Unintended Immortality
Chapter 484: A Few Pots of Molten Iron Will Suffice

Chapter 484: A Few Pots of Molten Iron Will Suffice

The moonlight was bright, illuminating the courtyard where a large group of people had gathered.

Many of them had anxious expressions, repeatedly leaning forward to peer into the well. They were likely the parents of the three young men trapped below.

The elder, however, remained unperturbed. He seemed utterly convinced that the Daoist’s bamboo staff would shield them from demonic harm and that the distant relative—whose face seemed familiar but whose name he couldn’t recall—would resist the temptations below.

Instead of showing worry, he simply turned to Song You, bowed slightly, and asked, "May I ask, sir, once my kinsman returns, what method will you use to exterminate the demon?"

"No special magic—just an idea."

"Might I ask what that idea is?"

"Then let me ask you, Patriarch—how did the lizards from today die?"

"You mean, we must handle it ourselves again?"

"As I have said before, if you had been a little less merciful and a little more ruthless when first dealing with them, even if you couldn’t exterminate them completely, they would not have dared to continue wreaking havoc in your estate.

“From what I see, the fact that they panicked when you ordered them burned with firewood suggests that they are not impervious to weapons or flames. They must still fear even harsher and more destructive measures you might take against them," Song You explained. "Otherwise, they wouldn’t have taken your young men hostage as leverage."

"Sir, your words make sense."

"Then it depends on how you wish to deal with them."

The elder pondered for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "Our Xu family owns two iron forges in the city... May I ask, sir, if I were to melt several vats of iron and pour them all into the well, would the demon survive?"

"I suspect not."

"Good!"

Without hesitation, the elder turned to his attendants. "Go and summon the smiths from both forges. Bring all the necessary tools and tell them we need to melt iron!"

"Yes, sir!"

Some acknowledged the order and immediately left.

Some, however, hesitated, their faces showing reluctance and unease.

Others quietly fetched stools and benches, arranging seats for the elder, a few middle-aged men, Song You, and Lady Calico, allowing them to sit and wait.

The summer night was the perfect time to rest and cool off.

Down in the well, faint glimmers of light flickered, and the distant melodies of singing and dancing still lingered.

Then, suddenly—the music stopped. Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

But no further noise came from below.

After an unknown amount of time, the Xu family's blacksmiths moved all the boilers over and began heating them right in the courtyard, melting the iron into liquid.

The air in the courtyard grew hotter and hotter. The crowd grew more restless with anticipation.

More time passed. Deep into the night—roughly four hours after Xu Qiuyue had descended—at last, a voice rose from the depths of the well, "Is there anyone up there?"

It was the voice of the Xu family scholar.

"Yes, we're here!"

Hearing this, the eldest son of the Xu family rushed forward, leaning over the well to look inside, but he couldn’t see anything. He could only respond, "We can hear you!"

"Please drop a rope down!"

The voice echoed faintly from below, reverberating through the well.

Without hesitation, the eldest son of the Xu family ordered the servants to prepare a rope and lower it down.

But something strange happened.

The well had originally been only about two zhang deep, yet even after lowering a ten-zhang rope, it still hadn’t reached the bottom. Below, the Xu family scholar continued calling out, urging them to send down more rope.

There was no choice—they fetched another bundle, tied it to the first, and continued lowering. Still, there was no sign of the bottom.

They even had to borrow a third bundle from a neighbor.

Finally, a voice echoed from the depths, "I see the rope!"

At the sound of "Pull up!", several strong servants grabbed hold and began hauling the rope up with great effort.

Slowly, they pulled up a young man—his body weak and unsteady.

"We've got him!"

The servants cheered.

But as soon as they laid the young man on the ground, a strange, intoxicating fragrance filled the air. Everyone who caught a whiff of it felt momentarily dazed, their minds going blank.

Quickly, someone brought over lanterns and torches, shining them on the young man’s face.

When the gathered Xu family members looked down, they were horrified.

The young man was still wearing the clothes he had gone down in, but his hair was almost completely gone, and his teeth had nearly all fallen out. His face was gaunt, his skin dry and shriveled like a corpse. Even after being pulled up, he couldn’t stand—he could only lie there, babbling incoherently in a language no one understood.

"My son!" A woman immediately rushed forward.

"Yun, my child!"

"Brother!"

Cries of sorrow erupted as family members wailed in despair, their voices shaking the courtyard.

The elder turned his face away, unable to bear the sight. His expression was a mix of anger, grief, and helplessness. Yet despite his turmoil, he waved his hand decisively, ordering the servants to untie the rope and lower it back down.

And so, the process was repeated. Two more young men were pulled up.

One was as withered as a corpse, his face sunken and lifeless, while the other had already stopped breathing. There was no doubt—this only triggered another round of heart-wrenching cries.

Someone turned to Song You and asked, "Sir, is there any way to save them?"

"There is no way," Song You replied honestly. "One of them has been dead for quite some time—his stomach has already begun to bloat. As for the other two, though they are still alive, their life force and yang qi are completely drained. Half of their three souls and seven spirits have already been lost. They are mere husks—there is no point in trying to save them."

The wailing grew even more sorrowful.

Meanwhile, the servants lowered the rope once more. This time, they pulled up Xu Qiuyue.

By now, the moon hung directly overhead.

The Xu household was filled with the deafening cries of grief.

As soon as Xu Qiuyue climbed up, he took one glance around and immediately understood the reason for everyone's mourning. His face darkened with sorrow. Yet, without delay, he stepped forward, holding the bamboo staff in both hands, and respectfully returned it to Song You.

"Thank you for this tool, Immortal Master."

After spending two hours in the well, no one knew better than him just how powerful this bamboo staff truly was.

"No need for thanks."

Song You smiled and nodded.

Only then did Xu Qiuyue turn to the others, cupping his fists in a humble salute. "I have fulfilled my duty and brought back my three cousins, but, alas..."

"It matters not..." The elder seemed to have aged significantly in just this short time. He weakly waved a hand, his voice lacking strength. Yet, even in his exhaustion, he was still concerned about Xu Qiuyue. "Did you encounter any danger down there?"

"It was not particularly dangerous, but when I saw my cousins..."

"Those useless fools!" the elder suddenly snapped, "I told them countless times—no one was to enter this courtyard at night! No one was to go near the well! But they couldn’t control themselves! Now they are dead, and they have no one to blame but themselves!

"And you women, enough crying! If you want to cry, take those piles of flesh back to your own courtyards and cry there—I can’t stand the noise!"

The old man gritted his teeth, his eyes red, yet he still propped himself up with his staff and stood. He personally walked to the edge of the dried-up well and commanded the people behind him, "All of you, come here! Pour all this molten iron down—don’t leave a single drop behind!"

"Yes, sir!"

The blacksmiths and their apprentices immediately stepped forward, lifting the scalding cauldrons of molten iron and tipping them into the well.

And then—something strange happened.

The dry well that had once required three full bundles of rope to reach the bottom now responded instantly as soon as the first cauldron of glowing molten iron was poured in.

At first, everyone assumed it would take time before they heard anything.

But to their shock—

The moment the iron was poured down, a dull, heavy thud echoed from below, as if it had hit solid ground.

And then—

"AAAHHH!!"

A piercing, inhuman shriek tore through the air.

Within the ear-splitting wails came the sounds of thrashing, rolling, violent splashes, explosions, and desperate impacts against the well walls.

Flames erupted from the well’s mouth, rising in bursts, accompanied by thick white smoke that carried an unbearable, nauseating stench.

"Sizzle—!"

"Crackle, pop—!"

No one knew what exactly was down there. No one knew what kind of horrific scene was unfolding at the bottom of the well. But even the bravest among them did not dare lean over to look.

Even the blacksmiths pouring the molten iron instinctively turned their heads away, squinting their eyes as if fearing the smoke might blind them.

Only Lady Calico was filled with curiosity, eager to see. Unfortunately, a firm hand grasping the back of her collar kept her from moving forward.

She stepped forward, her entire body leaning toward the well, but no matter how much she tried, she could only march in place, unable to advance. She stretched her neck as far as she could, but still, she could see nothing.

This cat was rather strange—

Even though the Daoist was holding her back, she neither struggled to break free nor gave up on approaching the well. Instead, she let the Daoist pull her while she kept stepping forward, sliding in place, stubborn and dazed.

"More!" The elder slammed his staff against the ground and shouted the order.

Another cauldron was poured in. Then another.

The screams below weakened, fading faster than expected. The flames, however, continued to surge upward, and the white smoke did not cease, hanging in the air like an ominous mist, thick and cloying.

The smell was so revolting that many felt their stomachs turn, nearly gagging.

Cauldron after cauldron was emptied into the abyss. Until finally, there was silence.

By now, the well was filled with intense heat and flames, making even the well’s opening too dangerous to approach lightly.

The molten iron had yet to solidify, still glowing with a red-hot light.

"They’re dead." Song You finally released his attendant and turned to the elder. "There is no need to waste any more iron."

"Whoosh!"

The moment she was freed, the little girl bolted forward without hesitation, rushing to the well’s edge.

All that could be seen was the red glow and roaring flames—the flowing molten iron resembled a blazing furnace, occasionally bursting with small explosions that sent countless sparks flying. Heat surged upward, accompanied by rising white smoke and waves of foul stench.

She frowned in confusion and turned her gaze toward her Daoist.

Song You simply waved a hand through the air, as though brushing away the last remnants of the scene.

"Whoosh..."

A cool breeze suddenly swept through the courtyard, carrying away the lingering white smoke and foul stench that had stubbornly hung in the air.

"Sigh..." The elder let out a long, weary breath, his exhaustion evident.

"I must thank you, Mr. Song—and you, young man, as well." He leaned on his staff and then turned to glance at the wailing women nearby. "Let them stay here and cry. They couldn't even control their own sons anyway."

Then, looking back at Song You and Xu Qiuyue, he said, "Come with me to another place to rest, so I may properly express my gratitude."

With that, he turned and slowly made his way toward the main hall, his staff tapping against the ground with each step.

Xu Qiuyue immediately followed without hesitation.

The Xu family's eldest and second sons were not as carefree as their father. Among the three young men on the ground, two were their own sons. They had to stay behind—giving necessary instructions, offering care where needed, persuading those who needed persuasion, rewarding those who deserved it, and beginning preparations for the aftermath. Everything had to be arranged, starting tonight.

Song You remained where he was for a moment, turning to look at his young attendant.

"..."

The little girl finally walked back, her clear eyes reflecting nothing but calmness. A cat's sorrow and joy were not the same as a human’s.

To her, those three young men were nothing of consequence. She felt no pity for them—if anything, she only blamed the Daoist for pulling her away, preventing her from seeing what exactly had happened inside the well when the molten iron was poured.

But she couldn’t bring herself to blame him too much either.

"Let’s go."

Song You beckoned her, then followed after the elder.

Inside the main hall, oil lamps and candles flickered. A pot of snow pear tea had already been prepared.

Though it was past midnight, no one in the Xu residence had any intention of sleeping.