Chapter 597: Please Lead the Way for Us Again

The big gray rat stood up, reaching above a person’s knee in height. It walked upright like a human, its body swaying slightly as it approached Lady Calico, grinning as it asked, “Little girl, do I look like a rat, a human, or an immortal?”

“You look like a rat to me!” The little girl stared at it with a serious expression.

“What did you say?” Upon hearing this, the big gray rat instantly flew into a rage, baring its teeth fiercely. “Say that again, what do I look like?!”

The little girl wore a tri-colored outfit, her face fair and delicate. She continued to stare straight at it, unafraid of its anger. Instead, she asked, “Then do you think I look more like a human or a cat?”

At the same time, she no longer concealed her scent. “What?”

The big gray rat froze for a moment and sniffed. Only now did it catch the feline scent coming from the little girl.

“...!”

The rat was instantly alarmed, and it looked up quickly to see that the girl was still staring directly at it.

In that split second, the expressionless little girl in its eyes had completely changed. She was no longer a serious child, but a cat intently focused in the midst of a hunt. A cat that was fully concentrated wouldn’t show much emotion, after all.

At this time, terror gripped the rat, and its legs turned to jelly.

Whoosh

!

Without a moment's hesitation, it spun around and dropped to the ground, and its all four limbs scrambled frantically in an attempt to flee. But a small foot had already stepped down on its tail.

Panicked and scared, it turned its head and saw that the one pinning its tail was none other than that same little girl.

In a daze, the image that surfaced in the rat’s mind was of an ordinary cat pinning down the tail of an ordinary rat just as it was about to flee. It was a simple scene, yet so familiar, so vivid. It was exactly the kind of memory that lingered in the deepest recesses of its mind; the most terrifying, most unforgettable one.

“

Poof

!”

The rat instantly burst apart, turning into a puff of gray smoke. It looked like a handful of incense ash scattered into the air.

But this incense ash did not disperse. Instead, it seemed to be lifted by the wind, floating upward and drifting off into the distance.

“

Huff

...”

The little girl also took a deep breath and exhaled smoke, but what she breathed out was a stream of yellow smoke.

Though it was expelled later, the yellow smoke moved much faster, shooting into the sky and catching up with the slowly drifting gray smoke. The moment the two met, they began to entangle and merge.

The smoke in the sky suddenly began to boil, roiling violently. One moment it puffed up into a bulge, the next it shrank sharply, constantly twisting and morphing.

From within the twisted smoke came a sharp, terrified shriek.

“

Squeeeak

!!”

It sounded as though something inside was struggling desperately.

With another loud “

poof

”, the smoke vanished without a trace, thereafter a large gray rat fell from midair and crashed to the ground in a daze. Disoriented and dizzy, it cried out at once, “Spare me! Great Immortal, spare me!”

Though it may have sounded like a long series of events, in truth, only a few breaths had passed.

The short, skinny young man walking in front had, of course, heard all the commotion behind him, but he didn’t dare turn his head. He feared it might all be a trick, or that the gentleman behind him might lose in battle to the demon, and if he turned to look now and the demon caught sight of him, it might hold a grudge and haunt his dreams or make him ill.

However, he had barely taken a dozen steps when the noises coming from behind completely shattered his expectations. The sheer contrast made everything feel unreal. Even when he heard that piercing squeal of the demon and its desperate cries for mercy, he still doubted whether any of it was real.

At last, he couldn’t hold back. He turned his head to look.

He saw the little girl beside the Daoist holding a large gray rat about the size of a cat by the tail, her expression calm and composed. Even the way she held the rat was out of the ordinary.

She gripped the rat’s tail with one hand, holding it upside down. No matter how fiercely the rat struggled, she remained utterly still, unflinching, without the slightest change in her expression. She seemed just like someone casually carrying a bundle of vegetables.

Then, she bent down slightly and used her other hand to open her cloth satchel, into which she stuffed the giant rat, and it completely filled the bag.

At that moment, someone from the nearby residence had also heard the commotion. A door cracked open, and a servant peeked out cautiously, fearfully looking in their direction, only to witness the exact same scene.

As the young man ahead and the servant behind watched every move the little girl made, they saw the shock mirrored in each other’s eyes.

***

A short while later, inside the Zhu residence...

After seeing the little girl stuff the rat demon into her satchel, the Zhu family servant hurried off to report to the master of the house. Soon after, the Daoist, along with the thin young guide, was invited into the residence.

In their haste, the Zhu household didn’t have much to offer as hospitality. Fortunately, there was a pot of chicken soup simmering in the kitchen made from a hen that was several years old. They quickly had the kitchen prepare three bowls of rice vermicelli, served in large clay bowls the size of a bucket. Each bowl was filled with chicken soup, sprinkled with chopped scallions. No salt was needed, as the aroma alone made it a fragrant, delicious meal.

Thanks to the Daoist’s blessing, the young man also received a bowl.

The bowls were larger than a person’s head. The rice vermicelli were snowy white, the soup base rich and milky from long simmering, and golden droplets of fat glistened on the surface, topped with bright green scallions and generous pieces of chicken. It was simple, yet incredibly flavorful.

“

Sluurp

...”

Both the Daoist and the little girl held their bowls and ate. Even Lady Calico, who had once disliked rice and noodles, now ate with relish. The young man devoured his food even faster, practically inhaling it. In times like these, a meal like this was a luxury few common folk could afford.

After finishing the noodles, they drank every last drop of the broth. Feeling fully satisfied, Song You raised his head and saw an elderly man and several middle-aged men sitting across from him, all watching them intently.

“Mr. Zhu, thank you for your hospitality.”

“Did you find the meal to your liking?”

“Very much so. It was excellent.”

“There was no time to buy fresh ingredients today, and we have nothing else with which to properly entertain you. Please forgive us,” the elder said, glancing at the girl’s bulging satchel, inside of which lay the captured rat demon. “I truly don’t know what our Zhu family did to deserve this. Ever since that demon took up residence near our home, the women and children have been too frightened to leave the house. We tried everything but couldn’t get rid of it. Who would have thought that once you arrived, it would be subdued so effortlessly? Truly the work of an immortal.”

“All credit goes to the child,” Song You replied.

“Of course, of course,” the elder said, cupping his hands respectfully toward the little girl, who had also just set down her giant bowl. Then he ordered his servants to bring over two honeycomb silver waist ingots.

“Because the demon had been so rampant, frightening everyone, I once offered a ten-tael silver reward for anyone who could rid us of it. Later, we raised it to twenty taels. Since you’ve helped our family eliminate the demon, of course, this reward is rightfully yours.”

The Zhu family truly behaved with the dignity of a proper household. Though the demon had troubled the entire area as it lurked around the alleys of Jiya Lane, they still worded it as though it had been removed on behalf of the Zhu family.

“Thank you,” Song You said.

Song You accepted the reward without hesitation, offering a polite bow and words of thanks.

The little girl immediately reached out and took the silver.

Only then did the elder ask, “May I ask where you two esteemed cultivators hail from, and where you are headed?”

“We’ve come from Lingquan County in Yizhou and are heading to Zhao Commandery in Yunzhou.”

“Zhao Commandery?”

“We’re going to Xianning, to spend the winter.”

“Xianning County? That’s still nine hundred li away,” the elder said after a quick mental calculation, then extended an invitation to the Daoist. “Since you’re going to Xianning, there’s no need to rush. Though it’s already autumn, first of all, Yunzhou’s climate isn’t too different from Xianning’s, and second, the weather here in Yundu isn’t like Yizhou’s, and it won’t start getting cold for at least another three months. If you’re not in a hurry, why not stay at our humble home for a while? Let us properly show you our hospitality before you continue your journey.”

“That would be too much trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all! Please, sir, you must stay!”

“We’re traveling the world, and while staying in Yundu, we’ll certainly be heading out often to subdue demons and eliminate evil. For one, the frequent comings and goings may disturb your household’s rest, and for another, I fear it may worry you, Mr. Zhu.”

Sure enough, the elder hesitated upon hearing that. The few middle-aged men present also exchanged uncertain glances.

But after a brief moment of thought, they still insisted that they wanted very much for the Daoist to stay in their home.

The Daoist simply smiled and didn’t press the matter further.

In Great Yan, it had long been a tradition among prominent households to support monks and Daoists. Some wealthy families even set aside dedicated rooms in their mansions for visiting monks or Daoists. They would regularly invite renowned or familiar religious figures to their homes, treating them with food and drink, while the guests would chant blessings, offer guidance, and pray for the family’s peace and safety.

In these times, such customs were likely even more widespread than before, which happened to suit Lady Calico just fine, saving them a fair bit on lodging and food expenses.

“Though this rat demon was causing mischief locally, it hadn’t taken any lives yet. If there were no City God Temple in the city, that would be one thing, but now that there is one, I should deliver it there to let the City God judge and punish it according to the law,” Song You said, wiping his mouth as he stood up. “It’s getting dark, so I’ll head over to the City God Temple now.”

“I’ll have someone take you there!”

“No need,” Song You replied with a smile. “This friend of mine is quite good at finding the way. I only ask that you kindly take care of my horse in the meantime.”

“Of course, of course!”

After exchanging bows with him, Song You took his leave and walked out of the Zhu residence.

The thin, short young man naturally followed after him.

“How was the rice vermicelli?” Song You turned his head and smiled at him.

“It was delicious! So, so good!” the young man replied. “The last time I had meat was earlier this year, let alone a whole bowl of chicken soup like that. Truly a taste of heaven!”

“I haven’t yet asked for your honorable name.”

“I’m Wang Xiaoman. I’m the fourth child in the family, so everyone just calls me Wang Si[1].”

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“Wang Xiaoman...” Song You committed the name to memory, then pulled out fifteen copper coins from his robe in total. He handed over ten coins first. “This is for guiding us to Jiya Lane and pointing out the Zhu residence.”

Then he placed the remaining five coins into his hand as well. “And this is for leading us to Yundu’s City God Temple.”

“I didn’t actually bring you to the Zhu residence. It was one of their servants who invited you in. And I already got to enjoy a fine meal thanks to you, sir. Taking you to the City God Temple is the least I can do, how could I take money for that?”

“This money is rightfully yours.” Song You shook his head with a smile, speaking as they walked.

The sun had completely set behind the mountains. Only a gradient of twilight remained on the horizon, while the clouds overhead glowed a rich, intoxicating red. Such skies would be rare elsewhere, but here they seemed almost ordinary.

As the Daoist slowly walked through a long, narrow alley, he asked, “How many guiding jobs like this can you take in a day?”

“At most, four or five.”

“Are you familiar with the roads outside the city?”

“Like the back of my hand!”

“Then let’s assume five jobs per day.”

“Sir, you mean...”

“After we leave tonight, come find us again at the Zhu residence tomorrow. We’ll need you to guide us again. You’ll be paid daily.”

“...” The young man stood there blankly, clearly confused.

1. 四 Si means “four” in Chinese. ☜