Unintended Immortality

Chapter 159: Lying Low

“We’ve arrived at Willow Street.”

“Here is fine.”

“Yes...”

The young eunuch lifted two food containers out of the carriage. The Daoist and the cat both stepped down.

“Thank you.”

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

With the crack of a whip, the carriage rumbled away again.

It was already deep into the night, and by the faint starlight, they could barely make out the road. The Daoist picked up the two food containers, while the cat stared curiously at the door next door.

“Has the heroine gone to bed yet?” the Daoist asked.

“Not yet!” The cat answered.

“Not yet,” came a voice from next door as well.

Suddenly, the door swung open. The heroine, who had been pressed against the doorframe and eavesdropping ever since she heard the sound of the carriage, appeared in the doorway. She stared at them and said, “Where did you two come back from? And why did you take a carriage?”

“Have you eaten yet, heroine?”

“Of course I’ve eaten. It’s so late already.”

“And how was your meal?”

“I had gruel and pickled vegetables—decent enough.” Heroine Wu sniffed the air. “What’s that you’re holding?”

“We went out for a meal and brazenly packed some food to bring back,” Song You said, extending the food containers toward her. “Please try some, to repay you for the mountain delicacies you shared with us the other day.”

“Where did you pack this from?” Heroine Wu reached out to take the containers. Although it was too dark to see, the moment she felt their weight, she realized something was off.

This container alone must be worth quite a bit, she thought.

“It’s from the palace.”

“What?”

“Please, have a taste of the food the Emperor eats.”

“Come in and we'll talk.” Heroine Wu turned and walked into the house.

She blew on a tinder and lit the oil lamp. The lamp quickly brightened the room.

Song You glanced at the lamp, sniffing the air. The room clearly smelled of oil smoke. Looking down, he saw several short, rope-like things made of dry grass. They smelled like the materials usually used to make mosquito coils. He thought back to when they had first entered Willow Street and vaguely noticed faint, nearly imperceptible lights in this direction.

It seemed the heroine had been downstairs earlier, likely weaving these grass ropes with the lights on. However, she could have done that during the day. The fact that she stayed up late, lit up her lamp and wasted her oil to continue weaving probably meant either she had an urgent need, or she was waiting for her neighbors as she was worried because they hadn’t returned for a long time.

Hearing the sound of carriages outside—more than one—she quickly extinguished the light and pressed her ear to the door, showcasing the vigilance of someone from the jianghu.

The Daoist pulled his gaze back as the heroine fixed her eyes on the food containers.

“Why are you weaving these grass ropes, heroine?” he asked.

“They're fire wicks. Don't you use them?”

“I’ve never used them.”

“Then what do you use to keep mosquitoes away?”

“There are no mosquitoes in the temple.”

“There are no mosquitoes in the mountains?”

“Not in the temple.”

“That must be a heavenly place, then.”

“So these are for repelling mosquitoes?”

“Yes, summer’s here, and the mosquitoes are getting worse. Once you light these, the mosquitoes won’t come near. Just be careful not to burn down the house,” Heroine Wu said, looking up and down at the food container. The surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the light from the oil lamp with a fine purple-red sheen. Her eyes widened gradually. “Oh my, sandalwood.”

“You recognize it?”

“I’ve been in Changjing long enough; do you really think I’ve seen so little?”

“I would never suggest that.”

Many aristocrats in the city had sought his services, including the Emperor himself, who had invited him to the palace to treat both the Emperor and the empress. Despite his great reputation, he was often hard to find for the wealthy. However, he was frequently encountered by the poor in various regions, providing them with free medical treatment—a testament to his kindness and goodwill.

People revered him as a god in human form, and some believed that after his death, he might truly ascend to godhood.

The fourth was a Snake Immortal who resided three hundred li outside the city, in the mountains. This immortal had been conferred the title by the founding emperor of the dynasty. It was rumored that he had the bearing of a true dragon and often performed good deeds, though he was difficult to find.

Some said that the divine doctor and the Snake Immortal were connected, though whether through friendship or something else was unclear. It was said that when the doctor ventured into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs and encountered danger, the Snake Immortal, grateful for the doctor’s virtuous deeds, would often come to his aid.

The State Preceptor also mentioned that the Snake Immortal likely had a past connection with the State Preceptors of Hidden Dragon Temple.

Song You had already met the first two individuals, so only the latter two remained for him to seek out.

“I’ve heard that if you head north outside the city, there’s a divine doctor. His methods can be shocking, but his skills are extraordinary, and he has an upright character. I plan to search for him and see for myself.”

“Doctor Cai?”

“You’ve heard of him too, heroine?”

“...”

Heroine Wu furrowed her brow.

Song You then stared at her, waiting for her to finish eating.

Fortunately, Heroine Wu was a woman of the jianghu, with a carefree character. An ordinary woman might have found it difficult to eat under such scrutiny.

She chewed and swallowed the food in her mouth before saying, “Doctor Cai lives on Mount Beiqin, over a hundred li north of the city, but he’s rarely home. The path up the mountain is difficult to find, and many nobles have sent people to look for him multiple times without success.

“I’ve gone twice myself, but I wasn’t lucky enough to find him either. And lately, things have been a bit chaotic there. If you go now, you’re unlikely to find him.”

He asked, “And what was your reason for seeking Doctor Cai?”

“I had my reasons.”

“I see...” Song You nodded, not pressing further, but he did ask, “And why has Mount Beiqin been so chaotic lately?”

“It's related to you, actually.”

“How so?”

Heroine Wu said, “The matter with the Grand Commander’s residence—though the rumors among the people are wild, and the authorities have issued an order to silence them, they can't hide it from us. I heard that on the day the Grand Commander died, right before his death, he asked a servant to lay out paper and prepare ink as if he were about to paint something.

“This naturally made those in the jianghu think of the elusive descendant of Master Dou, who had been searching for years but suddenly vanished in Changjing. But, truth be told, someone probably already discovered that Master Dou’s descendant was hiding in the Grand Commander’s residence and had sneaked in to investigate.

“Otherwise, your cat wouldn’t have seen a tiger chasing someone on the street in the middle of the night.”

“Sir Dou fled to Mount Beiqin?”

“Some say he’s been spotted there,” Heroine Wu replied. “That’s why it’s chaotic over there right now. You’ve got warriors employed by the nobility, skilled fighters from famous martial sects, and maybe even some low-profile but highly skilled individuals like Shu Yifan. Plus, the usual riffraff. In short, it’s a mixed bag. Even if Doctor Cai is home, he’d likely be laying low to avoid trouble.”

“So that’s how it is.”

“Are you still going?”

“I am,” Song You said with a smile.

“Figures,” Heroine Wu nodded. “You’ve got nothing else to do, and you were planning to leave the city anyway.”

“If I can’t find Doctor Cai, I’ll head further north and deeper into Mount Beiqin to look for the legendary Snake Immortal. I’ve heard he may have had some connection with my master's master. It wouldn’t hurt to pay my respects to a senior.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

Heroine Wu mulled it over, her eyes lowered in thought. After a moment, she suddenly said, “I’ll take you there.”

“Hmm?”

“It just so happens I need to look for him again. Hopefully, you, the so-called divine immortal among the common folk, will grant me a bit of luck this time. If I manage to find him, you’ll be doing me a huge favor.”

“Then I’ll thank you in advance, heroine.”

“Belch...”

“Take your time eating. I’ll take my leave.”

“Thanks for the meal, by the way.”

“You're welcome...”

With that, Song You, accompanied by his cat, left and headed back home.