Unintended Immortality

“This poem is simple yet neatly constructed and clever. It would be excellent for young children to learn,” a nearby scholar couldn’t help but voice his praise upon hearing. “May I ask where you heard it?”

“It’s been too long; I’ve forgotten.”

“What a pity…”

“Indeed,” the Daoist said, feeling somewhat nostalgic.

After passing by this person, he lowered his head, continuing to look at the cat in his arms. The cat was also staring up at him.

“I don’t understand…” The soft voice was barely audible, only Song You could hear.

“What it means is, from a distance, you can see the color of the mountain, but when you get closer, there’s no sound of water. So this thing has both mountains and water. But even after spring, the flowers won’t wither, and when a person walks by, the birds won’t fly away.” Song You gently guided, “What do you think it is, Lady Calico?”

“What could it be?”

“Should I give a hint to you, Lady Calico?”

“It’s something we have at home.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Something we have at home!”

“…”

“…” The Daoist looked down at the cat, while the cat gazed back up at him.

“I see it often.”

“You see it often!”

“…”

“…”

The Daoist had a helpless expression, his brows softening. The cat’s eyes were clear, filled with seriousness.

“It’s hung on the wall.”

“…”

The cat’s expression finally showed a hint of change.

Before long, her eyes lit up as she shed the clarity of ignorance and naïve curiosity, but she didn’t forget to lower her voice as she said, “It’s a painting!”

“Though we only have paintings hanging on our walls at home, it’s still impressive that you could think of it so quickly,” Song You said to her. “I admire you.”

“...?” The cat stared at him in confusion.

After a moment, she withdrew her gaze, intending to respond as she usually would. However, she found that simply saying “correct” was unusually difficult today. So, she had to change the subject. “So, is this horse lantern now mine?”

“Of course! Since you guessed correctly, this lantern is yours.”

“I won it!”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to your remarkable intelligence and quick wit,” the Daoist said. “But this lantern and the event itself hold significant meaning. You should also remember the poem that helped you win it.”

“I’ll remember!”

“So, you should memorize this line of the poem.”

“I’ll memorize it!”

“I’m just making a suggestion. I’m not sure if you will take it,” Song You said earnestly, “but I believe you already know this without me having to suggest it.”

“I will memorize it when I get back!”

“Great minds think alike…”

“Correct!”

“If only you could write it down as well…”

“I will write it down when I gets back!”

“Won’t that tire you out?”

“No!”

“Impressive…”

The Daoist held her while managing to carry the lantern with one hand, slowly walking along the riverbank.

It was likely that the entire city of Changjing had come out to enjoy the lanterns tonight. As Song You made his way along, he encountered many familiar faces.

He saw the owner of Anle Pavilion and that military official from Changjing who had invited him to their home; both merely offered him a distant bow, acknowledging him from afar. After walking a little further, he spotted Miss Wanjiang from Hexian Pavilion, but at that moment, they were separated by the river. They exchanged bows before continuing to admire the lanterns.

There were also some people he didn't know, who seemed to have heard of him or were simply friendly towards Daoists. They greeted him with cupped hands and a smile, even though they didn’t truly know him.

As he was about to head home, he encountered another familiar face. This man with a slender figure and a beard was Cui Nanxi.

Upon seeing Song You, Cui Nanxi was momentarily stunned.

However, he was not alone; surrounded by numerous friends, he found it inconvenient to approach Song You for a chat. After recovering from his surprise, he simply bowed deeply before taking his leave, looking back several times as he walked away.

After almost circling the river, he had traversed all the stone arch bridges within Changjing. As night deepened, he finally turned back.

Leaving the lantern festival venue, the moonlight replaced the colorful lanterns, and the quiet streets took the place of the bustling crowd, which felt somewhat unfamiliar.

Yet, both the Daoist and the cat carried a lantern back with them.

As they passed through a dark, deserted alley, the cat in the Daoist's arms suddenly vanished. In its place was a little girl following him, holding a small horse lantern. With each step, she seemed to tiptoe, occasionally lifting the lantern to examine it closely. The candlelight was shining through the thin paper, illuminating her delicate face and the wonder in her eyes.

“Thud thud thud…”

The little girl ran to a corner with her lantern, using it to light up a rat in the shadows. After taking a quick look, she returned.

They walked slowly back to Willow Street.

Once home, she continued to hold up her lantern, staring at it intently without blinking, even though the candle inside was nearly burned out. Lady Calico noticed something was off.

“Daoist Master…”

As Song You washed his face and brushed his teeth, he replied without turning his head, “What brings you here, Lady Calico?”

“Isn't the firewood burning inside going to cost money?”

“It’s very expensive.”

“...!” The little girl’s expression stiffened before she quickly asked, “Can we use the twigs from the trees instead?”

“I'm afraid not.”

“,,,!” The little girl’s expression suddenly froze again.

This was a disaster. Lady Calico's skill in gathering twigs was of no use here; instead, she was forced to confront the weakness of having to spend money.

“…”

After finishing washing his face, Song You wiped his hands, placed the cloth neatly, and turned to look at her. He said, “However, I know a spell related to the fire magic that you’ve been learning. It involves borrowing a little firelight from the Fiery Sun True Lord, specifically for lighting lanterns without candles and oil lamps without oil. It can last all night.”

“Teach it to me.”

“But first, you have to learn that poem,” Song You explained as he climbed into bed. “After all, you were the one who said you wanted to learn the poem. You understand the principle of first come, first served. If you learn this spell first, it wouldn’t be fair to the poem.”

“It would be unfair.”

“Yes, it would be sad.”

“...!” The little girl’s expression stiffened again, but her resolve was firm.

Song You had already lain down in bed, closing his eyes and preparing to sleep.

“Daoist Master…”

“Hmm?”

“How do you read that poem?”

“…” Song You had a bad feeling.

Sure enough…

The cat was eager to learn and studied diligently throughout the night, asking him again and again until she finally managed to memorize it. Then she asked him to teach her how to write it.

It was futile to urge her to sleep; Lady Calico would tell him that she had still been catching rats at General Ling’s residence at this time last night.

Who knew how late it would be before she finally fell asleep?

***

The next morning…

When Song You opened his eyes, he saw the calico cat lying next to him with half-closed eyes. As soon as he woke up, it yawned and immediately stood up, shaking its head with vigilance.

“I’ve already memorized it and can write it now.”

“…”

“When will you teach me the spell?”

“Later.”

“Later…”

“It seems there’s an old acquaintance downstairs. Could I trouble you to go down and help me open the door and let the guest in?” Song You said. “Tell the guest that I just woke up and need to wash up first.”

“Okay.” The cat turned around and jumped off the bed, moving with a light and graceful elegance.

When it landed, it had already transformed into a little girl.

Song You took his time getting dressed. He didn’t believe in meeting guests looking disheveled or without washing his face, so he went downstairs to wash up, faintly hearing the sound of a door opening and the little girl speaking softly.

“It’s you?”

“May I ask if this is the residence of Master Song?”

“That's right, Daoist Master Song.”

“May I ask who you are…”

“I am Lady Calico.”

“So you’re Lady Calico! How rude of me!”

“Come in, let me tell you, the Daoist Master just woke up and is washing up. I will pour you a cup of water.”

“…” This was basically a direct copy of his instructions to her.

However, it was enough to comfort him that Lady Calico knew to pour a cup of water for the guest.

After washing up, when he came out, Cui Nanxi was already sitting on the first floor with a cup of water placed before him. However, he didn’t dare to touch it. He sat on the edge of the bench, glancing at the little girl across from him, looking quite uneasy.

A guard stood behind him, also appearing awkward.

In contrast, the little girl seemed completely at ease, swinging her legs on the bench. When she noticed his discomfort, she looked at him curiously. Once he averted his gaze, she became more determined and stared directly at him.

“Mr. Cui.” Song You finally stepped out.

“Immortal!” Cui Nanxi immediately stood up, his face a mix of excitement and joy.

“Please don’t call me that, Mr. Cui.”

“Immortal Master!”

“Please take a seat, Mr. Cui.” Song You smiled at him, inviting him to sit down while he took a seat on the opposite side. “It’s been a year since our last parting at Yunding Mountain. You seem to be in good spirits.”

“Thanks to you, everything is well.” Cui Nanxi quickly replied. “I had heard about the matters at the Grand Commander’s residence before, and I felt that the legendary immortal bore some resemblance to you, but I couldn’t be sure.

“At that time, I thought about coming to see you in person, but when Xu Le and I arrived, we found your door tightly shut. I took that to mean you didn’t want to be disturbed, so I didn’t come back. I didn’t expect to meet you at the lantern festival by chance.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but rise again to bow deeply, “What an honor, what an honor!”

The guard behind him also followed suit and bowed.

“I recently heard some scholars talking about the articles written by you while having tea at a teahouse,” Song You said with a smile. “Some scholars even copied them to sell on the streets. I bought one to read, and perhaps your work truly has the potential to be celebrated for generations to come.”

“It’s merely because I borrowed your immortal’s aura, Immortal Master…”

With nothing else to do at the moment, Song You brewed tea for him, and the two engaged in casual conversation, reminiscing about old times.

Cui Nanxi shared updates about his journey back to the capital from Shizhu County and the recent happenings at Yunding Mountain, particularly the rumors of true immortals there and their impact on Pingzhou.

He mentioned the great encyclopedia he was compiling and the knowledgeable scholars he was working with, occasionally seeking Song You’s insights on topics related to the Dao and cultivation, as he seemed eager to include them in the anthology.

Their conversation flowed easily, filled with pleasant exchanges.