Chapter 476: Arrangements

Outside Yangdu, the official road ran almost parallel to the river.

Song You walked ahead, leaning on his bamboo staff. Behind him, a jujube-red horse followed steadily. At his side, a calico cat trotted alongside them.

“Those fishermen are nice. Sometimes they bring me treats—sugar to stir into syrup.” The cat pranced along with light steps, turning her head toward the Daoist. “But they’re not as good as me at fishing. Sometimes, when they don’t catch anything but I do, I sell them a couple of fish for cheap. That way, they won’t get scolded when they go home.”

“Lady Calico, you’re clever and kind—of course, everyone likes you.”

“Sometimes they ask me how I catch so many fish. So I showed them a good fishing spot, but even then, they still don’t catch as many as me.”

“How could ordinary people ever compare to you, Lady Calico?”

“If I don't catch any fish, will you scold me when I come home?”

“Of course not! Why would you even worry about such a thing?” Song You answered without hesitation, turning his head to look at her curiously. “Fishing is a pastime. Even if you don't catch any fish, you would surely gain something else in the process.”

“It seems like all cats are like this.”

“You’re always like this.”

“Because cats are like this.”

One man, one cat, and one horse continued walking, gradually making their way up a small hill.

At the peak, they paused and turned back to look.

From here, they could see all of Yangdu, along with the bustling market stretching ten li beyond the city gates. The Yangjiang River wound through the city like a jade belt, shimmering under the sunlight.

Compared to Changjing, Yangdu was less rigid in its structure—more free-flowing. But its streets bustled endlessly with carts, horses, and merchant ships.

Song You gazed at the city for a long while, saying nothing.

“...”

Finally, he turned away, reaching into his pack and pulling out a small jade bottle. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a strand of shimmering light appeared in his palm.

“Yan An.”

“

Flap, flap, flap

...”

A swallow swooped down, landing on the horse’s back. Its glossy black eyes fixed intently on the Daoist.

“Sir.”

“I need you to do me two favors.”

“Please, go on.”

“The first favor—deliver this to General Chen Ziyi at the northern border garrison.” Song You said, holding up the jade bottle. “I once asked General Chen to safeguard the peace of the land. He is a man of integrity, and he will surely keep his word. But he is also a warrior with great military power, and those who hold such power and intervene in the affairs of the world in times of chaos often face grave danger when order is restored.

“Inside this bottle are medicinal pills—remnants from when the State Preceptor refined the legendary Longevity Pill. Although it did not have the thousand-year life-extending effects of the Longevity Pill, it could still prolong a person’s lifespan and even bring them back to life.”

“Do you want me to deliver it to General Chen?”

“I need you to make the journey.”

“No problem.”

“You must also explain this to General Chen—after consuming this pill, if he were to die within a few days, as long as his head remains attached to his body and his corpse has not decayed, exposure to light and fresh air will revive him.”

“I understand!”

The swallow spoke with solemnity. Though it did not say much, it repeated the instructions several times in its mind to ensure it would not forget.

“The second matter—north of the Duoda Grasslands of Yanzhou lies an abandoned military garrison, now known as Yuan'an City. It has become a ghost town.” Song You continued, “When Lady Calico and I passed through Yanzhou, we encountered the ghost soldiers stationed there. At the time, we assisted them in sealing Turtle City, suppressing the yin and ghostly qi within.

“We had agreed that one day, I might call upon them to serve in Fengzhou’s Ghost City. Now, you must carry a trace of my spiritual energy to Turtle City, unseal it, and invite them to Fengzhou. If you deliver this message in my name, they will surely believe you.”

“Is there anything else I should tell them?”

“Tell them that once they arrive in Fengzhou, they must temporarily serve under the First Palace’s Palace Lord. If chaos spreads across the land, the number of ghosts will increase, as will the number of malevolent spirits. They are all highly capable, so for now, they should assist the Palace Lord in collecting new souls and capturing wicked ghosts. Later, they will be assigned to serve as military officials in various City God temples across the land.”

“Understood.”

“I leave it to you.”

“Sir, you jest.”

The swallow wasted no time. It took the trace of Song You’s spiritual energy and then flapped its wings, flying over to grasp the jade bottle containing the pill.

“I’ll depart now.”

“Be careful on your journey.”

“

Flap, flap, flap

...”

With a few powerful beats of its wings, the swallow soared into the sky, heading north, vanishing into the thick white clouds within moments.

Song You withdrew his gaze, lowering his eyes to meet the calico cat’s. Then, with a final glance at Yangdu, he turned and continued forward to the north.

First north, then west—back to Changjing.

The weather was perfect, the sun beaming down so brightly that his scalp felt hot. As he walked, the warmth became almost stifling.

***

Meanwhile, in the mountains—

Huo Erniu was already drenched in sweat.

His soaked clothes clung to his body, making his skin glisten under the sunlight, accentuating his powerful build.

At the moment, he was clearing the last section of the collapsed mountain path with his hoe. Any fallen branches that blocked the way, he chopped and tossed over the cliffside without hesitation.

Huo Erniu was stubborn—he had no interest in cutting corners or slacking off. Repairing a road was simple, just a bit of hard labor. To him, it was nothing.

Besides, these days, he couldn’t speak. He had no one to brag to, no reason to go down the mountain or return to the city.

He was afraid that if he met someone, they would notice something was wrong and ask him why he wasn’t speaking. He was also afraid that people would call on him to exorcise more spirits and demons.

But without the bamboo staff, he no longer had the ability to fight evil spirits.

So he stayed here, diligently working to repair the road.

Huo Erniu never once slacked off—not even the thought of slacking off had ever crossed his mind. He simply did not consider laziness an option.

Every fallen tree blocking the road was cleared away, every rock and clump of dirt washed down by the rain was removed completely. If a section of the road had collapsed, he would carve further into the mountainside, digging out a new path where the old one had been lost.

From early morning until sunset, he worked without pause.

This kind of life was dull and repetitive. There was no one to talk to, no distractions. But at the same time, there was no need to think too much.

After working for so long, Huo Erniu found himself beginning to enjoy it.

“

Rustle

...”

Another patch of fallen trees and tangled branches blocked the path ahead.

Huo Erniu wrapped his arms around a tree trunk as thick as his waist, relying on his sheer brute strength to haul it aside before tossing it down the mountainside.

This should be the last section.

He continued clearing away the remaining branches and debris until, suddenly, something caught his eye.

In the midst of the chaotic tangle of branches, a streak of green appeared. A bamboo staff, standing upright but not embedded in the ground.

Lush and vibrant, jade-like in color, it was clearly not an ordinary object.

“...?” Huo Erniu froze.

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

He hadn’t seen this just moments ago when he was dragging that massive tree away.

It was as if it had appeared out of nowhere.

He stood there in a daze for a long while, before abruptly tossing aside the branches in his hands and stepping forward to examine it. The staff was smooth and lustrous, as if carved from a single piece of jade.

Yet, it was subtly different from the one before—the bamboo nodes, the thickness, the overall feel of it.

And though it stood upright, it was held in place by no visible force—as if some unseen power kept it perfectly balanced.

“...”

Huo Erniu stepped over the fallen branches and reached out, grasping the bamboo staff.

It was warm and smooth to the touch, like polished jade.

With a slight effort, he lifted it easily, as if it had been placed here just for him.