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Chapter 7: Wishing to Form a Bond with You
Walking once again on the Emerald Cloud Corridor, the surroundings became familiar, only in the opposite direction. From a different perspective, it revealed a different charm. Therefore, Song You still walked slowly, occasionally paying attention to the scenery along the road.
The village temple gradually came into view.
Approaching it with slow steps, Song You asked the calico cat walking silently beside him, "Lady Calico, would you be willing to travel the world with me?"
"Travel the world?"
"Yes, to explore all the roads in this world, witness countless sunrises and sunsets, meet many people and supernatural beings, taste delicious food from various places, and experience many different cultures and customs," Song You paused for a second before continuing, "My master said, that is true cultivation."
"Aren't you supposed to take me to see Wang Shangong?"
"If Lady Calico is willing, I will talk to Wang Shangong." Song You paused again, still walking at the same pace, and thought for a moment before resuming, "Or Lady Calico can accompany me for a while. Once the scent of incense on you dissipates, you can find a secluded place to live freely, avoiding the suffering of confinement."
"Can I go back to my little temple?"
"Do you want to be caught again?"
"Hmm..."
After a moment of contemplation, the calico cat continued to ask, "How long will it take if I travel with you?"
"Certainly shorter than the time in confinement."
"Do you want me to help you catch mice?"
"That won't be necessary."
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"Nothing, just one thing – try not to speak in front of ordinary people as much as possible."
"Is there nothing else?"
"Nothing else."
"Why do you want me to accompany you then?"
"To not be lonely."
"I don't know what loneliness is."
"Being alone is loneliness."
"I have always been alone. Loneliness is fine."
"Not being lonely is also good."
"I don't know."
"So..."
"I'll follow you."
"Good."
Song You entered the village temple.
However, the calico cat stopped at the entrance, looked around cautiously, then looked up at the tall and brightly colored statues inside the temple. Comparing them to her own small clay cat, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Seeing Song You entering, she hesitated for a moment before crossing the threshold.
It was noon when they arrived, and there were no overnight visitors in the temple, so Song You turned around and closed the temple door.
Looking around, he noticed incense sticks on the altar, likely left by wandering people of the martial arts world.
These wanderers of the martial world knew that the temple's deities relied on incense offerings. Taking refuge and seeking shelter here during rain was considered a favor from these deities. Therefore, besides lighting a few incense sticks, they often left some incense on the altar. This way, future lodgers who arrived without incense could also offer a few incense sticks to pay respects to the deities.
The herbal incense was not valuable, but the respect from people was.
"Thanks." Song You took three sticks and expressed his gratitude. Holding the incense, he swirled it in a circle. When a single circle was drawn, the incense ignited on its own, producing a delicate trail of light smoke.
The calico cat on the ground widened her eyes.
"May Wang Shangong reveal his presence." Song You inserted the incense into the clay and respectfully spoke.
The rising light smoke did not disperse; threads and wisps gathered in the air. Within the light smoke, Wang Shangong, adorned in colorful garments and radiating divine light, appeared. Upon seeing Song You, he politely bowed. "Greetings, Master Dreamcaster."
"Greetings, Shangong."
"Has Master investigated it?"
"Yes."
"Has that Yaoguai been resurrected?"
"No," Song You explained, "It's just a naive cat that gained intelligence, drawn to worldly incense. Coincidentally, someone sought her services for mouse hunting, and without understanding the consequences, she took over the temple, absorbing the incense offerings. Now, I have brought her here."
"Malevolent temples and nefarious worship are unequivocally incompatible with the celestial principles of virtue and righteousness." Wang Shangong said solemnly. "Thank you, Master Dreamcaster, for bringing it here. I will take care of it and enforce the heavenly rules."
The calico cat, frightened, hid behind Song You's leg, shrinking into a fur ball.
"How will she be punished according to the heavenly rules?"
“If it has not harmed humans, nor absorbed the vital essence and blood of humans, the confinement or imprisonment shall be for a period of a hundred years or less. If benevolent deeds have been performed, the penalty may be halved at the discretion of the judgment.”
Song You looked at the cat, conveying with his eyes, "See, I didn't lie to you." Then he spoke to Wang Shangong, "But I heard that absorbing incense is a natural instinct for Yaoguai, and one who errs unknowingly need not be held responsible. This cat Yaoguai seems to be a first-time offender and she didn’t know what she was doing was not allowed. Her absorption of incense was also pitifully small. Moreover, in my observation, she has never harmed humans. On the contrary, she had diligently helped the people by eliminating rats to safeguard their food. She has not committed any wrongdoing, and her intentions are pure. If she were to be confined for a hundred years because of this, it would truly be unjust."
"I don't know what Master Dreamcaster means..."
"Why not let me take her with me and guide her properly?"
"Er…"
"May Shangong extend his benevolence. "
"But according to the heavenly rules..."
"The law is not devoid of human compassion, and even divine principles can harbor injustices."
"Master Dreamcaster, be cautious in your words."
"I implore Wang Shangong for mercy."
"I am also in a difficult position..."
"It's not that I'm asking Shangong to lie or not report to the Heavenly Palace. Shandong just needs to report truthfully that the cat Yaoguai that occupied the temple has been dealt with by a Daoist. That's all." Song You paused and bowed to Wang Shangong again, "I am Song You, with the courtesy name Dreamcaster, a disciple of the Daoist of Many Journeys from the Crouching Dragon Temple on Mount Yin Yang(阴阳山). Shangong may mention my name as well."
"The Crouching Dragon Temple on Mount Yin Yang..." Wang Shangong widened his eyes in shock for a moment. His temple was only a little over a hundred li from Mount Yin Yang, and although Crouching Dragon Temple on Mount Yin Yang had few disciples, its name carried significant weight; he was naturally familiar with it.
After thinking for a while, he sighed and bowed to Song You before disappearing into the light smoke.
"Hmm?" The calico cat snapped out of her suspicion, looking around, seemingly searching for the disappeared Wang Shangong. Naturally, she didn't find him.
"Did he leave?" She turned to Song You and asked.
"Yes."
"Is it over?"
"It's over."
"Then let's leave this place quickly." The calico cat turned her body and ran outside. After crossing the threshold, she stopped at the door, turned around, and looked back at Song You who hadn't left yet.
Song You looked at her in confusion and asked. "Why in such a hurry?"
"I feel uncomfortable here."
"Inferiority complex?"
"What is an inferiority complex?"
"It's... forget it, let's go." Song You also stood up and walked out of the temple gate.
The calico cat followed with small steps, looking up and asking, "What is guide?"
"It means influencing you to bring about positive changes."
"How do you influence?"
"Slowly influence."
"How do I change?"
"Talking too much will make you thirsty on the way."
"How do I change?"
"Slowly change."
"Where are we going?"
"First, back to your little temple. Destroy your clay statue and sever the connection with it."
"Then where?"
"Yidu."
"Why go to Yidu?"
"Lady Calico has a curious nature..."
"Why go to Yidu?"
"I haven't thought about it yet."
"You better think quickly."
"I'll do my best."
Just liberated from a lonely journey, Song You unexpectedly encountered a questioning companion, something he hadn't anticipated.
"Then I'll leave myself to Lady Calico's care now." Suddenly, his mood became different.
...
One person and one cat returned to the dilapidated temple.
By the time they arrived, it was already mid-afternoon, and the round journey took up the entire day. However, in this era, things were always slow, and tens of li of mountain roads could easily take up a day of time.
Surprisingly, someone came to offer incense again.
This time it was homemade incense, different from the ones used in his temple. It had a fresh scent, and it seemed to have a mosquito-repelling effect, which Song You quite liked.
There was also a loach on the altar.
Lady Calico swiftly jumped onto the altar and took a sniff at the three incense sticks before stopping abruptly. She looked at the small loach on the altar with a reluctant expression, then turned to look at Song You at the door, "Daoist, I haven't gone to help the person, who offered incense to me yesterday. And there's one more person today. Can I go to their house tonight to catch mice?"
Song You looked at her for a long time and nodded.
"Can I eat the loach?"
"If you want to, go ahead. It's the last meal anyway. Remember, from now on, you can't accept offerings from others and can't absorb incense anymore." Song You looked at the calico cat and reminded her. Because of absorbing incense, she had acquired some divine abilities. For example, she could discern who offered each incense stick and recognize the contributors through their offerings. This way, she could find them. "Absorbing incense will unwittingly lead you to the divine path. Once you're on that path, you can't exist without incense offering anymore. When there's no more incense offering left, you'll weaken and eventually perish. Moreover, you'll be considered an evil god by the Heavenly Palace."
"I know, I know." The Calico cat lay down on the altar, looking a bit sickly. She was reluctant to part with her temple, clay statue, and incense, which she had diligently managed for years.
At this moment, she especially missed her old temple.
That small temple, although tiny, was at least half the height of the Daoist in front of her. Although it couldn't shield the wind, it could protect from rain. Moreover, under a big tree, it was not easy for people to notice. Now thinking about it, it was truly a warm little nest.
The calico cat felt even more listless.
When night fell, it went out.
Later in the evening, some martial artists came to seek shelter; they even brought red incense from the city. Even though the temple only had a clay cat statue, they respectfully lit three incense sticks, uttered some common courtesy phrases, and greeted Song You before settling down on the other side of the temple.
Song You spent the night in meditation, sensing the spiritual energy in the mountains.
Above, heavenly river twirls in a cosmic ballet,
While on Earth, curtains of dreams gently sway.
It was unclear when the calico cat returned, but when Song You saw her the next morning, she looked a bit tired. When asked the reason, she explained in a silly manner that that one family lived on one side, and the other family lived on the opposite side.
"Let's leave after eating." Song You said to the calico cat, holding a steamed bun. But the Calico cat had eaten plenty of mice last night and was still full.
The nearby martial artists also woke up.
Among them was a well-dressed young man with a follower. Perhaps noticing Song You's daoist attire and young age, he approached with some intention to make friends. Carrying dried meat, he walked over to Song You and said, "Master is also a cat lover?"
"Sort of."
"I'm also a cat lover, but it's rare to see someone like Master, bringing a cat along on a long journey."
"Yes."
"Eating only steamed buns is not enough, Master. I have locally produced dried pork. Would you like to try?"
"Thank you for your kindness, but I have to decline."
"There's no need to be polite, Master. We are both wanderers in the martial arts world; our meeting is fate. Let's consider ourselves acquainted."
“I appreciate it." Song You still smiled and shook his head.
Unlike other prideful figures from the martial arts world, the man, gracefully handling rejection, didn't let it bother him. Instead, he turned with a smile, engaging in friendly banter with others he'd met the night before. They exchanged compliments and quickly bonded, as if they were longtime friends.
These individuals from the martial world were seasoned and well-informed, sharing a plethora of rumors and stories. Despite the occasional exaggeration, Song You found delight in listening to their colorful tales and conversations.
Not long after, the steamed bun was also finished.
"Let's go." Song You said, standing up and walking out.
The calico cat instinctively followed.
The group of martial artists stared at them curiously. Once they left, the discussion among the martial artists ensued in hushed tones.
"This young master is quite interesting, bringing a cat on a long journey. This cat is also interesting, actually following a person. My cat doesn't even allow me to touch it."
"Speaking of which, this temple also seems to worship a cat."
"Yes..."
Everyone turned their heads and looked at the clay statue on the altar.
Just then, the clay statue, as if unable to withstand a mere glance, began to crack. These cracks swiftly multiplied, spreading across the entire statue, growing both in number and size. In an instant, the statue shattered, breaking into myriad pieces and falling to the ground as fine powder.
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