Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.
Thank you.
Everyone from Otaku Translation
Previous | TOC | Next |
Chapter 27: Painting Cats
Governor Yu suddenly sat up in bed, bathed in the streaming moonlight from the window.
Upon awakening from a dream, he found himself grappling with the remnants of a mysterious song's lyrics that lingered in his mind. Though initially groggy, the words began to slip away as his consciousness fully returned.
Governor Yu was familiar with the common phenomenon of dreams dissipating upon waking; it was expected. What caught him off guard, however, was the peculiar content of this particular dream.
Though it was slowly fading, strangely, he remembered the meaning of the dream clearly.
In virtuous deeds, let no spirits intervene,
In this mortal life, seek not eternity's sheen.
While the remnants of the dream still lingered in his mind, he desperately tried to recall it, grasping at the elusive essence.
Where do the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors return?
Where reside the ministers of old, we yearn?
"Where..."
Governor Yu muttered to himself, pondering carefully.
The answer was right in the next line, wasn't it?
Yet in the annals of history, all face the same decree,
None can escape the grasp of impermanence, you see.
"In history..." Governor Yu finally understood that this wasn't his own dream.
It was a dream gifted to him by the young master.
During the afternoon's conversation, the young master's words carried ambiguity. However, perhaps later moved by his sincerity, he sent a dreamlike letter to inform him that in this world, no one could attain immortality. If in doubt, he needed only to consult the annals of history, where even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, along with generations of officials, could not evade the inevitable return to dust. What merit or ability did he possess to surpass them in this pursuit?
Upon such reflection, Governor Yu couldn't help but feel that his pursuit of immortality throughout half his lifetime had been a futile endeavor. To have wandered aimlessly on this elusive path until reaching this age to realize it, how foolish he had been.
Governor Yu didn't want to admit it, and didn't want to believe it. The burden of the outcome was too shameful, yet that mysterious allure seemed to be reminding him, forcing him to admit and believe.
Fortunately, the young master had also pointed him towards another path.
It was the path of the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, and ministers of past dynasties.
Their names were all recorded in history.
Wasn't that another form of immortality?
"How foolish... How foolish I was...
"That's right... This should be the way..."
Governor Yu murmured softly in bed.
His wife, awakened by his murmurs, initially mistook them for the usual mischief of mice in the house. When she realized it wasn't, she scolded him for acting foolishly. However, Governor Yu remained indifferent. He instructed his wife to go back to sleep, but sleep eluded him.
I'm such a blind fool.
That young master is clearly the immortal I've been seeking for all these years.
...
The frost had arrived last night, and once again, the sky was gray this morning. The leaves in the courtyard had turned yellow, casting Yidu City into an even colder atmosphere.
Song You painted beneath the yellow plum tree, on the stone table.
Lady Calico stood on the tree branch, motionless.
She had already posed as a model for the third time.
Drawing a cat was relatively simple for Song You. He began by outlining the mouth, nose, eyes, and ears with thick ink lines using just a few strokes. Then, he switched to ink wash, spreading it across the paper with a single stroke, gradually forming the body and head of the cat. After a touch of refinement, a cat in a traditional Chinese ink painting style emerged.
Then, he sketched out tree branches, sprinkled cinnabar to depict plum blossoms, effortlessly embodying the spirit of freehand brushwork.
"Done."
Lady Calico couldn't wait any longer. As soon as she heard this, she jumped down from the branch and leaned over to look at the rice paper.
"It's a black cat."
"It's not that black."
"It's a tabby cat."
"Does it look like Lady Calico?"
"Lady Calico doesn't know what she looks like, she only knows she's a calico cat."
"It's drawn according to Lady Calico."
"It's not a calico cat."
"I only have black ink."
"Oh..."
Lady Calico dragged out her voice, staring at the cat on the paper, "So this is what Lady Calico looks like, it doesn't look like the clay statues in the temple, nor does it look like the wooden carvings..."
"The wooden carving looks more like Lady Calico."
"Then you're not good."
"I'm sorry to disappoint Lady Calico."
"There are clearly no flowers on the tree."
"They'll bloom in winter."
"But there are flowers in the painting."
"I painted them first."
"You paint so randomly."
"..." Song You shook his head helplessly, put down his brush, and stroked her head, "Lady Calico, have you decided what arts you want to learn after thinking about it all night?"
"I've decided. It's fire."
"Good choice. When I first learned magical arts, I also started with fire art." Song You sat down and said to Lady Calico, "Water is the foundation of life, and fire is the origin of civilization. Every practitioner should comprehend the ways of water and fire. Does Lady Calico feel the same?"
"Fire is warm. Powerful."
"More or less."
"When do I start learning?"
"Let me think." Song You pondered for a moment, "While the weather is still not too cold, I plan to go to Mount Qingcheng(青成山) outside the city to visit my master's old friend and ask him to help me deliver a letter. If we set off today, we might reach the foot of Mount Qingcheng by tomorrow morning, find the Daoist temple by nightfall, and return in three to five days. After three to five days, I will teach Lady Calico the simplest Art of Fire-breathing."
"Art of Fire-breathing."
"Yes."
"How long will it take to learn?"
"It depends on how skilled or proficient Lady Calico wishes to become in this art. There is no limit to the magical arts in the world, and there are many branches of the Art of Five Elements Manipulation. According to the magical arts collected by my temple, Lady Calico can start with the Art of Fire-breathing. Breathing out flames from the mouth is a skill that many monsters and Daoists possess. Once mastered, you can ignite objects simply by exhaling. With proficiency, you'll be able to set anything on fire by merely pointing your finger at it. If Lady Calico can study this for thousands of years, perhaps even the True Lord Huoyang will make way for you."
"Thousands of years!" Lady Calico's eyes widened.
"If you only want the Art of Fire-breathing, it won't take that long. Perhaps three to five months, or one or two years, will be enough." Song You smiled, "Some ordinary people may take ten or twenty years to learn."
"Ten or twenty years?"
"That's for the performers who wander around performing tricks. They don't have any cultivation attainment, so their progress is slow. But Lady Calico has already achieved transformation, so it won't take that long."
"One or two years?"
"I will teach Lady Calico well."
"Oh."
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Knock knock."
Song You turned to open the door.
It was the same servant from last night.
"Good morning, Young Master."
"Good morning."
The servant held a piece of felt in his hands.
"My master wants me to convey his gratitude to the Young Master for guiding him last night, leading him to enlightenment. He's resolved to abandon the pursuit of immortality and dedicate himself to serving the people. Although he intended to express his thanks in person, his lifelong folly and shame deterred him. Wanting to offer a token of appreciation, he deliberated and eventually found a piece of fine western felt, foreseeing the impending winter. While it may not provide significant warmth, it can be spread on the floor, used as a cushion, or laid upon during meditation, ensuring the Young Master's comfort." The servant bowed deeply, offering the felt with both hands.
"Please accept it, Young Master."
"..." Song You looked at the neatly folded felt in the servant's hands, standing at the door for a while before accepting it.
"Please thank the governor for me."
Seeing that he didn't refuse, the servant was surprised, as it seemed different from what he had imagined. He hesitated for a moment before bowing again: "I will, Young Master."
"Then may the governor serve the people well and leave his mark in history."
"I'll definitely convey your blessings."
With a creak, the wooden door slowly closed.
As Song You turned around, he noticed the autumn wind sweeping into the courtyard once more, its playful gusts teasing the edges of the rice paper atop the stone table beneath the yellow plum tree. Beside the table stood Lady Calico, her elegant form poised as she pressed a paw against the paper, her gaze fixed upon him.
As Song You approached, she said to him, "Daoist, your cat drawing is about to be blown away by the wind."
"Lady Calico won’t let that happen, right?"
"You need to thank Lady Calico."
"Thank you, Lady Calico."
"Don't mention it."
"..." Song You shook his head and smiled, then unfolded the felt in his hand.
It seemed to be made of compressed wool, not thick, but it felt very warm to the touch.
"It's a piece of cloth."
"It's felt."
"What's it for?"
"It's for keeping Lady Calico warm."
"For me?"
"Yes."
With the weather turning colder, cats, like Lady Calico, had a natural aversion to the chill and a fondness for warmth. By spreading the felt out in the room, Lady Calico could comfortably sit on it during meditation or tea time, sparing her delicate feet from the discomfort of the cold as she moved in and out of the room.
This gift from the governor was quite thoughtful.
Even though this piece of felt may not be particularly valuable, it held practicality that transcended its worth. While lacking the refined elegance of calligraphy or paintings, it also didn’t carry the mundane air of expensive possessions. It was a practical item that saw frequent use, offering both warmth and thoughtfulness. If gifted to an ordinary friend, they might often recall its origin when relying on it for warmth during winter days.
In the poetry and literature that Song You had read in his past and present lives, there were many instances of poets and friends keeping warm in the cold with quilts and felt given by friends. Feeling the warmth from a friend in winter was indeed a beautiful thing.
"Heh..."
Reciprocity was important.
Looking left and right, Song You only saw the drawing on the stone table and thought for a moment before saying to Lady Calico: "Lady Calico, may I borrow a tuft of fur?"
"What are you going to do with it?"
"To reciprocate."
"What’s reciprocate?"
"To exchange for Lady Calico's felt."
"How much do you need to borrow?"
"Just a small tuft." Song You's hand reached out to the calico cat.
Lady Calico was still crouching on the stone table, maintaining her posture of pressing one paw against the painting, but she lowered her head and stared at his hand, as if letting him pull, but also afraid that he would pull too much.
"..."
Just a pinch.
Song You twirled it in the air, then tossed it casually.
"Whoosh..."
A very light sound appeared.
The small tuft of fur exploded into a small burst of fireworks in the air, leaving behind a cloud of gray smoke, all of which went into the painting.
The cat in the painting seemed to have gained a touch of mystery. As the wet ink dried, its spiritual essence gradually emerged.
Song You picked it up and looked at it carefully. Not boasting about his painting skills, but the cat indeed seemed lifelike. However, he didn't feel proud. He knew full well that it was just a stroke of luck he obtained from Master Kong.
Please vote for this novel at
If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.
How to find a list of chapters
Please find the chapter label next to your favorite translator's name, and click the label.
No comments:
Post a Comment