Chapter 630: A Dream of Many Years

“Sir, are you headed to Lingbo?”

The Daoist stood on the riverbank, leaning on a bamboo staff, bending slightly as he asked the boatman whose vessel had just come ashore. His face held a smile, which was familiar, yet somehow different from before.

At his side stood a little girl wearing a robe of three colors. Her fair face was delicate and pretty, her hair tied up in a bun. She carried a cloth pouch slung over her shoulder. Her expression was serious, making her look all the more adorable.

“Lingbo?” The boatman, steering with his oar, glanced them over and replied, “Sure! Why not?”

“How much is the fare?”

“From here to Lingbo, going downstream takes five days. Two hundred wen per person. A horse counts as two people, and that's the rule. But the little girl you’ve got with you, sir, we’ll just count her as half. Meals are included on the boat, though it’s nothing fancy. They’re not mountain delicacies, just enough to fill the belly.

“As for the horse’s fodder, that’s your responsibility. If you didn’t bring any, that’s fine too. We’ll dock morning and evening, so it can graze by the riverside.”

“Two hundred wen, huh...” Song You turned his head, looking off into the distance.

This wasn’t the Nianping Ferry, though it too led to Lingbo. The place was different from the one he’d departed from more than a decade ago. Compared to Nianping, this place was closer to Lingbo. The boatman’s words confirmed it: back then, it had taken six days by boat, and now, only five. And yet, the fare was still two hundred wen.

“That’s the going rate! If it were someone else, I might charge a little more. But you’re clearly a Daoist Master, sir, and no matter how greedy I might be, I wouldn’t dare cheat someone of the Dao! Besides, business on the river’s been awful lately. I’ve already knocked a bit off for you.

“Back when things were busy, we charged at least two hundred and twenty wen per person, and the boat had to be packed full before we’d even set off!” The boatman, seeing Song You silent for a while, thought he was hesitating over the price and quickly added, “How about this, six hundred fifty wen total. That’s a deal, just for you.”

“It’s definitely more expensive than it used to be.” Song You shook off his memories and smiled. “Very well. Please bring the boat to shore.”

“Aye, sir!” The boatman beamed with joy and rowed over quickly, chatting as he did:

“It’s not expensive, not expensive! It’s been this price for years now. If you want it cheaper, you’d have to go back ten years or more. But things are getting more dangerous on the river, and the roads are worse. And I don’t know what’s going on with the world, but money just isn’t worth what it used to be. Prices have gone up everywhere.”

“I see.” Song You took a few steps and boarded the boat.

Clunk.

The horse followed, stepping solidly onto the deck. The little girl followed right behind, handing coins to the boatman.

This trip cost a hundred wen more than last time, because back then, Lady Calico hadn’t taken human form. She’d boarded the boat in her cat body, and the boatman hadn’t charged for her.

Now, having taken human shape, she counted as a passenger. There were two good reasons for this change.

First, Lady Calico loved fishing. With several days aboard the boat, taking human form made fishing and reading far easier. As a cat, the cramped space would quickly become dull and boring.

Second, though she was greedy and frugal, she also liked being treated the same as humans. Paying a fare for her helped fulfill that desire, and was good for the development of her inner mindset.

“Oh my! What a divine-looking horse, sir!”

“No need to worry about it,” said Song You. “Just let it stand here. It won’t fall.”

“Alright, then...”

Only then did Song You duck into the cabin. But inside, there was no one at all.

Just as Song You thought the boatman was still waiting for more passengers, he felt the boat sway gently. It had only just docked at the riverbank, and now it was already gliding softly away, drifting into deeper waters.

“Sir, you're not waiting for others?”

“Waiting? For whom?”

“For more passengers.”

“Passengers? No, not anymore! This is a small ferry dock, and there aren’t many people around. And lately, river business has been terrible. If I waited for passengers here, I might not see a soul for two whole days! And even if someone came, it’d probably just be someone going to the next ferry stop—not worth your time, sir.”

The boatman chuckled and continued, “Much better to head downstream and stop at the major docks along the way. If we spot anyone, we’ll pick them up on the spot. The more passengers, the more profit.”

“That makes sense.” Song You nodded, smiling faintly. It looked like this trip would be more spacious.

So he sat sideways in the cabin, leaned back against the rain canopy, and stretched his legs out nearly straight. He gave a lazy stretch.

Lady Calico sat beside him, proper and composed, with her little hands neatly placed on her knees. She looked far more obedient than she did in cat form, but in truth, she kept turning her head left and right, tilting her body this way and that, curiously inspecting every part of the boat’s interior.

“If you’re feeling lonely, sir,” the boatman called out cheerfully, “and want someone to chat with, I can keep you company for some conversation. If you’d like a drink, there are a few ferry stops along the way that sell wine too. But I must warn you, this old man’s never been to school a day in his life. If you’re one of those scholarly types who likes to recite poetry or sing verses, I’d be of no use there, haha...”

“You're a witty man, sir.” Song You reached out and gently pinched his little one’s cheek, but she didn’t react at all. She didn’t even glance his way, so he turned to ask the boatman another question, “By the way, sir, are you sure this boat can get to Lingbo?”

“Aren’t you going to Lingbo, sir?”

“I am.”

“Then of course we can get there! Why wouldn’t we?”

“It wasn’t always possible, you know.”

“Wasn’t? When? Ages ago? You must be talking about ten-plus years ago, right?” The boatman laughed, a bit surprised. “Who told you that?”

“Another boatman.”

“Hah! That was over a decade ago,” the boatman said as he stood at the bow, steering. “Back then, there was a water demon near Lingbo. It was quite powerful and made a huge mess, no one dared to pass through, not even the government’s large ships. So of course we common folk wouldn’t go there either.

“But then a divine immortal passed through and dealt with that water demon. In recent years, although the river’s still not entirely peaceful, it’s only minor creatures now. As long as you're careful, all’s well. Travel’s been back to normal for a while.”

“I see...” Song You smiled thoughtfully, lost in reflection.

“Sir, are you afraid of demons and ghosts?” the boatman asked.

“I’m not afraid.”

“Even so, I must warn you, sir: whatever you do, don’t fish at night. Be careful you don’t get pulled into the water by something, even if it’s just a big fish, it won’t be so easy to climb back onto the boat in the dark. If you suddenly see a fish floating beside the boat, don’t reach out to grab it. If you hear someone calling you at night, or hear strange sounds when relieving yourself, don’t go near the edge of the boat. If you spot a black shadow under the water, don’t lean over out of curiosity to take a look...”

The boatman rattled off a long list, like telling a string of ghost stories.

They were really just precautions, but in the telling, they sounded like eerie tales of supernatural events. It was oddly entertaining.

“Sir, you sure know a lot.”

“Us boatmen who run the river year-round, and there’s no shortage of strange happenings on the water. Travelers get bored and like to talk about this stuff. They ask us about it, and we share stories with each other. Oh right, there’s a scholar surnamed

Fu

from Anqing up ahead who wrote a book. Supposedly it’s full of stories just like these, and it’s very popular. I can’t read myself, but I hear travelers mention it all the time. That scholar used to hang around the docks, listening to boatmen like us tell tales. Who would’ve guessed that he wrote them all into his book.”

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“A scholar surnamed Fu...” A nostalgic glint shone in Song You’s eyes.

“That book has tons of waterborne ghost stories. They feel real. Some stories even include advice, what to do if you encounter such things. It’s actually quite practical.”

“I’ve heard of it too...”

“Oh? Sir, you’ve read it?”

“It’s a fine book. I bought a copy back when I was in Changjing.”

“Even

Changjing

sells it? That far away?!”

“Yes.”

“Haha, that scholar really got famous!” The boatman laughed heartily, his voice echoing across the river.

Song You sat quietly inside the cabin, lost in memories.

Beside him, the little girl had finished examining the unfamiliar environment of the boat. She withdrew her curiosity and picked up her small bamboo fishing rod, now focused intently on untangling a knotted mess of fishing line.

“I already told you: when you reel in the line, wind it up properly. That way it’s easy to use next time.”

“And I already told you, when you reel in the line, wrap it however you want. As long as you untangle it carefully next time, it’s fine.” Still focused, Lady Calico didn’t even look up as she answered.

“You stubborn little thing.”

“You stubborn big thing!”

“...”

The Daoist shook his head and fell silent.

The light boat glided downstream with the current, the sound of ripples soft and soothing. A fresh breeze passed gently through the cabin, brushing against his cheeks with a comfort that made one forget all worldly concerns. It was a moment of peace that made him resonate with the poem,

“

The affairs of the world have long become familiar;

This heart remains at ease, wherever it may go.

”

He lay down completely and decided to take a nap.

When he woke again, it was already dusk.

He didn’t know when the boat had come to a stop.

The sky was neither fully dark nor still light. Twilight lingered but wouldn’t quite leave. The mountains had turned into deep, shadowy silhouettes, while the dreamy light at the edge of the sky merged with the mountains’ reflection in the water. The river had been stained with color.

The small boat floated on the surface, and its faint lamplight, from a distance, looked no bigger than a yellow bean. It also reflected in the water, rippling in the evening breeze.

The boatman crouched beside him, tending a small fire and preparing dinner. Afraid of waking him, he moved carefully and quietly.

At the bow of the boat sat a small figure, upright and focused, holding a little fishing rod. The line dipped into the water, sending out gentle ripples with each movement.

Suddenly, the girl lifted the rod.

“

Plop

!”

A faint silver gleam flashed in the dim light. At the same time, she reached out and caught it. It was just a small fish.

She remained calm, deftly removed it from the hook, and casually tossed it behind her.

“

Flap-flap-flap..

.” The fish flopped around inside the cabin.

“We can cook porridge with that.”

The girl turned back and told the boatman. When she saw the Daoist had awakened, she paused in surprise. “You actually fell asleep?”

The Daoist struggled to sit up, rubbing his eyes.

Fresh from sleep, his eyes were still heavy with drowsiness. The dusk outside was dim and dreamlike, the river seemingly unchanged for countless years, and the scenery on both banks so much like what it was long ago. For a fleeting moment, it felt as if a chattering, eccentric scholar was once again seated at the bow, reaching to touch the river water, and the one tossing fish wasn’t Lady Calico, but an aged old boatman.

It felt like a dream that lasted many years...

***

Five days later...

Spring waters glistened in jade tones. The boat drifted along with the wind. The swallow followed it in flight, gliding over the river like waterbirds. They often overtook the boat, circled ahead, then looped behind again, playing in the air.

The girl sat at the boat’s edge, scratching the gunwale with her fingernails.

“We just passed Anqing. Once past Anqing, we’ll soon arrive at Lingbo,” the boatman said to the Daoist Master, barely needing to row as the current carried them forward. “We’ll reach there this afternoon.”

“Anqing!”

Lady Calico lifted her head to look at the Daoist Master, then tilted her head back further and further, gazing upward into the sky. Finally, she twisted around to look behind the little boat, searching for the swallow darting about in the air. When she spotted them, she froze in that odd posture, “We’ve reached the swallow’ hometown again!”

“Careful, Lady Calico, don’t twist your neck,” Song You said calmly as he gently helped guide her head back to a normal position, lest she alarm the boatman.

“Legend says that in ancient times, a great demon stirred up chaos. Taking advantage of the rainy season, it summoned a massive flood. Waters surged across a thousand li, waves roared, and the floodwaters didn’t recede for years. Many people in the county town drowned, and it was truly tragic. Only a handful of the lucky ones escaped to this mountain and barely survived. Later, to prevent the demon from wreaking havoc again, they built a city on this mountain and named it

Lingbo

.”

The boatman, doubling as a tour guide, explained this to Song You.

Song You listened, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He was hearing familiar words again.

“Up ahead along the official road by the river, there’s a temple, you’ll see it soon,” the boatman continued. “Remember I told you this stretch of the river used to be plagued by a water demon, but an immortal came and got rid of it? The locals built a temple in honor of that immortal, that’s the one.”

“Is that so...” Song You stood at the river’s edge, facing the breeze as he walked forward. “Sir, have you been there yourself?”

“Just once. There’s a stone statue that looks about the same as any other deity’s statue. There’s also a statue of a horse, and I think he was holding a dog, too. Don’t be fooled into thinking we boatmen know all the places along the river, we spend our lives on the water, but there are many places on land we’ve never set foot in.

“It’s only in recent years, with the times being so unsettled, that I visited that temple since its incense offerings have been doing quite well. Can’t say for sure whether it’s truly effective, but ever since I paid my respects, I haven’t had a single boating accident. Who knows, maybe I really have been blessed by the immortal.”

“More likely, it’s your own caution that has brought you good fortune.”

“Haha, careful now! We’re nearly at the temple! Don’t go talking like that,” the boatman said quickly, waving his hand as if worried the celestial might hear and take offense. “Didn’t I tell you before about that scholar named

Fu

from Anqing, who wrote a book full of strange tales about ghosts and demons? This story was in there too. I think he even claimed to have seen the immortal with his own eyes, so it’s probably true!”

“I see...” Song You took a deep breath. Though the distance was still great, he could faintly catch the scent of incense drifting through the air.

It was as if it had come seeking him. “...”

The Daoist waved his hand, brushing the feeling away.

Before long, a temple truly came into view. The light boat drifted gently along the river, brushing past it.

For a moment, Song You thought he saw, on the riverside path, a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, walking the banks with a friend. His face seemed vaguely familiar, perhaps an old acquaintance?

The little boat really was too swift.

“We’ve arrived at

Lingbo

,” the boatman said as he guided the boat to the shore, exhaling deeply.

“Many thanks, sir.”

After thirteen long years, the Daoist once again set foot on this riverside land.