Unintended Immortality-Chapter 529: The Sulfur Lake and Shazhou

“Abbot, you cannot leave!”

“Master, how can you abandon your disciples and the monastery so easily?”

“What will we do if you go?”

“I am willing to follow you wherever you go!”

The monks behind him were all dumbfounded upon hearing his words, then immediately began urging him to stay. Only one among them expressed the desire to follow.

“There is no need to persuade me further. My mind is made up.” Master Xuanhua slowly turned, looking at the assembled monks. “This year’s drought has brought forth many evils. Do you know how many Daoists have come down from their mountains to save the people of Longzhou? Do you know how many wandering monks have passed by our monastery in just these few months?

“You have all spent years diligently studying Buddhadharma. Each of you should stay true to your own path, upholding your Buddhist teachings to bring salvation in your own way. But never forget this...”

His gaze swept across the monks, his voice steady. “If one wishes to be a dragon or elephant among Buddhas, one must first serve as an ox or horse for all living beings.”[1]

The monks were silent. It was as if their ears had been cleansed by his words. Their expressions turned solemn, and they no longer tried to dissuade him. Instead, they pressed their palms together and murmured their assent in low voices.

“Master! I wish to accompany you!” In the end, only that one disciple stepped forward.

“Why?”

“Today, I just finished a debate with Senior Brother, discussing precisely the matter of how to bring salvation to the world. Last night, I listened to you and Daoist Master Song’s conversation and was deeply moved by the story of Master Yidu. I argued that we should step out of the temple, and by chance, I won against Senior Brother Zuyin.

“But now that you’re leaving... If I do not follow, my fellow disciples will think that my words were empty rhetoric, that I do not have the courage to align my actions with my beliefs, and they will look down on me. More importantly, I truly share your thoughts, Master. If I do not go, I will not be able to face myself.”

“...” Master Xuanhua was silent for a moment before nodding. “Then you shall come with me.”

With that, he turned his head and gazed at the vast expanse of yellow sand in the distance. Then, he pressed his palms together and nodded slightly to Prefect Wei before slowly stepping forward, entering the gates of Xuanbi Temple.

Upon the wooden walkways of the monastery, a steadfast figure clad in yellow robes now strode forward with purpose.

Not long after—perhaps just two hours later—two figures in brownish-yellow monk’s robes descended from the Xuanbi Temple. Like the Daoist before them, they stepped into the vast sea of swirling sand.

***

A few days later...

The calico cat stopped in the middle of the road, shaking its paws in discomfort.

The ground, baked by the relentless sun, was scorching hot—hot enough that if an egg were cracked open onto the earth, it might cook in no time.

Now, with her cultivation deepened and her mastery of fire magic, she could pluck a freshly roasted rat straight from the flames without harm by using her divine powers. Naturally, she was immune to being burned. But in the end, her paws were still made of flesh, and walking barefoot on such a blistering surface was far from comfortable.

So, from time to time, she had to shake out her little paws.

“The ground is too hot!”

“Walk faster, and it won’t be as hot.”

“It’s too hot!”

“If you keep moving, the wind will cool you down.”

“Mm...”

The calico cat stared at him for a moment, her tiny steps continuing without pause.

The sun overhead was unbearably intense.

But despite the heat, she couldn’t bear to let the Daoist walk alone in this scorching sun. Nor could she bring herself to add to the burden of the already heavily-laden horse by making it carry a cat.

So, she endured it.

Lady Calico was a cat well-versed in endurance. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

“If it’s really too much, Lady Calico, why not transform into human form?” Song You said after a while. “That way, you can conjure shoes, and your feet won’t burn as much. Humans don’t have as much fur, so they don’t overheat or fear the sun as much.”

“Humans have no fur! They’re ugly!”

“But what about this?”

From somewhere, Song You produced a small pinwheel.

It was made of ordinary paper, the kind used for travel notes and talisman drawings. It was stiff enough to hold its shape, making it suitable for a pinwheel. Adding one or two dry branches casually picked from the roadside, it was actually very easy to make. Song You crafted it while walking, simply as a way to pass the time, and had already completed it before long.

Though the sun was blazing and the heat was relentless, the wind was constant—strong at times, even. It was just that the wind itself was hot.

As the breeze blew, the pinwheel spun with a soft whirr.

“Meow?” The cat stopped in her tracks.

“Here, play with it.” Song You bent down and handed the pinwheel to her.

Poof!

The cat immediately transformed into her human form. A delicate hand reached out, taking the pinwheel. Her clear, wide eyes sparkled as she held it up to the wind, watching it spin ceaselessly.

“Let’s go,” Song You said casually.

The little girl heard him but didn’t respond. Instead, she simply held the pinwheel aloft and followed after him.

And when the wind stopped, she ran.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The pinwheel spun without stopping.

The Northwest was truly vast, an endless expanse of sky and earth. The little girl ran across the Gobi Desert[2], relishing in pure freedom and joy.

A dirt road stretched through the barren land, carved out by the footsteps of merchants and travelers, leading toward an unseen horizon. Autumn had long since arrived. Coupled with the drought, the earth had turned a dull, lifeless yellow.

On either side of the road lay two lakes, as if a single body of water had been split in half by the path. This was the first lake they had seen on their journey—yet even here, the water level had receded dramatically.

And strangely enough, the lake’s surface shimmered with a dazzling golden hue.

The little girl came to a halt, stepping carefully toward the water’s edge. Wide-eyed, she leaned forward to peer into the lake.

When the Daoist caught up, she turned and exclaimed, “We made it to the Golden Lake the merchants were talking about!”

“I see that.”

“Why is the lake golden?”

“It’s a sulfur lake,” Song You replied.

“A sour lake?” she repeated, staring straight at him.

“Sulfur is a type of mineral. When it accumulates in the water, it turns the lake this unique yellow color,” Song You explained. “It’s a natural wonder of this land.”

“I don’t get it.”

“...” Song You fell silent for a moment before saying, “Because it’s called the Golden Lake.”

“Oh...”

The little girl immediately accepted this explanation and nodded repeatedly before sighing regretfully. “Too bad the water isn’t drinkable...”

“That’s right.”

“Then what about what the merchants said? That if you soak silver in this lake for three days and nights, it’ll turn into gold. Is that true?” She clutched the pinwheel tightly, her big round eyes fixed on him.

“It’s false,” Song You answered.

“Is it true or false?” She wasn’t ready to give up.

“It is true,” Song You answered again.

“Is it really true?” Her eyes lit up with excitement.

“What I said is true. The silver turning into gold is false,” Song You said helplessly, still patient. “Lady Calico, don't chase after such unrealistic dreams.”

“Mm...” The little girl thought for a moment before declaring, “Then let’s rest here for a bit!”

“...”

“Just a short rest!”

“As you wish.”

And so, Song You stopped.

However, he hadn’t seen a single tree for most of the day. Looking around, there was no shade in sight—only waist-high shrubs, which were far too short to provide shelter from the sun. And at this hour, near noon, the sun hung directly overhead, making it impossible to crouch beneath the shrubs for shade. Aside from the two golden-hued lakes, this was hardly an ideal place to rest.

But Lady Calico had spoken.

And naturally, her word was final.

Song You could only comply, donning his bamboo hat, scraping away the scorching top layer of sand, and settling down on the ground. He let the desert wind sweep past him as he quietly took in the distant scenery.

Though the sulfur lake's water was undrinkable, it was one of the few remaining bodies of water within at least a hundred li that had yet to dry up. Because of this, animals came from all around to drink—wild donkeys, wild camels, wolves, and foxes.

They all kept their distance, their wary eyes fixed on Song You’s group, as if silently proving that this seemingly inhospitable Gobi Desert was far more full of life than one might imagine.

It was a sight Song You had never witnessed before.

The wind carried the faint sound of water.

There was also a faint murmuring.

Even though they were only stopping here for a short while—not anywhere close to three days and three nights—Lady Calico still clung to a sliver of hope and expectation. She set down her pinwheel, took her silver coins, and walked toward the lake. Before leaving, she told Song You she was just going to wash her hands, carefully hiding her money pouch at her side.

Children were always like this.

They always believed their reasoning was impeccable, that their disguises were foolproof. They thought adults were foolish, unlikely to see through them. But in reality, their intentions were as obvious as daylight.

Still, Song You didn’t expose her. He simply pretended not to notice.

“Silver, silver... Hurry up, hurry up... Turn into gold... Quickly, quickly...”

She must have already submerged all her silver in the lake by now.

Song You pressed his lips together, continuing to admire the landscape.

The little girl’s muttering continued to drift over, half like an incantation, half like an impatient command.

“Lady Calico.”

“Mm?”

“Are you done washing your hands?”

“Not yet! Just a little longer!”

“That long?”

“I have to wash them clean!”

“Then, have you noticed the commotion in the distance?”

“Commotion?”

The little girl, who had been crouching by the lake washing her silver, immediately straightened up. She craned her neck and turned her head from side to side.

Faint noises stirred across the Gobi Desert.

Following the sound, she looked up.

A herd of argali sheep was stampeding toward them, kicking up a swirling cloud of sand. From a distance, the thunder of their hooves grew clearer as they approached.

Lady Calico tensed instantly.

Fortunately, the herd wasn’t charging directly at her. Instead, they rushed past her, their hooves pounding the earth in a flurry of movement.

The little girl turned her head, watching them leave. Then, she looked in the direction they had come from.

The sun was still blazing overhead, the heat pressing down on them, making sweat trickle down their backs. Yet, in the far distance, somewhere between the heavens and the earth, an ominous cloud had appeared.

Heavy and dark, the cloud stretched like a line across the horizon—connecting sky to ground, its edges disappearing beyond the limits of sight.

The dark clouds were slowly approaching.

The little girl’s eyes widened in surprise. The sight was both astonishing and familiar, and she quickly searched her memory for the right words.

After a long moment, she finally recalled what she wanted to say. Standing up straight, she pointed toward the sky, but instead of looking at the storm, she turned to the Daoist, her expression firm and serious as she declared, “Blizzard!”

“It’s a sandstorm.”

“Sandstorm!”

“Yes.”

“Should we hide?”

“Lady Calico, put your silver away first.” Song You smiled, standing up and picking up his bamboo staff. “Shazhou City isn’t far. We should press forward and reach it in one go.”

“Meow?”

“No time to waste.”

The sandstorm was closing in.

By now, they could see the rolling waves of dust, like a towering wall of sand—or the work of gods and demons—sweeping across the land, devouring everything in its path. It was so dense that no light could penetrate through, and the sheer force of it carried a suffocating pressure.

Yet the Daoist showed no fear. He tapped his staff forward.

The little girl hurriedly ran over, her wet money pouch in her arms. She placed it back onto the horse’s saddle, then grabbed her pinwheel before quickly following Song You.

Whoosh...

The violent wind struck them head-on. The pinwheel spun wildly.

Countless animals were fleeing from the distance, and even the swallow had been forced to land.

The Daoist planted his bamboo staff firmly in the ground, leading the little girl beside him and the heavily laden jujube-red horse forward. They walked against the tide of panicked creatures, marching straight toward the all-consuming sandstorm that blotted out the sky.

Their figures grew smaller and smaller, as the sandstorm loomed larger and larger. Yet, they showed no fear.

Between heaven and earth, a magnificent scene unfolded. The sand had already begun to strike against their faces.

The Daoist moved forward, and the sandstorm moved forward with him.

Boom...

In an instant, they were swallowed by a world of wind and sand.

The sky darkened, the earth blurred—everything was consumed by chaos. The only sound was the howling wind, a furious, endless roar. The storm ripped at their clothes and lashed at their faces, forcing itself into every gap and crevice, filling the air with swirling grit.

Both Song You and the little girl had wrapped cloth over their mouths and noses. Even so, the suffocating pressure made breathing difficult. Their eyes were forced shut against the storm, and their ears were assaulted by the relentless noise—an overwhelming, ceaseless thunder. The wind slammed against them, making their entire bodies shudder under its force.

The Daoist’s body tilted under the gale, and so did the little girl.

But the Daoist’s steps never faltered.

The force of nature was unstoppable, yet it posed no real threat to their lives. And so, they endured it with a certain calm, treating it as an experience—an encounter with the fury of the elements.

Good or bad, it was an experience. Sunshine or storm, it was a journey. This, too, was part of cultivation.

They walked for an unknown length of time, struggling against the storm, until suddenly, the wind weakened. In an instant, the world opened up before them.

The deafening wind receded, and the stinging sand no longer struck their skin. The path became easier.

Light spilled over the land, so bright that it made them squint. The world had cleared. The sandstorm raged behind them, slowly retreating into the distance.

They had crossed into the desert.

Ahead, the setting sun burned in the sky, casting a golden glow over the endless dunes. The sand mountains were taller than expected, their smooth surfaces gleaming under the sunlight—one side bathed in gold, the other falling into shadow.

Song You climbed to the top of a dune and gazed into the distance.

A caravan stretched across the horizon, camels moving in a slow, steady line from left to right. The merchants were wrapped tightly in their cloaks, pressing forward in silent perseverance.

It felt like the Western Regions.

1. "诸佛龙象" (zhū fó lóng xiàng) – "Dragons and elephants among Buddhas" symbolize great and powerful Buddhist figures (highly enlightened monks or sages). "众生牛马" (zhòng shēng niú mǎ) – "Ox and horse for all living beings" means willingly serving and enduring hardship for the sake of others. ☜

2. The Gobi Desert is a vast, arid region in northern China and southern Mongolia. It's known for its dunes, mountains and rare animals such as snow leopards and Bactrian camels. ☜

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