Chapter Ten: Returning to Qidian Village and Qidian

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Three days later, Qi carried the black cat on his back and left the city, making his way to a remote and deserted place. Without even needing the cat to climb down, he simply spread his wings and soared into the sky.

They spent an entire day flying, stopping only once for lunch and then lodging in the next city that evening. It was a monotonous day, but Qi was long accustomed to it. The black cat, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in knitting her gothic lolita outfit and hardly noticed the tedium.

The next morning, they set out early and continued their flight, passing another dull morning. After lunch, not long after taking to the skies again, the black cat finally spoke: “Are we just going to keep flying endlessly like this? This world really is vast. We’ve flown far enough to circle the whole earth, and I haven’t seen a single sea.”

“I don’t know where or how big this ‘Earth’ is, but we’re still in the State of Qi. The sea you speak of is probably the Endless Sea. I’ve read about it in books. It’s so far away that even if I flew for three years straight, I wouldn’t reach it. The world is truly vast. That’s why I’ve always wanted to venture out and see it for myself,” Qi said with a hint of longing.

“Earth is pretty weak, then. But this can’t be the only way forward for us, right? If the clue’s across the sea, are we really supposed to fly for decades?” The idea was somewhat romantic, but the black cat quickly coughed to dismiss such unrealistic thoughts—after all, she still had two little sisters waiting for her at home.

“It’s not that far. We’re almost there. By the way, have you finished knitting your clothes?” Qi asked.

“Of course. Otherwise, I would’ve died of boredom ages ago. But how do you know we’re almost there? The Glazed Pearl doesn’t have any markings,” the black cat replied.

“If you watch carefully, you’ll notice the indicator gets shorter as we approach. It’s pointing straight at that village up ahead,” Qi said, gazing at a black dot on the horizon.

“I knew that already—I was just testing your observational skills. We’re finally here. I wonder what the clue will be?” The black cat’s nerves tightened. This was the key to whether she could return home.

Qi didn’t answer. He was caught in a moment of stunned reverie. This village was so familiar—he had spent the most important part of his life here; it was the first world he ever saw when he opened his eyes—Qi Dian Village. He hadn’t expected this place to hold the clue for the black cat’s return. After all their wandering, they had come full circle, returning here for such a reason.

“What’s the matter? Why aren’t you saying anything?” the black cat asked with confusion. Then, as if realizing something, she whispered, “Even if we find the clue, I’m not going back right away.”

Qi shook his head slightly, not responding. “Prepare for landing.”

Touching down, the black cat still clung to his back, unwilling to let go. With a slightly heavy atmosphere surrounding them, the two entered the village. At a glance, it looked the same as four years ago, just as it had been when he left.

Under the curious gaze of the villagers, Qi made his way home. “Is the clue really here? It looks uninhabited—covered in dust,” the black cat observed. The villagers’ stares were odd, and their glances at the house seemed tinged with fear. Was the place haunted?

Nothing much had changed about the house; the door still looked as it had when Qi last closed it. He stood quietly, lost in memory.

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“Information gathering is fundamental, my loyal steed. Let’s ask the villagers instead—trespassing would tarnish my reputation,” the black cat said, growing increasingly unsettled the longer she looked at the house.

Qi ignored her and stepped forward, pushing open the door. Dust scattered through the air as he blew it away. The courtyard inside was just as thickly blanketed in dust, suggesting none of Grandpa Qi’s descendants had returned.

“Hey, Qi, are you possessed or something? Stop right there.” The black cat sounded anxious—Qi never usually ignored her like this. Was there really something unclean here?

Just then, another voice broke in: “You must be outsiders. What brings you to our village? This house can’t be entered, for certain reasons.”

The black cat was startled, clutching Qi’s arm even tighter. Qi patted her head to comfort her and looked back at the speaker. “Is that you, Elder Chief? Four years have passed, but you look as spirited as ever,” Qi said calmly.

The black cat finally saw that the speaker was a thin but lively old man. She breathed a sigh of relief, embarrassed by her reaction. Wait—something was off. From Qi’s tone, it sounded like he knew this person, though she couldn’t understand their conversation.

“Hmm? Do I know you? Four years ago?” The chief frowned, feeling the youth looked oddly familiar. Four years was a while ago, but much had happened that year, and his memory was sharp. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and his gaze filled with fear as he looked at Qi’s face.

“Are you... Master Qi?” Four years ago, he had been a child of five; now, he looked fifteen or sixteen. Clearly, he was no ordinary person.

“Have Grandpa’s descendants returned in the past few years?” Qi asked, unconcerned with the old man’s shock and fear.

“No, sir. Since you left, no one has entered this house. But...” The chief’s tone was respectful, but he began to falter at the end.

“But what? Speak plainly.”

“Yes, yes. It’s just that lately, there have been rumors of strange sounds coming from the house. Because of our respect for you, we dared not open it ourselves, so...” The chief’s voice trembled with caution. It wasn’t cowardice—he simply remembered well how terrifying this young man could be.

“Oh, so there’s really something inside? Chief, I have some business and will need your help. Can you wait for me?” Qi frowned as he spoke.

“Of course, of course! There’s nothing urgent in the village—I’ll wait right here,” the chief agreed quickly.

“Black cat, wait here. I’ll go in and take a look. This old man is the village chief. He said there might be something strange inside. If you came with me, I can’t guarantee your safety,” Qi said, setting the black cat down.

“Ah, yes... My loyal steed, go quickly and deal with whatever petty thief is inside,” the black cat replied hastily.

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“Yes, my queen.” Qi, uncharacteristically obliging, turned and entered the house. The old chief glanced at the uniquely dressed, striking girl beside him, quickly averting his gaze and muttering under his breath.

Qi walked through the courtyard to the front door, took out a key, unlocked it, and stepped inside. To his surprise, the interior was spotlessly clean—a stark contrast to the dust outside. Instantly alert, he searched the house carefully and finally found, in his old room, a handkerchief and a piece of red jade resting atop it.

Examining the room for any hint of danger, he then retrieved the jade and handkerchief. The handkerchief bore a few lines of elegant script: “For good reason, I stayed here for a few nights. Now, seeing your return, I leave. This spirit stone is my token of gratitude.” There was no signature, but the handwriting was refined—clearly a woman’s.

Qi roughly understood the message, but remained cautious, scrutinizing the house several times before finally relaxing. He studied the spirit stone, sensing the powerful energy within. He had collected many such stones as spoils of battle, but none matched this one’s purity or luster.

He put the spirit stone away and left the house, calling the black cat and the chief inside. He had intended to find the black cat’s clue before paying respects to his scholarly grandfather’s grave, but since the black cat said there was no rush, he decided to send the chief away for now, promising to find him again later. The chief didn’t dare object and obediently left.

With the black cat’s puzzled gaze upon him, Qi briefly explained the situation, then took her to his grandfather’s grave. He knelt, knocked his head a few times, and introduced the black cat as a friend. After a few words, he returned to the village chief and, following the indicator’s direction, led them to the Ancestral Shrine.

The chief explained, “The Ancestral Shrine houses the memorial tablets of those who were most respected or made great contributions to our village. But if you’re looking for something, Master Qi, it must be the Qi Canon, which has been passed down in the shrine. Our village is named after it—Qi Dian Village.”

Qi’s interest was piqued. For various reasons, even after living in the village for half a year, he had never heard such information from the villagers. “What’s so special about the Qi Canon? Doesn’t it attract unwanted attention?”

The chief gave a wry smile, as if recalling old events. “Many have tried to take the Qi Canon—nobles, ministers, martial experts, even immortals are rumored to have come. No one has ever succeeded. What’s more, after leaving the village, they all forget about it. So the Qi Canon remains in the Ancestral Shrine, and our village has remained safe.”

Hearing this, Qi suddenly remembered the cultivator who had once stayed in his room. She must have discovered the Qi Canon but couldn’t take it, so she stayed to study it. In the end, she must have left, planning to return one day. But if the Qi Canon could make her forget as well, then it truly was a treasure.

“The Qi Canon must have other powers, otherwise why would people be drawn to it? Well, since it’s in there, I’ll see for myself.” With the black cat, whose face was full of doubt, Qi entered the Ancestral Shrine, the chief following behind.

Inside, Qi saw rows of ancestral tablets, but what truly caught his eye was a floating, transparent sphere the size of a human head. Inside the sphere was a perfectly square black cube, upon which were inscribed the characters “Qi Canon.”

Drawing closer, Qi saw the sphere was paper-thin, almost without thickness. He didn’t recklessly reach out, and also pulled back the curious black cat’s hand. “It’s said that since the village was founded, the Qi Canon has never moved, not even a hair’s breadth. Our ancestors built the shrine beside it, hoping to borrow a touch of its immortal aura,” the village chief explained.

“Could this be...?” The black cat’s face showed her astonishment.