Unintended Immortality

Chapter 193: A Chance Encounter with an Old Friend

“this poem is simple yet neatly constructed and clever. it would be excellent for young children to learn,” a nearby scholar couldn’t help but voice his praise upon hearing. “may i ask where you heard it?”

“it’s been too long; i’ve forgotten.”

“what a pity...”

“indeed,” the daoist said, feeling somewhat nostalgic.

after passing by this person, he lowered his head, continuing to look at the cat in his arms. the cat was also staring up at him.

“i don’t understand...” the soft voice was barely audible, only song you could hear.

“what it means is, from a distance, you can see the color of the mountain, but when you get closer, there’s no sound of water. so this thing has both mountains and water. but even after spring, the flowers won’t wither, and when a person walks by, the birds won’t fly away.” song you gently guided, “what do you think it is, lady calico?”

“what could it be?”

“should i give a hint to you, lady calico?”

“give me a hint!”

“it’s something we have at home.”

“something we have at home!”

“...”

“...” the daoist looked down at the cat, while the cat gazed back up at him.

“i see it often.”

“you see it often!”

“...”

“...”

the daoist had a helpless expression, his brows softening. the cat’s eyes were clear, filled with seriousness.

“it’s hung on the wall.”

“...”

the cat’s expression finally showed a hint of change.

before long, her eyes lit up as she shed the clarity of ignorance and naïve curiosity, but she didn’t forget to lower her voice as she said, “it’s a painting!”

“though we only have paintings hanging on our walls at home, it’s still impressive that you could think of it so quickly,” song you said to her. “i admire you.”

“...?” the cat stared at him in confusion.

after a moment, she withdrew her gaze, intending to respond as she usually would. however, she found that simply saying “correct” was unusually difficult today. so, she had to change the subject. “so, is this horse lantern now mine?”

“of course! since you guessed correctly, this lantern is yours.”

“i won it!”

“yes, it’s all thanks to your remarkable intelligence and quick wit,” the daoist said. “but this lantern and the event itself hold significant meaning. you should also remember the poem that helped you win it.”

“i’ll remember!”

“so, you should memorize this line of the poem.”

“i’ll memorize it!”

“i’m just making a suggestion. i’m not sure if you will take it,” song you said earnestly, “but i believe you already know this without me having to suggest it.”

“i will memorize it when i get back!”

“great minds think alike...”

“correct!”

“if only you could write it down as well...”

“i will write it down when i gets back!”

“won’t that tire you out?”

“no!”

***

the next morning...

when song you opened his eyes, he saw the calico cat lying next to him with half-closed eyes. as soon as he woke up, it yawned and immediately stood up, shaking its head with vigilance.

“i’ve already memorized it and can write it now.”

“...”

“when will you teach me the spell?”

“later.”

“later...”

“it seems there’s an old acquaintance downstairs. could i trouble you to go down and help me open the door and let the guest in?” song you said. “tell the guest that i just woke up and need to wash up first.”

“okay.” the cat turned around and jumped off the bed, moving with a light and graceful elegance.

when it landed, it had already transformed into a little girl.

song you took his time getting dressed. he didn’t believe in meeting guests looking disheveled or without washing his face, so he went downstairs to wash up, faintly hearing the sound of a door opening and the little girl speaking softly.

“it’s you?”

“may i ask if this is the residence of master song?”

“that's right, daoist master song.”

“may i ask who you are...”

“i am lady calico.”

“so you’re lady calico! how rude of me!”

“come in, let me tell you, the daoist master just woke up and is washing up. i will pour you a cup of water.”

“...” this was basically a direct copy of his instructions to her.

however, it was enough to comfort him that lady calico knew to pour a cup of water for the guest.

after washing up, when he came out, cui nanxi was already sitting on the first floor with a cup of water placed before him. however, he didn’t dare to touch it. he sat on the edge of the bench, glancing at the little girl across from him, looking quite uneasy.

a guard stood behind him, also appearing awkward.

in contrast, the little girl seemed completely at ease, swinging her legs on the bench. when she noticed his discomfort, she looked at him curiously. once he averted his gaze, she became more determined and stared directly at him.

“mr. cui.” song you finally stepped out.

“immortal!” cui nanxi immediately stood up, his face a mix of excitement and joy.

“please don’t call me that, mr. cui.”

“immortal master!”

“please take a seat, mr. cui.” song you smiled at him, inviting him to sit down while he took a seat on the opposite side. “it’s been a year since our last parting at yunding mountain. you seem to be in good spirits.”

“thanks to you, everything is well.” cui nanxi quickly replied. “i had heard about the matters at the grand commander’s residence before, and i felt that the legendary immortal bore some resemblance to you, but i couldn’t be sure.

“at that time, i thought about coming to see you in person, but when xu le and i arrived, we found your door tightly shut. i took that to mean you didn’t want to be disturbed, so i didn’t come back. i didn’t expect to meet you at the lantern festival by chance.”

as he spoke, he couldn’t help but rise again to bow deeply, “what an honor, what an honor!”

the guard behind him also followed suit and bowed.

“i recently heard some scholars talking about the articles written by you while having tea at a teahouse,” song you said with a smile. “some scholars even copied them to sell on the streets. i bought one to read, and perhaps your work truly has the potential to be celebrated for generations to come.”

“it’s merely because i borrowed your immortal’s aura, immortal master...”

with nothing else to do at the moment, song you brewed tea for him, and the two engaged in casual conversation, reminiscing about old times.

cui nanxi shared updates about his journey back to the capital from shizhu county and the recent happenings at yunding mountain, particularly the rumors of true immortals there and their impact on pingzhou.

he mentioned the great encyclopedia he was compiling and the knowledgeable scholars he was working with, occasionally seeking song you’s insights on topics related to the dao and cultivation, as he seemed eager to include them in the anthology.

their conversation flowed easily, filled with pleasant exchanges.