Chapter 562: Naturally, It’s All Thanks to Lady Calico

“Sir! Sir!”

“What can I do for you, dear guest?”

“You have a lot of mice here!”

“Mice?”

“Yes, mice!”

“Have they disturbed you? I can arrange another room for you where there are fewer of them!”

“No...”

The little girl’s voice paused for a moment, as if she were thinking. Even the Daoist who hadn’t witnessed this scene could easily imagine her serious expression, her small face stern as she pondered. Then, she finally spoke, “I’m not blaming you. It’s just that I have a special skill—I’m good at catching mice. I can help you.”

She actually sounded quite proper and formal.

However, her deliberate imitation of a Daoist’s tone, paired with her soft and delicate childlike voice, made it hard for anyone to keep a straight face.

“Huh?”

“My Daoist priest and I really like your place. If I catch all the mice here—inside the building, at the front, and at the back—will you let us stay for a few more days?”

She didn’t even wait for his response.

But knowing his little “cat“ well, the Daoist could already picture her tilting her head up, staring at the shopkeeper with wide, questioning eyes, waiting for an answer.

“And how will you catch them?”

“I have my own ways!” The girl’s voice paused again. “Is that okay?”

“Of course! That would be wonderful—thank you so much!”

“Then we’ll stay for a whole month, okay?”

“Even two months is fine.”

The shopkeeper's tone carried not a hint of hesitation.

The sight of the palace warriors being stopped in the street by the Daoist in the afternoon—when they were about to execute the palace maid—and then respectfully escorting him back in the evening had left a deep impression on him.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“Many thanks, sir...”

The soft, childish voice carried a serious tone, making it sound oddly formal.

The Daoist silently withdrew his gaze.

The room was filled with a warm glow, carrying the resonance of fire energy. He blew gently at the oil lamp, lighting another flame that cast its radiance over the desk. Moving unhurriedly, he sat down and began writing about the previous night’s travels.

Not long after, the door was pushed open.

“I’m back!”

“So, how did the discussion with the shopkeeper go?” Song You asked without looking up. “Judging by your delight, I assume everything is settled?”

“You didn’t even see me.”

“There’s no need to look—I have an extra pair of ‘eyes’ in my heart. Besides, your voice alone is brimming with joy.”

“Heart-eyes!”

“So, what was the outcome?”

“It’s all settled!” Lady Calico declared. “There are lots of mice here. I told the shopkeeper I’d catch them all, and in exchange, he agreed to let us stay for a month! Even two months if we want!”

“That’s truly wonderful.” Song You finally lifted his head to look at the little girl—only to see her shut the door and transform back into a cat. His gaze instinctively dropped again. “We owe it all to you, Lady Calico.”

“I was going to catch the mice anyway!”

“That makes it even better,” Song You said, perfectly playing along. “In other words, you didn’t give up anything at all. You simply used what you were already planning to do in exchange for something you wanted. Even in the most formal negotiations, that would be considered a great success.”

Such words came to him effortlessly.

The cat was overjoyed.

“In that case, since you’re so clever and capable, I should entrust you with more of such tasks in the future.”

“Alright!”

Song You lowered his head again and continued writing his travel notes.

The cat darted around the room, sometimes chasing her own tail, sometimes fetching a cloth ball to kick around. Other times, she summoned a wolf to play with or leaped onto the windowsill, peeking through the cracks in the door and window, preparing herself for the night’s rat-catching mission.

She would also pounce on the Daoist’s robe, batting at his dangling sleeve as he wrote, or swat at the tassel hanging from the tip of his brush.

To a human, many of these actions might seem absurd or irresistibly cute. But the cat took them all very seriously, as if engaged in the most solemn of tasks.

That was part of what made her so utterly endearing.

***

Early the next morning...

Song You slept soundly until dawn.

When he got up, his cat was curled up at the foot of the bed, still fast asleep. Knowing she had likely been busy through the night, he didn’t wake her. Instead, he quietly got up, washed his face and brushed his teeth, then headed out for breakfast.

The dining hall was as crowded as ever.

Breakfast was the usual: camel milk and baked flatbread.

Spotting Merchant Xie and his group, Song You noticed there were empty seats at their table. The merchants also saw him and waved him over, so he carried his food and joined them.

A quick glance at the group revealed that their internal energy seemed slightly depleted, but their spirits were high—evidently, they had exhausted themselves the previous night. Song You merely smiled, not commenting on it, and took a seat.

“You all returned early.”

“A single night was enough. Besides, breakfast here is free, so of course we had to come back early,” the merchants laughed.

“I see.”

“Did anything strange happen while you stayed here last night?” Merchant Xie asked.

“To be honest, I sleep exceptionally well. Forget demons and ghosts—even if an immortal descended from the heavens, I doubt they could wake me.”

“When we returned, we heard that your young companion is quite skilled at catching mice. No idea what method she used, but by morning, there was a perfectly arranged row of mice in the front courtyard—from largest to smallest, exactly ten in total,” Xie said with admiration. “If this place is free of mice, we’ll feel much more at ease storing our goods here.”

“My young companion is indeed quite proficient in this craft,” Song You replied, even as Lady Calico remained sound asleep back in the room. “But more than anything, she wanted to persuade the shopkeeper to let us stay longer. That’s why she put in the effort last night.”

“The young lady is truly considerate.”

“She certainly is.”

“I also heard that around the fourth or fifth watch of the night, the shopkeeper woke up and saw firelight outside. The air was filled with the aroma of stewed meat with wild onions—but the meat smelled a little... strange.”

“Did the shopkeeper go out to check?”

“Of course not. He wouldn’t dare.”

“That’s wise. Best to be cautious.”

Perhaps tomorrow, the scent of roasted rat meat would fill the air.

Song You thought of this but chose not to comment.

“Sir, you have Daoist cultivation and know magic. Why not help the shopkeeper deal with the ghosts and demons in his courtyard?” a merchant asked. “Who knows, he might be so grateful that he’ll waive your rent.”

“I will do what I can.”

Song You dipped a piece of flatbread into the camel milk, letting it soften before eating it.

After breakfast, he went to find the shopkeeper and paid for a month’s stay. He politely declined the shopkeeper’s offer to move him to a better, more convenient room. Before leaving, he requested an extra bowl of camel milk, saying it was for his young companion, who had worked hard the previous night. Then, carrying the milk, he returned to his room.

When he pushed open the door, the cat, as if sensing his return, woke up at that exact moment. Still groggy, she wobbled off the bed and stumbled toward him.

“Lady Calico, you woke up at just the right time. I just had breakfast and brought a bowl of camel milk for you.”

“Mm...”

The cat blinked drowsily at him, then jumped onto the table and peered down at the milk. “I already had breakfast...”

“It seems you’ve developed the good habit of eating breakfast. That’s excellent.” Song You paused. “But next time you cook, you might want to do it by the river in the back courtyard. By that time, most of the guests will be awake. If they smell the food at night, they might mistake it for a demon.”

“Got it, got it.”

“This is camel milk.”

“I know...”

Lady Calico had never tasted camel milk before. Without hesitation, she lowered her head and started lapping it up.

Song You watched her closely.

Her little tongue flicked out repeatedly, scooping the milk into her mouth. Inevitably, tiny droplets splashed onto her face, but she was too sleepy to notice or care.

However, she soon became aware of his gaze and grew slightly wary. Lifting her head abruptly, she stared straight at him.

“I will wash my face after drinking!”

“Understood.”

“Mm...”

“Hurry up and drink.”

“What are you looking at?”

“What a pity.”

“What

meow

?” The cat licked her lips, staring at him in confusion.

“It’s a shame I don’t have Master Dou’s artistic skills, nor the ability to capture a moment and freeze it on paper in an instant. Otherwise, I would have certainly loved to keep this exact moment of you lapping up milk here with me.”

The cat continued to gaze at him with those puzzled eyes, as if not quite understanding. But then she said, “I was going to stay here anyway.”

“That’s true.”

The words were spoken casually, yet they carried an unexpected sincerity.

Perhaps that was the best answer of all.

Just then, a knock sounded from outside.

Knock, knock, knock...

The cat was just about to lower her head to drink again but immediately snapped it back up, meeting the Daoist’s gaze at the exact moment he looked at her.

No words were exchanged, yet everything was understood.

The Daoist rose to open the door. Outside stood the innkeeper, carrying a shelf for storing items and a separate rack for hanging clothes. With his sturdy build, he held both effortlessly.

“Since you’ll be staying for a month, I thought you might need these. I brought two items. One is for your belongings, the other for your clothes.”

“Many thanks, sir.”

“I’ll carry them in for you.”

“There’s no need to trouble you. Just leave them here—there are many other guests waiting, you should go attend to them.”

“Alright then.”

The shopkeeper placed the items down, exchanged a polite bow, and left.

Song You picked up the clothing rack and carried it inside. Behind him, the cat had already transformed back into a little girl. She was now holding an iron bowl, tilting her head back, gulping down the camel milk in big, loud gulps.

“This must be the shopkeeper’s way of thanking you for your excellent rat-catching skills last night,” Song You remarked as he stepped inside. “That’s why he sent us these shelves.”

“Perhaps...”

“Lady Calico, you’re getting better at imitating the way I speak.”

Gulp, gulp...

The girl set down the now-empty iron bowl and declared, “Humans are amazing! They can finish a drink in just two gulps. No wonder humans can keep cats, but cats can’t keep humans.”

“How did it taste?”

“It was alright,” she replied. “How much does a bowl cost?”

“It’s free. Every guest gets one.”

“It just got way more delicious!”

“...”