Chapter 65: Cat God Legend

Zhuo Qingfeng then explained the inn robbery case to Chen San. "We'd like your help to investigate which group or individual was involved on the night of the incident. There must have been multiple well-used horses or carriages, and certainly a significant number of people. Can you look into this?"

Chen San nodded. "Yes, I can investigate. Your description is quite detailed. The Bloodtear Stone Oyster robbery case has been a hot topic recently, and I'm aware of it. From the inn where the incident occurred, there's only one official road leading towards Mount Jiuhua. Any horses or carriages passing through that night must have departed from Fang County. It should be easy to track them down. I'll have information in three hours, at most."

Zhuo Qingfeng cupped his hands. "Thank you for your trouble."

Chen San waved his hand. "You came to me with Miss Yan's prayer beads; of course, I'll help with this small matter." He then turned to look at Xiao Wu, who was quietly standing in the corner. "Did you hear that? Do you know what to do?"

"Yes, yes," Xiao Wu nodded repeatedly. "Master, please stay here and enjoy tea with our esteemed guests. I'll go out and gather information right away."

Chen San nodded, and Xiao Wu quickly ran out of the courtyard.

Chen San picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Are you investigating this case to overturn the verdict? I heard the authorities already convicted those thirteen escorts!"

"There are some doubts," Zhuo Qingfeng said. "We can't finalize a conviction until they're thoroughly investigated."

"Hehe," Chen San chuckled. "You can't find the Bloodtear Stone Oyster, can you?"

Zhuo Qingfeng looked puzzled. "Are you implying something by that?"

Chen San slowly set down his teacup. "As a matter of fact, I am. I can tell you, the authorities won't find the Bloodtear Stone Oyster this time. At least, it won't be found on those thirteen escorts."

Gu Mo asked, "Why are you so sure?"

Chen San chuckled. "Because those thirteen escorts were wrongly accused. The ones who robbed the escort weren't human at all; they were demons."

Gu Mo and the other two exchanged glances.

Zhuo Qingfeng asked, "Did you hear the confessions of those thirteen suspects? Do you believe in demons?"

Chen San replied, "In Fang County, most people my age believe it. Because there really is a cat demon in Fang County... no, a cat god. Many of my generation have seen it with their own eyes. That cat god is magnificent!"

Zhuo Qingfeng said coldly, "Nonsense. How can there be demons in this world?"

Chen San chuckled. "Officer, you really shouldn't disbelieve me. I've seen it with my own eyes; it was a divine cat, larger than an ordinary ox."

Gu Chutong asked curiously, "Can you tell us more details?"

"Well, that's a long story," Chen San said.

"It's fine, we have plenty of time," Gu Mo said with a smile. "Please tell us the story, let us broaden our horizons."

Chen San slowly began. "This story dates back more than fifty years. There was an obscure itinerant Taoist priest named Fang Lianshan in Qingyang Prefecture. He traveled widely, and one day, he journeyed to an area in Fang County known as Mount Jiuhua. He spent the night in a dilapidated temple in the mountains.

In the middle of the night, Fang Lianshan suddenly heard a sound. Drowsily, he followed it and saw a figure in white robes dancing with a sword on a mountaintop. The swordplay was exquisitely refined, seemingly embodying the supreme Tao, which irresistibly drew Fang Lianshan to learn from it.

For several consecutive days afterward, Fang Lianshan would see the white-robed figure practicing swordplay on the mountaintop at the same hour every night. As dawn approached, the figure would float away, and Fang Lianshan would continue to learn.

However, it was very strange: although Fang Lianshan remembered the sword moves perfectly, his own execution felt ordinary, completely lacking the exquisite elegance of the white-robed figure's movements.

After days of racking his brain without understanding, one night, upon seeing the white-robed figure practicing swordplay again, Fang Lianshan summoned his courage, ran out, knelt, and kowtowed, begging the figure to accept him as a disciple.

The white-robed figure showed no surprise at seeing Fang Lianshan. It merely asked if Fang Lianshan would be willing to worship him if he imparted the peerless sword manual. Fang Lianshan immediately agreed without hesitation.

Immediately, the white-robed figure told Fang Lianshan that he was a stone cat spirit who was about to transcend tribulation and achieve immortality, but he lacked some merit. Confined within stone, he needed to find someone in the human world to accumulate merit on his behalf, and since Fang Lianshan shared a destiny with him, he had appeared.

Subsequently, the cat demon made three stipulations with Fang Lianshan: after mastering the peerless sword manual, Fang Lianshan must build a temple for him and offer daily sacrifices, he must perform many good deeds and commit no evil, and finally, he must go to the peak of Mount Jiuhua on the seventh day of the seventh month, three years hence, and meditate there for one day.

At that time, Fang Lianshan was an impoverished itinerant Taoist priest. He didn't care whether the other party was human or demon; as long as he could learn martial arts, he would agree to any demand. Immediately, the white-robed figure extended a finger and gently tapped Fang Lianshan's forehead.

Soon after, Fang Lianshan suddenly woke up to find himself sleeping in the dilapidated mountain temple. He asked a nearby beggar and learned that he had only just fallen asleep, and that the so-called days of watching someone practice swordplay had simply been a dream.

However, strangely, he suddenly discovered that he had actually learned the peerless sword manual from his dream. It was then that he understood: he had truly encountered an immortal imparting knowledge, experiencing something akin to the legendary 'a thousand years in one dream'.

From then on, Fang Lianshan began to follow the instructions of the white-robed figure from his dream. In that dilapidated temple, he created a gilded statue for him, naming the place 'Divine Cat Temple,' and simultaneously took on four disciples.

Relying on that set of sword techniques, Fang Lianshan traveled far and wide, performing chivalrous deeds and accumulating good karma. Within a few years, he gained considerable renown as a hero in the local area. The legend of the Divine Cat imparting techniques spread rapidly, and the Divine Cat Temple became incredibly popular, with incense offerings flourishing. It was also remarkably efficacious, with various instances of the Cat God manifesting occurring frequently.

However, three years later, on the appointed seventh day of the seventh month, Fang Lianshan followed the instructions and went to meditate on the peak of Mount Jiuhua. The day had originally been clear and sunny, but by afternoon, dark clouds suddenly gathered, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a torrential downpour began.

Fang Lianshan could no longer endure the heavy rain, so he got up and started descending the mountain to find shelter. Just as he left the mountaintop, a bolt of thunder suddenly struck from the sky, coincidentally landing precisely where Fang Lianshan had been meditating.

At that very instant, Fang Lianshan seemed to hear a mournful cat's cry. His heart tightened, and he felt a sense of immense calamity. Immediately after that bolt of lightning, the overcast sky suddenly cleared again.

Fang Lianshan rushed back and saw a deep crater on the mountaintop, struck by lightning. At the bottom of the pit was a pile of freshly shattered rocks. Eerily, there were faint traces of blood on these rocks. When he pieced the stones together, he was horrified to find they formed the shape of a cat.

Carrying an indescribable feeling, he returned to the Divine Cat Temple, only to learn that the statue of the Cat God inside had cracked open in front of everyone. At that moment, he understood. That very night, he dreamt of the white-robed figure from three years ago, covered in blood, coming to claim his life."