Unintended Immortality-Chapter 442: Returning Fully Loaded

“Boom!”

The gate of the small temple seemed to have been slammed open.

A wisp of gray smoke shot out, skimming close to the ground as it fled. Under the moonlight, its shape and movement were clearly illuminated as it darted toward the vast mountains shrouded in the night.

Behind it, tigers and wolves surged out of the small temple in an unending stream. Their sheer numbers far exceeded what the tiny shrine—barely the size of a single-room house—should have been able to contain. They gave relentless chase.

The entire mountain echoed with the sounds of wolves howling and the frantic rush of pursuit.

Unfortunately, neither the tigers nor the wolves had wings. No matter how agile they were on the mountain terrain, they couldn't outrun something that could fly. The only reason they managed to stay on the trail was because the countless swallows overhead constantly harassed and intercepted the fleeing smoke while guiding their pack toward its path, preventing them from losing track of their prey.

Thus, under the moon’s glow, a wisp of gray smoke could be seen darting swiftly along the ground, weaving between the hills. Above it, a flock of chittering swallows flitted noisily, their wings beating in unison like a single gust of wind.

On the ground, a flood of four fierce tigers and a pack of wolves pursued tirelessly through the mountain wilderness. Their relentless chase was further aided by groups of wolves stationed across different peaks, lying in wait to ambush. Yet, despite their numbers, they were unable to inflict harm on the elusive gray smoke.

Just then, a figure appeared in the distance.

It was a young Daoist in a worn robe, standing calmly in the middle of the narrow path, leaning on a bamboo staff. Behind him stood a well-behaved jujube-red horse. The moment the gray smoke spotted him, it immediately changed direction.

The young Daoist lifted his bamboo staff lightly—

“Boom!”

A thunderclap shattered the stillness of the autumn night.

A single streak of azure-white lightning burst into existence out of nowhere, only splitting into a few smaller branches as it reached its target, striking the fleeing gray smoke dead-on.

“Whoosh!”

In an instant, the smoke dispersed into the forest.

“Rustle...”

The tigers and wolves arrived soon after.

The scene was a patch of untamed woodland—wild grass covered the ground, sparse saplings stood in scattered clusters, and jagged stones of varying sizes littered the earth. It was barren land, untouched by farmers.

Four massive tigers and over a hundred wolves surged in like a flood, instantly occupying the entire area. The tigers stretched their necks, scanning their surroundings, while several wolves lowered their heads, sniffing the air incessantly. The rest of the pack spread out instinctively, forming tight, layered encirclements while others claimed higher ground, watching for any movement.

A little girl, dressed in three-colored garments, sat atop one of the tigers. Though her mount was noticeably smaller than the strongest of the four, it was not the smallest either. This was the very first tiger she had summoned from her little banner.

The Lady Calico was deeply sentimental and had always been especially fond of this one.

At this moment, the little girl swung her right leg around the tiger's back to align with her left, then slid down effortlessly to the ground. Lowering her head, she began pacing across the barren land, taking deep sniffs.

After a while, she turned back, removed the pouch slung across her body, and hung it on the tiger’s head.

“Poof...” Without hesitation, she transformed into a small cat, pressing close to the ground as she continued sniffing.

“It’s severely injured and hiding.” The swallow hovered in midair, not daring to land.

“I know!”

“It’s a mountain spirit, adept at transforming into things found in the mountains. And since it’s also a Mountain God, hiding within the mountain makes it incredibly difficult to find.” The swallow continued to warn, “Lady Calico, be wary of the plants, rocks, and trees around you.”

“I’ve seen mountain monsters before. Just use that—the thing that explodes—it’ll scare it out.” The cat looked up toward the sky. “It smells like a stinking rat.”

At that moment, footsteps sounded from behind the wolf pack.

The Daoist pushed aside the wild grass, walking forward with his staff. His jujube-red horse followed behind him, now carrying a large iron pot strapped to its back. The steady clip-clop of hooves rang through the mountains, along with the familiar jingling of bells.

The wolves turned their heads, glancing back before making way for him.

“This one is much stronger and more cunning than the mountain monster we encountered on Yanhui Peaks,” Song You said with a faint smile.

He added, “Firecrackers won’t be enough to scare it out. However, Lady Calico, you possess vast divine powers and immense magical strength. Once you confirm the Mountain God’s location, you can set fire to the mountain. I will ensure the flames remain under control and do not spread.”

“Oh...” The cat turned back, staring at him blankly.

Then, with a sudden dash, it sprinted off—so small that it wasn’t even as tall as the wild grass. Reaching the side of a tiger, it leaped onto its back, then sprang up again, landing atop the tiger’s head.

The tiger’s head was massive, easily accommodating the small cat standing there.

The cat took a deep breath...

But just at that moment—

“Poof!” A cloud of gray smoke suddenly exploded from the ground.

A knee-high fragment of rock up ahead abruptly shifted, transforming back into the form of Anle God.

Its body was as thin as a malnourished child’s, yet it stood as tall as an adult. Perched atop its frail frame was a head no larger than a clenched fist. A faint, flickering glow of fire could be seen pulsing within its belly.

The moment it saw Song You, it quickly raised its hands in a formal bow and cried out loudly, “Mercy! Spare me! Spare me!”

The cat froze for a moment, the large breath it had just inhaled now caught in its chest. It hesitated, unsure whether to exhale or not. Turning its head, it looked at Song You, its feline face scrunched up in a complex mix of emotions.

“You have already demanded children from the villagers to eat, and your hands are stained with more than one human life. How could I possibly spare you?” Song You’s voice was calm as he spoke.

“Hic...!”

The cat immediately exhaled, but some of the air got stuck in its throat, turning into a small hiccup.

“Blame that Changyuanzi! It's all Changyuanzi’s fault! It's all the State Preceptor’s fault! I worked tirelessly for him, never slacking off, yet in the end, he sent people to get rid of me!”

The weakened Anle God appeared almost hysterical—not just in its words and tone, but in its wild expressions, frantic hand gestures, and erratic movements. “How could I not be furious?!”

“At dusk, I already went down the mountain and asked the villagers,” Song You replied. “You’ve been sneaking down to devour their pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep since two years ago. Otherwise, your cultivation wouldn’t have advanced so quickly.”

“Blame that Changyuanzi! Blame that Changyuanzi!” Anle God kept repeating, “Blame the humans! Don’t blame me! It’s all the humans' fault!”

“Now, I only wish to ask you...”

“Ask? Ask me? Ask me what?”

“Back when the State Preceptor was gathering rare treasures, besides you, what other demons, ghosts, or deities did he enlist? And what became of them? Do you know?”

“Besides me? Besides me? Besides me, there were four more! Four!” Anle God’s speech was rapid and frantic, often repeating itself.

It paused for a moment before continuing, “In Yangzhou and the surrounding areas, both in the mountains and in the cities, there were a total of five of us working for him! None of us were good people to begin with! But aside from me, I’m afraid they’re all dead! All dead! Changyuanzi!!”

“Five...”

“Let me go! I told you everything! Let me go! Let me go!”

“That won’t do.” Song You shook his head. “This question was too simple—it can only earn you a painless end.”

At these words, Anle God’s eyes widened. Yet, instead of throwing a fit or continuing to beg for mercy, its first reaction was to eagerly persuade him, “Ask something harder! Ask something harder!”

“Cultivation is difficult, and life is precious.” Song You’s voice remained calm. “When the State Preceptor sent a Buddhist master to eliminate you, even after you killed him in retaliation, if you had taken it as a wake-up call and mended your ways, I wouldn’t be taking your life today. But unfortunately, you’ve grown too cruel, too insane—you can no longer be allowed to exist.”

He sighed slightly. “What a pity—I have yet to establish City God offices across the land to connect with the underworld. Otherwise, I would have handed you over to the City God and the underworld for judgment.”

“You’re the crazy one...”

“Whoosh...”

Before Anle God could finish speaking, a cool breeze swept through the mountain. Wherever the wind passed, the grass and trees rustled, and the monstrous figure, like mist in the wind, was scattered in an instant—dissipating without pain, without struggle, without even realizing it had ceased to exist.

“Sigh...”

Song You let out a quiet sigh and turned to look for the cat.

Instead, he saw that the cat had already reverted to her human form—a little girl once more. She had slung her pouch over her back and was rummaging through it. Moments later, she pulled out a few talismans, some folded into squares, others into triangles, and held them up to him.

“Your talismans!” Song You reached out and took the talismans. “Since you already have talismans, why didn’t you use them?”

“Because it's very powerful, but I’m just a little more powerful!” The little girl looked up at him seriously, her expression solemn. “Besides, talismans have to be written on paper, and paper is expensive!”

“Lady Calico, you’re truly cultured now—even the way you praise yourself has improved.”

“What?” The little girl tilted her head slightly, looking utterly confused.

“Nothing...” Song You shook his head, leaning on his bamboo staff.

Bathed in moonlight, he turned and started walking back, speaking as he went. “That Mountain God was quite formidable. In the northern provinces, perhaps he wouldn’t be considered much, but here in the south, he was one of the fiercest demons to be found.

“Ordinary folk experts wouldn't have been able to deal with him. He’s cunning too, and it's no wonder the Buddhist master sent by the State Preceptor met his end here...”

Pausing slightly, he turned his head just a bit. “But for Lady Calico and Yan An to have subdued him—it means the two of you are capable of handling things on your own now.”

“Handwing thwing on our own!”

“It’s all because you’re so amazing...”

“I could have summoned all four tigers to help, but that little temple was too small, so I only called two!”

“Lady Calico, you’re amazing...”

The mountain wind blew, and their words became unclear.

A tall figure and a small one, accompanied by a jujube-red horse and the flock of swallows, made their way back to the ruined Mountain God’s temple.

By now, the temple was in complete disarray. The wooden beams had nearly burned through, barely holding up the charred roof. The walls bore heavy scars from battle—scorched, clawed, and dented from impacts.

The statue on the altar had lost its head, shattered by Anle God himself, before being toppled by the tiger. Its headless body now lay face-down on the ground, and the robe it once wore had been completely incinerated.

The livestocks still lingered near the entrance.

Lady Calico dashed forward and scooped up the large red rooster, hugging it tightly. Without stopping, she ducked her head and rushed into the ruined temple, rummaging through the wreckage of the altar.

There were still plenty of fruits and offerings of rice here—she had been eyeing them for a while. Even when spitting fire, she had deliberately avoided scorching them.

Now, standing on her tiptoes, she carefully scooped up all the rice and placed it into her pouch. The pears and oranges, however, had inevitably been caught in the chaos of the battle. To her, they now fell into two distinct categories: One—those that remained intact, which could be fed to the Daoist. The other—those that had been smashed, which could be fed to the horse.

Other than the first category, everything belonged to the second.

It wasn’t that Lady Calico looked down on the horse—rather, the Daoist was just too picky. This he wouldn’t eat, that he wouldn’t eat. If it was spoiled, he wouldn’t eat it. If it was dirty, he wouldn’t eat it. Compared to him, the horse was much easier to please.

With a serious expression and swift movements, the little girl picked up everything, stuffing them into her pouch, carefully separating them into different pockets.

By the time she stepped out of the small temple, she was returning fully loaded.