Unintended Immortality

Chapter 62: The Humble Learns from Everyone

“Lady Calico,” Song You said.

“Meow?”

“Stop crossing your paws, let's go.”

“Meow...” The calico cat immediately got up and followed him. The jianghu people around them found it quite amusing.

Master Chen watched as Song You left. After savoring the moment, he turned his gaze to Heroine Wu. “It’s truly fate that you’re able to meet in the jianghu. He’s such a remarkable person too. Why didn’t you invite him to stay for dinner? People might think the Xishan Sect is stingy and lacks hospitality.”

“Master, you must be hard of hearing.” Heroine Wu pretended to bow respectfully. “I did invite him, but he had other matters to attend to and couldn't join us.”

“Does he think our food is subpar?”

“He said the Daoist monk at the temple where he stayed yesterday picked some mushrooms. This morning, the monk invited him to return early to eat them.”

“Mountain mushrooms? Stewed in chicken soup, they might indeed taste better than our food. If made into a tofu and egg soup, it’s comparable to what we have. However, when stir-fried, they might fall a bit short in comparison.” Master Chen leisurely stretched his neck, speaking in a thick accent. “But since he agreed, it's not right for him to break his promise.”

“He stayed at a Daoist temple? There’s no temple in the city,” Master Chen remarked.

“The one outside the city,” Heroine Wu responded.

“Outside the city, there’s only the Zoujiao Temple,” he said.

“Most likely, it’s that temple,” she said.

“It’s not easy to get lodging at Zoujiao Temple...” Master Chen said.

Master Chen's eyes flickered a few times before he looked up at the swallow hovering in the sky. Curiously, as the gentleman walked away, the swallow seemed to follow in that direction.

“Yizhou, Lingquan County...”

Master Chen couldn’t help but shake his head. Ever since he became fascinated with Daoism ten years ago, he had made many connections with high-ranking Daoists in Yizhou. Initially, he thought they were impure immortals, but he realized they were just ordinary people after spending time with them. He hadn’t known there was such an extraordinary temple in Yizhou. He should visit it after returning.

Just then, he heard a voice right by his ear. “Why is it difficult to get lodging at that temple?”

“You startled me! You’re standing too close!” he quipped.

“I’m just here to bring you a chair...” Heroine Wu said.

“In any case, staying there is no easy feat. Even your master’s master tried and was turned away.”

“What's the deal with that temple?” she asked.

“Who knows? It's been there for centuries, while we've only been here for years. But whoever is running that temple does have some skills. I remember when I was young, there were even fewer inns in the city than now. Many jianghu people had to find a place for the night. Some went to Zoujiao Temple, thinking they would be accommodated.

“Naturally, when some of these people were denied and felt slighted, they would cause a commotion or utter some harsh words. However, in the end, they all suffered for it. Although the temple has changed owners, it still doesn't like to host guests,” Master Chen replied.

“How did the temple make them suffer?”

“They were too embarrassed to say,” Master Chen said.

“So, has no one gone to stir up trouble there since then?”

“Those who lack skill don't dare to do so, and those with skill have too much pride,” Master Chen said as they walked. “They're in the wrong, after all. Making a fuss would only make them a laughingstock in the jianghu.”

“That makes sense…”

“That young gentleman seems capable and trustworthy. Especially in the jianghu, trustworthiness is rare. Since he’s also from our hometown, you could befriend him if you get along,” Master Chen said thoughtfully, then shook his head. “But since you've decided to go to Changjing, you probably won’t meet again.”

“I think so too.” The woman smiled, saying nothing more.

Jianghu people were straightforward and easygoing in their friendships, forming bonds based on mutual affinity. However, when it came to farewells, they weren't as sentimental as the literati.

The members of the Xishan Sect were also heading out. The jianghu people walked quickly, while Song You moved more slowly. They hadn’t walked far, and the figures of Song You and Lady Calico, one towering over the other, were still faintly visible. However, at some point, another slender figure had appeared beside them.

Dressed in a black-and-white outfit resembling a swallow’s plumage, the figure was hard to see clearly from a distance but still exuded an elegant demeanor. The figure seemed to be holding their waist and walking with a slight awkwardness, as if they had injured themselves somewhere.

***

“It doesn’t hurt…”

“Thank you, young friend,” Song You said.

“My pleasure...” the young man replied.

The young man took out a small white bottle from his sleeve. It was a finely crafted jade bottle with a thin hemp string tied around its neck, forming a loop, seemingly for a swallow to grasp. When he was casually flying in the sky earlier, he hadn’t been carrying the bottle. After transforming into human form, he had run down the small path on Mati Mountain, which likely meant that the bottle had been left there.

With the bottle cupped in his hands, he respectfully handed the bottle to Song You.

“Sir, this is a gift from my ancestor, who heard you enjoy sightseeing. He specifically asked me to bring it here and give it to you,” the young man said.

“The Swallow Pill?” Song You remarked.

“You guessed correctly, sir,” the young man replied.

“This is too precious,” Song You noted.

“The Swallow Pill is valuable to humans, but for swallows, it is something naturally obtained, though it does take some time...” the young man said quietly. “Well, it is still somewhat special. My ancestor said the Swallow Pill best represents us and our sincerity.”

“Then please thank the Swallow Immortal for me,” Song You added.

“You’re welcome, sir.”

“But although I can use this pill to astral travel and become a swallow, I don’t know how to fly like one. How can I use it?” Song You asked.

“I'll teach you, sir.”

“Thank you so much!” Song You said.

“My pleasure...” the young man replied.

They fell into silence.

Song You didn’t mind; he felt calm and at ease, even in silence. He cast his gaze at the trees by the roadside, the distant mountain village with its smoke from cooking fires, and the calico cat running ahead, stopping under the same tree she had scratched that morning to add a few more claw marks. Everything felt very natural.

The young man, however, felt increasingly awkward. He wanted to say something but didn't know what to say. He had rehearsed his words in his mind, but they wouldn’t come out. He wanted to stay and accompany the gentleman for a while longer, yet he also wanted to bid farewell and leave quickly. Staying felt awkward, but leaving without a proper farewell seemed wrong.

Finally, Song You turned around and said, “It’s getting late. You should go back now, young friend. Come to Zoujiao Temple to see me tomorrow morning. As a swallow, it won’t be difficult for you to enter the temple.”

“Farewell, sir!”

The young man felt a sense of relief. He looked around to make sure they had reached a secluded area, then transformed into a swallow and flew away.

The calico cat instinctively raised her head to watch.

“That's my friend,” Song You said.

“I know,” Lady Calico replied.

“Then why are you still watching?”

“I’m seeing him off.”

“Quite polite, aren’t you?”

“Of course...”

The calico cat reluctantly turned her gaze away, caught sight of her tail, and was startled. Realizing it was just her tail, she gave it a casual swipe with her paw before trotting along behind Song You again.

Dinner that night mainly consisted of mushrooms, particularly wild mountain mushrooms. Half were used to make egg soup, and the other half were stir-fried with meat slices.

The wild mushrooms had a strong flavor, perfect for soup. The soup was infused with their taste, and apart from salt, no other seasoning was needed to make it incredibly delicious. The stir-fried meat slices were rich and flavorful, with the initial taste almost too intense, but they paired perfectly with rice.

They also had some milkcap mushrooms[1]. When one lightly cut or scratched the surface with a knife or fingernail, white, milk-like droplets would appear at the wound. After the little child washed them clean, he shared them with him and ate them raw. Their texture was crunchy, and they were slightly sweet.

***

The next morning, a swallow flew in.

Just as Song You had anticipated, since it was a barn swallow and they knew the Swallow Immortal was in Anqing County, the Daoist monks in the temple did not stop it and let the swallow fly to Song You's door even if they sensed something unusual.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp...”

“What is it, young friend?”

“Please follow me, sir…” the swallow said.

“I thought swallows couldn't speak human language when not in human form,” Song You joked.

“That was dumb of me; I forgot for a moment…”

“Let’s go then,” Song You said.

Song You stepped outside and followed the swallow up the mountain. Once they reached the top, the swallow transformed back into human form.

“Greetings, sir,” the young man said.

“Today you are the teacher; I should be the one greeting you,” Song You said respectfully, bowing. “Greetings, teacher.”

“No, no, I don’t deserve this!” the young man replied.

“One's learning doesn't depend on the time he learns. Whoever knows best can be the teacher,” Song You insisted.

“You are a master; how can I be your teacher?”

“That's not true,” Song You shook his head. “First, I'm not a master. Second, you are exceptional. Third, there are no omniscient people, only proud people. Over the past six months, from when I descended the mountain until now, I have encountered many teachers. You, young friend, are far from the first.”

Before the young man could respond, Song You continued, “Please begin.”

The young man, still pondering Song You’s words, nodded hastily and agreed to begin. He handed Song You the Swallow Pill.

“When a swallow's feathers are fully grown, it naturally learns to fly. Yesterday, I asked my ancestor, and he said the greatest challenge for you is knowing you have wings and are a bird.

“So, I will first take you flying, just like the day before yesterday. We’ll fly a bit higher today. I’ll gradually reduce my assistance, so you can feel your own wings flapping,” the young man said.

“Okay.”

“If you accidentally fall, don’t panic. We will fly high, so you won't hit the ground immediately. Since you’re in a spiritual form, you won’t be hurt even if you do fall. It’s an opportunity to try flapping your wings to fly again. I’ve heard some birds living on cliffs learn to fly this way.”

His words were indeed lengthy, and the young man had to muster up his courage to say them.

Song You smiled and nodded. “That makes sense.”

This method sounded feasible.

Thus, he sat cross-legged. He had already taken the Swallow Pill earlier on. He had long discerned that this elixir was not an ordinary one but a form of supernatural transformation. Even though he had already taken it, with his level of cultivation, he wouldn’t astral travel or transform into a swallow if he didn’t want to. At this moment, upon sitting down, his soul naturally left his body.

Learning to fly with the mind of a human wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight. Even just thinking of oneself as a swallow would take time.

But what would he learn today? First, he would greet the wind and appreciate the vastness of the world.

1. Milkcap is a common name for mushroom-forming fungi of the genera Lactarius, Lactifluus, and Multifurca. The common feature of their fruitbodies is the latex (“milk“) they exude when cut or bruised. ☜