Unintended Immortality

The early morning world was so quiet.

Drizzle accumulated downwards along the slope of the roof tiles and then dripped down from the eaves. It seemed as if one could hear the sound of its splashing. The bluestone slabs at the doorway have long been washed clean, with a row of shallow pits formed by the dripping water, revealing the purest original color of the bluestone slabs. If you didn't look closely, you might think the rain had stopped.

Song You finally opened his eyes.

The swordsman in the room was still sitting against the wall, his legs stretched out, his long sword casually placed across them, appearing to be in a very comfortable position. His eyes were still open, and looking in Song You's direction. His eyes were bloodshot with fine blood vessels visible. He seemed to have been awake all night, yet he seemed full of energy.

Seeing Song You awake, he lowered his gaze, and glanced at his legs. He asked, “Sir, after sitting cross-legged all night, aren't your legs sore?”

“They are.” Song You answered very straightforwardly.

This somewhat surprised the swordsman.

He had expected, if not a denial, at least a vague answer like “I'm used to it,” but he hadn't anticipated such directness.

“You often sit cross-legged, how come you haven't gotten used to it?”

“Occasionally?”

“Yes.”

“When do you sit cross-legged?”

“When it's time to sit cross-legged.”

The swordsman asked no more, and just stood up. He cradled his sword, and bowed, his attitude somewhat changed from the previous night, “You are a master, and I am truly fortunate to be able to meet you here. I should have left at dawn, but after thinking it over, I decided I should bid you farewell.”

“You flatter me.” Song You said calmly, “Meeting by chance is fate. Meeting you last night, I was stunned by your grace. Wasn’t it also fortunate for me?”

“Why don't you refer to yourself as ‘poor Daoist’[1]?”

“It's a habit...” Song You answered honestly, then looked at the young swordsman with interest. “You are not a man of few words, so why did you intentionally act cold yesterday?”

“If I was remiss, please forgive me.”

“You have something on your mind.”

“It’s not worth mentioning.”

“If you’re troubled by worry, it would naturally become shackles. Maturing too early isn't necessarily a good thing.” Song You said, “Besides the one in the coffin, who better to confide in than a Daoist priest you met by chance in the mountains?” ŔÂ₦ÒBÊṤ

The swordsman hesitated for a moment, then cupped his fist again. “May I ask for your name?”

“My name is Song You, and my style name is Menglai. I am a hermit from Lingquan County, Yizhou, and I don’t have a Daoist name yet.”

“Why did you descend the mountain?”

“To travel the world.”

“Traveling in the jianghu, where are you heading?”

“First to Pingzhou, then to the capital.”

“I am Shu Yifan, pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

The young swordsman sat down again, his long sword still across his knees, his back bolt upright.

The two of them stared at each other.

“I have been holding back something for twenty years. Now, the time to resolve it is near, but unexpectedly the closer it gets, the more it feels like a fish bone stuck in my throat. My heart is confused and I fear failure, as if I am plagued by a terrible illness.” The swordsman showed a pained expression, starkly different from his carefree demeanor of the previous night, “At this rate, I fear I will indeed fail.”

Then he looked at Song You. “But in these twenty years, I have never spoken of this to anyone.”

“I am but a mountain recluse who is traveling the world, observing it, while cultivating my skills and my heart.” Song You understood what he meant and said, “Let me hear your story, and it will be my experience for today.”

“Do you know of a renowned jianghu figure from Zhaozhou named Lin Dehai? Jianghu people call him ‘Severing Mountain Saber’ and he is the head of the largest sect in Zhaozhou, the Hanjiang Sect. He is also the foremost martial artist in Zhaozhou. With his ‘Cold Iron Ghost-Headed Saber’, he dominated the whole jianghu of Great Yan, having fought to a draw only three times and never suffering a defeat. After returning to Zhaozhou, he claimed to be the greatest saber-wielder in the world. Though there were dissenting voices, no one dared to challenge him.”

The swordsman spoke as if he were talking about someone he knew extremely well. With each sentence, the furrows in his brow eased a little. “His saber technique is swift and fierce, wide-ranging. Once he started fighting, he was like a storm, never conceding defeat. He, like his saber, is arrogant but also bold, proud and generous. He is an exceptional saber master. Countless jianghu people revere him as a hero and idolize him in their hearts.”

“Zhaozhou is too far, besides I don’t understand jianghu affairs either.” Song You replied.

“If you don’t understand jianghu affairs, surely you have heard of jianghu grudges?” The swordsman shook his head, “It’s always about who killed whom, who held a grudge against whom. There are countless such stories, true or false, yet jianghu people love to hear and circulate them the most.”

“I have heard storytellers speak of such things.”

“Twenty years ago, Lin Dehai had a feud with my father. After several failed attempts to resolve it, one night he got drunk. He wielded his ‘Cold Iron Saber’, and killed my entire family while I watched from the side.”

The swordsman's gaze grew unexpectedly calm, even smiling slightly as he recounted this, “Such things are often heard of in stories, but in the real jianghu, few people could be truly vicious and merciless to such an extent. It shocked the entire jianghu back then.”

“How did you escape?”

“Escape? Hah...”

“Didn't you?”

“No.”

The young swordsman's eyes couldn’t help narrowing slightly, as if lost in memories. “Lin Dehai was an exceptional saber master, who bragged that no one in the world was his match. He was full of pride, and even more arrogant after drinking. How could he kill a child?”

“He spared you?”

“I stood right at the side...” The young swordsman shook his head with a smile, “Not only did he spare me, after the slaughter, he even told me his name was Lin Dehai from Hanjiang Sect in Zhaozhou. He told me to learn martial arts properly and that it was best that I seek him out for revenge when I grew up. Do you think he was very foolish?”

“Perhaps he had other reasons.”

“In the twenty years that followed, I often heard of his deeds and dreamed of him frequently.” The young swordsman threw his head back and laughed, “Haha! In my view, his saber is indeed unmatched, and few in this world are more worthy of being called a jianghu hero than him!”

“So you’re going for revenge?”

“Exactly.”

“What do you think your chances of winning are?”

“Although I'm young, I train hard every day. My daily hard effort surpasses others’ two days of training, and the amount of time I’ve spent practicing the sword is not less than that of most jianghu seniors.” The young swordsman spoke calmly and rationally.

“At this Great Liujiang Gathering, almost all the jianghu sects from across the land had come, except for those from the far northwest and northeast. Most skilled jianghu fighters had come. I've shamelessly challenged and observed quite a few on the Swallow Immortal Terrace. In my view, there are only a few who can match my sword in this jianghu.”

“You are indeed an exceptional swordsman.”

“However, the Hanjiang Sect has many disciples, including numerous skilled jianghu fighters. If it was just Lin Dehai alone...” The swordsman shook his head and smiled. “If I say I have a seventy percent chance of winning, other people would certainly not believe me.”

Song You nodded, choosing to believe him.

The swordsman in front of him was no dabbler. On the contrary, he had defeated innumerable masters at the Great Liujiang Gathering, including both young talents and experienced veterans. No matter how you looked at it, he had already reached the pinnacle of martial arts, and was a master in his field.

Moreover, seeking revenge was not something to be taken lightly. It must be given extra attention, with thorough investigation and careful calculation. Not only should one avoid arrogance, but the cautious should also leave some leeway.

He clearly knew Lin Dehai's skills, regarded him as the greatest saber-wielder in the world, and yet dared to claim a seventy percent chance of winning. This should be seen as a rational assessment.

The swordsman then shook his head again, “But to take an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, is incredibly difficult.”

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Song You repeated the phrase in his mind, sensing a strong smell of blood from this seemingly ordinary statement.

“I only have a ten percent chance of winning.”

As the swordsman said this, he was already standing up with his sword, seemingly preparing to leave. He asked Song You one last question, “Since you are a master, do you think there are such things as reincarnation and retribution in this world?”

“What are reincarnation and retribution?”

“Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds are punished.”

“What do you want to ask?”

“I want to...” The swordsman turned his head to look at the sky outside, momentarily puzzled. “I don't know either...”

“I have not seen reincarnation, but I have seen retribution a few times. However, I also felt they seemed more like coincidences.”

“So they don't exist.”

“Not quite.”

“How so?”

“Doing good and accumulating virtue may not guarantee karmic rewards in the next life. Even if there are rewards, how much would they relate to you in this life? Conducting oneself with integrity might not necessarily grant you a noble spirit, and even if it does, it might not elevate you above others at a glance.

“However, doing good can bring you inner joy, a kind of extremely pure joy that leaves you with no guilt or debts, allowing your heart to be at ease and your thoughts to be naturally clear. Thus, you won't fear ghosts knocking at your door in the middle of the night. Even if you occasionally feel depressed, it will naturally dissipate.”

Song You stared at him and continued, “You must understand that it is easy to do evil but difficult to do good. The hearts of those who do evil are often not as strong as those who do good.”

The swordsman stood still, slowly pondering.

“Thank you for your guidance, sir.”

“Everyone knows how to say such things.”

“Having spoken about my worry, I feel much relieved.” The young swordsman cupped his hands at him. “But this story is really common in the jianghu, you might have found it boring to listen to.”

“Not at all.”

“In any case, thank you, sir. I must take my leave now. If you feel a connection with me, wish me luck in returning alive.”

“Take care.” Song You only said this one sentence.

Though he didn't know Lin Dehai, he had also just met this young swordsman. Neither knew the other well. He was merely a listener, and so it was best he remained just that.

Perhaps it would become another major affair in the jianghu?

Witnessing it firsthand would also be quite worthy of sighing over.

The swordsman didn't mind either. He carried his traveling bag, and stepped over the threshold.

However, after taking one step, he stopped and looked back, glancing at the fire inside and then at the firewood in the corner of the room, “Did you use the firewood inside for your fire last night?”

“Since I took the firewood, I should replenish it. You go ahead.”

“Very well!”

The swordsman then went to get his horse from under the eaves, saying without looking back, “Lin Dehai was obsessed with martial arts all his life, never married, and has only one son, whom he brought back from outside. This matter has nothing to do with you.”

Song You was momentarily stunned, then shook his head.

That was not really necessary.

The swordsman left very quickly, leaving behind only his worry and the exceptional grace of cutting down a ghost in the night.

“Jianghu affairs...”

Song You muttered, shaking his head. He was in no hurry to leave either. He unhurriedly took out yellow paper and red cinnabar from the bedding bag. He drew a new talisman, and replaced one on the door of this mortuary with it. He waited until the rain stopped outside, and looked at the pile of remaining firewood at the base of the room wall. Then he got up and prepared to go out.

“Where are you going, Daoist priest?”

“To gather some firewood to dry in the shade.”

“Don't go!”

“Why not?”

The calico cat hurriedly crawled out, looking up at him, “Since I took the firewood, I should replenish it!”

She sounded just like him earlier.

“Then you go.” Song You smiled, sat down again, rekindled the fire, and prepared to boil some water.

After waiting for the little girl to run out and back several times, replenishing fully the firewood used for the fire last night and that morning, Song You just finished his meal with the hot water. Finally, he packed his belongings, and waited for the swallow to explore the road ahead and return to tell him about the villages, cities, and scenery ahead. Then he left with his horse.

He was actually going in the same direction as the young swordsman.

Just that one was in front, and one behind. One walked hurriedly, entering a dream with a sword in the fine rain while the other took his time, walking slowly in straw sandals, observing the common people.

Behind the mortuary, mountain birds chirped, their calls clear and pure without a hint of noise. Hoof-beats echoed on the bluestone slabs, faintly resonating, making the post-rain world even more quiet in contrast.

By the reckoning of time, it was nearly the middle third of the second month, halfway through spring.

1. Self-deprecating form of “I” used by Daoist priests. ☜

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