Chapter 462: The Cultivation of an Immortal, Shaping Heaven and Earth

“Lady Calico, open the door for me.”

“There's a small hole at the bottom of the wall—turn into a little person and crawl through it!”

“Just open the door for me already.”

“

Creak

...”

The door swung open.

Standing inside was a little girl with her sleeves rolled up high, holding a scrubbing brush in her hand.

Her arms were fair and clean, her hands still damp, as if she had just been in the middle of doing some chore.

“Why didn’t you turn into a little person?”

“Lady Calico, you really don’t forget anything, do you?” Song You gave her a sideways glance, then paused slightly before suddenly asking, “You wouldn’t happen to be writing about the Little Kingdom lately, would you?”

“...!” The little girl instantly tensed, her entire posture brimming with vigilance.

“Heh...” Song You chuckled, then stepped into the courtyard.

The jujube-red horse stood right in the center, basking in the warm sunlight.

Nearby, a wooden bucket of steaming warm water sat beside a small stool, and the ground was damp, evidence of an ongoing bath.

“

Creak

...”

Behind him, the door slowly closed again.

Song You, however, headed straight for his room. The sun was bright today, perfect for leaving the windows open for a nap.

As he glanced at the courtyard, he noticed that the little girl had climbed back onto the stool, still holding her scrubbing brush.

She was gently washing her horse, her expression focused, her movements careful and deliberate.

“

Swish, swish

...”

The rhythmic sound of scrubbing echoed softly through the courtyard.

Song You had originally intended to sleep.

But as he continued watching, he found himself wanting to linger a little longer.

His thoughts drifted back to Lady Calico's mention of turning into a little person, and on a whim, he reached for the fragments of soil from the three directions that he had collected, cradling them in his hands.

To be precise, they weren’t actually ‘soil’.

They were condensed manifestations of heaven and earth’s spiritual resonance, formed through mystical condensation.

The two pieces left behind by the State Preceptor had originated from the North and the Central Plains. One was metallic, embodying rigid endurance and unyielding stillness. The other was like sand, vast and boundless, capable of embracing and containing all things.

The third, which Song You had acquired from overseas in the southeast, was like water—mysterious, ever-shifting, impossible to grasp.

But these visible traits were only the most prominent, surface-level characteristics of their spiritual resonance.

Each fragment contained countless other attributes, large and small, beyond numbering—some wildly different, some in direct conflict, and some overlapping in harmony.

Perhaps the differences between them were where they could complement one another. Perhaps the conflicting aspects were what sparked transformation when they collided. And perhaps the overlapping traits were what fused them together into a unified whole.

For the past year, Song You had been meditating on these mysteries, constantly seeking deeper understanding.

This was the very essence of the spiritual resonance of heaven and earth, soon to condense into another small world of its own, containing the profound mysteries of the universe.

If one were to say “the Dao follows nature,” then this was nature’s own process of condensation.

The nether realm, where the State Preceptor had sought his grand fortune, had also been a monumental opportunity for the Emperor, as well as for many deities.

Song You, despite only aiding in its formation rather than exploiting it for personal gain, had already received his own fortune simply by being a participant in its manifestation within the mortal realm.

He had never sought such rewards—but now that they were in his hands, he would not waste them.

Not only was there gain to be found within them—there was also joy.

Fully comprehending even a single strand of its spiritual resonance would be enough to influence a realm, much like that wondrous land across the seas.

And if one could comprehend them all, they might very well form a world of their own. But to truly comprehend such mysteries in their entirety, that was an almost impossible feat.

The heavens are boundless, and time never ceased. Yet, human life and human effort were always finite. A mere hundred years—even for the most brilliant of minds—was not enough to fully comprehend even a single fragment of this mystical resonance.

To master them all? Impossible.

But cultivation and enlightenment were much like learning. Just because one could not see the end of the path, did not mean they could not travel far.

Every step forward was a gain, every insight earned belonged to oneself. How much one could comprehend was entirely up to them.

Even the smallest insight could become a spell, a divine ability, a power of its own. And most importantly, the Heavenly Palace above had been formed through this very process.

Above, the white clouds drifted on, and time slipped away unnoticed. Unseen, the resonance of heaven and earth subtly spread outward. It felt as though days had passed, and yet also as if only an instant had gone by.

When Song You finally stirred from his meditation, slowly returning to full awareness. A calico cat was curled up beside him, its head buried in its paws, sleeping soundly.

Outside, the sky had turned the golden hues of dusk. Half the afternoon was already gone.

“

Sigh

...”

Song You let out a quiet sigh. His planned nap had once again had once again vanished like smoke and clouds.

Carefully, he lifted the blanket, trying not to disturb the pillar of the household.

Yet, the cat was too sensitive. The moment he shifted, she immediately lifted her head from her paws, blinking sleepily as she turned to stare at him.

“Daoist priest, you’re awake?”

“Yes.”

“I had a dream. I dreamt I turned into a huge cat.”

“Congratulations, Lady Calico.”

“When I came in earlier looking for you, I think I saw the table shrink—it looked even smaller than me! Then I saw the stool grow huge, stretching so far it touched both walls. So strange, so strange...”

“And then?”

“Then I suddenly got all drowsy and ended up on the bed, dreaming away.”

“Maybe that was part of the dream too.”

“Oh...”

As Lady Calico spoke, she suddenly shook her head, as if finally remembering something important. She quickly snapped back to full alertness and told him, “Oh right! That old Daoist priest from outside the city came looking for you!”

“Did he?”

“In the afternoon! I told him you were sleeping, so I brought him to the main hall to wait for you. I even poured him a cup of honey water! No idea if he’s still there or not!”

“Ah, I’ve kept a guest waiting then.”

Song You hurriedly put on his clothes and shoes and made his way outside.

***

The main hall of the residence still held several fine pieces of furniture, all inherited from Ye Xinrong's ancestors.

The wood was high quality, and the craftsmanship superb—even after all these years, they remained sturdy and well-preserved.

Seated in one of the chairs was Wenpingzi. But he did not move at all. His gaze was locked—staring intently at the cup of honey water on the tea table.

Though Wenpingzi was a skilled Daoist, proficient in magic and demon subjugation, he was not particularly adept at direct combat.

Most of his power came from offering tributes to the deities of the War Division, invoking their descent to aid in the mortal realm.

During his confrontation with the Jile God, he had sustained some injuries. Coupled with New Year responsibilities and other matters, he had delayed his visit to personally thank Song You.

Now that the New Year had passed and his condition had improved, he finally made his way here.

Upon arriving, he had been informed that the immortal master was napping. Naturally, he did not dare to disturb him and would have waited respectfully outside.

But Lady Calico, with unwavering hospitality, had insisted that he come inside, poured him honey water, and even lit a warm stove for him.

And so he waited.

An entire afternoon passed. Yet, who could have expected that this afternoon would turn out to be so... strange?

The cup of honeyed water seemed inexhaustible—no matter how much he drank, it never diminished. It was not that the cup refilled itself after being emptied, but rather that its contents never decreased at all.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Wenpingzi was aware of similar magical techniques. Whether it was an empty cup filling with wine or a raised goblet being drained, it was all nothing more than sleight of hand—secretive transference techniques.

He had seen other Daoists perform such tricks in Changjing before, using sleight of hand, verbal misdirection, and tone to deceive even well-traveled nobles and dignitaries. However, in his eyes, what was happening today was entirely different.

After drinking so much water, he inevitably needed to relieve himself. Having eaten lunch here before, he knew where the latrine was.

Yet, despite clearly seeing it ahead, the short distance seemed to stretch a thousandfold. The courtyards and scenery on either side sometimes remained the same, sometimes elongated unnaturally. He walked for at least an entire hour, yet only covered half the distance from the main hall to the latrine. Then, in an instant, the remaining distance returned to normal, and a few steps later, he had arrived.

Had he not known the nature of the Immortal Master and the abilities of Lady Calico, he might have thought they were deliberately playing tricks on him for amusement.

On his way back through the courtyard, he saw that the water marks left by Lady Calico as she washed the horses had not yet dried. As he passed by and happened to glance down, he was startled to see that the shallow puddle had suddenly deepened into an abyssal blue, unfathomably deep.

Peering into it, he saw countless fish swimming, clusters of coral, and even a great shark hunting its prey—a vision of the deep sea unlike anything he had ever witnessed in his life.

Wenpingzi nearly stepped forward and fell into it.

Steadying himself, he looked up again and saw that one of the houses ahead radiated an aura of profound spirituality, boundless in its mysteries. He widened his eyes in astonishment—how could he not understand now?

This was not merely the gentleman taking a midday rest—he was cultivating, comprehending the Dao. The Dao resonance exuded from his body, naturally affecting the world around him, creating these boundless, wondrous transformations.

Wenpingzi dared not disturb him, nor was he willing to leave. He hurried back to the main hall and sat quietly, waiting.

Even if he wished to gain insight from this phenomenon, without guidance, he had no clear direction. However, a cultivator’s path lay in perceiving the world and grasping its mysteries. Just by sitting here, he already felt he had benefited immensely.

Thus, he continued drinking water, not daring to act rashly.

When the cup of honeyed water was finally emptied, Wenpingzi knew that the Immortal Master had awakened.

After waiting a little longer, he heard footsteps outside. He quickly stood up, and when Song You appeared before him, he immediately bowed in greeting.

“Fellow Daoist Song, I’ve come today to offer New Year’s greetings and express my gratitude.” Wenpingzi was even more respectful toward Song You this time. “Thanks to you, I was able to rid the world of that Jile God. At last, I can give a proper account to the people of Yangzhou and the State Preceptor.”

“You are still injured—why go through the trouble of coming in person?”

“The injuries were not severe; I have already recovered.”

“You should still rest more.”

“I only hope I haven’t disturbed your cultivation.”

“Nonsense...”

Song You invited him to sit and warmly engaged him in conversation.

They spoke of the Jile God, of affairs in the court. They talked about the landscapes of Yangzhou and the means of publishing books.

Wenpingzi mentioned that many officials in Yangdu were curious about Song You and had asked him about him. Not daring to make any assumptions, he had come to inquire directly.

“I am but a wandering Daoist,” Song You replied. “Once spring arrives, when the weather warms, the birds return, and the flowers bloom, I will take my leave. There is no need to linger and create unnecessary trouble.”

“I see.”

“And what are your plans, fellow Daoist?”

“I have spent half my life wandering, and it is time to settle down,” Wenpingzi said. “Yangdu is prosperous, life here is peaceful—it is a fine place to retire. The fellow Daoists at Tianxing Temple outside the city have been warm and welcoming, constantly urging me to stay. I have also chosen two gifted and intelligent disciples there to pass on my teachings.”

He smiled. “Most likely, I will remain in Yangdu from now on.”

“This is a blessing for the people of Yangdu,” Song You said this with a sincere smile.

They talked for a long time. Song You invited Wenpingzi to stay for dinner and even offered him lodging for the night. It was not until the next day that he walked him to the door to see him off.

Wenpingzi expressed his gratitude repeatedly but seemed hesitant about something.

At the threshold, he kept glancing back, hesitating for a long time before finally speaking. “There is one more thing I wish to ask you...”

“Speak freely.”

“The State Preceptor... Do you know what has become of him?”

“He's dead.”

Song You's words were calm and direct.

Wenpingzi's pupils contracted sharply. Even though he had already suspected as much, hearing it confirmed sent waves of shock through his heart. Yet, he quickly cupped his hands in farewell and departed.