Chapter 700 Old Friends Everywhere in the World

Outside Anqing County, at the Fu family’s country estate...

A row of bamboo houses stood right beside the fields. The windows were pushed open to their widest, propped with wooden rods, letting the spring breeze and sunlight pour in.

Beyond the window, dozens of mountain peaks overlapped into layers of shadow. Inside, Lord Fu, long past the age of forty, already had hair with strands of white. Some said it was from writing too many tales of immortals and demons; others claimed that in his youth he had an affair with a female ghost and was drained of his vital energy. The stories were many and varied. But Lord Fu’s health was excellent, and he himself felt nothing unusual, as he entertained a guest he had only met that very day.

The guest was a young scholar, much like Lord Fu himself had once been.

“Hahahaha...”

Seated in a bamboo chair, Lord Fu threw back his head in laughter. “Sir, you misunderstand. Life is short, and no matter how long my years, how could I have personally encountered so many immortals and demons? Eight or nine out of ten of the stories in my books are things I heard while traveling to various places, from the mouths of others.”

“I see, that’s how it is!”

“Hahaha...”

“Even so, Lord Fu, your life is still extraordinarily remarkable. And the books you have written have enthralled and enchanted countless readers. To meet you in person is truly my great fortune.” The young scholar said this, then remembered a task given to him on the river, and added, “Oh yes, when I was traveling here by boat, I met a Daoist. He only gave the surname Song, said he was once acquainted with you, and asked me to pass along his regards.”

“An old acquaintance? From when?”

“I asked him, but he wouldn’t answer. He only said that if I came here and asked you, I would naturally know. Quite strange.”

“A Daoist? Surname Song?” Lord Fu’s brow furrowed deeply. “What did he look like?”

“His appearance...”

The young scholar frowned, though they had parted on the river only a few days ago, he found he could no longer recall clearly. Struggling to remember, he said, “He didn’t look very old, but his expression carried a deep weariness. I can’t recall his exact features, only that he had an uncommon bearing. He’s likely a man of some cultivation.”

“I have known more than a few Daoists,” Lord Fu said aloud, though in his heart a faint suspicion began to stir. “Did this Daoist have with him a jujube-red horse and a calico cat?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Was he traveling alone?”

“No. He had with him a girl of about ten years old, who loved fishing and enjoyed cooking, and also a baby girl who had just learned to speak and, halfway through the journey, learned to walk. Ah, he did say he came from Yizhou to travel the world, and was now returning home.”

“...”

Lord Fu was startled, almost sitting bolt upright.

Though the scholar’s description of the Daoist’s appearance was vague, and the companions he mentioned did not match those in his own memory, that single line “came from Yizhou to travel the world, and was now returning home” instantly made him understand.

It had been twenty years since they had first met on the river. Back then, he had said that someday he would pay him a visit. He had spoken of visiting the legendary Hidden Dragon Temple on Yin-Yang Mountain, and also of visiting that Daoist of the rivers. It seemed the time had finally come.

“Why do you have that expression, Lord Fu?”

Seeing his look, the scholar could not help but ask with concern, “Is that man truly an old friend of yours?”

“Yes... an old acquaintance... yes...”

Lord Fu nodded repeatedly, finally relaxing. He looked again at the young scholar, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. “Sir, your experience is exactly the same as mine back in the day.”

***

At Nianping Ferry Crossing...

Lady Calico held a brocade pouch in one hand and tucked Little Jiang Han under the other arm, as if carrying a kitten, and stepped lightly off the boat.

Little Jiang Han truly was like an obedient little cat. She was docile and quiet, with her arms and legs hanging naturally, and her eyes steady, not darting about. She stayed this way until Lady Calico set her down on the riverbank, where she stood well-behaved, watching as Lady Calico went back to fetch other luggage and pay the boat fare.

The Daoist followed behind.

“Sir, be careful, the world is in chaos these days. Once you pass Nianping Ferry Crossing and head toward Yizhou, there are many mountain roads. I often travel the river and often hear passengers say that there are plenty of bandits in that area too.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Safe travels, honored sir.”

The boatman accepted the fare from Lady Calico, and the Daoist also stepped ashore.

Nianping Ferry Crossing was a shallow beach covered in smooth river stones, the air filled with the shouts of boat trackers, sounding somehow heavier than in years past.

“

Huff...

”

The Daoist exhaled.

Unnoticed, the air had grown distinctly warmer, the surrounding forests showing signs of deepening spring. Even between the stones of the shallow bank beneath his feet, blades of grass were beginning to sprout.

Traveling by river was certainly more comfortable than taking the roads, and in these troubled times it was the best means for long-distance journeys. But going against the current was by no means faster than land travel. After three transfers over several thousand

li

of waterways, only the first leg down the Yuqu River had been with the current, the rest had all been upriver. Factoring in the time spent finding and waiting for boats, the journey had taken more than a month.

It was already the third month of spring.

The Daoist turned back. Lady Calico and Little Jiang Han were standing on the bank. Jiang Han was doing her best to stand straight, while Lady Calico picked up a small bamboo staff and placed it against her back to see if she had grown taller.

A swallow hovered nearby, watching intently.

The Daoist walked over to look as well.

Sure enough, when standing straight, Little Jiang Han’s height not only reached the notch the Daoist had carved into the staff earlier, but, thanks to more than a month of good meals, had even surpassed it by a small fraction.

A very small fraction. But such a little bit was nothing to scoff at.

The first time Lady Calico had marked her height on the wooden wall of a small building in Changjing, then after years of traveling together, she had returned to mark it again, and the difference had been only a little more than this.

“...”

Song You clearly saw Lady Calico widen her eyes in disbelief. She quickly bent down to check, was Jiang Han standing on level ground? Was her bamboo staff stuck in a hole? She even checked to make sure the child wasn’t standing on tiptoe, repeating the measurement several times.

Only after confirming did she accept that Little Jiang Han had indeed grown this much in just a little over a month.

Boom

!

A dull thud seemed to go off inside Lady Calico’s head, leaving her frozen on the spot.

“Children are like this,” Song You finally spoke, unable to bear her reaction. “At first they grow very quickly, but after a while they stay the same for a long time.”

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t dare deceive you, Lady Calico.”

“When will they start growing slowly?”

“...”

“When will they start growing slowly?”

“When they’re about as tall as an adult.”

“...”

Lady Calico just stared blankly at him.

“Lady Calico...” The little one even ran over to hug her.

About an hour later...

Lady Calico was walking with no expression on her face as she carried Little Jiang Han on her back and leaned on her small bamboo staff that was now almost too short to be of use, following the Daoist up the mountain.

There was a clearing in the mountains where several merchants and travelers were waiting. From behind them, the shouts of the boat trackers could still be faintly heard. As soon as these travelers saw them, they all turned to look.

“Sir, will you wait a bit? If there are more people, we can go together.”

One of the travelers called out to him.

“What’s the matter?”

“Haven’t you heard, sir? There are fierce bandits on the mountain road ahead. Some people have even heard tigers roaring in the hills. With only a few people, it’s dangerous. More people means more safety.”

“I see.”

“Will you wait then?” the traveler asked. “In these times, even Daoists and monks aren’t spared by mountain brigands.”

“Then let’s wait.”

The Daoist turned his head, found a random stone, and sat down to wait with them.

Lady Calico, still carrying Little Jiang Han, stood beside him with the same blank expression. Even when the Daoist told her to sit, she refused. Not a trace of emotion crossed her face, as she was in the middle of questioning the meaning of her feline life.

The traveler who had spoken earlier came over to the Daoist.

“Do you know fortune-telling?”

“I do not.”

“Then perhaps you know martial arts?”

“I do not. But this little one here,” Song You took advantage of Lady Calico’s existential crisis to boast about her in front of others, “though small, has extraordinary skills. She should be able to keep us safe.”

“Sir, don’t try to fool me.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

The traveler remained half-convinced and backed away.

Soon, two more merchants arrived.

That made seven or eight in total, including a scholar armed with a longsword and a warrior carrying a long saber. With this, they seemed to feel secure enough, and the group finally set off.

The Daoist rubbed the girl’s head and rose to follow.

From here on, most of the roads were familiar. They travelled over one mountain, and then another.

Song You could clearly feel the tension in the people around him, a tension that grew stronger the farther they walked into the desolate mountains. From time to time, someone would glance up toward the dense forest, and it was equally clear that there were eyes watching them from within those woods.

For such things, Lady Calico’s senses were even keener than his, especially the latter.

She still carried the girl on her back, her expression blank. Sometimes she walked ahead of him, sometimes behind, but every so often she would stop, lift her head to stare at a certain spot in the forest, her gaze fixed for a long while before she finally withdrew it and turned to look at the Daoist.

Nearby, people were whispering to each other.

“It’s just this stretch...”

“Once we’re past here, it’ll be fine...”

But suddenly there came a rustling from within the dense forest. The person walking in front screamed in fright, and the one at the very back also cried out. By the time everyone regained their senses, more than a dozen mountain bandits armed with blades and spears had emerged from both ahead and behind, blocking the road.

“Ah!!” a woman screamed in terror.

Even the scholar with the sword and the wandering fighter with the long blade looked visibly tense.

There were simply too many bandits.

“Bandits, don’t be hasty, let’s talk this through. You’re here for money, we just want to pass safely. We travel this road often, and we’re willing to pay a toll fee to show our respect.”

“I am an outer sect disciple[1] of the Jindao Sect, disciple of Master Gao Hua, known as the ‘Wind-Cutting Blade.’ My grandmaster is Yu Zhengqing, the ‘Moon-Slashing Blade’ of the Jindao Sect. At the start of next year, the Great Liujiang Gathering will be held, and I was sent by my sect to deliver a message to the Xishan Sect in Yizhou. We’re all people of the

jianghu

, please, heroes, grant us some leeway.”

“Don’t kill me...”

The mountainside grew noisy with the commotion.

Only Lady Calico felt the weight in her heart. She knew that encountering bandits like these, especially in recent years, meant that even a Daoist wouldn’t be allowed through without paying. But if she paid, if she so much as handed over a single wen, it would cost her half her feline life, half her cultivation.

That was absolutely unacceptable.

So, without a word, the girl simply untied the sash at her waist and set Little Jiang Han down from the skirt she had been carrying her in.

“What outer sect disciple of the Jindao Sect? If the Jindao Sect really wanted to send a message to the Xishan Sect about the Great Liujiang Gathering, would they send only one outer sect disciple?”

“Sounds like a made-up name to me.”

“Show us your token!”

“Even if it’s true, your Jindao Sect is far from here, do you think it can scare us heroes of Xuzhou?”

“As for the rest of you, stop wasting words. Hand over all your money and we’ll take half. Behave, don’t hide anything, and you can leave. Women stay behind. If we find you’ve hidden anything, your hands and feet get chopped off and fed to the tigers in these hills.”

“...”

At once, the mountains were filled with cries and wails. Some pleaded for mercy, some tried to bargain.

“Lady Calico!” Little Jiang Han, now set down on the ground, looked up at her with wide, confused eyes, reaching out her hands for a hug.

But Lady Calico walked forward.

She had only taken two steps when she suddenly stopped, turning her head to stare straight into the distant mountains, her gaze sharpening.

“

Roar

!”

A long, resonant tiger’s roar rolled through the mountains. For a moment, the entire mountainside fell silent, and everyone froze on the spot.

That roar had truly shaken the forests and struck terror into hearts. Though the sound had ceased, its echo still lingered among the peaks.

“Master Tiger has come...” The mountain bandits’ faces instantly showed fear.

Logically speaking, with so many people here, armed with blades and spears, they shouldn’t be afraid of an ordinary mountain tiger.

“Should we leave?”

“We can’t just run. I’ve heard people say, if you run, a tiger will definitely chase you. I just don’t know what kind of temper this mountain lord has.”

“Let’s see if it comes first...”

“I’ve heard this mountain lord is enlightened and can understand human speech. If it really comes, we’ll just kowtow a few times and say some nice words before leaving.”

The traveling merchants dared not move a muscle.

The bandits, torn between the urge to retreat and the greed for such fat prey, muttered to each other in low voices, hoping for luck.

“

Roar

!”

Another thunderous roar split the air, this time much closer.

Everyone’s hearts felt as if struck by a heavy hammer, stopping for an instant, leaving them unable to breathe.

Following the sound, they saw the bushes and trees in the distant mountains swaying violently, and through the gaps in the leaves, they caught glimpses of flashes of stripes, enough to imagine the massive size of the approaching tiger.

As it came closer and closer, everyone’s legs felt like jelly, and they didn’t dare move.

Only Lady Calico kept her eyes locked in that direction, following its movement without a trace of panic or fear. Her expression remained blank as she reached into her satchel and gripped the wooden shaft of a small flag.

“

Roar

!”

With a sudden burst, the tiger shot out from the forest. It was massive as a water buffalo, fast as lightning, its momentum like a collapsing mountain.

But it wasn’t charging at the traveling merchants, nor at the Daoist, but straight at the bandits. One swipe of its paw sent a man tumbling off a cliff; one bite tore half a man away.

Though the bandits carried blades and spears, they had no power to resist and barely even time to react.

If anyone managed to raise their weapon, they didn’t get the chance to swing. Meeting the tiger’s paw shattered the weapon instantly, or even drove the broken metal into their own body under the force of the blow.

In the blink of an eye, the bandits blocking the front were gone. Those behind, seeing this, fled in panic.

But the tiger simply threw back its head and roared again. At the sound, they froze on the spot as if their souls had left them, and the tiger pounced, swatting them down one by one.

Lady Calico stayed exactly where she was, hand in the satchel gripping the little flag, but turned her head slightly to watch the tiger with open curiosity in her eyes.

Within moments, every last bandit was dead.

Among the group, some were pale with terror, some had noticed that something was off, and some had dropped to their knees in worship.

Only then did the tiger turn its head toward the Daoist and the girl, eyes glinting, and it actually bowed its head slightly, as if in greeting, before turning away and padding back into the forest.

“So it’s an old acquaintance...”

The Daoist watched its departing figure and even spotted a faint trace of incense aura clinging to it.

It seemed this one had also taken the righteous path.

1. Outer sect disciples are the most basic disciples in the sect, usually at the early stages of cultivation. They are responsible for completing the sect-assigned basic tasks, in order to accumulate merit and improve their own cultivation. ☜