Unintended Immortality

At night on March 7th…

The bonfires of the Grassland Festival still blazed brightly, with a large crowd singing and dancing around the flames. It was unclear whether the same group of people had been celebrating tirelessly or if they had been replaced by newcomers.

Song You arrived once again with the little girl, seeking out Lin Le and his family seated at the edge of the gathering. They exchanged smiles and greetings before sitting together.

“This Grassland Festival is truly lively,” Song You remarked as he looked at the scene before him.

“Tomorrow will be even more lively,” Lin Chang said, though he then shook his head. “But no matter how lively it gets, it’s only a few days out of the year. The rest of the time, this place is so desolate it’s hard to believe. Sometimes, ten days or half a month might pass without seeing another person.”

“Indeed,” Song You agreed.

That likely explained the excitement of the Grassland Festival.

“When do you plan to head back?” Lin Chang asked.

“Tomorrow, we’ll offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, and the day after, we’ll head back. My eldest son has gone to the north to serve in the military, and Lin Le is still young. If my eldest were home, or when Lin Le had grown up a bit after a few years, we might stay longer at this Grassland Festival to find him a suitable girl,” Lin Chang said with a laugh, then turned to ask, “And when will you leave, sir?”

“Leaving tomorrow? But that’s the main day of the Grassland Festival.”

“Watching a bit of the festivities is enough,” Song You replied with a smile.

“Which direction are you headed?”

“North.”

“The North? There’s a war going on there!” Lin Chang exclaimed.

“I happen to have an acquaintance in the border army and wanted to check on them,” Song You said, his gaze resting on the group dancing around the bonfire ahead.

“My eldest son is also serving in the northern army,” Lin Chang replied with a sigh. “Just recently, we received letters saying the fighting there is intense.” He glanced at his wife beside him, his brow furrowing.

After a moment of hesitation, he turned to face Song You. “It’s quite a coincidence—last night, my wife dreamed of him.”

The firelight reflected in his eyes.

His posture made it clear that he wanted to seek help from this Daoist, someone they had met only recently but who seemed capable.

Though Song You hadn’t been looking at him, it was as if he sensed Lin Chang’s worry.

Turning his head, he caught sight of the man’s furrowed brow and asked, “What troubles you? Dreams often reflect what’s on our minds during the day. Every mother is attached to their child—your wife must be constantly worrying about your son in the army, which is why she dreamed of him. Why does this concern you?”

“She dreamed of him being burned by fire, screaming in agony.”

“...” Song You narrowed his eyes slightly, then turned his gaze back toward the dancers around the fire.

After a pause, he spoke softly, offering some comfort, “I am not skilled at interpreting dreams, but I do know this—dreams are often fleeting and mysterious. Even the best dream interpreters can only make guesses. No matter how vivid or profound a dream may seem, it could very well arise from nothing more than anxiety. It’s just a dream. It’s likely just a product of worry and doesn’t necessarily mean anything.” ȐΆℕộꞖƐ§

Though Song You’s words were logical, Lin Chang still couldn’t shake his concern.

In these times, people placed great faith in dreams.

Even in earlier days, when it wasn’t common for the dead to turn into ghosts, if someone dreamed of deceased relatives suffering from cold or hunger, they would still burn paper clothing and blankets as offerings even if it had nothing to do with ghosts.

How much more so when the dream involved a mother’s deep bond with her child and such a distressing vision?

Meanwhile, young Lin Le, innocent and carefree, seemed entirely unaffected. He only wanted to join the festivities and eagerly asked Song You with a grin, “Sir, do you want to dance? You don’t need to know how—just groove along with everyone else. It’s so much fun!”

“No.”

“Lady Calico, do you want to go?”

“No.” Her tone was almost identical to the Daoist's, though her voice was softer and childlike.

“Then I’ll go.”

“Alright.”

“Alright.”

The two replies came one after the other.

The boy turned and headed toward the crowd, seamlessly blending in. His face lit up with a wide smile as he joined in the singing and dancing.

Song You remained seated, unmoving. His gaze was fixed on the bonfire ahead as he was lost in thought.

Lady Calico sat still as well. At first, she mimicked him, staring at the flames and occasionally glancing at him, trying to see what he was looking at so she could look in the same direction. But before long, boredom overtook her. She turned around, leaned her back against him, and began playing with her own fingers.

Various grassland instruments joined together, producing music that was natural, rustic, and brimming with enthusiasm. The rhythm was lively, and the crowd sang with unadorned voices, celebrating life, the heavens and earth, love, and beauty.

From time to time, a swarthy man with a rich, powerful voice would step forward. His singing resonated with a magical, sonorous quality, echoing across the vast and ancient sky of the grasslands.

Every time he sang, nearly everyone would look at him with beaming smiles. Even the ever-distracted Lady Calico would twist around to see what was making the noise. The firelight reflected in the onlookers’ eyes, turning the coarse grassland man into the most captivating figure of the moment.

The flames crackled, occasionally bursting into showers of sparks, as if adding to the atmosphere.

Song You set aside his stray thoughts and quietly enjoyed the scene.

At that moment, a young official silently approached him from behind.

“Sir...”

Both the Daoist and the young girl turned their heads to look.

Lin Chang also followed suit, glancing back.

Seeing that it was an official from the Great Yan government, one tasked with overseeing law and order in Duoda, he couldn’t help but feel surprised.

The young official, however, was polite. He nodded and smiled at Lin Chang, then turned to Song You and said, “Sir, might I have a word with you?”

“Of course,” Song You replied with a slight nod. Then he turned to Lin Chang, saying, “I’ve met Lord Han here in the camp earlier. I’ll go speak with him for a while.”

“Please, go ahead, sir,” Lin Chang replied.

“Very well.”

With that, Song You stood up and followed the young official.

The little girl at his side turned back to watch him, then glanced at the bonfire, Lin Chang, and the crowd. Finally, she stretched out her arms, yawned lazily, and decided to follow as well.

At this time, nearly everyone was gathered around the bonfire. The rest of the camp was quiet, and there was nearly no one there, save for the occasional thief or pair of lovers sneaking off in secret. Finding a secluded spot for a private conversation was effortless.

The young official stopped by the side of a tent. Facing him stood the Daoist and the little girl in her tricolor outfit, clutching the hem of his robe.

The official asked politely, “Sir, have you just returned from the northern Turtle City?”

“Indeed, I returned today.”

“Did you go during the day or at night?”

“I went at night and left the following morning.”

“Did you see the ghosts there?”

“Naturally, I did.”

“And? How were they?”

The young official looked at him, a mix of nervousness and curiosity in his expression.

“Lord Han, you’re truly mindful of the people,” Song You said with a smile, offering praise before continuing. “I’ve already investigated. The ghosts in Turtle City who harmed the people have fled. Those remaining are all heroic souls who perished in the northern battles.”

“Of course I know they are heroic souls from the North,” he replied, sighing. “But ghosts are still ghosts. The living and the dead are in separate realms. Even if a ghost bears no malice, it can still bring harm through its actions.”

“Well said,” Song You said with a slight chuckle. “As it happens, Lady Calico and I were just thinking of seeking you out, Lord Han, but here you are, coming to us first.”

“Oh? Please, go on,” Lord Han said, his curiosity piqued.

“I’ve already spoken with the heroic souls in the city and asked them to reduce their outings. I also built a wall at the city gate to prevent livestock from wandering in and creating trouble for herders searching for them at dusk. Additionally, I used a spell to seal the city’s yin and ghostly qi, ensuring it won’t seep out and harm the surrounding vegetation and environment,” Song You explained.

He added, “I’ve also heard that the State Preceptor issued a decree granting the ghosts refuge in Turtle City. If they can refrain from causing trouble in the future, I hope you might consider leaving them in peace as well.”

“...?”

The young official froze, staring at the Daoist before him and the little girl standing close to him. After a moment, he asked, “Are you telling the truth, sir?”

“I rarely lie,” Song You answered calmly.

“That’s right!” the little girl chimed in, nodding earnestly beside him.

“...”

Song You turned his head to look down at her, their eyes meeting.

It felt strangely peculiar.@@novelbin@@

When he had initially said, “I rarely lie,” he had felt completely at ease with himself. But the moment she nodded in agreement, an inexplicable pang of guilt stirred in his heart. She just didn’t get it.

The young official’s eyes widened further, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Just two nights ago, he had recklessly sought the aid of a so-called “immortal,” nearly falling victim to deceit. And now, could it really be that a mere Daoist he had casually met could so effortlessly resolve the matter of Turtle City?

Who could possibly buy into something like that?

“Lord Han, rest assured—I ask for nothing in return,” Song You said with a light laugh as he retrieved a small wooden token from his robes. “However, there are two matters I must bring to your attention, which I hope you can assist with.”

“W-What are they?”

“First: Although I have instructed the ghosts to behave, I cannot guarantee they will keep their promise and refrain from causing trouble. As an upright official with an incorruptible sense of justice, I hope you can help keep an eye on them.”

“And this token?”

“I’ve placed a seal over Turtle City,” Song You explained. “If the day comes when you discover the ghosts in the city have begun to create chaos again, simply take this token and place it in the city during daylight hours. You don’t have to enter the city yourself—any method of throwing or shooting it inside will suffice.”

“And that will work?” The young official blinked in disbelief, then thought for a moment and asked, “Even if it works, how can you ensure I won’t misuse it?”

“Haha, you misunderstand, Lord Han!”

Song You chuckled as he elaborated, “This token is not so powerful as to destroy all the ghosts in the city. It merely breaks the seal. The seal contains the city’s yin and ghostly qi, and over time, this energy naturally accumulates within the city.

“When the seal is broken, the sudden release of that energy will create a disturbance far greater than the usual gradual seepage. The deities of the Thunder Division will certainly notice.”

Pausing briefly, he continued, “I’ve spent time in Hezhou and have crossed paths with the Thunder Gods on several occasions, especially Duke of Thunder Zhou. I have a general understanding of his character. He will undoubtedly descend to investigate.

“Whether the ghosts in the city have caused trouble or not will be for him to determine, and any punishment will be his decision. All you would be doing, Lord Han, is notifying the divine.”

“...”

The young official was even more shocked after hearing this.

For a moment, he found it hard to believe that an ordinary-looking Daoist he had encountered by chance could be such a master, capable of communicating with divine beings. Yet, upon rational consideration, the explanation didn’t seem like a lie.

With great care, he stored the wooden token and cupped his hands in a respectful bow.

“Sir, you are truly a man of great ability!”

“Lord Han, you flatter me,” Song You replied. “Please ensure the token is stored safely and used with caution. After all, it’s a one-time opportunity.”

“Of course!”

The young official took a deep breath. The object in his possession now seemed inexplicably heavier.