Please Send the Mountain Lord Back to the Mountain

"Are we nearing the border of Xuzhou?"

"How did you know?"

"There's a boundary marker up ahead."

"A boundary marker?"

The Three Flower Cat poked its head out to look ahead, then trotted quickly towards the end of the bluestone path that was visible. It stopped in front of a boundary marker, looked up and down, then ran back and said:

"There really is a marker."

Song You looked at her, then looked ahead.

"Next time we stop somewhere, when we have free time, I'll teach you to read, Three Flower Lady."

"Why do I need to read?"

"You can only read books if you learn to read."

"Why do I need to read books?"

"Books are the ladder of human progress."

"What about cats?"

"They're also the ladder of cat progress."

"Why?"

"Because they condense the wisdom of those who came before."

"What wisdom?"

"Forget it if you don't want to learn..."

Song You's expression remained calm.

As they got closer, the words on the stone monument became clear.

The side facing him was carved with the three large characters "Yizhou Border." On either side were smaller characters, carved with the commandery and county boundaries and the year the monument was erected. Passing this marker, the other side was carved with "Xuzhou Border," with the same format on either side indicating the commandery, county, and year of erection, dating back to the founding of the current dynasty.

In the spring of Mingde Year Two, Song You arrived in Xuzhou.

Oh, and the Three Flower Cat and the Red date horse.

Song You felt it was worth commemorating.

But there was no need to linger. After a brief rest, eating some dry rations and drinking some water, they continued on their way.

"We don't have much food left."

"There's food everywhere."

"I don't have much food left."

"The Three Flower Cat will catch insects for you to eat."

"I don't eat insects."

"They're very delicious."

"No, thank you."

"Then I'll catch mice for you."

"I appreciate the thought."

"Then I'll catch little birds for you."

"We should find a village or town and see if we can buy some easy-to-carry food," Song You gazed into the distance. He saw a sky of green clouds, a land of yellow grass, undulating mountains, with no sign of a village. Only a gray-white haze, indistinguishable from smoke or fog, hung at the edge of his vision. "It's a good time to find someone and ask how to get to Long Commandery."

"That old man already told you how to get there."

"How can I explain it clearly? We still need to ask someone."

"You're not smart."

"The Three Flower Cat is smart. The Three Flower Cat will tell you how to get there."

"The Three Flower Cat will follow you."

The man, the cat, and the horse traveled for a while longer and finally saw a village that seemed quite lively.

By the roadside was a bluestone with the words "Liu Village" carved on it.

Looking at the village, it was nestled against deep mountains, with mountain springs converging into a stream that meandered through it. Beside the stream were vast tracts of fertile land, thousands of acres of rich soil. It was a good place, and not far from the main road, which explained its prosperity.

Song You left the main road and led his horse forward.

As they approached the village, they saw a group of men armed with knives and clubs coming out, rushing towards the main road.

Upon seeing Song You and his companions, they stopped.

An older man stepped forward, looked closely at Song You, and asked with some impatience:

"Is the Young Mister heading to our village?"

"My name is Song You, a traveling hermit. I am passing through your esteemed region, and my provisions have run out. I wish to purchase some easy-to-carry dry rations in your blessed land and also to inquire about the way. May I ask why you gentlemen are heading out armed with knives and clubs?"

"Oh, Young Mister, you shouldn't go just yet," the old man said, gripping a sickle. "Our village has had a big beast causing trouble these past few days. It came down from the mountain behind us and hasn't left the village yet. We're on our way to the county to hire someone to kill it. It's not that we Liu family village doesn't know how to host guests. If you had come a few days earlier or later, this old man could have asked the master of the house to give you some food and silver. If this hadn't happened, the master was supposed to celebrate his birthday the day after tomorrow, and we certainly would have kept you for a few days of food and drink. But now, it's impossible."

"Oh? Is it a mountain tiger that's become a spirit?"

"It hasn't become a spirit, but that thing is very cunning. As soon as it sees more people, it runs away," the old man said. "Young Mister, if you're going our way, just come with us. We can reach the county in half a day."

"Has that mountain tiger eaten any people?"

"Not yet, it's only eaten livestock."

It was only early spring, and the old man was already sweating profusely. "Mister, you really shouldn't go in. I fear for your life. Even with so many of us, we can't do anything about it. We need to go to the county to report it and ask for specialized help."

"From what the elder says, I might be able to try and drive it back into the mountains, saving you all some effort and money."

"You? How would you drive it away?"

"I have some minor cultivation."

The old man immediately turned his head, exchanging glances with the people behind him.

"Do you have confidence, Mister?"

"I'll try."

"How should we cooperate with you?"

"Just lead me there."

"May I ask how much you charge, Mister?"

"Not a single cent. Some easily portable food will suffice."

The group exchanged glances again.

"Alright!"

Even though he was just leading the way, the old man didn't dare to be careless. He still brought everyone with him, holding their knives and clubs, and nervously walked forward.

As they walked, he spoke to Song You.

Although Liu family village was close to the deep mountains, the fierce beasts in the mountains usually avoided people and rarely came down. Instead, wild boars often came down to ruin crops. Recently, perhaps because it was just the beginning of spring and the animals in the mountains were hibernating, this tiger couldn't find prey. For some reason, it learned about the village below the mountain and came down to visit. It hadn't injured anyone yet, only killing and eating some chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep.

The villagers were terrified. Led by the prominent families, they organized the young and strong, set traps, but none of it worked. Today, they were going to the county to report it and find help.

As they walked, they saw that every house had its doors tightly shut.

The group circled around and stopped outside a house in the village.

Someone pointed ahead to Song You.

Their voice was very low:

"It's right there."

Song You looked in the direction pointed and saw a patch of yellow and black stripes exposed from a circle of sheds. Upon closer inspection, it was still moving. Just this patch of fur revealed the creature's size.

"Everyone, please step back a bit, keep your distance, and don't startle it."

The crowd quickly retreated upon hearing this.

Song You then looked down at the cat beside him.

"Three Flower Lady, do you want to go too?"

"Want... want to..."

"That's a tiger."

"Not... not afraid..."

"Don't stutter."

"You heard wrong..."

"Then come along."

Song You stepped forward, his pace as calm as ever.

His gaze gradually moved towards the base of the wall, and the striped, magnificent tiger's body appeared before Song You's eyes.

He had seen tigers in the back of Yin Yang Mountain, and even tiger spirits with cultivation. The tigers in Yizhou were generally of average size. The tiger before him looked like the same species as those in Yizhou, but it was larger. Its fur was like the finest, brand-new silk, reflecting light in the sun. No exquisite work of art could reach this level.

It was lying on the ground, eating a pig, and had already eaten nearly half of it.

At the same time, the fierce tiger also noticed him, immediately stopped chewing, and turned its head to stare intently at him.

Its mouth was full of blood, and its eyes were terrifying.

It then licked its mouth, revealing the barbs on its tongue, and its fangs, longer than fingers.

If many people had come, it would have run away long ago. But now, seeing only one person and a small cat, its eyes were still full of vigilance. It sized them up, its gaze occasionally flashing, as if it were thinking. Amidst its vigilance, there was a sense of composure.

This showed it was very intelligent.

Song You often saw a similar expression on Three Flower Lady's face. Even when transformed into a cat, one could see her extraordinary nature through the thoughtful look in her eyes.

So, while the mountain tiger vigilantly investigated, and the nervous and worried crowd stood behind, Song You raised his hand and gracefully bowed:

"Greetings, Mountain Lord."

"Roar!"

Startled by his movements, the fierce tiger stood up and continued to stare intently at him.

The villagers behind him also froze for a moment.

The Three Flower Cat, a few steps away, stared at the behemoth with wide eyes, thankfully not trembling.

Then, the young Daoist priest spoke.

"Mountain Lord, there is no need to be alarmed. My surname is Song, my given name is You, and my courtesy name is Menglai. I am a mountain dweller from Lingquan County in Yizhou. I am traveling and passing through this area. I wished to buy some food and unintentionally encountered the villagers seeking help. I heard that you and the villagers had a conflict, so I came to mediate."

The wild tiger in the mountains could not understand human speech, but after hearing Song You's words, for some unknown reason, its vigilance gradually receded, turning into contemplation, and then into confusion.

The villagers behind him were almost stunned.

From their angle, they couldn't see the fierce tiger in the pigsty. They could only see the young Daoist priest who was bowing and conversing with the tiger. They felt surprised, absurd, and frightened.

How could a tiger, not a spirit, understand human speech?

And what sense is there in talking to a tiger?

"I observe that behind this village, the mountains stretch for a thousand miles. Mountain Lord, why do you not hunt in the mountains, living freely, but instead come down to hunt livestock?"

"Roar…"

The fierce tiger's roar nearly scared the villagers to death.

They feared the tiger behind the wall would rush out the next second and pounce on the Daoist priest.

But they only saw the Daoist priest shake his head and say:

"This is not a good solution."

Song You looked down at the half-eaten pig beneath it.

The pigs here were mostly small black pigs, not large. With this tiger's appetite, it could probably eat one in two meals. At this rate, even the wealthiest manor could not withstand its consumption.

"Mountain Lord, your appetite is immense. This small village alone cannot afford your food. Besides, humans also need to live." Song You shook his head and said, "When I arrived earlier, the farmers in this village had already prepared to go to the county to hire someone to hunt you. Even with your great abilities, you are ultimately no match for humans."

The fierce tiger stared at him but did not speak.

"I observe that the Mountain Lord already possesses considerable intelligence. In the future, you may not necessarily be unable to awaken your spiritual intelligence and attain Dao, becoming a Yao. Now that you have already eaten many livestock, it is best to return soon and not bring about your own ruin." Song You said, "From now on, do not cross the line again. The mountains are your hunting grounds, while below the mountains, especially where roads lead, is the world of humans."

"……"

The fierce tiger's eyes flickered, and it fell into thought.

It shifted its gaze, looking at Song You, then at the cat behind Song You, then at the half-eaten pig beneath it. After a moment, its claws actually loosened their grip on the half-eaten pig. It walked a few steps away, then lowered its head to Song You, bowing in thanks.

Song You quickly returned the bow.

Then, something that made the villagers dumbfounded happened: the ferocious tiger actually crossed the small village path and ran up the mountain.

When they came back to their senses, the Young Mister they had encountered on the road had already arrived before them.

"It will not descend the mountain again in the future."

"Thank you, Mister!"

The old man was still the quickest to react. He bowed to Song You and quickly said, "Mister, please come this way! I will report to the master of the house first. It is the master's birthday these past two days. Due to the rampage of this ferocious tiger, we were unsure if the celebration could still be held on time. Now that you have driven away the fierce tiger, you are a distinguished guest of our Liu Family Village. Please stay in the village for a few more days so we can entertain you properly!"

"There is no need. Just give me some food."

"Mister, please do not refuse! If you leave just like this, my master will surely blame me!" the old man said. "Mister, please rest assured, we will definitely treat you to the best food and drink. If the birthday celebration proceeds smoothly in two days, there will even be a troupe performing opera! It will be very lively!"

Song You really could not refuse.