Chapter 254: Mountain Stabilizes Water
Inside the temple beyond the Snowy Plains, the swordsman and the calico cat waited day after day.
The swordsman didn’t have many tasks each day. Every morning, he would wake up, boil a pot of hot water, have a simple breakfast, and then spend the entire morning practicing swordsmanship. Sometimes, he would visit nearby villages to buy some provisions and fodder.
In the afternoon, he would sit cross-legged on the ground, gazing toward the Snowy Plains in the north. He would watch the sky shrouded in dark clouds, where the wind sometimes swirled and lightning occasionally flashed. He would imagine the fierce battles happening there, ponder over his own Sword Dao, and patiently await that storm of thunder.
Naturally, he also kept an eye on Lady Calico.
At first, the calico cat acted as usual—
She would sometimes dart around the temple, looking for anything she could play with. Even a dry stalk of grass poking out from the snow was enough for her to circle around, pawing and swatting at it. It seemed like she could always find something interesting to do, no matter where she was. When she got tired from her play, she would lie down inside the temple and take a nap.
If anyone came to offer incense, she would approach and sit at a spot neither too far nor too close, tilting her head to observe them.
Sometimes, she would transform into her human form, find a small wooden stick, and practice writing characters in the snow.
The swordsman was literate, but he hadn’t read many books. He could tell that most of what Lady Calico wrote were poems; occasionally, she would write names, the twenty-four solar terms, or phrases from classical texts. Beyond that, he couldn’t make out much.