Chapter 5: The Return

His son Song Ming's words sent a chill down Song Mugen's spine.

But the black cat was still down in the tree below, and the father and son couldn't even handle a wolf pack — let alone this cat demon that had sent the wolves fleeing in terror.

In a silence filled with helpless panic, the black cat drove off the wolf pack.

Then it nimbly climbed the tree and made its way to the father and son's side.

In just that brief back-and-forth, Song Ming found he could no longer look at the black cat the same way he had before.

In his eyes now, the black cat was as fearsome as a flood or a raging beast.

Song Ming swallowed hard and tightened his grip on the spear in his hand.

He still couldn't read the black cat's intentions, but if it came to attack them, Song Ming felt he wouldn't be entirely helpless.

The black cat had no idea that the young man before her was coiled and ready to spring at any moment.

"Meow, meow!" Follow me!

The black cat meowed and padded forward two steps, then looked back at the father and son and called out twice more.

The meaning was unmistakable — follow her!

Song Ming didn't quite understand, but he vaguely sensed that the black cat seemed to harbor no ill will toward them, and he let out a quiet breath of relief.

Song Mugen, meanwhile, furrowed his brow and stared at the black cat, trying to figure out what it meant.

It had chased off the wolf pack and still hadn't left — it had come right up to the two of them, yet showed no sign of wanting to attack.

Seeing that the father and son didn't understand, the black cat grew a little anxious.

She was still waiting to bring these people back so she could collect her reward from that divine being!

The black cat stopped caring about how filthy their clothes were and simply bit down on Song Mugen's sleeve, tugging him forward.

Song Mugen had a sudden flash of insight and finally grasped what the black cat meant — he was a little incredulous.

"You mean… you want us to follow you?"

The black cat nodded and let out a soft mrrrow.

These foolish mortals — they finally understand.

Hearing his father's words, Song Ming's eyes went wide with shock, and even his breathing grew heavier as he stared at the black cat.

"You're going to lead us back to Song Family Village?"

It's not going to drag us into a demon beast's lair, is it?

The black cat nodded again.

Father and son exchanged a glance, both pairs of eyes filled with disbelief.

They'd never even heard of such a thing — and now it was happening to them?

Trapped on the mountain by a wolf pack with no way out, and then a demon beast reaches out to help them — and even offers to lead them home!

After the shock passed, the Song father and son quickly collected themselves.

"Many thanks, great Black Cat. We trouble you to lead us back. If we return home safely, we will surely enshrine a longevity idol of you in our home!"

The black cat shuddered at those words.

Song Family Village already had that divine being — if she let them enshrine an idol of her too, that divine being would surely not let her off easily if he found out, would he?

Never mind that for now. Get the people home first, then explain everything properly.

The black cat leaped down from the tree, and the Song father and son — after a full day and night — finally climbed down as well.

Though the mountain was thick with fog, with the black cat to guide them, leaving Wolf's Head Mountain was no problem!

Through the pitch-black, dense forest of night, the Song father and son stumbled along behind the black cat, staggering their way out of Wolf's Head Mountain.

* * *

Song Family Village.

The night was deep — it was already late night.

In this era there was little in the way of evening entertainment, and on any ordinary night at this hour, every household in the village would have long since put out their lamps and gone to rest.

But tonight, the Village Chief's home at the head of the village still burned with lamplight, shadows moving within.

A lush old jujube tree grew in the small courtyard — already not a spacious place — and now with over a dozen villagers crowded inside, it felt even more cramped.

Village Chief Song Tiancheng sat in a sweat-soaked thin shirt, sleeves rolled up, brow furrowed, drawing slow puffs from his dried tobacco pipe in silence.

Song Xiuxiu leaned against her mother, eyes red and downcast, weeping softly.

The other villagers who had come offered words of comfort to the mother and daughter.

"Auntie, Xiuxiu — don't cry so hard you hurt yourselves."

"Sigh… Mingzi and Uncle Gen really have had terrible luck. The weather yesterday shouldn't have brought on the Miasma like that."

"Who knows if the fog on Wolf's Head Mountain will clear by tomorrow. If it clears, we can go in and search for Uncle Gen and the others — but if it doesn't, what do we do?"

The people of Song Family Village were simple and honest folk, and their concern for the Song father and son being trapped on Wolf's Head Mountain was genuine.

Song Tiancheng let out a long sigh, set down his dried tobacco pipe, and spoke in a voice that was aged and hoarse yet carried weight.

"All right, stop crying. Dashan — go and gather ten or so able-bodied men who know Wolf's Head Mountain well. Tomorrow, even if the fog hasn't lifted, go in and search for Mugen and his son. But wrap cloth around your mouths and noses. Enter at noon when the fog is thinnest, stay for thirty minutes, and come out after thirty minutes no matter what — whether you've found them or not."

"Mugen's wife — this is all the village can do. The rest depends on whether Mingzi and Mugen have the fortune to make it through."

Though entering the mountain for only thirty minutes might not be enough to search all of Wolf's Head Mountain, it was still the best news Song Xiuxiu and her mother had heard all evening.

At least there was hope.

Song Xiuxiu and her mother looked up through tear-blurred eyes, laughing and crying at once: "Thank you, Village Chief. We'll be troubling everyone tomorrow. We still have some furs and dried meat at home — we won't let everyone work for nothing."

Song Tiancheng sighed again, picked up his dried tobacco pipe, and waved his hand to send everyone off.

"All right, everyone go home!"

With matters settled, the villagers didn't linger. They said their goodbyes and filed out the door.

The Village Chief's home was built at the head of the village, and not far beyond the door was a mountain.

Though visibility was poor at night, in this era without electronic devices, the villagers' eyes worked quite well in the dark.

Sure enough, the moment they stepped outside, one of the villagers noticed what appeared to be figures moving at the foot of the mountain not far away.

And there was a faint, blurry flash of green light.

That villager rubbed his eyes and tugged at the sleeve of the person beside him.

"Hey — am I seeing things? I feel like there's someone over there."

"Huh? Who'd be out there? At this hour, everyone should be home in bed — could it be some thief sneaking into the village?"

"Go take a look and we'll know!"

The figures that villager had spotted were, of course, no thieves.

They were the Song father and son.

The green light was the black cat's eyes.

Because Song Mugen had been afflicted by the Miasma, he could barely move on his own. Song Ming had carried his father on his back the entire way, following behind the black cat, and they had finally, with great difficulty, made it out of Wolf's Head Mountain and come home.

The two villagers who had suspected thieves cautiously drew closer — and when they saw it was Song Ming and Song Mugen, they were instantly stunned!

"Mingzi! Mugen! It's actually you?!"

"You managed to find your way out of Wolf's Head Mountain on your own in this pitch darkness?!"

"What happened to Uncle Mugen? Why are you carrying him?"

Even as they exclaimed and asked questions, one of the villagers couldn't help but crane his neck and shout: "Mugen's wife! Your Mingzi and Mugen are back!"

Song Xiuxiu and her mother, still in the courtyard, froze the instant they heard those words.

Back? They're back?

Just moments ago they had been discussing with the Village Chief how to go into the mountain tomorrow to search for the Song father and son.

And now, the very moment they'd finished talking, the father and son had come back?!

For one breath they stood stunned — then joy flooded both their faces, and they ran outside in excitement.

Not just Song Xiuxiu and her mother — the other villagers, including the Village Chief, were equally dumbfounded when they heard the news.

They all followed the mother and daughter outside.

Only when the father and son appeared before their eyes did Song Xiuxiu and her mother truly believe it.

The two of them had really come back.

"You're back, you're really back!"

Mother and daughter wept tears of joy.

Some of the villagers were burning with curiosity.

"The fog on Wolf's Head Mountain never lifted — Mingzi, how did you two make it out? No one's ever managed that before!"

Song Ming was supporting his father Song Mugen when he heard the question. He lowered his head and glanced down at the black cat by his feet.

"We owe it all to the great Black Cat…"

Song Ming gave a brief account of what had happened.

The villagers listened in stunned silence — especially when they heard that the black cat was a Demon Beast. Several of them instinctively stumbled back a few steps, putting several meters of distance between themselves and the black cat crouching at Song Ming's feet.

The villagers had heard plenty of tales about demon beasts — almost all of them gruesome stories about man-eaters.

So when they suddenly learned that the black cat was actually a Demon Beast, even though Song Ming had already told them upfront that the black cat meant no harm and was a good demon — they still couldn't help the instinctive fear that gripped them.

The black cat licked her paw and rolled her eyes.

Cowardly mortals!

She had brought the people back to the village. She hadn't led them directly before that divine being, but it should be close enough, right?

She could go find that divine being and collect her reward now, couldn't she?

The black cat stood up and stretched lazily.

That movement sent the villagers stumbling back several more steps in fright.

The black cat let out a disdainful snort. A bunch of cowardly mortals!

Ignoring the fearful stares of the villagers, the black cat padded forward with elegant, unhurried steps and made her way through the crowd.

The villagers naturally didn't dare block her path — they could only watch in silence.

And then, right before the eyes of all those watching villagers, the black cat walked straight into Xuanqing Temple!

The villagers: ?!!