“You don’t even want to dig for seafood yourself anymore?” the Daoist said this as he stepped down from the celestial crane. Lady Calico stared at him with a dead-serious face, fixing her gaze on this clueless Daoist who just opened his mouth and started spouting nonsense. She stared for a long moment, then finally looked away and returned to combing the beach. A fish near the shore had been hiding from predators and, by mistake, swam into the shallows. It thought it had escaped danger, but then, two feet splashed into the water with a sharp slap. Before it could react, a hand snatched it cleanly out of the sea. No matter how slippery its body was, or how much it struggled, it was all in vain. The celestial crane suddenly burst apart into a cloud of black smoke, like a thundercloud hitting the ground, and then it rushed into Lady Calico’s banner. About two hours later… They were still at that same beach, perhaps even beneath the same coconut tree. A small stove had been assembled from stones on the sand, with a pot set over it. Two figures, one big and one small, and a single swallow sat around the stone stove and pot, eating as the sound of distant waves reached their ears. Compared to that day years ago, the only thing missing now was a red horse. Song You had used pickled eggplants to make a pot of sour soup. All the chilled eggplants stored in Lady Calico’s embroidered pouch had gone into the pot. By now, they had completely dissolved into the soup, tinting it a rich purple-red. The big fish had been cleaned and sliced into thin fillets. He used chopsticks to place them into the boiling soup and cooked them just a few seconds. Sea snails were also sliced, and the crab, shrimp, abalone, and razor clams were all cleaned and tossed into the pot. Whether or not it was the best combination, it was at least simple and convenient. Song You made two dipping bowls for himself and Lady Calico. There weren’t many seasonings—just chili, vinegar, and a little salt, thinned with some soup. The flavor was sour and spicy. When the cooked fish or abalone was dipped in, it not only cooled instantly, making it ready to eat, but also brought a tangy, spicy kick—very appetizing. Of course, even without the dip, the food was still delicious. “I don’t know why, but there were so few razor clams, abalone, and shrimp by the shore today,” Lady Calico muttered as she kept her head down pretending to eat, occasionally peeking up at the Daoist to see if he looked dissatisfied with her haul. “Tomorrow, I will get up earlier and gather more for you.” “It’s already quite a lot,” he replied. “Right! So… when are we leaving?” she asked, still pretending to eat as her eyes darted toward the Daoist, gleaming with curiosity. Clearly, if he said they were leaving today, she’d immediately dash off after the meal to scavenge more seafood from the beach. She might even abandon the feast in front of her to race off while the Daoist was still eating, determined not to leave until she’d gathered a proper bounty. The Daoist saw the look on her face and couldn’t help but smile. “This matter cannot be rushed. If rushed, mistakes will happen. It’s fine to wait a few more days here.” “I'm asking you how many days.” “As many days as needed.” “Then I will need you to fill your little bottle with extra cold qi, and I’ll also take out everything in my brocade pouch. When the time comes, I’ll pack up lots of razor clams and abalone, freeze them all inside!” Lady Calico’s expression was icy, her tone firm and resolute. “Then I’ll be troubling you, Lady Calico.” “It’s no trouble at all!” This time, she meant it from the heart. Only then did Lady Calico look truly at ease. She bowed her head and scooped two more bites of fish into her mouth before asking, “Did you beat the Sea Dragon King?” “Lady Calico, please eat your fish.” Song You placed two slices of fish into her bowl. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novelꞁire.net “Mmph...” Lady Calico was cut off mid-sentence. Something felt off, but as a cat, there was no way she could resist food placed right in front of her. So she lowered her head and started eating. The freshly poached fish was not only tender and delicious, but also had a delightfully springy texture. Dipped in the mildly sour and spicy sauce, the whole pot of red, tangy-sweet soup had that magical quality, so everything you threw in came out tasting amazing. Before long, she'd completely forgotten what she’d meant to say, and was just caught up in the heat of the soup, sucking in her breath. “How do you eat so much...” “In matters such as these, I am quite skilled. You’ve already picked up seventy to eighty percent of my expertise.” “But we’ve used up all our pickled eggplants, what are we going to use to cook the soup tomorrow? Should we ask the swallow to plant a few more?” “We can also buy pork bones at the market, pork bone soup makes a fine base. Or we could use pickled chili for a spicy-sour broth. Or even use congee as the base, you can cook seafood while drinking porridge. Every piece of seafood you add changes the flavor. Lots of ways to do it. And beyond boiling, there’s pan-frying, deep-frying, roasting, braising, stir-frying, red-cooking, cold-tossing, oil-braising. Each method comes with countless variations. You won’t run out of new dishes anytime soon.” “...!” Lady Calico raised her head again and stared at him intently. Is this what you call picked up seventy to eighty percent? The Daoist pretended not to hear, simply bowing his head to peel shrimp for her. Dusk had fallen, and the sea breeze filled the coast. The Daoist hadn’t slept. He sat cross-legged, bathed in morning dew and mist, listening quietly to the sea breeze and crashing waves. Lady Calico had also stayed up through the night, keeping watch for him. As the first light of dawn broke, she rose from the sand, gave herself a good shake, leaned over to check on Song You. After making sure he was alive and awake, she gave a quick word and went off to comb the beach. Just outside was a small hole. A few steps more, and there was a little fish. Without even trying, she stepped on a snail. A crab scurried sideways at full speed, but could it outrun Lady Calico? Shrimp carried in by wind and waves had taken shelter in cracks between the rocks, and Lady Calico only had to lie down and reach to grab them. Sure enough, it was different from daytime. Now, the thrill of a bountiful haul was in full swing. Joy lit up Lady Calico’s face, her hands never pausing. This was a moment to cherish and make the most of. Beachcombing only lasted these few days. The last time had been ten years ago. Who knew how many more years it would be before the next? The morning was short. In just a little while, as the light grew brighter, the women from the fishing village might start to come out again. If that happened, they’d snatch everything away. Several days later, the weather at sea turned. The sky was thick with rolling black clouds, and the sea had turned from blue to a dark shade. Fierce winds whipped through the land and waves crashed against the shore in surging layers. Amid the murky and turbulent sky and sea, a mass of black clouds suddenly descended to the ground and formed into a proud and elegant crane, spreading its long neck and wings. The calico cat nimbly leapt onto the crane’s back—more a glide than a jump—glancing into the distance before turning to the Daoist and saying, “The stronger the wind and waves the night before, the better the haul the next morning! With waves this big, there were bound to be huge fish, shrimp as long as your hand, and sea snails the size of your fist!” “Lady Calico, your brocade pouch is already full. Even if we ate seafood every day, it would last us a long time.” The Daoist spoke as he settled onto the crane’s back as well. Their packs were securely placed at their sides. The crane raised its neck in a long, piercing call, then strode a few steps along the sand. It flapped its wings a few times, and took off from the ground. Riding the fierce wind, it spiraled into the sky. Then, it turned and flew toward Mount Zunzhe. The scenery at Mount Zunzhe remained unchanged. It was the depths of winter, after all, and not as warm as the coastal regions of Langzhou. It wasn’t the legendary day when immortals ascended to the heavens, nor was it a time when seekers of immortality and the Dao would typically come visiting. On top of that, this happened to be the coldest period of the year. Snow often blanketed the mountain, only to melt away by noon, which was a rare sight even in Yaozhou. Naturally, there weren’t many people climbing the mountain these days. There were few travelers on the road, and not a soul at the summit. The crane landed here. The Daoist dismounted, leaning on his bamboo staff, turning his head to take in the view. Ahead, on the mountain, stood a stone formation that resembled an elegant elderly scholar with beard and hair, bowing in greeting. It bore a resemblance to Tianzhu Mountain, though there was no path leading up to it, nor any buildings on top. He couldn’t help but recall the day he came here more than ten years ago. It had been around April, and the weather was much warmer. The place had been livelier too. Even at night, the mountain was alive with cultured gentlemen and carefree drifters—lovers of nature and seekers of immortality—gathered around fires, singing, drinking, and chatting into the early hours. Indeed, retracing old paths easily stirred old memories. He even spotted signs that someone had camped on the mountain the night before. There was a sheltered nook set into the mountain, shielded from the wind, and a fire pit outside. The visitor must have climbed up yesterday and left early in the morning. The next group of hikers likely wouldn’t arrive until mid-afternoon. For now, the place was utterly deserted. “I won’t need much time,” the Daoist said. “But just in case, I’ll have to make some preparations, that’ll take a fair bit. Lady Calico and Yan An, please stay here. You may also go explore other parts of the mountain, or even ride the crane back to the Langzhou coast to comb the beach again if you like. “If any immortals descend from the heavens, or other dangers arise, and you happen to run into them, please, Lady Calico, take the swallow and leave at once. There’s no need to send word or try to help me. I have my own ways of dealing with things.” “What kinda way of dealing with things, meow?” The cat stared at him with wide eyes and asked bluntly. “When the soldiers come, we fight them off; when the flood comes, we build a dam,” the Daoist replied calmly. “In short: I’ll handle it.” “I will remember too.” The two little demons both gave their assurances. The Daoist took another look at the surrounding scenery, then leaned on his bamboo staff and walked ahead. The morning snow on the mountain had only half-melted, and his footprints marked a trail in the white. Step by step, he made his way toward Mount Zunzhe. In the blink of an eye, the Daoist vanished. “He’s on the mountain!” the swallow said to her. Only then did the cat look up toward the mountain. With her sharp eyesight, she indeed spotted someone sitting cross-legged atop Mount Zunzhe right on the head of that bowing stone scholar; it was their Daoist. He raised a hand and scattered countless rays of spiritual light. Each one was a different color, trailing long streams of brilliance like shooting stars, flying out in all directions and landing throughout the mountain. Something mystical began to stir in the hills. Yin and yang, as well as the four seasons, slowly began to separate and seal off. The Daoist was already intimately familiar with the secrets of the path to ascension. His preparations had long been complete, and now that he had Heaven’s approval, he knew exactly what to do, and it wouldn’t take long. The more time-consuming part was setting up a great formation to prevent any celestial beings from interfering in the short time ahead. Once that was done, the rest would be simple.