Chapter 18: The Earth God’s Predicament and a Manul’s Wisdom

By contrast, the little girl beside them was already circulating spiritual energy throughout her body, faintly emitting it from her form, a clear sign of having entered the Dao.

“What’s wrong? Are these questions proving too difficult?”

Qíngyǔ furrowed her brow, then unfurled her ink-wash vision. Within its depths, the diminutive old man appeared as a murky blend of black and gray, with no trace of vivid red to be found.

“No, no, it’s merely that my divine statue is ruined, and with no incense offerings to sustain me, I truly cannot intervene in this matter!”

“Is it about the demonic entity, then, or the Mountain God’s affairs?”

“Both! It’s both!”

The Earth God bowed frantically, his brow slick with sweat from his agitation. He pointed at himself, words catching in his throat, then gestured agitatedly towards the heavens.

“Are you an Earth God enfeoffed by the previous dynasty?”

“Immortal, your insight is truly profound!”

This Earth God was clearly holding back words, subtly protecting something, yet he was evidently not a being of great wickedness.

“Tell me, then, did a woman ascend this mountain thirteen days ago? And four days prior, did a man and a woman seek refuge from the rain in this temple?”

“This… yes, that did happen…”

With his hidden thoughts now laid bare, the Earth God understood that this immortal had come to him, guided by karmic threads, to demand answers. He could only nod subserviently, yet his lips remained sealed.

“If your worry is about that demonic entity causing harm, then let your mind be at ease, for that demon has already been vanquished.”

Qíngyǔ pondered for a moment, uncertain what exact matter had rendered this deity so stubbornly silent. She could only offer the information she possessed.

“That demonic entity?”

Only then did the Earth God lift his gaze to the young girl, her vaguely familiar countenance stirring an even greater unease within him.

“I came solely for this matter.”

Qíngyǔ nodded. She had never intended to delve into the deeper truths of the matter, her sole purpose having been to eradicate the demonic menace outside the town.

“If the Immortal speaks truly, then I, this old man, can indeed tell you… that demonic entity did previously inhabit this small temple. However, having lost my divine post, and being fearful of death, I could only allow it to act as it pleased.”

“Are there any other demonic entities within this mountain?”

“There is absolutely nothing here that would harm humans!”

The diminutive old man gave a start upon hearing this, then hastily patted his chest, making a fervent pledge.

“If I were to reshape your divine body, would you then be able to safeguard the peace of this mountain?”

“I dare not claim such a thing.”

Qíngyǔ cast a sidelong glance at the dilapidated divine statue, then turned her gaze to the Earth God before her, ultimately shaking her head.

“On the day the Mountain God returns, you might come to regret this. Even so, are you still unwilling to accept the karmic favor I offer?”

“Immortal, you jest. This humble god truly lacks the power to further involve himself in this affair.”

With the conversation having reached such an impasse, it was clear this diminutive old man was determined to protect something, even at the cost of his remnant soul. Further words would undoubtedly prove fruitless.

“Then you must do as you see fit.”

Qíngyǔ cast a final glance at the Earth God, then, taking the hand of the Little Girl, who remained blissfully unaware, turned and exited the small temple.

***

Only after watching the young girl lead the child until they vanished into the dense forest did the Earth God finally sink down in dejection.

“Alas, these cultivators… they truly are something…”

After a moment, he rose, wiping the sweat from his brow. His gaze fell upon the Mountain God statue within the temple, teetering on the brink of collapse yet still exuding a faint, lingering aura. A profound sense of melancholy settled upon him.

That cultivator had just offered to help him reshape his divine statue, yet how could she know he had long since lost the very essence required for such a restoration?

“Ah, General Song…”

The diminutive old man gingerly rose, clutching his aching backside. After fumbling around for a moment, he found his walking stick and, leaning upon it, stood before the divine statue for a long, silent while.

A spiritual light flickered a few times upon it, only to dim into obscurity an instant later.

“Old man, who was that?”

Just as he was lost in his inexplicable melancholy, a manul (TL Note: A small wild cat, also known as Pallas’s cat, native to Central Asia, known for its round pupils and flat face) slowly ambled out from behind the divine statue, settling into a squat beside him.

“What are you doing out here? Didn’t I tell you to stay hidden?”

The little creature, however, merely yawned, then lazily stretched and settled down.

“She had no ill intentions, and besides, she noticed me quite a while ago.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? How many cultivators, upon catching sight of you, would refrain from attacking?”

“Well, there were two just now.”

The Earth God, who had just moments ago adopted such a humble posture and pleaded repeatedly for mercy, felt his temper flare at the creature’s nonchalance. He immediately leaned on his walking stick and rained down several sharp blows upon it.

The manul slowly swept its tail across the ground, then contentedly closed its eyes.

“Old man, don’t waste your strength.”

“You… sigh…”

“How much longer can you endure, old friend? You constantly shield me from harm. It would be better to rest sooner; perhaps then you could linger for a few more years.”

The Earth God fell silent for a moment, a fleeting urge to strike the impudent creature once more passing through him. Ultimately, however, he silently retreated back into the earth.

From her vantage point in the corner, Qíngyǔ, who had maintained her Concealment Art (TL Note: A cultivation technique to become invisible or hide one’s presence) and held the Little Girl’s hand, witnessed the entire exchange. Yet, she had no inclination to interfere further.

By contrast, the girl beside her, experiencing invisibility for the first time, behaved as though she had stumbled upon a new continent. She gazed here, poked there, and occasionally tugged at her Little Mom’s hem.

“Little Mom! They can’t seem to see us, can they?”

“No, they cannot see us now.”

Qíngyǔ silently watched as the old man retreated back into the earth.

It seemed this matter was intertwined with that heavenly war, carrying with it the karmic ties of the so-called Great Qian Sacred Dynasty.

[Truly, not a mortal.]

[Wouldn’t that be perfect? Little Mom can be my Dao companion!]

The Immortal Sword had already resigned itself to fate, too indolent to concern itself with this matter further. After all, Qíngyǔ’s feelings for her master, if not quite love, could only be described as profound adoration.

What else could be done? As the saying goes, ‘Heaven wants to rain, a mother wants to marry’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘tiān yào xià yǔ, niáng yào jià rén,’ meaning some things are inevitable and cannot be stopped). Her priority now was to guide her young master onto the path of immortality.

[You must diligently practice the Lunar Radiance Scripture now.]

[Why?]

[Do you still want Little Mom to be your Dao companion?]

[Hmm…]

Seeing that the Little Girl did not refute her this time, the Immortal Sword’s ‘heart’ rejoiced, silently congratulating itself on finally grasping her lifeline.

[Think about it: your Little Mom is so powerful. If she ever decided she didn’t want you anymore, you wouldn’t be able to catch up to her. Only by cultivating quickly can you hope to keep pace with her!]

The Immortal Sword, seeing its words were effective, had a flash of inspiration. Recalling the contents of those little booklets its master read in a past life, it quickly continued its gentle persuasion.

[Little Mom would never abandon me!]

[I know she wouldn’t abandon you, but what if she encounters danger in the future?]

[Hmm… but practicing that will make me silly…]

[No, no, it won’t. How about this: you can practice it while hugging your Little Mom. I would never harm you, I promise.]

[Alright, then…]

Qíngyǔ was lost in her own thoughts, deeming there would be no danger, and thus momentarily failed to notice the Little Girl beside her.

The girl chatted with the Immortal Sword for a while, feeling a mix of hope and apprehension. She casually paced for a bit, then wandered over to the fluffy creature.

The manul lay peacefully, almost drifting off to sleep, when its tail was suddenly yanked hard by something.

It sprang up, fur bristling, baring its teeth as it scanned its surroundings, yet found nothing.

“Ha!”

[How interesting!]

The Little Girl, as if discovering a new continent, darted over again and gave the manul’s tail another tug.

“Little Girl!”

Seeing her daughter carelessly tugging at another’s tail, Qíngyǔ quickly called out to her.

“Little Mom, this is fun!”

The Little Girl pointed at the manul as if presenting a treasure. Noticing Qíngyǔ’s serious expression, she quickly approached, taking her hand coaxingly.

“You mustn’t touch others without permission.”

The young girl shook her head, at a loss, and could only lightly tap the girl’s head.

“Hmm…”

“Let’s go. After we’ve seen the temple outside the town, we still need to buy some groceries.”

“What are we eating tonight?”

At the mention of this, Qíngyǔ felt a headache coming on. Truthfully, she knew how to cook, but constantly varying the dishes and catering to the Little Girl’s preferences was proving to be a challenge.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Anything!”

The two conversed as they slowly descended the mountain, enveloped by the Concealment Art.

The manul sniffed and pawed around, still without a clue, giving a genuine shiver. When it looked towards the temple entrance again, it suddenly saw the backs of the two, hand in hand, departing.

The summer mountain forest was immersed in what seemed like an endless green sea. As it watched, it suddenly saw the immortal turn back and glance at it.

A single fallen leaf fluttered down, landing right before its eyes.

“The Little Girl was quite rude just now; this is to make amends.”

“Old man!”

The manul started, quickly running away from the leaf. After observing it for a long time and confirming it was harmless, it hesitantly approached and picked it up with its mouth.

“What now?”

“Nothing much.”

“You…”

“Oh, can’t I even call out to you?”

“Call me when there’s danger!”

The Earth God roared, leaving the manul to curl its tail, huddle like a turtle retracting its head, and mutter under its breath, “Old geezer…”