Unintended Immortality-Chapter 446: An Extraordinary Visitor

The black-and-white-clad youth also stepped out of the shrine, coming to stand beside the young Daoist priest. He glanced quietly at the middle-aged Daoist, his demeanor and bearing unmistakably marking him as someone beyond the ordinary.

Seeing this, the middle-aged Daoist was momentarily stunned again. When he turned back to face Song You, he no longer dared to be casual. He returned the greeting with due reverence.

“I am Qinghuaizi. Fellow Daoist, your kindness is appreciated.”

“I have come today to inquire about something,” Song You said.

“Inquire about something?” freёwebnoѵel.com

“Indeed.”

“Ah, say no more! I’m glad to help!”

Qinghuaizi had originally been heading outside for some matter, but upon hearing this, he abandoned his plans and instead gestured politely toward the inner courtyard.

“You have traveled far to visit. Please, come to the rear courtyard and allow us to brew a pot of tea for you. While we drink, you can tell me what you wish to know. I’d also like you to try Qingyun Temple’s fruit snacks.”

“That sounds good...”

Song You lowered his gaze to the little girl beside him, then turned back to glance at the swallow following behind them, before finally stepping forward to follow Qinghuaizi.

“May I ask which celestial mountain or immortal dwelling you hail from, fellow Daoist?”

“It’s hardly a celestial mountain. Just a small peak in Lingquan County, Yizhou, called Yin-Yang Mountain. Not an immortal dwelling either—just a small Daoist temple with little incense offering on most days. It’s called Hidden Dragon Temple.”

“Yin-Yang Mountain, Hidden Dragon Temple...”

“It’s not well-known.”

“Mountains, whether high or low, become famous if an immortal resides there. Temples, whether grand or humble, become sacred if gods reside within,” Qinghuaizi said as he opened the red-lacquered wooden gate leading to the inner courtyard. He then turned his head slightly to ask, “And these two are...?”

“I am Lady Calico!” the little girl declared confidently.

“I’m Yan An. Pleased to meet you,” the youth beside her spoke with composed elegance.

“Greetings,” Qinghuaizi said.

The two small demons answered one after another, following behind Song You, stepping one after the other into Qingyun Temple’s rear courtyard.

Qinghuaizi led the way with calm composure, outwardly steady, yet his mind was already rippling with unease.

The little girl looked young—likely the Daoist's attendant—but like the youth, her bearing and presence betrayed her extraordinary origins.

And her name, Lady Calico... For a Daoist, that was no ordinary title. Combined with her tri-colored outfit, there were only two possibilities—she was either a demon or a deity.

Then there was the black-and-white-clad youth, who introduced himself as Yan An. He had just now caused Anqing True Lord to manifest...

Could he be a descendant of the Swallow Immortal?

Qinghuaizi was neither well-versed in magical arts nor practiced in cultivation. He had never witnessed divine manifestations often. His role was simply to follow ritual procedures—setting up altars and performing prescribed ceremonies. However, having spent years within the temple, he had been exposed to countless stories and teachings about the gods.

Through years of serving deities, he had developed his own understanding and insights into such matters.

And from that alone, he immediately knew—these visitors were anything but ordinary.

Not long after, the group sat face to face in a wooden chamber. A fire stove by the side brewed tea, while a few plates of fruit snacks were arranged on the table.

These so-called “fruit snacks” were not merely fresh fruit. In parts of the Great Yan, the term referred to snacks served with tea, usually consisting of dried fruit, pastries, and cured meats—a custom particularly prevalent in Jiangnan.

“Splash...” Qinghuaizi poured tea for each of them.

“Thank you...”

Both Song You and Yan An accepted their cups with a polite word of thanks.

Lady Calico, too, muttered a soft thanks, but after glancing briefly at the tea, she simply left it untouched on the table. Instead, she curled up beside Song You, twisting her head left and right, eyes full of curiosity as she took in everything around her.

“Fellow Daoist, what is it you wish to ask?”

“It is like this...” Song You set down his tea cup, then explained in detail, “We came from Langzhou, but upon reaching the border between Langzhou and Yangzhou, we discovered that the local mountain folk were worshiping an evil deity known as the ‘Anle God’.

“This so-called Anle God was originally an officially enshrined Land God, recognized by the imperial court. In the State Preceptor’s lifetime, it still followed the rules, remaining under strict control.

“But after the State Preceptor’s death, it gradually revealed its true nature—it began coercing the villagers, demanding sacrifices of young children. Such actions violate both heaven’s law and human law alike.”

“The State Preceptor is dead?!” Qinghuaizi’s eyes widened in shock.

“It has been over a year and a half since his passing.”

“B-But... but why have we not heard of this?!” Qinghuaizi looked even more stunned.

“The State Preceptor left the capital many years ago. As a Daoist, once he returned to the mountains and wilderness, he lived a carefree life. Even when people could not find him, they simply assumed he had gone into seclusion, was refining alchemical pills, or was traveling freely through nature. I suspect that even within the imperial court, many still do not know that he has already died.”

“Then... Then may I ask, fellow Daoist, did the State Preceptor pass away peacefully from old age? Or... did he ascend to immortality or divinity?”

“It is best not to speak of it.”

“...” Qinghuaizi sat there, still dazed and speechless.

“Back to the main topic.” Song You took a sip of tea, then continued with a slight smile.

“Later, I heard that deities like Anle God were part of a group—five such gods in total—appointed by the imperial court in Yangzhou and its surrounding regions. Each was given a secretive task to fulfill. However, about a year or two ago, there should have been an order from the Ministry of Rites or the State Preceptor himself to abolish these five deities.

“Yangzhou is too vast—searching for them one by one would be far too troublesome. Since the rise and fall of Land Gods would naturally be reported to the largest temples and shrines in the area, I came to Qingyun Temple to inquire about them.”

“Anle God...” Qinghuaizi furrowed his brows, murmuring the name.

“You've heard of it, fellow Daoist?”

“Daoist Master, please wait a moment.” With that, Qinghuaizi immediately got up and walked out.

The little girl tilted her head back, curiously watching him leave.

Meanwhile, Song You remained seated, unhurried. He lifted his cup, sipping his tea leisurely, occasionally picking up a pastry and breaking off only a tiny piece—no larger than a fingernail—before placing it in his mouth.

Yangzhou life was indeed refined.

Even in a Daoist temple, the daily snacks and pastries were exquisite. The mung bean cakes and red bean cakes crumbled at the lightest touch—eating them dry would certainly stick to the mouth, but when paired with a sip of fragrant tea, they melted instantly, leaving behind a lingering blend of pastry sweetness and tea aroma.

Outside, the sound of footsteps faded into the distance.

By the time Song You had eaten half a piece of pastry, the footsteps returned.

“Creak...”

Qinghuaizi pushed the door open and stepped back into the room, now holding two volumes of records in his hands.

“I do have some memory of this Anle God you mentioned,” Qinghuaizi admitted as he sat down, flipping through the records.

“But not very clearly. However, if we're talking about several Land Gods mysteriously enshrined by the imperial court over a decade ago, and then just as mysteriously abolished a year ago, that I remember very well.

“I found it strange back then when they were first appointed, and then again a year ago, when they were suddenly revoked.” Qinghuaizi set one of the volumes open in front of Song You.

He added, “Fortunately, just as you said, whenever the imperial court enshrines Land Gods, they notify the regional temples and shrines, and we then relay this information to smaller temples and the local populace. Everything is recorded.”

“Oh?” Song You leaned forward slightly, watching as he flipped through the pages.

“These five Land Gods had similar-sounding names. Besides the Anle God you mentioned, there were Jile God[1], Xiangle God[2], Anyi God[3] Originally, each was assigned to a different region in Yangzhou and its surrounding areas. However, as merchants and travelers moved between regions, their identities became blurred over time. Furthermore, they were known to manifest frequently, each demonstrating various divine abilities. Because of this, some people began referring to them collectively as the ‘Five Manifested Gods’, and their followers grew in number.”

As Qinghuaizi spoke, he slid the open record toward Song You. Song You lowered his gaze and studied the pages carefully.

However, rather than a detailed description of the five Land Gods as Qinghuaizi had recounted, the text merely contained a direct transcription of the imperial decree that enshrined them.

It followed a standard format—

It briefly mentioned the presence of a local deity, recorded its original name, boasted about its virtues and divine powers, and officially granted it the title of a Land God. Among them was the decree for Anle God of Mount Jiurang.

Qinghuaizi flipped through the pages one by one for him. The five entries in a row were all the same.

Then, he picked up another booklet and flipped through it as well, showing it to him.

It contained the same transcriptions of the original text, but this time, they were accusations against the five deities, stating that they occupied their positions without fulfilling their duties. Not only did they fail to bring blessings to the people, but they also frequently manifested without reason, frightening the common folk—thus, they were to be abolished.

“Le Commandery, Qiong Mountain, Xiangle God.” Song You tapped his finger on the booklet, pointing at one of the names. “I wonder if you have any knowledge of this Xiangle God?”

He replied, “Naturally, I do. Back when the government conferred him the title of a deity, they built a temple at the foot of Qiong Mountain, and one of my senior brothers from Qingyun Palace was assigned as the temple’s caretaker for a year. This was to encourage the locals to come and worship him.

“Only after the incense offerings became more abundant did my senior brother return. Unfortunately, he left for a ritual recently, which will take forty-nine days in total. It has only been about ten days so far.”

Qinghuaizi glanced at Song You before continuing, “However, even my senior brother never truly saw the Xiangle God’s real form. He only mentioned that during the year he served as the temple’s caretaker, he often dreamt of a mountain spirit thanking him, saying things like ‘It’s been hard on you, staying alone in this secluded mountain temple.’

“Sometimes, when he woke up, he would find rare fruits placed beside his bed. They appeared to be ordinary wild fruits from the mountains, yet they grew abnormally large and had an enticing fragrance. Most likely, they were the so-called spiritual fruits of legend. He ate quite a few of them.

“That’s probably why, even though my senior brother is past forty now, he still looks like he’s in his early thirties and remains in excellent health.”

Song You remarked, “This Xiangle God is rather considerate.”

“Well, we’re not sure if it’s true or not...”

“But this text here says that the Xiangle God frequently manifested in the mountains without reason, frightening the common folk, and even threatening them to make offerings. Is this true or false?”

“Sigh... To be honest with you, Daoist Master, it is somewhat true.”

“Oh?”

“The hearts of men change easily, and so do gods and spirits,” Qinghuaizi said with a long sigh. “A few years ago, some villagers from the foot of Qiong Mountain came to our temple to offer incense and mentioned this matter. My senior brother could hardly believe it, so he took a boat and traveled to Qiong Mountain, staying at the temple for several days.

“But he was never able to dream of that old mountain spirit again. Every morning when he woke, all he saw was the frost and mist outside the temple—there were no more spiritual fruits from the mountain. After returning, my senior brother did not speak to anyone for a long time.”

“I see...” Song You couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.

From the bustling administrative center of Le Commandery, from the renowned temple filled with worshippers, to a small mountain shrine in a remote village—where he had to live entirely within the temple, handling all his daily needs there.

Day after day, he had to promote the name and divine powers of a newly appointed Land God, spreading its renown among the people, gathering incense offerings to solidify its position. What an arduous and lonely task it must have been.

The Xiangle God must have genuinely appreciated it at the time—sending dreams of gratitude and gifting spiritual fruits as a reward.

A year... was not too long, yet not too short. They must have formed some kind of bond.

How complicated must the Daoist’s emotions have been when he realized the change?

“Why do you ask about this, Daoist Master?” Qinghuaizi’s voice pulled Song You from his thoughts.

“Oh, I travel the world, and I love to hear rare and curious tales. I also enjoy visiting temples and shrines,” Song You said with a smile, bowing politely. “So, I wanted to ask for directions to Qiong Mountain—I’d like to visit it myself.”

1. Jile God means ‘God of Supreme Joy’. ☜

2. Xiangle God means ‘Xiangle God’. ☜

3. Anyi God means ‘God of Comfort’.[ref], Ping'an God[ref]Ping’an God means ‘God of Peace’. ☜