Chapter 591: Sweeping Away the Filth and Miasma

The ancient cypresses along Jinyang Dao still stood tall and lush.

By the roadside was another clearing, still shaded by the dense canopy of the cypress trees. But now, a stone statue stood in the clearing, and its rough form vaguely discernible as that of a Daoist, though the features had long since worn away.

A jujube-red-red horse stood nearby, lazily nibbling at the grass by the road.

At this time, Lady Calico had taken on human form. She had gathered dry twigs and started a small fire on the ground, skewering a whole string of bamboo shoot grubs freshly caught from a nearby bamboo grove on the way. Each one was plump and fat. She was roasting them intently over the flames with a focused gaze, carefully turning them over and over.

That distinctive savory aroma, unique to roasted shelled insects, began to waft through the air, triggering cravings.

Meanwhile, the Daoist stood off to the side, silently gazing at the stone statue. Truly, there was not even a trace of resemblance.

Ding ding ding...

In the distance came the jingle of bells, and the young girl instinctively looked up.

A few traveling merchants were approaching, leading horses and mules. Behind them were several common folk, either carrying shoulder poles or leading donkeys. It wasn’t clear where they were headed, but they were chatting animatedly as they walked.

Though it was still only late morning, the shaded forest path remained cool. Still, it was the height of summer, and traveling inevitably made one hot. Without exception, everyone was dripping with sweat, and their damp faces and necks glistened in the light. Their flushed cheeks and brows shone with heat, and their expressions, filled with animated chatter and raised brows, carried a sense of excitement.

The voices gradually reached Lady Calico’s ears.

“Could it be false? My cousin saw it with his own eyes! Just yesterday evening, right after the sun had set, it was still bright out. It’s not like he could’ve mistaken it!”

“That sounds way too unbelievable...”

“It’s true! That sword flew in on its own, spinning as it flew, and made this

woo-woo

sound! It just grazed a tree next to the house, and it got sliced clean through. I passed by this morning to look, and it was cut smooth as porcelain! They said the sword light was blinding, and that demon didn’t even get a chance to react. Its head just fell right off! Must’ve been an immortal!”

“You actually saw the demon?”

“Of course I did! Tons of folks in Cattle Village gathered around to see. I squeezed in for a look too!” The middle-aged man carrying empty baskets bared his teeth in an exaggerated grimace. “Scared the wits out of me! That demon’s waist was thick as two men together, and its claws were sharp like hooks! Only the body was left. Its neck was sliced so clean, and the head was sent to the county

yamen

first thing in the morning. I didn’t see it, but they say the head was the worst part. Even dead, hardly anyone dared go near it!”

“Too bad I passed by Cattle Village and didn’t stop to look...”

“If you’re keen on the spectacle, you can still head back now, it’s not far. But I hear they’re planning to burn the thing by this afternoon.”

“Forget it, forget it. I’ve been timid since I was young. If I saw it, I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep. But knowing the monster’s been dealt with... I’ll be less uneasy whenever I pass by Cattle Village in the future.”

“Still, no one knows which immortal acted.”

“It’s definitely a divine technique...”

“...”

The group chattered excitedly, drawing closer as they walked, then slowly growing more distant. Their faces full of wonder, they spoke with awe about the immortal’s feat, of a sword that descended from the heavens and cleaved the demon’s head clean off.

Lady Calico listened with rapt attention, and she was so focused she even forgot to turn her skewers.

It wasn’t until the group had completely walked out of earshot that she suddenly snapped out of it. She quickly flipped the bamboo skewers in her hand and looked down, but one side had already charred slightly. But the rich, roasted aroma it now gave off was even more mouthwatering. She couldn’t help but sniff repeatedly at it.

While tending to the roasting grubs, she asked the Daoist, “Why hasn’t the swallow come back yet?”

“He’s almost back.”

“He’s taking so long.”

“Indeed.”

“Can’t he fly?”

“He must have been delayed.”

“Delayed by wha...”

Before she could finish the sentence, a sudden gust of wind whooshed overhead.

Whoosh, whoosh...

It was the sound of something slicing rapidly through the air, like blades cutting the wind. It was loud and continuous, coming from directly above.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Lady Calico immediately looked up.

A streak of silver light came spinning down from the sky. Though it descended through the gaps in the dense canopy of ancient cypresses, the branches were thick, and there was no avoiding contact. Wherever the silver light brushed past, be it branch or trunk, everything was cleanly sliced off and fell to the ground in neat sections.

Whoosh!

Midair, the silver light suddenly stopped spinning, and shot toward the horse.

At the same time, a sword scabbard peeked out from the horse’s back. The silver light, accurate and without hesitation, slid right back into it with a

whoosh

. It was a short sword, inlaid with gemstones.

Flap flap flap...

Only then did a swallow come fluttering in, landing on a tree branch.

“I’m back,” said the swallow, looking down at them. “That demon from Cattle Village had been hiding in the nearby mountain. It would wander to the village entrance as soon as it got dark, so it was easy to find. But the mountain demon at the bridge, the one asking to be carried across, was wounded and fled into the forest. I spent the whole night searching and got delayed.”

“You’ve worked hard,” the Daoist said.

Lady Calico turned and stared at him without blinking, thinking to herself that a swallow that could fly and control a flying sword was pretty amazing. Those passersby thought the same too.

But this time, her hands didn’t stop moving.

“

Huff...

”

Lady Calico brought the skewer up to her nose and sniffed deeply. The aroma told her that the bamboo shoot grubs were fully cooked.

These didn’t need any seasoning, as they were flavorful on their own and got more fragrant the more she chewed. Still, she took out a pouch of salt, pinched a bit, and carefully sprinkled it on top. Watching the fine salt crystals evenly coat the slightly charred surface of the grubs, she felt they looked delicious beyond words.

“Daoist priest! Eat! It’s tasty!” As always, the first bite was offered to the Daoist.

“Thank you, Lady Calico.” This time, he didn’t refuse. He reached out, pinched the top grub off the skewer, and placed it in his mouth. It really was very tasty.

The young girl just stood there frozen, eyes wide as she watched him, not even blinking. She still wore a serious expression, and her small face was pale and unreadable from the outside. But as her eyes gradually widened, they betrayed the surprise and joy blooming within her.

“You eat! Eat again!” Lady Calico, unaware of the principle of “not draining the pond to catch the fish[1],” began madly feeding the Daoist.

Meanwhile, the swallow perched on a tree branch and said, “Last night, after eliminating the demon, I searched the mountains for more. Turns out this forest hides quite a few spirits and monsters, most of them steeped in evil energy. They were clearly not walking the righteous path.”

“Mm...” Song You nodded as he ate his breakfast and said calmly, “Let’s take it slow along this stretch, then. This area borders Yin-Yang Mountain and the Hidden Dragon Temple. With demons running rampant in recent years, if word got out, it would reflect poorly on our temple. I’ll trouble you two to give it a proper sweep.”

“Understood,” the swallow replied from the tree.

“Eat again!” Lady Calico chimed in from the ground.

***

In the days that followed, the Daoist indeed traveled at a leisurely pace. Even as they drew nearer to Yin-Yang Mountain and Lingquan County, he showed no urgency.

Most of the time, it was just the Daoist and a jujube-red horse plodding along the Jinyang Road. They were either walking slowly or resting by the roadside, sometimes lying under a tree and dozing off contentedly.

Meanwhile, the calico cat and the swallow scoured the forests for evil spirits and demons. These creatures were mostly ones that had emerged or awakened in recent years due to changes in the natural order, none of them posing any real threat.

There were no great demons around Hidden Dragon Temple. Yet stories began to circulate in the nearby villages.

Some people, out for an early morning walk in the hills, claimed they saw stones gather and form the shape of a man, like a mountain god from legend, who then struck down a mountain demon on the spot. Others, rushing home at dusk, heard a sudden burst of birds from the forest followed by chilling howls of monsters.

Some, awake in the dead of night, peeked out their windows at the sound of strange movement, only to witness a short sword spinning down from the sky and gleaming in the moonlight before cleanly severing a demon’s head.

And it wasn’t just humans who saw and spoke of it.

Even the more well-behaved spirits and lesser demons who dwelled in the mountains started to whisper. They heard the news that not only were evil beings being swiftly and mercilessly eliminated, but some of those slain had been powerful, long-established monsters known for devouring humans.

Some demons were even present at the scene, witnessing it with their own eyes. It filled them with dread, fearing that they might be next. The local local gods witnessed several of these events too, all in awe.

Only a few long-lived demons and deities could vaguely guess the truth, that the heir of Hidden Dragon Temple had returned.

Several days later, by a roadside temple...

The moonlight outside bathed the mountains in silver, clearly outlining the forest and the Jinyang Road running through it. Inside the temple, the deity had already revealed his form and now stood before the Daoist, bowing respectfully.

“Greetings, Mister.”

“No need for such formalities, Virtuous Duke.”

“These past few days, many troublesome demons and evil creatures along Jinyang Road have been vanquished one after another. I suspected you might have returned. And when I saw a divine cat involved in the exorcisms, I became all the more certain.” Virtuous Duke Wang dared not even lift his head to look at Song You.

Back then, he had been unable to discern the Daoist’s cultivation level and could only guess. Now, even though it remained unreadable, he had an inexplicable feeling that his skill had advanced so far beyond what it was thirteen years ago, it was hard to even imagine. “To finally meet you here... it is truly an honor.”

“I passed through here again hoping to pay you a visit,” said Song You. “And to ask: on the road we’ve just taken, were there any wicked spirits or demons we may have missed?”

“To answer you, Mister,” the deity replied, “as far as I know, most of the harmful demons and evil creatures have already been dealt with.”

“The local god knows this land best. If there are any malevolent demons or evil beings ahead that have harmed the people, please inform me,” the Daoist said, shaking his head. “I’ve been away for many years, and with the changes in the world, I didn’t expect even my own homeland to fall into such chaos. Since I’m passing through, I might as well give it a proper cleansing.”

“On behalf of the people, I thank you, Mister...”

Virtuous Duke Wang still dared not meet his gaze and lowered his head in a respectful bow, but from that angle, he couldn’t avoid locking eyes with the cat sitting nearby.

That cat, however, was sitting upright with its head held high, staring right back at him without blinking.

Virtuous Duke Wang couldn’t help but recall the timid calico cat from years ago, and how just a few words from him back then had frightened her nearly to tears. And yet now, upon meeting again, she had grown into such a formidable figure.

He couldn’t help but feel they were two completely different cats. The god and the cat both quietly marvelled at the passage of time.

1. ”Drain the pond to catch the fish” means to exhaust a resource for immediate gain without considering long-term consequences. It describes short-sighted behavior that sacrifices future benefits for present advantage. ☜