Disturbing My Cultivation

"Heh heh..."

It sounded like someone pulling on a worn-out bellows, or the heavy breathing of a giant monster.

Following the sound, he saw the white figure still drifting in the courtyard—this was her active time. But behind the white figure, two massive silhouettes were roughly climbing over the courtyard wall and entering the yard.

They were probably over three meters tall, yet they made no sound as they walked. Only when they reached the brightest spot of moonlight in the courtyard could their true forms be seen—

Pale green faces, disheveled red hair, full red beards with curls, gaping bloody mouths with upward-curving fangs, and jagged broken teeth inside.

Inverted-triangular muscular bodies, not a single flat spot anywhere, all lumps and knots of bulging muscle. Their hands hung nearly to their knees, and a single palm was probably as big as the palm-leaf fans the neighborhood women used to cool themselves on summer nights. Their nails were like hooks, curved and sharp—a single swipe could probably string a person up and lift them.

Even the white figure in the courtyard froze for a moment at their arrival.

These were definitely not humans, nor demons, nor ghosts, nor gods, nor immortals—they were two man-eating Yakshas!

"Ghosts."

The Three Flower Cat's back was already arched, fur standing on end. It stared at the Yakshas searching the courtyard, then turned its head and whispered to Song You:

"We should run."

"No need."

Song You had already seen through it—

No yin wind, no stench of blood. Though the Yakshas' movements weren't clumsy or slow, they weren't agile either. These weren't real Yakshas.

This was a spell.

Looking closer, despite their fierce faces and powerful builds, there was something off and awkward about them.

Either poorly painted or badly cut.

Paper Yakshas!

This was a technique passed down from Buddhism—drawing Yakshas on paper, cutting them out, and casting a spell to bring them to life, obedient to their master. Originally used to guard altars and temples, it later leaked out and was learned by eccentric wanderers, often used for murder and robbery.

Though made of paper, these Yakshas were no less ferocious than real ones. If the caster had some skill in this art, they could even surpass them—

Not only did they possess monstrous strength, with hard parts like stone and soft parts tough as tree bark, they also feared nothing, not even death. Even with low intelligence, ordinary martial artists would have to tread carefully when encountering them.

But they had a fatal weakness.

Song You reached out and placed his hand on the Three Flower Cat's back, stroking from its spine to the tip of its tail, quietly telling it not to panic. Then he turned and pushed open the door to step outside.

Hearing the noise, the two Yakshas immediately twisted their heads around, eyes like copper bells, fixed on his direction.

Whoosh!

The two Yakshas spread their arms wide, their massive bodies leaping over three meters into the air, crossing half the courtyard in one bound, both lunging at him.

"Fire, rise."

The moment the words landed—

Boom!

A blazing fire erupted in the courtyard.

Though the two Yakshas were as large as oxen, under this fierce flame they seemed like hollow paper smeared with oil. They were instantly engulfed, and in just a few moments, they burned away almost completely, leaving only a few scraps of Yellow Hemp Paper drifting down with black ash.

After all, being made of paper, their greatest fear was fire.

If people didn't know this and tried to use swords or arrows, it would take a squad of soldiers to take them down. Even martial artists would need considerable skill. But if one recognized them as Paper Yakshas and knew they feared fire, even a powerless exorcist or ghost hunter could easily destroy them.

All things have their counters; there is always a way to break a method.

The subtlety of it was ineffable.

In the blink of an eye, the fire had died out, and the night returned to its proper state—silent, with clear moonlight covering the ground.

Song You raised his hand and opened his palm.

The last corner of Yellow Hemp Paper, still carrying a flickering spark, drifted down and landed right in his hand. The spark died out as it touched him.

Song You withdrew his hand and turned around.

The Three Flower Lady was sitting right behind him, sitting properly with her tail wrapped around her little paws. Seeing him turn to go back inside, she quickly got up and followed.

"Puff."

The oil lamp lit itself, casting flickering shadows across the room.

Song You pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

The Three Flower Cat also jumped onto the table, staring straight at him.

"You're amazing."

"The Three Flower Lady flatters me."

Song You held the scrap of paper up to the lamp, examining it closely.

This Yaksha had been drawn and cut on a large sheet of Yellow Hemp Paper—the same paper used for talismans. In the moonlight, he could faintly make out one of the Yaksha's eyes on this corner. Leaning in, he could also see the fine cinnabar lines and blood-dot symbols.

This paper was rare good quality—

Thick and tough, with a texture that faintly showed red.

"Are all Taoist priests this formidable?"

"Not really."

"Then why are you so formidable?"

"If I weren't formidable, how could I protect the Three Flower Lady?"

Song You answered casually while staring thoughtfully at the paper slip.

He hadn't been in Yidu City long—spending his days either out listening to stories or at home cooking and cultivating, never making enemies. The only things he'd done were eliminating the Fog Ghost on Jinyang Road and helping Constable Luo scheme to catch that burrowing thief.

It couldn't be that some eccentric oddball had heard a Xuanmen practitioner lived here and deliberately came calling in this manner to pay respects or seek a duel, could it?

Then he heard the Three Flower Lady's clear, childish voice:

"Where did that ghost come from?"

Song You answered patiently, without a hint of annoyance:

"Not sure yet."

"Why did it come to fight us?"

"Not sure yet."

"Not sure yet..."

The Three Flower Cat stared straight at him, repeating his words.

"Anyway..."

One should return a visit, for courtesy demands reciprocity.

Song You put away the paper slip.

Since someone had come to call, it was only right, both in reason and in manners, that he pay a return visit.

The next morning.

Song You seemed to have already forgotten the previous night's events. He unhurriedly sliced some pickled vegetables and cooked himself a bowl of Pickled Vegetable Noodles.

This counted as a lavish breakfast for the era, all thanks to the twenty taels he'd earned a few days ago.

The Three Flower Lady, meanwhile, ate the rat she'd caught.

After setting the noodles aside to cool, Song You fetched a broom and swept up the paper ashes left from the night before, now scattered by the wind.

At times like this, he felt a twinge of regret. Though the Three Flower Lady had awakened her spiritual wisdom, her cultivation wasn't yet enough to take human form. If she could transform—even into a child—he could coax her into doing chores like sweeping or tending the fire, giving himself a bit of leisure.

Once the cleanup was done, he finally sat down to eat.

The Pickled Vegetable Noodles were made in the style of the big pot noodles from his past life's hometown. The broth had a touch of starch slurry, making it slightly thick. All the flavor was in the soup, clinging generously to the noodles along with the rich broth—perfect for absorbing the taste.

Sour, spicy, and warming, it opened the appetite and heated the body. One mouthful in the early morning brought comfort from the throat all the way to the heart.

After eating, he didn't wash the dishes. He just sat idly in the courtyard, listening to the city come alive, watching the Three Flower Cat chase fallen leaves around, letting plum leaves land on him as the warm morning sunlight filtered through the plum branches.

Then he peeled a tangerine for an after-meal fruit.

At this moment, in this mood, beneath this sky—a carefree immortal with nothing to do.

Except the Three Flower Lady didn't like the smell of tangerines, and she dreaded the spray of oil when peeling them. She'd been circling at his feet, but now she shrank far away, staring at him from a distance with a deeply puzzled look.

Song You paid her no mind, sending slice after slice into his mouth.

Sour and sweet, bursting with juice.

It even made him squint his eyes in contentment.

Only after finishing the tangerine did he remember. He reluctantly took out the corner of the paper slip from last night, examined it against the light, and let out a long sigh.

"I'll trouble the Three Flower Lady to watch the house."

The Three Flower Cat's eyes narrowed at his words:

"Where are you going?"

"To find someone."

"Who?"

"The one who troubled us last night."

"The Three Flower Lady will go with you."

"Alright."

"Wash your hands first."

"Alright."

Man and cat left the house together.

After checking outside, he saw that the spot where the two Yakshas had climbed over the wall last night was wrecked and messy from the hook claws. He couldn't help but feel troubled—according to the lease, he'd have to compensate the landlord or repair it before moving out.

Then he searched around and finally found, on the outer side of the eastern wall near the ground, a red ink mark with lingering magical power.

That's right—

The Yakshas had low intelligence. They could find their way if close, but if far away, they wouldn't know the path. For them to harm people, markers must have been set in advance.

The other party must have visited yesterday or the day before.

Song You took a look, then turned and left.

He should go ask at that paper shop.

Song You had a gut feeling—

He would soon get his answer.

Meanwhile, Constable Luo had just left for work.

He hadn't walked far along the alley when he passed the small courtyard where Song You lived. He suddenly stopped and turned his head to look.

On the top of the wall were several vertical claw marks, three fingers wide and one to two feet long, like the ravages of a fierce beast, but all concentrated on the upper part of the wall. Many tiles on the eaves above had also fallen off, leaving a gap, and eight out of ten tiles on the ground were shattered.

"This..."

Constable Luo couldn't help bending down to pick up a piece and examine it closely.

The tile was already very fragmented, only the size of a fingernail, and most of the tiles on the ground were like this, as if crushed by something.

Had something climbed over the wall here?

And it had climbed over the wall without any skill whatsoever.

That was Constable Luo's first thought.

But if that were true, then what climbed over the wall was definitely not human. Not only was it not human, it was probably a creature of considerable size, with claws as sharp as knives.

Constable Luo frowned, his heart secretly alarmed.

With such a monster, was the gentleman alright?

He then hurried to the courtyard gate and began knocking, calling out the gentleman's name, but received no response.

He wanted to break the door down, yet dared not, feeling he should and shouldn't at the same time. For a moment, even a decisive man like him couldn't make up his mind.

It wasn't until a passing neighbor mentioned that the gentleman had left about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, perhaps to buy groceries, that Constable Luo finally breathed a sigh of relief. He waited at the door for about two incense sticks' time, until he was about to be late for work, then left.

Today is the Lantern Festival. I'm going to my sister's house for dinner. Requesting leave for this chapter, no update tonight, bowing out. Also wishing everyone a happy Lantern Festival.