Unintended Immortality

“That man has some skills.” Shu Yifan finished placing the Ding family’s deceased grandson’s body back in the coffin and re-covered the grave before tossing the shovel aside.

“Indeed,” Song You agreed with his assessment.

Based on tonight’s display alone, this person possessed mastery over several types of spells, forming a cohesive system that allowed for both offense and defense, with flexibility to advance or retreat as needed. Such a well-rounded mastery was rare among the talented eccentrics in the jianghu.

A typical martial artist who mastered even one of his skills would be considered a talented eccentric and might even gain some fame in the jianghu. To master several was no easy feat.

This was precisely why Song You hadn’t pursued him. In a few days, he would pay a visit to see if this Daoist truly had a lineage.

With a casual flick of his finger—

“Whoosh…”

The grass-and-wood effigy originally made to resemble the young Miss Cao ignited instantly, quickly burning down to ashes.

He turned his head again—

Another sound, and the crow burst into flames as well.

The calico cat sat beside it, deeply curious. She leaned in, inspecting the crow from every angle, sniffing carefully before finally looking up at Song You. “Who was that person just now?”

“A bad guy.”

“I know he was a bad guy.”

“You’re very clever.”

“And this crow?”

“The bad guy’s crow.”

“I know that, too.”

“Indeed, very clever.” Song You walked over to her, bent down, and picked her up. “We owe tonight's success to you, Lady Calico.”

“...” The calico cat shifted, wriggling into a comfortable position.

“Indeed.”

The three of them—two people and one cat—made their way back down the mountain, bringing along Miss Cao and slowly heading back toward the village.

The candles by the grave, once extinguished, now flickered back to life. By then, a faint light was appearing on the horizon. It was the hour when people were most likely to dream.

As Song You passed by the main courtyard of the Ding family estate, he stopped. He turned and blew a light breath toward the house before continuing back to the old, dilapidated house.

Naturally, Miss Cao followed them.

***

The Ding family estate was still bustling in the morning. Most of the guests from last night hadn’t left.

It wasn’t that they wanted to stay and see more, but rather that they were uneasy. After witnessing the terrifying spectacle of thunder on a clear night, they dared not leave hastily.

They waited, looking forward to the return of the master. As soon as he arrived, they quickly welcomed him into the main hall.

“Please, sir, take the seat of honor.”

“You’re all too kind; how could I possibly take the seat of honor?” Song You said to them, glancing at the young woman beside him. “The only person here owed an apology is Miss Cao.”

“Of course, of course.”

“Miss Cao, please take the seat of honor as well.”

Miss Cao, a delicate girl just over ten years old, looked hesitant. Unsure of what to do, she instinctively looked at Song You.

“Please, go ahead,” Song You gestured to her with a polite wave.

The courageous young lady then promptly took her seat. Song You was also encouraged to sit up front by the others.

In the hall, everyone was at least in their thirties, with some as old as sixty or seventy. They were standing respectfully below with restrained demeanor. Meanwhile, the young Daoist and Miss Cao sat in the seats of honor, while the white-robed swordsman stood by with his sword. The calico cat was perched on the table, watching them intently.

The crowd exchanged glances. Old Master Ding took the lead, kneeling first—not before Song You, but in front of Miss Cao.

It seemed prearranged, as everyone behind him followed suit. They kneeled in unison, bowing their heads in apology.

“I was foolish… I’ve wronged you, Miss Cao. It was all my doing,” the old man said, kowtowing, “I will give my life to make amends, if only you would forgive me, Miss Cao.”

“We were all foolish...”

“But we had no choice...”

“We beg for your forgiveness, Miss Cao...”

Miss Cao looked at them silently, saying nothing.

The kneeling group turned to look at Song You.

“Sir...” Old Master Ding spoke again, “Now that my grandson and the effigy crafted by you have both been buried, and Miss Cao is safe and sound, I wonder—how can we cleanse ourselves of this sin and find peace of mind?”

“Please, guide us, sir!” Voices from the crowd erupted in disarray.

Seated above, Song You looked at them and asked, “May I ask, do any of you feel guilty?”

“We do feel guilty...”

“We all realize our wrongdoing now.”

The crowd’s voices were a jumble, and their expressions varied.

Some looked embarrassed, some ashamed, and a few showed a hint of resentment, as though they felt they had no choice. Others simply appeared fearful, afraid of divine retribution.

These differing emotions revealed not only the diversity of their characters but also the extent to which each person had been involved.

Song You glanced around, quickly assessing the situation.

“Sir...”

“My humble opinion is that regardless of the circumstances, trying to bury a living person is an unforgivable offense,” Song You said.

He added, “Fortunately, a major tragedy was averted, and I understand you all had your own reasons. As an uninvolved wandering Daoist, I’m hardly in a position to interfere much. However, since you feel remorse and wish to atone, seeking Miss Cao’s forgiveness is the only way to cleanse your guilt and find peace.”

“Of course, of course.”

“We don’t know what Miss Cao desires, but whatever is within my power, I’ll make it happen.”

“Thanks to you, sir, no calamity occurred last night, as the ceremony and marriage were not completed. If… If Miss Cao wishes to stay with the Ding family, we would treat her with the utmost respect as our grandson’s wife, and dare not mistreat her in any way.” Feeling ashamed, the old man trailed off, then added, “If Miss Cao would rather not stay, she may ask for whatever she desires.”

Song You turned to Miss Cao, his voice gentle. “If you don’t wish to stay, simply say so.”

“...” Miss Cao lowered her head, biting her lip in silence. After a long pause, she lifted her head and took a deep breath, saying, “I want to leave here.”

It seemed she understood. As a young woman, now orphaned and alone, her future would still be bleak even if heaven itself sent lightning to strike down everyone in this room and left not a single person alive.

These people indeed had their own reasons, and now that she was unharmed, it was unlikely that divine retribution would wipe them all out in a single strike.

“That’s not an issue. I once held an official post in the county and have some modest assets. I will provide you with a hundred taels of silver, Miss Cao. With careful use, it should be enough for a lifetime,” said Old Master Ding. “I also have an empty house in the county, unused for years, which I can give to you.”

“Huaichang is too close to here. This place is in chaos now,” Song You reminded gently. “A woman may find it hard to live here alone.”

“You’re right, sir.” Old Master Ding didn’t hesitate further. “Miss Cao, feel free to choose any destination.”

Hearing this, Miss Cao was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Changjing might be better.” Song You offered another suggestion, adding, “However, Changjing is far. While it’s prosperous, life there is even more challenging.”

“We happen to have some business in Changjing,” said a middle-aged man kneeling nearby. Lifting his head, he continued, “We also had a distant relative there who recently passed. We can say Miss Cao is a distant relation of the Ding family and send her to Changjing, giving her a proper identity and reason for her funds.”

“I can add a bit more silver,” said Old Master Ding.

Song You turned once more to Miss Cao.

“That will do...” Miss Cao nodded, her voice soft as a whisper.

“Is there anything else?”

“My second uncle...” Miss Cao bit her lip, hesitating to continue.

“I understand.” Old Master Ding, elderly and feeling the pain in his knees as he knelt, immediately spoke up, “I will have him expelled from Ding Family Village at once.”

“My second aunt… she treated me well.”

“She will be shown kindness,” he assured.

“Mm...”

“Is there anything else you would like, Miss Cao?”

“...”

“In that case, I will arrange for someone in town today. My son will personally escort you with the funds to the capital and ensure you’re settled safely.”

“Mm...” Miss Cao said little in response.

“Sir...” The group finally turned their attention to the young Daoist.

“You all have good intentions,” Song You nodded in approval, then added, “Old sir, given your age, please rise.”

“Would you know how to interpret dreams, sir?”

“Hmm?”

“Forgive me, sir,” Old Master Ding said, looking troubled, “but last night… whether due to worry or perhaps some divine message, we all had strange dreams.”

“What sort of dreams did you all have?”

“I dreamed of a divine figure clad in golden armor, who spoke to us. The figure explained the consequences and urged us to live virtuously...” The elder looked at Song You anxiously after speaking. “Why would we have such a dream? What could it mean?”

“That depends on whether your actions today reflect true repentance or if you were simply frightened by the figure in your dreams.”

“Of course, it’s genuine repentance.”

“If it’s genuine, then all is well.”

“Please, guide us, sir...”