Unintended Immortality

“I don’t know if it’s related, but this does remind me of a record I once read about a demon’s abilities.” Song You paused for a moment before continuing, “It’s said that demons born from plants are the rarest. Some plant spirits live longer than ordinary demons, and some have even more peculiar abilities.”

“Please enlighten us, sir.”

Song You explained, “I’ve heard that once some plants become demons, they take pleasure in propagating themselves. Any shoot they send out or any plant that they reproduce can grow into a part of themselves. As long as it’s not too far from their main body, it remains connected in countless ways, offering infinite utility.

“Sometimes, when an ancient tree becomes a demon, an entire mountain may be filled with its descendants. These trees either serve the main body or can be regarded as its avatars. Unless you chop down every last one of the tree demon’s descendants across the entire mountain, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate it.”,

“There’s really such a thing?” Officer Wang’s eyes widened.

However, having served at the Changjing’s City God Temple for many years, he had indeed encountered numerous demons and ghosts in the city. But when it came to plant-based demons, he had almost never come across one.

“Plant demons are indeed rare. They usually dwell deep in the mountains or remain rooted to their original locations. They don’t travel easily, let alone venture into the city. It’s normal that the City God and his military officers, who only manage city affairs, would be unfamiliar with such creatures and their methods.”

As Song You spoke, he continued to sense the residual demonic aura from the injured demon, confirming his suspicions before adding, “Moreover, even among plant demons, only a select few can comprehend such techniques.”

“So, this demon is a bamboo demon?”

“The spotted bamboo forest in Changjing—could it all be his avatar?”

“Not necessarily all of it, perhaps just a portion. And they may not even be his avatars. It could simply be his hiding place,” Song You said. “The world’s many laws are ever-changing, and I only know a fraction of them.”

“Then how can we get rid of it?”

“It seems this demon has been operating in Changjing for many years. Who knows how many bamboo groves are connected to him. Unless some god with a unique ability can trace these connections and destroy every possible hiding spot of the demon with supernatural strength, we’ll have to resort to a more silly method.”

Song You shook his head as he spoke, “For now, I can’t think of another solution.”

“A silly method…“ Officer Wang glanced at the City God.

The City God appeared thoughtful. Needless to say, the so-called “silly method“ was to eliminate all similar bamboo groves in Changjing. Although Song You referred to it as a silly method, to them it already seemed quite ingenious.

If it weren't for Song You pointing it out, they might have been led around by this demon for several more nights. Perhaps they could gradually discover the pattern of the bamboo groves appearing each time, or perhaps they might never realize it at all.

The City God pondered and said, “It's just that bamboo is always resilient; even if we cut it off at the root, it's hard to eliminate it completely...”

Song You said, “No need to dig up the roots. Once plants become demons, they are no longer the same as ordinary vegetation. Even if the bamboo demon is currently residing in the bamboo grove, it's only a temporary dwelling. Simply cutting down all the bamboo he's inhabiting is like slicing him in half.

“Maybe these bamboos will grow back next year, perhaps still connected to the bamboo demon, but once the demon is dead, the new bamboo will just be ordinary plants without any cultivation skills. What does it matter then?”

After a brief pause, he said, “If these bamboos are all his avatars, cutting them down at the root will severely damage their vitality. He won't fare much better, especially since he's already severely injured. How could he withstand such devastation? Just have someone skilled in martial arts or adept at catching demons accompany those cutting the bamboo to quickly identify and eliminate him.”

“I understand.” The City God cupped his hands in salute. “But the bamboo groves in Changjing number in the thousands. They are worldly possessions and beloved by elegant scholars. It's not within my power to decide. We'll have to ask the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites' Sacrificial Department to convey this to the court. How to proceed depends on the court's consideration and resolve.”

“To cut down all similar bamboo groves in Changjing is indeed a pity.”

“I’ll let the human emperor make the decision then.” The City God cupped his hands again. “In any case, thank you, sir.”

“It’s just a trivial matter. Given a few more days, you gods might have figured it out yourselves,” Song You glanced at the military officers.

He thought for a moment, and added, “There are books in the human realm that record all sorts of demons, ghosts, spirits, monsters, and strange tales. Though many are fabricated, they are quite interesting to read. Since you often deal with demons and ghosts, why not take a look? Perhaps someday you'll find them useful.”

“Thank you for your guidance, sir...”

“It's late; I shall take my leave.”

“Allow me to escort you back,” said the City God.

“Thank you, City God...” Song You did not refuse.

After spending over a month in Changjing, although Song You more often dealt with demons and ghosts outside the city, he had recently earned some money and frequently visited the teahouse across the street to drink tea. There, he often heard stories about the City God.

Whether it was his previous words that enlightened the god, or his presence in Changjing that gave the City God the confidence and courage to change, or perhaps pushing him to try a new path allowed the City God to finally understand how a proper god attracted worship and incense offerings—perhaps it was a combination of all three. In any case, the City God had indeed been quite diligent recently.

In the past, rumors of minor demons and ghosts causing trouble in households across Changjing were common. Usually, a brave man or a local scholar would be called to resolve the issue. But in recent days, such rumors had decreased, and instead, there were more reports of people catching glimpses of divine officers searching for ghosts at night.

Although this might affect the livelihood of some local exorcists, it was ultimately a good thing for the common folk.

It was also said that the imperial court had been conducting searches for demons and ghosts in the city. But whether it was the imperial guards, Buddhist monks, or the masters fostered by the Juxian Mansion, none could compare to the City God, whose very duty was to oversee such matters.

A god who worked for the good of the people was truly worthy of respect.

Song You strolled through the city with the City God, casually chatting in low voices.

He didn’t forget to mention that his cat had been frequently hunting rats in the Eastern District lately, and asked the divine officers to take care not to mistake it for an ordinary demon and capture it.

***

The next afternoon, the Daoist and his cat were sitting at the doorway and basking in the sun, when they suddenly saw several officers arriving and entering the teahouse across the street. Soon after, there was a bustle of noise and clattering sounds—who knew what they were up to.

The Daoist glanced over, then lowered his head, gently stroking the back of the calico cat in his lap.

“I’ve heard that every night recently, the court has been sending people to search for demons and ghosts in the city. Have you encountered them while hunting rats in the east?”

“The court's people!” The calico cat opened its eyes just a sliver, its voice soft and childish.

“They’re the people walking in the streets at night.”

“I stay inside the houses.”

“That’s true.” Song You nodded in agreement.

It wasn't that those people only patrolled the streets and never went inside houses. In fact, many of the demons hiding in Changjing were likely living among humans, renting homes, and even holding legitimate jobs in the city.

However, recently, the ones requesting Lady Calico to catch mice were the influential and wealthy from the Eastern District. Unless something extremely unusual was detected, those conducting the searches would rarely inspect such homes.

Additionally, Lady Calico's cultivation was not particularly advanced. She had never harmed anyone, carried no dark yin qi, and appeared unremarkable.

“But still, Lady Calico, you need to be careful. If someone tries to catch you...” Song You paused here. “Do you know what to say to them?”

“I know…“

“What will you say?”

“I'll tell them I’m the Daoist priest's cat from Hidden Dragon Temple, living on Willow Street, and that I’ve been invited by the Daoist priest to help catch rats.”

“Lady Calico, you’re indeed wise.” Song You continued stroking the cat’s back. Occasionally, a stray cat hair would float into the air.

Over the past month, Lady Calico would sometimes lay on his lap, especially when they were basking in the sun. It had to be said—this was truly a blessing.

At that moment, a woman approached. “Playing with your cat again?”

Song You turned and saw that it was the swordswoman from next door. He smiled and said, “You're home early today, heroine.”

The swordswoman grinned back. “I came back to see the commotion.”

“What commotion?”

“Last night in the Western District, a thunderbolt struck out of nowhere on a clear night, shattering the bamboo grove in one family’s courtyard. The neighbors were all startled awake, but strangely, that family wasn’t. And guess what happened this morning?”

“Do tell.”

“This morning, an imperial edict was issued. It turns out that the demon causing chaos in Changjing was a bamboo demon. Apparently, at least half of the xiangfei bamboo in Changjing are its avatars, and the edict demands they all be cut down.”

She chuckled. “Many civil and military officials thought it was absurd. But then the State Preceptor predicted the future based on interpreting hexagrams and confirmed it to be true, so the order is now being enforced. I bet plenty of officials and nobles are feeling heartbroken.”

“The court is quite bold.” Song You glanced once again at the teahouse across the street.

Ah, that’s right.

There was a row of bamboo planted next to the teahouse. It seemed they were xiangfei bamboo, a favorite among the scholars and literati of Changjing.

Bamboo had always been regarded as a symbol of elegance, but with demons residing within, they had no choice but to cut them down.

Although Song You had already confirmed that the demon was indeed a bamboo that had become a demon, and had also deduced that the reason Officer Wang couldn’t catch the demon and why the thunder he summoned always missed was because the demon used a technique to transfer itself to a substitute, he was still worried.

If they cut down all the xiangfei bamboo in Changjing but still failed to find the demon, they might become the laughingstock of scholars for centuries.

Two days later, in a courtyard in the Eastern District, the white walls and black tiles stood in stark contrast to the bamboo grove along the wall. A breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, calming the hearts of those nearby. However, the owner of the house frowned, clearly worried.

Three days ago, an imperial edict was issued, and the imperial guards and officers had resolutely made their move and searched house by house. Even bamboo planted in pots and placed in lofts was cut down if it was xiangfei bamboo. It was said that most of the xiangfei bamboo in both the Western District and Eastern District had already been chopped down, and now it was his turn.

His courtyard's bamboo had been planted for over three years. He couldn’t bear to see them cut down. But he couldn’t defy the king's command...

At that moment, the golden light of the setting sun bathed the white walls, making them appear as if gilded in a soft gold hue. The shadows of the bamboo were cast against the wall, and the wind had ceased, creating an atmosphere of refined serenity.

Suddenly, an idea came to the homeowner. He picked up his brush to paint the bamboo shadows.

Since he couldn’t keep the bamboo, at least he could preserve their shadows. With the sun casting the bamboo's silhouette on the wall as if it were meant for him to trace, it felt like fate. He meticulously outlined the branches and leaves, capturing their beauty on the wall.

Just as he finished painting, there was a knock at the door. A servant answered, and a group of soldiers entered, announcing their names and purpose. After inspecting the bamboo in the courtyard, they drew their swords and began to chop it down.

With each chop, it felt as though the homeowner’s heart bled.

In a surge of scholarly pride, he couldn’t contain himself any longer. Disregarding whose order this was, he angrily berated the soldiers. He warned them that if no demon were found, future generations would ridicule them for their actions for a thousand years.

But to everyone’s shock, after only a few chops, the bamboo in the courtyard began to bleed.

At first, it was bright red blood, just like that of a human. Then, it turned into a transparent, foamy sap. With each chop, more sap flowed out. The soldiers, the furious homeowner, and the servants who had been watching from aside and trying to calm their master, all stood frozen in fear with their eyes wide with disbelief.

With several more chops, the sap had formed a pool on the ground. Then, with one final blow, there was a sudden puff.

A cloud of white smoke burst forth from the bamboo.

The soldiers quickly scattered, hastily drawing their swords. Some claimed they saw a towering demon in the smoke, while others saw a dark bamboo figure. Faint cries of pain and wails seemed to echo within the smoke.

As the smoke began to clear, an officer entered the courtyard, drawn by the commotion. Sword in hand, he stepped in. For reasons unknown, he found a blackened and charred bamboo branch covered with blade marks lying motionless on the ground.

Everyone was stunned.

In the days that followed, the story of important official Mr. Chen painting bamboo shadows in his courtyard became a celebrated tale among the scholars-official and literati of Changjing. Meanwhile, the incident of the soldiers cutting down a bamboo demon in important official Mr. Chen’s courtyard started circulating among the common people as a terrifying and thrilling folk tale.