Unintended Immortality

Song You tore the slice of ham into small pieces and placed it in his mouth. He didn’t rush to chew; instead, he let it linger in his mouth and savored the salty, aromatic flavor it released. Once it softened a bit, he began to chew, appreciating the texture of the meat fibers.

The ham was dry and fragrant, and he didn’t grow tired of it no matter how much he ate.

He slowed his pace and tore off another piece, then he bent down and lowered his hand to allow the calico cat to stand on its hind legs and take the meat from his hand. The demons, ghosts, monsters and spirits passing by watched them but no longer caused trouble or gathered around.

As he strolled, he eventually reached the large bonfire in the center of the marketplace.

The market was clustered around the fire. This fire was unusual, possessing some strange properties, though it wasn’t a divine or infernal fire capable of burning the heavens or scorching one’s soul. Instead, it guided the mountain demons and spirits and kept away other malevolent beings.

Near the fire, Song You saw several demons and spirits dressed in official uniforms. Even the ghosts showed no fear of the fire.

When the distant bear-like and buffalo-headed officials saw Song You, they cupped their hands. Song You returned the gesture.

The existence of this marketplace was quite extraordinary. Since there had been previous intruders, it was possible that there were legends about it in the towns below. Perhaps even the temple owner of Hidden Dragon Temple had visited here in the past.

It seemed that the bear-like official had informed the buffalo-headed one about this.

He decided not to approach them any closer; it would make both them and himself uncomfortable. Instead, he chose a different direction and continued exploring.

He purchased a variety of wild fruits from a monkey merchant, high-quality half-dried fodder from a horse merchant, and a small fish from an unfamiliar mountain spirit. The most significant find was the mushrooms from a fox’s stall—matsutake, Macrolepiota albuminosa, the lurid bolete, and other varieties, all at the same price as the fodder from the horse merchant. He also bought some rare and intriguing items that were hard to find outside, spending quite a bit of money.

Overall, the trip was quite rewarding.

However, the greatest gain was not the purchased items or bargains but the journey itself.

Here, the demons and spirits were countless, likely all the mountain’s demons, ghosts, monsters and spirits from several hundred li had gathered. There was a wide variety—cats, mice, wolves, deer, cattle, horses, and rabbits. There were also spirits born from plants, as well as many mountain and water spirits naturally formed by the earth, and ghosts who died on this road but never dispersed.

These non-human beings from various dynasties and eras all coexisted harmoniously here, even establishing their own order. This broadened his horizons and expanded his understanding. There were beings from all ages and eras, all living harmoniously and even having their own order, which broadened his horizons and adjusted his perceptions.

If an ordinary literate person were to accidentally stumble into this place and leave safely, they might even leave behind a legendary tale of this extraordinary encounter.

As he walked, he noticed a small ghost beside him watching him.

Song You turned his head to look and saw a round-faced boy, about eight or nine years old. He looked quite well-behaved. The boy was walking in the same direction, frequently glancing at him. The boy’s eyes held a hint of spirituality.

Song You smiled and nodded, and the small ghost responded with a grin.

After a few more steps, the small ghost moved a bit closer and curiously asked, “Are you a divine immortal?”

“I’m just an ordinary human.”

“How brave!”

“Haha...”

“I didn’t hear clearly before. How did you get in here?”

“It’s quite a coincidence,” Song You answered casually, his voice gentle. “I had dinner, sat down to watch the stars, and saw the lights from below this mountain. So, I followed them and came in here.”

“Such a coincidence.”

“Indeed.”

“Earlier, the bear official wanted to take you out. Why didn’t you leave?”

“It’s a rare encounter, so I wanted to explore a bit more.”

“There are so many ghosts here. Aren’t you afraid of all the ghosts here?”

“What’s there to be afraid of about ghosts?” Song You maintained his courtesy with the little ghost. “There’s a saying in the human world, ‘Perhaps we ourselves are the reincarnations of ancient spirits.’”

Generally speaking, when people died and became ghosts, they typically wouldn’t continue to grow unless some lucky chance occurred even if they were children. So, although this ghost appeared as a child, it might have existed for a longer time in this world than Song You or even his master. It was not appropriate to view him merely as a child. Their experience and knowledge might grow, but their mental development could be different without a physical body, so they shouldn’t be treated as adults or elderly.

“Perhaps we ourselves are the reincarnations of ancient spirits,” The small ghost repeated the saying, finding it interesting. He smiled and asked, “Is there really such a thing as reincarnation in this world?”

“It was just a poetic expression.”

“So is reincarnation real?”

“I haven’t seen it myself.”

“I knew it!” The small ghost tapped his left hand with his right, making a sound that was light despite the apparent force.

Song You smiled and asked, “How many times have you been here?”

“A lot, too many to count.” The small ghost grinned. “But it’s quite boring here. It’s all things for mountain demons and spirits, not much for ghosts.”

“Have humans come here before?”

“Occasionally. There have been more in the recent two years.”

“Do you know who built this place? Or was it built voluntarily by everyone?”

“It was voluntarily built, but there was also protection from the Mountain God.” The small ghost paused. “I heard it’s been around for many years. It started with nearby mountain demons and spirits exchanging things, but it wasn’t as large in scale or fixed in this place. It seems that about a few hundred years ago, a Mountain God emerged here and called everyone over, so they came.”

“A Mountain God?” Song You thought for a moment.

It was likely not a Mountain God appointed by the court or Heavenly Palace, as such Mountain Gods typically wouldn’t be so friendly to demons and ghosts. In comparison, it was more likely that the mountain itself nurtured a spirit, which the local demons and creatures revered as the Mountain God. Moreover, the fact that this Mountain God could carve out such a space within the mountains, connected to the mortal world yet distant from it, truly showed his remarkable skill. Only a spirit nurtured by this vast mountain could possibly have the power to arrange such a setup relying on the mountain itself.

“Indeed,” The little ghost thought for a moment, “But I've heard that the Mountain God has a bad temper. There were people who came here before, and the Mountain God wasn't pleased. He got into a fight with them, and they were badly beaten. After that, the Mountain God stopped showing up. Now, we just come here on our own and select some more powerful spirits to keep things in order, to avoid any conflicts.”

“So that's how it is.” Song You nodded. “That person really was disrespectful.”

“Exactly!”

“Since fate brought us together, allow me to offer you some incense.”

“How could I accept that?”

“I simply wish to have a chat with you.”

“If you insist.”

Song You spotted a stall selling incense, where the shopkeeper was a rat. It was a rare sight in this market, as it specialized in goods for ghosts. As a result, many wild ghosts gathered around.

Song You entered the stall. There were tables and stools, though all were quite short and small. The tables were just over one chi high, and the stools even shorter. Then, the man and the ghost exchanged formalities and sat across from each other. The calico cat also jumped onto a stool.

“What would you like, sir?”

“Three sticks of grass incense.”

Song You noticed that others were all lighting three sticks of grass incense.

“Would you like them lit?”

“Yes, please.”

“Certainly!”

Suddenly, a living person walked in. The wild ghosts who were enjoying the incense, as well as the mountain spirits and demons accompanying them, kept glancing over at Song You. Their chatter quieted. Meanwhile, the calico cat fixed its gaze on the shopkeeper, making him rather terrified.

“That's impolite,” Song You gently turned the cat's head back and ignored the stares, focusing on his conversation with the little ghost.

The little ghost was quite talkative, speaking as he ate. He had great cultivation skills, allowing him to eat the incense ash, while ordinary wild ghosts could only consume the smoke. However, this type of incense wasn't infused with any power of prayer, offering little benefit to one's cultivation and certainly not helping wild ghosts ascend to the Divine Dao. Its primary use was to satisfy hunger.

When the market wasn't open, these ghosts mostly survived on mountain dew in the morning and twilight mist at night as they couldn’t obtain these incense, leading a rather austere life.

The little ghost complained that although there were all kinds of spirits and demons in the market, ghosts were treated the worst and looked down upon. They had the lowest status and could buy the fewest things.

Moreover, the currency here was copper coins, which were particularly unfriendly to ghosts. The worst part was that they were hard to handle. The more widely circulated the coins, the heavier they became—sometimes weighing as much as a thousand catties, which made them impossible for a ghost without sufficient cultivation skilled to lift.

Thus, most of the ghosts who came to the market either sought out and exchanged coins that hadn't been touched in years, or they arranged to come with other mountain spirits and ask these friends to help carry the money. Some clever ghosts even befriended animals with spirituality to have them transport the money.

Song You found all this exceptionally interesting. The little ghost also mentioned with a smile that many people below the mountain often exaggerated and distorted the image of spirits and demons, portraying them as terrifying, ugly, and irrational beings. They would depict female spirits who couldn't control themselves the moment they came across impoverished scholars.

These stories were often treated as jokes, causing much laughter.

Sometimes, the little ghost would ask about the world below—what dynasty it was, whether certain towns or villages still existed. Song You answered when he knew, and apologized when he didn't.

Halfway through their idle chat, the incense was also halfway burned. The little ghost sighed, “It's rare to meet a Daoist priest like you who dares to speak with a ghost. I also haven't talked to a human in a long time.”

He paused before continuing, “But when the bear official wanted to take you out, you really should have gone with him.”

Song You, for the fourth time, gently redirected the calico cat's gaze and head from the shopkeeper and asked, “Why is that?”

“Firstly, this place isn't suitable for you to stay too long. If you linger, you might not be able to leave. Secondly, there are many ways out of here, but you may not find your way back to where you came from. By the time the sun rises, you could find yourself deep in the mountains, with the paths in front and behind you vanishing. Thirdly, away from this bonfire, there are many evil creatures—even we must tread carefully.

“Many mortals who inadvertently stumble here are eaten before they can reach this place. It was sheer luck that you didn't encounter any on your way here. If you run into them on your way back, you’ll have a tough time.”

“Evil creatures? What are they?”

“It's hard to say. There are many kinds—most are naturally formed evil creatures or vengeful ghosts, though brutish spirits and man-eating mountain demons are rare.”

“I see…” Song You's curiosity was piqued again. “So how can I encounter them?”

“Stick to the main roads, preferably retrace your steps. Don't wander aimlessly, and if you find spirits or demons going in the same direction, try to travel with them. The more companions, the better…” The little ghost hesitated, feeling something was amiss, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was even after closer reflection.

“Thank you.”

“Since you treated me to incense, let me give you something in return.” The little ghost finished the last bit of incense ash, stood up, and patted his back.

“Over there, they're selling lanterns. I'll take you to buy one, and then we'll get some fire from the bonfire. The lantern will shine brighter than usual, lasting until dawn, and it'll scare away the evil creatures along the way. Haha, I shouldn't say that—it's inauspicious. Let's just say you won't encounter any. But even if you don't, the mountain paths are pitch black outside the market, so it's good to have a lantern for light.”

“How can I accept that?”

“Don't refuse.”

“Thank you.”

For the fifth time, Song You turned the calico cat's head away from the shopkeeper and patted her with a smile before he followed the little ghost outside. Although the little ghost looked young, his speech was refined, not like that of an ordinary person. When Song You offered to treat him to some incense, he must have already planned to give something in return when he accepted his offer.

So, Song You only politely declined once. They indeed went to buy a lantern, and the little ghost took out some money to pay for it, which cost more than the three sticks of grass incense.

pandapear98's Thoughts

ok now i'm craving for some good ham o.o

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