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Chapter 5: Lady Calico
"I am a local village deity, surnamed Wang in my mortal life. May I inquire about your name?"
"I am Song You, and my master bestowed upon me the courtesy name Dreamcaster."
"Are you a practitioner of Daoism?"
"I grew up in a Daoist temple since childhood."
"Do you have a Daoist name?"
"I don't have one for now." Song You calmly looked at the local deity, "May I know why Shangong is seeking me?"
"Then I shall address you as Master Dreamcaster," Wang Shangong remained polite. "I apologize for disturbing your peaceful sleep late at night, which is indeed presumptuous. However, this matter is closely related to the livelihoods of the local people. I have noticed that Master Dreamcaster possesses profound cultivation attainment, so I have come to seek your assistance.”
"Feel free to speak directly."
"This matter goes back to ten years ago."
Wang Shangong paused, speaking in the style of the previous dynasty, "Ten years ago, a powerful Yaoguai(妖) arrived here, bewitching the people and even convincing them to build a temple for it, just twenty miles away from here."
Upon hearing it, Song You more or less understood the situation.
Two individuals exchanged glances. Song You was waiting for him to continue speaking, while he seemed to be waiting for Song You to respond.
"Why didn't you report it?"
"That’s a long story."
"..." Song You showed a helpless expression.
Local deities like these were mostly transformed from individuals with outstanding virtues after their deaths, and they had lived for a long time. As a junior, he should show more respect, and it was not appropriate for him to openly point out faults.
"I’ll make it short."
"....Please."
"Although that Yaoguai had formidable powers, it was eliminated a few years ago, jointly by a skilled practitioner from Temple of Heavenly Ocean (天海寺) and Master Zhou Leigong(周雷公). At that time, we thought it would be a pity to destroy the unauthorized temple, as it wasn't far from the main road. We left it standing but destroyed some statues, so it could still serve as a resting place for travelers. However, during my inspection tour recently, I found that the temple strangely had renewed signs of incense burning when I reached Ma Family’s Bay(马家湾)."
"Did you investigate?"
"I'm ashamed to admit that my powers are limited, and I don't engage in conflicts. Seeing the incense from a distance, I didn't dare to approach." Wang Shangong looked embarrassed.
"You made a wise choice."
"I thought of inviting you to investigate. If it's true, I’ll report it to the higher authorities during the upcoming full moon."
"Do you suspect the Yaoguai is using the incense to revive itself?"
"I believe that might be the case."
"I will go and take a look tomorrow."
"Master Dreamcaster possesses a noble character. I express gratitude on behalf of the surrounding people." Wang Shangong bowed deeply and continued, "With your cultivation attainment, even if the Yaoguai is revived, it won't pose a significant threat during the day. It’s great if you can make this trip for us. As for the address, I have written it on a piece of paper placed in front of the altar."
"You may leave now, Shangong."
“....” Wang Shangong was momentarily surprised, then bowed before Song You.
Before standing up straight, everything around them turned into smoke, dissipating instantly. Song You's vision also darkened.
When he opened his eyes again, he was still in the corner of the village temple.
The village temple had a door but no light. The wooden door was not tightly sealed, allowing moonlight to seep through the cracks. It casted a diagonal streak of pale glow on the floor tiles, making a row of deity statues faintly visible.
The snores of people from the martial arts world echoed.
Song You got up and searched on the altar but didn't find the paper in front of Wang Shangong's statue. Instead, he found it in front of the statue of Red-Gold Emperor (赤金大帝).
It was a yellow vine paper commonly used for drawing talismans, with text written in good calligraphy.
Song You kept the paper, then observed the statues.
These village temples usually accommodated both Buddhist and Daoist deities. Due to financial constraints, ordinary people couldn't afford to build separate temples for each, so they coexisted.
The central figure was the current Daoist Heavenly Palace’s (天宫) Supreme Deity(主神), Red-Gold Emperor, and the Supreme Deity for Buddhism was the Lord of a Thousand Buddhas(万佛之主). On both sides, there were various deities well-known for different reasons in society. For example, after a certain novel gained popularity, the Thunder God(雷部神灵) Zhou Leigong became widely known, and people began building temples, especially in small, spontaneously constructed temples, elevating his status.
It was unknown whether he himself truly benefited from this, but the development of deities often followed this pattern.
Next were the local deities, governing aspects like mountains, rivers, roads, and villages, mostly transformed from virtuous individuals after their deaths. After their passing, these individuals were remembered with deep reverence by the people. Through continual thoughts and heartfelt wishes, they naturally transformed into deities. There was a strong possibility that the authorities may also bestow upon them the honored position of a deity.
In this world, whether it was the Daoist’s Heavenly Palace or the Buddhist’s Western Paradise, the so-called deities and buddhas, though highly revered by the people and followers, were essentially no different from the small deities created by people's wishes.
A situation of changing deities with every emperor frequently occurred.
Take the Red-Gold Emperor, for example. It was rumored that he was born when the heavens and earth first split, underwent hardships for one thousand three hundred fifty tribulations, each tribulation lasting one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years, to ascend to the position of the Heavenly Emperor (天帝). Many people firmly believed in this, and even those who didn't still assumed that he had been worshipped since ancient times. Yet, his name only emerged around two hundred years ago. Before that, no one worshipped him, and he didn't even have a name.
Maintaining an elevated image of deities in the minds of the people was necessary, but Song You's master had always warned him that as a cultivator, he should have a clear and correct understanding, different from ordinary people.
However, his master never specified what that understanding should be; she left it for Song You to figure out on his own.
Song You was still constructing his understanding.
Examining the statues under the moonlight for a long time, unable to sleep, he turned and walked out of the temple.
The midnight air instantly hit him, not feeling cold but refreshing. Looking up, he saw a clear night dotted with a few clouds seemingly edged with silver and shining in the moonlight. The mountains were outlined with undulating contours, presenting a beautiful scene under the moon.
He sat under the moonlight until dawn.
...
Song You left the Golden Sun Path and entered a side road.
It was still a major road, but its name was unknown, lower in status than the thoroughfare connecting the capital, but still spacious.
Song You was in no hurry, walking leisurely, stopping from time to time. After asking for directions a few times, he finally found the temple.
Although it was described as not far from the main road, it was situated on the mountainside beside the road, visible from a distance but probably about half a mile away. Song You had unintentionally walked past it while following the main road and had to turn back after asking for directions.
When he arrived, it was already the afternoon.
Hanging his baggage on a tree branch about a hundred meters away, he followed a small path towards the dilapidated temple, seemingly without any fear.
As he approached, the scent of incense became apparent.
Indeed, there was incense burning.
Upon closer inspection, he could even distinguish the smell. It seemed to be homemade incense, leaning towards herbal ingredients that repelled mosquitoes, refreshing and invigorating.
The temple was similar in size to the one from the previous night, modeled after the palace of a formal temple but slightly smaller. However, there was only one independent building. In general, temples built by villagers themselves followed this kind of layout, and there were usually no monks or Daoists residing in them.
Still, it was much more run-down than the one from the previous night.
Song You stopped at the entrance, carefully observing.
Similar to the other temple, this one had a doorway and no windows. Yet unlike the previous one, it lacked a door, with only a bamboo fence blocking the entrance. The once red-painted wall now displayed numerous places where the paint had peeled off, along with many cracks and scars. Some areas even showed signs of cutting, chopping, lightning strikes, and burns, with a few even pierced through the walls.
Song You's gaze followed these traces, as if outlining the scenes of the past battles in his mind.
Withdrawing his gaze, he walked towards the entrance.
The bamboo fence was only loosely closed, and he easily opened it.
Entering the temple, he took a deep breath. There was no unpleasant smell, only the fragrance of the homemade incense.
He looked towards the altar—
The original deity statues were long gone, leaving only traces of where they once stood. Now, in their place, was a clay-sculpted cat sculpture. In contrast to the larger statues that were once at least human-sized, this one appeared particularly small—just the size of a regular cat.
In front, there was a clay square, riddled with holes from incense sticks. Most had burned out, leaving only three incense sticks still burning, reaching the halfway point.
Indeed, it was homemade earth incense.
It was the type wrapped in red paper, containing herbal powder and a bamboo stick inside. It burned slowly and had a pleasant fragrance.
Surprisingly, there were also offerings.
Cooked meat and a live fish about a finger-long wide.
Song You stood in the middle of the temple, turning his head left and right, surveying the entire temple. He then walked up to the altar, picked up a strand of hair, examined it closely for a while, and only then discarded it. Afterward, he found a place to sit.
The one who seemed to be the owner wasn't present?
Did it leave already?
But he still couldn't determine the situation.
Perhaps it was just a local animal turned Yaoguai, enticed by incense from the mortal world. Upon spotting a temple here, it might have recklessly claimed it as its own.
Incense had a fatal attraction for supernatural creatures.
Maybe it was organized by the local people spontaneously, and coincidentally, a wildcat from the mountain took this place as its den.
Or perhaps the Yaoguai from the past had truly revived.
After waiting for about an hour, with the sun getting lower and golden light shining through the entrance, Song You finally heard movement outside.
Song You calmly got up and looked outside.
A cat strolled along the path in the sunlight. The overgrown weeds on the path were no taller than it, and it often pushed them aside. When encountering a ditch, its body seemed weightless, elegantly leaping over.
Knowing there was someone in the temple, it wasn't cautious but continued to stroll casually. When it reached the entrance and saw a person in Daoist robes inside, its eyes suddenly froze for a moment, gradually becoming vigilant.
Looking left, looking right; pondering, contemplating.
Its claws hesitated on the doorstep, retracting and extending again. Eventually, it decided to step inside.
It elegantly crossed the threshold, lifting its head to meet Song You's gaze, its amber-like eyes seemed mesmerizing even without any magic spells.
"Daoist?"
The structure of the vocal cords for Yaoguai was different from humans, and without transforming into a human form, even if they spoke human words, it was impossible to distinguish its gender. At most, one could discern its original race and possibly the age from the voice.
This cat spoke with a clear and gentle voice, not hoarse.
"How should I address you?" Song You courteously bowed to it.
"I am Lady Calico."
“Greetings, Lady Calico, my name is Song You."
"Why did you come to my temple?"
"I stayed in the village temple last night and was entrusted by the local deity to come and investigate the incense in this temple today." Song You stood straight, lowering his head, "May I ask if Lady Calico is granted the permission to gather incense here by the human Imperial Court?"
"What is that?"
"It's..." Song You looked into its eyes but paused.
This little cat Yaoguai had a low cultivation attainment, likely having only transformed into a Yaoguai recently. As he gazed into its clear yet innocent eyes, he felt the need to choose his words carefully.
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