Unintended Immortality-Chapter 376: Farewell to Zhengxi

South of Fengzhou lay a region long known for its barren mountains and treacherous terrain. Once, the Yin River flowed through this area, serving as a vital waterway between the capital and the southern regions. However, after the river changed its course, the land became a place of no strategic interest to military powers.

This commandery city seems to be a relic from a thousand years ago, untouched by modern rebuilding efforts. The city walls, made of compacted yellow earth, at first glance resemble those of a northern military outpost. Even within the city, few people speak the official dialect.

It was only upon arriving here that Song You learned the Yin River had once flowed through Zi Commandery a thousand years ago, passing just north of Yinnan County. The name “Yinnan“ itself meant “south of the Yin River.”

A thousand years ago, this place had once been prosperous. But over the span of a millennium, much had changed. Were it not for the deeply rooted ideology of unity across these lands, a thousand years might have given rise to several distinct civilizations.

In the city, there was a small hill with a dilapidated pavilion at its summit, located beside an inn. Two women stood in the pavilion, enjoying the breeze and taking in the sight of the crumbling cityscape.

A Daoist in an old robe, leading a jujube-red horse, arrived at the base of the hill. Looking up, he happened to meet the gaze of the women looking down at him.

Moments later, only the horse, laden with its pack, remained at the foot of the hill. The Daoist had already ascended and was now in the pavilion.

A swallow perched on the edge of the pavilion’s thatched roof.

“Greetings, Daoist Master, and Lady Calico,” said one of the women.

“And the little swallow from Anqing.”

“You two seem to be enjoying yourselves,” Song You said.

“With little else to do, we came up here to feel the breeze and take in the view,” replied Miss Wanjiang.

“And to see when you would return,” added her maid with a teasing smile.

“...”

Song You ignored the maid’s teasing and used the vantage point of the small hill to survey the ancient city. He observed how the residents seemed to live as though it were still a thousand years ago. Without taking his eyes off the view, he asked, “Have you two met your old acquaintance?”

“No,” Miss Wanjiang replied softly.

“Why not?”

“Perhaps he isn’t here,” her voice was gentle.

“Or maybe he is here but doesn’t want to meet us,” the maid said with a playful smile. “Hearts of men change easily; the hearts of demons less so. But it has been so many years.”

“Will you continue to wait, then?”

“Waiting longer serves no purpose.”

“That makes sense.” Song You nodded thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes. “When will you leave, then?”

“We will leave when you leave,” Miss Wanjiang replied, turning to face him. Her hair danced in the breeze.

“We asked around. Traveling by land to Yaozhou is possible, but no one has taken that route in years. The path might no longer exist, so we’ll still have to take the water route,” the maid said. “Which means we’ll likely return to the ferry crossing and head to Yaozhou, traveling part of the way on the same boat again.”

“I see.”

“If you don’t believe us, you can ask around yourself.”

“I already did, on my way back. The officers confirmed as much,” Song You replied.

“Well then, that settles it. They say sharing the same boat takes a hundred years of fate , and sharing the same pillow takes a thousand years. I suppose we share three hundred years of fate,” the maid said with a grin. “A pity we haven’t shared a pillow.”

“Mind your manners.” Miss Wanjiang turned to silence the maid, her voice remaining gentle. She then looked back at Song You and asked, “Why did you return from Mount Ye so soon? Did you find what you were looking for?”

“We thought you’d stay on Mount Ye a bit longer,” the maid added.

“Waiting longer serves no purpose,” Song You replied, using the fox demon’s own words. “If it can’t be found in a few days, it won’t be found in a few months either.”

“That’s reasonable,” the fox demon said, her expression unchanged, naturally mirroring his calm demeanor. It didn’t seem like she was imitating him deliberately. She then asked, “When do you plan to depart?”

“I’ll rest tomorrow and leave the day after.”

“Then we’ll travel with you.”

“It seems you’ve decided the State Preceptor poses no issue,” the maid remarked with her usual cheeky smile.

“I’ll visit again next time,” Song You replied.

“You’re traveling south, and according to your original route, you’d go from Fengzhou to Yaozhou, follow the coastline east, reach the easternmost point, then circle northward and return, right?” the maid asked. “This route doesn’t require you to return to Fengzhou. If you specifically plan to come back, it’d be at least three or four years later.”

“A year from now.”

“A year? Wouldn’t that mean retracing a lot of your steps?”

“The ghostly qi in the Ghost City of Mount Ye is heavy and spreads far, significantly affecting the mortal world. My sealing spell can only hold for a year,” Song You explained earnestly. “I have no choice but to return.”

“Such words might fool the National Preceptor, but not me. Even I could seal it for a year. Oh, I mean my mistress,” the maid corrected herself mid-sentence with casual indifference. “My mistress could manage a one-year seal. And since you’ve mastered the spiritual arts of the four seasons, you should be even more skilled in this area.”

“...”

“Fine, fine...”

The maid grinned brightly and added, “It seems you harbor deep suspicions about the State Preceptor and hasn’t yet dispelled them. To uncover the truth, you’re willing to endure the long journey of exploring the world and still make the effort to return here.”

“That’s indeed a good approach,” Miss Wanjiang finally spoke again. “Both the Ghost City of Fengzhou and the underworld will take an extremely long time to fully develop. If the State Preceptor does have some grand scheme, it’s unlikely he could achieve it in the short term. Rather than wasting time watching over things here, it’s better to leave for now.”

The maid gave Song You a playful wink. “If I were the State Preceptor and had a plan that would take over a year to execute, I’d probably be starting to panic right about now. Why don’t we turn back immediately and catch him off guard? With my mistress here, we could even help you deal with those great demons!”

“Do you two really have no other business here?” Song You asked.

“None whatsoever,” Miss Wanjiang replied calmly.

“If that old marsh dragon came to find us, perhaps there would be something. But since he hasn’t, there’s nothing,” the maid said.

“What do you mean by that?”

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“It’s true that he’s an old acquaintance of ours,” Miss Wanjiang explained gently. “But what we haven’t told you, Daoist, is what kind of acquaintance he is. Gratitude can make for an old acquaintance, friendship can too, and so can grudges.”

Her voice carried a serene grace that made her words seem far more reliable than her maid’s flippant manner. “If he came looking for us, it would be to settle an old score.”

“Exactly!” the maid chimed in.

“I see,” Song You said, thinking of the debt they owed Princess Changping. Perhaps this matter was related to that.

But he didn’t ask further.

If he did, who knew which one of them would answer?

If it were the maid...

This maid seemed to specialize in half-truths and mischief. Her words were hard to judge—neither outright lies that bred distrust nor wholly reliable. Her tone was lighthearted and insincere, making every statement feel like a joke. Trying to discern the truth from her words would be an exercise in futility.

A contrast to this was General Chen.

Everything General Chen said carried a tone of heartfelt sincerity. His words seemed to come straight from his heart, making them naturally persuasive and easy to trust.

“Sigh...”

The maid behind Song You let out another exaggerated sigh. “But if you really go out of your way to pass through Fengzhou again in a year, it will take so much extra time. My mistress was hoping to meet you again in Yangzhou’s capital city.”

“After two days on the road, I’ll rest now,” Song You said plainly.

“Do you have no feelings at all?”

“...”

Song You pretended not to hear, casting one last glance at the scenery of the commandery city before descending the hill.

The cat and swallow followed quietly behind him.

The women exchanged a look as they watched him leave.

***

Two days later, the group resumed their journey.

When they reached the ferry crossing, they were in luck—an empty boat arrived not long after they got there.

The boatman was a robust middle-aged man.

Instead of heading straight to Zhengxi, Song You asked the boatman to drop him off at the nearest Yaozhou dock. From there, he planned to travel on foot and explore Yaozhou. The two women decided to accompany him on his journey.

Following the river downstream, they quickly reached Yaozhou. Three people, a horse—not counting the cat nor the swallow, who didn’t require passage—cost only a few dozen wen in total.

Once ashore, the two women’s carriage was already waiting for them.

“How did you know I’d disembark here?” Song You asked, surprised.

“You travel to explore the world,” Miss Wanjiang replied with a gentle smile, bowing slightly. “If the scenery along the riverbanks wasn’t stunning, how could you have passed by in such a rush? We guessed you’d only take the boat this far.”

“If we guessed wrong, it doesn’t matter. We won’t bring it up, and no one will know we made a mistake,” the maid said.

“That’s reasonable,” Song You replied with a faint smile and continued walking.

Ahead lay a narrow dirt road, just wide enough for a carriage to pass.

The women entered the carriage, leaving the maid to drive the horse. The carriage followed closely behind Song You, with the maid chattering away almost incessantly.

Most of the time, however, Song You ignored her.

Yaozhou was a land filled with mists and humidity. The path ahead was mostly mountain roads, quiet and secluded, shrouded in dense fog. The silence was heavy, and the surroundings felt desolate, but the occasional sound of a qin drifting from behind lightened the atmosphere.

They traveled together for over a hundred li.

Eventually, they reached a fork in the road.

The three-pronged intersection had paths branching left and right, surrounded by tall, straight trees. In the middle stood a tea stand, but its doors were shut.

A swallow flew over and perched on the jujube-red horse’s head, tilting its head to look first at Song You and then at the maid seated in the carriage. It spoke, “Take the left path to reach Zhengxi, following the course of the Yin River. As for the right path, I’m not sure where it leads, but it heads deeper into the heart of Yaozhou.”

“Flying really has its advantages. Having an airborne scout is quite handy,” the maid said with a laugh, glancing at the swallow.

She said, “Say, Swallow, do you have any other brothers or sisters at home without much to do? Even though the foxes of Yuezhou has declined compared to your Anqing swallows, and my mistress isn’t as long-lived as your old Swallow Immortal, and we aren’t as prosperous anymore, our lineage is still older than yours. Having them work for my mistress wouldn’t be beneath them. Think of it as fostering ties between our species. What do you say?”

“...”

The swallow’s round, shiny black eyes shifted toward Song You.

It opened its beak as if to speak but hesitated. Remembering the Daoist’s advice—if you don’t know what to say or don’t feel like talking, just don’t say anything—the swallow shut its mouth again and stayed silent.

The swallow turned its head, tucked it under its wing, and began grooming its feathers, ignoring her entirely. Freeing itself from the burden of responding, it immediately felt a sense of relief.

At this moment, the woman lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.

“The princess has been demoted to a normal citizen. We must visit her, so here is where we part ways with you,” said the fox demon, her appearance still as stunningly beautiful as ever, otherworldly and ethereal. Though her expression remained calm and composed, her eyes betrayed a hint of reluctance.

“After traveling together for a thousand li, we must part ways. The next time we meet will likely be in Yangdu, two or three years from now at the earliest. I truly regret this parting.”

“Thank you for accompanying me with your music along the way.”

“It is I who should thank you for allowing me to travel with you,” Miss Wanjiang said with a solemn bow. “I’ve heard Yangdu is the second greatest city in the land, even more prosperous than Changjing. I will go ahead and wait for you there.”

“Until fate brings us together again.”

At this moment, the maid retrieved a small jade bottle from the carriage. It was about the size of a hand. Smiling cheerfully, she bent down and handed it to the cat. “Inside this bottle is Lady Calico’s favorite rice wine soup. When we left Changjing, we had a large pot of it. There should still be enough left for about a dozen bowls. It’s already sweetened and should last Lady Calico for a month. Please accept it. This is our gift to Lady Calico—a token of appreciation for her companionship and adorableness.”

The cat tilted her head, staring blankly at the maid. Then she turned her head and looked at her Daoist priest.

“This is too valuable,” Song You said.

“Then return the jade bottle to us when we meet again in Yangdu,” the maid replied with a smile. “Lady Calico is so adorable. How could you bear to see Lady Calico travel without her favorite sweet soup?”

“We’ve grown very fond of Lady Calico during our journey. She’s adorable, and she’s worked so hard catching rabbits along the way,” Miss Wanjiang added. “If you truly regard us as old acquaintances, please don’t refuse this gesture of goodwill.”

The cat, sitting upright with a solemn expression, presented an air of absolute indifference to the offer, as though she could not be tempted.

“Your kindness is much appreciated.”

“Much appreciated!” the cat echoed playfully.

The Daoist and the cat spoke one after the other.

“You’re truly heartless,” the maid remarked with a sigh, finally putting the jade bottle away.

Both parties exchanged bows and farewells before going their separate ways—one heading left, the other right. The dense forest quickly obscured their view of each other.

“Yan’an,” Song You called.

“Flap, flap, flap...”

The swallow descended from above.

“Sir?”

“I need your assistance again. It will require some effort,” Song You said. “Stay hidden above the clouds and keep an eye on our surroundings, both ahead and behind. Watch for demons or ghosts lurking in the shadows—or people, for that matter.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand, summoning two streams of spiritual energy—one a pale blue with hints of white, the other as pure as snow.

“Should I monitor that great demon as well?” the swallow asked.

“That would be too dangerous, and it’s unnecessary.”

“Understood.”

The two streams of spiritual energy entered the swallow’s body.

“Before we left Zi Commandery, I noticed some suspicious behavior in the city,” the swallow said. “After you took the boat south, I flew back along the river and found that the boatman had returned to the Zi Commandery ferry crossing. He abandoned the boat and went ashore, heading toward the commandery city.”

“You’re truly clever,” Song You said with a faint smile. Though he had sensed something himself, he still offered his praise. “You’ve been a great help.”

“Not at all...” the swallow replied softly, though its voice hinted at quiet pride.

“It’ll be a few more hard days for you,” Song You said encouragingly.

“It’s no trouble at all. For a swallow, flying in the sky is as easy as walking on the ground for humans. It’s very effortless,” the swallow said.

With that, it soared into the sky.

The Daoist withdrew his gaze and continued walking.

Tall, straight trees lined both sides of the path, which was a winding dirt road stretching endlessly ahead, as though leading to some unknown destination.

Leaning on his bamboo staff, the Daoist walked steadily. As he walked, he spoke, “Lady Calico, bear with it a little longer. Once we reach Zhengxi, I’ll buy you half a bowl of rice wine soup to drink.”

Lady Calico the cat, walking alongside him, replied, “Forget it!”

“Why?”

“It costs money.”

“...”

The Daoist shook his head with a chuckle.

Zhengxi was about a hundred li away. With a mix of walking and resting, they reached their destination smoothly in two days.