Chapter 581: Returning to Familiar Ground

“Where have you come from, sir?”

“Officer, I am a Daoist from Yizhou returning from my travels.”

“Returning from your travels? And where did you cultivate?”

“On Yin-Yang Mountain in Lingquan County.”

“Yin-Yang Mountain in Lingquan County...” The city gate guard furrowed his brow and repeated, “Never encountered a Daoist from there before...”

“It’s just a small temple. There are not many people around.” The Daoist was very polite. As he spoke, he reached into his robe and took out an ordination

certificate

holding it out with both hands. “I have official documentation to prove it.”

“Oh...” The guard gave a low exclamation of surprise.

The folded-style ordination certificate was an official credential issued by the government, given specifically to those with genuine cultivation ability, real skills, or to the main inheritors of well-known temples and monasteries. It signified their special status, abilities, and entitlements.

In recent years these documents had become a bit more common, as they were sometimes passed down through generations, thus slightly diminishing their prestige. Still, it was still rare to see one.

Moreover, since this Daoist claimed to come from a small temple, even if he himself didn’t possess true cultivation or skills, his sect or ancestors must have produced a genuinely accomplished figure at some point. And judging from this Daoist’s demeanor, he was probably far from ordinary. In times like these, the world was sorely in need of true cultivators with real ability.

The gate guard did not dare treat him lightly. After a brief inspection and confirming the document’s authenticity, he made a gesture inviting him in.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“Master, please enter the city!”

“I dare not claim such a title,” the Daoist replied with a smile. “But it does seem the gate inspections are stricter than they used to be.”

“Stricter than before? Then, sir, your last visit must’ve been quite a few years ago? At least four or five years, I’d say.” The guard returned the ordination certificate to him, gripping his spear while eyeing him up and down. “You look quite young, sir. You must’ve left the mountain fairly early.”

“Indeed.”

“

Sigh...

” the guard let out a sigh.

Rotating his neck to loosen up a bit, he chatted casually, “Then you probably wouldn’t know that starting a few years back, monsters and demons in the mountains outside the city suddenly began appearing more frequently. They don’t hurt people often, but there are always those drawn to the city’s prosperity, trying to sneak in for some fun.

“It’s still early in the day now, but if you came later, the inspection would be even stricter. Once the sky begins to dim, we close the city gates. We’re closing the gates much earlier than we used to.”

“I see...”

“That’s right. And ever since the rebellion of Prince Wenhan out west a couple of years ago, there’s been a steady stream of refugees turning to banditry. With the world in chaos and people unsettled, bandits are everywhere. Naturally, the inspections have gotten tighter.”

“Why would Prince Wenhan rebel when he was already like a local emperor in his own right?”

“...”

The guard’s expression subtly changed, and he quickly replied, “Who knows such things...”

His expression clearly said,

Who dares talk about such things?

“Best get inside, sir.”

“Sorry for blocking the way. Thank you, Captain.”

Only then did Song You lean on his bamboo staff and continue into the city.

This kind of “golden ordination certificate” allowed him to bring disciples or attendants along. Lady Calico also followed the Daoist into the city, but being a curious cat by nature, she kept turning her head to glance at the military officer. Her eyes were bright and full of spirit, as if pondering something.

Meanwhile, the sound of horse hooves echoed against the stone-paved road.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Almost immediately, several middlemen, rough laborers, and half-grown boys gathered around, asking if they needed a guide, lodging, a rental cart, or manual labor.

But upon seeing that it was a Daoist wearing a visibly old and faded robe, they quickly dispersed after he politely declined and did not bother to pester him like they did with other newcomers.

Around them, the air buzzed with chatter, and it was lively and full of the local dialect.

“...”

Seeing this, a strange sense of familiarity welled up inside him. Amidst the sighing and reflection, a quiet and indescribable emotion stirred in his heart.

Yidu City seemed the same as before, yet also subtly changed. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, probably because the memories from thirteen years ago had already grown hazy.

It was hard to say, really.

“Daoist priest, are we staying in the same house as before?” the young girl turned and looked up at him. “The one with the ghost.”

“No, we definitely can’t do that,” the Daoist replied. “But we can go take a look.”

“Go take a look!”

“Yes, go back and take a look.”

“Then where will we stay?”

“We can stay at an inn.”

“Oh...” The little girl nodded, feeling a bit disappointed.

But there was no helping it. The Western Regions lay to the northwest of Yizhou, and Xingzhou was also in the northwest of Yizhou. Coming from Xingzhou, they had traveled from north to south, entering through the north gate, so they were now in the northern part of the city.

Coincidentally, it wasn’t far from the small courtyard they once lived in, and it was an area the Daoist was familiar with.

Yidu was a bustling city, with no shortage of inns and guesthouses. The Daoist wanted to find a guesthouse somewhat close to the small courtyard where he'd once lived, not because he planned to visit it every day, but because he’d spent half a year there.

He knew the entire area like the back of his hand. Since this was a return to old ground, naturally he wanted to be near it. That way, as he came and went, with every step he took, he could recover fragments of those past memories. The process, he imagined, would be quite enjoyable.

But before he could find a suitable inn, he unexpectedly passed by that familiar little alleyway.

The alley wasn’t exactly narrow, but not wide either. It was peaceful and quiet. In the middle stood a large tree, beneath which were a stone table and stools, a rather old-fashioned type of public amenity, for passersby to rest.

On either side of the alley were small residential courtyards. They weren't grand estates, but neither were they homes of the destitute. Many courtyards had trees planted inside, and in the height of summer, the dense branches and leaves spilled out over the top of the courtyard walls.

The young girl was the first to stop. She turned and stared blankly at the alley, then reached out and tugged gently at the Daoist’s robe.

“...” The Daoist turned to look at her.

She looked back at him, their eyes meeting.

“Let’s go,” he said.

He understood what she meant, and began to walk forward. The jujube-red horse followed immediately, and the quiet alley was soon filled with the steady

clip-clop

of hooves.

The faint traces of cold, gloomy air that used to hang about the alley had completely vanished. Now, it was just as hot as anywhere else. People came and went while others sat under the tree on the stone stools and rested in the shade. Only beneath the tree was it slightly cooler.

The Daoist made eye contact with several passersby, and from time to time, he felt a sense of familiarity. As he walked beneath the large tree, the elderly men resting there also gave him a vague feeling of déjà vu.

But people age quickly these days, and their appearances change drastically. He probably hadn’t interacted with many of them back then, and it was hard to connect them with his memories.

He saw the old men sitting under the tree; some were playing

xiangqi

[1], others watched, while others chatted idly with fans in hand. Children darted around them shrieking and laughing, their high-pitched voices sharp to the ear.

Sadly, no elders were telling stories to the children. Perhaps the stories had long since been told, or maybe they only told them at dusk. Otherwise, the Daoist might just have overheard a story about himself.

Past the large tree stood the small courtyard from before. At this time, the gate to the courtyard was shut tight. The red paint on the door, already faded and worn years ago, now looked even worse.

There was no trace of ghostly or sinister aura inside; instead, there were sounds of movement, such as footsteps, and even the shouts and laughter of children running around. It seemed someone was already living there now.

Then, the young girl looked up at Song You. The two of them met each other’s gaze once more. And once again, they both understood what the other was thinking.

Just then, someone approached from behind. It was a plump, broad-shouldered middle-aged man, with a distinct smell of pork clinging to him. As he walked past the Daoist and headed toward the courtyard gate, he glanced back at them with a frown before he raised a hand and knocked on the door.

Bang, bang.

“I’m back! Open up.”

After calling out into the courtyard, the man turned again, frowning deeply at the Daoist and the little girl standing at the entrance along with the untethered jujube-red horse behind them without a bridle.

Unable to hold back, he asked, “Sir, what’s the meaning of this? You’re standing outside my house, staring at it like that. What’s the issue? Don’t tell me there’s something strange going on again? Something unclean or evil inside? Trying to get me to pay to have it dealt with?”

His tone wasn’t exactly polite, though he was clearly trying to hold back and stay restrained. Song You only needed to hear a little to understand the situation.

The haunting of this courtyard back then had spread far and wide, and everyone in the neighborhood knew about it. After the disturbances quieted down, someone eventually moved in. Most likely, a few folk “masters” or charlatans from the streets caught wind of the story and came to this household, using it as a pretext to scare them and extort money.

That was why the man was so wary. After all, he was seeing a strange Daoist standing at his doorstep and staring at his home for no apparent reason.

“You’ve misunderstood.” Song You gave a polite bow before speaking, “It’s just that my child and I once lived in this courtyard. Later, we left to travel and gave up the lease. Now that we’ve returned to Yidu and are revisiting old places, we found ourselves wandering into Tianshui Alley without realizing it. So, we came by to take a look.”

“Really?” The man was taken aback when he heard this. He looked Song You up and down. “You really used to live here?”

“I wouldn’t dare lie.” The Daoist’s demeanor remained respectful.

Just then,

creak

, the courtyard door opened. A woman peeked out, as if wondering who her husband was speaking with outside.

“Oh!” the man called out immediately, and his attitude shifted completely. “Please, come in! Come in!”

He warmly invited them into the courtyard.

1.

Xiangqi

, commonly known as Chinese chess or elephant chess, is a strategy board game for two players. It is the most popular board game in China. ☜