Unintended Immortality-Chapter 456: The Dao Is Forgiving

“I had just finished preparing a meal when you arrived, fellow Daoist—what perfect timing,” Song You said with a smile. “Come, join me for a bite.”

“Ah! Then I truly have come at the worst possible moment!” Wenpingzi immediately looked flustered and embarrassed. “I was so eager to seek an audience with you that I walked all the way from the temple outside the city and completely lost track of time.”

“On the contrary, fellow Daoist, you have come at just the right time.” Song You smiled faintly, finding the situation rather amusing.

Throughout his travels, he had visited many temples and monasteries, where he was often warmly hosted by the Daoists and abbots there. At first, he had been unaccustomed to such hospitality, but over time, he had come to accept it as natural. Now, it was finally his turn to host a fellow Daoist.

“This morning, the child and I wandered around Yangdu and bought a few vegetables that are rare even in Changjing. One of them, a red carrot, I had planned to use for a hearty beef stew to satisfy my humble appetite. But unexpectedly, despite beef being readily available on the streets of Yangdu on most days, I couldn’t find a single cut today.”

Song You chuckled. “Now I understand why—it was because you were coming, fellow Daoist.”

“How could I be worthy of such an honor...!” Wenpingzi was taken aback, looking even more embarrassed.

“I am merely a wandering Daoist of the mountains.”

“Then I suppose it would be rude of me to refuse such kindness.”

With that, the two Daoists entered the main hall, one after the other.

Inside, a young girl dressed in three-colored robes was carefully carrying a large basin of white broth. She moved slowly and deliberately, stepping forward on tiptoes to place the soup on the table.

Several dishes were already arranged on the table.

Her small face remained expressionless, displaying only an air of serious focus. Without a word, she turned and ran back out, returning shortly with bowls and chopsticks.

Song You gestured toward her and said, “This is Lady Calico.”

“I know,” Wenpingzi said hastily. “Previously, while I was working under the State Preceptor at the Juxian Mansion in Changjing, I once caught sight of you from afar—along with Lady Calico.”

“I see.”

“Forgive me for the abrupt visit.”

“No need for such formalities. A guest is a guest—just have a taste of my cooking. And no need to address me so formally; simply calling me 'fellow Daoist' will do.”

As Song You spoke, he paused briefly and handed over a set of bowls and chopsticks. “That said, we had actually heard of your name before as well.”

“Oh?” Wenpingzi took the utensils but hesitated to start eating.

“Yinhua of Le Commandery, the Xiangle God of Qiong Mountain.” Song You smiled at him. “No need to hold back, fellow Daoist.”

“Ah, Qiong Mountain...” Wenpingzi suddenly understood.

“We passed through on our way here. We had heard that there were five Land Gods in the region surrounding Yangzhou, so we visited each one.”

With that, Song You picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

He first tasted the stir-fried shredded potatoes, then took a bite of the potato and pork rib stew.

Surprisingly, despite their small size, the potatoes had an exceptional flavor. The shredded potatoes were crisp and refreshing, while the stewed ones were perfectly soft and starchy. The familiar taste quickly settled in, bringing a comforting sensation.

“I see.” Wenpingzi, reassured, finally tried a bite himself. His cloudy old eyes suddenly brightened, though he remained composed.

With a sigh, he said, “Before leaving, the State Preceptor instructed me to come to Yangzhou to investigate whether the Xiangle God in Le Commandery was behaving himself. If not, I was to eliminate him. He also ordered me to get rid of the Jile God in Yangdu. So, I went to Le Commandery first.”

“Daoist priest, do you want rice?” The young girl stared at Song You, then turned her head toward Wenpingzi. “Old Daoist priest, do you want rice?”

“Then please serve us a bowl each.” Song You smiled.

“Thank you, Lady Calico,” Wenpingzi also expressed his gratitude respectfully.

“Got it!” The young girl took the two bowls, then slid smoothly down from the high stool to the ground and ran off to the kitchen to scoop the rice.

Soon, she returned with two steaming bowls of rice and placed them on the table.

“Thank you, Lady Calico.”

“You're welcome!”

The Swallow Potatoes found in Yangdu recently were mostly white in color, and once cooked, they took on a faint bluish hue. The rice itself was already soft and fluffy, and with the addition of Swallow Potato cubes, it became even more appealing.

Song You picked up a pork rib, letting the rich broth coat it, then placed it on his rice. The rice absorbed the broth, taking on its color. Taking a bite, the soft grains, the sweet and starchy Swallow Potatoes, and the savory pork broth combined into a fragrant and familiar taste—a flavor so comforting that, in that moment, it felt as though nothing else in the world was needed.

As they ate, Wenpingzi set down his chopsticks momentarily and said, “When I arrived at Qiong Mountain in Le Commandery, I heard that while the Xiangle God had committed wrongdoing, he had never taken a human life. In recent years, for some reason, he had even begun to restrain himself. However, despite being dismissed from his post, he refused to leave the mountain. That was why I confronted him.”

He sighed before adding, “That so-called Xiangle God turned out to be much more capable than I had expected—far stronger than I had originally thought.”

“None of these Land Gods are simple beings.” Song You nodded in agreement. frёeωebɳovel.com

“Indeed...”

Wenpingzi also nodded seriously, then said, “It seems that after the Xiangle God was sealed within Qiong Mountain, Qingyun Temple sent a Daoist to serve as the temple attendant for a year. This Daoist had no cultivation or supernatural abilities, but he was extremely well-versed in Daoist scriptures. Throughout that year, he diligently studied and recited the scriptures in the temple, never once neglecting his morning and evening recitations.”

He chuckled before continuing, “The Land God of Qiong Mountain must have grown lonely in the mountain. He would often sneak over to listen to the recitations, and over time, through constant exposure...” Wenpingzi’s expression turned amused. “In the end, the one reading the scriptures never gained any divine power—but the illegitimate god who eavesdropped reaped all the benefits.”

“That is indeed interesting,” Song You nodded before asking, “And how did you ultimately defeat him?”

“...”

Wenpingzi had just seized a moment of pause to follow Song You’s example—picking up a piece of pork rib and placing it on his rice. The ribs were soaked in broth, their flavor rich and slightly grainy with the aroma of spices—a taste he had never encountered before.

As he savored it, the flavor only grew more delicious with every bite.

But before he had the chance to marvel at the taste, Song You’s question came again. He quickly put down his chopsticks and hurried his chewing, swallowing before letting out a long sigh.

“Ah, to be honest, I called upon a god from the Heavenly Palace’s War Division to descend and possess me. Even with divine assistance, though I had the upper hand against Xiangle God, I still would have sustained some injuries.”

As he spoke, Wenpingzi squinted slightly, as if reminiscing about that night. His tone, however, remained light and casual.

“But just at the final moment, a Daoist arrived on the mountain—the very same Daoist from Qingyun Temple.”

“Take your time, fellow Daoist. Eat first, there's no rush,” Song You encouraged, his interest piqued.

“When the Xiangle God saw that Daoist, he was stunned. After exchanging only a few words, he sighed and... simply stopped resisting. He said he would accept whatever judgment I deemed fit.”

Wenpingzi shook his head slightly. “Seeing that his crimes were not truly deserving of death, and considering that he still seemed redeemable, I intended to let him go.

“But alas, while I was willing to spare him, the divine officer I had summoned from the heavens was not. With a single strike, he shattered the god's soul, severing all life from his mortal body.”

“So that's how it happened...”

Song You widened his eyes slightly, feeling an unexpected sense of regret.

It seemed that at the foot of Qiong Mountain, two beings who should never have crossed paths had spent a year together at the temple, forming a bond that was not entirely false.

He took another bite of food before asking, “Then who was the woodcutter I met?”

“You encountered him as well?” Wenpingzi's eyes flickered with surprise.

“Naturally, I did.”

“He was simply a woodcutter who often went up the mountain to chop firewood. He had long been under the protection of the Xiangle God, but just a few days before, he had died from illness—alone, with no one to claim his body.” Wenpingzi sighed. “I considered that cultivation is no easy path, so I persuaded him to repent and change his ways. I allowed him to temporarily borrow the woodcutter's body, hoping he might have another chance.”

“I then secretly observed him for half a year at Qiong Mountain. Every day, he would do nothing but chop wood, gather firewood, and, after returning home, study Daoist scriptures and poetry. The lingering evil qi around him gradually faded away, so I no longer made things difficult for him.”

“Fellow Daoist, you are truly compassionate.” Song You smiled as he spoke.

The young girl, who had been quietly eating all this time, suddenly froze upon hearing their conversation. She lifted her head and stared at them, eyes full of curiosity.

Song You, however, simply smiled and said nothing.

A mere woodcutter, uneducated, who had only ever chopped firewood for a living—even if he had listened to recitations of poetry and scriptures for a year, how could he possibly remember so much?

There were clear mountain springs flowing freely down from the peak—why would he need to descend to the temple just to ask for drinking water?

Yet, before even setting foot on Qiong Mountain, Song You had already inquired about the Xiangle God. He knew that while the deity had committed wrongs, he had not engaged in the kind of cruelty that the Anle God had—who had devoured living humans and demanded blood sacrifices.

When he first saw the woodcutter, he could already see the traces of the Xiangle God in him—clean, free of malevolence.

Thus, after climbing the mountain, he found that the victor of the battle had indeed been Wenpingzi. Then, after descending the mountain, he tested the woodcutter through conversation before eventually deciding to leave things as they were.

It wasn’t that he had any absolute need to spare him.

But the State Preceptor had already entrusted Wenpingzi to deal with the Xiangle God. Since Wenpingzi himself had chosen to let him go, there was no reason for Song You to insist on eliminating him.

“Fellow Daoist, since you had already seen through the mystery, why did you ultimately choose to let him go?” Wenpingzi asked.

The young girl immediately turned her head as well, fixing her gaze on her Daoist.

Song You merely smiled, then recounted his meeting with the woodcutter, their conversation, the small details he had observed, the subtle expressions in the woodcutter’s brows and eyes, the concealment and acting skills the man had displayed.

Wenpingzi listened with growing amusement, nodding repeatedly and exclaiming, “How fascinating!”

When the story reached its most intriguing point, he couldn’t help but throw his head back in hearty laughter.

A Daoist’s natural ease and carefree spirit were revealed in full.

The two Daoists each ate two large bowls of rice. The dishes that Lady Calico had claimed would last two days were nearly finished in a single meal.

Even Song You, upon seeing this, felt a sense of accomplishment. Then, he served a bowl of fish soup.

The crucian carp was over three fingers wide, a decent size. It had been pan-fried before being simmered, along with fried egg, white radish, and tofu. When poured into the bowl, the broth turned milky white, looking so rich and inviting that one could tell it was delicious just from the sight of it.

He also served a bowl to Wenpingzi.

“Thank you, fellow Daoist...”

Wenpingzi, already feeling completely satisfied, couldn’t help but salivate at the sight of the pure white broth, translucent crescent-shaped radish slices, and soft white tofu cubes floating within. He had no choice but to offer his gratitude before indulging.

As he cupped the bowl in his hands, feeling its comforting warmth, he spoke to Song You, “To be honest, I came here today to ask for your help.”

“Is it about the Jile God?”

“Precisely...”

Wenpingzi’s tone carried a hint of shame as he spoke.

“I must admit, this is my own fault. I truly shouldn’t have lingered at Qiong Mountain for those extra six months. Because of that delay, I arrived in Yangdu half a year late.”

“That Jile God was always skilled in the art of concealment. If I had struck swiftly, caught him off guard, he might not have been harder to deal with than the Xiangle God. But over the past six months, after his dismissal, he quickly deduced what his fate would be—and he made preparations accordingly.

“From the brief encounters I’ve had with him, I suspect that he has channeled all of his accumulated faith and power of prayers into refining the divine powers he comprehended in Yangdu—one focused entirely on hiding and vanishing from sight. His mastery over this art has only grown deeper, and over the past year, I have been completely unable to do anything about him.”

“I see...”

Hearing this, Song You fell into thought.

As he pondered, he took another sip of fish soup, feeling its rich, umami flavor linger on his tongue—delicious beyond words.