Unintended Immortality

By the time they left that place, it was nearly three in the morning.

Heroine Wu led the horse while holding a lantern, being quite vigilant. She frequently glanced left and right, fearing that hidden arrows might suddenly spring from the grass or that a nefarious individual might be following them from behind.

However, they encountered no trouble until they returned to the village.

“Surprisingly, nothing happened!” The woman seemed a bit taken aback.

“It’s because you were vigilant.”

“It’s not just me being cautious; something feels off today.”

“What do you mean?”

“When we were walking through the ghost market, I noticed several subtle gazes darting around me, my divine steed, you, and even behind you and on Lady Calico. They were hidden well, but I could see through it. Most likely, some surviving jianghu heroes from Mount Beiqin spread word of our characteristics,” Heroine Wu paused for a moment.

She added, “I initially thought they were coming to find us, but now I think it’s more likely that news of those jianghu heroes' grim fates and deaths reached them, which made them hesitant to act.”

The Daoist, upon hearing this, was secretly worried. “Then won’t you face trouble when you leave the city in the future?”

“Stop overthinking it.” Heroine Wu reached the entrance of the thatched tavern, waved her hand dismissively, and casually explained, “I rarely ride my horse when leaving the city, so they won’t recognize me. Besides, I don’t even take those small fries seriously.”

She paused for a moment. “Furthermore, I don’t go out of the city every day. Most of the time, I’m not alone when I do go out. No one would dare to trouble me, so you should focus on your own safety. Don’t let a hidden arrow get you, and watch out for pickpockets.”

“That’s a relief.” Only then did the Daoist feel reassured.

Then, the group of people had arrived at the entrance of the thatched tavern. The tavern was simple, with a wooden fence outside and a small courtyard inside.

“There’s an adult.” The little girl leaned closer to the fence, peering through the gaps to see inside.

The Daoist and the woman looked over but could only see a patch of darkness within. Even when they raised the lantern, it illuminated only a small area nearby.

However, they soon heard footsteps approaching from inside. A dark figure quickly walked out, entering the dim light of the lantern to open the door for them.

It was a female villager.

“You’re back…”

“Sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble…”

The group stepped into the courtyard, while the woman hurried to tie up the horse.

Song You lived in the thatched hut on the left, with Heroine Wu next to him. There were only a few huts in this courtyard, but other horses had already been tied up by now, indicating that other guests had returned earlier than them.

This woman was the mother of the brother and sister they had met during the day. They had a brief conversation over dinner that evening and learned that the men in their family were serving in the north, leaving the three women and an elder at home.

The ghost market was filled with all kinds of people, including countless petty thieves. Whenever a guest brought a horse and stayed at an inn, the owner must keep watch all night.

It was hard-earned money.

Song You said nothing, returned to his room to wash up, and placed his paintings and belongings neatly before sitting cross-legged on the bed. Taking advantage of the still-unfolding day and the recent arrival of the summer solstice, he continued to perceive the seasonal spiritual resonance.

The cat transformed back into its original form and nestled beside him.

The summer solstice brought forth intense and robust spiritual qi. Although Lady Calico was a demon, she also practiced the Yin-Yang Method, allowing her to benefit from this energy.

***

As the long night reached its halfway point, a ghost came to visit.

This ghost appeared as a thin scholar, with a complexion as pale as paper. He was floating and walking halfway as he aimed at the few thatched taverns in the west of the village, then he moved straight over to investigate them one by one.

The first tavern consisted of several scattered thatched huts. The scholar ghost examined each one from left to right, but none of the residents caught his interest. The second tavern had a courtyard, enclosed by walls made of small stones. With a gentle push of his toes against the ground, he floated over the wall and into the courtyard, continuing his inspection.

This tavern housed quite a few merchants, and judging by their bags, they seemed to carry a substantial amount of wealth.

Though silver and gold were heavy for a ghost, his cultivation skill allowed him to manage it just fine. While the merchants all rested their bags beneath their heads or held them tightly in their arms, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to extract them.

However, today he had a more important target.

The third tavern was still a rural hut converted into an inn, with a courtyard surrounded by a bamboo fence and a wooden gate. The scholar ghost didn’t even need to jump; he simply walked over, squeezed his body through the gaps in the fence, and entered the courtyard.

He continued to check each room one by one, murmuring softly to himself as he went.

The first room housed a few jianghu heroes; three of them were sleeping together, their yang energy strong and their blood and lifeforce robust. Ordinary ghosts would likely not dare to approach them.

“Oh my, three people sharing a room…” The scholar ghost muttered, moving on to the second room.

“Oh my, such weak yang energy here. Oh, at such an age, if luck is on your side in a couple of years, you might be able to come find me in the netherworld soon…”

With a grin, he headed toward the third room.

The scholar ghost pressed close to the wall, peering through the window with one eye.

“Ah!” This time, he was a bit surprised.

Inside the room lay a woman whose blood and lifeforce were even stronger than that of the three robust jianghu heroes in the first room combined—likely a top-notch jianghu hero. Ghosts generally weren’t afraid of ordinary jianghu heroes, and those with cultivation skills like his own would have even less reason to fear.

However, this woman's lifeforce was exceptionally intense, and today happened to be the summer solstice. The scholar ghost didn’t dare provoke her and quickly withdrew his gaze, shutting his mouth and moving away.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of losing; it was mainly because jianghu heroes were sharp and perceptive. He worried that if he stared too long, he might wake her, which would jeopardize his theft of treasures.

Arriving at the fourth room, he leaned in closer to the window.

Inside was a Daoist priest sitting cross-legged. It was hard to tell if he was asleep or not. A cat nestled beside him, its ears perked up, also uncertain if it was awake.

In any case, the room was quiet.

His gaze shifted, and he spotted a bag and a long, oilcloth-wrapped box resting on the bed. It was that box!

“…” The scholar ghost inhaled sharply.

In truth, he didn’t know what was inside that box either; he had merely been a habitual thief in life and had died because of his stealing. Perhaps it was due to his obsession with theft that he became a ghost. Regardless, after transforming into a ghost, he continued to have a strong affinity for stealing and gradually evolved significant skills.

For instance, he could tell the value of any treasure with just a glance. Even when walking at night, not even the most perceptive dog could detect his presence; sometimes, he could pass by the statues in temples without issue.

When he was wandering in the ghost market tonight to search for a target, he saw the Daoist priest carrying the long box and felt that it contained boundless Dao essence and profound mysteries, leaving him utterly astonished.

Afterward, he inquired and learned some information from the jianghu heroes in the area, filling him with both fear and excitement.

Ultimately, excitement overwhelmed his fear, prompting him to follow the priest.

He kept his distance, watching as they settled here, patiently biding his time until this moment. Now, with the person in deep sleep—even if that person was a high-level cultivator—he felt he had a chance.

The remaining factor was the thrill.

What a thrill! What a thrill indeed! This thrill was truly a long-lost sensation…

The scholar ghost kept one eye open, peering at the door for a while. He sensed something unusual but couldn’t pinpoint the reason. However, seeing that neither the Daoist nor the cat stirred, time slipped by, and dawn approached. He didn’t dare delay any longer, gritted his teeth, and made up his mind.

“…”

Silently, the entire ghost transformed into a wisp of blue smoke and slipped directly through the window.

“Swish!”

The curled-up calico cat instantly raised its head, staring directly at the wisp of blue smoke. The smoke landed on the ground and transformed into human form.

It was only after the scholar ghost slipped inside that he realized what was wrong—the yang energy in this room was astonishingly dense!

It was even stronger than it had been at midday, yet none of it had leaked outside.

The entire room was filled with pure, unyielding spiritual qi. For wandering spirits and ghosts, this was nothing short of a living hell. Entering it was akin to a normal person walking into a furnace.

“...!”

The scholar ghost's face contorted with pain, his entire body curling up as he desperately wanted to cry out but didn’t dare make a sound.

Looking ahead, he met the gaze of the calico cat. The cat’s eyes reflected the night, making them appear terrifying.

“Damn it!” The scholar ghost cursed inwardly and turned to flee, only to find that he couldn’t move.

Glancing again, he saw that the Daoist had also opened his eyes. Those eyes were calm and unwavering.

“Whoosh…”

The oil lamp in the room flared to life, casting its glow throughout the space.

In this yang energy-filled room, the scholar ghost felt as if he were experiencing the same agony he had felt when he first became a ghost and naively wandered into the scorching sun. It was even more excruciating now.

But he couldn’t move, so he was forced to steel himself and look toward the Daoist in front of him, almost gritting his teeth as he said, “Immortal Master, spare me…”

The Daoist hadn’t spoken yet, but the calico cat beside him stood up. It shook its head and stared at the ghost curiously before speaking in human language, “What are you doing in our house? Are you trying to steal our money?”

“I didn’t intend to offend you…”

“I didn’t intend to offend you…” the cat mimicked.

The scholar ghost was in extreme agony, and to make matters worse, the calico cat was mocking him by mimicking his tone. He was both pained and furious.

The Daoist patted the cat’s tail before finally looking at the ghost and speaking, “For what purpose have you come here?”

“I was merely passing by…”

“…”

The Daoist listened, then pressed his lips together and turned to the cat beside him, saying, “Lady Calico, he’s lying to us.”

“...!”

Lady Calico’s expression instantly turned serious. It exchanged a glance with the Daoist to confirm, then turned back with a more menacing look. It took a deep breath and exhaled toward the ghost. “Whoosh…”

Its breath turned into flames.

“Ah!” Even though it was just a slight burn, the ghost yelped in pain.

“Lady Calico, your cultivation has reached a point where even your breath carries spirituality,” the Daoist praised before turning back to the ghost, asking again, “Now, can you tell me why you’re here?”

“Immortal Master, spare me…”

The ghost finally gritted his teeth through the pain and said, “I often frequent the ghost market, and tonight I saw your pack brimming with spiritual resonance, so I thought to steal it…”

After speaking, he hurriedly added, “Please, Immortal Master, have mercy on me—it’s my first offense!”

“...!”

Lady Calico’s eyes narrowed at once. So, he really did come to steal something.

How was that any different from a rat?

However…

Just as Lady Calico was about to get angrier, a look of confusion crossed its face. It stared at the scholar ghost, tilting its head. “Why do you talk to yourself when you steal?”

“…”

So, it was because of his talking that it had caught him.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The scholar ghost’s face twisted with regret, shame, and embarrassment before he gritted his teeth and explained, “It’s a habit from when I was alive. After becoming a ghost, I just can’t seem to stop muttering to myself while I steal…”

“Oh…”

“That’s quite peculiar.”

“Please, Immortal Master and Cat Immortal, spare me!”

“...!”

The words “cat immortal” made Lady Calico feel very pleased.

Though it was in a good mood, she remained silent, simply turning to look at the Daoist.