Unintended Immortality -
Chapter 560: Resolving Karma
Chapter 560: Resolving Karma
Lady Calico tilted her head upward, staring fixedly at him, her expression solemn. She appeared to be persuaded by his words, imagining the pleasant scene he described.
After a long pause, she finally opened her mouth to ask, “What was that place back there?”
“...”
Apparently, his earlier impression had been mistaken.
Song You fell silent briefly, then answered truthfully, “It's a place where people indulge in pleasure and sensual desires.”
“What’s indulging in pleasure and sensual desires?”
“That’s something children shouldn’t know.”
“It sounds fun!”
“It's something ordinary mortals do.”
“It sounds really fun!”
“Cultivators should not involve themselves in such things.”
“What exactly is it, then?”
“You’ll understand when you grow up, Lady Calico.”
“Hmm...”
Lady Calico stared at him skeptically. It wasn’t the first time she had been brushed off this way, so she decided not to press further. Instead, she proclaimed, “Then I will ask the swallow later!”
“The swallow won't tell you either.”
“How do you know?”
“I guessed.”
“Then I will sneak back tonight to see for myself!”
“That won’t help your cultivation.”
“...!”
“Lady Calico, you should learn to restrain your curiosity,” Song You gently shook his head, calm and unruffled. “Let’s just buy a melon. Imagine, Lady Calico—on this hot summer day, we buy a sweet, chilled melon and sit beneath the cool shade of a tree, splitting it in half like bowls and scooping out mouthfuls with spoons. Wouldn’t it be delightful to just spend the afternoon like that, watching people pass by?”
“Hm? Split it in half?”
“Yes.”
“Like bowls?”
“More like basins, each half for one of us.”
“Scoop it out to eat!”
“Yes, scoop it out.”
At last, this vivid imagery captured Lady Calico’s imagination, successfully distracting her from her earlier curiosity.
Her mind became entirely occupied with thoughts of melons.
Cats were exactly like that—quick to focus and quick to lose interest. Once something new grabbed their attention, the previous matter was immediately forgotten.
Perhaps their minds were simply too small, capable of holding only one thing at a time.
Yet, after thinking it through carefully, Lady Calico suddenly tilted her head, puzzled:
“But we don't have spoons!”
Song You smiled lightly, replying nonchalantly, “Then we’ll just have to use our hands.”
His tone was calm, as if it didn't matter at all.
Instantly, Lady Calico enthusiastically agreed, “Using hands is best! Only humans need spoons and chopsticks!”
“Indeed...”
“Monkeys eat with their hands too!”
“...”
A short while later, beneath a desert willow tree.
Two figures, one large and one small, sat casually beneath the tree, indifferent to the dust and sand on the ground. Between them lay a ripe golden melon with its rind patterned with fine net-like veins was cut exactly in half, despite the difference in the size of the figures.
The larger figure broke the melon into smaller pieces, nibbling them leisurely while observing the bustling street and its diverse, exotic faces. The smaller figure, meanwhile, sat beside him. Gripping half a melon firmly in hand, she was practically burying her face into it, vigorously biting into the fruit. Occasionally, she'd glance up at the man beside her and then at the passersby.
The melon was fragrant and sweet—delicious beyond description.
The little girl, Lady Calico, glanced up thoughtfully as she struggled with her melon. She briefly considered breaking it into smaller pieces like the Daoist beside her but soon shook her head, rejecting the idea. It was clearly much more fun this way.
She continued gnawing energetically until her front teeth became too short to reach deeper into the melon’s flesh, forcing her to press her face firmly against it. Despite getting juice all over her cheeks, she persisted, determined to reduce the melon to a thin shell.
Passersby, traders, and merchants frequently cast amused or intrigued glances at the pair—noticing perhaps their carefree and relaxed demeanor more than their eating habits.
About two hours passed...
Song You continued savoring the melon, watching the passing crowd with quiet relaxation. Beside him, Lady Calico stubbornly gnawed at her melon, now stripped almost entirely down to the skin. Her face was sticky with melon juice, yet she showed no intention of stopping. Suddenly, she lifted her head sharply and turned toward another direction, momentarily distracted.
At the same moment, a commotion arose nearby.
A group of people was approaching, causing merchants and travelers on the busy street to step aside quickly and pause to watch. It seemed something unusual was happening. As the group came closer, voices became clearer: someone was weeping loudly, accompanied by sharp reprimands from another.
People gathered curiously at the roadside, craning their necks to see what was happening.
As the group drew nearer, their voices became more distinct. There were cries and pleading voices mingled with harsh scolding.
Gradually, Song You could clearly see two Western warriors leading the procession. They were tall and muscular, dressed in colorful garments with turbans wrapped around their heads, thick beards adorning their faces, curved swords hanging from their waists. They strode confidently, clearing a path through the crowd.
Behind the warriors, several others followed—wealthy-looking locals in rich attire, adorned with gold and silver, carrying an air of authority. Trailing at the rear were two more armed guards escorting a young woman wearing plain garments.
Her features were beautiful, and her figure was graceful, but her wrists and ankles were shackled. As she walked, she sobbed loudly, struggling and pleading desperately. She was unwilling to move forward, while the warriors roughly pushed her onward.
Song You put down his melon rind, stood up, and looked around.
A strange feeling tugged at him—as though this matter somehow concerned him. He couldn't understand the local language and thus had no idea exactly what was happening.
“...”
After a brief hesitation, Song You glanced around, hoping to find a merchant from Great Yan, or at least someone from the Western Regions who might understand their speech.
Nearby, he spotted a familiar figure—the bearded innkeeper from earlier, who carried a bundle of vegetables. Without hesitation, Song You immediately walked toward him.
Seeing this, Lady Calico also stood up quickly, melon rind still in hand, and hurried after him. The swallow fluttered swiftly along as well.
“Sir,” Song You greeted politely with a bow.
The innkeeper turned and smiled warmly upon seeing him approach. The little girl, still clutching her melon rind, hurried to catch up, with the swallow flapping its wings close behind.
“Ah, Daoist Master,” the innkeeper responded warmly.
“We parted from Merchant Xie earlier,” Song You explained. “They went to amuse themselves elsewhere, while we decided to head back alone and rest here for a bit.” He then nodded toward the approaching group. “But could you tell me what exactly is happening over there? Why is that woman being paraded through the streets?”
“It's not exactly a parade,” the innkeeper clarified with a serious tone. “She’s being taken away to be executed at once.”
“What’s her crime?” Song You asked, puzzled.
“A few days ago, while serving our king, she lost a valuable wine jug given as a gift by a past Emperor of Great Yan. Our king treasured it greatly, so after searching the entire city yesterday without success, he decided to execute her today as punishment.”
“I see,” Song You murmured.
Immediately understanding dawned upon him. It was clear what had occurred.
Next to him, Lady Calico watched quietly, still nibbling her melon rind, though her curiosity was piqued again by the story.
Song You’s expression turned thoughtful, understanding clearly now how events were unfolding.
It seemed his karma in Jade City was about to reach its resolution.
Those lost items weren’t mere coincidences after all.
The temple had been fake, the monks had been fake, their claim that everyone in Jade City knew who took the stolen items had been fake, and their promise of gold and silver rewards had also been fake.
“...”
Song You silently turned, gently patting the little girl’s head.
It turned out today's stroll wasn't merely about sightseeing in Jade City or enjoying its customs—it was also about resolving the unintended karma he had incurred the night before.
“Sir...”
“Yes?”
“Do the officials in Jade City speak the language of Great Yan?”
“Jadeite Kingdom is a vassal state of Great Yan. Of course the nobles and officials in the palace speak your language.”
“Please stay here, sir.”
“What do you mea—hey, where are you going?”
The innkeeper stared in astonishment as Song You calmly stepped forward into the middle of the street.
Wherever the palace warriors went, everyone quickly moved aside—except for one Daoist, who now stood calmly in their path.
The warriors had arrogant attitudes and often shouted at people who blocked their way. If not for the fact that Song You was clearly from Great Yan, they might have already drawn their blades.
The procession halted abruptly.
All eyes turned curiously toward Song You.
“I am a Daoist from Great Yan, a cultivator from the east,” he stated calmly. “While traveling here, I heard the palace lost a treasured item. It happens that I know its whereabouts and have come specifically to inform your king. Please forgive my intrusion.”
“...”
The warriors didn't understand his words and turned uncertainly toward the officials behind them.
Several officials stepped forward immediately.
“Who are you?” one asked in the language of Great Yan.
“I am a Daoist from Great Yan, named Song You.” Without wasting time, Song You took two documents from within his robe and handed them over. “I have my official ordination certificate from Great Yan, as well as a personal letter from the prefect of Shazhou.”
The officials quickly summoned one who could read Great Yan’s script. Upon reading the letter, clearly signed by the prefect of Shazhou and sealed with an official stamp—and containing respectful words toward the Daoist—the officials’ attitudes immediately grew respectful.
“You claim to know the whereabouts of the treasure our king lost?”
“It was stolen by a demon outside the city.”
“That wine jug was bestowed upon our king by the Great Emperor of Great Yan himself. You must not lie about such matters!”
“Is it a wine jug made of silver, decorated with gold floral patterns and inlaid with red and green gemstones, accompanied by three matching cups?” Song You calmly described.
“Ah! So you truly know of it?” The official exclaimed in astonishment.
“I have seen it before, and I know its current whereabouts,” Song You confirmed.
He glanced briefly at the weeping servant girl, but refrained from questioning why they would blame an innocent servant for something obviously caused by demons. Instead, he gently turned back to the official, his tone mild but firm.
“Since this theft was committed by a demon, and I can help retrieve the jug, I humbly request that you report to your king to spare this innocent maidservant’s life.”
“You truly know its whereabouts?” The official pressed further.
“It lies on a mountain just outside the western edge of the city,” Song You explained patiently. “Send someone quickly to investigate, and perhaps you’ll find it there. Any delay might cause it to disappear.”
“And what if we cannot find it?”
“I’ll retrieve it personally within a month,” Song You promised firmly.
“You’re that confident?”
“I can only promise to do my utmost.”
The official stood in place, thinking for a moment, then turned around to mutter something to a few others, as if discussing the matter. After a brief exchange, he made a decision: first, he would send a warrior to the palace to report to the king, and then send another warrior immediately, instructing him to take people up the mountain that Song You had mentioned to search.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report