Chapter 706: The Last Group of Old Friends

At night, in the mountains...

A bonfire became a lone star amid the great mountain ranges, surrounded by the chorus of insects and the crackling of burning wood. Occasionally, a firefly would drift out from the trees, passing in front of the Daoist.

Song You sat cross-legged facing the fire, but he was not cultivating. In fact, he hadn’t practiced in a long time. At this moment, he turned slightly to the side and looked at little Jiang Han, who was sitting haphazardly beside him. He pointed toward the sky.

“Stars.”

“Stars!” Little Jiang Han tilted her head up, her eyes sparkling.

“Those bright, twinkling things in the sky are called stars.”

“Stars!”

“What about a few days ago, what was that in the sky?” Song You quizzed her. “That big, bright one.”

“It’s... it’s... the moon!”

“That’s right. Very smart.”

Unlike Lady Calico, he didn’t hand her a roasted cicada or grilled grasshopper as a reward. Instead, he patted her head. Her hair was growing thicker now, and it felt warm under his hand. He then gently asked, “And what time is it now?”

“Ah...”

“Hmm? What time is it?”

“Lady Calico!” Little Jiang Han looked around helplessly.

“It’s nighttime,” Song You prompted.

“Nighttime!”

“So clever.” Song You smiled.

It wasn’t just empty flattery.

Little Jiang Han was probably about a year old now, maybe a year and a couple of months. Children from ordinary families would generally be speaking at this age, but few could answer questions like this. When she had drifted down from the river half a year ago, she hadn’t been able to say a single word.

“Look here, we’re making a fire. Lady Calico loves making fires. When we get back to the temple and you’re a little older, she can teach you fire magic and you can take over her job.”

“Lady Calico!”

“Make fire. Make... fire.”

“Make fire!”

“See those little bugs flying in the sky? The glowing ones, they’re called fireflies.”

“Glo-glow bugs!”

“So Lady Calico already taught you, huh? Was it last night?” Song You smiled. “You can call them glow bugs, or fireflies.”

“Bugs... eat...”

“...”

The Daoist’s smile froze on his face.

Pop...

The wood in the fire crackled and popped, sending countless sparks flying, mirroring the stars in the sky.

At that moment, a rustling came from the grass. A calico cat emerged, dragging a large gray hare. She looked like she was struggling, but her steps were brisk. She dragged it from the grass onto the path, stopping only once she reached the bonfire.

“Lady Calico!” Little Jiang Han immediately reached out her arms, wanting to pick her up.

Lady Calico stood upright, raised a paw high, and pressed it against the girl’s forehead to stop her, then continued dragging the hare and stuffing it into her pouch before coming back out.

“This rabbit isn’t for eating. I’m going to take it back to the mountain and let it go there, so it can have baby rabbits. Then we’ll never run out of rabbits to eat.”

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“Lady Calico, you’re truly farsighted.”

“Bun-bunny!”

With a

poof

, the cat transformed into human form, sat down beside the fire, and only then held out a hand to beckon the girl over.

Fireflies flitted all over the night sky, occasionally drifting past them. From time to time, Lady Calico would shoot out a hand like lightning. With a

swish

, she’d catch a lucky firefly, show it to Little Jiang Han, and just as the girl was about to pop it into her mouth, snatch it back and tuck it into her pouch, telling her it wasn’t tasty. She said she was taking it back to Yin-Yang Mountain as she was worried there might not be any fireflies there; once she brought some back, there would be.

The Daoist watched them, feeling both warm and numb inside.

“

Sigh...

”

He simply let out a long breath, leaned back, and ignored whatever they were saying while gazing up at the sea of stars.

After a while, things grew quiet beside him. Then Lady Calico’s voice came, “So many stars!”

“Yeah.”

“When we were in Yidu before, there were just as many stars. There were too many to count.”

“Yeah...”

The Daoist couldn’t help but be drawn into memories.

In his memory, the night sky over Yidu was truly beautiful. The stars seemed like countless fireflies scattered across the heavens. The city was quiet and cool; eaves jutted out, reflecting on green tiles, and the moon hung between the beams and pillars of the pavilions, creating a perfect harmony with the eternal night sky.

How nostalgic...

Even many years from now, no matter how the world had changed, Song You would probably still remember the nightscape of Yidu in those days.

They were still dozens of li away from Yidu here.

***

The next morning, bells rang in the mountains. A jujube-red horse, without bridle or saddle, walked along the mountain path. Around its neck hung a bell and a small wooden tag, the bell swaying gently.

Ding ding ding...

“Horsey!” Lady Calico froze for a moment, then, without hesitation, dashed toward it.

When she got close, the horse stopped and lowered its neck so she could hug it, saying nothing at all.

“You came to pick us up?”

“

Neigh...

”

“Do you miss me too?”

“...”

“Let me tell you, we met a little one on the river, picked her up, and now the Daoist’s and my student and disciple. Her name is Little Jiang Han.”

“...”

Most of the time, the horse was silent, as if it didn’t understand speech, but that did nothing to dampen Lady Calico’s enthusiasm.

The little girl’s voice was clear and lively, filled with joy, adding a touch of brightness to the mountain morning.

After a brief bit of tidying up, the group continued forward, leaving behind only a pile of ashes in the mountains. It was a sign that someone had stayed there the night before.

Soon they reached the Jinyang Road.

Ancient cypresses grew along the roadside; without realizing it, summer was almost in full swing. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting sharp shadows and dazzling patches of light on the uneven bluestone road.

On the road, bands of martial wanderers passed carrying sabers, spears, and staffs, destination unknown. Government officers escorted grain, goods, and prisoners along the way. Occasionally, couriers galloped past in a hurry. More often, the road was filled with porters and traveling merchants.

Accompanied by the jingling of his horse’s bells, the Daoist carefully observed the scenery and people along the road. He met each person’s gaze, returned greetings to those who bowed, stopped to exchange a few words with the talkative, and compared all this with the scenes from his memories twenty years ago, savoring the subtle differences.

Eventually, they arrived outside Yidu City, in front of a wonton stall. It seemed to be the same one from twenty years ago. Perhaps it really was.

The Daoist ordered four bowls of wontons and let the horse graze nearby. Then, he sat eating while watching the endless flow of people, catching bits of conversation about Yizhou’s current troubles.

Yidu City was just ahead.

“Are we going to stay in Yidu City for a few days?” Lady Calico asked.

“I visited the old friends in the city a few years back, and I’ve already revisited the familiar places. Let’s skip it this time, save it for next time,” the Daoist said, shaking his head. “There’s a temple fair in Yidu in the second half of the year, when that comes, we’ll stroll around the city again. I just hope by then it won’t be under the shadow of turmoil.”

“Then are we going back to the temple?” Lady Calico, her pouch bulging with small animals she had knocked out with a puff of yellow smoke, asked while holding her chopsticks.

“Let’s go visit the last group of old friends first.”

“The last group of old friends?” Lady Calico looked puzzled, trying to recall.

The Daoist reached out and ruffled her hair.

“It’s nearly midsummer now, and the air is hot and dry. Perfect time to go to Qingcheng Mountain for some cool mountain air.”

“Qingcheng Mountain!” Lady Calico instantly remembered.

But back then she had still been very young, and those memories were already hazy in her mind.

“Qing... mountain...” Another small voice chimed in.

“Qingcheng Mountain is Yizhou’s most famous Daoist mountain. There’s a temple there called Fuqing Temple, our master’s master’s old friend. The friendship has lasted until today, so I’ll take you there for a visit first,” the Daoist said, then smiled. “But when you grow up, you’ll probably have forgotten all about this trip.”

“Rat!”

The Daoist didn’t reply.

Having finished the wontons, he settled the bill; each bowl now cost two wen more than before.

The next afternoon, Fuqing Temple in Qingcheng Mountain...

The Daoist stood at the entrance, looking up at the palace gate framed by swaying tree shadows. It was much the same as in years past. Lady Calico, carrying Little Jiang Han on her back, had already stepped forward and knocked on the door.

“Knock, knock, knock...”

After a few knocks, she paused, tilting her head slightly, listening for any sound from inside. When nothing came, she knocked a few more times. As soon as she heard footsteps, she immediately stopped.

A moment later, someone opened the door.

“

Creak...

” It was a young temple boy.

The boy peeked half a face out from behind the door. When he saw Lady Calico standing there dressed in tri-colored robes, looking exceptionally fair and delicate as she carried a small girl on her back, he froze. After a moment of puzzlement, he seemed to recall some instruction from the elders of his sect, and a mix of fear and caution crossed his face.

Then his gaze moved back. He saw the Daoist standing behind her, leaning on his staff with a smile, and the jujube-red horse behind him. Somehow, a feeling of familiarity eased his tension slightly.

But looking back at the girl in front of him, who was expressionless and staring straight at him, made his skin crawl again.

“Daoist Master... who are you looking for?” The temple boy stepped past Lady Calico to speak to the Daoist.

“He is Song You, Daoist Master of Hidden Dragon Temple, and I am Daoist Master Lady Calico,” the voice in front said. “We are old acquaintances and friends of your temple, here to pay our respects. Please let us in and inform the others.”

The voice came from the girl standing in front of him.

The Daoist behind her remained standing, leaning on his staff with a smile. However, he said nothing.

The temple boy looked back at the girl again.

She was too fair and beautiful, unlike any ordinary person. Expressionless, she showed no shyness or hesitation, only a look of seriousness. She was clearly different from ordinary humans. It reminded him of the methods his elders had often taught over the years to distinguish demons and ghosts from humans.

Still, it was broad daylight. Visitors knocking on the door were not unusual. Fuqing Temple was well-known on Qingcheng Mountain, so even if they were demons or ghosts, he could not be rude. Summoning courage, he asked, “You say you are old acquaintances of our Fuqing Temple?”

“Twenty years ago, I accompanied my Daoist priest here to visit your temple, stayed for several days, met Daoist Master Guanghuazi, and also one male junior Daoist and one female junior Daoist...” Lady Calico paused and glanced back.

“Yingfeng, Chuyun,” the Daoist finally spoke to supplement her words.

“Oh right, Daoists Yingfeng and Chuyun,” Lady Calico said solemnly, not fazed by forgetting the names herself or being interrupted. “Our horse was actually brought to us by the two Daoists. On this journey, we specially came to visit. Please inform the others inside.”

“Guanghuazi...”

The temple boy was startled.

Grandmaster Guanghuazi had been the previous head of Fuqing Temple and had already passed away. Daoist Master Yingfeng now managed the temple’s affairs and was the inevitable choice for the next head. And the “Daoist Master Chuyun” mentioned by the girl was his current master, a highly respected figure in the temple who frequently went down the mountain to exorcise demons and widely esteemed by the local people.

“Please wait a moment.”

The temple boy dared not delay and immediately went inside.

Lady Calico remained standing, but like a cat, she turned her head slightly to glance back at the Daoist.

“Lady Calico, you’ve grown even steadier. I feel reassured entrusting Little Jiang Han to your guidance,” Song You said lightly. “But I’ve mentioned it to you before, don’t twist your head like that. It looks a bit frightening.”

“Mm!” She turned her head back.

A moment later...

“Dong!”

The temple’s welcoming bell rang, shaking the air.

Inside, a chaotic chorus of footsteps could be heard.

“We should hang a bell in our temple too,” Song You said to Lady Calico. “Then when old friends visit, we can ring it to welcome them.”

“The bell is expensive! It costs money to make one!”

“I already have one ready...”

The two of them spoke at the doorway, but the large inner doors had already been opened again.

This time, both doors swung fully open, and a wave of incense smoke rolled out. Standing inside were over a hundred Daoists of various ranks, along with a few curious pilgrims who had no apparent connection.

Leading them was an elderly Daoist.

Song You vaguely recognized him. He was seemingly the master of Daoist Master Yingfeng many years ago. In the competition for the temple owner’s position, it appeared he had prevailed over Daoist Master Chuyun’s master.

“Greetings, fellow Daoist Song, greetings, fellow Daoist Lady Calico, and fellow Daoist Swallow in the tree,” the old Daoist said. “Your presence graces our humble abode; forgive us for the humble welcome.”

“Since we are old acquaintances of the sect, brother needn’t be so formal,” Song You returned the greeting. “Twenty years ago, when I first descended the mountain, I visited. Now, after twenty years of wandering, I return to pay my respects. I did not give prior notice, so if there is any impropriety, please forgive me.”

“It is our humble temple that is honored!” The elder remained polite and deferential.

Soon, two middle-aged Daoists stepped forward, one representing Qian Dao, the other Kun Dao[1]. They bowed and said, “Senior Daoist Brother, it has been many years.”

“Greetings, Senior Daoist Brother.”

“Greetings, fellow Daoists. Many years have passed. Even on the road below the mountain, we had already heard many stories about you. Clearly, both of you have accomplished much in your cultivation,” Song You said with a smile.

“Not at all, not at all...”

“Rather, the tales of you and Lady Calico have spread across the lands. We were separated from you for twenty years, yet we often met you in teahouses and taverns back then.”

Perhaps it was that the elder had heard so many tales of Song You over the years, or that age had deepened their understanding, or that with maturity one naturally loses some of youthful casualness, whatever the reason, the head of Fuqing Temple and the two Daoists, Yingfeng and Chuyun, were now exceedingly respectful and courteous toward Song You.

Even more strikingly, twenty years had passed. The once middle-aged Daoists were now elderly, the former young Daoists had reached middle age, yet Song You’s appearance had barely changed, still carrying the same calm and approachable demeanor.

Many of the younger Daoists in the temple were baffled.

1. The Daoists of the Kun Dao cultivate a fully Yin inner alchemy, whereas Daoists of the Qian Dao cultivate a purely Yang inner alchemy. ☜