Unintended Immortality

“Immortal Master, please don’t frighten me.” The old Land God breathed a sigh of relief and changed the subject. “That rat demon may have cultivated for a few centuries, but it’s not particularly powerful. If you intend to exorcize it, the hardest part will be finding its hiding place.”

“And what is the origin of this rat demon?”

“To answer, Immortal Master, that rat demon has actually been in Lanmo County for at least a hundred years. It was quite well-behaved before, and its cultivation progressed slowly. But ever since the upheaval in the north, many demons and spirits have emerged. With so many refugees and countless dead, the chaos gave rise to numerous powerful demons, and that’s how this rat demon gained strength.”

“So, it seems the rumors aren’t entirely true.”

“The rumors may be exaggerated, but I have indeed heard that many demons in Hezhou came down from the north.”

“Thank you, Land God.” Song You sincerely bowed in gratitude and asked no more. “Without your guidance, I wouldn’t have uncovered any of this no matter how long I searched.”

“I only hope this has been of some assistance to you, Immortal Master,” the Land God replied, bowing even more respectfully. “Exorcizing this rat demon would be a great blessing to the people of Lanmo County.”

“I will do my best.”

“I will take my leave.”

With a quiet puff, the aged Land God transformed into a wisp of blue smoke, which drifted silently above the small shrine and dissipated.

The sky was growing darker by the moment. Song You glanced at the main temple ahead, but with no intention of entering, he turned to leave.

“So that’s what a Land God looks like.” The swordsman chuckled, leading his horse alongside him. “I always thought they’d be short, like how storytellers and opera actors depict them.”

“Land Gods vary by region, each unique to their area. They’re usually former elders of virtue, so they don’t all look the same,” Song You replied with a smile. “This one even looked kindly. I’ve seen young men and women as Land Gods elsewhere, and even children.”

“Children?”

“Every one of them has a story, of course.”

If Heroine Wu had been here, she’d have pestered Song You for a tale. But Shu Yifan merely nodded and laughed, saying, “I thought my travels across the land had given me a fair share of encounters with demons and spirits, but following you, Master, has indeed broadened my knowledge.”

“It’s simply a different perspective.” Song You shook his head, then turned to the side, looking down at the cheerful calico cat trotting alongside. He asked, “Lady Calico, do you think you can find that rat demon’s lair?”

“I will sniff it out step by step.”

“Quite confident, aren’t we?”

“It’s just a rat!”

“Then we’ll be counting on you,” Song You replied. “If you catch this rat, the entire population of Lanmo County will be forever grateful to Lady Calico.”

“...!” The calico cat’s expression sharpened, her pace quickening. “Alright!”

Song You also had full confidence in her abilities. After all, everything in nature had its counterbalance.

Though Lady Calico was young, innocent, and somewhat naive, she was extraordinarily gifted. When she first gained enlightenment and became a deity fueled by incense offerings, it had taken her only a short time—a feat unimaginable for most other creatures, who might take decades of cultivation in Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands[1] to attain such enlightenment.

Lady Calico also possessed two remarkable abilities. Firstly, she was an expert at catching rats, a skill that elevated her status as a deity. Secondly, her hunting instinct was such that while she might not recognize most demons, anything she had eaten once was unmistakable to her on sight.

With her level of cultivation, handling a rat demon with a few centuries of cultivation would likely be challenging. However, simply locating it shouldn’t be too difficult.

The twilight cast long shadows, leaving the street empty and silent. Doors on both sides were tightly shut, with not even a soul sitting outside to cool off or chat.

Song You glanced back at the temple behind him, pondering for a moment before addressing Lady Calico. “Going from place to place looking for it would be too troublesome. We should think of a way to save you some effort.”

“Think of a way!”

“Do you have any clever ideas?”

“To save me some effort!”

“Ah, I see.” Song You nodded. “I’ve heard that this rat demon holds deep grudges and is intensely vengeful. In this area, any act of hitting, harming, or catching rats is seen as an offense against him. In the past, several accomplished cultivators came here to try to exorcize him but met their end in swarms of rats. Only when Thunder God descends or Lady Willow Immortal appears does the demon retreat and hide.”

“Meow?”

“To summon rat swarms to attack cultivators, the rat demon must be nearby, even if he isn’t directly among the swarm. He probably has a subordinate close by controlling them,” Song You explained. “The Heavenly Palace’s Thunder Gods couldn’t locate the rat demon because it’s not their area of expertise. But if there’s any deity who excels at hunting rats, Lady Calico must be the finest in the land.”

“I’m the Cat God!”

“Indeed!”

“You lure it out, I will hide. And when it shows up, I will spot it immediately!”

“A brilliant plan, Lady Calico!” Song You’s voice echoed down the dark, empty street.

The swordsman holding the reins of his horse spoke up, “For one so young, Lady Calico is remarkably clever—I’m thoroughly impressed.”

The two exchanged a knowing smile.

Lady Calico turned her head to look at them curiously, seeming deep in thought. After a moment, she gave her round little head a shake and continued walking forward.

Without further delay, they headed straight out of town.

As they reached the city gate, night had just fallen, and the old guard was preparing to close up. The swordsman stepped forward to stop him, asking him to wait a moment.

The old guard looked at them, bewildered. Since the rat demon began wreaking havoc outside the city, he hadn’t seen anyone brave enough to venture out at night. He wanted to offer some words of caution, but the swordsman strode forward with purpose, followed by a young girl carrying a small horse-shaped lantern.

She muttered softly to herself, then blew on it, causing the lantern to light up out of nowhere. Behind her was a young Daoist in a robe and a jujube-red horse with no reins or saddle. It was such an unusual sight that the old guard stood frozen in place, simply watching them in silence.

“Thank you.” As the Daoist stepped out of the city, he turned and offered the guard a smile.

Outside, darkness had fallen completely, and only the soft clatter of hooves could be heard as the glow of the lantern slowly receded into the distance.

“Creak...”

“Bang!”

The city gate shut firmly behind them.

***

The night grew deeper. The northern night wind was fierce, whistling through the mountains with a chilling wail, numbing the skin of anyone it touched.

The rats here were also unusual. Even the smaller ones were as large as half-grown cats, and the larger ones nearly rivaled the size of full-grown cats.

By now, however, the swordsman’s sword was stained with blood. Numerous rats lay scattered around, severed and sprawled in disarray. Many were charred, reduced to blackened remains, as the mixed scents of blood, burning fur, and the musky odor of rats were carried off by the night wind. In the distance, shadows began to gather in the darkness, stirring restlessly.

The act of vengeance had been underway for a while. The rats here seemed smarter, more unified, and more aggressive than ordinary rats. When the group arrived, the swordsman had only cut down a few rats before the swarm retaliated.

And the numbers kept growing.

Soon, it seemed the rats had realized that these newcomers were not like the previous intruders who accidentally harmed them but rather skilled individuals intentionally seeking to exorcize the demon. Thus, they gathered in a formidable horde, ready for battle.

A shrill voice echoed from the night sky, “Who are these Daoists and jianghu folks, daring enough to harm my kin in this place?”

The voice was sharp and high-pitched, its source indiscernible in the darkness. In the blackness, countless rats swarmed everywhere; even an heir of Hidden Dragon Temple would struggle to locate the source.

“Swish...”

The mountain grasses trembled as if blown by a gust, thick with the mass of rats surging toward them.

Suddenly, from the pack on the jujube-red horse’s back, a small head popped out. Stretching her neck long, Lady Calico scanned her surroundings and, with a single glance, spotted the odd rat among the countless others.

“Over there!” Lady Calico crawled out of the pack, standing on the horse’s back, her gaze locked in one direction.

“I’ve spotted him!” After saying this, she leapt gracefully down, her movements agile and elegant.

The mountain grass was thick, trampled under the torrent of rushing rats. Yet Lady Calico was utterly fearless, charging forward against the tide with astonishing speed, like a small tiger.

“Oh no...” A faint voice echoed from a distance—it was the rat demon’s voice.

Though he had cultivated for centuries, a rat’s instinctive fear of cats remained. If he truly possessed a few hundred years of cultivation, Lady Calico might not easily be able to harm him.

However, his cautious nature, combined with Lady Calico’s exceptional presence—even though she no longer served as the Cat God, her divine aura lingered—caused him to sense danger. Seeing her relentless pursuit, the rat demon immediately understood something was wrong.

Without hesitation, he turned tail and fled.

It was unclear whether the swarm of rats dispersed because they lost his control, were frightened by Lady Calico in his absence, or if he had specifically ordered them to scatter. Regardless, as he turned to leave, the once surging tide of rats—seemingly capable of overwhelming everything—immediately scattered in all directions.

The rats fled in a chaotic rush, causing significant trouble for those pursuing them.

Lady Calico dashed like the wind, hot on his trail. The rat was swift, but so was the cat.

This rat looked identical to the others, with nothing distinguishing about his size or appearance. Even a Thunder Division god specializing in exorcism would struggle to pick him out at a glance. Throughout his escape, other common rats darted around him, deliberately adding to the confusion. Yet no matter what, the calico cat remained fixed on him as if recognizing him instinctively, pursuing him without pause.

“Fwoosh...”

The rat demon glanced back and summoned a gust of eerie wind. The wind swept through, slicing the grass into thin strands.

The rat dove headfirst into a horde of other rats. Lady Calico deftly dodged the gust, her gaze never wavering from him.

The rat demon would occasionally look back, releasing another blast of eerie wind, or commanding other rats to lunge at her one after another. Yet each attack was effortlessly dodged by the cat.

In desperation, the rat demon spotted a hole in the ground and quickly burrowed into it.

“Thud!”

Almost instantly, Lady Calico pounced at the hole and attempted to squeeze in after him. Clods of dirt flew everywhere.

However, her body was ultimately larger than a rat’s, making it difficult for her to follow. Despite her efforts, she only managed to get a short distance into the tunnel, and in the pitch-black depths, the rat demon she had been pursuing had already vanished without a trace.

Lady Calico had no choice but to back out of the hole. She looked back over her shoulder—

The swordsman arrived on horseback, with the Daoist close behind.

“That rat was fast—faster than any I’ve chased before! It’s already burrowed inside!”

“It’s fine...” The Daoist, calm and unhurried, spoke softly as he formed a hand seal and pressed it downward toward the ground. Several streaks of light shot downward, sinking into the ground.

Suddenly, there was a thunderous crash. The hillside shook, and the earth caved in. The swordsman’s black horse nearly lost its footing, and even Lady Calico crouched low to steady herself, turning her head in awe to look at the Daoist.

The Daoist formed another hand seal and pressed it downward once more. Another beam of light descended, transforming into a yellow glow that spread across the hillside and ground like rippling waves.

This simple yet powerful technique shook the mountain and was specifically designed to counter the Earth-Burrowing Method. No matter how extensively the rats had tunneled through the hillside, it all collapsed in an instant. Then, with a touch, the Daoist turned the ground as hard as steel, rendering the soil as solid as iron and stone to prevent the rat demon from digging an escape.

The rat demon was now trapped with no way out.

1. The “Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands” is a unique concept of sacred space in China and even in East Asia, combining beautiful natural scenery, rich historical heritage, and diverse cultural heritage. ☜