Unintended Immortality

“The compilation of a great encyclopedia? Hmm, that sounds like a good idea.” The Emperor pondered for a moment and then glanced at the Daoist beside him. “What do you think?”

“If we follow Lord Cui's suggestion to compile an encyclopedia that records all aspects of our dynasty, it would indeed benefit future generations and bring great advantages for eternity. It would also add to Your Majesty's legacy of both civil and military achievements.”

As the Daoist spoke, he bowed toward the Emperor, who was reclining on a long couch. “Lord Cui is well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge, understanding the heavens above and the earth below. Why not appoint him as the chief editor of this grand compilation?”

The Emperor said, “Since this was advised by an immortal and endorsed by the State Preceptor, it is clear that this project would benefit the current era and generations to come. It would also convey the prosperity of our dynasty. I shall approve it. We will discuss it at tomorrow's court session.

“Just recently, Minister Zhou inquired about what position Official Cui should be assigned. Official Cui, you shall take on the role of chief editor of the compilation, and I expect you to work diligently.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Has this immortal ever told you his name?”

“Your Majesty, I did ask, and the immortal did tell me,” Cui Nanxi answered honestly without hesitation. “However, the immortal specifically instructed me not to reveal his name.”

“If that's the case, I won't press you further. Hearing of the immortal's demeanor from your own lips has already satisfied my curiosity.” After finishing, the Emperor turned to the Daoist beside him. “What do you think?”

“What is your opinion of this immortal?”

“In my humble view, it is difficult to distinguish between mortals and immortals. Everyone has their own immortal in their heart. If one believes it to be true, then it is.”

“Can this immortal achieve eternal freedom and longevity?”

“I do not know…”

“What do you think, General Chen?”

Upon hearing this, Cui Nanxi couldn't help but raise his head and glance at the man who had remained silent all along.

“Your Majesty, I am but a military man. I do not understand the Immortal Dao and longevity, nor do I seek such things. I only know the principles of warfare, not the methods for discerning immortals.” The man paused for a moment. “If the immortal could help our Great Yan empire pacify the enemies to the west and north, I would then revere him as an immortal.”

“Hahaha…” The Emperor threw his head back in laughter.

After chatting for a while longer, the Emperor waved his hand, saying he was tired. The group respectfully took their leave, one by one, and exited the Hall of Qingming.

The State Preceptor, being a cultivator, remained calm and composed. Chen Ziyi, a seasoned battlefield veteran, showed no signs of fear and took steady steps.

As for Cui Nanxi, though he had once been merely a minor official and was recently demoted to serve as a small county magistrate in Pingzhou, he had always had a noble character and great reputation. Just as he was disheartened after his fall from grace, he encountered the immortal. While he no longer displayed the arrogance of his past, he also did not feel inferior.

“Lord Cui.”

“State Preceptor.” Cui Nanxi turned and respectfully saluted with a bow.

The State Preceptor smiled and said, “I know that you’ve promised that immortal to remain silent about his name. However, I imagine the immortal only instructed you so his name wouldn’t spread far and wide. I merely have one question: was the immortal you encountered from Yizhou?”

Cui Nanxi had no reaction to the first part of the sentence, firmly deciding not to speak regardless of the situation. However, upon hearing the last question, his expression involuntarily froze.

The State Preceptor immediately smiled. “Thank you, Lord Cui.”

Cui Nanxi pursed his lips and remained silent. Meanwhile, the man next to him glanced at them with curiosity.

When they reached the gates of the imperial palace, Cui Nanxi could no longer hold back. He turned and bowed deeply toward the man beside him.

“May I ask, are you General Chen Ziyi?”

“Indeed, I am.”

Cui Nanxi immediately felt a wave of disorientation. This was a legendary figure, after all.

“I have long admired you.”

“You are too kind, my lord.”

When they reached the palace gates, Cui Nanxi’s carriage was still waiting for him along with a tall horse. Cui Nanxi boarded the carriage while Chen Ziyi mounted his horse. The two parted ways and returned home separately, leaving only the State Preceptor dressed in his Daoist robe walking slowly down the street, limping as he went.

“Hidden Dragon Temple…” The State Preceptor squinted his eyes.

Although he resided in Changjing, it did not prevent him from knowing the affairs of the world.

There was the case of the underground thieves in Yidu and Master Guanghong; the matter of the water demon in Anqing and the Great Liujiang Gathering; Cui Nanxi's encounter with an immortal on Yunding Mountain; the sudden diligence of the City God in Changjing, who no longer feared the city's nobles and even inexplicably summoned heavenly thunder and spiritual fire during a demon extermination.

At several locations outside the city, where demons and ghosts had been wreaking havoc for years without being eradicated, had suddenly been dealt with one after another.

The events in Yidu were of particular interest to the State Preceptor because Hidden Dragon Temple was located in Yizhou—a hidden sanctuary of human cultivators and an ancient stronghold.

As the State Preceptor, he had to keep a close watch. The situation in Anqing caught his attention due to the presence of the Swallow Immortal and the Great Liujiang Gathering. He had been covertly monitoring it. When he initially heard of the water demon being slain, he thought it was the work of the old Swallow Immortal, which surprised him. However, after reviewing the reports, he realized it wasn't.

The incident on Yunding Mountain, on the other hand, had spread far and wide. And then there was Changjing, right under his nose.

By calculating the timeline, it was indeed around the time for the next generation of heir from Hidden Dragon Temple to descend the mountain for their travels. Connecting the dots between these incidents, they roughly outlined the path taken by this heir. As he investigated further, he came across even more interesting stories, which he considered supporting evidences and confirmed his suspicions.

He had already been nearly certain, and after inviting Cui Nanxi today and asking a few probing questions, he was now fully certain.

However, he still didn't know what special abilities this generation's heir possessed. The State Preceptor had gathered all available rumors, but apart from a possible proficiency in fire element spells, nothing else stood out.

What spiritual methods they practiced, what spells they mastered—he had no clue.

Judging by the reports, though, it seemed that this generation’s heir had a vastly different personality and way of doing things compared to the last.

“…” Slowly, he made his way back to the Stargazing Tower.

This was his residence, and aside from the imperial palace, it was the tallest building in Changjing. It was where he observed the stars at night.

There was no method for directly revealing the future; any attempt to foresee it would always yield esoteric and ambiguous insights. The rest depended on deduction and conjecture. Therefore, no matter how skilled a divination master may be, they could only glimpse part of the truth and deduce the rest. The more knowledge one had about an event, the clearer the insight would be. Now, he had gathered quite a bit of information.

“Ouch!”

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain, like being pricked by a needle.

***

Outside the doorstep on Willow Street, Song You was sewing a small cloth bag. A calico cat sat beside him, staring intently.

He was almost done. The bag, about the size of a fist, was stuffed with scraps of cloth and was meant to be a new toy for the calico cat.

The previous baomao ball was indeed too old; it had been two years. After coming down from Yunding Mountain, it had already become dry and brittle. Every time the cat played with it, it had to be very careful, fearing it would fall apart. Even so, every play session caused countless bits to fall off. The more it was used, the more it deteriorated, and now it was not far from falling apart.

So, Song You decided to sew a sturdier cloth one. Given the thrifty nature of the cat, it would probably last for many years.

“Well! Doing some sewing work, are we?” A voice called out from the side.

Heroine Wu, holding a bamboo basket, walked over from next door. The basket was filled with small green samaras, each about the size of a thumbnail, resembling tiny coins made of leaves.

Song You glanced up briefly and then lowered his head again. “Is it the season for elm samaras?”

“You know elm samaras? Have you eaten them before?”

“I have.”

“Do you know how to cook them, or do you eat them raw?”

“I know how to cook them.”

“Perfect! Last time, you gave me that pickled cauliflower, which was delicious. Consider this basket of elm samaras my repayment!”

“Where did you get them?”

“I picked them outside the city. It's the season for elm samaras, and when I finished my work and saw a lot of people gathering them outside the city, I joined in.” Heroine Wu grinned. “But none of them were as fast as me—I gathered more.”

“Do you still have any left?”

“Of course! Plenty!” Heroine Wu said generously, “I picked a lot, enough to last for the next couple of days. After I eat them, I’ll go gather more. It should save me some money on meals. If you run out, just come by and get some.”

“What about the money you made from catching that demon?”

“I’ve used it!”

“So how do you eat it?”

“I’m too lazy to cook. I eat them raw. It tastes good raw.”

“…” While continuing to sew, Song You said, “Why not bring them all over? I'll cook them together and give you some.”

“That sounds great!” Heroine Wu set down the basket and immediately turned to leave again.

Song You glanced at the basket, mentally planning how to use the elm samaras. He could eat some raw, steam some for dinner, and make some into elm samara dumplings, which could serve as breakfast or even be stored as dry food for lunch.

As he was thinking, he suddenly had a strange feeling. He looked up at the sky, squinting.

The cat beside him had been watching him intently but, seeing this, followed his gaze upward in confusion.

“…” Song You frowned, feeling as though someone had been watching him just now—a sense of being spied on—but it quickly vanished. He pondered for a moment before lowering his head again.

The cat, however, kept staring at the sky.

Until someone else approached…

“Hmm?” Heroine Wu returned with another basket of elm samaras. She looked up at the sky, saw nothing, and then glanced back a couple more times before walking over to Song You. She was puzzled and asked, “Why is your cat staring up like that? There's nothing there.”

“I don't know.” Song You replied simply and continued his handiwork, saying to her, “Just leave it beside me. Come over for dinner tonight.”

“Thanks for the effort.”

“Likewise, thank you too.”

“What are you sewing? A sandbag?”

“A little ball.”

“You're pretty good at it! I didn't expect you to know about needlework!”

“I grew up cultivating on a mountain. The temple was quite poor, and we didn’t have a tailor. If our clothes got damaged, we had to sew them ourselves,” Song You said quietly.

“And your master?”

“I sewed her clothes too.”

“…” Heroine Wu scratched her head, clearly not expecting that.

Song You lowered his head, bit the thread to cut it, and inspected the fabric ball. After a brief check, he noticed the cat beside him staring intently without blinking, so he handed the ball to her.

“Here you go.”

“Meow!”

The cat immediately opened her mouth, grabbed the ball, and jumped off the bench before running into the house with it in her mouth.

Stretching, Song You picked up the basket of elm samaras and headed inside as well. It had been a few years since he'd last eaten them.