Unintended Immortality
Chapter 570: Gifts for the Worthy

Chapter 570: Gifts for the Worthy

“There are still so many magical artifacts here!”

“Most of them are just little trinkets—not all that useful, and a hassle to carry around. You’ve already received a powerful treasure, Lady Calico, so there’s no need to be greedy for more,” Song You said to her. “Besides, while magical tools and treasures are certainly powerful and convenient, you’re still at the beginning of your cultivation journey. It wouldn’t do to rely on them too much.”

“The beginning of my cultivation journey!”

“That’s right...”

“Then we can sell them for money!”

“You really are a clever little rascal.” Song You couldn’t help but chuckle. “Better to just leave them here.”

“Huh?” The little girl jumped in shock.

“What is it?”

“There are so many magical treasures...”

She looked down again at the ground.

A dazzling array of magical tools and rare treasures lay scattered in the mud. Many had once been beautiful, glowing with golden light—but now they were all dirtied with grime. Just looking at them made her heart ache.

“What a waste...” she murmured to herself, clearly pained.

“It’s not like they’re being destroyed,” Song You said to her. “They’re just being left here. If fate allows it, they’ll eventually see the light of day again. Don’t let greed get the better of you, Lady Calico.”

“Mm...”

The little girl hesitated, still reluctant. But then her gaze shifted—she looked toward the crevice ahead, and her attention immediately changed direction. “There’s still a lot of valuable stuff in there!”

“If we can still find the rightful owners, let it all be returned to them.”

Bang!

A sharp crack rang out as he struck the air, and golden light burst forth.

“...!”

Lady Calico’s eyes widened.

When the light faded, many of the treasures within the mountain had disappeared.

“There’s still so many left!!”

“Lady Calico, you must understand that wealth is merely an external possession. For those who walk the path of cultivation, it’s enough to have what you need—anything more becomes a burden. Don’t end up like that weasel demon, trapped by greed.”

As Song You spoke, he gave the little girl a resigned pat on the head. But since she was riding on the tiger’s back and now slightly taller than him, the gesture was a bit awkward.

“Remember this well, Lady Calico—before you cultivate your power, you must first cultivate your heart.”

“...!”

Thinking of that fat-bellied monk, and the monks strewn all over the battlefield, the little girl’s expression turned solemn and serious.

“I’ll remember!”

“So now that this is settled, what should we do next?”

“We leave.”

“Oh riiight...”

The Daoist stretched the sound out lazily, as if echoing her, then leaned on his bamboo staff and began walking away.

“But this...”

The little girl, riding the tiger, followed behind him, her gaze fixed on the golden awl in his hand.

That’s the real treasure!

Walking ahead of her, the Daoist didn’t even turn around, but it was as though he knew exactly what she was looking at.

He raised the golden awl slightly and said, “This item is no ordinary thing. It fuels greed and carries a dark, ominous nature. I fear it can even influence the mind on its own. Given time, one might very well end up like that weasel demon... Do you wish to follow in the weasel demon’s footsteps, Lady Calico?”

“Follow in its footsteps...” The little girl mumbled, not quite understanding.

Luckily, the Daoist had known her for years and was well aware of her habits. So he rephrased, “Do you want to become another weasel demon, Lady Calico?”

“I’m a cat!”

“Oh?”

“I don’t want to!”

“Good.” The Daoist smiled, satisfied.

“Still, it is a mysterious and rare treasure in this world. I won’t destroy it, but I’ll seal its spiritual resonance and bring it back to Hidden Dragon for safekeeping.”

“Mm...”

The little girl sat atop the tiger’s back without objection, though her face showed a thoughtful expression.

Most of what the Daoist said was true. Most of what the Daoist did was also correct.

And as a cat, her role was to observe—to quietly learn from the Daoist and the people around her the deep and subtle ways of interacting with the world.

Lady Calico was a quick study.

“Rumble rumble...”

“Boom boom boom...”

The stone giant collapsed with a thunderous crash, falling apart into a pile of rubble.

The pack of wolves and demonic tigers also burst into black smoke one after another, instantly swept back into the little girl’s raised flag. Only a single tiger remained—Lady Calico’s beloved mount.

With the ground covered in mud, she refused to walk in the muck and chose to ride her tiger instead. She tucked the Water-Splitting Blade and the small flag into her sash pouch, then settled herself atop the tiger’s back and began inspecting her newly acquired embroidered pouch.

The tiger walked unsteadily, swaying left and right, jolting up and down.

The little girl swayed with it too, but remained firmly seated, entirely focused on examining her treasure. The sight was oddly comical.

The group trudged through the mud, heading into the distant forest.

“Lady Calico, you’ve truly changed,” Song You remarked as they walked, sighing in reflection. On long journeys, boredom was often passed this way.

“Thinking back to you by the roadside at Jinyang Road, and comparing that to the cat today who fought a whole host of demons alone... It’s almost hard to believe.”

“It’s because you’re amazing, Daoist priest,” the little girl replied without even looking up. Suddenly, she frowned.

“Those monks lied! It’s not as big as they said! It doesn’t hold more than two baskets' worth!”

“Lady Calico, you’re amazing too.”

“I’m just beginning my cultivation!”

“...” Song You actually went silent for a moment before finally saying, “If you’re already this amazing at the start of your cultivation, then your future potential is limitless.”

“When will I be this amazing?”

“This amazing how?”

“Like today—being able to call out all the demons from the flag to help me fight!” the little girl looked up at him.

“Soon.”

“And there's that big bird too! It can fly!”

“Soon.”

“Then when will I be as amazing as you, Daoist priest?”

“That’ll take a little longer.”

“A little longer!”

“Just a little.”

“Really?”

“You’re naturally gifted and also diligent. In just over a decade, you went from a little shrine cat by Jinyang Road—one even lowlifes didn't dare provoke—to someone as powerful as you are now,” Song You said, tapping his bamboo staff against the ground as he stared straight ahead. “At that rate, the road ahead isn’t far.”

“Then how many years did you take?”

“...”

The Daoist remained calm, as if he hadn't heard the question at all.

The swallow, having shifted from the stone giant’s head to the horse’s back, turned at the sound and began preening the feathers beneath its wings.

Fortunately, something else caught the little girl’s attention at that moment. The ever-curious girl, for once, didn’t press the question further. Instead, she continued fiddling with her newly acquired treasure.

“I put the little flag inside!”

“I saw.”

“I put the blade in too!”

“Mm.”

“I took them out again!”

“...”

“Oh, it closed by itself!”

“...”

“Oh no, it won’t open anymore!”

Lady Calico’s face showed utter shock. Holding the embroidered pouch with both hands, she tried to pry it open again, but it wouldn’t budge. Helpless, she turned her head and looked pleadingly at the Daoist.

At the same time, the demon tiger abruptly stopped in its tracks. A confused look clearly appeared in its eyes—it didn’t move forward but instead turned its head to look at the girl riding on its back, particularly eyeing her hands that now held only the pouch, with no sign of the small flag.

The tiger was truly baffled.

“Let me take a look.”

The Daoist reached out his hand, and the girl immediately extended hers, handing the pouch over to him.

The exchange looked just like an ordinary child handing something to a parent.

“Got it.” After a brief inspection, the Daoist nodded.

“Is it broken?” The little girl stared at him, face full of shock and worry.

“It’s not broken. It’s just that this pouch doesn’t have enough spiritual resonance,” Song You explained.

“Maybe it’s too old and its spiritual resonance has faded over time, or maybe it was made imperfectly to begin with. It can only be opened once per day, and each time it only allows a brief window to access the contents. You’ll be able to open it again tomorrow.”

“So from now on, it’s best to only store things in it that you won’t need to access all the time.”

“The tiger won’t move!”

“Just give it a whack, that’ll fix it.”

“I can’t bear to!!” The little girl responded without hesitation, her voice crisp and firm.

As soon as her words fell, the demon tiger beneath her seemed to understand. Though still looking thoroughly confused, it nonetheless lifted its paws and began to move forward once more.

Gradually, they stepped out of the muddy ground and onto a carpet of fallen leaves.

“You looked like you were frozen just now.”

“I was.”

“Were you cold?”

“A little bit, at the time.”

“Now the sun’s out. If the sun hugs you, you’ll feel much warmer.”

“...Yes.”

This stretch of forest hadn’t seen visitors in who knows how long. In the past, the only sound was the gurgling of a stream—but today, at last, the quiet had been broken by human voices.

The path ahead was dry; the rain hadn’t reached this far.

Twenty days ago, the demons of this mountain had conjured up a storm on the road, hoping to encounter the Daoist and forge a fated bond. Twenty days later, the Daoist used a storm of his own as the prelude to their farewell.

***

To the east of Jade City, in a small village market town...

A group of merchants was resting inside a wooden lodge.

The lodge was simple, with a single long wooden platform bed stretching from the far left wall all the way to the right. All the merchants lay sleeping across the bed, while their goods were piled up on the floor below. Snores filled the air, rising and falling in turns. Only one man remained awake—Merchant Xie, the one most familiar with Song You. He sat leaning against the wall at the edge of the bed, half-dozing with eyes barely open.

The oil lamp flickered, casting wavering shadows.

Lately, thieves had been frequently spotted around these parts—though it was unclear whether they were merely thieves or demons in disguise. In any case, goods often went missing, so the merchants never dared all sleep at once. Two of them would always take turns keeping watch through the night.

Traveling merchants had a tough life.

Tonight, it was Merchant Xie’s turn to take the first half of the night watch.

The first half was generally easier. Whether seasoned thieves or the supernatural fiends of local tales, they usually preferred to act in the second half of the night.

“...”

Merchant Xie’s hand suddenly slipped, failing to support his chin. His head dropped heavily, jolting him awake a bit. Taking the chance, he lifted his head to make his usual quick scan of the room.

Only the sound of wind could be heard.

“Whoosh...”

Merchant Xie lifted his head groggily, and saw the oil lamp on the table flickering, casting shifting shadows throughout the room. In a daze, he seemed to see an extra figure had appeared inside the house.

“...!”

Startled, Merchant Xie immediately became fully alert.

Just as he was about to reach out to wake the person beside him, he focused his gaze—and finally saw the figure clearly.

A young face, wearing a white Daoist robe, smiling at him and even offering a respectful bow. Who could it be but the Daoist surnamed Song whom he had encountered by chance in Jade City?

“Mr. Song?”

Merchant Xie was taken aback but quickly sat up and returned the greeting. Strangely, he didn’t feel any fear, only confusion as he asked, “But didn’t we already say our goodbyes? Why would you come here in the middle of the night, sir?”

“There’s something I’d like to ask you, Mr. Xie.”

“What is it?”

“I heard that nine hundred li southeast of Jade City, behind Mount Tian, there is another Mount Tian. Do you know the way there, and are there any legends or taboos about the mountain?”

“Nine hundred li southeast of Jade City? Another Mount Tian behind Mount Tian?” Merchant Xie still felt no fear at all, and didn’t even suspect the visitor might be a spirit or demon.

Instead, he thought for a moment and replied, “About a thousand li southeast of Jade City, there is a very tall mountain, right behind Mount Tian. The saying ‘Beyond Mount Tian, there lies another Mount Tian’ probably refers to this mountain that’s even taller than Mount Tian.”

“That’s what I thought as well.”

“I’ve heard of it too. They say the mountain is so tall that for most of the year it’s above the clouds. No one can climb it. But there have been some brave local warriors who managed to reach the top. Some unique local practitioners also tried climbing it, but instead of being easier for them, it was actually even harder.”

“Is there a lake on the mountain?”

“I haven’t heard of one.”

“Many thanks, Mr. Xie.”

“Sir, are you planning to go to this mountain?”

“I’ve always loved mountain climbing.”

“What a refined interest, sir.”

“Haha...”

The Daoist stood in the room beside the oil lamp. The light swayed and danced, causing his figure to blur and sharpen intermittently. Though it was clearly him, the more closely one looked, the less clearly he could be seen.

“There is one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“To be honest, ever since our first meeting, you and your companions have shown us much kindness. We’ve never properly thanked you, and I feel quite ashamed. I just happened to learn some news today, so I came to thank you in person.”

He paused before continuing.

“Roughly a hundred li north of here, deep in the mountains, a demon had collected a trove of treasures. That demon has now been vanquished, and the treasures remain untouched in the depths of the mountain. If you’re interested, Mr. Xie, go directly north at dawn for about twenty li into the forest—you’ll find a wild wolf to guide your way. Continue until you reach a desolate mountain. It’s filled with countless treasures, and you and your group may take whatever you like. But it’s a one-time opportunity.”

“Is what you said really true?”

“I wouldn’t dare deceive you.”

“This...”

“All of it is ownerless. It’s of no use to me, and since you and your companions are kind and upright people, it’s only right that you receive this gift.”

“...”

They chatted a while longer before the Daoist bid him farewell. Just then, the oil lamp flickered again, the light blurring in his vision, and the Daoist’s figure quickly became indistinct—then vanished entirely from the room.

Merchant Xie blinked in confusion, his senses slowly returning to clarity. Only then did he realize something was off. He suddenly snapped fully awake—only to find himself still leaning against the wall, propping up his chin with his hand.

It turned out he had dozed off just moments earlier.