Chapter 73: The Market of Demons and Ghosts in the Mountains

Two days had passed since Song You arrived in Pingzhou.

Song You sat cross-legged among the great mountains, feeling a deep sense of wonder. “Such rich spiritual qi!”

However, having abundant spiritual qi did not necessarily speed up one's cultivation; it merely made cultivation easier and more pleasant. One would feel more comfortable and at peace. Even without cultivation, living here would be serene and joyful, contributing to longevity. Common plants and animals that lingered in such environments might also more easily attain enlightenment and transformation.

Sitting here felt quite comfortable. Especially with the clouds in the distance shifting slowly, clearly visible to the naked eye, and with no rush, no concern about sunset, no tasks to do, and a little cat demon picking mushrooms for you in the forest.

In this peaceful scene and moment, with the sky as it was, Song You felt like he was some deity with ample free time in the heavens.

“Ah...” Song You let out a sigh.

He turned around and saw the little girl carrying a pouch, diligently collecting mushrooms. But it wasn’t Song You who had asked her to collect them.

She had seen Song You picking mushrooms yesterday and noticed that he liked to eat them. Perhaps she found it amusing as well, so upon arriving here today, she volunteered enthusiastically to gather mushrooms.

“Daoist priest!” The little girl ran back, her pouch bulging with all sorts of mushrooms, including many colorful ones.

She pulled open the pouch with her small hands, showing it off. “I’ve collected so many!”

“That's enough.”

“…”

“Impressive!”

“Yeah.”

“...?”

“...?”

Song You then instructed, “Just give them to me.”

“...?”

“Thank you, Lady Calico.”

“You’re welcome.”

Only then did the little girl generously hand the pouch over to him. Song You took it and inspected the contents, discarding many of the mushrooms he either couldn’t identify or knew were inedible, throwing them on the ground.

The primary rule for eating mushrooms was to only eat the ones you knew were safe.

However, as he discarded the mushrooms, he noticed something odd. A hand appeared beside him, picking up the discarded mushrooms.

The person didn't say a word. Every time he threw one, she would pick it up and stash it in her pocket. When her pocket was full, she would run over, tiptoe, and quietly put them back into the bag without saying a word.

Song You looked up at her, and she looked up at Song You. Their eyes met, one in confusion, the other in seriousness.

“What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m throwing it away.”

“I’m picking it up!”

“…”

“…”

Such a simple question-and-answer session. What an honest little cat demon.

Their eyes continued to meet, and strangely, Song You could not discern any emotion from her eyes.

He could only patiently explain, “It’s not that I don’t want the mushrooms you picked, but some mushrooms are poisonous and inedible. We can only eat those that are not poisonous.”

“Poisonous!”

“Yes.”

“What happens if you eat them?”

“Some cause vomiting and diarrhea, some induce madness, while some cause hallucinations and make you see tiny people. In severe cases, they can be fatal.”

“Ah!” The little girl finally realized the seriousness of the situation, her eyes widening. She took a few steps back, putting her hands behind her back to indicate that she would no longer collect mushrooms.

Song You continued to sort through the mushrooms. One by one, he discarded them.

The little girl, a few steps away, watched with wide eyes. She struggled to suppress her desire to pick them up again, feeling heartache to the point of suffocation.

All those mushrooms she had collected with such effort. What a pity, what a pity…

After sorting, he ended up with some golden chanterelles,

Catathelasma

mushrooms,

Russula galochroa

mushrooms, and mountain mushrooms. Song You took them to a nearby mountain spring to clean them, brought back half a pot of water, and set up a fire.

By the time everything was set up, the little girl had already gathered most of the firewood. The horse, however, was the most leisurely, lazily grazing on the mountain grass nearby.

The sky was just beginning to darken when they lit a fire and cooked soup.

As the sun set in the west and night fell, the mountains cast shadows, and a mist settled between them. Only a thin line of crimson remained on the horizon, along with a small flickering flame in the mountains.

By the time the soup was ready, the little girl had turned back into the calico cat and had curled up on her discarded small garment by the fire, already asleep and looking very small.

Song You paid no attention to her and poured himself some soup.

“Ah...” The cool mountain air made his breath visible as mist. A sip of the soup warmed his whole body.

Mushrooms, unlike most vegetables, were delicious without needing meat or animal fats.

“Ah!” He exhaled again, and it turned into white mist in the air.

In the mountains, the sounds of wailing ghosts and howling demons could be heard, coming from somewhere unknown. No one knew what was happening.

Song You glanced down, and the little cat was sleeping soundly. In such a tranquil place, why worry about the mountain demons and ghosts?

***

After some time had passed…

Perhaps the temperature of the campfire had dropped, making the calico cat feel cold. She curled up tighter, which woke her up. First, her ears stirred, then her tail. Finally, she lifted her head, searching the darkness around her.

She saw the Daoist priest sitting not far away, his back turned toward her, seemingly gazing into the distance at the mountain edge or perhaps observing the stars.

“Daoist priest.”

“Hmm?”

“What are you doing there?”

“Lady Calico, you’re awake. Come over here.”

“Okay...”

Nestled on the layer of clothes, it was so warm that she was reluctant to leave. Nonetheless, she reluctantly got up and stretched then slowly walked over.

“What’s going on?”

“Lady Calico, do you see that there’s light on the horizon?”

“…” The calico cat squinted to look, her round pupils widening.

“It’s slightly bright.”

“Exactly.” Song You turned his head to look at her, smiling. “I was wondering if there were any poisonous mushrooms left that we didn’t discard, and whether we were poisoned.”

“Are the mushrooms I picked delicious?”

“Extremely delicious.”

“It’s really delicious!”

“It would be even better with a bit of ham or chicken cooked in it.”

“Next time, I will catch a couple of mice for you to stew. They’ll definitely be delicious.”

“I appreciate it.”

Lady Calico asked, “What’s that light over there?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why is it bright?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want to go over there?”

“I do. What about you, Lady Calico?”

“I will follow you.”

“Then let’s go.”

Song You immediately stood up.

The pots and pans were already cleaned and put away. There was nothing else to tidy up, so he folded up the mat he had been sitting on and gathered Lady Calico’s clothes before he stuffed them into a bundle. Then, he started down the mountain path toward the light.

Another half-hour passed.

The calico cat continued to walk ahead in small steps. They were nearing the mountain pass, so she quickened her pace without looking back and shouted, “There’s a pit here! There’s a rock! There’s a stick! There’s...”

When she ran up the mountain pass and looked down, she was stunned. Her clear, soft cries suddenly ceased.

Meanwhile, Song You continued at his measured pace, walking ahead.

The light came from below the mountain. As they ascended, the glowing spot gradually came into view from this commanding height. It turned out to be a bustling market!

The lively market was right on the mountain’s slope, occupying a wide area. It was brightly lit with numerous lanterns, and a large bonfire blazing in the center.

The calico cat looked down and then up at him.

“Yes.” Song You nodded in response.

This place was at least a hundred li away from the nearest military town or city, so they didn’t expect to find such a market here. Moreover, markets usually didn’t operate at night or in such a desolate mountain.

“Let’s visit.” Song You continued down the mountain.

The path was only three chi wide. It was manageable during the day, but walking it at night required extra caution.

As they were descending along the mountain path, they realized that it seemed close, yet felt far. The surroundings were pitch-black and vague, with a thick mist halfway through. Passing through the fog brought a chilling, surreal sensation. The path appeared longer than expected.

As they walked, an inexplicable feeling arose that it was no longer the same path seen earlier from the mountain. They weren't sure where they had ended up. The road grew wider, and the scenery changed. There were many large trees that hadn't been visible from the mountain and numerous unexpected forks in the road. Meanwhile, the glowing area they had seen earlier drew nearer and brighter.

They also began encountering people. The first person was normal, indistinguishable from regular people. The second had a pale complexion, bulging eyes, and an outstretched tongue, looking very much like a hanged ghost or a person strangled to death. The third was unusually stout with the head of a wild boar.

There was also a mountain deer walking quietly.

Each carried or held lanterns of various sizes and shapes.

Song You observed them politely within the bounds of etiquette, maintaining his calm demeanor and continuing in the direction of the light. The calico cat followed beside him, no longer running ahead but staying so close to his feet that he almost stepped on her several times.

Gradually, the number of “people” they encountered increased.

Some were moving in the same direction, coming from different small paths and joining the main road toward the light. Others were heading in the opposite direction, coming from the light and entering various small paths. The small paths were all shrouded in the night fog of the mountains, obscuring their destinations.

Each person carried a lantern of some sort, varying in design and size. Some held the lanterns in hand, some hung them around the neck, while some held them in the mouth. These lanterns emitted light, and these small points of brightness gradually converged and formed a dragon-like line of illumination through the mist-shrouded mountain paths. The lights moved back and forth, creating a rather beautiful scene.

Some people noticed Song You.

At that moment, the most noticeable difference between Song You and the others was his Daoist robe. Perhaps some demons and ghosts could smell a different scent on him, so they stared at him.

The calico cat was somewhat nervous, moving even closer to him. Song You, however, paid no heed and continued forward.

As they entered the market, it became brightly illuminated.

Great Yan’s nightlife was vibrant, and Yidu was the third-largest city in the world. Still, such bright lights could usually only be seen during temple fairs, New Year, or the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Song You walked and observed, thinking as he watched.

This market was clearly not open every day. It was likely similar to human markets, opening every few days or even just once or a few times a year like temple fairs, which explained the large number of mountain ghosts and demons.

Some mountain ghosts and demons had fully transformed into human form, looking like ordinary people, either handsome or peculiar. Others retained features from their previous forms or were outright animals. Some looked somewhat disheveled or still bore their appearance from before death.

There were also many strange mountain spirits that Song You had never seen despite his many years of cultivation on Yin-Yang Mountain. He sometimes interacted with demons, spirits, ghosts and monsters, but never had he encountered such a wide variety of them before.

The market was filled with lanterns everywhere, and the light inside was exceptionally bright. Under the bright lights, stalls were set up everywhere, and even nearby there were quaint buildings with shops open for business.

Countless demons and ghosts moved among the stalls. As for the goods they traded, they were not particularly rare, mostly ordinary items.

The most popular items were pots, bowls, and pans. There were also garments made from various fabrics, metal tools, wild fruits freshly gathered from the mountains in spring, freshly picked mushrooms, skewered game such as wild chicken, fish, and rabbit, vegetable and meat stalls, as well as various insects.

While these differed somewhat from the goods sold at typical human markets, the essence was much the same. It was the everyday life of this remote mountain, an exotic array of essentials.

Song You, with the calico cat and the jujube-red horse, slowly strolled through the market.

But wherever he went, the area would quiet down, as if a monster had entered a human market. Everyone would turn to look at him in silence, only whispering once he had moved on.

Faintly, he could hear their conversations.

“It’s a human!”

“That cat seems to have become a demon.”

“That horse is unusual too.”

“How did a human end up here?”

“Why isn’t he scared?”

“Is he another one who accidentally wandered in? Why are there so many humans accidentally wandering in here in recent years? What’s going on?”

“Maybe that cat brought him here? It broke the rules.”

“Perhaps he’s a Daoist priest!”

“A Daoist priest?”

“Look at his Daoist robe...”

“Oh, yeah...”

As soon as Song You turned around, they immediately fell silent and hurriedly avoided his gaze, not daring to meet his eyes directly. Once he left, they resumed watching him from behind.

The calico cat lightly tugged at his pant leg.

“It’s fine,” Song You spoke gently to her and continued forward.

This was truly a sight to behold.