“So that’s the immortal you said once came to your village and then left?” “That’s him. He hasn’t changed at all, not even that cat has changed one bit,” said Lady Chai to the young master of the Yang family. “Back then, we only guessed he was an immortal. We just couldn't find him and assumed he had left. Never thought he really could come and go as he pleased, without aging in the slightest.” “Truly a divine being...” The Yang family’s young master gazed in the direction the Daoist had left, murmuring to himself, “If only that immortal could get rid of the demons and ghosts around Qianning, then the common folk might finally get a few days of peace.” “My lord, you truly have the people in your heart. If only you could pass the exams sooner, you’d surely become a good official one day,” said Lady Chai, wiping her tears. “It’s just that I haven’t studied hard enough. My learning still falls short,” the young master shook his head, then smiled, “Though if the immortal could bless me to pass the exams quickly, that’d be even better.” “You already study hard enough. Sometimes you even forget to eat, I’m just afraid you’ll ruin your health before you’ve even passed,” said Lady Chai worriedly. “It’s not that bad...” The two of them chatted while still watching the alley. But the alley had long since emptied of any sign of the Daoist. Song You took a slow stroll around before returning to the inn, just in time for lunch. Having found the innkeeper’s cooking quite good the night before, he decided to have lunch there again. He ordered braised fish with tofu, something that suited both his taste and that of the tricolor queen. It was just the right season for fish, and they were plump and fatty, their bellies full of roe. Cubed tofu was added in, along with pickled sour plums to bring out the flavor. It was wonderfully appetizing. The Daoist ate contentedly, and the cat found it quite satisfying as well. After the meal, they went back upstairs to their room. Song You opened the window, and the cat leapt onto the windowsill, letting the breeze wash over her as she looked out over the open space behind the inn. This room faced away from the street and was relatively quiet. The inn was practically right next to the Yang Family Cloth Workshop, so close that, if one weren’t afraid of heights or upsetting the Yangs, one could jump straight out the window and land in their drying yard. At this hour, just after lunch, many workers were still busy. Every now and then, Song You could even spot Lady Chai. She had changed into coarser clothing and walked among the workshop’s buildings, sometimes lending a hand, sometimes overseeing the labor, and at times doing key tasks herself. Only now did she faintly resemble the capable, hardworking, and unpretentious young village girl from the mountain hamlet ten years ago. Song You simply stood at the window, watching in silence. They beat the pulp, dyed it, dried it, then dyed it again, then they repeated the process again and again. At one point, there was even a step where they covered the cloth in muddy silt. It all seemed rather mysterious, and even somewhat interesting. Especially during idle moments, just standing there and watching them work felt like something you could do all day. It never got boring, nor did time seem to pass. Clouds drifted with the wind, and fabrics fluttered in the air. The weather was perfect. Each piece of cloth was being imbued with its own color here. Then, the calico cat beside him spoke up, “So your clothes all used to be white! And this is how they get turned into colors!” “I thought clothes just came out looking like that,” the cat said with complete certainty. “The ones I conjure are already when they appear.” “But that outfit you had before, the one made in the Southern Art County, wasn’t it sewn together from several pieces of cloth too?” “Oh, right...” Lady Calico admitted he had a point. Then, she quickly raised a paw almost like a human, pointing toward a corner. “That cloth looks like the one I wear.” “It hasn’t been dyed yet. Maybe once it is, it’ll look more or less the same.” “They're smearing mud on the cloth!” “Why are they doing that?” “Maybe to make the color turn out better.” “But how do people even know to use these things and to do all this and make the cloth change colors?” The cat couldn't make sense of it, full of curiosity as she turned to look at the Daoist. “It’s from years of experience and accumulated wisdom.” “That's so interesting!” “Lady Calico, you’re not the only one who thinks so. This is my first time seeing it in person, too.” The Daoist also kept his eyes on that spot. Encountering things never seen before, marveling at crafts never understood... Whether or not it could be called cultivation, it was, at the very least, a way to enrich oneself and broaden one’s understanding of the world. Still, even though Lady Calico found it fascinating, she had more pressing matters to attend to. She withdrew her gaze, twisted her body slightly, and leapt down from the window ledge. “Poof...” She transformed into human form. “You go take a nap. You always nap around this time,” said Lady Calico as she walked over to the wall and picked up the fishing rod. The fish they’d had for lunch had been quite good, and its belly was full of roe. The Daoist seemed to particularly enjoy fish with roe, even though the innkeeper’s cooking was only so-so. If she added her own cooking skills, along with the spices they’d brought, such as the suanqies and chili peppers, he would surely like it even more. This thoroughly stirred up her desire to go fishing. It was convenient too; from here, if she walked briskly, she’d reach a large lake in just half an hour. During lunch, the Daoist had asked the innkeeper, and it turned out that most of the fish recently were full of roe. “I’m going fishing. I’ll be back before dark. I’ll take the horse along to graze by the lake, too. Once the horse’s had its fill, we’ll save one meal’s worth of fodder. He likes grass from the ground.” It wasn’t hard to tell that this wasn’t really about saving money. The main point was that the horse liked grass from the earth. Cut grass, especially the kind you had to pay for, just didn’t have the same soul. “I’ll go with you, Lady Calico.” “You're not sleepy anymore?” “Maybe it'll be more comfortable to nap by the lake.” “Perfect then. You can help me carry the fishing rod, then I won’t have to stay in human form.” “You’re truly thoughtful.” The Daoist picked up two bamboo hats and headed out. They followed the street and left the city, heading downhill. If a path ahead was blocked, all they had to do was veer left or right until they found another route heading down; the lake was impossible to miss. Outside the city, there were still houses clustered near the walls, forming small villages. These villages enjoyed the prosperity brought by proximity to the city and, in turn, provided daily goods and services to city dwellers. After walking another half a mile or so, the villages gave way to vast stretches of golden farmland, bathed in sunlight and so flat and wide they stretched to the horizon, where sparse fishing villages, woods, and thick reed marshes could be seen dotting the distant lakeshore. The cat trotted ahead with her quick little steps, not heading straight down toward the fishing villages but veering right, clearly aiming for an uninhabited area. That was the direction they’d come from yesterday, following the lakeshore. That side was nothing but swathes of reeds and wild grass, no villages, no houses, not even farmland. Lady Calico clearly knew what she was doing. The Daoist said nothing, simply followed. The narrow paths between fields varied in width, and since it hadn’t rained in a while, the roads were dusty, and each step kicked up a small cloud of yellow dust. The grass along the path had mostly turned yellow, though some still bore flowers. The mountains and lake framed either side of the road like scenery in a painting, and just walking here was its own quiet pleasure. There were even children herding cattle along the way. A child even smaller than Lady Calico’s human form stood beside a water buffalo, appearing even tinier by comparison. He gnawed on a piece of sugarcane while staring at the pair in wide-eyed curiosity. The cat stared back, eyes fixed on the short piece of sugarcane in his hand. But they walked on without stopping. Beyond that point, the landscape grew more desolate. When they finally reached the lake, the shallows were dotted with water tupelos. These straight, slender trees had begun to turn red with the season, and their reflections danced on the lake’s surface. Along the lakeshore, dense reeds grew thick, forming a barrier that made access to the water difficult. But Lady Calico moved forward calmly, stepping lightly. After a while, they came upon a narrow path cutting through the dense reeds, leading directly to the lakeside. She paused, looked back at the Daoist, gesturing for him to follow, then darted inside. The reed beds were truly thick, as tall as a man and packed so tightly they let no light through. Without that hidden path, reaching the lake would have been impossible. “How did you know there was a path through here?” “I saw it yesterday when we came.” “Lady Calico, you remembered it even back then?” Song You shook his head and chuckled. Once you fall in love with fishing, everything changes. Wherever you go, the first thing you look for is a good fishing spot. Sure enough, this narrow path led straight to the lake. And once they reached the lakeshore, they found that the area had already been trampled flat, making it perfect for sitting and fishing. Behind the spot, even the reeds had been pressed down to form a small clearing, big enough for someone to lie down and rest. It was clearly someone else's usual fishing spot. The cat transformed into human form and took the fishing rod from the Daoist. She nodded toward the little clearing and said, “You go nap over there. It's comfy.” “Then I'll do as you say.” The little girl’s expression was surprisingly mature. The Daoist didn’t mind. He walked over and sat down. There were plenty of flying insects by the lake, but thankfully not many mosquitoes. Lifting his head to look out, he saw the lake stretch for more than ten li across, dyed a rich blue by the reflection of the sky. Across the water, he could make out distant mountains and even houses, and both the clouds and mountains were mirrored clearly in the water, creating a tranquil and still landscape. From time to time, water birds skimmed across the lake surface. And sometimes the lake rippled all on its own. The sun was a bit strong, though. Luckily, the Daoist had brought his bamboo hat, so he simply enjoyed the scenery and let time drift by. After a while, he turned his head and saw the little girl beside him had already started casting her line. She too was wearing a bamboo hat, its shadow covering her face and neck. Her arms, bare beneath her sleeves, were exposed to the dazzling sunlight, and it looked pale and glowed in its glare. Her expression was serious, as though performing a solemn task. But the Daoist could faintly hear her mumbling, “Fishy fishy, come on over... Fishy fishy, come on over...” She chanted it non-stop very softly and almost inaudibly. Judging by her expression, it seemed like some kind of incantation. This reminded Song You of a folk tale he’d once heard while traveling. It was said to be from the previous dynasty, during the height of the “spell-ban” craze. In those days, there was a famous curse-master whose reputation spread far and wide. One day, an admirer came from afar, full of sincerity, and begged him to teach a spell to subdue demons. The curse-master, unwilling to teach but also reluctant to reject him outright, casually made something up. He taught him a single word, pronounced like “donkey,” and told him it could drive away evil spirits, then sent him on his way... That man believed it wholeheartedly. After returning home, he practiced the chant constantly, day and night, for years. Eventually, whenever he recited the spell, the shadow of a green donkey would appear behind him, and any demon or malevolent spirit that saw it would immediately flee. The locals all said his spell-casting had succeeded, and many invited him to drive away evil spirits and monsters. Later, when he discovered the chant was fake, it stopped working altogether. Whether the story was true or not, it was amusing all the same. As the Daoist listened to Lady Calico mumbling to herself, he soon lay down, using his bamboo hat to shade his face. Occasionally, the cries of seabirds echoed nearby, but they didn’t disturb him. The wind rustled through the reeds with a soft, whispering sound. Occasionally, a trace of demonic energy would drift by on the breeze, but he paid it no mind. Sometimes there was the splash of water, followed by the sound of a fish flailing; at such times, the muttered chant beside him would pause, likely because a fish had taken the bait. At first, the Daoist would glance over, but later, as drowsiness overtook him, he stopped bothering. Before long, he drifted off to sleep. Who knew how much time passed. When he was about to wake, still in a haze between dream and wakefulness, he heard voices beside him. One voice belonged to his own little companion, and the other was older, with a weathered accent. It was a man who spoke. “How come you’ve caught so many, and I haven’t caught a single one?” “It’s all about luck.” “What bait are you using?” “What kind of worms?” “The red ones, small, from the dirt.” “Earthworms? I’m using earthworms too!” “It still comes down to luck.” One voice fell into resigned silence, while the other continued its soft spell-chanting. “Plop...” There was another splash of water. “How did you find this place?” “We passed by here yesterday. I saw a little path and figured it must lead to the water, it was probably left by someone who fishes here. So I came back today.” “Where are you folks from?” “Right next to Yunzou!” “Then it's not that far.” “It's pretty far. But when you're walking, it doesn't feel that far.” “You're from out of town, so you probably don't know that this place has a monster problem. If you knew, you definitely wouldn’t dare come here to fish.” “A monster? What kind of monster?” The little girl's voice was full of clear, innocent curiosity. “You're not afraid of monsters?” “I’m a little afraid, but not really.” “You’re really not afraid, or are you just pretending?” “I'm a Daoist priest. I'm not afraid.” “You're a Daoist priest?” “I'm a little Daoist priest, training under a proper Daoist priest. My Daoist priest is sleeping over there.” “Training? So you know magic?” “Hahaha, little kid, don’t try to fool me. I don’t believe that.” “Whether you believe it or not, it doesn't matter.” “You're a funny little thing.” “Then if you know there’s a monster around, why are you fishing here? Are you a monster too?” Her tone was completely natural, like casual small talk. “You little rascal, what nonsense are you spouting? How could I be a monster? I’m just a local, and I know how to deal with that monster,” the old man replied, clearly a little smug. “Besides, since there’s been a monster around, no one else dares come here. So now I’m the only one who fishes here. All the fish in the area are mine. Well, until today, at least. Now, there’s you.” “Yep! And I just caught another one.” “Why aren’t you afraid?” “Why haven’t you caught anything?” “I’ll give you one of mine, okay? There’s no one else here, and since you haven’t caught any, all the fish are mine anyway.” “This one’s really small. I’ll give you this one. Want it?” At last, the Daoist opened his eyes. After he lifted the bamboo hat, the sunlight immediately pierced his eyes, making him squint. After a moment to adjust, he sat up and turned his head to look. By the lakeside, there were two people fishing—one old, one young.