Unintended Immortality

Outside Anqing County, on the Fu family’s country estate…

A bamboo cottage stood right next to the fields. Its windows had been pushed open wide upwards and propped up with wooden poles, inviting the spring breeze and sunlight inside.

Outside, countless mountain peaks overlapped like a painting.

Inside, a scholar sat lazily, with all the necessities such as brushes, ink, books and ink-stone on the table. There was also a pile of rough straw paper. Some papers were held down by paperweights, while others lay scattered casually on the table. All were covered in small writing. The spring breeze carried the scent of ink throughout the room which was intoxicating when sniffed.

A bamboo basket at the side was filled with crumpled paper balls.

The scholar picked up a few recently-written sheets, scrutinizing them closely, occasionally making corrections and pondering deeply.

There were rumors in Nianping County about mantises that could eat people’s shadows. Locals avoided mantises, especially on bright sunny days. It was said that a newly-appointed county magistrate didn’t believe the tales. One day, while out on an inspection tour, he sat briefly in the fields and a mantis truly began eating his shadow.

By the time he discovered it, half of his shadow had already been eaten. Now, no matter what time the county magistrate went out and how sunny the sun was, he only had half a shadow left.

The scholar had paid a special visit and confirmed this wasn’t just a rumor.

In another county by the Liujiang River, locals learned to swim not by entering the river but by catching a type of dragonfly in the summer. They would have the dragonfly bite a child’s belly button, and afterward, the child would naturally be able to swim.

After inquiry, the locals confirmed that this was how they all learned to swim.

Last year, the scholar also went and caught this type of a dragonfly and had it bite his cousin’s belly button, then pushed him into the river. Whether it was because Anqing’s dragonfly was not right or his cousin was already no longer a child, it didn’t work.

Naturally, these stories were also to be included in his book. He thought over and revised a few words now and then.

As he read, the scholar recalled again his encounter earlier that year on the Liujiang River, and couldn’t help but smile for a moment.

Though he had heard and recorded many miraculous and wonderful tales, none could compare to meeting that young Daoist priest.

He had crossed countless mountains and rivers, visited many Daoist temples in vain. On his return journey, he had encountered a Daoist spiritual master by chance without realizing it.

Such a marvelous, indescribable encounter.

Recalling the young Daoist priest’s otherworldly demeanor, the few pleasant days spent on the boat together, and also the encouragement and affirmation he received, the scholar couldn't help but smile even more. It was really very hard not to document this encounter.

After some hesitation, he finally picked up his brush.

Dipping it in ink, his brush hung in the air as he pondered how to write it down, and how to phrase it, so as not to let this fateful encounter on the river be overlooked.

The sunlight outside the window moved past in a flash, and the shadows of flowers moved forward across the floor mat before his seat.

The spring breeze brought in the sweet scent of rapeseed flowers, calming the heart. Yet, it also blew at the rough straw paper and book pages on the table, making them rustle noisily, causing a sense of helplessness. Clearly, it could not read, so why did it randomly flip through the books?

Reconsidering it, the scholar mused…

Perhaps a master had sensed something and sent the cool breeze over here to inquire.

Or perhaps lonely souls and little ghosts in this world also liked these stories he wrote and were impatient so they came in to flip and look through them.

The scholar smiled and put down his brush.

The paper was already filled with writing. Upon a quick read, he found the words and calligraphy beautiful, natural and flowing like clouds and water. In its tranquility, there was something wondrous that also held an ethereal quality. He truly liked it beyond measure. ŗά𐌽ꝊBЁȘ

It just lacked a title. The scholar pondered silently.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“Cousin…” It was his younger cousin’s voice.

The scholar turned his head with a frown.

It wasn’t that he feared opening the door to find a few little ghosts imitating his younger cousin’s voice to deceive him, though he had heard of and written such stories into his book. If he truly encountered them, his heart would be totally calm and he would politely invite them to drink a cup of clear tea.

What he feared was opening the door to find his cousin accompanied by clan elders or the clan’s private school’s teacher, ready to drag him back home or to the clan’s private school.

This was just a farmhouse which he used as his study because it was far from the clan’s house and had very pleasant scenery.

Writing miscellaneous books in this era wasn’t considered respectable after all.

Not that it couldn’t be done. If he wrote them in his thirties or forties, no one would criticize him. By his fifties or sixties, anyone who would have had anything to say might not be around anymore. If they could still come to criticize him, he could just write them into his stories.

However, he was just over twenty at the moment. His clan members still hoped he would study well, pass the exam and achieve scholarly honor.

Ultimately, people who were detached from worldly affairs and free from the constraints of societal views like that Daoist priest were rare.

Otherwise, why would they be considered masters?

“Cousin!” His cousin was still knocking and calling him outside.

“Sigh…” The scholar put away the rough straw papers and got up to open the door.

He thought that if his cousin had brought clan elders or the teacher over, he would take him to experience the mantis shadow-eating rumor this summer. It would also be good for enriching his story in the book with more details.

“Creak…” When he opened the bamboo door, there was only one person outside.

His younger cousin, who was also already in his twenties, stood there grinning at him. “I knew you’d be here! Why did it take so long to open the door? Are you secretly hiding a beautiful lady ghost?”

“Just you?”

“Of course! Who else?”

“What brings you here?”

“Naturally, I have something to tell you!”

“I’m busy today.”

“I just got back from the city, heard something interesting, and thought you’d definitely be interested, so I came specially to tell you.”

“Has the Great Liujiang Gathering ended?”

“Not yet. But the martial arts competitions are over, so there’s not much excitement left. Many idle jianghu people have gone their own ways. Only the major jianghu sects remain, drinking and discussing matters daily.”

“What did you hear?”

“The water route from Anqing to Lingbo is open now, do you know?”

“Hmm? How did it open?”

“Haha! I knew you hadn’t heard!”

“Quickly, tell me!”

“Pour me a cup of tea first…”

“No! Tell me quickly!”

“That water demon was eliminated by an immortal passing by.”

“An immortal passing by? Which immortal?”

The scholar hurriedly brought a chair and stool over. He sat down with his cousin, staring at him intently.

“I don’t know which immortal either. Anyway, the first to discover that the water demon was dead and went to inform the officials in the city was a shepherd boy. The shepherd boy said it was an immortal wandering this mortal world with a jujube-red horse and a calico cat in the guise of a young man.

“Tsk, the immortal didn’t even get wet or use any visible immortal magic. The river just started boiling, spouting bubbles, and the dead water demon surfaced.”

“What?”

“What is it?”

“Say that again.”

“Don’t be in a hurry, cousin…”

His cousin smiled as he recounted the story from the beginning to him, still unaware of what great danger his own shadow was in at that moment.

After the scholar finished listening, he was stunned for a long time.

He recalled at once those few stories related to Hidden Dragon Temple that he had heard and that young Daoist priest’s extraordinary demeanor. He had been secluded on an otherworldly celestial mountain. He roamed the human world casually subduing demons, only meeting those he had a fated connection with.

Without fate, even standing at the doorstep and searching the whole mountain, one wouldn’t find the temple. How could this Yin-Yang Mountain not be a celestial mountain? How could its inhabitants not be immortals?

He had new material for his book again.

However, he didn’t want to write at this moment. He just wanted to sit a while and savor the newly-acquired story and that previous encounter.

The first reader of a writer’s work was themselves.

He wondered what that Daoist priest was doing at that moment, and where he had wandered to.

***

Two hundred li from the Pingzhou border, Song You lay on a mountaintop.

The soil quality on the mountain was quite good, and this piece of land was planted full of peas that grew densely without a single gap. From a distance, they looked like a green blanket.

The peas weren’t mature yet at the moment but had already grown pods. The peas inside were slightly larger than mung beans, perfect for eating raw.

He picked a pod, took out the peas, and put them in his mouth. They were very tender, very refreshing, and slightly sweet.

Song You also often ate them this way in the past.

When he was at Hidden Dragon Temple, he grew his own peas and naturally could do whatever he wanted with them. In his previous world when he was young, he would lie down in other people's pea fields and eat the peas with his classmates on the way home after school. They relied on the indulgence adults showed towards children to act impudently and mischievously.

Now, it could almost count as stealing.

However, what was eaten must be repaid.

The common factor, whether it was his past life or present life, the past or the present, was the great tranquility of the moment.

Lying down looking up at the sky, blue sky and white clouds filled his vision. A cool breeze blew across his face carrying the faint scent of pea shoots, and a swallow flew freely in the blue sky.

He felt free inwardly, calm, and happy.

As the saying went, “Lying face up in the world, not needing a house or tent, so free and without worries, my life is worth such moments.”

Song You picked another pod in order to shell it. The sweetness in his mouth intensified.

“Rustle…” The calico cat at his side crawled around, sniffing here and there, looking up and down, occasionally leaping to pounce on the tiny butterflies in the field. This kind of tiny butterflies were only the size of a thumbnail, bluish-purple, and very difficult to catch. If she did catch one, she would carry it to the horse and put it into the cloth bag to feed the swallow later.

She felt that the swallow was always afraid of her. The Daoist priest said that swallows were naturally afraid of cats. So she refrained from catching birds to eat on this journey, even though she could easily catch them several times. She restrained herself totally and let them go instead.

However, the swallow remained fearful of her and refused to perch near her. She thought maybe if she caught some insects for him to eat and won his favor, all would be well.

Song You paid no attention to this, letting her play.

The swallow swooped low with a cry and called out, “Sir, someone’s coming.”

As the words fell, a woman's voice was heard, “Who's the thief here?!”

Song You immediately sat up from the earth ridge.

A woman with sun-darkened skin was coming up the path from below the mountain. She glared at the person in the field, both anxious and angry. Seeing it was a Daoist, she relaxed slightly but remained quite upset.

“Who are you? Are you stealing and eating my peas?”

It was indeed like being caught stealing and eating peas by adults on the mountains during his childhood in his previous world. But after all, those days were long gone.

“Don't worry, Madam.” Song You stood up with a smile, brushed the dirt and grass off his clothes, and pointed his hand towards the ground. Immediately, shimmering lights fell like stars or rain, landing where he pointed.

Then he cupped his hands. “I am a hermit from Lingquan County, Yizhou, who is traveling the world. Passing through here, I borrowed some of your peas to satisfy my craving. But I assure you, I am not stealing. These peas here will grow back within a night at most, possibly even more than before. Please see for yourself.”

“You...” The woman was immediately stunned and didn't know what to say.

“Farewell,” Song You said, cupping his hands at her before heading down the mountain.

The calico cat continued to pounce twice, trying hard to catch butterflies. When she turned her head and saw him leave, she reluctantly took one last look at the butterflies. Then she also turned her head and ran after him. The jujube-red horse silently started walking, while the swallow in the sky traced an elegant curve in the air, all following him away.

The path was overgrown with weeds. Not far along, the few figures were blocked and no longer visible, with only the faint sound of the horse’s bell drifting through the mountains, direction already indiscernible.

The woman stood there numbly, wide-eyed.

After a long while, she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, “Oh my!”

She must have met an immortal.

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