Chapter 618: All Because of the Immortal Cat

“Then I shall take my leave, sir.”

“In this life... will there be a chance for us to meet again?”

“That’s hard to say.”

Song You stood at the entrance of the inn. His jujube-red horse was already saddled with luggage, and the swallow perched quietly under the eaves, waiting for him to finish saying goodbye to the innkeeper.

“The mountains are high, the rivers long, and life is short. To have met at all is already rare, why insist on more?”

The innkeeper immediately understood what he meant.

“Safe travels, sir.”

“No need to see me off.”

“And the young girl from your household?”

“I asked her to deliver something to the Yang residence for me, and she’ll be back any moment now.”

“Alright then...”

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came echoing from the alley.

A little girl dressed in tri-colored clothing, with a pouch slung across her shoulder, came running full speed out of the alleyway. She was running so fast her body bounced up and down, and the pouch flapped wildly at her side. It wasn’t clear what the rush was about.

Before she even reached the Daoist, her voice came shouting from a distance. “Young Daoist! Something’s wrong!”

She ran up to him, panting hard as she came to a stop.

“...”

The Daoist looked at her helplessly. “What is it now?”

“Just now, I did what you said. I took the peach to give to Lady Chai. But her house was full of people!” the girl said breathlessly.

“What happened?”

“

Huff

! Her house had lots of guests! Some were people who’ve talked with you before. When they saw the peach you gave to Lady Chai, they all said it must’ve been conjured by magic! Then when they heard we’re about to leave, they said they’re all coming here to give you a farewell!” Lady Calico explained. “Let’s run away now!”

“Run? Why should we run?”

“You hate stuff like this the most!”

Seeing the seriousness on her face, and her little cheeks flushed red, Song You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Even if I don’t like it, that’s no reason to go fleeing.”

“They said they want you to stay a few more days!”

“Then I’ll politely decline.”

“They said they want you to teach them cultivation and magic!”

“That...” The Daoist thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, “It might be a bit troublesome, but I can still decline politely. Besides, who ever heard of fleeing in panic just because someone came to see you off?”

“They also said they want you to conjure peaches for them to eat! They’re saying it must be immortal peaches, and that they’ll live forever after eating one!”

“...” The little girl stood a few feet in front of the Daoist, looking up at him with a serious expression.

“See? I told you we should run, but you didn’t believe me.”

“That’s... not exactly appropriate...”

“What’s not appropriate? Cats always run! If you don’t like something, just run!” the girl said with the same serious tone, even a bit smugly. “If you run quick enough, no one can catch you!”

“But I’m not a cat...”

“People can run too! Two legs can run just fine!”

“When have I ever done such a thing...”

“Oh right!” Lady Calico blinked, then looked up at him in surprise. “Wait, you don’t know how to run away?”

“I do know how to run.”

“Then run! Hurry up! They’re almost here, I already hear their footsteps! I ran as fast as I could to warn you, so you’d have time to run away first! Otherwise it’ll be too late!”

As she said this, she turned her head and peeked anxiously toward the alley, watching those slow-moving people get closer and closer. She looked worried, but also like she was having fun. As she urged the Daoist, her face gradually lit up with a bit of excitement and anticipation.

“Let’s run together! That’ll be super fun!” The Daoist stood still while looking down into her eyes, a smile slowly growing across his face.

Yes, since coming down from the mountain, he had always moved with calm and composure while walking among the world of men. His pace was rarely fast or slow. Even when in a hurry, he would ride the jujube-red horse rather than run.

And certainly, he had never fled simply because someone came to see him off and he didn’t want to deal with it.

But then again, what Lady Calico said wasn’t entirely wrong.

“What’s so bad about it?”

“It’ll be super fun!” His smile deepened, and Lady Calico’s anticipation only grew.

“They’re almost here!” she said seriously. Her voice tightened as her excitement gave way to concern.

Then...

From up ahead came the Daoist’s calm voice, “Then, you run ahead.”

“Huh?” Lady Calico froze.

She whipped her head around and stared at the Daoist, completely surprised.

“What's wrong? Wasn’t it you who suggested we run?” the Daoist said with a smile, looking at her. “Then please, lead the way.”

“...?!” The little girl looked confused, then serious.

She glanced back at the alley behind them, then looked once more at her Daoist. Without further hesitation, she turned and took off running. She was truly carefree and unrestrained.

Her robes fluttered as she sprinted, and her legs moved quickly, causing the pouch slung across her shoulder to bounce up and down. Indeed, she ran fast.

Behind her came the sound of hooves. Above, the swallow darted through the air gracefully.

And the Daoist? Naturally, he was right there beside her.

***

Outside the city, by the lake, there was a stretch of wild grass.

This time of year, the temperature was gradually dropping, but in truth, it was the most beautiful season in Xianning. The land was painted gold, village houses gleamed with white walls and dark tiles, and the lake water shimmered blue. The dawn redwoods by the lakeside had just turned red, which was vivid and evenly hued, displaying a brilliance and elegance that few other red-leafed trees could rival. The scene was reflected in the water, and half the river shimmered green, while the other half glowed crimson.

At sunset, with the evening light added, it would be even more beautiful.

Seabirds from the distant northern coasts had flown here, wintering on the lake as though it were their sea. They often played and chased each other across the surface, diving for fish, or soaring in flocks overhead.

On the lakeside’s grassy field stood a few large rocks. Beside them grew a solitary tree, casting a stretch of shade, where the Daoist now sat resting.

“That was so much fun!” Lady Calico’s face beamed with excitement and joy. “Those people were so slow!”

Especially since she got to run side by side with her Daoist, that made it even more fun.

Just now, they had run all the way to this spot.

“Thank you, Lady Calico. Not only did you help me avoid a lot of trouble, but you also let me experience something I hadn’t before,” the Daoist spoke sincerely to the young girl beside him.

“Something you hadn’t before?”

As she asked, the girl twisted around to take the pouch off her shoulder, hanging it over the saddle bag. Then with a soft

poof

, she transformed back into a calico cat. She stepped out of the shade into the sunlight, stuck out her tongue, and stretched lazily; she was clearly in a wonderful mood.

“I hardly ever run like that.”

“Why not? Running is so much fun!” said the cat, twisting her body mid-stretch and turning to look at him, utterly puzzled. “I run all the time, and I run really fast!”

“You’re amazing.”

“It seems like you humans don't like to run. Only when you're small do you love running, but once you grow up, you stop.” The cat spoke while pondering the reason. She was a cat who liked to think, though, being a cat, it was natural she didn’t always understand human matters.

Soon, she shook her head and turned her face up toward the sun while squinting her eyes.

“Humans aren’t very good. Not only do they run slow, they can’t even sunbathe since they don’t have fur. When I turn into a human and lie in the sun for a bit, my hands turn all red and hot, and it only goes away the next day.”

“For you to recover by the next day and not even tan, that’s already quite amazing.”

“Humans really aren’t very good.”

“Naturally, they're no match for you, Lady Calico.”

“Mmm...” The cat withdrew her gaze, stopped stretching, and padded a few steps in place before turning around to face him. “Where are we going next?”

“Where to...”

This time, Song You didn’t take out

Yudi Jisheng

. That book didn’t have much on Yunzhou anyway, and it mostly recorded the roads they had just traveled. Instead, he lifted his head, glanced back at the lake and several directions around it. “We’ve stayed in Xianning so long, yet we haven’t circled the lake. Let’s walk around it first.”

“Circle the lake!” The cat wasn’t surprised at all.

The Daoist was always like this. In addition to loving to climb mountains, he loved circling lakes. If they came upon a beautiful lake, he always liked to take his time walking all the way around it.

Just like back then, at the foot of Yunding Mountain.

“Circling the lake is good. While we circle, I will fish for you to eat every day.”

“Lady Calico, I appreciate your hard work.”

“It’s not hard at all! It’s fun!” The cat paused, then asked again, “And after that?”

“Let’s head west first. I’ve heard the scenery westward is especially beautiful. Later we’ll loop back south.”

“Heading west!”

“We’ll think while we walk.”

“Alright!”

The cat said nothing more. Though she now had a better sense of direction and geography than before, she still didn’t seem to care too much about where they were headed. After asking, she casually flopped over onto her side in the grass, closed her eyes, and started sunbathing. Only her tail swayed back and forth.

The Daoist didn’t move either, and instead sat quietly in the breeze. Once they had rested enough, they set off again.

Not far west of Xianning, at the foot of the mountain, three ancient pagodas came into view. This was the famous Three Pagodas Monastery.

Long ago, a sizeable kingdom once ruled the Yunzhou plateau. The monarch even dared call himself “emperor.” Xianning served as his capital. Later, Buddhism spread from the west and won his favor, so much so that many emperors became monks in their twilight years. Several of them were ordained at this very temple, which was a testament to the temple’s significance.

Of course, there were no more emperors now, and the Three Pagodas Monastery seemed to have lost its former glory. Only time left its traces.

It would be a pity not to come and see. Thus, Song You brought the cat and the horse to visit the temple.

The monastery was bustling with worshippers, incense thick in the air, and the temple thriving.

However, just as the Daoist reached the entrance expecting the usual routine of visiting a monastery or temple, he was surprised to find that monks were already waiting to receive him.

At the forefront stood a middle-aged monk around forty or fifty years old, who was lean in build. He was followed by several monks a few years his junior, and some even younger novices peeking curiously from behind.

“Amitabha. My Dharma name is Wuwei. Your honorable presence brings us great fortune; forgive us for not welcoming you sooner.”

The lead monk looked at Song You, then at the jujube-red horse behind him, and finally at the calico cat trotting around and glancing curiously in all directions.

He gave the calico cat a particularly long look.

“So it is Master Wuwei. I am Song You, a Daoist from Yizhou. Greetings.” Song You offered a respectful salute.

Lady Calico, still in her disguise as an ordinary cat, appeared to understand nothing of human speech. She made no gesture of greeting and merely wandered around, finally stopping at the Daoist’s feet with dainty steps.

“I’ve long heard of your name.” The monk placed his palms together in greeting. “Honored guest, please come in.”

“Likewise, I’ve heard much of you.” Song You returned the bow and walked inside. “May I ask, Master, how did you know we would arrive today?”

“You may not know, but this temple possesses a treasure known as the Mirror Platform,” said Master Wuwei, leading him deeper into the monastery. “Though it does not always respond, it has the ability to glimpse the past and foresee the future. Last night, a disciple was chanting scriptures and practicing before the Mirror Platform when it suddenly emitted light. He called me to investigate. I did not understand its meaning at the time, but that very night, I had a dream. It was not a dream of anything specific, but upon waking, I knew with certainty that today, an honored guest would arrive.”

“What a remarkable artifact.”

“It is said that the platform was originally just an ordinary stone slab. But many years ago, during the temple’s prosperous days, many enlightened monks practiced here. Over generations of spiritual empowerment, it gradually became extraordinary. If the honored guest is interested, I would be glad to take you to see it later.”

“That would be most welcome.”

Song You had always delighted in witnessing the novel and the mysterious. This was, after all, one of the very purposes of traveling.

“But if I may ask, Master, how did you know that the guest in your dream referred to us?” Song You looked curiously at Master Wuwei and the other monks.

Lady Calico was equally curious, tilting her head up to look at them. Her eyes were bright and full of life.

“This temple has long since declined. I, a humble monk, have little cultivation and few abilities,” said Master Wuwei. “But I do occasionally go into Xianning City, either to fulfill a request to perform rites or to drive away evil spirits and troublesome ghosts. Moreover, many devotees travel from Xianning to visit the temple, so I often hear news from the city.”

“I heard that a Daoist came to the city recently, seemingly an old acquaintance of Lady Chai. Curiously, in Lady Chai’s stories, there was also a Daoist who traveled with a cat. And now, here is an actual Daoist, also accompanied by a cat. From this, I inferred that you must be a person of profound Daoist cultivation and great spiritual attainment.”

“Profound cultivation might be overstating it,” the Daoist replied sincerely, bowing his head.

In proper terms, when a true cultivator spoke of “Daoist cultivation” and “spiritual attainment,” they were not the same.

Daoist cultivation referred to one’s spiritual methods and magical power, and how powerful one was in practice. Meanwhile, spiritual attainment referred more to one’s philosophical depth and moral-spiritual maturity in Daoism or Buddhism, including clarity of mind and inner growth.

Someone might possess great Daoist cultivation without having deep spiritual attainment. Likewise, someone might have high spiritual attainment but not immense magical power.

Those with great Daoist cultivation commanded awe; those with great spiritual attainment inspired deep, heartfelt respect from the upright and kindhearted.

“There is no need for such modesty,” Master Wuwei said with a slight smile. “However, there is one more reason why I am certain you possess both great Daoist cultivation and spiritual attainment.”

“I would be glad to hear it.”

“It is because of the one at your side.”

Master Wuwei lowered his head and looked at the calico cat, who was carefully maintaining the act of being an ordinary cat beside the Daoist. With deep reverence, he gave her a respectful bow and said, “I once heard a devotee recount how someone encountered the Headless Monk and the golden-stone giant battling on a desolate lakeshore. The fight ended indecisively, but afterward, the Headless Monk returned and spoke. He didn’t say his usual line, but asked instead, ‘Have you seen a cat?’

“That piqued my curiosity. So I personally led a few monks on several trips to the lake. At last, we glimpsed the Mountain God vanquishing the demon monk, a tale now widely spread across Xianning over the past two months. I dared not go near but saw from afar that there was a cat atop the stone giant.”

“

Meow

?” The calico cat’s eyes narrowed as her expression tensed. She realized she could no longer keep up the act. Finally, she stood upright by the Daoist’s side and, imitating his posture, bowed politely.

“Greetings.” Her voice was soft and delicate, but clear as it nearly echoed the Daoist’s tone.

Several monks around them gasped in surprise.