Drawing Cats

"Swoosh!"

Prefect Yu sat up from the bed.

It was just the moonlight entering through the window.

He had just had a dream, hearing a wondrous song within it, and while still groggy, he still remembered some of the lyrics and tunes. Now that he was fully awake, the moment he sat up, those lyrics began to fade bit by bit from his mind. Prefect Yu knew that the dreams ordinary people had were mostly like this, and simply felt that the contents of a dream indeed ought not to exist in the real world, so he was not surprised by this. What surprised him was the content of the dream.

Yet he remembered the meaning clearly.

Just do good deeds, and do not ask about ghosts and gods.

Just live through this present life, and do not seek longevity.

Taking advantage of the things in his head not yet having completely faded, he recalled them frantically, striving to grasp that lingering flavor.

Where do the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors go? Where are the ministers of past dynasties?

"Where are they..."

Prefect Yu murmured to himself, yet savored it carefully.

Was the answer not right in the next line?

Just look upon the green histories, who can escape impermanence?

"Upon the green histories..."

Prefect Yu understood. This was not a dream he had made up himself.

This was the gentleman sending a dream to him.

In the afternoon, the gentleman had spoken vaguely; perhaps later he had been moved by his own sincerity, and had specially sent this dream-message to inform him that no one in this world could attain longevity. Otherwise, please flip through the history books: even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and the ministers of past dynasties could not remain, returning dust to dust and earth to earth, so what virtue or ability did he himself possess to surpass them on this path?

Thinking like this, in chasing the Immortal Path for half a lifetime, had he not ended up with nothing? To have wasted time on an illusory path until reaching such an age before waking up, just how foolish was this?

Prefect Yu did not want to admit it, nor was he willing to believe it; the result he bore was far too shameful, yet that wondrous lingering flavor seemed to remind him, leaving him no choice but to admit and believe it.

Fortunately, the gentleman had informed him once more, pointing out another path for him.

It was the path of those Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and ministers of past dynasties.

Their names remained upon the green histories.

How was this not another kind of permanence?

"What a fool, what a fool...

"How invigorating, how invigorating..."

Prefect Yu muttered softly in bed.

The person beside him was woken up by the commotion, thinking it was the rats that frequently made trouble in the household recently. Once she discovered it was not a rat, she scolded him for acting like a madman. He did not mind, merely telling his wife to go back to sleep, while he himself had no sleep left in him.

Yu Jianbai, oh Yu Jianbai, you are both foolish and blind.

How could that gentleman not be an immortal?

Frost had come last night, and this morning the sky was somewhat gray once more. The leaves in the courtyard had turned yellow, making Yidu City appear much more desolate as well.

Song You was painting at the stone table under the Yellow Plum Tree.

Three Flower Lady stood upon a tree branch, motionless.

This was already her third time acting as a model.

Painting a cat was very simple: thick ink and fine lines, outlining the shape of the mouth, nose, and eyes, with a couple of strokes for the ears as well. Immediately after, he switched to ink wash. With a single stroke, the ink instantly bloomed and spread along the paper. It only took a few strokes for the cat's body and head to be bloomed out by the ink wash, and with a little brief refinement, it was a cat in the traditional painting style.

Then he painted the tree branch, scattering plum blossoms with cinnabar—effortless and freehand.

"Done."

Three Flower Lady had long since been unable to stay still, and upon hearing this, she immediately jumped down from the tree branch, sticking out her head and peering at the Xuan paper.

"It's a black cat!"

"It's not that black, surely."

"A hemp-colored cat!"

"Does it look like Three Flower Lady?"

"Three Flower Lady doesn't know what she looks like, she only knows she is a Three Flower Cat."

"It was painted after Three Flower Lady."

"It's not a Three Flower Cat!"

"I only have black ink."

"Oh..."

The Three Flower Cat dragged out a long tone, staring at the cat on the Xuan paper and looking at it over and over again. "So Three Flower Lady looks like this. It doesn't look like the clay statues in the temple at all, nor does it look like the wood carvings..."

"The wood carvings still look like you."

"Then you are no good."

"Pardon my clumsy work."

"There are clearly no flowers on the tree."

"They will bloom in winter."

"There are flowers on the painting."

"I painted them on first."

"You're drawing randomly."

"..." Song You shook his head helplessly, putting down his brush to stroke her head. "Three Flower Lady has thought about it for a night, have you figured out what spell you want to learn?"

"I've thought about it! Fire!"

"A very good choice. When I first learned spells back then, I also learned this Fire Element Technique." Song You sat in the room, saying to Three Flower Lady, "Water is the foundation of life, and fire is the origin of civilization. Every cultivator should comprehend the Dao of water and fire. Does Three Flower Lady feel the same way?"

"Fire is warm! Powerful!"

"Pretty much."

"When do I start learning?"

"Let me think." Song You pondered for a moment. "Taking advantage of the weather not yet being severe, I want to make a trip to Qingcheng Mountain outside the city to visit my master's old friend, and also ask him to help me carry a letter back. If we set off today, we might arrive at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain by tomorrow morning, and finding the Daoist temple will probably get us there by evening. In short, the round trip will take no more than three to five days. Three to five days from now, I will teach Three Flower Lady the simplest fire-spitting technique."

"The fire-spitting technique."

"Yes."

"How long will it take to learn?"

"That depends on the extent to which Three Flower Lady wants to learn. Spells in this world inherently have no upper limit, and the Five Element techniques branch out extensively. According to the spells gathered by my Fulong Temple, Three Flower Lady can first learn the fire-spitting technique. Spitting flames from the mouth is a method known to many demons and Daoists. Once you learn it well, you won't need to spit fire anymore; you only need to exhale a breath to ignite objects. Going a step deeper, with a mere wave of your hand, fire will come. If Three Flower Lady can study this path for a thousand or hundreds of years, perhaps even True Lord Huoyang will have to step aside for you."

"A thousand or hundreds of years!"

The Three Flower Cat opened her eyes wide.

"If you only learn up to spitting fire, it won't take that long. Perhaps three to five months, perhaps a year or two, and you will have learned it." Song You smiled. "There are also ordinary people who need to learn for a dozen or twenty years."

"A dozen or twenty years?"

"Those are performers who wander the jianghu and put on tricks, who themselves lack any real Dao-attainment, which is why they have to grind away slowly. Since Three Flower Lady has already attained spirit-form and transformed, naturally it won't take that long."

"A year or two?"

"I will teach Three Flower Lady well."

"Oh."

At that very moment, there was another knock at the door outside.

"Knock, knock."

Song You turned around and went to open the door.

Outside was still the same attendant from last night.

"Giving my respects to the gentleman for the morning."

"Morning."

The attendant was holding the felt in his hands once more.

"My Prefect says that last night he thanks the gentleman for pointing out the迷津, and my Prefect has had a sudden awakening, henceforth determined to no longer pursue the Immortal Path of longevity, but simply to peaceably do some good deeds for the people. Having been favored by the gentleman's guidance, my Prefect ought to have come in person to express his thanks, but having been foolish for half a lifetime, he truly has no face left to come and see the gentleman again. Wanting to present the gentleman with a gift, yet not knowing what to present, after much thought and seeing that winter is approaching with the cold qi pressing south, it happened that he accidentally obtained a fine piece of Western woolen felt the other day, so he ordered the little one to bring it for the gentleman. Leaving aside warding off the winter chill, spreading it in the room, stepping on it as one comes and goes, and sitting on it while cultivating, it will make the winter somewhat more comfortable."

As the attendant spoke, he bowed deeply, offering it up with both hands.

"I ask the gentleman to please accept it."

"..."

Song You looked at the neatly folded felt in his hands, standing at the doorway for several breaths of time before finally taking it.

"Thank the Prefect on my behalf."

Seeing that he did not refuse at all—which seemed different from what he had imagined—the attendant could not help but be stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly bowed again:

"Many thanks, gentleman."

"Then I ask the Prefect to diligently care for the people and leave his name upon the green histories."

"This little one will surely convey your words."

amidst the creaking sound, the wooden door slowly closed.

When he turned around, he saw the autumn wind entering the courtyard once more, about to lift the Xuan paper on the stone table beneath the Yellow Plum Tree. The Three Flower Cat stood beside the stone table, pressing down on the Xuan paper with one paw, raising its head to stare fixedly at him.

When Song You walked over, it said to him, "Daoist priest, the cat you painted is about to be blown away by the wind."

"Three Flower Lady is right here, aren't you?"

"Many thanks to Three Flower Lady."

"Many thanks to Three Flower Lady."

"You're welcome."

"..."

Song You shook his head with a smile, and only then unfolded the felt in his hand.

It seemed to be pressed from wool; it was not thick, but felt very warm to the touch.

"It's a piece of cloth!"

"It's woolen felt."

"What is it for?"

"To keep Three Flower Lady warm."

"For me?"

"Yes."

It just so happened that the weather had turned cool, and cats feared the cold and loved warmth. Spreading it inside the room, she could sit upon it when cultivating, and sit upon it while roasting tea around the hearth. Three Flower Lady's little paws wouldn't feel ice-cold as she walked back and forth.

This Prefect was rather thoughtful when giving gifts.

No matter how fine this piece of felt was, it couldn't be all that precious. While it lacked the refined and cultured air of calligraphy, paintings, or ink treasures, it also lacked the vulgarity of precious wealth; it was an item that could be used frequently, warm and considerate. If used to give to an ordinary friend, when relying on it to keep warm in winter, one would likely often remember where it came from.

Among the poetry Song You had read in his past and present lives, there were quite a few poets who wrote about paper quilts and paper furs given by friends when seeking warmth in the bitter cold. To be able to feel the warmth coming from a friend in winter was naturally a fine matter.

"Heh..."

Courtesy demands reciprocity.

Song You looked left and right, seeing only that painting on the stone table. After a moment of thought, he said to Three Flower Lady:

"Three Flower Lady, lend me a tuft of fur."

"What is it for?"

"To return the courtesy."

"Return what courtesy?"

"To repay Three Flower Lady's felt."

"How much do you want to borrow?"

"A small tuft."

Song You's hand had already reached onto the Three Flower Cat's body.

The Three Flower Cat remained squatting atop the stone table, maintaining the posture of pressing down on the painting with one paw, yet lowering her head to stare straight at his hand, looking as though she was letting him pull while also fearing he might pull off too much.

"..."

A tuft was just a dozen hairs or so.

Song You pinched them, shaking them in the air, and casually tossed them away.

"Whoosh..."

An extremely light, faint sound.

That small tuft of fur burst into a tiny spark of flame in the air, leaving behind a wisp of gray smoke as it burrowed entirely into the painting.

The cat within the painting also seemed to gain a bit more wondrous charm.

The damp ink had dried, and its spirit and charm were gradually manifesting.

Song You picked it up, looking at it carefully over and over again. Leaving aside painting skill, this cat was indeed lifelike. Yet he felt no sense of self-satisfaction, knowing full well that this was merely the fortune he had obtained from Master Kong.