Unintended Immortality

“Whoosh!”

In an instant, Lady Calico turned her head sharply to the right, as if she had sensed something. Her gaze locked in that direction, unblinking.

The master, now on his feet, looked around frantically. His face, smeared with blood, was filled with panic and confusion.

The area was vast, filled with people and noisy chatter. After the master had finished performing his incredible miraculous magic, he chatted with the officials for a while. At this moment, not everyone was paying close attention to this side. Only those close by noticed the master’s sudden fall, assuming he had simply lost his balance.

Even when he got up, face covered in blood, they still couldn’t grasp what had happened.

Even the officials seated nearby, straining to see in the firelight, could only make out the blood on his face. They couldn’t clearly see that his face was already covered in fresh wounds.

“What happened, Immortal?” one of the officials asked, alarmed.

“Don't... Don't touch me!”

The master was frantically looking around, darting behind various people for cover.

Just then, several more bursts of yin qi surged forward.

“Whoosh...”

The yin qi once again transformed into a yin gust, sweeping toward them.

The master leaned out, hiding behind a high-ranking official with a huge belly, peeking out to observe.

Strangely enough, the yin gust targeting the master consciously avoided the large-bellied official in front of him and blew directly toward the master. The remaining gusts veered towards his nearby disciples.

“Whoosh!”

Once again, the master was sent tumbling backwards by the force of the wind. The official in front couldn’t escape getting caught up in it either; he was blown to the ground but didn’t bear the full force and wasn’t sent rolling.

As for the master’s disciples, they were also knocked down—some rolled backward, while others were blown away entirely.

“Ahhh…!” A pained, gut-wrenching cry.

When the master and his disciples struggled back to their feet, not only were their faces covered in blood, but their clothes were shredded as if slashed by countless tiny knives or sharp thorns. The cuts weren't deep, but they were numerous.

In stark contrast, the pot-bellied official who had also been sent flying, along with others who had felt the yin gust nearby, were merely pushed back by the gust, suffering no such injuries.

The master took one look and immediately understood what had happened. Even the surrounding officials began piecing it together.

They had all heard tales, whether from storybooks or the elders, that not only did humans enjoy lively gatherings, but certain ghosts and demons did as well.

During the New Year and temple festivals, ghosts would sometimes disguise themselves as humans and come out for a stroll. Occasionally, they’d be startled by firecrackers, barking dogs, or even the passing of a roadside deity statue, revealing their true form.

Perhaps the grasslands would be bustling with activity today, and with the ghost soldiers and generals of Turtle City not far away, they, accustomed to the solitude and cold silence of their usual haunt, had come disguised in human form or hidden themselves to watch the lively scene here. Upon overhearing someone discussing plans to eliminate them, they decided to strike back and harm people.

To strike openly amidst a crowd this large, in the presence of government officials—such audacity!

The officials were either shocked or infuriated, while the master and his disciples had already dropped to their knees, begging for mercy.

“Spare us, great ghost immortal!”

“Mercy, ghost lord, please!”

“We meant no offense to you at all! We just came to the Grassland Festival for fun, and happened to mention it in passing when the topic coincidentally came up. We just wanted to swindle a bit of money to spend…” ＲＡ₦ỒBÊᶊ

“Mercy! Please spare us!”

Their voices spread farther and farther, as did the growing chaos and panic around them.

Hearing the pleas for mercy from this group, the officials were all struck with alarm. The young official who had first suggested dealing with the ghosts of Turtle City turned pale as a sheet.

The singing and dancing began to falter and slowly ceased. Almost everyone started looking toward the source of the disturbance.

Fortunately, most of the locals couldn’t understand what the officials and the master were saying. During the earlier display of magic, there had been someone translating for them. Thus, they were merely confused and shocked, but unaware of the actual reason behind the panic.

The Lin Le family, who were not far away to begin with, also looked in that direction, their expressions a mix of panic and curiosity. They could understand what was being said.

Strangely, while nearly everyone else turned to the left to see what was happening, the little girl by the side of the Daoist turned her head sharply to the right, staring intently in that direction.

“Whoosh…”

More yin gusts swept in.

These gusts were even more fierce than before, seemingly aimed at taking the lives of those few people. One difference was that a young official sitting nearby, pale with fright, was also targeted by one of the blasts.

The Daoist tapped the ground with his wooden staff.

“...” Silently, the yin gust dissipated without a trace.

Lady Calico, who had been staring off in that direction, seemed to sense the action taken by her Daoist priest. She turned her head back and gave him a glance.

With a gentle smile, Song You patted her head.

The little girl obediently stayed put, but she resumed looking right toward the darkness beyond the crowd. Reflected in her bright eyes was the figure of a ghostly soldier clad in full armor, his face obscured entirely by a helmet.

Startled and suspicious, he looked around, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t spot the master. Instead, he turned and locked eyes with the curious gaze of the little girl. Then, noticing the Daoist beside her, he hesitated for a moment before quietly retreating.

Song You made no move to stop him.

It took a while for the commotion to die down.

Just as a few officials were beginning to calm down, they caught a glimpse of the master and his disciples stumbling away, seemingly attempting to flee. Recalling their earlier words, a surge of anger rose in the officials' hearts, momentarily suppressing any lingering unease.

One of the officials quickly spoke with a bearded elder from the northern people, a respected figure in the community. They summoned a few strong men to apprehend the group.

The crowd, however, was left puzzled and didn’t understand what was happening.

Fortunately, they couldn’t understand the official Great Yan language, so they weren’t as frightened, allowing the bonfire celebration to continue smoothly.

Meanwhile, a few of the officials left the scene one after another.

Before long, more men stepped up for wrestling matches. These were all burly, robust men. Typically, one man would enter the ring first, strolling confidently to showcase his prowess, his gaze sweeping over the audience. Then, another would rise to challenge him.

The two would grapple, with the loser leaving the ring and the victor staying on to continue flaunting his strength until he was eventually taken down by the next opponent.

Sweat flew, and the heavy thud of two-hundred-jin men hitting the ground echoed, a vivid display of raw power.

Spectators, both men and women alike, were captivated by the spectacle. It’s worth noting that regardless of victory or defeat, anyone who stepped into the ring received cheers from the crowd. Win or lose, everyone wore a bright smile.

However, the Lin Le family standing nearby seemed somewhat worried.

“Sir…” Lin Chang couldn’t help but lean down and whisper in Song You’s ear, lowering his voice. “That... That master just now... Did he run into a ghost?”

“Perhaps.”

“And this ghost…”

“As you said, this ghost doesn’t eat humans. Though it may have injured those jianghu swindlers, it didn’t hurt anyone else. Why worry?” Song You replied with a lighthearted smile.

“Well…” Lin Chang, hearing this, felt it made sense.

Lin Chang glanced over at the gentleman again, noticing his calm and composed expression. A ripple of shock passed through his heart.

He had heard that this gentleman had traveled from Hezhou and noticed the unusual horse without a rein, which already suggested he was someone with a certain level of skill. When he saw him riding this short, skinny jujube-red horse, leaving even the finest horses of the grassland ranches far behind, it became evident that he truly had some abilities.

He invited him into their tent, not for any particular reason but simply because it seemed like good fun.

But now, seeing him face such a ghostly encounter without any sign of fear or concern, Lin Chang realized that this gentleman’s capabilities might far exceed what he had initially assumed.

He must be more than just an ordinary jianghu oddity.

With this realization, Lin Chang’s attitude naturally grew more respectful.

Song You, however, remained seated comfortably, watching the wrestling match with keen interest. Only after the bout concluded did he begin to contemplate the ghostly presence they had encountered earlier.

It seemed the ghost indeed originated from the northern Turtle City.

Ghosts came in many different forms. Depending on the manner of death or specific circumstances, they could vary greatly and weren’t always the typical specter one might imagine.

For instance, there were water ghosts skilled in aquatic environments, bronze ghosts with bodies that resembled metal, and vicious ghosts that drank blood and devoured flesh. There were also many evil creatures that weren’t formed from human spirits after death, yet people still refer to them as “ghosts.”

As for the group of ghosts from the earthen city in the north, they seemed to be the spirits of the local garrison who died there. Lin Chang mentioned that the surrounding area was now barren, likely due to the heavy presence of ghostly energy, indicating a large number of ghosts.

He also said that these ghosts only occasionally came out to steal livestock, draining their blood and qi essence, and rarely harmed people directly. Curiously, the local general hadn’t assigned any new troops to garrison the area, though the reason remained unknown.

Song You, however, planned to go and take a look.

The night gradually deepened.

Lin Chang initially wanted to invite Song You to stay in his family’s tent, but Song You politely declined. He then offered for Song You to camp next to their tent, but this was also declined. In the end, he asked his son, Lin Le, to see the gentleman off.@@novelbin@@

The jujube-red horse once again carried the saddle bag as it followed the Daoist out.

The little girl held a small lantern in one hand—though the lantern had no light inside—and led the sheep she won with the other. Walking closely beside the Daoist, she turned her head this way and that, full of curiosity.

“That master was so powerful...” Lin Le remarked, seemingly having missed the final shouts of the so-called master. “And yet he couldn’t defeat the ghosts from that earthen city!”

“Everyone has their own strengths. That person does indeed know a bit of magic and has learned it well, but it’s the only thing he knows,” Song You explained.

However, he couldn’t help but shake his head. It seemed that both Yanzhou and Hezhou were the same—despite the turmoil already making life unbearable for the common people, there were still those who took advantage of the situation, adding to their suffering.

“He’s nothing remarkable, just a jianghu charlatan who knows a few tricks,” Song You concluded.

“A charlatan?” Lin Le asked, puzzled.

“Yes,” Song You affirmed.

“Then, sir, do you know any spells?” the boy asked, his eyes wide with innocent curiosity.

“…”

Song You turned and met the young man's gaze. Seeing pure curiosity in his eyes, he nodded and said, “I know a few.”

“Can you do the same kind of spell he did... where a single piece of meat can feed so many people, and a jug of wine can be shared by everyone?” Lin Le asked.

“No, I can't do that,” Song You replied.

“Then what spells can you do?” the boy pressed.

“Would you like to see one?”

“Yes, I’d love to see!” the boy nodded eagerly.

Song You thought for a moment before responding, “The spells I know aren’t very suitable for a casual demonstration. However, Lady Calico by my side is also quite powerful, with great spiritual and divine powers. You could ask her to show you one of her spells.”

Hearing this, the boy turned his head in surprise to look at the little girl.

When the Daoist mentioned the words “quite powerful” and “great spiritual and divine powers,” her expression grew increasingly tense. Now, as the young man looked her way, the little girl didn’t even need to wait for him to speak. She promptly raised the small horse lantern attached to the red wooden staff high in the air.

“Whoosh...”

With a single breath, the lantern ignited with a flame out of thin air. And she hadn’t even borrowed the fire from Fiery Sun True Lord.

The young man couldn’t help but widen his eyes in amazement.

Seeing his reaction, the little girl was secretly pleased, though her expression remained unchanged. She quietly averted her gaze, lowered the lantern to light the way, and continued walking forward.

As she walked, she subtly glanced sideways, sneaking a peek at the young man.

“By the way…”

The young man was still in a daze when the Daoist's voice suddenly came from beside him, giving him a start.

“There are still three days until the 8th of March. That day will probably be the most lively. As for the next couple of days... the scenery on the grasslands is quite nice. I plan to take Lady Calico for a walk, and we’ll be away from the camp for a bit. We won’t be back for a couple of days, but when we return, I’ll come find you again, my young friend.”

“Where are you going?” the boy asked.

“Just taking a stroll around,” the Daoist replied.

“The grasslands are vast. Don’t get lost and fail to find your way back,” the boy warned.

“Then we’ll leave it to fate.”

“...”

The boy scratched his head.

Lady Calico, however, continued walking forward, holding up the lantern and leading the sheep. She seemed neither surprised by the Daoist’s decision nor the least bit concerned about it.