Unintended Immortality

Chapter 178: It’s Excellent, Of Course

Since the veil had been lifted, Song You no longer respected the other’s privacy and asked directly, “You, as a great demon, should be cultivating in the mountains. Yet, you conceal yourself in the capital, amassing wealth through your qin tavern. Why do you disguise yourself so heavily?”

“I dare not deceive you any longer,” the woman said, lowering her head before asking, “Do you know about Princess Changping?”

“Of course.”

“Then let me explain...” the woman sitting opposite him replied helplessly. “I am originally a demon from Yangzhou. Many years ago, Princess Changping traveled south to Yangzhou and formed a bond with me; she showed me kindness.

“A few years ago, I came to the capital. One reason was to witness the splendor of Changjing, and the other was to find my benefactor from those days and personally thank her.

“When she saved me back then, she was unaware that I was a demon. Now that I’m in Changjing and she knows my true identity, she expects me to repay her kindness, as I have considerable abilities.

“I have always preferred a free and unrestrained life and never wished to be bound. However, I must repay her for saving my life. If I don’t repay her, my cultivation will stagnate right here.”

Upon hearing this, the Daoist remarked, “You’re quite appreciative and polite...”

The woman simply shook her head in resignation and continued, “Back then, there was a famous courtesan in Yangzhou who captivated many with her beauty and exceptional qin music. Later, a powerful noble sought to force her into submission. She was always strong-willed and refused to serve anyone in such a manner, so she jumped into the river and drowned.

“Coincidentally, I enjoyed plucking the strings of the qin during my tedious cultivation, and over the years, I developed considerable skill. Under the princess’s arrangement, I took her name and reputation, paid off her debts, and came to Changjing to open this Hexian Pavilion.”

“You are too modest.”

“Ha...”

“So, you work for the princess.”

She said, “Don’t underestimate the small size of Hexian Pavilion; it brings in quite a sum daily. One, it serves to gather wealth for the princess; two, those who enjoy listening to music and are willing to spend lavishly are mostly the powerful figures in Changjing, including some of the more reclusive elites who are hard to approach.

“Yet they all gather here, believing I am a master of the qin, transcending worldly matters, and they speak to me without reservation. Even if I don’t engage with them too much, just listening to their idle chatter and occasionally interjecting a few words, I can learn a great deal.”

Miss Wanjiang spoke with a hint of sarcasm and a touch of helplessness, “Unfortunately, they do not know that I am not what they imagine.”

“It seems you feel quite helpless.” The Daoist narrowed his eyes, finding the situation amusing.

“Helpless isn’t quite the right word; I just feel that my qin skills are wasted. Back when I was in the mountains, whenever I plucked the strings, extraordinary phenomena would occur. Yet now, in Changjing, I can only occasionally find that feeling when I deeply resonate with the music.”

“Then this time...”

“This time, it was also the princess who heard about your abilities and learned that His Majesty had summoned a Daoist to the palace for a night banquet. So she sent me to investigate your background and strength,” the woman said. “Upon hearing about your deeds, I guessed you were likely a disciple of the legendary Hidden Dragon Temple, but I did not inform the princess when she inquired.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know...” The woman smiled. “Perhaps it’s fate. Maybe our first encounter at Mount Chang was too beautiful, and I didn’t want to cause you any harm. Or perhaps I feel that you are not someone who belongs to the court, and that would be too inappropriate.”

“Then I must thank you.”

“Not at all.”

“How will you explain this when you return?”

“I can’t bear to trouble you, but the princess has saved my life,” the woman paused as she spoke. “You are a master from Hidden Dragon Temple, and I have been in Changjing for seven years. You are the only one who saw at a glance that I am not human. And I have heard some things about Hidden Dragon Temple. I will just inform the princess honestly; she is wise and will likely not trouble you.”

“You truly excel at concealment.”

“However, there is one person who guessed that I am not human.”

“Could it be the State Preceptor?”

“Indeed.”

“I wonder how you explained it to the State Preceptor.”

“I told him I am the spirit of the guqin.”

“Wonderful.” Song You couldn’t help but smile.

“Please excuse my foolishness.”

“I have one more question.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Do you really keep a gold-feeder ghost?”

“Of course. Would you like to see it?”

“No need.” Song You found the situation quite amusing.

With her abilities, Princess Changping should be able to seamlessly orchestrate the replacement with another woman equally skilled at playing the qin. Even if someone grew suspicious, she had the means to handle it. If it truly came to a confrontation, with this woman's remarkable cultivation and astonishing ability to conceal herself, the most that could be discovered was merely the fact that she has raised a minor ghost.

A faint sound came from the staircase. The Daoist turned to look, and saw a calico cat peeking at him from the middle of the staircase, its eyes bright as amber.

“I’m done writing, Daoist!”

“Impressive.” The Daoist immediately set aside his distractions and focused on the calico cat, asking, “Have you been writing the whole time?”

“I only wrote for a little while; the rest of the time, I was playing!” the calico cat replied without hesitation.

“Indeed, you are exceptionally talented. There’s no need to write many times; just a little practice is enough for you to create something great. In this life, I admire such extraordinarily gifted individuals the most.”

“Admire the most!”

“Yes.”

“What’s on your table?”

“A painting.” The Daoist called for the calico cat to come and take a look. “Lady Calico, come over and see.”

“...”

The calico cat didn’t respond but immediately stepped down the stairs. Before reaching the bottom, it darted through the railing and jumped down to the ground. It took two or three steps onto the stool, leaning over to inspect the painting. Its eyes were filled with curiosity and contemplation.

“It’s a painting!”

“Yes, what do you think of it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Take another look.”

“It seems a bit familiar.”

“Don’t you remember? This is Mount Chang, where we went in spring.”

“I remember now!” the calico cat replied without a second thought.

“What do you see in this painting?” The Daoist pointed at the silhouette of a person and a cat in the painting. “What is this?”

“A person and a cat.”

“Take another look.”

“This looks like a Daoist priest.”

“And then?”

“That person seems to be wearing the same clothes as you.” The calico cat said, turning its head to glance at the Daoist. “Not the one you’re wearing today. Why don’t you wear the same outfit every day?”

“That's my fault.”

“Hmm...”

“Can’t you see it?”

“I see it!”

“What did you see?”

“I don’t know...”

“This Daoist is me.”

“Huh?” The calico cat was suddenly taken aback. “Then who is the cat beside you?”

The Daoist couldn’t help but feel helpless, unsure whether to call her clever or foolish. Perhaps cats and humans thought differently; in some ways, their thoughts diverged, and what was considered smart or foolish was naturally different too.

“Of course, it’s you.”

“...!” The cat turned its head, staring blankly at the Daoist.

“You came with me to stroll around Mount Chang that day, and someone saw us and painted it, so both you and I are in this painting.” Song You paused for a moment, revealing a faint smile. “Speaking of which, this is our first time appearing together in a painting.”

“Me and you?” The cat redirected its gaze back to the painting, seemingly examining it more carefully than before.

“Yes.” The Daoist also looked down at it, finding himself liking it more the longer he stared. He smiled and asked, “So how do you feel about this painting now?”

“It’s excellent, of course,” the calico cat replied softly while continuing to look at it.