Chapter 60: How Could a Common Person Understand an Immortal's Intent

Song You walked forward.

In the night, the starlight was faint, and he couldn’t actually see the grasses and trees by the roadside clearly, but there was no need to see them clearly.

Everything was already in his heart…

Plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum; pine, cypress, poplar, and willow.

The alfalfa that the jujube-red horse loved to eat, the dandelion he had just picked today on Mati Mountain…Oh right, there were wild chrysanthemums blooming on that small path going up the mountain.

Narcissus, Chinese rose[1], lotus, and Chinese peony[2].

Mandarin oranges, pomelos, peas, and cucumbers.

These familiar things...

Song You turned his head to look at the old Swallow Immortal and asked again. “Are there people across the sea?”

“Naturally, there are. Some places even trade with Great Yan or declare themselves our vassals.”

“And other lands?”

“Of course,” The old Swallow Immortal replied. “Not only are there people, but also prosperous dynasties. They just have different customs from this place. The people also look different, and they worship different gods.”

“Do they also eat rice?”

“Naturally not...” At this point, the old Swallow Immortal suddenly widened his eyes.

“You have been to all the places swallows have been, likely flying farther than any migratory bird in this world. Have you noticed what they eat compared to what we eat in Great Yan? What's their yield per mu? Can it fill the stomach? Is it drought-resistant?”

“Are you suggesting...”

“I know of several crops that yield more per mu than eastern rice. If you could find them, this can solve the extreme emergency for Great Yan at present, and temporarily ensure the stability of the people's livelihood. Even if it cannot completely cure the problem, it would still benefit the common people.” Song You paused for a moment and continued, “And for future generations throughout the ages, the merit might not be any less significant than it is now.”

The old Swallow Immortal's breathing had already become rapid.

But he remained rational and asked, “For such a great favor, how could I repay you?”

“What did my master’s master Tiansuan ask for in return back then?”

“It’s shameful,” the old Swallow Immortal looked remorseful, “I haven't been able to repay Daoist friend Tiansuan up till now.”

“In that case, how could I ask for repayment?” Song You smiled at the Swallow Immortal, “I just mentioned that benefiting the world should not be discussed in terms of favors and gratitude. This is merely a joint effort between you and me to bring some welfare to the people. In fact, you will contribute more, and naturally, your name should be remembered.”

“What...” The old Swallow Immortal stood in a daze.

Song You simply continued to walk forward, his voice drifting back. “If you really feel apologetic, I do have one request...”

“Please tell me!” The old Swallow Immortal hurriedly asked, seeking peace of mind.

“You have flown thousands of li, have you seen a plant in other lands? It grows on short trees, with small, spicy fruits that taste like fire in the mouth.” Song You turned his head, looking very sincerely at the old Swallow Immortal, “If you have, could you bring back some seeds for me in passing?”

“Just... this?”

“Yes.”

“Is it some rare spiritual plant?”

“It's a common plant, mostly used for seasoning.”

“And you want it for...”

“Seasoning.”

“What...” The old Swallow Immortal couldn’t help feeling puzzled.

Though not wealthy, he had lived for a thousand years after all, and had accumulated some family assets and collections over this period. When he first transformed into human form, he was a refined and cultured demon. Swallows were close to humans, so he inevitably became acquainted with many famous and virtuous people during that time. He had acquired items that were not considered precious at the time, but became treasures over time in many people’s eyes.

He originally thought this young Daoist priest would more or less ask for something precious that he may not be able to produce. Or that he would have some difficult request. Of course, no matter how difficult the request would be, he would try his best even if he couldn’t fulfill it.

Unexpectedly, it was a request like this.

Song You's voice came from ahead. “If you could find it for me, you would be doing me a great favor, and I would be deeply grateful.”

The old Swallow Immortal was puzzled and turned his head to look at him.

But he saw the young Daoist's sincere face, neither seeming to be lying nor finding a random task to ease his own mind. It seemed that the plant used for seasoning was genuinely more precious to him than anything else that he had thought of.

Even with his thousand-year wisdom, he couldn’t help being taken aback.

Then he pondered and slowly recovered.

He simply sighed silently in his heart. What does it matter if he had lived for a thousand years? How could a demon possess a pure glass heart, and how could a common person understand an immortal's intent?

Once he thought it through in his heart, he turned solemnly and cupped hands earnestly. “Since you have asked, I will do my utmost to find it and bring back anything resembling it.”

“Thank you, but please prioritize finding staple crops. My request is only if it’s convenient and can be left to fate.”

“Of course.”

“Know that this journey won't be easy. The crops may be on the southern migration path of Great Yan swallows or not. They may be perhaps easy to find or isolated and far away overseas. The vast world is filled with hardships and dangers. Your descendants will have to endure some suffering.”

“I will try my best.”

They reached the mountain top at that moment, and the galaxy glittered overhead.

Song You stood at the pavilion's edge, and admired the stars for a while. He described several overseas crops that he was familiar with but told him not to be fixated on them. He also warned him not to casually bring back live animals or some plants that he remembered as dangerous.

The old Swallow Immortal naturally thanked him profusely.

After discussing, they walked back and soon returned to the courtyard house.

“It's already late. My body is still in the pavilion you built. My cat is very mischievous and always paws at my face. If I don't return, she'll worry.”

“I will see you off.” The old Swallow Immortal leaned on his crutch, and walked him out.

Walking not far away, Song You saw that youth again.

He smiled and bowed to the youth. “Many thanks, young friend.”

The youth blushed, lowered his head, and dared not speak.

The old Swallow Immortal felt resentful toward the youth for failing to meet expectations again.

Song You merely smiled, saying, “Young friend, there's no need for this, and neither should Swallow Immortal feel this way. You should know that the Dao follows nature. Everything in existence is natural. Swallows are naturally free, and you, my young friend, should be more free as well.”

After bowing to both of them, he left.

Taking a step forward, he crossed the threshold and immediately vanished on the spot.

When he came, he had to leave his body and transform into a swallow, flying laboriously here. When leaving, he was returning to his body. His soul and body were originally one, and such a short distance could be bridged with just a single thought.

After he left, the old and young swallows remained deep in thought.

The youth pondered Song You's words, thinking about this person he had never seen before and the words he had never heard before.

In fact, he was quite intelligent.

The old Swallow Immortal also pondered Song You's words and the person himself.

He had never underrated this young Daoist friend, though he was much younger than him. It was out of respect for Hidden Dragon Temple as well as his own cultivation.

Earlier, they had casually chatted about that deed of immense merit. Although it sounded illusory, Song You spoke earnestly and methodically, and the old Swallow Immortal already believed half of it. When Song You introduced those several kinds of foreign crops later, he already faintly recalled some of them when Song You was actually halfway through. In his heart, he was even more convinced and utterly shocked.

At that moment, it was hard to describe how he felt in his heart and he was so excited that his whole body trembled.

Such an endeavor could indeed benefit all the people in the world.

Currently, there was more land than people in Great Yan, with many unable to fill their stomachs. If this continued, within a decade or so, internal strife would inevitably break out. When the time comes, the people would once again be in a terrible situation and corpses would be strewn everywhere. This was already known to all individuals with knowledge and experience in the world. Unfortunately, there was no second Prime Minister He. Even if there were, they wouldn't dare stand up.

Therefore, from the emperor in the imperial court to the masters among the common people, all were deeply worried about this.

If he could really accomplish this and it really had the effect Song You mentioned, it would truly be a deed of immense merit.

Surveying all the gods and Buddhas, how many possessed such merit?

If he became a god through this, receiving all the merit, or even receiving just half of the merit, the support of the people would make him more formidable than even the legendary phoenix.

If he put in a little more effort and fanned the flames slightly, there might be a new legend that will be passed down for a thousand years in this world.

And who would have thought that all this just stemmed from that night's conversation?

When he thought of this, the Swallow Immortal was still in awe.

But upon closer thought, the atmosphere of that night's conversation seemed just as Song You had said, merely a casual night stroll and chat in the mountains. He had come lightly, chatted, and left lightly.

The old Swallow Immortal carefully savored it…

Meeting Song You that day, he hadn't yet seen the skills of this generation's heir to Hidden Dragon Temple. He didn't know what kind of method Song You cultivated or what skills he had learned. However, during that night's leisurely stroll, the old Swallow Immortal already felt that his demeanor and bearing were not inferior to that of Daoist Tiansuan decades ago.

However, Daoist Tiansuan excelled in divination, which was his forte. Besides, the paths of the two were different. Daoist Tiansuan had already traveled the world and was returning when he reached Xuzhou. He had already achieved great success in his cultivation while this one had just descended the mountain.

This generation seemed even more extraordinary.

The old Swallow Immortal took a deep breath and regretted letting him go so easily then. He should have expressed his gratitude more.

However, even though he had quite a lot of family assets and collections which originally gave him some confidence, after closely observing the expression of that Daoist friend today, he felt that he was even more detached than Daoist Tiansuan. He feared that his own assets and collections would appear as mere mundane objects to that Daoist. To please him, it would have to be something that touched his heart.

The old Swallow Immortal pondered but couldn't decide on a course of action.

At that moment, he glanced at the young man, who was also deep in thought, and suddenly remembered something. “Yan An.”

“

Ah

? Ancestor...”

“What did the Daoist priest thank you for just now?”

“I... I don't know...”

“Pluck up your courage!”

“Probably... probably it was because this morning the Daoist priest asked me if the scenery in the sky was more beautiful than on the ground.”

“What did you say?”

“I said I didn't know.”

“You didn't know?” The old Swallow Immortal was both exasperated and helpless.

“Then why did he thank you?”

The youth hurriedly lowered his head and replied, “Later, I fetched a Swallow Pill and brought him to fly up into the sky for a look. The Daoist priest seemed to like it very much, so he thanked me.”

“Swallow Pill...”

“Yes...”

“The scenery in the sky...” The old Swallow Immortal pondered.

Consequently, he immediately ordered the youth to fetch all the Swallow Pills and to offer them to the Daoist priest tomorrow as early as possible.

The youth readily agreed.

1.

Rosa chinensis.

☜

2.

Paeonia lactiflora

. ☜

pandapear98's Thoughts

Chapters 1-60, 66-70, and 76-77 translated by IJ.

All other chapters translated by pandapear98.