Unintended Immortality

Chapter 239: Snowy Plains of Gui Commandery

At dawn, in front of the inn, the attendant leaned against the doorway.

Two horses, one black and one jujube-red, stood obediently at the entrance as the swordsman lifted his saddle bag and placed it on the horse's back.@@@@

Magistrate Liu stood nearby with two guards.

“Why did you come, Magistrate?”

“No need to worry, sir. I won’t be neglecting my duties. I’ve temporarily entrusted matters to my adviser,” Magistrate Liu said with the utmost respect. “You’ve done a great service for Pu Commandery, sir, and I have nothing worthy to repay you with. Now that you’re about to leave, I had to come to see you off.”

“Well then, let’s be off.”

With the saddle bag now secured, Song You turned and, addressing the inn’s attendant, bowed in gratitude.

“Thank you for your hospitality these past few days.”

“I don't deserve such thanks...”

The attendant, his suspicions about Song You’s identity confirmed by the magistrate’s respectful demeanor and words, stood there in stunned silence. When he heard this, he quickly returned the bow.

Just then, the white-robed swordsman took hold of the black horse’s reins. Magistrate Liu turned toward the scrawny jujube-red horse, as if intending to hold the reins for the gentleman. He even raised his hand but, noticing the horse had no reins, he awkwardly waved it, pretending to adjust his sleeve before lowering his hand.

The attendant’s gaze grew even more dazed.

He wasn’t thinking much at all; instead, memories surfaced of stories he used to hear at the teahouse next door before it closed down—stories he listened to during idle afternoons by the doorway.

One was the renowned minister of the former dynasty, who slew a god in his dreams. The storyteller at the time didn’t go into details, and it was said even the records only contained a few lines. No one knew exactly how that minister defeated the god; they only knew that this tale had been passed down for hundreds of years and might continue to be told for centuries to come.

The other tale, from the early days of the current dynasty, tells of a deity from the heavens who lost their virtue and descended to create chaos, only to be defeated by a Daoist. The Daoist was supposedly named Fuyang, who slew several of them in succession.

The storyteller didn’t elaborate on how the Daoist defeated them, as no one had witnessed it firsthand. How could such tales of gods being slain be so easily known by the common folk?

Who would have thought that something similar would happen right here?

No one knew how it was done, and the tale was shrouded in vagueness, just like those legendary tales of gods and immortals he’d heard before.

And this very kind of divine immortal resided in the room upstairs. It was like a dream, surreal, hard to believe.

What a pity though...

With the chaos in the north and the rise of demons everywhere, the teahouse next door had already been closed for years. Who knew when Pu Commandery in Hezhou might return to its former prosperity, or when he could once again slip into the teahouse during quiet times at the inn to hear the storyteller spin tales?

Sometimes, when the teahouse was slow, the tea server would even sneak him a cup. Maybe it wouldn’t take too much longer?

Perhaps, years from now, there would be a story in Jingyu County of a divine immortal who had slain a Thunder God. The storytellers would eagerly share it, yet when asked for details, they wouldn’t be able to say much.

“Clop, clop, clop...”

The attendant was jolted back to reality by the sound of hoofbeats.

The street was quiet and empty as a small group, with their horses, moved forward. The sound of hooves echoed on the cobblestone path.

The calico cat trotted back and forth in small, quick steps, its tiny frame always making people worry it might be stepped on by the horses.

“Jingyu borders Gui Commandery. If you travel north, sir, it’s merely a hundred li to reach Gui Commandery’s territory.” Magistrate Liu walked half a step behind Song You, explaining as they went. RANO฿ĘS

“Ineffective...” Song You nodded as he walked.

Plagues, after all, would typically spread and bring death, whether they originated from demons or natural causes. But when common remedies had no effect, it became a difficult problem.

This implied that the Central Plains' dynasties, which had accumulated methods for controlling plagues over thousands of years, now found these methods useless. It also meant that Great Yan, despite its prosperity and strength in all fields, had lost its medical advantage.

“However, I’ve heard that a divine doctor from Changjing—a doctor of extraordinary skill, almost divine—has been traveling in Gui Commandery for months despite the plague. It seems he’s recently made some progress.”

“A divine doctor from Changjing?”

“It’s only what I’ve heard. Apparently, this physician came to the north several years ago, specifically choosing places ravaged by disease. When the demonic plague broke out in Gui Commandery, he went there, moving about to treat people. While all the local officials have sealed their cities, they still permit him to pass, and the common folk everywhere eagerly await him,” Magistrate Liu said.

He closed his eyes with a shake of his head and a deep sigh, full of admiration. “Truly a divine doctor.”

“Indeed,” Song You couldn’t help but echo in awe.

It seemed that even in the darkest of places, someone was willing to carry a light and illuminate the path ahead.

He took another look at the magistrate beside him. From his early days as the magistrate of Yidu to his current role as magistrate of Pu Commandery, it seemed that aside from his changing rank, the events and people of the north had likely influenced him in other ways as well.

Ahead, the city gates were already in sight.

“That Magistrate Lin of Gui Commandery is indeed quite capable, someone I deeply admire. Under his governance, although they’ve yet to find a cure for the demonic plague, it hasn’t spread beyond Gui Commandery,” Magistrate Liu remarked, pausing briefly.

“As more people died and quarantine measures were enforced, the plague gradually came under control in many areas. Now, only Hansu County, closest to the Snowy Plains, remains severely affected.”

“Thank you for sharing this, Magistrate.”

“Not at all, not at all.”

The group had now passed through the city gates. The guards stationed there all hurriedly saluted as they saw them.

“Magistrate, you have official duties to attend to. Let’s part here,” Song You said, stopping and addressing Magistrate Liu.

“It’s only a pity that Jingyu is too small, with its streets too short and its affairs too many, preventing me from escorting you further. I can only hope that we might meet again in this lifetime.” Magistrate Liu bowed, then turned and took a small saddle bag from a guard behind him. “It’s nothing special, just some dried food and fruit to sustain you on your journey.”

“Thank you, Magistrate.” Song You accepted the saddle bag and returned the bow. “Please, Magistrate, you may return now.”

After they parted, Song You continued on his way.

The road ahead was still straight, the land flat and even, with the occasional low, gentle slope that seemed almost serene. Here and there, a few barren trees dotted the slopes, the only adornment in the landscape.

The Daoist and the swordsman, their two horses, and the busy little calico cat that darted back and forth gradually moved farther into the distance.

Once they set foot on the road, it was as if time ceased to matter. They walked straight on until mid-morning, under a vast, clear blue sky.

But the weather wasn’t as pleasant as it looked.

By now, it was late autumn. With winter fast approaching, the winds of Hezhou were something beyond the imagination of those from Yizhou, sweeping fiercely across the endless open plains. Invisible yet relentless, the wind could only be seen in the way it whipped at the scarves wrapped around the Daoist’s and the swordsman’s heads, covering their faces.

Even the calico cat, dressed like a recluse in a gray cloth robe with a hood, showed signs of the icy, brisk wind.

Yet the group seemed accustomed to it, striding steadily along the road without breaking their pace.