Unintended Immortality

Chapter 80: Toasting to the East Wind at Dusk

The Mountain God’s expression gradually darkened.

It seemed as if he was increasingly uncomfortable, feeling a greater insult than before. His pretense of suave demeanor began to fade, replaced by visible anger.

“Rumble…” The great mountain suddenly started to shake.

“Hmph!” His voice changed, becoming as deep as the mountain itself, seeming to come from in front and from all directions.

Indeed, the Mountain God had a bad temper.

From afar, big rocks tumbled down from the mountain peak, carving a startling trail through the dense forest amidst the thunderous rumbling. On the mountainside, soil flowed downhill, and the road was severed.

This kind of spirit, naturally born from the great mountains, was truly incomparable to the Mountain God appointed by the imperial court or the Heavenly Palace. It embodied the very essence of these mountains, possessing an unparalleled power here.

One could only imagine the grandeur of a massive mountain—its base hidden beneath the clouds, its midsection shrouded within them, and its peak towering above, trembling in the distance. An earthquake would be nothing in comparison. And similar mountains spanned hundreds of li. When the Mountain God was enraged, a great catastrophe would befall.

The horses outside the pavilion were immediately startled, and the calico cat was also startled awake, poking its head out of the cloth pouch. She extended her claws and dug deeply into the fabric as she tried to steady herself amidst her trembling and fear, then she quickly jumped out and looked around for Song You.

“Mountain God, please calm down. This mountain belongs to you. What benefit is there in creating chaos and causing harm to the living? The mountain road has been here for years; it’s a pity to destroy it,” the Daoist priest spoke calmly. “If you wish to test the heir of the Hidden Dragon Temple further, you might choose a gentler approach.”

With that, the mountain’s trembling ceased.

However, large rocks continued to fall from the mountain peak. These immense rocks were gigantic, and they quickly assembled into a giant towering a hundred feet zhang, comparable to a mountain.

“Rumble…”

“Then I shall test the abilities of the Hidden Dragon Temple heir of the current generation.”

The Mountain God seemed to be sitting right in front of him while sipping tea, or perhaps He was now atop the giant rock, speaking in a voice that seemed to come from all around.

“How will you handle this?”

The rock giant took one step after another toward the pavilion. Each step caused the earth to shake and rumble.

The stones falling from the giant’s body were likely the size of the pavilion itself, and its feet and fists were many times larger than the pavilion.

One could only wonder who could withstand a stomp or a punch from such a being.

Yet, it did not rush to crush the mountain pavilion but approached slowly, as if waiting to see how the Daoist priest would cope.

The Mountain God’s gaze was fixed on the Daoist priest.

The Daoist priest responded unhurriedly, “Mountain God, you’re the spirit of the great mountain, and this incarnation has the weight of a mountain and the strength of ten thousand jun. Such power is beyond human capacity to stop.

“However, I have previously traveled the world and experienced Jingzhe, and I have gained some insights. Few cultivators practiced the Four Seasons Rotation Method, so I believe this thread of spiritual energy from Jingzhe might be of some interest to you.”

As he spoke, spiritual energy manifested in his hand.

This spiritual energy was a mix of white and blue as well as purple, resembling a streak of lightning on a rainy night.

He then pointed forward and used the strongest Jingzhe spiritual energy he had obtained since he started cultivating to activate his thunder technique.

Suddenly, a thunderbolt struck, with lightning exploding in the clear sky.

“Boom!”

The thunderbolt was so bright that it was blinding even in daylight. Though it lacked the true power of ten thousand jun, it was a grand celestial might that directly struck the giant’s head.

What Song You said was true—the giant was as large as a mountain, and mere human strength could not resist it. Water could not wash it away, nor could fire burn it.

However, the Mountain God was indeed a spirit of the mountain, and the giant was his incarnation. Spirits, whether living or malevolent, feared celestial might. Both Jingzhe spiritual energy and thunder were precisely effective against them. They combined, and the thunderbolt struck the giant, seemingly causing no damage. Yet, the giant instantly disintegrated, crushing half the mountain.

“Cough, cough!” Even the Mountain God in the pavilion could not help but cough. Then, he waved his hand, causing the giant rocks to tremble again.

“Rumble…” At that moment, a cat rushed into the pavilion in a panic. “Daoist priest, hurry up and run!”

As soon as the calico cat spoke, it looked up and saw a stranger. It froze for a moment, instinctively moving closer to Song You, staring up at the Mountain God in silence.

The pavilion suddenly fell silent.

The mountain also quieted down, and the giant rocks ceased their movement. The Mountain God and the Daoist priest both turned their attention to the cat.

“Daoist priest…” The calico cat was uneasy.

In the next moment, however, the two of them took up their cups and resumed drinking tea as if nothing had happened.

“...?” The calico cat was stunned by the sight.

The Mountain God set down his teacup, his face slightly pale. “You indeed deserve your reputation, heir of Hidden Dragon Temple.”

“Apologies.”

“I have old ties with your master’s master, so I will stop my testing here!”

“Do you really have ties with my master’s master?” Song You also set down his teacup. “I have only heard that you once had some sparring sessions with my master’s master.”

“Indeed, we fought. But, having ties and sparring are not mutually exclusive.”

“Since that is the case, I also got to know you in the same manner today.” Song You glanced at the cat beside him. “I did not come alone, so please add another cup of tea.”

“…” The Mountain God waved his hand, and an empty cup appeared on the table. Water flowed from the air, filling the cup with tea.

“Lady Calico, please have some tea,” Song You said to the calico cat.

The calico cat, with uncertain eyes, glanced between Song You and the Mountain God. Feeling that the person was not easy to deal with, she hesitated before jumping onto the stone table.

She leaned close to the teacup and dipped its tongue in for a taste.

“Ptooey!” It was bitter and astringent! The calico cat squinted, shaking its head, and quickly retreated.

The Mountain God remained silent, turning his gaze away from the cat and looking at Song You. “It seems I underestimated you earlier.”

“I’m merely somewhat talented.”

“Still being modest?”

“You flatter me. But mortals are ultimately mortals, and so are cultivators. Even with the favor of the heavens and great talent, mortals only live for a hundred years or so.” Song You shook his head. “My master’s master was also a prodigy of his time. Yet now, while you still sit here drinking tea, he has turned into a mound of yellow earth.”

“Eternal life is increasingly hard to obtain.”

“Yes, so those with eternal life like you are truly remarkable. Compared to your evergreen presence, we are but fleeting flowers.”

“There are no eternal things.”

“Does that mean you also can’t live forever?”

“Speaking of it, my consciousness has only existed for a little over a thousand years. If one day I ‘grow tired,’ I might just fall asleep. Or perhaps the gods of the Heavenly Palace might get annoyed with me one day and decide to take me away.”

“I thought the Mountain God would be more enduring than the mountains and rivers.”

“I am the mountain, yet not quite.”

“…” Song You fell silent.

The atmosphere had unconsciously eased a bit.

Song You rarely encountered such a remarkable being, and the Mountain God rarely met someone who was qualified to converse with him. With the Mountain God’s previous ties with Song You’s master’s master, neither seemed to mind the earlier minor clash.

They sat in the pavilion, enjoying the breeze, discussing various topics. They chatted about everything, from the heavens and the earth to the Heavenly Dao, from the current dynasty to the previous one, from the Mountain God's acquaintance with the grandmaster to the first grandmaster of the Hidden Dragon Temple, whom neither of them had met.

They discussed topics ranging from the Five Elements Methods to the Four Seasons Rotation Method, and from the Mountain God to the method of becoming a god through incense offerings that was gaining popularity, the Heavenly Palace, and the Buddhist kingdoms. The entire conversation was relaxed and casual, free from any mundane or trivial matters.

Anyone witnessing this would find it hard to imagine that these two had just caused the earth and mountain to shake with their conflict. Cultivators were like that.

The mountain wind blew from nowhere, brushing past the outstretched pine branches. It was hard to tell whether it filled the pavilion or just passed through. Regardless, it did not cease. The sun was also setting further west.

The Mountain God glanced at the horizon. “It’s getting late.”

“The sun has not yet set.”

“You don’t know that a few li ahead, and to the right up the mountain, there is a grove of lily magnolias in full bloom. I came here and waited for you to remind you to go see them.” The Mountain God paused.

He added, “That magnolia tree was the first one planted by your master’s master back in the day. Over time, more trees grew over the whole mountain, and now the entire mountain is covered in the same color when it blooms. These days, it’s at its peak—today is the best time to enjoy the lily magnolias. If you hurry, you can still catch it.”

“Is that so?” Song You had no intention of staying any longer, quickly rising and saying respectfully, “Then I must bid you farewell. Thank you for the tea, the conversation, and the reminder. As for the earlier words of offense, I apologize. Please overlook them and forget them completely.”

“I enjoyed conversing with you. No need to say more.” The Mountain God shook his head, saying to the Daoist priest, “After all, I was the one who was rude first.”

“Even so, last night you refrained from disturbing my meeting with that ghost. Today, you set up a pavilion, personally making a good cup of tea for me to rest and quench my thirst. Both gestures of goodwill are genuine. My earlier words of offense were somewhat inappropriate.”

Song You lowered his head and looked at the tea on the table, smiling. “Speaking of which, pardon me for being rude again. It’s just that you’re a spirit nurtured by heaven and earth, pure and pristine. In this great mountain, you possess boundless power. Even the gods of the Heavenly Palace likely pale in comparison to your strength. By all rights, you should not be constrained by anything.

“So why force yourself to learn the complexities of human behavior? Wouldn’t it be just as good to connect heart to heart in this way?”

The Mountain God furrowed his brow but remained silent.

Song You smiled and cupped his hand again. “Decades or centuries later, when descendants of Hidden Dragon Temple pass through here, you should make it a bit more challenging if you wish to test them again.” With that, he smiled and stepped out of the pavilion.

The mountain wind swirled, and the mountain mist flowed. The pines and cypresses on the nearby mountain seemed to be waving gently.

Looking back, the pavilion had disappeared silently. The welcoming pine with its poetic essence was gone. The mountain slopes and paths previously damaged by the enraged Mountain God had miraculously returned to their original state. Everything seemed like a dream.

“Let’s go,” Song You said to the calico cat, leading the way further.

“Daoist priest!”

“Hmm?”

“Who was that?”

“The Mountain God.”

“It’s the Mountain God…”

Song You said, “Yes, but not an ordinary Mountain God. He’s a spirit born from this great mountain, a spiritual resonance of the mountains.”

“Is he powerful or not?”

“Very powerful.”

“And the water?”

“What water?”

“The water in the cup.”

“That’s tea.”

“Is it poisonous?”

“No.”

The cat grimaced. “It tastes bad!”

“Indeed.”

The large and small figures of Song You and the cat gradually walked away, with the horse obediently following behind them. Despite being terrified by the recent upheaval, it had not run off on its own.

A few li ahead, a giant rock blocked the path. Yet, a small path appeared beside it.

Upon seeing this, Song You realized what it meant and turned right then ascended the mountain, following the new path that appeared out of nowhere.

Halfway up the mountain, he saw the entire hillside covered in lily magnolias.

Lily magnolias were also known as Mulan magnolias, woody-orchids or purple magnolias. Despite the name ‘purple magnolia’, they were pink.

The most prominent feature of lily magnolias was their intense pink, even more vivid than most pink flowers. When blooming, the leaves hadn’t yet fully grown, and the branches were covered in flowers, turning the entire tree into a pink mass. At a glance, it seems to be a color artificially mixed, giving a dreamy and almost unreal appearance.

If the entire mountain were covered with such flowers, when the sunlight shone on them, each tree's pink blossoms would vary in shade—darker ones leaning toward red, lighter ones toward white. This entire scene on the mountain could only be described as 'dreamlike.' Yet, these blossoms were all naturally grown in the human world.

Song You gazed up at this sight for a long time before retracting his gaze and continuing up the mountain along the small path, entering the grove.

At this moment, the flowers were now overhead.

Lily magnolias were not herbaceous or shrubs but on tall trees. Despite the dense forest, the flowers were out of reach. Even the lower half of the trees had no extra branches, leaving people to walk through the bare tree trunks. Yet, if you looked up, the pink blossoms filled the blue sky.

The entire mountain was flooded by a sea of pink.

“Daoist priest, where is this?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are we staying here today?”

“Maybe.”

A winding path meandered through the grassy forest.

Song You walked casually with no particular destination, simply strolling in the mountain and admiring the flowers over his head.

It was hard to imagine that this breathtakingly gorgeous spring scene originated from a single lily magnolia planted by his master’s master many years ago. Some seemingly ordinary things could turn out to be extraordinarily beautiful upon reflection.

What was even more wonderful was that, upon pondering this, walking through the flowers again made him feel as if he was having a fleeting encounter with his master’s master from a century ago.

Thank you, Mountain God. Thank you, Grandmaster.

It was a pity that such beauty was fleeting. This flower only bloomed for a few days each year. Each additional moment spent here, the dusk wind continuously stripped away its petals, causing them to fall like a pink rain when the wind was strong.

How he wished to advise the east wind to take its time.