Chapter 656: Even the Cat Has Her Sorrows

“The Emperor Lord?”

“Precisely!”

“Would the Emperor Lord be willing to take the field? Is he capable of victory?”

Even the Celestial Emperor, ruler of the Heavenly Palace, could not help but speak with a tone of deference when referring to such an ancient divine being and one of the very pillars behind the Heavenly Court.

“The Emperor Lord has a fiery temperament. Though he has mellowed somewhat after ascending to godhood long ago, his nature remains as intense as ever. The last time I visited him and raised the matter in passing, his response was vague, as though he were still undecided.” The old god’s voice floated lightly amid the celestial mist.

He added, “But the Emperor Lord is, after all, a great and honored god of the Heavenly Palace. Now that the Gold Spirit Official has perished at the very hands of his own brother, if we explain things clearly and choose our words carefully, I believe the Emperor Lord will not refuse to act.”

The old god phrased things tactfully, but everyone in the hall understood the subtext.

The Emperor Lord was indeed an ancient and formidable deity. However, the Heavenly Palace did not revolve around him alone, not even the Celestial Emperor feared him. At the very least, the Gold Spirit Official, empowered by incense-fed divine authority, had been able to face him in battle. Their Divine Daos were different; each held unique divine offices, powers, and mandates. They respected each other accordingly.

But now that the Gold Spirit Official had been slain by his own blood brother, if the Emperor Lord still refused to act, neither the Celestial Emperor nor the other ancient gods would stand for it. Even he himself would likely feel too ashamed to remain idle.

As the old god had said, choosing one’s words wisely was key.

The Emperor Lord was famously hot-tempered. To persuade him would require speaking with subtlety, enough to provoke his pride, yet without making him feel slighted or manipulated. It would not be easy.

“Only the elder god is fit for this task.”

“I’m willing to go and persuade him.”

“But compared to that Flaming Sun True Lord of the lower realm, how do the Emperor Lord’s abilities measure up?”

“They were once brothers by blood. The Emperor Lord’s powers are no less than his and likely greater. The Flaming Sun True Lord nurtured his Earthly Divine Fire for thousands of years to burn the Gold Spirit Official. But the Emperor Lord’s Ninefold Celestial Fire has likewise been nourished for millennia in the thirty-fourth heaven by the essence of the sun, moon, and the world’s spiritual energy.

“Granted, the Western Regions are far removed from Shenzhou, and the Emperor Lord has no temples or statues there, which may have slightly diminished his divine strength. But this old one believes that with his abilities, he can repay the Gold Spirit Official’s death in kind.”

“Then let him return to Shenzhou for battle.”

“That will depend on the Emperor Lord’s will.”

“We entrust this crucial matter to the elder god.”

“...”

As the divine officials discussed, the sun rose in the east. The floating isles of the Heavenly Palace, suspended in the clouds, were bathed in golden-red light, appearing ever more sacred and pure.

***

The hillside was gentle, wrapped in a lovely green.

Amid the verdant expanse, cattle and sheep grazed peacefully with lowered heads. A herdsman rode ahead on horseback, whip in hand, beneath a rose-colored dawn.

It was a scene of idyllic spring beauty, like the southern rivers beyond the frontier.

Across this painting-like landscape, a crane soared gracefully through the sky.

“There are so many horses here!”

“Yes, there are...”

“All different colors!”

“This region breeds horses.”

“I miss our horses.”

The little girl in tri-colored clothing walked beside the Daoist into a small western city; not Jade City, but Green City at the foot of Mount Tian. As she glanced around at the unfamiliar western faces passing by, they too cast curious glances at her.

Meanwhile, she recalled the scenery they’d seen earlier that day when descending on the crane, and couldn’t help but start to miss their own horses.

“We’ll be seeing them soon,” Song You replied.

He walked forward steadily, following his memory, and settled into an inn he had once stayed at years ago.

Across from the inn was a shop that sold flatbread-wrapped meat. Lady Calico had once tried to secretly learn the owner's cooking skills. Now, years later, the shop was still there.

Song You and Lady Calico went over and ordered a portion.

Lady Calico had no objections, as she seemed to finally understand the reasoning behind. “Even though I already know how to make it, the Daoist still spends money to buy some.”

The flatbread-wrapped meat was freshly made. A dark-skinned, strong young man from the Western Regions was kneading dough, while an older man beside him had already marinated the lamb. Many customers sat inside; some eating, some waiting, others gathered to chat over milk wine. The atmosphere was as lively as ever.

Lady Calico sat still, resting her elbow on the table and propping her tilted head with her hand, her expression serious and thoughtful. Her striking beauty drew many glances from around the shop.

But her mind was elsewhere, thinking back on the journey they made today.

They had set out before dawn, just like the merchants who crossed the scorching deserts. Though it was still dark on the ground, once they rose into the clouds on the crane, light began to break in the east.

Much of the route they’d flown overlapped with the path they had taken through the Western Regions years ago. Even if not exactly the same, many places were ones they had once passed or rested in.

But once they were soaring above on the crane, the mountains changed in height, the rivers stretched long, forests and grasslands looked flattened against the earth. The land beneath became a painting in a cat’s eyes, flowing like water.

Some things they used to see while walking on the ground disappeared; some things they had never noticed before suddenly became visible.

Fog and clouds were now crystal clear. Cities looked so small, while the barren desert turned out to be full of color. The distance between two massive mountains could be crossed in a blink.

Behind a mountain she had once visited, nestled out of sight, was a lake she had never known existed. Beside a forest where she had once chased mice, there was a pond she had never discovered close by. And yet, back then, when she so badly wanted to find a place to fish, she hadn’t noticed it at all.

Many places now felt unfamiliar and almost unrecognizable. It was like seeing an entirely different world. The noise around her faded into the background, as if her mind filtered it all away.

“This road... is getting harder and harder to walk...”

“Who doesn’t feel the same? Who knows how many more years we can keep walking this road! If only we could be like Mr. Xie and the others, then there’ll be no more endless traveling!”

“Mr. Xie? Which Mr. Xie?”

“Mr. Xie from Angzhou. He used to be a merchant along this very route, just like you and me. You haven’t heard of him?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell...”

“Well, there’ve been a lot of strange things on this road lately, such as demons, ghosts, and oddities. But you’ve heard the stories outside Jade City, haven’t you? About the forest filled with rare treasures? Mr. Xie was traveling this road doing business a few years back and happened to meet an immortal near Jade City. Because he was upright and courteous, he helped the immortal and was later rewarded with a dream.

“In the dream, the immortal told him to search the forest for treasure. He really went and truly did find all sorts of rare treasures. They packed up what they could and left carefully. When they got back to Angzhou, they had enough wealth for ten lifetimes. He never had to trade again.”

“Ah, I have heard that story... So his surname was Xie?”

“That’s right. He’s from Angzhou, so he’s half a hometown fellow of mine!”

“I heard the treasures in the mountain were piled up like hills. But because of old stories they’d heard, they feared getting greedy, worried it might all vanish if they took too much. So they didn’t load up too heavily, and their camel’s back wasn’t even fully loaded. Most of it was left behind. But when they got back to Angzhou, people regretted it. The next year, they followed the same route trying to find the place again, but no matter what, they just couldn’t. It vanished without a trace. Really mysterious.”

“It’s true.”

“If it had been me, I’d have loaded everything I could in one trip! Come back rich as a king! My descendants would live easy for generations!”

“If it had been you, the immortal would’ve seen your greed and never told you anything! Hahaha!”

“Hah, that’s fair enough! I also heard about a Western Region woman from Jade City, who used to be a palace maid, I think. She took a small bit of treasure and exchanged it at the palace for money. The story spread far and wide. When I first heard it, I thought it was something from hundreds of years ago, but turns out it was just a few years back.”

“That maid was clever. She knew to take only a little, and to go straight to the palace and explain everything clearly.”

“Makes you jealous, doesn’t it...”

“It really does...”

“Gentlemen, look over there, there’s a little girl sitting with a Daoist. You don’t see Daoists around here too often. And that little girl... she’s really quite charming!”

“...”

At that, many people turned their heads toward the nearby table.

The young girl still sat with her elbow on the table, chin resting in her palm. Her face was soft and fair, her features delicate and animated, with a serious expression but eyes constantly flickering with thought. She seemed completely lost in her own world, like any ordinary cat absorbed in its own daydreams, utterly ignoring all the gazes cast her way from around the shop.

After all, who would guess that the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas were flashing through the little girl’s mind just then?

That was, until the waiter brought over the flatbread filled with lamb. A knife was plunged into the flatbread, cutting it open to reveal the juicy roasted lamb inside.

The aroma of the flatbread and meat seemed almost tangible, like an invisible hand reached out, grabbed the girl by the back of the neck, and yanked her back to reality. Her eyes, still dazed a second ago, were forcibly drawn to the food in front of her.

She hadn't forgotten to grab her chopsticks, at least.

“Lady Calico, your lamb flatbread has already captured seven or eight parts of the local flavor,” Song You said. “What you’re missing is the kneading and dough-making technique. Also, there's one key ingredient you lack."

“What ingredient?” she asked.

“

Hunti

scallions[1]...”

Using his chopsticks, Song You picked out a thin, nearly translucent, crescent-shaped vegetable from the lamb. “This plant seems to grow only in this region. After being stewed, it melts into the broth. It’s fragrant, slightly sweet, and it pairs especially well with lamb... Without this, it’s only natural that your lamb flatbread doesn’t taste authentic.”

“

Hunti

scallions!” Lady Calico immediately started digging through the lamb with her chopsticks, lifting one high in front of her eyes before popping it into her mouth.

It had already been slow-cooked to perfect tenderness, melting the moment it hit her tongue.

Sure enough, it was fresh and sweet, soaked through with the rich lamb broth.

“I’ve heard even around here,

Hunti

scallions are rare. In the coming days, I’d like to trouble Lady Calico and Yan An to search for some seeds,” said Song You after a short pause. “If possible, Lady Calico, you might even try bringing them back to the Central Plains. Spreading it far and wide would be a good deed in itself.”

“But I don't speak the local language. And they don’t understand what I say either.”

“With your cleverness, and Yan An helping at your side, how could such a small matter possibly be difficult?” Song You smiled.

“If we find it?”

“Then stay here for a while. Spend a few more days learning how the shopkeeper kneads and prepares the dough.” He paused again. “Of course, as tuition and thanks, you can pay him a little. And if you’re unwilling to pay, then catching some mice for him would be acceptable too.”

“Catching...” Lady Calico was still speaking as she picked up another piece of meat, but mid-sentence she realized what he’d said. She looked up sharply and stared at the Daoist.

“What about you?”

“I’ll head up Mount Tian again. Seek out the mountain’s cold spiritual resonance and meditate carefully on it.”

“You’re going to fight,

meow

?”

“I really can’t hide anything from you, Lady Calico.”

“Are you

really

going to fight,

meow

?”

“It’s not up to me. It depends on the Heavenly Palace.”

“Fight who?”

“Perhaps Fiery Sun True Lord.”

“Fiery Sun True Lord!” The little girl’s expression instantly grew serious.

Lady Calico certainly knew who Fiery Sun True Lord was. Back when she hadn’t yet mastered fire spells and couldn’t even light a lamp on her own, for a long time—whenever she wanted to light a lantern, or burn an oil lamp to save fuel—she’d borrowed fire from Fiery Sun True Lord.

Fiery Sun True Lord had always been generous and responsive to every request. Each time he cast a spell to light a lamp, the flame would last the whole night without going out. He was a fire god and a remarkable immortal.

Many Daoists worshipped him. When they exorcised demons or performed fire magic, they borrowed their flames from him.

Lady Calico couldn’t help but show a trace of sorrow on her face.

Many years had passed. She had made great progress in her cultivation, and her magic was formidable now, but thinking about it, she was still just a cat. She couldn’t help with something like this at all.

“Can you win?” she asked.

“Of course,” the Daoist replied with a faint smile, his tone confident.

But that still couldn’t ease the sorrow between the girl’s brows.

Westerners and people from the Central Plains alike came and went in the shop. Drawn by the girl’s beauty, many cast glances her way. But who would imagine that such a child could be burdened by such heavy thoughts?

1. The

Tang Huiyao

records a type of vegetable called "hunti scallion" (

hunti cong

), "Hunti scallion resembles a scallion but is white, with a pungent medicinal smell. Its appearance is like

lan lingdong

and it is green in winter. It is dried and ground into powder, tasting like cassia and pepper. Its root can cure respiratory ailments." Unfortunately, the

Tang Huiyao

does not include an illustration of the

hunti scallion

, nor does it explain the key term

lan lingdong

, making it impossible to determine whether the

hunti scallion

is the same as today’s onion. ☜