Unintended Immortality
Chapter 465: The People Thank the Immortal Master

Chapter 465: The People Thank the Immortal Master

At Jiagu Alley in the east of the city...

As soon as night fell, the ragged figure of a beggar emerged, moving about in the darkness. It wasn't just the strange places he appeared in—his behavior alone was enough to make him seem nothing like a normal person.

His entire body reeked of sour stench, as though he had been lurking among beggars for an unknown length of time. He staggered as he walked, dragging his feet along the ground—one foot clad in a tattered shoe, the other completely bare—moving like a wandering ghost.

Whenever someone passed by, he would twist his head abruptly to stare at them. If the person seemed to be suffering from stomach pain, he would try to sell them ointment. If they appeared normal, he would simply fix them with an unblinking gaze, his eyes sharp like an eagle’s, fierce like a wolf’s.

If no one was around, he would wander outside the homes of those who had used his ointment, sniffing the air like a dog.

In recent days, no one dared to go out at night in this neighborhood. Parents warned their children to return home early, cautioning them to steer clear of the strange beggar. Even gamblers and drunkards refrained from venturing out after dark.

Though there were no rumors of him actually harming anyone, his bizarre behavior alone was enough to terrify people.

Today, word spread that the Li family was organizing an effort to drive away the ghostly figure. They had gathered several brave fighters from the jianghu and even obtained a special “spiritual water” from a mysterious expert. The water was indeed effective—no matter how severe the stomach pain, even if it felt like one's insides were being twisted by knives, just a single sip of the water would bring immediate relief.

Upon hearing that the plan to exorcise the ghostly figure had come from an expert, those who had suffered from stomach pain gritted their teeth and rallied in support.

Even those who had been deceived into using the beggar’s ointment drank the spiritual water. Having lived in constant fear and unease for days, the moment someone took the lead, their terror now transformed into rage. Unlike those who had only suffered from stomach pain, these individuals were even more desperate to break free from the sinister influence. Their hatred burned fiercer.

Furthermore, many neighbors who had neither used the ointment nor suffered from stomach pain had also had enough of living in fear. Armed with wooden poles, kitchen knives, and hatchets, they joined in to bolster the effort.

With the addition of the martial artists hired by the Li family, their numbers swelled, and the force they gathered was no small one.

One family even had a member working at the yamen. Upon hearing the news, he called upon several fellow constables, personally leading them in organizing an ambush.

People were always like this—weak when alone, but strong in numbers.

An overwhelming crowd gathered, emboldening one another. By now, they weren’t just unafraid of one evil entity; even if several more appeared, they wouldn’t have backed down.

After a quick discussion, the crowd split into groups—some hid at the street corners, others concealed themselves at the ends of alleyways, some lay in wait inside their homes, while others crouched behind walls along the street. They even blocked all possible escape routes.

Everyone held their breath, waiting in absolute silence. Their hearts pounded—not with fear, but with exhilaration.

Many people couldn’t help but widen their eyes in shock, their pupils round. Some even trembled involuntarily, their hands and feet shaking.

At this moment, even if a ferocious tiger or a wicked dragon appeared, they would fight it head-on.

The man surnamed Li, though frail in stature, clutched a borrowed iron knife tightly in his hand. He looked around at the others beside him, knowing that countless like-minded individuals were also hiding in the darkness. A surge of heat rushed to his head, and he could feel his blood rushing through his veins like wild horses, unstoppable and fierce.

The only thing in his mind, besides the repeated simulation of how they would surround and capture the creature, was a single sentence spoken earlier by that young gentleman—words that had once seemed so light.

“This world belongs to humans, after all. Humans didn’t conquer the world simply by relying on celestial gods in heaven or Daoist cultivators on earth...”

At the time, the young gentleman had spoken these words so casually.

And at the time, whether they had believed it or not, most of those present had not felt its full weight. It was only now that the man surnamed Li truly understood—the force behind those words was immense!

Before he could dwell on it further, a sudden shout came from the front—

“It's here!” The voice was like a battle horn signaling the charge.

“Bang!!” A wooden door was suddenly flung open.

“Ahh!!”

No one had the time to think about anything else. A collective roar erupted, and they all surged forward.

The man surnamed Li was no exception—his mind blank except for one thought: Rush forward and capture it!

He ran with all his might, but he was slow. People brushed past him from both sides, and many more pushed from behind, propelling him forward.

Then, as they all charged past the courtyard gate—

In the dimly lit alley, the beggar stood in confusion. Something felt different tonight. But before he could react, he found himself completely surrounded.

Many had thought they would be afraid, but when they saw the crowd surging like a tide, they realized it was not themselves who were afraid—it was that sinister creature disguised as a beggar.

The thing was utterly terrified! It even forgot to run!

“Ahhh!!”

The crowd roared, their shouts fueled by fury. What had started as a mere attempt to bolster their courage had transformed into a tidal wave of sound, as vast and unstoppable as a raging river.

“Thud!” The first blow landed squarely on the creature’s head.

The beggar seemed to finally snap out of his daze and immediately struggled, pushing against the crowd in an attempt to escape.

“Thud! Thud! Thud...”

Wooden sticks and clubs continued to rain down on him.

The creature was unnaturally strong—just a single shove sent several people tumbling backward. Its skin was also incredibly tough. No one knew what lay beneath the tattered rags it wore, but every blow landed with a deep, muffled sound.

Yet, no matter how many people he pushed away, more surged forward to take their place.

They saw the beggar blowing air at them, but nothing seemed to come of it, nor did they feel any change in themselves. They merely paused for a moment in surprise, but it did not stop them from swinging their clubs.

“I have a knife! Let me through!”

The man surnamed Li forced his way to the front, raising the iron blade high.

What need was there for technique? All that mattered was putting all of his strength into the strike!

The only thing he worried about was accidentally killing the creature, so he aimed away from its head.

The iron knife came slashing down—

“Clang!” A sharp, metallic ring echoed through the alley.

Earlier, when wooden sticks had struck the creature, the sensation had been like hitting a tightly packed sack of rice. But when the iron blade struck, the sound and impact were entirely different. It felt as if he had struck solid stone. And not just any stone—an incredibly tough one.

The man surnamed Li felt a sudden numbness shoot up his arm.

However, that strike clearly wounded the beggar. He suddenly threw his head back and let out a bellowing howl, his voice like an ox’s cry. Immediately after, he went completely berserk, desperately trying to escape.

Despite the sheer number of people present, he still managed to break through their encirclement.

Fortunately, a few martial artists, whom he had hired, had been hiding in the shadows and observing the fight. Now that they saw the creature wasn’t as invincible as they had feared—that blades and swords could indeed wound it—they all rushed forward to block its path.

Another barrage of slashes and strikes followed.

“Clang! Clang! Clang...”

The narrow alley was filled with the ringing of metal.

Every sword, axe, and knife that struck the creature landed as if hitting solid stone. The blades of the knives and swords had become chipped, and something spattered beneath the beggar’s clothes, while the beggar howled in agony.

Despite his cries of pain, he fought back even harder, shoving people aside with immense force.

With a sudden leap, he grabbed onto the nearby courtyard wall and began scaling it with all his might.

“Grab him!”

Several townspeople and martial artists lunged forward, seizing his legs and trying to drag him back down. During the struggle, countless sticks and kitchen knives struck his body, causing black, unidentified fragments to flake off, clattering onto the ground.

At least four or five people clung to his legs, yet they still couldn’t pull him down. Instead, the creature continued climbing, dragging them along with him.

It wasn't until more and more people pulled him down, until his head passed over the courtyard wall and he saw a few more people on the other side waiting for him with clubs, that he was finally dragged back down.

But even on the ground, he was nearly impossible to restrain.

Seeing that the crazed creature was about to lash out violently at those around him, another voice suddenly rang out from behind, “Move aside! Make way!”

The crowd turned their heads. By the flickering torchlight, they saw a martial artist pushing his way forward, wielding a polished green-jade bamboo staff.

Without hesitation, he swung the staff down toward the head of the frenzied creature that, unable to escape, had begun to go berserk.

The bamboo staff gleamed under the firelight. The creature looked up—its eyes filled with terror. With a sudden burst of strength, it shoved everyone nearby, trying to break free.

But the staff was already coming down.

“Bang!” A crisp sound rang through the alley.

The evil being instantly collapsed to the ground, its body going completely limp. The martial artist holding the jade-green bamboo staff froze in surprise. The rest of the crowd, witnessing this sudden turn, also stood in stunned silence.

Someone stepped forward, lifting a torch to examine the fallen beggar. He was sprawled on the ground, his eyes still open, yet his body was utterly motionless.

“Bah! Foul creature!”

After a brief pause, someone finally spat and shouted, “Hurry up and lift the curse you placed on us!”

The creature said nothing. Immediately, someone struck him again with a wooden stick. The blow landed with a dull thud, much like hitting a tightly packed sack of rice.

The beggar blinked slowly, his expression like that of a dying beast. After enduring several more strikes, he finally spoke—but instead of answering, he countered with a question, “Hasn't it already been lifted?”

His words were clear, yet his accent was strange.

“Bah! You demon! You still dare to lie?”

“Undo it now!”

“Or we'll beat you to death right here!”

Another wave of blows rained down upon him.

Surprisingly, the beggar neither cried out nor showed signs of pain. Only when knives and hatchets struck him did his body tremble slightly, and he let out brief howls. Finally, after enduring a few more cuts, he could no longer bear it and grudgingly admitted, “Isn't it because an immortal has already dispelled my wondrous magic and divine powers that you dare to come after me? Otherwise, you all would have been blind by now...”

The crowd was momentarily stunned, still not fully comprehending his words.

Only a few among them—those who had gone to the Ye family residence to seek out that young gentleman—suddenly froze in realization. The martial artist who had wielded the bamboo staff also stared blankly at his weapon, his face filled with astonishment.

***

Inside the courtyard, lanterns flickered softly.

In these times, local tomatoes were small, yet their flavor was exceptionally rich. When simmered into a fish bone broth, the result was a fragrant, tangy soup with an appetizing aroma. The fish slices within were tender, springy, free of any fishy smell, and completely boneless.

Song You ate his meal with sour soup, scooping rice and enjoying fish slices. Occasionally, he would also pick some up for the backbone of his household.

Meanwhile, Lady Calico focused solely on her own dish—a plate of small stewed crucian carp with scallion. Judging by the pleased expression on her feline face, she seemed rather satisfied with her meal.

When the meal was finished, both human and cat sat contentedly. Even on an ordinary day, life should be lived with flavor and joy.

“I'm full.”

“I’m full too.”

“I'll clean up the dishes.”

“I'll do it!” Lady Calico said.

“But you still have to catch fish to sell and support the household. Then after coming home, you still have to do housework. Isn’t that too much for you?”

“I'll do it!”

“Well then, I’ll graciously accept your kindness.”

“Next time, cook dinner earlier. I still have to read after eating.” The little girl spoke while standing up and gathering the dishes. “Eating too late isn’t good. And at night, you’re basically blind.”

“I was delayed by something today.”

“What was it?”

“...”

The Daoist had yet to answer, and the girl had only just picked up the dishes when the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside.

The little girl immediately turned her head, eyes sharp with vigilance as she stared at the door.

“Knock, knock...”

A firm knock at the wooden door.

“...”

She glanced at the doorway, then at the Daoist, then quickly at the dishes in her arms. Instead of letting the Daoist open the door, she dutifully performed her role as a Daoist attendant. She set down the dishes and ran over.

With a creak, the wooden door swung open.

Outside, an uncountable number of lanterns and torches illuminated the night, casting a reddish glow on the little girl’s cautious and perplexed face.

Beyond the threshold stood a large crowd of Yangdu’s townspeople.

The moment the door opened, before they could even see who had answered, someone had already stepped forward, cupped their fists together, and bowed deeply.

“Thank you, Immortal Master...”

Lady Calico stood there, completely stunned.