Unintended Immortality

“In Changjing City…”

“What’s the problem?”

“If it were half a year ago, even with the heavy yang energy in the city, it wouldn’t have been much trouble for me to make a trip inside. But recently, I’ve heard that the City God of Changjing has gone mad, patrolling every day, hunting demons and ghosts. Though I possess some skill in concealing my whereabouts, the City God is particularly adept at finding and summoning spirits.”

The scholar ghost appeared troubled. “Moreover, I’ve stolen things in the city before, so I’m rather hesitant to return.”

“My name is Song You,” the Daoist repeated. “If you are stopped by the martial officers of the City God’s temple, just give them my name, and you should be able to get out of trouble.”

“…” The scholar ghost was startled once more, quickly bowing in panic.

“I understand!”

“Thank you in advance for your help.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Please take care of yourself, and proceed cautiously. If you encounter any danger, prioritize your own safety.”

“Farewell…”

The Daoist bowed to him, and the scholar ghost bowed in return.

Moments later, the scholar ghost transformed into a wisp of green smoke, slipping through a hole in the window and vanishing into the night.

The Daoist glanced outside. The world beyond was still shrouded in darkness, though dawn was approaching.

He gently stroked the cat beside him. Instead of continuing to meditate, he lay down, a few thoughts lingering in his mind. Slowly, with his eyes closed, he drifted into sleep.

The calico cat curled back into a ball, covering its head with its paws, and squinted its eyes to return to its slumber.

Then, the oil lamp in the room flickered out.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo…” With the rooster’s crow, the day began to break.

The calico cat was the first to raise its head. The sky outside had turned a deep blue. As the rooster crowed a few more times, the cat rubbed its eyes. Unable to contain its curiosity, it leaped onto the window, staring out.

The day grew brighter, but the sky remained dim and cloudy. It had started to rain outside.

Perhaps because the Daoist had returned late the previous night and cultivated until midnight, he hadn't gotten enough rest and ended up sleeping well into the day.

“What time is it?”

“Hmm?”

“What time is it, Lady Calico?”

“It's daytime!”

“…” The Daoist shook his head and let it go.

Sitting up in bed, he wiped his face and straightened his clothes. Getting out of bed, he put on his shoes and walked outside. All he could hear was the sound of rain, a gentle and steady patter.

When he opened the door, he saw that the rain was coming down quite heavily.

His steps came to a halt at the entrance. He could only take one more step forward; any more and he would step beyond the shelter of the thatched roof. The ground had already become thoroughly soaked, and water kept splashing over. The dirt at the doorway had turned into wet mud.

The Daoist looked up at the sky, thinking that the rain probably wouldn’t last much longer.

There were several zhang between where he stood and the main hall.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he turned back and strapped on his bundle. He then took the long box in one hand and scooped up the groggy cat in the other before he locked the door and made his way across the courtyard. Stepping on the stone slabs, he quickly crossed the yard and reached the main hall.

Inside, there was only one person eating. It was none other than Heroine Wu.

She held a bowl in her hands and glanced back at him, then called out to the innkeeper, “Your other guest is awake. Could you bring another bowl of porridge, please?”

“Coming right up!”

Song You nodded to her and sat down at the same table.

The innkeeper soon arrived with their meal. A bowl of wild vegetable porridge, a boiled egg, and a spoonful of pickles on top—this was the simple breakfast offered by the inn.

“Take your time. If the porridge or pickles aren't enough, just let me know, and I'll bring more,” the innkeeper said.

“Thank you,” the Daoist softly replied and took the egg. He tapped it on the table to crack it and began peeling it slowly.

“Rrrrrr...” A soft rolling sound came from the table. Looking up, he saw the other boiled egg rolling over toward him.

The Daoist raised his gaze to glance at the woman across from him. She simply nodded toward the calico cat with her chin.

“Thank you,” the Daoist said once more.

The woman remained silent, holding the bottom of her bowl in one hand while using chopsticks to shovel food with the other. Her eyes were fixed on the rain outside. Once the innkeeper had walked away, she finally spoke.

“What was that noise coming from your room last night?”

“A minor ghost came by, trying to steal Master Dou’s painting, but I caught him in the act,” the Daoist replied, still peeling his egg. “I had a good talk with him. I asked him for a favor, and then let him go.”

“Ah...” Heroine Wu didn’t probe further and continued to stare out the window. “This rain is really annoying.”

After finishing peeling the egg, the Daoist took a delicate blue and white porcelain bowl from his bundle. He broke the egg into small pieces, placed them in the bowl, and handed it to Lady Calico. Then he picked up his chopsticks and quietly prepared to eat. “Summer rain is always like this,” he added softly.

“When do you think it will stop?”

“It’ll stop before noon.”

“You always say you can’t predict the future...”

“I’m just speaking from experience.”

“If it stops by noon...” Heroine Wu thought for a moment, smacking her lips. “That should be fine. We can stay here until noon, or if the sun comes out, we’ll wait until the road dries and leave in the afternoon. Since we're not far from the city, we should still be able to reach Changjing before dark. There won’t be any other guests coming today anyway.”

“Yes,” the Daoist agreed, contentedly eating his meal.

The woman stopped talking and ate in large bites. After finishing her first bowl, she called the innkeeper for a second.

Once they were done eating, they rested there.

The innkeeper didn’t rush them. As Heroine Wu had mentioned, the inn only saw guests on the nights when the ghost market opened, and the next one wasn’t for another two days. There was no business to be had today.

Later in the morning, the woman who had kept watch all night went to rest, while the young siblings woke up. They sat by the doorway, holding bowls of food, their gazes unfocused as they looked out at the rain. They seemed unaware of how much farm work awaited them today.

Though the siblings were still young, they were quite outgoing and occasionally exchanged a few words with Heroine Wu.

By noon, just as predicted, the rain stopped. Summer rains were unpredictable, and today was no exception. As soon as the rain ended, the skies cleared, much like they had two days before.

Sunlight broke through, dazzling and bright. Except for the muddy ground, everything else was clean and fresh.

The two children of the inn, now excited, went outside barefoot. They stomped through the mud, running back and forth. They climbed onto piles of firewood and tree branches, looking around from higher vantage points.

The Daoist and the woman had just come out of the courtyard, ready to return to the city.

Seeing the children’s behavior, Heroine Wu, couldn’t help but ask while sitting on horseback, “Kids! What are you looking for?”

The siblings were startled at first, but upon recognizing the heroine who had told them stories the night before, they relaxed and answered, “We’re looking for a rainbow.”

“A rainbow? Where's the rainbow?”

“We’re still searching. It always appears after the rain.”

“Have you found it yet?”

“No, not yet.”

The woman on the horse straightened her back and craned her neck to look around. But she found nothing.

It could be that the southwestern horse was too short; even though she was tall, sitting on the horse didn’t help much. Her view was obstructed by the surrounding thatched cottages, preventing her from seeing far.

As she withdrew her gaze, she met the dark, glossy eyes of the siblings.

“Did you find it, heroine?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Isn’t there one today?”

“It’s not that every summer rain brings a rainbow; sometimes, there isn’t one at all,” Heroine Wu replied, pausing to observe their expressions. “It’s also possible that I just didn’t see it. You can keep looking.”

“Oh…” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“But I have a Daoist beside me who is quite skilled. I don’t know if he can tell fortunes, but you might ask him.”

“Huh?”

Upon hearing this, the siblings immediately turned to the Daoist.

“Daoist elder! Can you tell fortunes?”

“Sorry to disappoint you both.” The Daoist shook his head with a wry smile. “I don’t know anything about fortune-telling, nor do I have any idea where a rainbow might appear...”

“Oh…” The siblings’ faces immediately showed a look of disappointment again.

The Daoist looked at them, thought for a moment, and said, “However, I do know a method that can help find a rainbow.”

“What method?”

“Please bring me a bowl of water.”

“…”

The siblings exchanged glances and then looked at the Daoist.

Immediately, the sister took off running toward the house. Before long, she returned with a bowl of water.

“Is this okay?”

“Very good.”

The Daoist stood next to the horse, casually took the bowl of water, and walked into a spot where the sunlight shone directly. He found the right angle, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, bowed his head to take a sip before spraying the water out.

“Pfft…” A fine mist of water sprayed out from his mouth.

Immediately, a ray of rainbow light appeared in the sunlight.

“...!” The siblings were astonished.

As they watched the visible mist dance and fall, a short, curved rainbow hung in the air. They both found it incredibly magical.

“Is this magic?”

“No.”

“Then is it a trick?”

“It can be called a trick, but it’s not exactly that either.”

As the mist settled to the ground, the rainbow gradually faded and disappeared. The Daoist handed the bowl back to them, smiling as he said to the siblings, “You can try too! Just follow my example. As long as the water you spray is fine and plentiful enough, you’ll be able to see a rainbow.”

“We can do it too?”

“Of course.”

“…”

The sister, still skeptical, took a sip from the bowl. It made her cheeks puff up, and her mouth became small and moist, rosy red. After taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to spray out the water. “Pfft…”

“Why didn’t it work?”

“Try again.”

“Pfft…”

“I did it!”

The two children immediately burst into joy. Not only them, but even the grown woman beside them found it amusing.

The children began to play, taking turns. Sometimes they succeeded, and other times they didn’t, spraying out little rainbows that would disappear moments later.

Before long, the bowl of water was empty. Seeing this, the siblings finally reacted.

The sister quickly turned around, bowing repeatedly to the Daoist beside her. “Thank you, Daoist elder!”

The brother immediately followed suit and bowed. “Thank you, Daoist elder!”

The woman sitting on the horse raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to thank me?”

“Thank you, heroine!”

“Are you happy now?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Me too!”

“What a pity it’s fake…” the brother said with a hint of regret.

Hearing this, the Daoist turned to the little boy and asked, “Why do you say this rainbow is fake?”

“Because a real one is bigger, lasts longer, and hangs in the sky,” the boy replied. “My mother said we can make wishes on it, just like with shooting stars. Every time we make a wish, my father will come back.”

“I see,” the Daoist nodded, smiling.

The sister, being more considerate than her brother, worried the Daoist might feel upset. So, she quickly added, “But we’re still grateful, Daoist elder!”

“You're welcome.” The Daoist withdrew his gaze and didn’t say anything else.

He simply stepped forward.

The siblings stood by the wall watching them, and the sister's voice rang out, “Daoist elder, heroine, please take care. If you come again, stay at our home.”

“Sure.”

“Thank you…”

The heroine on horseback and the Daoist slowly walked away.

The siblings, holding their empty bowls and about to head home, suddenly heard the Daoist’s voice from afar. “Please look behind you.”

Upon hearing this, the siblings quickly turned around, and a rainbow stretched across the sky.