Chapter 535: The Immortal Never Breaks His Promise

“I would like to ask the two of you to lend me a hand,” Song You said as he made his way up the sand mountain.

“Lend you a hand!”

“Sir, please tell us what you need!”

“I intend to set up an altar to invoke the rain. However, this land is naturally devoid of rain. Not only that, but it also lacks the necessary water qi spiritual resonance. So, in addition to setting up an altar, I must also arrange a formation,” Song You said as he walked.

He continued, “The altar is both a prayer to heaven and a formal petition to the Heavenly Dao. To do this, I will need three different kinds of candles and nine different types of incense.”

“Three kinds of candles and nine kinds of incense?” Yan An echoed.

“There are different kinds of candles?” The calico cat tilted her head in confusion.

“The three types of candles are easy to find. You only need to go into Shadu and ask around in the shops. They will surely have them,” Song You explained. “Tallow candles[1], beeswax candles, hemp candles[2], or gourd candles[3]—just pick any three. Shadu is a major trade hub between the Western Regions and the Central Plains, so you should be able to gather them without much trouble.”

“What... What’s a

gawrd

candle...?”

“And what about the incense?”

“The incense will be a bit more troublesome. In any given place, aside from the rare and luxurious fragrances used by the nobility, common folk usually only have access to one or two types of incense. The ingredients used by different shops are often similar,” Song You continued, ignoring the calico cat’s puzzled muttering.

He said, “Fortunately, we’ve traveled widely and encountered a great variety of incenses. However, you two will need to either purchase or gather the necessary ingredients for me.”

“Got it!”

“What ingredients do you need?”

“First, we need twenty-seven bamboo sticks as incense bases,” Song You recalled as he climbed. “As for the materials, there are many—pine needles, angelica root, clove, orchid leaves, agarwood, and others. If I list them all at once, you probably won’t remember. I’ll write everything down, organizing them by rarity and ease of acquisition. Some might only be available in the southern regions.”

“Understood!”

“Got it!”

The two little demons responded without hesitation.

“Setting up the altar will take time, and I will need to accumulate water qi spiritual resonance. During this period, I will remain on this mountain. Take care of my horse in the meantime,” Song You instructed.

Then, after a brief pause, he added, “There isn’t much grass here, so it’s best to take him somewhere farther from the desert. If you can find a water source, even better. If not, we may need Prefect Zhang to look after him.”

“I’m the best at taking care of horses!” Lady Calico said.

“Duly noted, sir,” Yan An said.

By then, Song You had already begun his ascent.

Yet this time, it was different.

Before, every three steps he took, he would slide back two. But now, his footing was steady. Every step forward didn’t even sink into the sand, as if the mountain wasn’t made of shifting sand at all, but rather a massive, rough, golden-yellow stone wall.

With ease, he reached the mountaintop, wrote down the incense ingredients, and handed the list to the two little demons.

Then, he began constructing the ritual altar.

The ritual altar generally served two purposes. One was to store and preserve magical power. The second was to pray to the deities and spirits of heaven and earth.

In ancient times, cultivators primarily used altars for the first purpose. However, as the Divine Dao flourished and cultivation declined, the second purpose gradually became mainstream.

There were times when performing a great feat required an immense amount of magical power, and one's own reserves might not be sufficient. In such cases, a ritual altar could be set up to store one's power in a unique way, accumulating it over time until enough was gathered to use.

Song You practiced the Four Seasons Rotation Method, which drew upon the spiritual energy of the seasons. A particular benefit was that some of this energy naturally carried water qi spiritual resonance, though not all of it had this effect.

In reality, the amount was rather limited.

The water qi spiritual resonance in this area was so scarce that it was practically nonexistent. Relying solely on these energies would not be enough to summon rainfall over a large area.

Thus, the process had to be slow and methodical. He had to set up a ritual altar and accumulate spiritual energy day by day, storing it until it was sufficient to bring forth rain.

Almost immediately, the two little demons set off and returned the same day with three different types of candles. In the following days, they remained busy, running errands constantly.

Sometimes they split up to maximize efficiency—one would scour the city of Shadu for the cheapest materials, while the other would fly to distant lands to gather natural ingredients. Occasionally, they worked together, dividing tasks to get things done faster.

After setting up the altar, Song You remained on the mountain, infusing it with magical power daily through a specific method. During his free time, he simply sat there, watching the sunrise and sunset, observing the shifting of the stars and moon.

Below the mountain, caravans of camels continued to pass, and merchants traveled back and forth without end.

This place was a crucial passageway to and from the Western Regions.

As traders passed Medicinal Spring post, they would glance up and see the sky. The sky was still boundlessly blue, devoid of any other colors. The land remained the same, an expanse of sand dunes, stretching endlessly. But atop the highest dune, a high wooden table had been set up, and a Daoist cultivator sat there in meditation.

As they passed in silence, their gazes inevitably drifted toward that solitary figure.

They became part of each other's landscape.

Once the two little demons had gathered all the necessary materials and dried them under the scorching desert sun, Song You finally led them to the summit of the sand dune. There, he sat down calmly and began crafting earth incense without any rush or urgency.

“Which one should we make first?” Song You pondered for a moment before smiling faintly.

He reached for pine needles, orchid leaves, cloves, and several unassuming wild herbs from the mountains. Holding them in his hands, he gave them a gentle squeeze. When he released his grip, the plants had already turned into fine fragments.

Yet, instead of continuing to crush them further, he turned to the two little demons—both holding a mortar and pestle—and instructed, “Grind them to about this consistency. That should be fine.”

“This consistency!”

“Got it.”

The swallow youth didn't say much. He grabbed a handful of pine needles, tossed them into the mortar, picked up the pestle, and began grinding.

Meanwhile, Lady Calico stared blankly at the Daoist. She had wanted to ask, “You could easily crush them yourself, so why are you making us do it?” But seeing that the youth had already started working, she hesitated. Not wanting to fall behind, she swallowed her words with a gulp and grabbed a handful of orchid leaves instead.

However, instead of placing it into the mortar, she stretched out her hand. Mimicking the Daoist’s earlier action, she clenched her small, pale fist tightly.

Her little fist, soft and fair, trembled slightly from the effort. Her teeth clenched unconsciously.

A moment later, she released her grip.

A scattering of orchid leaves fragments fluttered down into the mortar—but the pieces were far coarser and uneven compared to the Daoist’s.

“...!”

Her expression turned serious. With great reluctance and a hint of frustration, she finally picked up the pestle and began grinding.

As she worked, she craned her neck from time to time, comparing the texture of her crushed herbs with the Daoist’s.

From then on, before every round of grinding, she would first grab some herbs and try to crush them by hand—squeezing and pondering how to make them as fine as the Daoist’s. Only after that would she start using the mortar.

The mountaintop echoed with a rhythmic thumping sound, sometimes dull, sometimes crisp. It continued for nearly an entire day.

Finally, Song You began blending the incense.

Each type of incense required only three sticks, so there was no need for elaborate tools. He simply waited for a windless moment or politely asked the wind to pause for a while. Then, he spread out the ingredients on the altar’s wooden table, mixed them, and wrapped them into incense sticks using red paper and bamboo sticks.

“Lady Calico, lick this.”

“Why?” the calico cat asked as she leaned forward and gave it a lick.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

She licked from one end of the red paper to the other. In doing so, she successfully sealed the wrapping shut.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. So that was how it worked.

Thus, the first stick of incense was completed.

It was only at this moment that Lady Calico suddenly realized something.

Back when they were grinding the herbs, the materials were separate—each with its own distinct scent. Since everything was jumbled together in random proportions, there had been no concern for formula or balance.

But now, after selecting specific ingredients and blending them in precise ratios, the mixture had been wrapped into a finger-thick stick of earth incense. And when she leaned in and licked it, something familiar instantly surfaced in her mind.

Both scents and sounds had a kind of magic—they often connected to memories.

Even when memories grew blurry, a familiar melody or a nostalgic taste could immediately summon the shadow of the past, pulling those memories back into the light.

That was from the time they first met...

In an instant, she was pulled back to that moment.

The village at the foot of the mountain, with its low earthen walls and thatched cottages. The old woman, the handmade wooden incense table, the incense groove filled with fragrant powders... That slanted beam of sunlight streaming through the window, catching the fine specks of incense dust in the air, giving both light and dust form and presence.

And of course, there was also the Daoist cultivator, standing beside the table, bowing slightly as he earnestly studied the craft.

For a fleeting moment, everything became vivid again.

Lady Calico even saw that cat sitting obediently at the Daoist's feet. It neither dared to get too close nor too far, not because it was naturally well-behaved, but because it didn’t dare move too much.

Now, staring at the Daoist as he made incense, Lady Calico’s expression grew even more serious.

She had always thought she had a poor memory.

So what was this?

“

Whoosh

...”

Just then, a breeze stirred, and the sunset arrived.

The slanting golden light cast a glow on the Daoist’s figure. The wind lifted the incense dust, scattering it into the air like countless tiny flecks of light, shimmering anew in the sunlight.

“...”

Lady Calico sniffed the air.

The scent drifting through the air seemed as if it came from ten years ago.

***

The seasons shifted from autumn to winter, and the temperature plummeted.

This winter was far colder than usual.

In past years, when the cold reached its peak, the Shadu region would often see a few light snowfalls at night. Snow covered the sand dunes and the Gobi Desert, turning the land into an ocean of white and ice. The rolling terrain of the Gobi gave the impression of waves, while the towering sand dunes resembled massive swells on a frozen sea. When the sun rose the next day, the snow would gradually melt, revealing the desert’s original colors once more.

But this year, winter had only just begun, yet the biting wind had already pushed the temperature far below the lowest recorded in previous years—and yet, not a single snowflake had fallen.

Perhaps because of the intense cold, the camel caravans and merchant travelers passing below began to dwindle. But during this time, all who did pass through could clearly see that on the highest sand dune beside Medicinal Spring post, a ritual altar had appeared. And with it, a Daoist cultivator.

The local officials and patrol soldiers stationed at Medicinal Spring post saw it even more clearly.

Sometimes, the Daoist stood alone. Other times, two figures—a tall youth and a small girl—accompanied him.

Regardless of the time of day or night, they remained on that mountain, neither drinking water nor eating food. They were engaged in some unknown purpose.

This continued for nearly a hundred days.

And then, after nearly a hundred days, came a day as ordinary as any other.

But by then, the Daoist had accumulated enough water qi spiritual resonance to summon a heavy snowfall over most of Shadu.

Without hesitation, he rose to his feet, called the two children to his side, and stepped forward toward the altar.

“

Whoosh

...”

Lady Calico lit the candles for him and handed them over. Three different candles flickered unsteadily in the wind.

The swallow youth also lit the earth incense one by one, passing each stick to him in turn.

Nine different types of incense—some from Yizhou, some from Changjing, some from the north, and some from the southeastern coast. Each had a unique blend of ingredients, yet as they burned, they all released the same bluish smoke, carrying distinct scents. The wind stirred them together, blending them into a fragrance that felt almost mystical.

With sincerity, the Daoist placed each incense stick in its proper place.

At this point, the formalities and rituals were more or less complete.

As he prayed to the heavens, announcing the coming of rain, he suddenly struck the wooden altar table.

“

Boom

!”

The water qi spiritual resonance, accumulated over a hundred days, erupted in an instant. It transformed into a blinding column of light, piercing the sky as if it were about to shatter the very heavens.

Then, in the next breath, the light unfurled across the sky and rippled outward like waves on a vast lake. In the blink of an eye, it had spread for hundreds of li.

***

At the Medicinal Spring post...

Inside the post station, an official sat hunched over, wrapped in thick clothing. His chapped lips were severely cracked, his hands red and raw from the cold, covered in deep fissures. Yet, he continued writing official documents without pause.

“

Whoosh

...”

A sudden gust of frigid wind slipped through the room, making him shrink his neck and shudder involuntarily.

Looking up, he realized that the window wasn’t fully closed.

“This cursed weather...”

With no charcoal brazier to warm the room, he had no choice but to keep the windows shut tight.

Muttering complaints under his breath, he finished the last few strokes on his document, put down his brush, and stood up to close the window.

His hand had just touched the wooden frame when he hesitated. Then, out of habit, he pushed the window open instead and stuck his head out for a glance.

And with that one glance, he froze in place.

The Daoist, who usually sat cross-legged in deep meditation beside the ritual altar, now stood at the altar’s edge.

He made no dramatic movements—only his robes and hair fluttered in the fierce wind.

Yet, at that moment, a divine radiance surged skyward, spreading across the heavens.

With a thunderous roar, like the sound of the gods themselves, the Daoist appeared as though he was a god himself.

“...”

The official was completely stunned.

Was this what he called praying for rain? Why was it so different from every rain prayer he had ever seen?

“

Whoosh

...”

A wind began to rise between heaven and earth.

It was still cold, but compared to before, there now seemed to be a faint trace of moisture in it.

“Is it just my imagination...?” the official muttered to himself.

Yet, he could clearly see that the vast, deep blue sky—so clean and pure it was almost frightening—had suddenly developed a faint mist.

At first, it merely seemed like the blue had paled slightly, tinged with an almost imperceptible grayish-white. Then, it was as if a thin veil had draped over the sky. It was light and hazy at first, but gradually thickening, gathering and rolling in the wind until it coalesced into visible white clouds.

It had been a long time since he had seen such an expanse of clouds.

The official flung open the window, allowing the cold wind to rush in. He simply gazed upward in a daze.

The clouds were darkening, little by little.

For a moment, he even thought he was dreaming. He rubbed his eyes repeatedly until the sky was fully shrouded in heavy clouds, and the wind carried an unmistakable dampness, making his chapped lips and dry cheeks feel significantly more comfortable.

Meanwhile, more and more of his colleagues began to notice the anomaly outside. They stepped out of the pavilions and guesthouses, lifting their heads to stare at the sky.

Just like him, they looked on as though witnessing a divine miracle.

Then, someone suddenly cried out in astonishment, “It's snowing!”

“Snow!?”

The official froze for a moment before hastily looking closer.

At some point, the dim, overcast sky had begun to fill with drifting flakes, fluttering down in a gentle cascade.

Some landed on the desert sands. Some swirled into the pavilions with the wind.

Some fell into the Medicinal Spring, which had dried up to the point of leaving only a thin layer of muddy residue.

“Snow!”

“It's really snowing!”

Excited voices rang out continuously from below.

The official swallowed dryly, licking his chapped lips and tasting the faint tang of blood. He lifted his head to gaze at the sky, unable to look away.

This wasn’t just snow—it was a heavy snowfall, with large, thick flakes drifting down like goose feathers.

The immortal had not gone back on his word. Now, he had returned the water to the Medicinal Spring.

1. 膏烛 specifically refers to candles made from animal fat or wax, which were commonly used for lighting in ancient times. ☜

2. 麻烛 refers to a candle made from hemp oil or hemp fibers. ☜

3. 瓠烛 refers to a type of makeshift candle made using a gourd (瓠, hù). You can make candles using gourds as candle holders by carving or drilling a hole in the gourd to fit a candle, then placing the candle inside and lighting it. ☜