Unintended Immortality

Chapter 191: Can a Cat That Spits Fire Make Money?

“it’s just a mere little spell. compared to this benefactor, i’m truly insignificant.” the monk bowed to everyone. “thank you all for your kindness, and a special thanks to this benefactor for your generosity, which allows this humble monk to present my poor skills. i’m currently staying at tianhai temple in the city; if any of you benefactors are interested, you can offer a few sticks of incense before the buddha.”

after speaking, he put his hands together in prayer and bowed to the crowd, as well as to the middle-aged performer who had presented earlier.

indeed, he took not a single coin from the money that had fallen to the ground, smiling as he walked back to his friends. he then displayed a look of helplessness, as if he wanted to admonish his friends but couldn’t find the words.

the middle-aged performer, who had previously performed here, must have had some confidence to invite the monk to perform. seeing everyone’s astonishment at the monk’s spell, he refused to admit defeat. he instructed his disciple to return the money picked up from the ground to the monk, saying it was for the incense offerings.

when the monk flatly refused, he took it back and laughed, saying, “this master’s spell is impressive, undoubtedly a master of the craft. however, there are thousands of spells under heaven. the spells that the master knows, i may not; the spells i know, the master may not.”

he then called for his disciple to bring a knife.

a large cleaver appeared, wide-bladed and thick-edged, with a blackened, pockmarked surface. the blade glinted brightly, reflecting the firelight, looking even more imposing than the one at the market.

upon seeing it, the onlookers gasped in surprise.

“come!” the middle-aged man lay down on a wide bench, exposing only his head and neck.

the crowd’s eyes widened, reflecting the flickering firelight.

the disciple walked over and lifted the knife. the knife was heavy, requiring both hands to raise it. he struggled greatly just to bring it over his head, his arms trembling as the spectators worried he might not be able to hold it steady.

“no!”

“ah!”

some onlookers tried to intervene, others covered their eyes, and some gasped in shock.

“master...”

“swing it down!”

“this...”

“can’t you understand?”

“alright...”

the disciple pretended to display reluctance before he finally gritted his teeth. his hand rose, and the knife fell!

“swish!”

the blade gleamed in the light as it flashed against the wall.

a round object fell to the ground and rolled a few circles with a dull thud.

“ah!”

the crowd gasped in shock, the noise drowning out all the excitement of the night, drawing people from far away who rushed over.

more and more people gathered.

the calico cat widened her eyes to the maximum, her front paws pressing against song you's arm. she was stretching her neck to see what was happening, as if she wanted to check on that head. she swayed her head side to side, a small amplitude but a high frequency; although she didn’t speak and had no human expression on her face, her curiosity and astonishment were clear to see.

in the blink of an eye, the crowd grew denser.

initially, song you and the calico cat were at the outer edge of the crowd, but now they had moved to the front. more people kept arriving, while others tried to push their way forward.

“everyone, don’t panic!” a voice rang out from the front.

it was the middle-aged man’s voice.

many onlookers, who had been covering their eyes, dared to look after hearing the voice. but they only saw that the middle-aged man had been decapitated, prompting more gasps of shock from the crowd.

“daoist master...”

“hmm?”

“how much money can they make in a night?”

“tonight there are a lot of people, and changjing residents are wealthy, with many dignitaries and nobles around. perhaps...” song you thought for a moment, “a few dozen taels of silver? or maybe more if they encounter a noble.”

“can a cat that spits fire make money?”

“maybe.”

“maybe?”

“i haven't tried it myself.” song you shook his head helplessly, carrying her as they walked toward the riverside.

the cat seemed to have an obsession with money and making it. but upon closer thought, the calico cat didn’t really understand the difference between wealth and poverty. even the size of the house she lived in didn’t matter to her.

in the past, she lived in a charming little courtyard in yidu, running up and down, walking along the courtyard walls. now that they had moved to this small building, she still ran up and down, walking on the roof.

even when staying in a dilapidated temple on a desolate mountain, she found the firewood and clutter inside amusing. when darting through them, it felt like she was parkouring and adventuring in a peculiar landscape, which was quite fun.

the calico cat could live well without needing money; she hadn’t even known what money was before. the ones who truly needed money was the daoist priest. so it might not be an obsession with money or making it, but rather an obsession with supporting the daoist priest.

“...” the daoist shook his head, walking at a leisurely pace.

suddenly, a bright light appeared ahead. to say it was bright wouldn’t quite do it justice. no matter how bright the candlelight was, how much brighter could it get?

yet those countless colorful lanterns, with red candle flames merging into one, lit up both the riverside and the water itself. in the dimness, the interplay of light and shadow held its own charm, not at all inferior to neon lights.

the banks of the river were crowded with people, bustling with excitement.

nobles, talented individuals, scholars, warriors, and even common folk of changjing all crowded along the riverside. there were vendors in green clothing hawking lanterns as they walked along the street, and delicate young women in small groups cautiously placing river lanterns on the bank, bowing their heads and closing their eyes as they made wishes.

meanwhile, scholars on the upper floors engaged in poetry and drinking games, frequently eliciting exclamations from the crowd. even by the roadside, countless people were guessing lantern riddles.

a dazzling array of snacks, drinks, and trinkets created a splendid scene at the festival. in a world filled with wonders and brilliance, what attracted the daoist most was the variety of lanterns.

the usual styles of lanterns were quite unremarkable, simply ordinary forms that were either thin or plump, with perhaps a few decorations. even though the daoist had been to the palace where the lanterns were exquisitely made—some even crafted from rhinoceros or sheep horns and extremely precious—their designs were relatively uniform, lacking the vibrant colors of the lanterns at the festival.

just the ones people held in their hands or hung at shop entrances were incredibly diverse.

there were square, round, and oval shapes; some were plump, others slim; some with round or square patterns; some shaped like boxes and adorned with beaded curtains, tassels, or ribbons; an assortment of shapes that included lanterns resembling horses and dogs.

these lanterns, with their unimaginable variety, mirrored the excitement and complexity of the world. if one thought they were monotonous and rigid, perhaps it was because they had spent too long in the mountains.

as song you walked and admired the lanterns, he quietly asked the cat in his arms, “lady calico, why don’t we buy a lantern?”

“meow?”

“there are expensive ones and cheap ones.”

“meow...”

“i forgot to bring the one from home, and besides, it’s a bit special and hard to carry. so we’ll have to buy one,” song you explained. “do you see any that you like?”

“...”

the calico cat pondered for a moment, stretching her neck to look in a particular direction.

the daoist followed her gaze and saw a shop ahead where people were guessing lantern riddles. they were giving away lanterns for correctly answering three riddles, and many were gathered around, enjoying the lively atmosphere.nôv(el)b\\jnn