Unintended Immortality-Chapter 328: The Old House Remains

“There is something I must tell you, sir.”

“What is it?”

“Since your departure, the small building where you once stayed has remained untouched. No one has moved in, and everything inside seems to have been left exactly as it was.”

“Oh?”

“This is not my doing, so please don’t credit me,” General Chen said with a smile. “If you must know who ensured it was left that way, the only ones who might have the answer are the officials in charge of the western Housing Bureau.”

“I see...” Song You immediately understood.

“If you wish to return to your old place, you’re welcome to. You may just need to do a little cleaning. However, if you’d prefer somewhere new, I still have some vacant space in the residence His Majesty granted me previously.”

“Thank you for your kind offer, General. But Lady Calico and I have grown accustomed to that house, especially Lady Calico. She even mentioned on the way here how much she likes it.”

Hearing this, General Chen simply smiled and raised his cup. “After the banquet, I’ll escort you back.”

“Alright.”

The two continued to eat and chat casually.

After finishing the banquet, there were plenty of leftovers. The Daoist, feeling it a shame to waste them, asked the restaurant staff to pack up two of Lady Calico’s favorite dishes. He also requested some finely sliced meat from the kitchen before finally leaving the establishment.

At the doorway, he paused for a moment.

This was the bustling heart of Changjing.

Though the sky had long since darkened, the streets remained lively. Tea merchants and wine patrons moved about in an endless stream. Across the street were tall buildings and shops, their lanterns and illuminated signs casting vibrant light over the night. The goods displayed on the ground floors were dazzling, while women on the upper floors waved their red sleeves with enchanting smiles.

Children squealed with laughter, running and playing recklessly. Locals greeted familiar neighbors, wealthy sons and daughters strolled with entourages of attendants, and prominent nobles paraded through the streets, their servants parting the crowd before them. The street was a cacophony of voices, a vivid portrayal of prosperity in this flourishing age.

The Daoist hadn’t seen such a lively night in a long time.

Looking at it now, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

Compared to the northern regions, especially the almost deserted Yuezhou, Changjing seemed like it belonged to an entirely different country, a completely separate world.

The cat widened her eyes, staring at the lantern-lit street. It felt both strange and familiar to her.

“Doesn’t it seem unfair?” General Chen stood beside them, his gaze steady as he took in the scene before him and the nobles walking the streets. Then, turning to the Daoist, he added, “The people in the north likely couldn’t even dream of a scene like this.”

“Not just the north,” the Daoist replied.

“True enough...” General Chen withdrew his gaze, falling silent.

In his heart, General Chen understood it well.

Every brick and tile of Changjing’s prosperity was built on the backs of the common people. Not to mention the war-torn and demon-ravaged north—even in any random direction, just a few dozen li outside Changjing, countless villages existed where life felt like it belonged to another world entirely. The people there could not begin to imagine the grandeur of this imperial capital, which so many yearned to visit.

“Do you have a solution?” General Chen turned back to the Daoist, his gaze steady.

The Daoist shook his head without answering, stepping down from the stairs. He simply said, “General, you should first worry about your own affairs.”

The cat immediately leapt down after him, following closely.

General Chen, maintaining his calm expression, followed as well.

The guards dressed in red robes were tall, strong, and sharp-eyed, carrying themselves with a commanding presence. The servants clearing the way for their masters were startled the moment they saw these military officers' attendants, each with a long sword at their waist.

At the sight of General Chen walking behind them, even those not frightened into stepping aside voluntarily were scolded into making way by their masters. The sons and daughters of noble families, who had been behaving recklessly, quickly restrained themselves, adopting more proper and obedient demeanors.

At this time in Great Yan, the only figure whose authority and power surpassed General Chen’s was likely the aging emperor himself.

“General, you need not escort me any further,” the Daoist said. “This is far enough.”

“Very well. Then I will take my leave,” General Chen replied.

“Thank you for the banquet, General,” the Daoist said sincerely, his smile warm. “It has been a long time since I’ve had such a luxurious meal.”

“The same is true for me,” General Chen replied.

“Then, please, take your leave.”

“Knowing your nature, sir, now that you’re back in Changjing, you’ll likely want a few days to rest and ignore the outside world. In a few days, I’ll bring some fine wine and tea to visit you, and we’ll have a long talk.”

“I don’t have the rare delicacies of Yunchun Restaurant,” the Daoist said, “but there will be a table of food waiting for you, General.”

“...”

They exchanged bows and parted ways.

The Daoist continued toward the western part of the city, while the General stood for a long moment, watching him leave before turning back toward the newly bestowed Marquis residence granted by the Emperor.

The street they had been on was dozens of zhang wide, a grand display of Changjing’s prosperity and splendor. It marked the boundary between the eastern and western districts of the city.

By day, this thoroughfare was filled with carriages and horses in a constant flow, but at night, the traffic vanished, and the area transformed into a gathering place for the people. Nobles and commoners alike mingled here, all finding their place on the bustling street.

Crossing this street led into the Eastern District.

The vibrancy and lights of the Eastern District dimmed noticeably. The buildings and shops lining the streets lost some of their refined elegance, yet the density of the population increased.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Even the poorest citizens needed a place to unwind, so they gathered in clusters, chatting loudly and laughing freely. Children filled the streets, playing hide-and-seek or chasing cats. The west side lacked the refined grandeur of the east, but it was rich in the warmth of daily life.

It reminded the Daoist of the spring of the fourth year of Mingde, when he first arrived in Changjing and experienced its curfews. That time now seemed like a distant, dreamlike memory.

His recollection of the city, however, remained vivid.

Before long, Song You reached Willow Street. Walking slowly along the street, he passed by the familiar rows of two-story buildings, their designs unchanged. The shops on the ground floors were much the same as before. There were teahouses, butcher shops, and soup noodle stalls.

His old house grew steadily closer.

Naturally, the neighboring house came into view as well.

The sound of hooves echoed softly on the stone-paved road, accompanied occasionally by the jingle of the bell on the horse’s neck. Some neighbors, who had not yet gone inside or closed their shops for the night, turned their gaze toward the Daoist.

However, in the dim light, it was hard to discern who was approaching, and perhaps out of uncertainty or hesitation, no one stepped forward to greet him just yet.

Both the Daoist and the horse slowed their pace.

They stopped first in front of Heroine Wu’s house. The Daoist paused, and so did the calico cat and the jujube-red horse, all looking up.

The wooden door was tightly shut, secured with a lock. There was no light or sound from within.

“There’s no one inside,” Lady Calico whispered softly, turning her head to the Daoist. “But there’s a rat.”

“...” The Daoist remained silent for a moment before shifting his gaze to the house next door.

It was the same wooden door, equally tightly shut and locked. The lock was the same as before, now covered with a noticeable layer of dust.

“It’s locked...” the cat turned her head and remarked to the Daoist.

“Mm.”

The Daoist leaned on his staff as he walked up to the door, then lifted it and lightly tapped the bronze lock.

Clink.

The lock clicked open instantly.

“...!”

Lady Calico turned her head sharply to look at the Daoist, her eyes seeming to glow in the darkness. She quickly ran over to the door, pressing herself against it and looking up expectantly, waiting for him to open it.

Creak…

As soon as the door opened, she darted inside.

Moments later, the sound of cabinets being opened echoed from within.

By the time the Daoist and the jujube-red horse crossed the threshold, the house was already lit up. The small girl in her three-colored outfit was holding an oil lamp. The lamp burned brightly without oil, casting a warm glow across her face. Fully aware of how blind humans could be at night, she held the lamp with a serious expression, illuminating the room for the Daoist.

The room was sparsely furnished, and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. It was almost exactly as it had been when they left three years ago.

Upstairs was no different. The bed was empty, and the long bench and rocking chair near the window were missing, but everything else remained as it was.

Dust covered everything. Not a single footprint could be seen in the dust.

“Phew...”

The Daoist blew out a breath, and a gust of wind swirled through the house, sweeping away the dust from the floors and furniture. The floating debris was carried out, yet the small girl’s lamp flame merely flickered, remaining lit.

He then removed the saddlebags from the horse, gave it a word of thanks for its hard work, and joined Lady Calico in cleaning the house.

A swallow flew in through the window, transformed into human form without a word, and silently began helping.

In no time, both the upper and lower floors were clean.

After unpacking their belongings and placing everything in its rightful place, including making the bed, the house looked as though no time had passed since three years ago.

The light from the oil lamp illuminated the room warmly.

The Daoist filled a small bowl with the shredded meat he had packed from the restaurant and placed it on the windowsill, leaving it for the swallow to peck at. Lady Calico transformed back into her cat form, took out her favorite cloth ball, and began playing on the wooden floor just as she had three years prior, seemingly without a care in the world.

“There’s a swallow’s nest here.” The Daoist's voice echoed through the room.

Both the cat and the swallow paused their actions and turned toward him. Realizing the comment wasn’t directed at her, Lady Calico quickly lost interest and returned to playing with her cloth ball.

The swallow turned to the Daoist and replied, “Sir, there’s no need to worry about me. Swallows rarely rest in nests. We usually sleep in trees. Although the swallows of Anqing have habits quite close to humans, I still prefer living in trees or high, open places. I enjoy falling asleep with the wind and waking up to an open view of the world. I’ll sleep on the rooftop. Call me if you need me.”

“Very well,” the Daoist said.

The significance of the exchange wasn’t that he didn’t require worry but that he was now able to express his own desires and reasoning naturally when he had different thoughts.

This was not an easy thing for him.

What made it even more remarkable was that the change in him had been gentle and natural, not forced by anyone or by the world dragging him by the ear.

At that moment, the cat batted her cloth ball with her right paw, sending it flying. Yet instead of immediately chasing after it, she turned to the swallow and asked with concern, “What if it rains heavily or snows?”

“Then I’ll come under the eaves or into the house,” the swallow replied.

“Won’t you get cold? I can catch a big rat and skin it for you to use as a blanket! You’re so small; it would fit perfectly!”

“…Thank you, but I won’t get cold,” the swallow said.

“Alright, then.”

With that, the cat resumed running after her ball, pouncing on it with enthusiasm.

The swallow went back to eating the shredded meat.

The Daoist sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard. His gaze naturally drifted toward the neighboring house.

It was as silent as ever.