Unintended Immortality

“My name is Song You, from Lingquan County in Yizhou. I happened to travel through this area,” Song You said as he approached. “I ran out of supplies and, finding no village nearby, came here to ask. It was by chance that I discovered the Ding family’s intentions—and your scheme as well.”

“If it was an unintentional encounter, perhaps you could leave as though none of this happened. Out of courtesy, I might even offer you a cup of tea in light of our meeting.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

“Travelers of the jianghu don’t meddle in others’ affairs. If you’re roaming the land, you should know this region is not like Yizhou. The world is in chaos—sticking your neck out too far may not end well for you.”

“Generations of my lineage have adhered to the Heavenly Dao, believing that divine will guides us all. Since I’ve come here, how could I just turn a blind eye?” As he spoke, Song You continued forward, stopping just a few zhangs from the grave-digging Daoist and the burial site.

He added, “I’ve seen the body of the Ding family’s deceased grandson, who died from a curse. So I’m curious—why do you need not only the body and spirit of Miss Cao, but also to bury her alongside the Ding family’s grandson? What’s the purpose?”

“And what do you intend to do?”

“Won’t you share your insights?”

“...” The grave-digging Daoist planted his shovel into the ground. Under the starlight, he studied Song You’s calm expression, then glanced at the swordsman behind him and the sword in his hand. His gaze dropped to the curious calico cat watching him at the Daoist’s feet as he silently assessed the situation.

“I’m afraid that won’t work either.”

“Then, what do you propose?”

“You killed the Ding family’s eldest grandson, then continued to bring misfortune upon them, spreading tales of vengeful spirits until they were forced to arrange this ghost marriage for Miss Cao. So, what’s the real purpose here? Is it the ghost marriage itself, or the resentment of Miss Cao?” Song You pressed, “I’m quite curious. If you’re willing to share the reasoning behind this, I’d be most appreciative.”

The calico cat listened intently, though it seemed bewildered. It couldn’t understand what they were saying at all.

“If you want an explanation, you must first state your own intentions. If you’re simply curious about the techniques I practice, that can be easily discussed...”

At this point, the calico cat perked up its ears. But the Daoist only swept his sleeve with a flourish.

Whoosh…

A gust of dark wind arose, stirring up dust and ashes from the grave, blowing out the candle flames.

At that moment, a jet-black crow flew from behind him, blending almost seamlessly into the night sky. Like an arrow shot from a bow, it shot straight toward Song You.

Whoosh…

The cat reacted instinctively, leaping in an instant.

For those with keen eyes, they would have noticed her elegant form unfolding mid-air. Her body stretched into a long line, with her right front paw extended high. As the crow flew in, her paw struck precisely at its belly, catching it without the slightest deviation.

Thud!

As if snatching a small bird in her usual playful way, she effortlessly captured the crow. The entire sequence occurred in an instant.

By the time the grave-digging Daoist reacted, his crow was already pinned to the ground by the calico cat, who had it by the neck.

“...?” The calico cat seemed only then to realize what she had done. She quickly released the crow’s neck, staring down at it in surprise, then looked over at Song You, and then at the grave-digging Daoist across from her.

Her expression conveyed that everything had happened out of pure instinct. It was as if she had no idea where the crow had come from or how she had even managed to catch it.

“Impressive,” the grave-digging Daoist remarked, stepping back two paces as he casually grabbed a handful of dry grass from nearby.

It was dead grass from last winter, already brittle. He rubbed it lightly in his hands, and it easily crumbled to dust.

But instead of falling as fragments, the crumbled grass transformed. It took on the appearance of moths or some other insects, which began to swarm toward the Daoist one after another.

The grave-digging Daoist squinted slightly.

Though the insects appeared simple, if they landed and injected their toxin, even the strongest person would experience excruciating pain and lose all ability to resist within seconds. And even if they managed to escape, they’d die within a day from body-wide decay. The only drawback was the insects’ slow flight, making them easy to dodge or fend off during the day.

But it was nighttime now—the perfect time for this technique.

However, the calico cat could see clearly even at night. With the starlight illuminating her view as if it were daylight, she reacted instantly.

“Meow?”

The calico cat gave the crow beneath her a swat, leaving it dazed, then abandoned it and sprang forward. It quickly leapt and swatted two of the flying insects to death in mid-air.

At nearly the same moment, the swordsman stepped forward, positioning himself in front of the Daoist. His sword flashed out, and with his skill, he didn’t need sight to target; by tuning into the faint sounds around him, he effortlessly swung his blade, slicing down a few of the insects.

Each fallen insect reverted back into shredded, dried grass. Landing gracefully, the calico cat looked up to see more insects still flying her way. She glanced back at the Daoist, then decisively opened her mouth and blew.

Whoosh…

A large jet of flame burst forth, illuminating the mountainside.

Lady Calico’s fire skills had come along well, and the flames she conjured now had a life of their own. The insects, originally transformed from dried grass, were instantly incinerated into ashes. The intense heat even reached the grave-digging Daoist, who felt a wave of searing heat against his face.

The Daoist’s eyes widened in shock, realizing now that this was a cat demon of considerable spiritual power, yet he forced himself to remain calm. “Impressive skills, Daoist! No wonder you dare to interfere! May I ask where you received your training?”

“I already told you of my background,” Song You replied, “but you, on the other hand, haven’t even offered your name. How rude.”

“My secular name is Li,” the Daoist replied. “I stumbled upon this method of cultivation by chance. If you’re interested, fellow Daoist, I can share it with you.”

“I'm merely curious, not interested,” came the reply.

“Curiosity or interest, either way, if you agree to overlook tonight’s events, I’ll return the corpses to the coffin and restore the grave. In exchange, I’ll explain everything to you. What do you say?”

“You already know my answer.”

“Fellow Daoist!” The grave-digging Daoist immediately frowned. “We’re both cultivators; cultivation is not easy, and everyone has their own methods and lineage. Why must we go so far as to fight to the death over a trivial matter?”

“Oh?” Song You seemed intrigued. “So you have a lineage? May I ask where?”

“That’s not something I can share.”

“Seems you’re lying to me, then.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There are no trivial matters when it comes to life and death.”

“You’re too arrogant!” The grave-digging Daoist’s expression hardened. “Then let’s see if you’re skilled at anything other than having a cat demon on your side!”

“Please, make your move.”

An ordinary onlooker might not even realize they were locked in a life-or-death duel, but rather think this was a planned exchange.

“What joy, what sorrow!” the Daoist shouted, forming hand seals and stepping back. “Kill them!”

The two figures behind him suddenly came to life, their eyes glinting sharply. Each wielded a weapon as they approached Song You.

“Human puppetry?”

“Good eye, fellow Daoist!” The grave-digging Daoist sneered, squinting.

“These two were once first-rate fighters in the jianghu, skilled in slaying demons and spirits. After I acquired their bodies, I painstakingly transformed them into puppets. Though they may lack some of the agility they had in life, they feel neither fear nor pain, are impervious to blades and spears, and are resistant to water and fire. I advise you to be cautious!”

Before Song You could respond, the gray-clad swordsman stepped forward with a calm expression and a sword in hand.

Both sides closed the few zhang between them quickly, and with their intense gazes locked, they clashed within moments.

Swish! The tall man swung his blade downward. The burly man approached from an angle, swinging his mace.

The blade gleamed like snow, with a force capable of splitting mountains. It cut through the air with a loud sound, as if slicing the air itself.

The iron mace swung with immense force, as the hulking puppet used its full strength to bring it across in a wide arc, producing a whooshing sound. If it were to strike someone, one blow would likely pulp them into minced flesh, easily pressed into a meatball with a single squeeze.

“Hmph…”

The gray-clad swordsman remained utterly composed, as if taking a casual stroll. With a single swing of his sword, he deflected the tall man’s blade. Then, stepping lightly to the side and angling his body, he effortlessly dodged the hefty brute’s iron mace with a golden grip.

Almost simultaneously, the sword spun in his hand, blooming like a flower. With a single sweeping strike, it carried an unstoppable force, as if no stone or metal could stop it.

“Thud…” The tall man’s head hit the ground.

The burly puppet raised his mace again and swung back around.

The gray-clad swordsman didn’t even bother to bend down. He took a small step backward, and the mace, which should have shattered his head, swept just past his face.

“Whoosh…” The wind from the mace was colder than iron itself.

His dodging seemed effortless. In fact, the gray-clad swordsman retreated while the mace-wielding puppet advanced. Yet, despite this, the mace could never quite reach him—a display of his impeccable sense of distance and absolute confidence.

The iron mace, with its massive weight and power, was difficult to counter; even the finest swordsman wouldn’t dare face it head-on. Yet every weapon and skill has its trade-offs. Such immense strength came at the cost of agility—unlike a sword or blade, the mace couldn’t be swiftly redirected once swung.

The puppet, lacking the quick wits of a living person, was slow to react. By the time it tried to swing the mace back, a flash of sword light already appeared before it.

The blade gleamed like snow, or like spring thunder. The strike was like thunder, swift and fierce, arriving instantly with tremendous force.

“Swoosh!”

Another head hit the ground. It was effortless, clean, and precise.

It was just like three years ago, on that night of Jingzhe, when a vile creature crawled from its coffin only to be dispatched just as swiftly by the swordsman’s blade.

Even back then, the swordsman displayed an unmatched aura; now, after three more years, he was on an entirely different level.

The storytellers across the land hadn’t exaggerated—how many, encountering Shu Yifan by chance in the jianghu, could claim to survive his blade? These two deceased first-rate martial artists had, unfortunately, encountered the living world’s greatest swordsman. Thus, the supposed “immunity to swords and spears” became a mere joke.

“...” The gray-clad swordsman shook his head and gave a flick of his wrist, an apparently casual yet powerful movement that nearly bent the blade. With a swoosh, the blood and grime on the sword scattered cleanly away.

The grave-digging Daoist had just grabbed another handful of dried grass, but before he could even begin to grind it, his eyes widened in shock. He never imagined that his two puppets would be decapitated in an instant.

“You… Who are you?”

“I’m Shu Yifan.” The gray-clad swordsman bent down and picked up the iron mace.

“You’re Thunderstrike Sword, Shu Yifan!” The grave-digging Daoist’s expression showed recognition of the name. After a moment of stunned silence, he chuckled twice. “Hehe, who would have thought? The famed top swordsman of the land, serving as an attendant to a wandering Daoist from Yizhou—aren’t you worried it’ll be the talk of the jianghu?”

“...” Shu Yifan gave no answer, instantly hurling the iron mace.

This specially crafted iron mace, with its long handle, might not appear large, but it was solid iron through and through, weighing at least seven or eight jin. Yet in Shu Yifan’s hands, it felt as light as wood. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it toward the grave-digging Daoist, and only the heavy, whirring sound of the mace spinning through the air hinted at its true weight.

Though the grave-digging Daoist knew many spells, he lacked martial skills. Seeing the mace flying his way, he could only dive desperately to his left to avoid it.

Unbeknownst to him, in the pitch darkness of the night, he’d misjudged the trajectory. The mace was actually aimed precisely at his left. Had he stayed still, he might have avoided it. But by dodging, he’d unwittingly thrown himself directly into its path!

Ironically, it was he himself who had extinguished the candles by the grave, hoping to gain an advantage in the dark. Yet this very darkness became his doom.

Thud! A heavy, dull impact echoed.

It didn’t matter if it had been a bear or a tiger—even with skin and bones of steel, nothing could withstand a blow like this. The Daoist collapsed instantly, motionless.

The swordsman arrived almost at the same moment. His sword glinted with frost as he thrust it downward, yet instead of piercing flesh, it felt more like stabbing into wood.

He bent down, inspecting by starlight, only to find… It wasn’t a person at all! It was merely a wooden effigy, carved into human form. It was dressed in loose Daoist robes, covered in talismans, its waist smashed to bits by the mace.

Footsteps sounded from behind him. “Sir.”

The swordsman immediately turned.

Song You gestured with his hand, and a talisman floated up, landing in his palm. Examining it, he remarked calmly, “This one is cautious—he only sent a decoy.”

“No wonder he was so composed...” The swordsman nodded. “Did you know all along, sir?”

“I’m quite skilled in this as well.”

“His real body shouldn’t be far, should it?”

“Indeed, you have good instincts.”

“I will go find him at once!” The unparalleled swordsman, fearless and exuding the aura of a true hero, was ready to set out with his sword in hand to search for the Daoist in the dark.

“No need for that.” Song You stopped him, still examining the talisman in his hand as he spoke. “The mountains are dense, and visibility is low at night. Searching now would be too troublesome. Besides, there are other matters in the village, so there’s no rush.”

“Then...”

“As it happens, I haven't decided where to go next. In a couple of days, we can go track him down,” Song You said. “And in doing so, perhaps we’ll see if he truly has a lineage or if it was just nonsense. And, if he does, what that lineage might be.”

“Understood!” The swordsman nodded, planting his sword in the ground and then picking up the iron shovel nearby.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!