Chapter 469: Lady Calico Stands Guard, A Night Hunt for the Demon in the Residence

“Think carefully, everyone. If this so-called wicked entity truly possessed earth-shattering abilities, it would have either made a name for itself long ago or been out somewhere causing great havoc. If it were truly savage and relentless, committing endless evil deeds, then either the divine immortals would have already subdued it, or it would have started eating people by now.

“Why, then, would it be lurking in your residence, half-deceiving, half-threatening, and half-bargaining with you—relying on your offerings, demanding incense, blood, and food—only to be frightened into hiding the moment old Master Mr. Liao scolded it?”

The Daoist turned to the gathered group. “If that’s the case, what is there to fear?”

“You mean to say, Immortal Master...”

“If it were a truly formidable demon, it wouldn’t be so easy meeting one, and such creatures wouldn’t dare to roam the city so casually. And if you did encounter one, you’d have died long before now. Most of the spirits and demons that appear in the city are nothing more than minor creatures, barely capable of causing real harm,” Song You spoke patiently, his voice sincere.

“People often assume that demons and spirits are overwhelmingly powerful. In truth, they are far less fearsome than imagined. A stray cat, dog, or wild hare that has just gained sentience can still be beaten to death with a single stick. When ordinary demons emerge to harm people, there are always ways to deal with them.”

The members of the Liao family pondered his words, looking deep in thought.

Beside them, the little girl nodded repeatedly. She was a cat, after all. She had the right to speak on this.

But a cat that had grown powerful? Now that was another matter. Take, for example, Lady Calico.

“Whether demons, ghosts, or malevolent entities—if they dare to run amok in the city, I believe they rely on just two things.”

“What two things?”

“The first is human fear. People are afraid of them at first sight and dare not fight back. The second is human ignorance. People don’t understand what they are or what abilities they possess. But the truth is, the vast majority of spirits and demons are neither stronger nor smarter than humans.”

Song You paused for a moment before continuing:

“If people stopped fearing them, their strength would be halved. In fact, many demons and spirits are actually afraid of bold individuals. And if people were willing to use their minds, to understand what these creatures are, what their powers and weaknesses are, then those beings would lose seventy to eighty percent of their threat. At that point, the battle would already be won.”

“Immortal Master, your words are profound. We have never heard such wisdom before,” Mr. Liao said, eyes wide with amazement. He was both surprised and convinced. His mind wandered to the old books he had read, the tales of men triumphing over demons and ghosts, and he realized—it made sense.

“It’s simply the truth,” Song You said with a smile. “Take that golden toad, for instance. If you had simply buried it back under the tree roots, melted it in fire, or sent it to a temple or monastery earlier, it would have been destroyed. The only problem was that you hesitated and missed your chance.”

“Then...”

The Liao family exchanged glances before the middle-aged man who had spoken first stepped forward, cupping his hands.

“Immortal Master, what is your plan?”

“My only advice is to treat it as if it were a person.”

“A person?”

“Exactly.”

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, Song You was well aware that the surrounding neighbors were eavesdropping out of curiosity. He paid no mind to them.

He didn’t step inside the courtyard, nor did he lower his voice, but instead spoke as naturally as ever, “You must understand—almost no demon or spirit is smarter than a human. They may have strengths, but they also have weaknesses.

“They have desires, and therefore, they have fears. Simply think of it as a person. Consider what abilities it might have, where it might be hiding, and prepare thoroughly. Then, you can capture it with ease.”

“Where it might be hiding...”

“Exactly.” Song You nodded. “That demon must either be a golden toad that has gained enlightenment or a spirit possessing the golden toad statue. It cannot simply vanish into thin air. Either it’s hiding somewhere within your residence, or it has used some kind of illusion to conceal itself. Since it still demands offerings—incense, blood, and food—it will eventually have to reveal itself to consume them.”

Hearing this, everyone felt his reasoning was sound.

Yet, they still exchanged uneasy glances, hesitant and nervous.

“My advice is this: after you return home, conduct a thorough search of your courtyard first. If you cannot find it, then hide near the altar and wait for it to appear. If you’re worried that it might be invisible, sprinkle a layer of fine ash on the ground. If you fear you won’t be able to subdue it, hire a few martial artists, or call upon your distant relative who works at the

yamen

.

“Most importantly, throughout the entire process, no one must show the slightest bit of fear or hesitation. Keep your minds clear, with only one thought—to capture it and grind its bones to dust. This mindset alone will render many of its tricks ineffective against you.”

“We will remember your advice, but if this creature turns out to be more powerful than we can handle, what should we do?”

“Since you’ve already come to seek my aid, I won’t send you into danger without support.” Song You paused briefly. “Originally, I had a bamboo staff that I was quite accustomed to using. A while ago, I lent it to the Li family for exorcising spirits, but recently, a reckless man borrowed it and has yet to return it.

“However, you are in luck—I have an attendant by my side, one of extraordinary talent, gifted in divine powers and well-versed in banishing demons. If she accompanies you, there will be no risk at all.”

The group immediately turned their heads toward Song You’s side.

What they saw was a little girl—one hand holding a bucket, the other gripping a fishing rod. She was pale-skinned, delicate, and strikingly beautiful. However, her expression was stern, her posture upright as she stared back at them with sharp, unblinking eyes.

“Uh...”

“Do not underestimate my Lady Calico.” Song You smiled. “Back in Changjing, she was renowned for her expertise in capturing ghosts and exorcising demons. Many noble figures in the court had invited her to their residences.”

“I would never dare!”

The Liao family members hurriedly waved their hands in denial before turning to cup their hands toward the little girl. “Then thank you, Lady... Lady”

“I am Lady Calico!”

“Then thank you, Lady Calico.”

“,,,!”

The little girl remained serious and silent, saying nothing more. She simply lifted her bucket and stepped forward, pulling out a key to unlock the door before walking inside.

“Please wait here,” Song You told the others before following her in.

Lady Calico first returned to the kitchen, placing the two fish into a water basin. She then scooped some water to wash out the wooden bucket, put away the fishing rod, and finally, pulled out the money they had earned from selling fish.

“Here, keep the money. I’m off to make big money now.”

“Remember, Lady Calico, your priority is to protect them. Capturing the demon is secondary. If they can catch it themselves, let them do it. If they’re too clumsy, then teach them, guide them. And only if they truly can’t manage—then you can step in yourself.”

“Why?”

“Yangzhou has been rich and comfortable for too long. We won’t be staying much longer. They need to learn how to handle demons on their own.”

“Oh, that’s true...” The little girl nodded, as if she understood. But soon after, she furrowed her brows. “Will this really make big money?”

“Just let fate decide.” Song You paused, then added, “I think they run a bookstore. Haven’t you already finished your travelogue? If you want it to be published and distributed, maybe they can help.”

“Oh... that’s true...”

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Lady Calico.”

“You’re welcome!”

“Go on, then.”

Song You ruffled her hair.

The little girl didn’t dodge or resist, just stood there seriously, patiently waiting for him to finish. Only then did she sling her pouch over her shoulder, turn, and walk out.

The Liao family members respectfully escorted her back to their residence.

The swallow still followed quietly behind.

Song You, unhurried as ever, went back to cleaning the fish and preparing dinner. Tonight, he’d make a simple home-cooked fish dish.

***

The Liao family’s courtyard was quite large. It had already been passed down to the third generation.

Yet today, none of them dared to stay inside. Instead, they had gathered under a large banyan tree at the entrance of the alley, huddled together in discussion.

The little girl stood off to the side, pouch slung over her shoulder, facing the Liao family residence. Her nose twitched as she kept sniffing the air.

The scent of incense lingered in that direction—along with the foul stench of an evil qi.

If Lady Calico simply followed these scents, she’d surely be able to find the creature hiding within. If she started now, she might even make it back in time for dinner.

But at the moment...

She darted her eyes sideways, glancing at the group beside her. Most likely, she wouldn’t make it in time.

Voices drifted into her ears.

The middle-aged man was recounting everything—their chance encounter with Mr. Liao’s eldest son today, how they learned about last night’s events, how another family in the eastern part of the city had recently been afflicted by a spirit, and how they had dealt with it. He described everything in vivid detail, including their visit to the immortal master in the east of the city and his teachings.

And then, he began persuading the others.

The little girl simply stood in place, calm and composed. The most she did was tilt her head side to side, occasionally glancing around curiously.

It was late spring, just at the cusp of summer. The sky at dusk was lively—golden-edged clouds shifted endlessly in shape, painted by the setting sun.

Insects flitted about. Bats had started to emerge, and the swallows had returned.

Lady Calico really wanted to turn back into a cat, find a high spot, and leap up whenever a bat or swallow flew by, catching one mid-air.

...Oh, but that was their swallow. Never mind, then.

She turned her head again, gazing at the group beside her.

The expressions of the gathered crowd gradually shifted—from fear and unease to fierce determination. Especially the elderly among them, whose eyes burned with a steely resolve, as if each of them had the tenacity to battle demons and ghosts. Even Lady Calico couldn't help but feel a little uncertain upon seeing their sheer ruthlessness.

Finally, someone stepped forward toward her.

“Lady Calico...” The middle-aged man who had sought her out earlier cupped his hands in greeting. “We have made our decision. We will return to the house immediately and find that thing!”

“Alright!” The little girl nodded. “I will protect you!”

“Thank you, Lady Calico.”

“Lead the way!”

“Yes...”

The group took the lead, with the little girl following behind.

With a creak, the main doors were pushed open.

She still carried her pouch over her shoulder, sniffing the air as her eyes swept from side to side. After a brief scan, she retracted her gaze and said nothing. Without hesitation, she turned and leaped onto the courtyard wall, settling down into a seated position.

Everyone was stunned by her sudden movement.

“You all go ahead and search,” she said with a serious expression.

“Follow the plan!”

The doors were shut behind them, and the house was instantly abuzz with activity.

With over twenty family members in the household, plus a few close relatives, at least several dozen people moved as one. First, they fetched flour from the kitchen and sprinkled a thin layer throughout the house. Then, they split into groups of two or three, each armed with sticks, wooden clubs, or hatchets, carrying torches as they began their search.

No corner of the house was left unchecked—inside and out, from the floors to the ceiling. Even the water vats were moved aside for inspection, and the roof beams were climbed up to sweep away the dust.

Whenever unease crept into their hearts, a single glance at the small figure sitting atop the courtyard wall reassured them.

The commotion grew so loud that even the neighbors couldn’t help but gather outside, drawn by curiosity.

Upon hearing that they were hunting a demon, the entire street was left in utter shock.