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Chapter 9: Buying Fish, Wearing Willows, and Inviting Cicadas
The mountain wind wailed, resembling the cries of ghosts in the night.
Song You returned to a safe spot and sat down.
The place was about four feet wide, or so it felt to Song You. In the Dayan, a foot was roughly equivalent to thirty centimeters in his previous life. The width here was similar to that of the bunk beds in the dormitory, and the height was about the same—impossible to stand up straight.
On one side, there was a stone wall, on the other, a cliff.
The lantern filled with the glow of sunset lay on the ground, illuminating a small area on this narrow chiseled path. Despite the cramped space, there was a hint of warmth.
The calico cat scampered left and right, sniffing here and there, occasionally approaching the edge of the cliff, poking her head out and looking left and right, lost in thought.
It was clear that after arriving in an unfamiliar place, she felt a bit uneasy. Eventually, she seemed to realize that the most familiar thing in this place was the person beside her. Frowning, she looked at Song You several times, tentatively inching closer until she lay down beside him.
Song You had long closed his eyes, quietly meditating.
The mountains and waters possessed spirits; each mountain had its own spirit, and each body of water had its own essence. Every one of them was unique, requiring careful contemplation.
The mountain wind sobbed in his ears, the awe of the people below the mountain, the countless poems left by literati and poets over the centuries, every stroke carved on the cliff to protect peace, every person passing by, and even those who had fallen from here—all were part of the spirit of the mountain.
The spiritual energy from the mountain flowed in with the wind and gathered here.
As if finding something that made her feel even more comfortable, the calico cat, initially timidly huddled close to Song You, drew even nearer to Song You at this moment.
As the night deepened, stars and the moon emerged one after another, and the temperature gradually dropped. The calico cat couldn't help but get closer and closer to Song You. Eventually, she nestled against him while sleeping, feeling the warmth from his body and experiencing a comforting sensation deep within.
The sunset glow within the lantern still was shining.
If someone were traveling on the road below at night and looked up, they might notice a unique starlight between the cliffs a thousand feet above.
Around midnight, Song You opened his eyes.
Raising his hand, a strand of spiritual energy floated above it. It resembled a stream of light, pale yellow with a hint of green, consisting of two layers— the inner layer was a highly condensed strand of light, and the outer layer was transparent like mist and wispy like smoke.
This was the harvest of his recent cultivation.
The method of cultivation practiced by Song You was the Art of Four Seasons' Rotation(四时轮转法). The cultivation was closely related to the changes in celestial time, revolving around the cycles of seasons and solar terms. Therefore, the cultivated spiritual power often exhibited attributes associated with different seasons.
In contrast to the Art of Five Elements Manipulation (五行功法) practiced by his master, it didn't enhance his physical strength but was good for longevity. Each strand of spiritual energy he cultivated had its own use but lacked the destructive power found in other techniques like the Art of Yin-Yang (阴阳法).
And this world's spiritual energy looked like what he held in his hand—
A central spiritual core(灵核) surrounded by outer spiritual energy(灵气). Only the outer spiritual energy was consumable; the core was the source and could not be used directly. After the outer energy was depleted, the core would replenish it over time and through meditation. Meditation could both increase spiritual power and refine the spiritual core, finding a balance between the two.
Song You exhalled, dispersing the strand of spiritual energy into the mountains. Only the luminous core, emitting a yellow glow, remained, returning to his body like a thin thread.
Turning slightly, he noticed a cat lying beside him.
Song You stared at her without moving.
A cat's body temperature was higher than that of a human, making it difficult to determine whether she sought his warmth or he sought the cat's warmth. At this moment, she was snugly resting against him, providing him with a sense of dependency and trust that he hadn't experienced in a long time. Seeing her sleep so peacefully, seemingly carefree, his own heart also felt much more settled.
Reluctant to disturb this peace, he decided to sleep like it was tonight.
Later in the night, there were faint movements seemingly caused by supernatural entities, but they did not disturb Song You. Places seldom visited by humans often became havens for supernatural beings, but without the constant flow of people, harmful evil creatures would disappear without a trace.
Despite waking up several times due to the cold, for Song You, it was still a quiet night.
The next morning.
Mist hung between the mountains, but it was all below the cliffs.
Song You sat against the cliff wall, having breakfast while watching the calico cat use her paws to play with stones.
Today his meal was better than that of the previous days.
Since he had passed a checkpoint yesterday, and that place was lively, Song You bought some steamed buns, all with meat fillings—some with pork, some with egg. Although he was past the age of growing, he couldn't do without meat.
Just as Song You was watching the cat playing, she suddenly seemed to discover something. Running to the edge of the cliff, she peered outside, then turned back to Song You. "It turned red!"
"What?"
"It was green yesterday!"
"What?"
"The trees!"
"Uh..."
Song You followed her gaze.
Sure enough, the trees growing on the cliff had all turned red overnight, as if autumn had arrived. The pale rock wall, contrasting with the cascading white mist below and framed by the striking backdrop of the cliff's vibrant red leaves, enhanced the beauty of the scenery even more.
Song You wasn't surprised, just admiring the view.
"Today is the start of autumn." He said to the cat.
"Autumn?"
"Yes, it means it's getting colder."
"Cold weather."
"That’s right..." Song You tore open a new steamed bun, "Does Lady Calico like buns with meat filling?"
"Hmm?" The calico cat briefly glanced at him before returning her attention to the playful game with the stones. Her right paw flicked the stone to the left, while her left paw attempted to stop it. Unfortunately, she failed to block in time, and the stone tumbled off the cliff, causing her to pause for a moment.
"It fell!"
"Do you want a bun with meat filling?"
"This morning, when you were still asleep, Lady Calico caught a bird for breakfast." Lady Calico said with some regret, "But unfortunately, Lady Calico only caught one."
"Very well."
This was a cat that didn't demand much.
Song You quickly finished the bun, stood up, and bent over. "It's cold on the mountain. Let's go down."
"Lady Calico also feels cold."
"Let's go."
Song You stooped forward as he walked, with calico cat walking next to his feet, glancing up at him as they moved along.
"It's cold here, and it's not easy to walk. Why don't you walk down there?"
Song You smiled but remained silent.
At this moment, the mountain mist still clung to the surroundings, casting an ethereal veil over the landscape. On one side, the cliff displayed intricate carvings of mythical figures, while on the other, a seemingly bottomless abyss stretched into the depths below, its unseen mysteries concealed by a sea of white clouds.
On the nearby cliff, someone had written a poem:
In the southern wilds, exiled I may be,
Nine lives at stake, yet no regret in me.
For this distant journey, perilous and bold,
My life's most wondrous tale, forever told.
As the early hour unfolded, the dawn painted the surroundings in a golden glow. Amidst the mist, mountains and rivers stretched for thousands of miles, with small bridges over flowing water and villages emerging discreetly. Such a mountain village landscape was rarely seen in the world he came from, and in the midst of such beautiful scenery, it also made him forget that he was in a less developed place.
...
From a distance, the lively calls and shouts of vendors reached Song You's ears. He realized that he and Lady Calico were in luck, stumbling upon the bustling market of this village.
Typically, such village markets would be held every few days or even half a month.
Arriving at such a lively place, Lady Calico couldn't help but feel a bit restrained, lacking the lively bouncing around she had on the mountain road. She stuck close to Song You's feet, making him worry about stepping on her paws or tail.
Unfortunately, they arrived a bit late, and the market was about to close. Although some vendors were still reluctant to go home, there was no sign of a fish seller.
When hearing the same calls again, they realised that they had walked in a circle and come back to the same place.
"Daoist, what are you looking for?" Lady Calico looked up at Song You.
"I've said I'm not a Daoist."
"Then what are you?"
"It's complicated." Song You thought for a moment and explained, "I grew up in a Daoist temple, practiced cultivation methods, and studied daoist scriptures. However, I don't adhere to Daoist doctrines or worship Daoist gods. Even my master, at most, is a fake daoist."
"I don't understand." Lady Calico was extremely straightforward.
"It means we just occupy a Daoist temple, wear Daoist robes, but we're just practitioners.” Song You said.
“Why occupy other people’s temple?”
"It was built by us, by our predecessors to be precise, and passed down to us," Song You explained helplessly. "The purpose is to enjoy the preferential treatment that the imperial court gives to religion. Some lazy and good-for-nothing predecessors could also live the life they wanted because of it."
"I still don't understand."
"Then call me whatever you like."
"Okay, Daoist."
"Let's go..." Song You helplessly and regretfully said.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned around. The sunlight, nearing noon, had just dispersed the mist. Far away, along the riverbank, willow trees stood in rows. Beneath one particular willow tree, an old man with a straw hat sat by the riverside, holding a fishing rod and in the process of casting it.
"Lady Calico, please wait for me here."
Song You walked along the willows and soon reached the old fisherman. He greeted him respectfully, "Greetings, Elder. May I ask if you're selling the fish you caught?"
"I only catch small fish for myself. Young Master, you should go to the market to buy instead."
"Recently, I have formed a bond with a cat, and we have agreed to travel together. However, I haven't given her any gifts, which made me feel very guilty. While passing through here today, I intended to buy two small fish as a token of goodwill. However, after exploring the market thoroughly, I couldn't find any. I can only seek help from you, Elder," respectfully said Song You.
"If that's the case, I'll give you two for free."
“How dare I accept a gift from an elder? I should purchase it at market price.”
"I would rather gift them to you."
"In that case, I won’t decline your offer again. Thank you, Elder."
Song You didn't dare to refuse any longer, as the old man had already given him fish. In return, he felt it was appropriate to allow the old man the satisfaction of having done a good deed.
Not long after—
Song You carried two small fish and returned, while Lady Calico had a cicada in her mouth, just caught, sitting upright and waiting for him.
Seeing him approach, she lowered its head and spat the cicada on the ground. "Daoist, I just caught a cicada. Do you want to eat it?"
"Thank you, but I have to decline it." Song You, with rare solemnity, declined it while simultaneously bending to hand over the small fish with sincere demeanor, saying, “Lady Calico, I am willing to form a bond with you. This is a gift from me to you. Though the gift may be light, it carries my goodwill and reflects the traditions of Dayan. Please, enjoy it."
Lady Calico lowered her head to look at the fish and then raised her head to look at him. "I don't know what a gift is."
Song You straightened up and explained gently, "It's something ordinary people give to the mother of a little cat or the original owner, or even the cat themselves if they don't have an owner. It's a way of inviting the cat to come to your home to help catch mice, a way of saying, 'You've worked hard; here's your reward.'"
"I understand now."
"Please enjoy it."
"After eating your fish, I will become your cat?"
"No." Song You said, "Lady Calico is still Lady Calico. Lady Calico will always belong to Lady Calico alone. However, on the journey ahead, we will walk side by side, accompany each other, support each other, and sometimes rely on Lady Calico for help or tolerance. So, as a token of appreciation in advance, I offer you some food as a gift."
"Like the offerings I used to eat."
"Similar."
Lady Calico stared at him, seemingly lost in thought.
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