Unintended Immortality

Changjing was growing colder day by day. Fortunately, the weather had been decent in recent days.

The houses within Changjing were not as spacious as those outside the city, especially the residences of the shops in the western district, which lacked courtyards for drying cured meats and had to hang them outside instead. However, not many people made cured foods.

In recent days, anyone passing through Willow Street could see the shop displaying the characters for “Dao” and the sign “Rodent Extermination,” with cured meats hanging at its entrance. After a few days, they added sausages and preserved meat.

Strangely, there was often a cat lying in the sun at the entrance, sleeping, yet it never stole any meat. In fact, whenever other cats or dogs approached, it would immediately wake up and chase them away.

Passersby found it quite remarkable. A writer of miscellaneous tales considered it one of the curiosities of Changjing and recorded it in his book.

When the cat was absent, the Daoist would take its place. In any case, someone had to be there to keep watch.

Sometimes both the Daoist and the cat were present, with the cat often sound asleep at the door, while the autumn winds sent countless leaves falling. The Daoist would sit on a stool outside, placing the leaves one by one onto the cat until it was buried beneath them.

The cat was aware but paid no mind.

After a while, Song You decided to bring the meat back inside, hanging it on the beams of the cooking room, and stopped taking it out to dry every day.

The winter in Changjing was a bit colder than in Yizhou, and the Daoist had already changed into winter clothing. As the days grew colder, he lit the stove and often boiled a kettle of tea and skewered some meat to roast, skipping a meal in the process. He would sit by the window on the second floor with a book, spending the entire afternoon idly passing the time.

In the evenings, he would take a stroll to see the winter scene of Changjing.

Like Yizhou, Changjing shed much of its prosperous facade in winter. The impoverished people in the western district resembled stray cats and dogs, who, although appearing to have some semblance of order in spring, summer, and autumn, truly wandered at the edge of life and death in winter.

Perhaps one night, those huddled in their homes or even on the streets would fall asleep, only to find themselves frozen stiff by morning.

People at the tea house said that every day, someone died from the cold.

“The afflictions of the times…” If the south was like this, how much worse must it be in the north?

Song You was sitting upstairs, with a book placed in front of him.

This book was the Yudi Jisheng that he had bought in Yidu. He had opened it to the very first page, which featured a simple map of the Great Yan.

In front of him, the stove was burning, and a kettle was bubbling on top, with steam rising. Inside was official tea brewed with red dates and sugar.

Beside the stove lay a calico cat.

The Daoist reached out to lift the kettle and placed it at the edge of the stove, filling one cup and one small bowl with tea. One was an ordinary earthen cup, while the other was exquisite blue-and-white porcelain, showcasing bright red tea.

In the earthen cup, the color was not easily discernible. But in the intricately carved blue-and-white porcelain bowl, the tea appeared clear and bright red, making it visually stunning.

“Here’s some tea for you, Lady Calico.”

“I’ll let it cool a bit before drinking.”

“Alright.” Song You tightened his paper coat. “Good for you, Lady Calico. You've mastered the ability to change form, so you can transform into any kind of clothing you want.”

“I’m quite impressive.”

“By the way, we've been in Changjing for three seasons now. After this winter, we should be leaving.”

The calico cat immediately lifted its head to look at him. “Are we leaving again?”

“There’s still some time.” Song You replied, “But we should start preparing in advance.”

“Will we come back?”

“Of course.”

“Oh...”

“Then please, the impressive Lady Calico, tell me.” Song You raised his cup to sip the tea. “After spring arrives and we leave Changjing, should we head north or south?”

“I don’t know.”

“Heading north means entering chaos, with demons causing havoc and the people suffering. Going south would be somewhat more peaceful, but we could also visit Fengzhou and Mount Ye,” Song You said to her. “What do you think, Lady Calico?”

“I will follow you.”

“Is that so...” Song You lifted his cup and slowly savored the tea, falling into thought.

Changjing was the center of the world. Since arriving in Changjing, he had indeed gained a lot, but he couldn’t stay here forever; he would eventually have to leave.

Even knowing that Changjing would soon face a turning point, with storms brewing, he still could not remain here. Such a grand historical drama could take years or even over a decade to unfold, and he could not wait around for it.

However, Changjing was the center of the world—not only politically, economically, and culturally, but also geographically. The vastness of the Great Yan meant that whether he traveled south or north, as long as he moved from state to state and explored in a balanced manner, he would inevitably return. While returning was not strictly necessary, it was a more efficient route. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was akin to dividing the various states of the Great Yan into roughly four layers from south to north. He could head north, then travel east to the farthest eastern point, completing one layer, before returning and traversing another layer, thus finishing two layers and returning to Changjing.

After that, he would travel through the remaining two layers to the south.

He could only hope that the next time he returned, he would encounter the grand historical drama of Changjing, even if it was just to hear about it and experience it.

“Speaking of which...” Song You had finished the tea in his cup but did not put it down. Instead, he took a moment to savor the lingering orchid scent on the cup's rim before continuing to speak to the calico cat. “The weather has been getting colder lately. A few days ago, I heard people in the tea house across the street say that it has already snowed in Mount Beiqin.”

“It's cold when it snows.”

“Yes...” Song You said. “It's cold in the city, not to mention outside.”

“Exactly.”

“How about this, Lady Calico? You shouldn't go out to catch mice tonight. It's the coldest at night, and if you go out to catch mice, you'll have to stay out all night. Not everyone will have a stove prepared for you. It would be better for you to finish this job and then rest,” Song You suggested, looking at the cat. “It's warmer at home.”

“I’m not afraid of the cold!”

“Is that so?”

“When I was in the temple, I would go out to catch mice even in the cold.”

“That's not necessary now.”

“I’m even more impressive now.”

“Is that so...”

Song You nodded, choosing not to say anything further. He was just thinking about finding someone in a few days to make her a portable little nest. It didn’t need to be too complicated—just a larger basket lined with blankets, with another layer on top.

He could carry it when he took her to work and bring it back when he returned. After her night shift, Lady Calico could curl up inside to sleep, which would definitely be warmer.

Then Song You said, “I want to visit Mount Beiqin again to see Doctor Cai and the Snake Immortal. Do you want to come with me?”

“When are we going?”

“In a couple of days?” Song You paused for a moment. “Just in time since it has already snowed in the mountains. After a while, it will be too cold, and we need to leave after spring. You’ll also need to finish this job first.”

“What if we can’t find them this time?”

“Then it’ll be fine.”

“...” The calico cat hesitated briefly but soon stood up. “I will follow you.”

After saying this, she stretched lazily and started licking the tea.

Perhaps because she had never tasted sweetness before becoming a spirit, once she gained her powers, she realized how wonderful this flavor was. Therefore, every time Song You brewed tea, he would add quite a bit of sugar or honey.

Although it was common to put sugar in tea during the winter in Changjing, after drinking it for a long time, Song You also worried about his health.

***

One morning a few days later… The morning light shone through the thick fog.

What was today perfect for? It was perfect for both wandering and sleeping.

Song You slept until he naturally woke up, then took the Mount Cang map and left the city with Lady Calico.

It wasn’t that he was afraid the Mount Cang map would be lost at home, but without the jujube-red horse, it would be impossible to sleep outside in winter without blankets, so he treated it as a storage artifact.

Strolling leisurely through the city, he saw countless hardships faced by the common people. After exiting the city, he headed toward Mount Beiqin. Although the path was familiar, the scenery was already unfamiliar.

The further they walked, the colder it became, and the stronger the wind blew.

They spent a day at the foot of the mountain and slept outside for one night. When they got up the next morning, they saw that Mount Beiqin was covered in white.

Lady Calico still looked like a cat; her little feet weren’t wearing shoes. As she stepped down from the wool felt, one of her front paws barely touched the ground before she quickly pulled it back and looked up at him.

“It’s so cold outside.”

“Do you want me to carry you?”

“No!”

“You won’t feel cold if you keep walking.”

So, one person and one cat packed up their belongings and put them into the painting, then carried the painting box and continued on their way.

After walking a while up the mountain, they finally saw the snow.

Song You initially wanted to hold Lady Calico or invite her into his pouch, but she was too proud and insisted on walking by herself, leaving a trail of plum blossom paw prints on the frosted ground.

The deep mountain world under winter frost and snow was extremely quiet. It seemed as if all the birds had vanished, and although there were houses in the mountains, no footprints could be seen on the road. Besides the occasional sound of snow falling from broken branches, almost no other animals or insects could be heard.

Thus, the sound of broken branches dropping snow became a kind of decoration of silence, not only failing to disturb the quiet but rather accentuating it. Compared to the chirping of insects in summer, it was almost absurdly quiet.

The further they climbed, the thicker the snow became. One man and one cat moved slower as they walked.

This time it took nearly a whole day, and they finally arrived at the former hut of Doctor Cai by dusk. Unfortunately, they still couldn’t find him; it even felt as if Doctor Cai hadn’t returned at all in the half-year since their last visit.

Song You had no choice but to stay overnight at the door of Doctor Cai's hut. The next morning, he continued deeper into Mount Beiqin.

Not long after setting out, the path disappeared. Looking up, he saw nothing but a vast expanse of white mountains.

“Hmm?” Song You turned his gaze to a mountain on the left.

On that mountain, there was a path, as if a boulder had rolled down from the peak, leaving a distinct mark in the snow. However, the trail was not a straight up-and-down line and didn’t appear to be caused by a rolling stone from the mountaintop.

Song You exchanged a glance with Lady Calico and stepped toward that direction. As they got closer and could see clearly, it indeed wasn’t the result of a rolling stone. So, they followed this trail and continued on their way.

Once again, they climbed over mountains and hills. After ascending a small hill, they looked ahead and saw the end of the trail.

In the midst of the white snow-covered mountains, there was a small lake, its surface steaming. The lakeside had pines and bamboos, along with a few thatched huts, all covered in snow, creating a mottled white appearance. A small boat floated on the lake, and in the distance, they could see a figure in a raincoat sitting quietly in the boat. The person was fishing peacefully, the scene incredibly tranquil.

Song You exchanged another glance with Lady Calico and then set off.

The grass was deep, and the snow was heavy, sometimes coming up to their knees. They then slowly made their way to the edge of the lake.