Unintended Immortality

Chapter 51: Demon Exorcism in the First Month of the Second Year of Mingde

Not even half a li ahead, there was a small path on the left leading to the riverbank.

This was the original Lingbo ferry crossing.

The ferry crossing was small, just a set of steps for people to get on and off, and the path was very narrow. It had been abandoned for a long time, overgrown with weeds and obstructed by tree branches. One had to shield their face while passing through.

The shepherd boy rode his water buffalo down the path.

He did not encounter the Daoist priest on his way back.

The shepherd boy hoped that he had gone too far before turning back earlier and that the Daoist priest had already finished washing his hands and returned to the main road before he himself had entered the path. He hoped he was now heading toward Anqing County and not lingering by the river or met with some accident. Despite their brief conversation, the Daoist priest's gentleness and praise had touched him.

As he neared the riverbank, he heard splashing.

The shepherd boy brushed away the last layer of branches and weeds and looked toward the river, only to be startled…

He saw a man in a Daoist robe flailing in the water, seemingly having fallen in accidentally and unable to swim. He was already choking on water and unable to call out.

The shepherd boy was anxious but afraid to enter the water.

He wanted to shout for help, but the place was far from the main road and had been deserted for a long time. Who could hear him?

At that moment, a dark shadow appeared underwater.

The shepherd boy's eyes suddenly widened.

The shadow was long, resembling a fish but of immense size, larger than a boat. It was faintly visible in the water, but could not be seen clearly which was most terrifying.

Moreover, it moved very fast.

“Mister! Below the water!” The shepherd boy could not help shouting in his panic.

It seemed useless to shout...

But what else could he do?

Before he could react, the enormous shadow reached the flailing figure, shrinking slightly before suddenly expanding.

“Plop!!”

What first broke the water surface was a giant mouth, opened as large as the body itself, big enough to swallow a boat whole. Then half of its body emerged, its size unimaginable. In the next second, the fish plunged back into the water, creating splashes several zhang high.

The shepherd boy held his breath, not daring to make a sound.

He had heard stories of water demons transforming into humans and coming ashore. Fearing this demon could also come ashore, he hid in the forest to avoid being discovered. He watched the water gradually recover its calm, as if nothing had happened.

Now, there was nothing on the river.

The shepherd boy still stood there in a daze with widened eyes.

His flute had fallen to the ground from his hand, unnoticed.

He used to hear adults say that there was a man-eating demon in the water but never imagined the demon to be so big and terrifying. More frightening was that he had just personally witnessed the demon devour someone. The gentle Daoist priest who had spoken to him moments before had already been swallowed whole by the demon.

The shepherd boy opened his mouth, unsure what to say.

At that moment, a voice came from behind… “Why did you come here?”

“Ah!” The shepherd boy was startled and turned abruptly, almost falling off the water buffalo.

Behind him stood a man with delicate and pretty features and a gentle expression on his face. He wore a clean old Daoist robe. Behind him followed a jujube-red horse quietly grazing, and a calico cat sat upright by his feet, tilting its head at him staring as if also asking.

“Weren't you just...” The shepherd boy stared at him, then pointed to the middle of the river.

However, he saw that the Daoist priest remained as gentle and calm as before, showing no signs of having fallen into the water.

How could someone like him be flailing in the water?

“A fake, made of grass and wood.”

Song You took a few steps over, and stopped beside the water buffalo. He bent down to pick up the boy's flute from the grass, and handed it to him with a smile. “You dropped your bamboo flute.”

The shepherd boy, still dazed, took it.

Song You then pulled out a sheet of talisman paper from his bosom.

“When the water demon surfaces and is discovered, someone might either bravely pull it out or it might run aground downstream. Find a time when no one is around, and stick this talisman on it. The talisman will light up. When it stops glowing, remove it. Go home, burn it, and boil the ashes in water to drink.[1] While it won't extend your life or grant great wisdom, it will ensure you remain healthy and free of illness and calamity for a lifetime.”

The shepherd boy, still in a daze, accepted it.

The Daoist then turned and left, his horse automatically following.

The shepherd boy finally couldn't help but ask. “Are you an immortal?”

“You look more like an immortal than I do...”

The man and his horse gradually disappeared into the dense vegetation.

The shepherd boy stood there, stunned and deeply shaken.

At that moment, a commotion suddenly came from the river.

“Gurgle, gurgle...”

In the distance, the river's surface suddenly glowed with a fiery red light beneath for some unknown reason. Then the water seemed to boil, bubbling up with gurgling sounds. Huge splashes erupted, revealing a massive figure struggling and thrashing within the water. Waves formed, surged up the riverbank, and battered the grass and trees.

The commotion lasted for quite a while before it ceased.

Then a massive object floated to the surface.

Unlike before, it now lay motionless.

***

The sunlight gradually dissipated the morning dew.

The sun had started to dazzle the eyes.

Song You looked up and saw it was already noon. He found a suitable spot to stop, unloaded his bedding bag, and let his horse rest and graze. He himself went to gather dry firewood and set up a stove. He took out a pot and an object wrapped in layers of musa basjoo[2] leaves.

Unwrapping the musa basjoo leaves layer by layer revealed two catties of beef that he had bought that morning when he left. He had already asked the butcher to slice it for him.

The beef was red and glossy, and the quality looked superb.

In this era, it wasn't impossible to eat beef elsewhere.

Although Great Yan had a regulation prohibiting the private slaughter of draft cattle that was still in force, its enforcement varied by region. In some places, forbidding people from eating beef would be akin to not allowing them to live, which even the emperor couldn't enforce. Moreover, the regulation itself was limited in scope. “Private,” “slaughter,” and “draft cattle” were already three concurrent conditions. It wasn't easy to violate. Using this decree to claim that eating beef was illegal or impossible was not accurate.

In reality, it was similar in his previous world.

Surveying poetry and literature, there were numerous descriptions of eating beef. Many poets and literati, whether in times of success or in times of adversity, whether in the midst of battle or being demoted, had written about eating beef, often composing poems while doing so.

In Yizhou, the price of beef was generally higher than pork but lower than mutton. However, only large cities like Yidu frequently had it for sale. It was hard to buy it in smaller cities.

All in all, it wasn't as convenient or cheap as here with such good quality meat.

Since he was here, he had to eat this meal.

Having collected enough dry firewood, Song You took out a water bag, and poured water into the pot. He also took out seasonings, planning to stew half and roast the other half.

He casually picked up a slice and offered it to the calico cat. “This is beef.”

“Beef...” The calico cat said as she stretched her neck to take it.

“Have you had it before?”

“Mm...”

“Is it tasty?”

“Mm, mm...”

Song You couldn't help but smile.

He hadn't tasted it yet himself, but seeing the cat enjoy it made him happy.

As he was about to start a fire, some people approached.

Song You turned to look.

A small yellow-maned horse, not much larger than a donkey, was being led by a hero. The horse carried traveling bags. Following was a family of four, with the adults carrying dalian.[3]

Rounding a corner, they quickly came close.

Chen Han, looking pleased, first greeted Song You with cupped hands and a bow. “Mister, we meet again.”

Song You also cupped his hands and returned the bow. “Indeed, we meet again.”

Then the heroine dressed in men’s clothes also cupped one fist in the other hand at him with a smile. “Is it fate?”

“It is fate.”

“Were you waiting here specially for us because you're afraid of mountain bandits ahead?”

“I was delayed on the way.”

“Are you cooking?”

“Yes.”

“We probably should start cooking too. Can we join you? It saves us the trouble of setting up a stove, burying a pot and gathering firewood.”

“Of course.”

“What are you cooking...” The woman went over, looked at the musa basjoo leaves and immediately recognized that it was beef at a glance. She exclaimed in surprise, looking at Song You. “You, a Daoist priest, eating beef?”

“The Dao follows nature, and I follow my heart.”

Silence.

The woman saw his indifferent demeanor and calm tone, showing not the slightest shame or embarrassment, as if he wasn’t a Daoist priest or wasn't eating beef. She couldn’t help chuckling but didn't press the matter.

And she didn't join in without contributing.

She turned and reached into the bedding bag on her horse’s back and actually also pulled out an item wrapped tightly in layers of musa basjoo leaves.

It looked even larger than Song You's bundle.

They looked at each other, understanding each other's thoughts clearly.

The woman asked, “How many catties did you buy?”

“Almost two catties, not as much as you.”

“I bought two catties as well, the same amount.”

She untied the straw string and unwrapped layer upon layer of musa basjoo leaves. “I was worried about leakage along the way so I just asked the vendor to use two extra leaves to wrap it.”

“You are meticulous.”

“Who will cook, you or me?”

“To be honest,” Song You replied calmly, “I have quite a lot of knowledge in this area.”

“Then I'll start the fire!”

The woman was more impatient by nature than he was and without any hesitation, promptly refused Chen Han and his wife's offer of help. She then took out flint and tinder, looked around, and gathered some reed tassels and dry leaves. Squatting down in front of the small stove that Song You had set up, she began to start a fire.

Song You watched her strike the flint attentively.

“Clink, clink, clink...”

Sparks flew, landing in the tinder.

The calico cat also moved closer to watch intently.

The woman glanced at them out of the corner of her eyes and couldn’t help smiling. “What are you watching? Afraid I can't light the fire?”

The calico cat continued watching, and Song You also remained silent.

This was indeed a common method for starting a fire in this era, but it was true that he rarely saw anyone do it this way. Whether in the Daoist temple, traveling in the wilderness, or renting a place in Yidu, he had never used a flint to start a fire himself. He had only occasionally seen others use it once or twice.

Now, he found it interesting.

Starting a fire was like tending a fire, it had its own inherent charm.

“Whoosh...”

The woman had already lit the fire and was carefully tending it to grow larger.

She turned to look at the man and the cat, puzzled. “Why are you still watching?”

The cat turned and walked away to play by the roadside.

The Daoist also looked away, and started preparing lunch.

Cooking smoke rose straight into the blue sky.

The aroma of the meat filled the air, making one's mouth water.

1. Talisman ashes mixed with water or “talisman water” is a traditional Chinese Daoist method used for curing illnesses and for exorcism. ☜

2. Musa basjoo is a species of banana native to Sichuan, China. ☜

3. Long, rectangular bags sewn up at both ends with an opening in the middle usually worn around the waist or across the shoulder. Refer to /qiyi/dalian.asp ☜