Unintended Immortality-Chapter 524: The Demon, Driftling

A faint streak of pale white light began to emerge on the horizon, illuminating the vast, desolate landscape of the Danxia desert. A lizard perched atop a small mound, welcoming the morning dew. Horses chewed on the distinctive, coarse grass of the northwest.

The lone roadside inn, standing in solitude, exuded an air of the wandering life of the jianghu. Beside it, a large group of people lay scattered haphazardly, still asleep.

The morning dew had already soaked through their clothes.

The conversation between the two children had nearly come to an end, yet many of the adults had found it amusing.

Elixirs infused with five-colored auspicious clouds, pigments sent by the sun, a great tear in the sky like a hole in a cotton blanket, and the five-colored divine stones used to mend the heavens...

Soon, light began to spread from the east.

At first, a single red beam pierced through a narrow gap in the clouds, slanting up from the horizon into the sky. As the morning sun slowly revealed itself, the clouds at the edge of the sky were gradually dyed crimson. As the sun rose higher and higher, the lower end of the red light lifted, while the higher end dipped, casting its glow upon the land.

The Danxia cliffs, dark in the night, were now tinged with red.

At some unknown moment, the voices of the two children had faded away.

A sigh was heard.

For many here, a new day did not signify a fresh beginning but rather the start of yet another cycle—an endless, hopeless repetition of hardship.

The sky grew brighter little by little.

Just as it had been yesterday, the sky remained a complete, uninterrupted blue.

The wheat reapers slowly sat up, wiping their faces, gradually shaking off the remnants of sleep. It was only then that someone suddenly realized something and turned to look around.

“Where’s that little girl?”

Hearing this, the others also snapped to attention. They scanned their surroundings—but where was the girl?

Only then did everyone recall—there had never been a little girl sleeping among them last night.

The only people who had rested here, aside from the Daoist, were weary wheat reapers and frugal traveling merchants, some of whom had brought their half-grown sons along. But who had brought a little girl? That Daoist had only brought a jujube-red horse, a calico cat, and a swallow.

“That’s right! Where did the girl come from?”

“Something’s wrong! Could we have encountered a demon?”

“Boy! Who were you just talking to?”

Everyone’s eyes widened in alarm, their expressions tense with fear.

Even the child, now the focus of the wheat reapers' and his own father’s questioning gazes, shrank back, feeling a wave of dread. He instinctively turned his head, scanning the surroundings.

There was no little girl here.

Not a single woman in sight.

Only a calico cat sat properly beside the Daoist, its tail swaying lazily from side to side. It glanced at the child, then turned its head back toward its master.

The boy vaguely recalled that, while speaking, the little girl had mentioned the words “my Daoist priest.”

“Oh...” In his panic, he found himself unable to speak.

“Everyone, do not be alarmed.” Song You sighed, finally opening his eyes and sitting up.

He spoke up to clean up the mess left behind by his mischievous companion. “It was merely my cat, who has gained enlightenment. She is lively and playful, and since she has been traveling the northwest with me for some time, she grew bored. Seeing a child awake early, she could not resist and briefly took human form to chat with him. She meant no harm.”

“A cat?”

“A cat that turns into a person?”

“This...”

The crowd was momentarily stunned. The bolder ones stared at the cat, while the more timid ones instinctively backed away from the Daoist.

“Rest assured, everyone,” Song You continued, his tone calm. “I come from Yizhou and am a proper Daoist cultivator. I have never done evil in my life. My Lady Calico here is both virtuous and well-learned. She helps eliminate demons and catch mice, but she would never harm anyone. There is truly no need for concern.”

Although the calico cat said nothing, she stood up and moved a little closer to her Daoist priest—just a tiny step farther from the others. Then, she sat down again, continuing to stare at the boy.

Seeing this, the crowd exchanged glances before finally relaxing.

After all, their lives weren’t worth much to begin with—there wasn’t much to be afraid of.

Those who had brought food took it out, eating sparingly. Those without food had to settle for a few sips of water. And those who didn’t even have water simply sat in silence.

One by one, people rose and set off again, continuing their journey. But at the same time, more and more of them began to gather around the Daoist. As the number of people surrounding him grew, they gradually abandoned all restraint. One after another, they started bombarding the rare and genuine Daoist with all kinds of questions, eager to seize the chance to speak.

“Is there really a past life and a next life?”

“If I’ve suffered in this life, will I still suffer in the next?”

“Where do people go after they die?”

Sitting in place, Song You patiently answered truthfully while eating his roasted flatbread. He also shared some of it with those who had no food.

But their questions were often laced with the weight of a lifetime of hardship and hope, making them heavy to answer. Some questions, the Daoist simply did not know the answers to. Others, even if he knew, he didn’t know how to respond—just as he could see their suffering yet had no way to change it.

All he could do was remind them that the imperial court had a policy encouraging migration to the northern frontier. As long as they were willing to go, they could receive land and grain. At least, it was a possible way out.

As the sun climbed higher, people gradually dispersed.

The merchants who had stayed at the nearby roadside inn had set off even earlier. Their horses, mules, and camels stretched into a long procession, moving in different directions, filling the air with the ringing of bells.

Song You took a careful sip of water, then poured a bit into his palm to feed the calico cat and the swallow. Only after that did he rise, pack his belongings, and continue his journey.

He passed through the picturesque Danxia landscape, heading west. The entire route was a bustling trade road, filled with caravans of camels and horses.

One should never underestimate the northwest.

The Silk Road[1] was the most significant trade route in the known world. Goods and wealth from both East and West exchanged hands here, and cultures clashed and blended intensely. This was also the vital corridor connecting the Great Yan empire to the Western Regions. The road flowed with immense wealth every day, and in terms of prosperity, this place was no less than Yizhou or Yangzhou.

Along the way, Song You saw many merchants traveling in silence and encountered many foreign faces. He engaged in conversation whenever he could and gained much insight from it.

At the same time, the drought worsened, leaving the common people in unbearable suffering.

The farther west he traveled, the more severe the drought became.

Under such conditions, water became an incredibly precious resource—essential for survival. It became increasingly difficult to ask for water along the way. The farther west he went, the fewer people followed the Daoist teachings, and the more devout Buddhists there were. Even among the kind-hearted locals and passing merchants, the most they would spare him was a sip or two of water.

Finding water became more and more challenging.

Neither sending the swallow into the sky to scout nor consulting the wild donkeys and camels along the roadside yielded easy results. Even when they did find a potential water source, it often turned out to have dried up.

“We must be near the border of Longzhou by now,” Song You muttered to the calico cat, adjusting his straw hat.

Though this place was not yet a desert, the land was covered in dry grass, and the yellow sand was worsening. Every step he took stirred up a cloud of dust, and when the wind blew, the shifting sands sketched out the shape and direction of the breeze for the travelers.

Before his eyes, the sky was an endless blue, and the land lay dry and yellow.

This was a sight Song You had never seen before.

“I don't know.” A soft, honest voice came from beside him. It was the cat speaking.

“It's already autumn, yet it's still this hot...”

“That's right!”

“Are you thirsty, Lady Calico?”

“I’m very hot. I want to drink water.” The cat trotted along with tiny, quick steps before suddenly stopping. She lifted her head to look at the sun overhead, then glanced at the distant sky. “The swallow hasn’t come back yet.”

“It’s hard to find water in this region.”

“He's working hard!”

“We’re lucky to have him.”

“Yes, we’re lucky to have him!”

“Lady Calico, why don't you go back inside the pouch? It's too hot out here, walking is tiring, and the sand is everywhere.”

“Mm...” But the cat only glanced at him, her pace never slowing. “I want to walk on the ground!”

Just then, a small dot appeared in the sky.

The dot rapidly drew closer, becoming clearer, until it revealed itself as a swallow, gliding toward them.

Whoosh!

The swallow landed lightly on the horse’s head.

Lady Calico immediately looked up at him. “Did you find water?”

“I did.”

The swallow first dipped its head to glance at the cat, then raised it to look at the Daoist. “On the way, I encountered a spirit beast. I asked it where to find water, and it led me to a source.”

“...”

Hearing this, Song You couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed that finding water here was truly difficult.

Even the swallow, who disliked socializing, had been forced to ask a local spirit beast for directions to a water source.

Actually, Song You was doing alright, and so was Lady Calico. Though the water they had managed to obtain was scarce, it was enough to sustain them. However, the jujube-red horse was another matter. It was naturally large and required a great deal of water, yet it had to carry heavy loads while traveling under the scorching sun. Without sufficient water, the ordeal was truly unbearable for it.

“You've had it rough.”

“I'll lead the way.”

“Alright.”

“Flap, flap, flap...”

The swallow took flight once more.

The Daoist, leaning on his bamboo staff, led the jujube-red horse and followed the swallow across the vast yellow-earth mountains. After trekking more than ten li, they finally found a water source.

This water source was extremely well hidden.

From the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than a small earthen mound. Only upon approaching could one see that it was hollow inside, likely connected to an underground river, with a short stretch of flowing water exposed on the surface. Such a concealed water source would have been impossible for the swallow to spot from the sky.

Upon reaching it, Song You scooped up a handful of water and took a sip. It was refreshingly cool, quenching both his thirst and the heat in his body.

He then let Lady Calico and the swallow drink their fill before refilling the water pouches. Only after that did he allow the jujube-red horse to enter and drink slowly and freely to its heart’s content.

With the water issue resolved, they continued on their journey.

The swallow ensured that they did not stray too far off course.

However, as they walked, a sudden plume of dust appeared in the distant barren desert. Faintly, the sounds of pursuit could be heard. A group of people were chasing something, moving from the right front of their path toward the left. The wind carried the dust and sand toward them.

Then, as if sensing something, the dust plume abruptly changed direction, rushing toward the Daoist and his companions.

Song You focused his gaze.

The one running at the forefront was neither a human nor a wild donkey or camel. Instead, it was a strange creature with the body of a goat, the head of a fox, and antlers like those of a deer. Its face resembled a masked spirit. Behind it, several warriors on horseback wielding bows and arrows were in pursuit, along with monks clad in yellow robes.

“Whoosh...”

The swallow descended once more, looking ahead before turning to Song You and saying, “Sir, that spirit beast being pursued up ahead is the very one that led me to the water earlier!”

“I see.”

Song You vaguely recognized the creature.

This type of spirit creature, like the wind fox, was born of nature and nurtured by the earth. It was called "Driftling[2]." The Driftlings possessed deep knowledge of the affairs of the land and always appeared during natural disasters. They could foretell calamities and guide people to safety.

With just a moment of thought, it became clear why this group was chasing it.

The Driftling was small and agile, running swiftly toward the Daoist and his companions.

1. The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that connected China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, facilitating the exchange of goods, culture, and ideas. It emerged during the Han Dynasty and flourished for centuries. ☜

2. 游离 (yóu lí) means to drift or wander. ☜

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