Chapter 467: In the End, the Daoist Matters Most

The townspeople had dispersed, but such a commotion in the middle of the night naturally drew the attention of the neighborhood. Many curious onlookers quietly cracked open their side doors, peering out to see what had happened.

“

Creak

...”

Lady Calico closed the door, her arms full and heavy, then walked back to the stone table.

The table remained as it had been—dishes still sitting on top, the flickering lamp casting a warm glow over the surface and the small area around it.

But at this moment, she had no time to concern herself with the dishes. Instead, she eagerly reached into her pouch and began pulling out pieces of silver—one by one, handful by handful—placing them onto the table under the lamplight. She carefully examined each piece, counting with great focus.

“So much money!”

“Indeed...”

On the table lay two complete ten-tael girdled beehive silver, two more that had been cut in half, roughly making another full ingot when pieced together. Alongside them were several small silver fragments and silver nuggets. At a rough estimate, there was already over thirty taels of silver.

As for the copper coins that Lady Calico usually treated like treasures? At this moment, they were completely insignificant.

And this was only half of the original offering. No doubt, Yangdu was prosperous, and the people of the eastern side of the city were wealthy.

“Why did you only take half?”

“At that moment, I simply felt like taking half.”

“There’s so much money! I would have to catch and sell so many, so many fish to earn this much!” The little girl exclaimed. “If you had taken all of it, then we would have twice as much!”

“But you didn’t object either, did you?”

“Hmm...” The little girl responded naturally, shaking her head and saying, “I’m just your cat...”

“Lady Calico, you’re my travel companion.”

“But I listen to you!”

“That’s only because you’re still young, and I happen to be a few years older. Fortunately, you happen to be a sensible cat who is good at taking advice, so for now, you often listen to me.”

Song You spoke calmly, his tone genuine and sincere. “But don’t I sometimes listen to you as well?”

“Oh, that’s true...” The little girl nodded thoughtfully.

“Besides, Lady Calico, haven’t you noticed?” Song You continued. “As you’ve grown, studied diligently, and learned to think critically, I’ve started listening to you more and more.”

“Oh... that’s true...” The little girl paused, thinking back. Now that she really considered it, that was indeed the case.

For a moment, she couldn't help but be stunned, as a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.

Whenever she spoke and the Daoist actually listened, she had always felt a small sense of accomplishment, a quiet pride. But now, stringing all those moments together in her mind, carefully recalling and reflecting on them—especially when comparing herself to the clueless little calico cat she had once been—it felt utterly miraculous.

The most astonishing part was realizing that the once naive, ignorant calico cat had actually become capable. And the memory of the entire process of that transformation was etched deep in her mind, ready to be replayed at any time.

Once, she had been a cat that knew nothing, who only listened to the Daoist. And now—the Daoist sometimes listened to her. A cat was actually capable of making decisions for a human.

But what was most incredible was that the Daoist priest had acknowledged this himself out loud. That was different from hearing it from anyone else.

“You earned this yourself.” Song You’s voice carried its usual calm and unhurried rhythm. “Lady Calico, you’re already exceptionally intelligent, wise beyond most. And yet, despite that, you worked hard, studied diligently, and learned to think deeply. With such effort, it’s only natural that you’ve grown so quickly.”

His voice drifted into her ears once more, “At this rate, it won’t be long before you will be able to make all the big and small decisions yourself.”

“...!”

The little girl’s breath hitched for a moment. Her lowered hand instinctively clenched into a tiny fist. It seemed... She had to keep pushing forward.

“That’s right!” All of a sudden, she turned back and stared at him. “Then why didn’t you bring me along to earn money? I’m already very capable now!”

“Because you were still out selling fish and haven't returned yet, and I didn’t go out to fight demons either. I just lent them a bamboo staff and gave them a bit of advice, that’s all.” Song You gestured with his chin toward the bowls and chopsticks still sitting on the stone table. “Haven’t I been home cooking this whole time?”

“Then why do they respect you so much?”

Song You smiled. “Back when you were worshipped as a Cat God, didn’t the townspeople respect you just as much? It’s simply a matter of sincerity being met with sincerity.”

“Mmm...” The little girl fell into thoughtful silence.

But as she was lost in thought, something suddenly came to mind. Her expression stiffened, and she turned to stare at the Daoist. “But your staff was stolen.”

“The human heart is complex—greed is natural.”

“I will help you get it back!”

“No rush.”

“You don’t want it back?” The little girl widened her eyes, staring at him.

“Of course I do,” Song You replied, unbothered. “I just don’t need to take it back immediately. Let’s observe first. After all, it’s not like it’ll be lost for good.”

“

Phew

...” The little girl finally let out a relieved breath.

Lady Calico was sentimental about her belongings.

The three-colored robe she made eight years ago in Southern Art County—though she had grown taller, and though she could now use magic to change its form—its style remained the same.

The woven

bamao

ball she had played with when she first left Anqing—she had used it until it practically fell apart before reluctantly parting with it, even burying it properly.

The tri-colored cloth ball she made upon arriving in Changjing? It was still tucked away in her pouch—the same pouch she had made in Anqing, which had been with her for many years and only grew more cherished over time.

This attachment to old things was partly her nature and partly influenced by her Daoist priest.

So she naturally assumed he was sentimental too, that he thought the same way she did. After all, he had carried that staff for years—how heart-wrenching it must be to lose it.

“Then I’m going to wash the dishes.”

“Thank you, Lady Calico.”

“You put the money away properly!”

“I will.”

Satisfied, the little girl picked up the bowls and carried them toward the kitchen. The Daoist withdrew his gaze and began putting away the silver as well.

“Huo Erniu...” Song You murmured the name.

This was a first for him. He had never encountered such a situation before. And precisely because it was unfamiliar, he found it all the more interesting.

These days, there were many strange and curious folk legends circulating among the people. In some way, they reflected how people understood the world, the immortals, the arts of magic, and the supernatural.

Take, for example, a story close to Song You—the tale of the ancestor of the Zheng family in Zhengxi County and the Water-Splitting Blade.

According to folklore, the Zheng ancestor who claimed the Water-Splitting Blade as his own simply took it and left Yin River. As a result, the mighty River God of Yin River was unable to find him or do anything to him.

That was actually quite a logical story compared to some. There were some stories even more absurd.

It was said that in one particular place, there was once a Divine Elder—the current Celestial Emperor and the lord of the Heavenly Palace—who was originally just a mortal. However, he was exceptionally virtuous and had great charisma. The Celestial Emperor who ruled over the divine immortals at the time grew jealous of him and repeatedly sent divine beings to harm him, but all attempts failed.

So, the emperor descended to the mortal realm to investigate personally. Seizing the opportunity, the mortal stole the emperor’s royal chariot, drove it up to the heavens, dismissed all the officials, and selected new ones. Thus, he became the new Divine Elder.

In that small county, this story had spread widely, and many farmers and poor folk believed in it.

Of course, most legends were neither complete nor entirely true.

But no matter how much this Huo Erniu was influenced by such tales, he was still a reckless and brash man—at least, no ordinary person would dare to do something like this.

Song You remained calm and unbothered, simply returning to his room to sleep.

***

The next morning...

Half-asleep and still in a dreamlike state, Song You heard his cat nudging him and asking if he wanted to go find a bamboo staff today. He lazily responded, “No rush,” and pulled the blanket over his head to continue sleeping.

Then, he heard some noises in the room.

When he finally opened his eyes, Lady Calico had already prepared breakfast for him. She stood holding a fishing rod in one hand, a wooden bucket in the other, and had a straw hat slung on her back as she walked out.

But at this time, the sky was still barely lit.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going fishing...”

“But it’s not even fully bright yet.”

“This is the best time to fish.” The little girl stopped, turned around, and said seriously, “I made porridge for you. Make sure you eat it when you wake up.”

With that, she prepared to head out again.

“But...”

“Hm?” She paused again and turned to look at him. “But what?”

“But we just made a good sum of money yesterday.”

Song You didn’t continue by saying,

so there's no rush to earn more

. He understood his cat's stubbornness when it came to making money and fishing. If he said that, Lady Calico would either respond that it was him who earned the money, not her, or she would say that no matter how much money they made, they would eventually spend it all, and she’d explain it in such a logical way that he couldn't argue.

So instead, he simply said, “Since we made money, shouldn't we treat ourselves to a good meal?”

“A good meal?”

“And besides, the weather has been perfect lately. Spring is in full bloom—I’d love to go out and enjoy it...”

“Enjoy spring!”

“What do you think?”

“Uh...” The little girl, holding a fishing rod in one hand and a bucket in the other, turned slightly to look at him. Her eyes flickered with hesitation. Finally, she gave in, walked back, and put down the bucket and fishing rod.

“Alright then.”

“I'm honored that you’re willing to give up fishing just to accompany me for a spring outing. But... Lady Calico, you’re being silly,” Song You said. “The Yangjiang River flows west to east, passing right through the city. The best fishing spots are actually outside the city.”

“...!”

In an instant, the little girl grabbed the bucket and fishing rod again, lifted her head, and stared at him with a blank expression silently.

“You’ll have to wait for me to finish breakfast first.”

“Okay!”

Only then did Song You slowly get up. Meanwhile, Lady Calico held onto her bucket and fishing rod, keeping her eyes locked on him.

When Song You lazily went to wash up, Lady Calico followed right behind him, still holding the bucket and rod.

Then, Song You scooped porridge, peeled an egg, ate, and washed the dishes. Lady Calico still didn't put down the bucket or rod, never once looking away, never leaving his side.

At last, Song You finished eating and stepped out the door.

The little girl continued following closely.

A bridleless jujube-red horse trailed behind them, while a swallow fluttered through the sky. As they passed through the streets, many neighbors cast curious and puzzled glances their way.

Song You remained unhurried. On the way, he even stopped by the Li family's courtyard to visit the blind second uncle of the man surnamed Li. Seeing that the uncle’s condition was indeed beyond help, he inquired about Huo Erniu's usual behavior and the exact location where the uncle and his father had encountered the sinister being while walking at night.

Only after that, under Lady Calico's watchful gaze, did he buy some braised meat,

mantou

, and pastries. Then, they left the city, following the river eastward, stepping onto the grassy path as they journeyed on.

Outside the city, spring was in full bloom. Wildflowers covered the land, vibrant and full of life—but in truth, it was already getting a bit hot.