Chapter 659: The Curious Fishing Encounter

Outside the city of Yundu, by the shores of a cloud pool...

A certain gentleman was quietly fishing.

The sky was a soft, pale blue, as was the lake. Fluffy, condensed clouds floated above in small tufts, blown into neat strings by the wind and reflected in the still waters. The breeze rustled through the reeds. It was a truly beautiful scene.

Yet it didn’t seem to be ideal weather or the ideal spot for fishing. The gentleman had been sitting there in still silence for quite some time. The fishing line stirred the water again and again, the lake constantly rippling with subtle movement, but not a single fish was caught.

After some time, someone else approached. It was another angler, but a rather unusual one.

The newcomer looked to be no more than ten or so years old. Her face was fair and unblemished, delicate and clean, with refined features and bright, lively eyes. She was likely more well-kept than even the daughters of high-ranking officials.

She wore a faded, three-colored outfit, clearly old and worn in places. On her feet were a pair of embroidered cloth shoes that fit perfectly. Carrying a small fishing rod that was nearly as long as she was tall, she casually caught a bug near the lakeside for bait, sat down with ease on a nearby stone, and cast her hook into the water.

Then, she struck up a conversation with the gentleman.

These days, the world was anything but peaceful. Even the State Preceptor had begun to show signs of unrest, and stories of ghosts and monsters were spreading both within and outside the city of Yundu. Strange tales from centuries past were beginning to play out again in the present.

The gentleman had heard many such rumors. And the moment he saw this peculiar young lady, he instinctively felt she was no ordinary person. What’s more, this lakeside spot was remote and deserted, far from any village. Rarely did anyone come here at all, let alone a young girl who seemed both unusual and oddly calm. Surely, her presence here was not a coincidence.

He also remembered the saying that malicious spirits often disguised themselves as the weak, such as elders, women, or children, to trick and harm people. Judging someone’s nature based solely on their appearance could be fatal.

This made him even more anxious.

But the girl was the first to speak, and he dared not offend her by ignoring her words. Nor did he dare to leave suddenly. He could only play along with her conversation while quietly thinking of a way to escape.

The girl chatted casually at first, talking about the recent trend in Yundu City, stone-pot fish stew, which seemed to greatly interest her. The gentleman, though still cautious, answered truthfully: the dish had been introduced by a merchant from the west at the Yundu tea-horse trade. Because it was cheap and practical, many fishing villages near the lake had adopted it, and from there it spread into Yundu City.

The girl seemed quite intrigued. She asked where stone pots were sold. Summoning his courage, the gentleman replied that the west market had many stalls selling them, with prices varying depending on the pot’s material and carving craftsmanship.

The girl was overjoyed and said she wanted to carve a few herself and sell them in the west market.

No ordinary person would say such a thing.

As they talked, she had already caught three fish—two large, one small—while his rod remained completely still.

Then she asked where one might find sugarcane or someone who grows and sells it. She asked whether the

silken rice vermicelli

and

spicy sour fish

recipes from Xianning had made their way to Yundu. Her manner of speaking was odd, she was extremely well-organized, with a sharpness well beyond her years.

A normal ten-year-old from an average household would never speak like this. But her thoughts also seemed to leap from one topic to another in a way that didn’t quite follow normal logic.

That, coupled with her youth, sudden appearance, knowledge of both the city and of Xianning, and the fact that she was wandering alone without any guardian... made the gentleman even more certain that she was definitely not an ordinary child.

He kept up a casual front, answering her as best he could, but inside, he remained highly alert, refusing to let his guard down.

The young girl, however, told him not to be afraid.

The gentleman denied it, “I’m just here to fish, why would I be afraid?”

The girl replied solemnly, “When people are worried or afraid, they give off a certain scent. Some creatures are very good at smelling that scent.”

Startled, the gentleman nearly dropped his fishing rod.

But the girl calmly assured him that she wasn’t a bad person and meant no harm. She simply liked fishing as well. She had been to this very lake a few years ago, and now, returning to the old spot and seeing another angler, she thought to come and chat, maybe ask a few questions. If he was scared, he was free to leave now.

The gentleman was half-convinced but still not entirely reassured.

Then the girl told him the reason he wasn’t catching anything: his bait was too low in the water. The fish today were swimming a bit higher, so they were passing right over it. That’s why, even though there was plenty of movement in the lake, none of the fish were taking his hook, they simply couldn’t see it.

“But with all this algae lately, the lake’s turned a deep green,” he replied. “How can anyone see the fish?”

Still, sensing that she wasn’t ordinary, the man reeled in his line and adjusted the float as she suggested. Before long, the float dipped sharply; he pulled, and sure enough, he had a fish.

Overjoyed, his fear melted away.

The two of them continued chatting happily.

The girl spoke with innocent tones and wide-eyed curiosity, though her expression remained serious throughout. She claimed she had come from afar, journeying across the land, and she asked him about the recent strange occurrences in Yundu involving spirits and demons.

In recent years, such events had become increasingly common in Yundu. Some spirits caused harm, others did not. In certain areas, people had grown so used to ghostly sightings that, as long as the spirits weren’t malicious, they treated them no differently than wild animals, just scolding them to drive them away without panicking.

Of course, when malevolent ones did appear, there were people who specialized in exorcising them.

In and around Yundu City, there were perhaps a hundred such exorcists—some were cultivated monks or priests from temples and monasteries, some were eccentric wanderers with unusual talents, some had inherited secret family techniques, and others had learned from masters. There were even a few who had been taught by passing immortals.

Among them, one figure was especially well-known: a young man who, a few years ago, had acquired his powers from a traveling immortal. Since then, he had dedicated his life to fighting evil and protecting the people. Over time, his reputation had grown, and he became widely respected. It was said that even when villagers couldn’t afford to pay him, he would still go out of his way to help.

The girl seemed fascinated by these tales, and the two of them continued to talk for a long while.

Eventually, the girl stood up, carrying several fish, and told him she was leaving.

The gentleman asked her name.

She answered, “Cat Daoist.”

After she departed, the man sat alone by the lake, still finding the whole encounter surreal. Reflecting on everything that had just happened, he couldn’t help but feel it was like something from one of the ancient strange tales from the storybooks of his youth. But now that the world had changed, it seemed such stories were no longer just fiction, they were becoming real, happening right before his very eyes.

The wind by the lake grew noisier, and he felt a chill. Looking at the fish he had caught, he realized it would be enough to exchange for a decent meal and some wine. He finally stood up and began to head home.

Halfway back, a sudden thought struck him.

In the tales from Yundu, it was said that the young man who received his powers from a passing immortal had been given a mission: to fight evil and protect the people. And accompanying that immortal, it was said, had been a young girl who loved to fish.

Could it be... the immortal had returned to observe the world?

The more he thought about it, the more certain he became, and he couldn’t help but feel astonished.

After all, who’s to say that the events of today wouldn’t, centuries from now, become one of those old stories people whisper about again?

***

The lakeside grass and brush were lush in the summer.

A bit farther from the water, the tall grass had been pressed flat, and an old woolen blanket was spread over it. A Daoist lay on his back atop the blanket, staring intently at the white clouds in the sky, his eyes unmoving.

Here, one could feel the lake breeze drifting by, brushing gently across the face. It was wonderfully pleasant. The grass rustled softly in the wind, a sound that calmed the heart. Though not too far from the water, it was far enough to avoid the annoyance of mosquitoes. Lying here leisurely, cloud-gazing like this. Truly, it was a life fit for an immortal.

Suddenly, the brush rustled.

The young girl returned, holding her fishing rod and the fish she had caught. When she saw the Daoist, she poked her head forward and gave him a few curious glances before asking, “What are you thinking,

meow

?”

Usually, it was Song You who asked

her

that kind of question.

“Nothing at all,” he replied.

“Nothing at all,

meow

?”

“Just that everything feels a bit strange... a little unreal.”

“How is it unreal,

meow

?”

“Just this morning, we were still in the Western Regions, at the foot of Mount Tianjin, where the snow peaks stretch endlessly. And now, here we are in Yunzhou’s Yundu, thousands of li away, crossing vast mountains and rivers in an instant.”

“Hmm...”

The young girl still held her fishing rod and the fish, tilting her head as she stared at him. She looked like she wanted to say something, but perhaps his words gave her a sense of wonder as well. After a while, she turned her head to the side and said in a serious tone, “My crane is amazing!”

“Of course,” Song You replied. “Crossing a thousand li of land and sky in a single day, your powers have grown ever more refined.”

“Crossing a thousand li of land and sky in a single day!” she repeated.

“Yes...”

The Daoist turned his head toward her and smiled. “Ordinary demons still can’t do what you can and cover thousands of li in a single day unless they were born with wings before they’ve cultivated into great demons and mastered the art of flight, no matter how much longer they’ve practiced or how much stronger their cultivation.”

“It’s the crane that’s amazing!”

“

Your

crane...”

“...”

Lady Calico stared at him for a moment, her eyes glittering. Then she changed the subject, “Just now, I did what you said and went to ask around. That person, the same one from back then in Yundu, he’s still often here, exorcising demons and spirits. He only targets the ones that hurt people. He listens really well. Seems like he’s gotten stronger too. Hmm... he definitely has more money now as well.”

“Many thanks, Lady Calico.”

“You're welcome!”

Lady Calico came over and set the fish down, glanced at the swallow perched on the reeds, then stretched her neck to look toward the rustling sounds coming from somewhere in the grassy brush. Only then did she sit down beside the Daoist's feet and begin recounting her earlier encounter by the lake—meeting the fisherman, his anxious and frightened demeanor, and the amusing parts of their conversation—as they waited together for the sun to set.

The Daoist stayed here for several days.

Partly to indulge Lady Calico’s love for fishing, and partly to wander through the nearby mountains and rivers and admire their beauty.

Several days later...

In Bu Commandery’s Luchuan, atop the Bashu, there was another cloud pool.

Only, the cloud pool where Lady Calico fished referred to the great lake outside Yunzhou’s Yundu City. This cloud pool, however, was a deep pool atop the high mountains, formed by the surrounding peaks gathering the white clouds. It was a place that had once been home to a true dragon.

In the past, the true dragon had once said to him, “I’ll lend you a portion of strength from this heaven and earth.” At the time, Song You had thought it referred only to the wood-element spiritual resonance that had transformed into the Dragon Heart. And when he left Bashu’s cloud pool, he did indeed sense that the dragon had left behind a great deal of spiritual resonance there, like a single breath of dragon’s breath, brimming with vitality, enough to bring greenery back to a thousand mountains and awaken spring across the earth.

However, he had assumed it was simply the residual energy left behind after the dragon lived in the pool for so long. Even if the true dragon had intentionally left it behind, he believed it was meant for the land and waters here to benefit the local people.

But now, looking back, it was most likely left specifically for him.

It was meant for the land and waters, but for a broader expanse of land and waters. It

was

to benefit the people, but to benefit

more

people.

The true dragon came from ancient times, and had lived for countless years. It would surely have known about the ancient god in the Heavenly Palace, the god known as the Ancient God of Heavenly Bell, also called the Heavenly Bell Emperor Lord, or the Heavenly Bell Emperor. He possessed a bell of deathly stillness.

That too... was part of the strength the dragon had lent to the Daoist.