Chapter 471: Lady Calico is Already a Grown-Up

Song You waited all night at home.

At first, he waited in bed, then in the courtyard, and eventually, he moved to the stone steps at the entrance, sitting there until morning.

It wasn’t until daybreak, when the sun was already high in the sky, that his Lady Calico finally strolled back through the small alleyway.

Her old, worn pouch was slung over her shoulder. She walked leisurely, just like a child returning from school.

The moment the Daoist spotted her, she spotted him as well. Song You pressed his lips together.

The little girl, however, was visibly surprised.

“Daoist priest, why are you sitting here?”

“It’s cooler outside.”

“Isn’t it cool inside the courtyard?”

“I can't catch the breeze from the alley entrance.”

“A breeze!”

The little girl paused at the doorstep. Her small figure stood there, staring straight at him.

Song You then stood up, patted his already ice-cold backside, and asked while unlocking the door, “Why did you come back so late?”

“It’s morning now.”

“Then why come back so early?”

“To make money...”

The little girl answered casually as she passed him, lifting her legs high to step sideways over the threshold before walking inside.

She actually looked quite proper doing it.

Song You naturally followed behind and asked, “Did you have a smooth time catching the demon last night?”

“Very smooth. I hardly had to help at all. Those people were stronger than I expected.”

She stopped at the stone table in the courtyard, bent down, and reached into her pouch. Then, one by one, she pulled out three ingots of girdled beehive silver and placed them on the table.

“This is the money I made last night.”

“That much?!”

“I learned from you—only took half. Since I didn’t help much.”

She spoke seriously, adding,

“But this is enough to last us for a long time. We won’t buy the expensive stuff.”

“

Flutter, flutter, flutter

...”

A swallow flitted back, perching on the rooftop.

Song You replied offhandedly,

“I don’t often buy expensive things either. Besides, even if we spend money, it just goes back to the people. When we need money again, we simply take from the people—just like you did last night. So in the end, it’s not really wasting money. Instead, it means we don’t have to carry heavy coin purses while traveling the world.”

He then added, “Though, no matter how we look at it, this money is more than enough for us to travel back to Changjing.”

“Nonsense...”

“Then let’s not talk about that. Instead, why don’t you tell me about last night?” Song You sat down on the stone stool. “I’m curious—how exactly were those people so formidable?”

“There was an old man, very clever.”

Lady Calico, still carrying her pouch, stood very close to Song You, rubbing her eyes as she spoke.

“That golden load was hiding at first. No one could find it, and no one could see it. But the old man tricked them—he said he was going to burn the house down, and that scared the golden toad into coming out.”

The little girl continued, “And there were a lot of martial artists. They were really brave and really fierce. One of them was the bravest and the fiercest of all. That golden load started spewing out black smoke all over its body. I was going to jump down and help, but then that man just used a metal basin and covered it up! He even stepped on it, and the golden load couldn’t get out.”

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“Golden toad.”

“Golden load!” she corrected stubbornly.

“And then?”

“Then they asked me what to do next.”

“And what did you say?”

“I jumped down from the wall, caught the golden load, and smacked it a few times. I told it to undo all the evil spells it had placed on people. By the time it finished, it was nearly dawn. Then, I asked a few questions. After that, I wanted to breathe fire on it and burn it to death immediately. But then I remembered what you said, so I didn’t.”

The little girl paused, then added, “Instead, I told them to borrow a pot for melting silver. They burned it to death that way. And then they gave me money.”

Song You chuckled. “Lady Calico, you’re truly wise beyond your years.”

“Of course!”

“What questions did you ask it?”

“I asked for its name, where it came from, when it gained sentience, and why it harmed people.”

The little girl paused, rubbing her eyes again. Her expression remained serious.

“It said its name was Gold God of Wealth. A long time ago, a big family used to worship it in their home. But then war broke out, and everyone in that family died. That’s when it gained sentience. After that, lots of different people kept worshiping it.

“Eventually, someone sealed it away, locked it inside a box, and buried it underground. From then on, it didn’t know anything anymore. Just recently, it woke up when it heard people walking above it.”

“Oh?” Song You smiled, tilting his head. “How did you think of asking those questions?”

“I learned it from you.”

“I see...”

“You would definitely have asked those questions!”

“Absolutely right.”

“Lady Calico, you’re very smart!”

“Naturally.” Song You nodded. “And why did it harm people?”

“It didn’t know. Or it forgot.” The little girl said, frowning slightly. “I think it was just evil. It just wanted to harm people.”

“Most likely, yes.”

“That’s right!”

“Lady Calico, you truly have a keen mind and extraordinary wisdom.” This time, Song You spoke with utmost sincerity, his words genuine and heartfelt. Then, he reached out and ruffled her hair. “You’re already sleepy. Go on and rest.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I slept for a little while last night,” Song You replied. “You’ve contributed immensely. You should rest well.”

“Are you going to find your staff?”

“No rush.”

“Then wait a bit. When the sun is that high, call for me, so I can go fishing.” The little girl was indeed getting drowsy. She took off her shoulder bag and held it in her hands, but she still didn't forget to remind her Daoist priest, “If you're going out to earn money, remember to call for me too.”

“Go to sleep now.”

“Alright.”

The little girl then picked up all three silver pieces and walked back into the room. First, she put the silver away properly, then carefully hung up her shoulder bag. Only after that did she

poof

into a cat, leaping onto the bed and curling up by the window to sleep in the sunlight.

Song You, of course, never called her.

And one couldn't blame him.

The clouds were thick today, obscuring the sun—who could tell when it had climbed high enough?

***

In just a few days, a series of sinister incidents had occurred in the city.

The one that caused the most commotion and affected the most people was the matter of the Li family. Many neighbors had suffered misfortune because of it. Word quickly spread across the eastern part of the city that beggars wandering at dusk were actually demons casting spells to harm people.

It was likely that for a long time, no one would dare step outside after dark. As for how long the local children would be terrified—who could say? Perhaps decades or even a hundred years later, parents would still use this tale to warn their children not to go out at night and to return home early.

The most talked-about affair, however, was that of the Liao family. Since the beginning of the year, Mr. Liao's bookshop had been enjoying genuine prosperity. In a city like Yangdu, where no one was indifferent to wealth, this naturally attracted attention.

Who could have imagined that all of it was the work of demons?

Yet the most fascinating part was the process by which these two families searched for demons and exorcised evil. It had been quite the spectacle—many people had witnessed it firsthand and delighted in discussing it.

It seemed that demons and spirits weren’t all that formidable after all.

Moreover, with members of the Li and Liao families attending social gatherings, visiting relatives, and boasting in teahouses and taverns about their experiences, more and more people became aware of these incidents. Later, when others encountered supernatural disturbances, they even started seeking them out for advice.

Meanwhile, Song You sat at home, thinking about his bamboo staff.

After a brief sense check, he determined that the staff was still within a hundred li of him.

Nothing truly escaped his notice.

Huo Erniu was indeed a stubborn, single-minded man.

From the words of Mr. Li and other

jianghu

folk who knew Huo Erniu, Song You could piece together a fair idea of his character.

Fearless. Reckless. Unafraid of demons or ghosts.

But also stubborn and impulsive.

Give him a hundred wen, and he'd dare to sleep overnight at a gravesite outside the city. Offer him a meal and some wine, and he'd break into a haunted house at night to fetch copper coins. If someone asked for his help, those with money paid him well, while those who were poorer would flatter him with words or plead with soft tones. Either swayed by pride or softened by pity, he’d usually agree. And when there was no work, he’d haul goods by the river, selling his strength for coins.

His favorite way to spend money was drinking and bragging in taverns or listening to storytellers in teahouses. But for all his recklessness, he had never done anything truly wrong.

These past few days, however, Huo Erniu had been through quite the ordeal.

He was infamous for his fearlessness when facing ghosts, much like Ye Xinrong from years ago—otherwise, Mr. Li wouldn’t have entrusted the bamboo staff to him. It wasn’t uncommon for people to call on him when their homes encountered supernatural disturbances, asking him to spend a night there. The sheer vitality of his blood and qi often helped drive away lingering yin forces.

And so, before anyone else, Huo Erniu had already realized—

Strange happenings occurred every year, but this year, there were far more than usual.

Within the city walls of Yangdu, things were still relatively stable. But beyond the gates, outside the city walls, while the disturbances weren’t exactly piling up one after another, it seemed that every three to five days, there was another incident. Long before Mr. Li sought him out to capture a demon, others had already been hiring him for similar troubles.

But something about these incidents was different from before.

Previously, it was mostly just cold winds and eerie atmospheres—he barely had to do anything. Just staying overnight was often enough to dispel whatever it was. At worst, he’d dream of some wandering ghosts, exchange a few words with them, maybe cuss them out or throw a punch, and things would resolve themselves.

But now, these disturbances weren’t so easy to deal with.

There were plenty of wealthy households outside the city—retired officials and gentry who, in their old age, preferred to return to their hometowns. And while the rewards they offered grew increasingly tempting, making it hard to resist, there were times when even he found himself at a loss.

Then, at his weakest moment, he obtained a treasure.

The moment he got his hands on it, he didn’t think twice—he immediately headed to the estate of an elder who had previously sought his help outside the city. With his martial skills, his fearless nature, and this bamboo staff that could seemingly slay demons and ghosts with a mere touch, he made quick work of the problem.

The old master treated him with the utmost respect, personally toasting him at the feast that night, offering him the best guestroom to stay in, and the next morning, gifting him twenty taels of silver before personally escorting him to the village entrance.

For a simple-minded martial artist like him, when had he ever received such treatment?

Yet that night, as he lay in bed, he couldn’t rest easy. He had to tuck the bamboo staff beneath his pillow, afraid someone might steal it away.

And for the next few days, he roamed the outskirts of the city.

Every day, he exorcised demons and banished spirits, earning more money than ever before.

Beyond the gratitude of local villagers and the generous hospitality of those he helped, he now walked through market towns with ease, freely spending on meat and wine. Life had never felt more comfortable.

But the problem remained the same. The unease in his heart only grew stronger.

Even his sleep was no longer restful.