Erecting the Monument, Immortals and Mortals

A few breaths of silence passed, with no reply heard.

Nor did any servant emerge to greet them.

The Xiang Prefecture Governor read the note again and waited a while longer, but still heard nothing. The lively, celebratory welcome music faltered into stillness, then resumed its drumming and piping after a glare from a runner.

He exchanged a glance with the Xiangyang County Magistrate.

Cheng Zhi raised his voice: "Cheng has come to pay respects. Is the Immortal... is the master at home?"

Again, no answer.

The group stood before the courtyard gate for a full quarter-hour. Neighbors cracked their doors a sliver, but seeing the imposing officials, dared not speak.

The Xiang Prefecture Governor shot another look at Cheng Zhi.

Steeling himself, the Magistrate Cheng silently begged the Immortal's pardon in his heart, then reached out to push open the courtyard gate for a closer look.

Peering inside, he saw that the gate was locked from within with a hidden latch—the master had already gone out.

No trace of the Immortal.

In the end, fate had not granted them this meeting.

A flicker of disappointment passed through Magistrate Cheng's heart. He murmured a brief report to his superior. The Xiang Prefecture Governor gazed at the courtyard gate, able to glimpse the quiet yard beyond—a few trees, a table beneath them.

Was this where the immortal usually sat to read?

The Governor sighed:

"Immortals transcend the mundane world; mortals rarely glimpse their true form."

No fate, after all...

Gathering his tangled emotions, the Governor turned and looked at the retinue behind him. "Let's go. First to the Immortal Temple, where we'll erect a stele."

"Today, this task must be done well."

Watching the procession depart in a grand sweep, the sound of gongs and drums fading into the distance, the neighbors finally breathed easy and burst into a hubbub of chatter.

"These people came looking for Mr. Jiang!"

"Is Mr. Jiang really an immortal?"

"I told you so long ago. My wife even told me to treat him with respect."

"Even the big officials act like this."

"Looks to me like the officials aren't as lucky as us—we get to see the immortal all the time."

As the neighbors spoke, a burly man's face swelled with pride. Listening to the talk, his heart felt light and immensely satisfied. Just as everyone was about to disperse, Xu Da hesitated, then called out to one of the men in a long robe.

"Master Zhang, someone wrote something for me. Later, could you take a look and tell me what it says? I'll treat you to some wine."

The neighbor invited Master Zhang into his home and, with rare hospitality, offered him a cup of rough wine.

Then he brought out the red paper that had suddenly appeared on his table that day.

The robed scholar, past fifty, squinted. "Fine calligraphy."

He read it through carefully.

"On this day, the thirteenth year of Kaiyuan... the year yichou, Jiang hereby, with two catties of salt and vinegar and four catties of dried fish, engages... one Ink-colored Cat from the house of Xu Bojin..."

"Upon this engagement, dried fish shall be plentiful, rodents shall flee, warm felt in winter, cool bamboo mats in summer..."

"Having entered my door, it shall forever be a family treasure."

"Both houses rejoice, with heaven and earth as witness."

"Lest there be no proof hereafter, this contract is hereby established as evidence..."

Master Zhang finished reading. The entire text was written in a free, flowing hand, the strokes connected in one breath—such fine calligraphy that one could only regret not being able to treasure it.

Then he saw the signature at the bottom: Jiang She, and the earlier mention of "Jiang" in the text. Awe stirred in his heart.

In the end, Master Zhang simply looked, suppressing his longing, and said with a chuckle: "So Xu Dalang has given away a cat? The master has sent a contract for it."

Xu Bojin had no idea that giving away a cat required a written document.

So refined, so particular.

He stared at the characters. Though he couldn't read them, a smile crept unbidden onto his face—just looking at them made him happy. As Xu Dalang moved to put the contract away, Master Zhang stopped him.

"Ah! You still need to press your fingerprint here."

Master Zhang said, "You don't have red ink at home. I'll go back and get some. Wait here."

After a moment's thought, he added a solemn warning: "Such fate is rare, and with calligraphy this fine, this item is a treasure that can be passed down through generations."

"Treat it well."

When Master Zhang returned, Xu Dalang followed his instructions and pressed his fingerprint onto the paper.

Then he suddenly thought to ask.

"Don't contracts usually come in two copies? If I've pressed mine, doesn't Mr. Jiang still lack his?"

Master Zhang had no idea about this.

He shook his head. "When it comes to matters of immortals and gods, this old man wouldn't know."

Outside Xiangyang.

Jiang She suddenly felt a stir in his heart and took the document from his sleeve.

A fingerprint had landed on it.

He smiled.

The Old Deer Mountain God of Lumen Mountain also saw the young cat curled up in the wicker basket, already fast asleep, and laughed in congratulations. "Sir has gained a fine companion. Having a cat along on the road makes things much more interesting."

Yuan Danqiu sat on the carriage shaft, looking at the cat, and also found it amusing.

With his skill at driving a carriage and the thick skin he'd developed over years of visiting reclusive hermits, he had begged hard for the chance to travel with Mr. Jiang, rather than being left alone at the estate to cultivate.

The two servants were on the cart carrying the luggage.

Hearing the immortals' conversation, they didn't dare make a sound, only staring greedily.

Li Bai rode on horseback, following along.

"This cat, sir, has been fed for nearly a month now, and no one else can touch it."

As they were talking, they suddenly heard the sound of drums and gongs, extremely festive and lively, coming from afar.

Jiang She looked over, and the others all craned their necks to see.

He could make out a large group of people carrying a massive stone stele, followed by several middle-aged men in official robes. Behind them were wealthy gentry and landowners dressed in fine brocade, looking very splendid. Further back were dozens of attendants and servants—some following the officials and gentry, some playing music, some keeping the curious onlookers at bay, ordering the idle crowd to step aside.

A few of them looked familiar; he could recognize their names.

Taoist priests from Pure Void Temple held wooden swords and bowls of purified water, circling the area and chanting scriptures to drive away evil spirits.

Flames shot into the sky as they performed the rites.

Once the ceremony was complete, they began erecting the stele and building the shrine.

The mountain god stroked his beard and smiled. "These people have even set up a shrine for you, sir."

"Would you like to appear and meet them?"

"No need."

Jiang She withdrew his gaze. Seated on his horse, he looked toward the lush green mountains. The Tang Dynasty had abundant vegetation, a moist climate, rich grasslands, and towering forests.

"Let's go."

"This minor deity will see you off, sir—"

The carriage and horses moved on. Li Bai and Jiang She rode their horses. The cat fussed and squeezed its way into Jiang She's arms, pawing at his clothes for a bit before quickly falling asleep—young cats sleep a lot.

Yuan Danqiu, who had forced his way along, drove the carriage with practiced ease, while the two servants sat on the other cart.

The Old Deer Mountain God walked with a hobbling gait, yet in just a few steps, he covered several zhang. He was no slower than the horses or carriage.

Yuan Danqiu noticed the old man on the road and raised his voice.

"Mountain god, come up onto the carriage."

The Old Deer Mountain God chuckled. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

The carriage and horses slowly left Xiangyang. Jiang She rode on horseback, looking down at the cat sleeping in his arms. It kept trying to burrow into his sleeve, so he adjusted it to keep it from falling in.

He could still hear Yuan Danqiu, Li Bai, and the Old Deer Mountain God talking.

Yuan Danqiu suddenly remembered something. "Taibai, did you forget something too? We haven't told Master Meng yet. He doesn't know we've already left."

Li Bai had indeed forgotten.

He said, "What's the big deal? When we reach the post station, I'll write a letter and pay someone to deliver it."

"Just send a letter to Master Meng to let him know."

Jiang She exchanged a glance with the Black Stone Mountain Earth Deity, who had stayed behind, and gave a slight nod.

The Earth Deity bowed respectfully.

Watching the carriage and horses depart.

Further away, the sound of drums, gongs, and firecrackers continued. Taoist priests performed exorcisms and rituals. The prefectural governor and county magistrate came in person to offer incense. The common people erected a shrine and a stele to celebrate.

An inscription read:

"In the thirteenth year of Kaiyuan, the year of Yichou, under the governance of Governor Han and Magistrate Cheng of Xiang Prefecture, the harvest was abundant and the people joyful. An immortal passed through, clad in white robes, holding a jade whisk, with a spirit elegant and transcendent, moving like drifting clouds. The people of the prefecture saw him and were struck with a longing to leave the mundane world..."

What to name the little cat...

Long-term plea for monthly votes and recommendation votes =v=