, wandering along the coastline for li.

She had enjoyed her seaside foraging even back in the Little Kingdom.

Compared to those times, however, things felt a little different here. There were no tiny people struggling to catch a small fish or needing an armored squad just to handle a large crab. She didn’t get to watch them tirelessly digging up a nautilus with shovels, only to marvel at her every effortless success. Without their gasps of amazement and cheers, she found there was slightly less excitement.

But on the other hand, everything she collected now either went straight into her or the Daoist’s bellies, was dried and stored as future provisions, or could be sold at the market for money. This gave her a different sense of accomplishment.

In any case, she remained completely immersed in the experience, unable to pull herself away.

***

Without realizing it, the Beginning of Autumn arrived.

By midday, the sun shone brightly, casting small patches of shadow beneath the thick coconut trees along the beach.

“Congratulations, Lady Calico, you’ve grown another year older.”

“Hmm...”

“This morning, I took the little wooden boat to the boat market to sell it. Can you guess how much it sold for?”

“How much?”

“Guess.”

“A hundred taels!”

“...”

Song You continued digging and covering Lady Calico with sand as he replied, “Try again.”

“Then how much?”

“Three taels and six qian.”

“Three taels and six qian?”

“Yep, exactly three taels and six qian.”

“But doesn’t that mean...”

The cat lay on her back in the sand pit, completely still as the sand buried her up to her belly. She didn’t resist at all, only glanced down at her half-buried body with slight confusion. But there was something even more puzzling occupying her thoughts, so she ignored it and kept her gaze fixed on the Daoist. “Doesn’t that mean our money didn’t really decrease?”

“Exactly, it’s like we went out to sea without spending anything.”

“Yes, yes! That’s exactly what I mean!”

“Exactly.”

“Why are you trying to bury me?”

“...”

Song You placed the final handful of sand over her chest, patting it down firmly until only her head remained above the surface. He stood up, not bothering to answer her question. Instead, he picked up a stick, planted it into the sand like a marker, and walked off to cook lunch.

On the fire was a freshly steamed common coral trout, its skin split to reveal layers of snow-white, flaky meat. A variety of crabs had also been steamed, their shells glistening, and a silky steamed sea urchin egg custard had been prepared.

He tossed a sea jelly salad and grilled a few skewers of shrimp—this was today’s lunch.

A meal that was both abundant and simple, needing only one pot to prepare. It was a rare birthday feast without a single mouse on the menu.

Lady Calico crawled out of the sand and shook herself off, though it was unclear if she had fully shaken away the grains. Not that it mattered—she didn’t care at all about what the Daoist had done to her. She was as well-behaved as ever and ate her meal with great enthusiasm.

After finishing the meal, Song You began packing up their belongings. Lady Calico busied herself collecting the dried shrimp and fish that had been laid out to dry on the beach rocks. She also climbed a few trees to pick some coconuts, adding them to their provisions for the journey.

The next morning, the weather was still beautiful. On the horizon, the rising sun glowed like a drop of crimson rouge.

Song You sat cross-legged on the beach rocks, his clothes damp from the morning dew. The night’s autumnal spiritual energy had brought him great insights, and now he simply sat there, calmly watching the sunrise.

As far as grandeur and awe went, the beach sunrise couldn’t compare to what one could witness out at sea.

But that beauty was a reward granted only to those brave enough to venture deep into the ocean, unafraid of the high winds and turbulent waves.

The sun slowly rose higher, and the world brightened with its glow.

“Huff...”

The Daoist exhaled a breath of white mist as he stood up, dusting off his robes. When he turned around, the young girl had already packed up the wool mats and blankets into a stuffed bag, which she placed neatly beside her.

The jujube-red horse stood patiently nearby, waiting for him.

Song You picked up the bag and carefully secured it onto the horse’s back. As soon as he extended his hand, the young girl handed him his bamboo staff.

“Thank you, Lady Calico.”

“You’re welcome!”

“Let’s go.”

With his staff in hand, the Daoist began walking forward.

The jujube-red horse jingled its bells as it followed, almost identical to how things had been seven or eight years ago when they first left Yizhou.

Lady Calico trotted along with small steps, staying close behind him. But her gaze lingered longingly on the beach, and she frequently turned her head to look back. Every now and then, she would veer off the path to climb a high spot and take one last look at the vast, endless sea.

“There will be plenty of seas along the way,” the Daoist said, not looking back, as if he could sense the reluctance in her heart.

“I know...”

Of course, Lady Calico knew that.

But this was the first sea she had ever known. It held the memories of her first time foraging by the shore and was the starting point of her journey to the many kingdoms across the ocean. How could any sea ahead compare to this one?

She could only hope it wouldn’t change—that it would always stay like this. At least, until she returned next time.