Unintended Immortality-Chapter 511: Thriving on Chaos

The moonlight gleamed like silver.

As the horse came to a stop, the crowd finally got a clear look. Under the soft glow of the moon, its coat shimmered with a faint reddish hue.

It was the Daoist’s jujube-red horse.

“...”

For a moment, everyone widened their eyes in astonishment.

This jujube-red horse was known to be highly intelligent and spiritually attuned. It never needed reins yet always followed the Daoist obediently, understanding his words. Sometimes, it didn't even require verbal commands—its connection with the Daoist was seamless. But no one had expected that this horse possessed such bravery and skill in battling demons.

“Wahhhh!”

The demon pig that had been knocked over scrambled back up, gouging deep furrows into the soil and grass. It let out a furious roar, revealing a mouthful of jagged, saw-like teeth, its eyes locked onto the horse. Its hind hooves scraped at the ground, preparing to charge again.

Behind it, a snake-headed tail swung around, its forked, blood-red tongue flicking in and out, also staring at the jujube-red horse.

Just then, the grass rustled.

“Swish!”

A calico cat leaped out. It had a small flag clamped in its jaws.

The cat was as fast as lightning, agile and powerful. In an instant, it sprang into the air, opened its mouth, and let go of the flag. In its place, a burst of fire erupted.

“Boom!”

True flames surged forward.

The demon pig’s eyes widened in shock. The fire was reflected in its pupils, rapidly expanding, transforming into an onrushing wall of flames.

The searing heat and spiritual energy surged toward it.

“Wahhh!”

The demon pig twisted its massive body, desperate to evade.

But its sheer size made quick movements difficult, and its attempt to dodge was clumsy and panicked. Its four hooves scrambled frantically against the ground, tearing deep trenches into the grass as it skidded.

“Boom!”

The flames engulfed its body.

To say its flesh was “torn apart” would be an understatement. Under the scorching fire, its thick, armor-like hide cracked and split open, its flesh blossoming into charred wounds. Its side—where the flames struck directly—was burned black and red. The thick layer of meat, at least two fingers deep, had been fully cooked, with the outermost layer charred to a crisp.

“Waaaah!”

The demon pig let out a heart-wrenching, ear-piercing shriek. The sound was so sharp that everyone present instinctively covered their ears. Even the immigrants sleeping farthest from the scene must have heard it loud and clear.

Now fully aware of its impending death, the demon pig no longer cared about the searing pain ravaging its body. It couldn’t even feel the pain anymore—all it could do was frantically stomp its hooves and turn to flee in desperation.

The cat, meanwhile, landed smoothly on the ground.

It even had the leisure to glance around at the people and surroundings. Then, lifting a paw, it made a slight motion in the air. Instantly, the fallen flag on the ground rose back up.

“Whoosh!”

The black mist dispersed, visible even in the darkness of the night.

“Awwooo!”

As the mist touched the ground, it transformed into tigers and wolves.

Everyone present was once again taken aback—

A demon was already terrifying enough, but when faced with overwhelming numbers, they could at least muster the courage to fight back. Likewise, if confronted by a lone ferocious beast, they might barely dare to drive it away with sheer numbers.

But now, suddenly, six or seven massive tigers had appeared, accompanied by a whole pack of wolves. And these tigers weren’t ordinary—they were each larger than the last. Even a gathering of seasoned martial artists would likely choose to avoid such beasts rather than face them.

Yet before fear could fully set in, the tigers suddenly burst forward at astonishing speed, darting into the undergrowth in pursuit of the fleeing demon.

The wolves, though slower, also charged after it with determination.

The clearing fell silent.

The jujube-red horse turned its head, as did the calico cat. Both looked at the stunned onlookers. Then, the horse slowly lay down, while the cat took a few steps forward and leapt onto its back.

The small flag fluttered up and landed in the cat’s mouth once more.

The horse then rose to its feet again and, without hurry, began walking toward the direction the tigers and wolves had gone, disappearing into the forest.

It was only then that the people finally snapped out of their daze.

They exchanged glances, only to realize that every single person had their eyes wide open in shock.

That Daoist had claimed he could subdue evil and exorcize demons. Though they had never witnessed it firsthand, his extraordinary demeanor and speech had led them to believe in his abilities.

Yet, much like with the jujube-red horse, they had only thought of the calico cat as an unusually intelligent and beautiful animal. They had often seen the Daoist speaking with it, and it seemed to understand him well, which was already remarkable.

But who could have imagined that this mere cat—just a companion of the Daoist—would possess such divine power?

Could that Daoist truly be an immortal?

***

Deep within the mountain forest, moonlight barely managed to filter through the canopy.

Following the guidance of the swallow, the Daoist had already reunited with the calico cat and the jujube-red horse. Now, two wolves led the way as they tracked the wounded demon.

They passed through thorny underbrush and climbed over small hills until, at last, they found the demon lying amidst the tall grass.

It lay motionless on the ground, incapable of moving any further. Only the rise and fall of its chest indicated that it was still alive.

Seeing that the demon was no longer able to flee, the tigers and wolves under Lady Calico’s command had all turned into lazy idlers. They merely lounged around the area—some yawning, some looking elsewhere, and some wolves even playfully wrestling with one another. Not a single one was holding down or restraining the demon.

As the Daoist and his horse approached, the wolves obediently parted to make way.

Only the tigers were lazier, remaining sprawled on the ground without moving.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

As the calico cat spat out the flag, sending it floating into the air, all the tigers and wolves instantly burst into black smoke, which swirled and was sucked back into the flag.

Leaning on his staff, the Daoist stepped forward, gazing down at the demon with a scrutinizing look.

The creature resembled a wild boar but was significantly larger. Half of its body had been charred and cooked by the flames, emitting a thick, rich scent of roasted meat. Deep claw marks from the tigers marred its hide. The fact that it was still alive was a testament to the resilience of demons.

Now, it could do nothing but lie on the ground, its eyes barely open, while its snake-like tail twitched erratically, thrashing about like a severed serpent struggling in its final moments.

The cat atop the horse couldn't help but exclaim, “So fragrant!”

The Daoist turned slightly, casting a glance at the cat before shaking his head with a sigh and looking back at the demon. “Do you understand human speech?”

“Spare... me...”

“You can talk?” Song You pursed his lips. “Good. I have a question for you.”

“Spare... me...”

“I've heard that you hide in the grass at night, luring people in with the sound of a crying infant before suddenly attacking them. Surely, that’s not just for fun, is it?” Song You shook his head as he spoke. “Spare you? That’s out of the question. But my little one can’t control her fire technique that well yet. She’s too fierce and unforgiving. If you can answer my questions, I might be able to lend you a hand.”

“Spare... me...”

The demon pig, lying slanted on the ground, fixed its single open eye on him, its mouth moving slowly, forming words with great effort.

“I’ve heard a rumor among the demons of Yuezhou,” Song You continued. “It claims that ‘The Great Yan is doomed, and the Chen family will rise.’ Where did this rumor come from?”

“Spare... me...”

“In that case, forget it.” Song You immediately straightened up.

“Liu... Liu...”

“As expected. Thank you.”

Song You bowed slightly to the demon and waved his hand.

A gentle breeze swept past.

The demon pig closed its eyes, and its body began to dissolve into specks of light, scattering into the heavens and earth. Painlessly and effortlessly, it returned to its origin.

“Let's go.” Without hesitation, Song You turned and walked away.

This pig demon was not as wild and ignorant as he had assumed after hearing Lady Calico’s description earlier. At the very least, it was capable of communication. It also carried little malicious energy—meaning it likely had not harmed or eaten humans before. Then again, that could simply be because Yuezhou had been uninhabited until now.

Song You suspected that it had attacked simply because people were passing through—because it did not want them to settle in Yuezhou.

There is often conflict between the ways of humans and demons. When human civilization flourishes, the demon path declines. The more people there are in a place, the fewer demons remain.

Whether they are great demons or small ones, chaotic times are always their best opportunity to thrive. And places devoid of human presence are the best environments for them to cultivate and survive.

Under the moonlight, they made their way back.

The calico cat handed its small flag to Song You for safekeeping, then leapt down from the horse’s back and trotted ahead with light, dainty steps. As they walked, she chattered on about how impressive she had been earlier.

Though deep in thought, Song You still responded to her with hums and nods.

“Wait!” Mid-sentence, the calico cat suddenly paused, frowning in confusion. She turned to look at him. “How did you know there would be demons or ghosts attacking at night?”

“It’s just a wild guess.”

“How did you guess?”

“Didn't you notice, Lady Calico?” Song You gazed down at her, his expression calm. “There is a demon in Yuezhou who thrives on chaos. And it has been this way for many years.”

“No...” The calico cat continued walking, turning her head to stare at him blankly.

“You're not very smart.”

“...!”

Her eyes instantly sharpened as she glared at him for a moment. Then, with a shake of her head, she picked up her pace and strode ahead.

By the time they returned to the migrant settlement, it was no surprise that no one had slept. No one even dared to. The entire camp was buzzing with noise, with wide-eyed people animatedly discussing what had just happened.

Those who had been farther away had no idea what had transpired, nor could they hear the ongoing discussions. All they knew was that earlier in the night, a chilling, agonized wail had pierced the sky, waking everyone in terror. Then, rumors spread that a demon had attacked the camp, leaving them restless and filled with unease.

It wasn’t until the Daoist returned that they finally felt as though they had a pillar to rely on.

Now, when they looked at Song You—and even at the cat on the ground—their gazes had completely changed.

“Immortal Master, how did it go? Did you slay the demon?”

“It’s dead.”

“We’ve only just arrived in Yuezhou, and already there are so many demons... We still have a long way ahead of us. What should we do?”

Worry filled the crowd.

“Do not fret, everyone.” Song You reassured them. “Take the demon from earlier as an example—our officers were remarkably brave. Even with only their blades, they managed to wound it. They were only at a disadvantage because they were too few in number. Even dealing with an ordinary wild boar, it would take this many people just to manage. A demon is naturally stronger, but if you bring more people and carry torches, it won’t be as fearsome.”

Afterward, he asked the accompanying officials to select a group of strong young men from the migrants the next day to form regular patrols, ensuring they could respond to any demonic threats. Then, he urged everyone to get some rest.

Whether they could actually sleep or not was their own concern—Song You, on the other hand, simply returned to his resting spot, lifted the woolen blanket, lay down, used his clothes and travel bag as a pillow, and shut his eyes.

The task of settling the northern lands was bound to be a grand undertaking. It would take far more time than expected and proved even more challenging than imagined. But only now did Song You realize—throughout this process, everything the settlers witnessed and experienced would likely be passed down, turning into countless legends woven into the fabric of this land.

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