Chapter 27: Drawing a Cat
“Swish!” Prefect Yu sat up in bed.
The moonlight was just streaming in through the window.
He just had a dream in which he heard a mysterious song. While he was half-asleep, he could still remember some of the lyrics and melody. Now that he was awake, the lyrics and melody began to fade from his mind as soon as he sat up. Prefect Yu knew that most dreams of ordinary people were like this, and he did not find it surprising. What surprised him was the content of the dream.
He remembered its meaning clearly.
Do good deeds, do not ask about ghosts and gods.
Live this life, do not seek longevity.
Before the dream faded away completely, he desperately tried to recall it, to grasp that wisp of rhyme.
Where have the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors gone? Where are the high-ranking court officials of past dynasties?
“Where are they...” Prefect Yu murmured to himself, pondering the meaning.
Wasn’t the answer in the next line?
Just look at the historical records, who can escape impermanence?
“The historical records...” Prefect Yu realized that this was not his own dream.
This was a dream sent by the Daoist priest.
The Daoist priest had spoken ambiguously in the afternoon, but perhaps was later moved by his sincerity. He had specially sent this dream message to tell him that no one in this world can live forever. Otherwise, look through history books. If even the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, and high-ranking court officials of past dynasties could not remain behind and have returned to dust and ashes, how could he surpass them with his limited virtue and ability?
Thinking thus, hadn’t half a lifetime’s pursuit of the Immortal Dao been in vain? Only waking up to this fact at such an age after letting time slip away on an illusory path, how foolish was that?
Prefect Yu did not want to admit it, nor believe it, as the result was too shameful to bear. But that mystical rhyme seemed to remind him, forcing him to accept and believe.
Fortunately, the Daoist priest had also pointed him towards another path.
The path of the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, and high-ranking court officials of past dynasties.
Their names were recorded in history.
Wasn’t this another form of longevity?
“Foolish, foolish...Joyful, joyful...” Prefect Yu muttered quietly in bed.
His muttering woke his wife beside him. She actually thought it was the mice that often troubled the house recently. When she realized it wasn’t the mice, she scolded him for acting crazy, but he didn’t care. He just told his wife to go back to sleep, but he himself was not sleepy.
Yu Jianbai, Yu Jianbai, you are both foolish and blind.
How was the Daoist priest not an immortal?
***
Frost came last night, and the sky was somewhat gray again this morning. The leaves in the courtyard had turned yellow, making the city of Yidu seem even colder.
Song You was painting on the stone table under the yellow plum tree.
Lady Calico stood still on a branch.
She was serving as a model for the third time.
Drawing a cat was very simple. With thick ink and fine lines, he outlined the mouth, nose, and eyes, adding two strokes for the ears. Then he switched to diluted ink. With a single stroke, the diluted ink immediately spread across the paper. With just a few strokes, the cat’s body and head emerged from the diluted ink. With a bit of embellishment, a traditional ink painting style cat was complete.
He then drew branches, and sprinkled cinnabar for the plum blossoms in a light, freehand style.
“It’s done.”
Lady Calico had long been restless. She immediately jumped down from the branch upon hearing this and peeked at the xuan paper.
“It’s a black cat!”
“It’s not that black.”
“Ticked tabby cat!”
“Does it look like you?”
“I don’t know what I look like, only that I’m a calico cat.”
“It was drawn in your likeness.”
“It’s not a calico cat!”
“I only have black ink.”
“Oh...” Lady Calico drawled, staring at the cat on the xuan paper intently. “So this is what I look like. It’s nothing like the clay statue in the temple or the wood carving...”
“The wood carving is more like you.”
“Then you’re not good enough.”
“Apologies for my poor skill.”
“There are clearly no flowers on the tree.”
“They will bloom in winter.”
“The painting has flowers.”
“I added them in advance.”
“You drew anyhow.”
Song You shook his head helplessly, put down the brush, and stroked her head, “Lady Calico, have you thought about what spell you want to learn after thinking all night?”
“I’ve decided! Fire!”
“Good choice. When I first learned magic, it was also this fire element spell.” Song You sat indoors, and told Lady Calico, “Water is the root of life, and fire is the origin of civilization. Every cultivator should comprehend the ways of water and fire. Is that what you think too?”
“Fire is warm! Powerful!”
“Pretty much.”
“When do I start learning?”
“Let me think.” Song You pondered for a moment, “Before the weather gets too cold, I want to go to Qingcheng Mountain outside the city to visit an old friend of my master and ask him to help me deliver the letter home. If we leave today, we might reach the foot of Qingcheng Mountain by tomorrow morning. It would be evening by the time we found the Daoist temple. In any case, we’ll be back in no longer than three to five days. After that, I’ll teach you the simplest fire-spitting technique.”
“Fire-spitting technique.”
“Yes.”
“How long will it take to learn?”
“That depends on how well you want to master it. There’s no upper limit to the world’s magic, and the spells of the five elements have many branches. According to the spells collected by Hidden Dragon Temple, you can start with learning fire-spitting. Many demons and Daoists know how to spit fire. If mastered well, you won’t need to spit fire. Just a breath can ignite things. If you reach a higher level, you can summon fire by pointing your finger. If you study this meticulously for thousands of years, even the Fiery Sun True Lord might have to step aside.”
“Thousands of years!” The calico cat’s eyes widened.
“If you just learn fire-spitting, it won’t take that long. Maybe three to five months, or a year or two, and you’ll master it.” Song You smiled, “Some ordinary people might take more than ten to twenty years.”
“More than ten to twenty years?”
“Those are traveling street performers with no true cultivation skills, so they have to take it slow. Since you have already become a demon and transformed into human form, it won’t take that long.”
“One or two years?”
“I’ll teach you well.”
“Oh.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door again. “Knock, knock.”
Song You turned to open the door.
Outside was the same attendant from last night. “Good morning, Mister.”
“Morning.”
The attendant was holding a felt blanket with both hands.
“My master, the prefect, thanks you for guiding him out of his confusion last night. He has seen the light and decided to stop pursuing the Immortal Dao and longevity. He will focus on doing good for the people. He is indebted to you for your guidance and should thank you in person but felt too ashamed to see you after being misguided for half his lifetime.
“He wanted to give you a gift but didn’t know what he should give. After thinking it over, he saw that winter is coming and that the cold air will come from the north. He just happened to acquire a fine felt blanket from the West the day before yesterday. Thus he ordered me to deliver it to you. Not only will it keep you warm in the winter cold, the winter days would be more comfortable if you spread it out in your house as a rug or sit on it while cultivating.”
The attendant bowed deeply as he spoke, offering the felt blanket with both hands.
“Please accept it, Mister.”
Song You looked at the neatly folded felt blanket in the attendant’s hands. After standing at the door for a few moments, he finally accepted it. “Thank the prefect for me.”
The attendant couldn’t help being stunned for a moment seeing that he did not decline at all contrary to his expectations. Then he hurriedly bowed again. “Thank you, Mister.”
“Tell the prefect to serve the people well and leave his name in history.”
“I will certainly relay the message.”
The wooden door slowly closed with a creaking noise.
As he turned, the autumn wind blew into the courtyard again. It threatened to lift the xuan paper on the stone table under the yellow plum tree. Lady Calico stood by the stone table, held the paper down with a paw and looked up at him.
When Song You walked over, she said, “Daoist priest, your cat painting is about to be blown away by the wind.”
“Not with Lady Calico here.”
“Thank you, Lady Calico.” Lady Calico prompted.
“Thank you, Lady Calico.”
“You’re welcome.”
Song You smiled and shook his head, then spread out the felt blanket in his hands.
It seemed to be made of compressed wool, not thick, but very warm to the touch.
“It’s a piece of cloth!”
“It’s a felt blanket.”
“What’s it for?”
“To keep you warm.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
The weather was just getting colder and cats prefer warmth to the cold. If the blanket is spread out inside the house, he could sit on it while cultivating, or making tea by the stove. Lady Calico’s restless little feet will no longer be icy cold.
This prefect certainly knows how to give thoughtful gifts.
This felt blanket was not particularly expensive despite the good quality. Although it lacked the refined elegance of calligraphy and paintings, it also avoided the vulgarity of extravagant gifts. It was a practical item that could be often used, providing warmth and consideration. If given to a good friend, they might frequently think of its origin when they use it to keep warm in winter.
Song You had read poetry in both his previous world and present one in which many poets had written about friends gifting them paper blankets and paper coats to keep them warm in the harsh cold. Feeling the warmth from a friend in winter is indeed a wonderful thing.
“Heh...” It is impolite not to reciprocate.
Song You looked around but only saw the painting on the stone table. After thinking for a moment, he said to Lady Calico. “Lady Calico, may I borrow a pinch of fur?"
“What for?”
“To present a gift in return.”
“In return for what gift?”
“In return for your felt blanket.”
“How much do you need?”
“A small pinch.” Song You had already reached out with his hand to the calico cat’s body.
The calico cat continued to squat motionless on the stone table, keeping a paw pressed on the painting. She lowered her head and stared at his hand, as if allowing him to pull out some fur but also fearing he might take too much.
Just a small pinch with about a dozen strands.
Song You shook the pinch of fur in the air, then casually tossed it.
“Whoosh...” A very light sound.
The small pinch of fur exploded into a tiny firework in the air, leaving a plume of gray smoke that all entered the painting.
The cat in the painting seemed to have become a bit more mysterious.
The wet ink had dried, and the painting's charm was gradually revealed.
Song You picked it up and examined it carefully. Without discussing painting techniques, the cat indeed looked lifelike. However, he didn't feel any pride, being well aware that it was merely good fortune he had acquired from Master Kong.
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