Unintended Immortality

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Have you two finished your meal?”

“Yes, yes, we've finished.” Song You said, while taking a small piece of broken silver from his chest. “The host has been so kind, we can't accept without giving something in return, so please accept this as a token of gratitude.”

“This...” The servant was stunned for a moment, then said, “I need to ask the master about this first.”

He turned around and walked away. Soon after, the host hurried over.

“We have already received your kind intentions, sir. However, as someone beyond the concerns of this world, today you are merely passing by and happened upon us due to fate. We are already honored to offer you a simple meal and some provisions, but it would be rude of us not to provide you with travel expenses, let alone accept your money,” the middle-aged man said to Song You.

He added, “If the two of you are done eating, please allow Hong Er to take you to the old house for the night. If you hear or see anything unusual, it's just the local customs, so please don't take offense.”

“Then, thank you, sir.” Song You put the silver back into his pocket. “But there’s no need to trouble you any further. We’ll find our way there ourselves.”

“How can that be?” The middle-aged man said. “It's completely dark outside, and the village roads are narrow and far. Without someone to guide you, how will you find your way? And how will you know which house is the one?”

“It doesn’t matter if we can’t find it. We can make do anywhere for the night.” Song You glanced at him. “We’ve gotten used to sleeping in the wild since we’ve been on the road.”

“If this were a wild mountain, that would be one thing, but since you’ve made it this far, how could we let you sleep anywhere?” The middle-aged man said earnestly. “It won’t take much effort, let Hong Er take you there.”

“Then, many thanks.” Song You stopped refusing and smiled, agreeing.

Immediately, the servant picked up the lantern and led them outside.

As they passed by, Song You glanced back. The courtyard was now filled with lanterns, decorated festively, almost indistinguishable from an ordinary wedding. The only stark difference was the black coffin placed in the main hall, looking too conspicuous.

“Be careful of the threshold,” the servant reminded them.

“Thank you.” Song You withdrew his gaze and stepped out the door.

After retrieving the two horses, they left the host's home and followed the servant through the pitch-black village roads.

This was the easternmost part of the village, and the abandoned old house was on the far west side. The village was quite large, with winding, interconnecting roads. Without the servant to guide them, they might not have found it.

“We're here.” The servant pushed open the door of the house.

“Thank you.”

“It’s been unoccupied for quite some time, so it's a bit dusty. Do you need me to clean it up?”

“No need.”

“Then I’ll take my leave.” The servant said, “I still need to return, so I'll take the lantern with me. Please rest early.”

“Safe travels.” Song You politely saw him off.

As soon as the servant left with the lantern, darkness immediately returned, leaving only the starry sky above.

However, the calico cat knew that human eyes couldn't see well in the dark. It transformed into human form and retrieved its small lantern, placing it on the table. ṞãΝỌΒÈs

“Hongyuan Haode, Supreme Sovereign of the Five Elements, Fiery Sun Divine Majesty True Lord. I am the Lady Calico from the Cat Temple beside Yin-Yang Mountain in Lingquan County, Yizhou. Please, True Lord, lend me a bit of fire to light my lantern.”

“Whoosh...” A small spark ignited inside the lantern.

The room was also illuminated by the light.

With the light, Song You looked around the house. It was indeed bare and empty, almost nothing in it—just a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

“Sir...” The swordsman in gray looked at Song You. “Something feels off.”

“Yes.” Song You nodded as well.

The Ding family was indeed warm and hospitable, but they seemed a bit too cautious, as if they were deliberately hiding something.

Knowing that they wouldn't be leaving today and planned to stay in the village, they had led them from the easternmost side to the house in the west, likely to keep something from their knowledge.

“Maybe it's just a custom, something they don't want outsiders to see.”

“Then we...”

“We’ll go take a look.”

“Alright!” the swordsman agreed.

The three of them, along with the cat, stayed in the house. The two horses stood quietly outside. As time passed and it grew later, a sudden sound of firecrackers echoed from afar, faint but distinct.

“....” The three of them stepped out.

Following the direction of the sound, the firecracker noise became clearer, followed by the rhythmic sound of gongs and drums. It sounded quite festive.

The Daoist and the swordsman in gray stepped aside, blending into the night.

The stars shone brightly tonight, with a slight mist on the ground. The sounds of the gongs and drums grew clearer and louder, getting closer. Even the villagers in the house behind the Daoist quietly opened their windows to see what was happening outside.

Soon, a wedding procession slowly appeared.

The night was dim, and from a distance, they could only see a few lights and a group of figures. As they got closer, the wedding procession became clearer.

What a grand wedding procession it was.

At the front, several people held flags, followed by the sound of gongs, then the playing of suona, with lantern-bearers, basket-bearers, box-lifters, and torch carriers. There were at least twenty to thirty people in total. In the middle, there was a large litter carried by eight bearers.

“The bride is the official wife...” The swordsman in gray fixed his eyes on the front and murmured softly, suddenly frowning.

“Wait! A litter?” For such a ghost wedding, they should be carrying either bones or a memorial tablet, not a living person.

By this time, the wedding procession had already passed in front of them. Faintly, they could hear sobbing coming from the litter.

“....” The swordsman in gray glanced back at Song You.

Generally, no one would use a living person in a ghost marriage.

The reason people seek ghost marriages for their children was either due to their belief in feng shui, hoping to bring blessings to the living, or wanting their deceased children to have a companion in the afterlife so they weren’t left alone as a wandering soul.

But using a living person for a ghost marriage defeated the latter purpose and risked public scorn. Generally, there was a deeper, more specific reason behind such a decision.

A woman who entered such a marriage would become a widow right away, and her future was typically not bright.

In fact, ghost marriages were often seen as meaningless customs. Some regarded them as superstitions, while others did not. Even among nobility, it was rare for someone to arrange a ghost marriage for their deceased son using a living person. It was absurd and unacceptable according to societal norms and etiquette—a complete absurdity.

But in these times, it was hard to say for sure.

Some people, unable to survive, would sell their children into servitude to others. Once sold, it was seen as a way for them to escape poverty. If you tried to stop them, you might be cutting off their only chance for survival.

However, the sobbing and wailing coming from the litter spoke of despair, making them feel that things were not so simple.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of something colliding inside the litter. The litter swayed, as if someone inside was struggling.

“Bang...”

A figure suddenly tumbled out of the litter.

The wedding procession suddenly came to a halt, and the sound of gongs and drums ceased.

With the light of the lanterns and torches, they could see a woman dressed in a bright red wedding gown stumbling out of the litter. But she was bound with ropes, unable to move, her mouth gagged as well.

“Mmphh mmph...”

The swordsman in gray immediately stiffened, his hand, which held the long sword, twitching slightly.

Without a doubt, if it hadn’t been for Song You standing beside him or if they hadn’t been hosted by this family that night, his sword would have already been unsheathed. Who knew how much blood would have been spilled by now.

“The bride has fallen!” someone ahead shouted out.

The bride was still sobbing and struggling, writhing on the ground like a worm. But two middle-aged men quickly stepped forward, grabbing her and forcing her back into the litter.

“Lift the litter!” another shout rang out.

The sound of gongs and drums resumed, and the wedding procession started moving again.

The Daoist and the swordsman, however, remained standing still. The swordsman was deep in thought, torn with conflicting emotions.

The Daoist, on the other hand, was listening to the noises coming from the hut behind them.

Behind them was a thatched house in the village, where a couple lived. The Daoist, the swordsman, and the cat were standing by the window, leaning against the wall. The people inside the house, unable to see the outsiders through the window, could only watch the wedding procession slowly moving away with the sounds of music. They began discussing quietly among themselves inside the house.

“How could the Ding family become so heartless? A good young lady, dragged away to marry a dead man! They'll be struck by lightning sooner or later!”

“Didn't several people from the Ding family die recently? I heard they violated some feng shui taboos...”

“They've never been this heartless before, have they?”

“If we're talking about being heartless, who could compare to Cao family's eldest master? His younger brother and sister-in-law just died, and as the elder, he sold his niece to a dead man as a wife. How could there be such a heartless person in the world?”

“But what else could he do? Cao family's eldest master can't even afford to eat, let alone support a young lady.”

“You know nothing!” The voice suddenly dropped in volume. “I heard that the Ding family bought the Cao family's young lady for a high price! At such a high price, they didn’t buy her for her to be a widow, but to be buried with their grandson!”

Both of the people outside the house looked stunned, and the swordsman was now fuming with rage.

Though the swordsman was upright and just, he was also patient, continuing to stand outside and listen.

“Huh?”

“Do you think I'd lie to you? Why else would they tie up the Cao family's young lady? Cao family's second master was starved to death, and the Cao family's young lady, though married to the Ding family as a wife for a dead man, at least has food to eat now. It's definitely better than before, right?”

“But the Ding family couldn't be that heartless, could they?”

“I heard that...” The conversation inside the house grew quieter.

The people outside stood still, listening in silence. After a while, there was no more sound from inside the house.

“Sir...” The swordsman lowered his voice and looked at the Daoist beside him.

“Let's go check it out.” Song You took a step forward, heading east.

The swordsman held his sword, following behind him, and said in a low voice, “The Ding family appears kind on the surface, but who would've thought they were capable of such deeds? It defies the laws of heaven…”

“Indeed, it does.”

“...” The swordsman fell silent, his gaze flickering as his mind whirled with thoughts.

He wanted to forget the hospitality they had received earlier, to take up his sword and go confront them, to see just how unjust things were here, and to indulge in a sense of satisfaction. But he feared he couldn't kill every single member of the Ding family—hundreds of them—and once he left, the Cao family's young lady wouldn't be able to live anywhere.

He wanted to handle things more gently, to save the young lady, but he also knew he couldn't persuade the Ding family, nor could he provide a safe place for her.

“Don't be impulsive.” The voice of the Daoist could be heard from ahead. “Let's go take a look first, to see if there’s something else at play here.”

“Yes.” The swordsman's heart calmed a little.

They slowly walked back to the Ding family’s door.

The Daoist raised his hand, forming a gesture with his fingers, then flicked his wrist lightly. A streak of light shot up into the sky.

“Boom!” Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed, and lightning illuminated the night sky.

However, strangely enough, the sky was incredibly clear. There were countless stars, and not a single cloud in sight.

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