Unintended Immortality

It was only in the afternoon that Song You finally sent him away. Meanwhile, Lady Calico had already started studying upstairs.

Song You ascended the stairs slowly, the wooden steps creaking underfoot.

The little girl sat at the desk, which he usually occupied, her feet swinging back and forth rapidly. Strangely, her upper body was perfectly upright, creating a stark contrast between the two halves.

On the desk lay several sheets of paper covered in writing, along with a sandbox. She was holding a willow branch, carefully copying the words on the paper.

At that moment, the topmost word was “cat.”

“Cat…” she murmured softly as she copied the word.

After finishing one iteration, she paused, intently staring at the characters on the paper before glancing at her own writing on the sandbox. She went back and forth several times, focusing intently on each comparison for a long time. Only then did she use a bamboo stick to smooth the sand on the wooden tray, preparing to write it again with utmost care, striving for perfection.

Song You’s footsteps came to a halt behind her. The little girl’s ears twitched, but she didn’t acknowledge him.

The Daoist felt that this scene was truly beautiful, no less stunning than the scenery at Yunding Mountain or the palaces under the dusk light, equally captivating as the currents of the era. He couldn’t help but stand quietly behind her, watching.

“Dog…”

“Horse…”

The little girl continued as before, writing one iteration after another, seemingly unaware of the passage of time.

The Daoist was equally oblivious.

“Chicken…”

His heart skipped a beat.

The little girl seemed to sense something unusual about him and turned her head to look at him curiously, before returning to her studies with determination.

However, after studying for a short while, she realized that she had already exhausted her learning quota for the day.

So, pretending to be casual, she stretched her little hands and yawned, leaning back while lifting her head high and glancing at the Daoist behind her from that angle. She then set down the willow branch, got off the stool, and didn’t forget to say to him,

“Today, I’ve only learned this little bit.”

“…” Song You showed a hint of a smile.

“Whew…”

In a puff of green smoke, the little girl transformed back into a cat, stretching on the ground again. Her gaze turned to the Daoist as she said, “When will you teach me that spell?”

“You’ve just finished learning; you should take a rest.”

“I’m not tired.”

“I want to rest for a bit.”

“You’re not tired either.”

“Well, fine.” Song You’s smile grew tinged with helplessness as he sat down on the nearby bed and said, “This spell isn’t very difficult; many Daoists in temples and street performers can do it.”

“...!” The calico cat immediately sat upright, looking at him seriously.

“Do you remember, Lady Calico? Last night at the lantern festival, there was a street performer selling palace lanterns and hairpins.”

“I don’t remember.”

“It was that one, long and pointed at one end, with a little lantern hanging from the other end by an iron wire.” Song You gestured to indicate roughly the length, about the size of his palm. “It’s for women to insert into their hair. I watched it with you for a while, and you even asked me why one would stick this into their hair.”

“Now I remember.”

Single strands were called hair sticks, while double strands were called hair pins. When walking, they sway, which was why they were called buyao[1].

The palace lantern buyao was essentially a hair stick connected to a delicate decorative piece resembling a palace lantern. It was made exquisitely small and swayed when one walked, but it was not particularly valuable.

The only special thing about it was that the street performer selling the palace lantern buyao last night had a bit of skill. Each time he sold a hair stick, he would murmur a few phrases and blow a breath, causing the little lantern, which was no larger than a quail egg, to light up.

Last night was the lantern festival, and with many nobles in Changjing, curiosity was high. This street performer knew how to do business; he managed to sell a regular copper hair stick for a price comparable to gold or silver.

“That street performer who sold the palace lantern buyao can perform this spell, known as the Lighting Spell.”

“Lighting Spell.”

“This spell is best learned through Daoist teachings. If that street performer wasn’t from a Daoist background, he must be someone who has sincerely worshipped the Fiery Sun True Lord for generations,” Song You explained to her.

“To perform this spell, one must first know the full name and title of the Fiery Sun True Lord, sincerely commune with the divine, and report their own name. They then can use a bit of spiritual energy as a catalyst, which may cause the lantern to light up.”

“May cause?”

“If you’re sincere, you’ll use less spiritual energy, and it will be simpler. If you’re not so sincere, you’ll need to use more spiritual energy, and it will be more difficult.”

“The full name and title of the Fiery Sun True Lord?”

“Hong Yuan Hao De, Supreme Sovereign of the Five Elements, Fiery Sun Divine Majesty True Lord.”

“Hongyuan Haode, Supreme Sovereign of the Five Elements, Fiery Sun Divine Majesty True Lord…” The calico cat murmured softly after him, then stared at him intently and added, “But I’m not a Daoist.”

“Though you’re not a Daoist, how would the Fiery Sun True Lord know that?”

“I cannot tell lies!”

“Of course! You’ve always been honest; you certainly cannot tell lies!” Song You paused for a moment. “But who says this means telling a lie?”

“Meow?” The calico cat was taken aback by Song You's words.

She could only continue to watch him closely.

“Lady Calico, you’re not a Daoist from the Hidden Dragon Temple, so you can’t claim to be a Daoist from Hidden Dragon Temple. However, since you’re fated to be with me and travel the world together, you’ll most likely return to the Hidden Dragon Temple with me in the future, right?”

“Most likely!”

“When we return to Hidden Dragon Temple, by then my master will surely have passed away. In such a large temple, I will be the abbot, and I’ll build a small temple for you nearby…” Song You paused.

“Of course, this doesn’t mean I want you to turn back into a Cat God. It’s just that we are Daoists, and Daoists live in temples. I’ll stay in the big temple, and Lady Calico can stay in the small temple. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Right…”

“So, it’s correct for you to say you’re Lady Calico of the Cat Temple next to the Hidden Dragon Temple on Yin-Yang Mountain in Lingquan County of Yizhou, right?”

“Correct…”

“So when you cast your spell, you should sincerely ask Hongyuan Haode, Supreme Sovereign of the Five Elements, Fiery Sun Divine Majesty True Lord, and tell him you’re Lady Calico of the Cat Temple next to the Hidden Dragon Temple in Lingquan County of Yizhou, and request a bit of firelight to light up your lantern.”

Song You explained to her, “Lady Calico, you already have some Daoist abilities and have a strong affinity for fire magic, which brings you closer to the Fiery Sun True Lord. Plus, since you’re pure-hearted, clever, and adorable, the Fiery Sun True Lord is sure to like you. Moreover, it’s possible that the Fiery Sun True Lord is acquainted with one of our Hidden Dragon Temple’s ancestors, so it’s likely to succeed.”

“Likely to succeed!”

“However, before that, out of courtesy, I will take you to offer three sticks of incense to the Fiery Sun True Lord, so he knows you’re borrowing fire from him.”

“Okay!”

“Then let’s use the herbal incense we made ourselves.”

“Okay!”

A moment later…

On the desk, there was now a bowl filled with rice. Lady Calico held a few sticks of incense, took a breath, ignited them, and then inserted them into the bowl, where they stood upright effortlessly.

Two voices echoed in the room in succession. Every time Song You spoke, she echoed him, her attitude excellent, and her imitation strikingly similar, like a well-behaved student.

“Please grant your permission, True Lord.”

“Please grant your permission, True Lord!” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A gust of wind blew in, yet there was no chill. Instead, it seemed to bring a bit more warmth.

“Whoosh…”

The three sticks of herbal incense suddenly burned out at an astonishing speed, turning into a wisp of blue smoke that rose straight up, yet before it reached halfway to the ceiling, it vanished into thin air.

“Hmm?” The cat turned its head to look at the Daoist.

“You were once a Cat God, so you naturally know that this means the Fiery Sun True Lord has agreed.” Song You said to Lady Calico, “In the future, you only need to follow what I said before and use a little bit of spiritual energy as a catalyst to borrow candlelight from the Fiery Sun True Lord.

“If it happens frequently, you might not even need to use spiritual energy. Or perhaps in the future, as your own cultivation improves, your won’t need to borrow candlelight from the Fiery Sun True Lord at all and can simply ignite a flame herself, letting it burn all night without needing to tend to it.”

“Hongyuan Haode, Supreme Sovereign of the Five Elements, Fiery Sun Divine Majesty True Lord, I am Lady Calico of the Cat Temple next to the Hidden Dragon Temple on Yin-Yang Mountain in Lingquan County of Yizhou. Please lend me a bit of firelight to light my lantern.”

The calico cat spoke in a soft, childish voice, gazing intently at the small horse lantern hanging nearby.

“…” Silently, a flicker of firelight appeared inside the lantern.

It was as if a candle had been lit inside; during the day, it was almost invisible unless one looked closely.

“Congratulations, Lady Calico.”

“…”

The calico cat turned to glare at him for a moment but ignored him afterward. Instead, with a swish, she transformed back into human form and began examining her lantern carefully, lost in her own world.

Yes, the cat had her own things to do. Naturally, so did Song You.

At this time, the weather was gradually turning cooler, especially after the autumn equinox, which added a touch of chill to the air. It was time to make sausages and cured meats.

So, Song You said goodbye to Lady Calico and stepped outside.

In the Western District, there was a butcher known for selling the best pork—top-quality black pigs, all neutered, and sometimes they even sold beef. However, it was already afternoon, and he wondered if there was still any left to buy.

Song You took a stroll around.

Thanks to Changjing's prosperity, he was able to buy some good meat in the afternoon. However, recently everyone had begun preparing cured meats, and the prices were slightly higher than usual.

Upon returning, he started to get everything ready. Having grown up in the temple, the Daoist had done this many times before, and he was quite skilled at it now.

But as he was working, he suddenly felt something was off.

He turned around to find that a little follower had appeared behind him at some point. In broad daylight, she was holding a lantern and stood just a bit behind him, tilting her head to watch his every move without blinking.

As Song You rubbed salt on the meat, she watched intently. When he turned to get more salt, she immediately followed closely behind him, fixated on his actions. If she couldn't see due to her height, she'd tiptoe to get a better look, as if needing to see exactly how much he was using. When Song You returned, she hurried back as well, clearly unwilling to miss a single action.

Song You paused to look at her.

She blinked back at him with bright, thoughtful eyes, then asked, “So this way, the meat can be stored for a long time and won’t get maggots, right?”

“…” Song You fell silent for a moment, not answering. He felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

1. Bu means step while yao means sway. ☜