Chapter 437: A Good Immortal is One Who Can Save the People

As the autumn equinox approached, they were likely nearing Yangzhou.

Song You had been traveling eastward along the coastline, not only to enjoy the view but also to let Lady Calico play by the sea and feast on fresh seafood.

However, this journey had taken them through rather desolate lands. Aside from the abundance of seafood, the coastal region was barren, lacking much else. And no matter how delicious something was, eating too much of it in a short span would inevitably grow dull.

Even though Song You carried an ample supply of spices and possessed extensive culinary knowledge, allowing him to prepare meals with great variety, he still longed for beef, lamb, and pork—craving dishes rich in the smoky, oily flavors of home-style cooking to add some diversity to their diet.

Yet Lady Calico was thoroughly enjoying herself by the seaside. Song You reasoned that their journey through the inland regions would be long, whereas opportunities to travel along the coast were rare. So, for now, he continued following the shoreline.

But eventually, that path was no longer an option.

It wasn't that they had reached the end of the eastward route, but rather that while the coastline continued, the terrain had changed. The beaches gradually disappeared, replaced by mountains, forests, and sheer cliffs.

Even when they did come across a patch of shoreline, there were no longer any villages, county towns, or official roads. Inevitably, Song You had to turn northward, heading into the mountains of the interior.

As they traveled further inland, the villages and towns they passed grew more prosperous. More people spoke the official dialect, while the use of local vernaculars dwindled.

Song You knew then—they were nearing Yangzhou.

At the moment, he wasn’t sure which mountain they were on, only that there were many villages scattered below. The houses, nestled among the mountains, were built in clusters with white walls and dark gray tiles, stretching in neat yet varied rows.

When Song You reached the mountainside and looked down at the scenery, he couldn't help but pause and rest for a while. Now that he had reached the mountaintop, the air had grown considerably chillier.

Leaning on his bamboo staff, the Daoist priest walked on at a leisurely pace.

Suddenly, he noticed a crop he had never seen before growing along the roadside.

This plant stood taller than a man, each stalk growing straight and firm, about as thick as a bamboo cane. At first glance, it resembled sorghum. The entire plant, from stalk to leaves, had turned a dry yellow.

Large fruits were wrapped in withered leaves, hanging from the stalks—some as thick as a person's arm. At the very top, blackened, scorched-looking tassels sprouted from the plants.The plants grew densely, obscuring the view.

“Sir...” The swallow was the first to sense that something was off and turned to look at him. At that moment, a strange light flickered in Song You’s dark, glossy eyes.

“I see it.” His gaze shifted to the nearby field, and for a long while, he couldn’t look away.

He had long known that the old Swallow Immortal had sought divine merit, sending his entire clan’s younger generation overseas to retrieve superior seeds—seeds that were now beginning to bless the world. But this was the first time in his life that he had ever seen a cornfield.

“Swallow Rice...”

Ah, yes. It had been renamed. It was named after the swallow.

Like the swallow, Song You turned his head, eyes lingering on the sight for a long time, though his steps did not halt.

His horse followed along beside him. The sound of bells echoed through the vast cornfield.

Suddenly, an empty clearing appeared by the roadside.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“...”

Song You stopped in his tracks. After a moment of thought, he looked up at the sky. “It seems to be midday already. Let’s rest here for a bit and cook a meal.”

Naturally, no one objected. The cat also stopped in her tracks.

Yet, something felt strange to her—

Whenever the Daoist took a break to cook a meal on the road, he would either choose a spot with a broad, scenic view to enjoy the landscape or find a place that provided shelter from the wind, rain, or sun. It was already odd enough that he walked so slowly and refused to ride his horse, but he also had the habit of taking midday naps along the way.

But today, both sides of the road were lined with these small trees, blocking the view entirely. If a tiger were lurking inside, they wouldn’t even know. Though the forest was dense, it didn’t provide much shade from the sun. There was a small tree by the roadside, but its branches and leaves were too sparse to offer any real cover.

Very strange indeed.

The cat had noticed that they had been gazing into the small forest earlier, but she didn’t understand why. Her curiosity grew, and she, too, stopped to peer into the woods, stretching her neck and glancing around.

Naturally, she saw nothing.

It wasn’t until the Daoist stopped beside the clearing, unloaded a bundle from the horse’s back, and began taking out pots and bowls that she quickly transformed into human form to help.

Soon, a pot of millet porridge was bubbling away.

The little girl sat with a bundle on one side and firewood on the other, watching the small pot of porridge in front of her, steam curling into the air.

Meanwhile, the Daoist sat cross-legged beneath the little tree, completely still. Now and then, he glanced at the cornfield, then at the young girl tending the fire.

Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, he thought for a moment before finally speaking, “Ever since you turned another year older, you seem to have become even more diligent. And your cooking skills have improved too.”

“Really?”

“Of course it's true. Lady Calico, you’re growing stronger with age,” the Daoist said. “In the past, I had to take care of you. Then, later on, you had to help me gather firewood and tend the flames so I could cook. And now, you’re already capable of supporting me, the horse, and the swallow all on your own. Truly remarkable.”

“Really?”

“Would I, of all people, be one to enjoy telling lies?” Song You pursed his lips slightly, then tilted his head up to look at the branches above. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Yan An.”

The little girl instantly turned her head to look at the swallow.

The swallow was perched on the small tree’s branches, directly above Song You’s head. Like Song You, he had been gazing absentmindedly at the vast Swallow Rice field, his thoughts drifting far away. As for the conversation happening below, well—he had heard countless exchanges like this over the years, to the point that he had mastered the ability to “listen without really listening.”

But he never expected to be dragged into it one day.

The moment he heard the Daoist’s words, he froze. Then, when he met Lady Calico’s expectant gaze, his scalp tingled, and he felt utterly uneasy.

“Th-This... Um... Yes...” As soon as the swallow finished speaking, he quickly turned his head away.

“...!”

Lady Calico immediately looked as if she had received undeniable affirmation, a deep sense of pride welling up inside her.

“See? Even Yan An agrees,” Song You said, shaking his head before turning to glance at the horse. “What a shame the horse can’t talk—otherwise, I’m sure it would say the same thing.”

“But I still haven't grown much taller...”

“Sigh...” Song You drew out the sound dramatically. “That’s not quite right! I once heard that a mountain is famous not because of its height, but because an immortal resides there; a body of water is magical not because of its depth, but because a dragon lives within

.

And isn’t it the same for cats and Lady Calico?”

“

Meow

?”

“The greatest cat isn’t the one that looks the most majestic or powerful—it’s the one that can catch mice. That’s a good cat! And you’re precisely such a cat! Likewise, your maturity and strength aren’t determined by how tall you grow after taking human form, but by whether you can take responsibility within the team and look after its members. That is what makes you a mature, responsible, and dependable Lady Calico!”

“...!” The little girl’s fair eyebrows instantly furrowed.

But it wasn’t because she doubted the truth of his words—

These words were so pleasant to hear that she

knew

they must be true. They carried the sweet fragrance of wisdom and reason.

No, what puzzled her, just like before, was this—

She and the Daoist both had mouths. They both spoke human language. But why did the words the Daoist spoke sound so incredibly wonderful?

Listening to them was like reading a beautifully written essay—no, even better than reading an essay! His words made her entire being feel comfortable and at ease.

At first, she thought it was because she had never studied before. But now she had read plenty of books, and yet, in this regard, she was still nowhere near the Daoist’s level.

“......”

It seemed she still had a long way to go.

Lady Calico gritted her teeth, firming her resolve.

Perched on the tree branch, the swallow quietly observed the scene, shaking his head inwardly. He wondered when Lady Calico would finally come to her senses. And when that day came, what would she feel?

Just then, footsteps suddenly sounded from within the cornfield. The little girl and the swallow turned their heads at the same time.

They saw an old farmer approaching, a sickle tucked at his waist, ambling up the mountain along the official road. Having likely heard voices from this direction beforehand, he seemed a bit wary upon seeing the lush crops growing here.

First, he spotted the jujube-red horse—his wariness deepened. Then, he saw the Daoist and the young girl, and only then did he let out a breath of relief.

“Sir, why are you resting here?”

“I was tired from traveling, so I stopped here to cook a meal,” Song You replied, straightening up and offering a respectful bow. “Greetings.”

The little girl immediately followed suit, standing up and bowing as well.

“Heh heh...” The old farmer only grinned, not quite knowing how to return the greeting, but his smile conveyed goodwill.

Then he explained, “I saw smoke rising from the soil up here while I was at home and thought someone might be burning my Swallow Rice field. Either that, or maybe some of those folks heading up the mountain to offer sacrifices accidentally set it on fire. So I came up to check.”

“Oh...” Song You quickly realized what had happened and bowed again. “Then it was us resting and cooking here that caused the misunderstanding. We made you come all this way for nothing.”

The old farmer just chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

Song You took the opportunity to ask, “This Swallow Rice field belongs to your family, sir?”

“Who else would it belong to?”

“This is my first time seeing a Swallow Rice field.”

“If it's your first time seeing it, how did you recognize it?”

“I had heard of it before and had even seen Swallow Rice before—but this is the first time in my life seeing it actually growing in the fields,” Song You replied. Then, he asked, “May I ask, sir, where you obtained these seeds? Did you start planting them this year, or have you been growing them for some time?”

“Ah, this...” Seeing that Song You spoke gently and carried himself as a Daoist, the old farmer was happy to chat with him.

Standing where he was, he explained, “The seeds were brought over from Yangzhou. They say there’s a deity called Swallow Immortal who went overseas to retrieve them so that common folks like us could afford to eat. The harvest has been excellent. No one around here had grown it before, and this is our family's first time planting it as well—we only planted these two plots. But over in Yangzhou, it's grown in large quantities.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“Ah, well—doesn't matter what kind of rice it is, as long as it fills the belly, it's good rice. Doesn't matter what kind of immortal they are, as long as they can save the people, they're a good immortal.”

“Absolutely.”

Song You nodded in agreement, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Perched on the tree branch, the swallow’s eyes gleamed brightly.

To Song You, this scene was both a piece of his memories and a tangible change that had come to this land because of him. Seeing it with his own eyes now filled his heart with a deep sense of wonder.

To the swallow, however, this was a different kind of marvel—it was the result of the Anqing swallows’ efforts. Under the guidance of the old Swallow Immortal, countless swallows had flown across the seas, spending years searching and painstakingly carrying these seeds back. It was the Anqing swallows’ great merit and fortune.

Now, seeing it truly take root in the land, bringing prosperity to the people, hearing others remember Swallow Immortal’s name, calling this grain Swallow Rice, and even expressing their gratitude—it felt profoundly surreal.

Only Lady Calico was unable to share in their emotions at this moment. She simply turned her head toward the small forest nearby, her eyes brimming with curiosity and confusion.