Chapter 407: The Path to the Heavens
“As the saying goes, ‘The face reflects the heart.’ This old gentleman looks like a benevolent soul, and his posture and demeanor are extraordinary. In my opinion, he does have the air of an immortal,” Song You said with a smile, glancing at the young official. “What do you think? Could this old man be an immortal?”
“Sigh...” The young official merely sighed and didn’t answer directly.
Shaking his head, he said instead, “It’s said that mortals who ascend to the heavens to become immortals aren’t truly considered immortals until they reach the Heavenly Palace. Until then, they’re more like spirits—just different from ordinary ghosts in that they have certain unique qualities, such as not fearing sunlight.
“Only those who practiced cultivation and had magical powers during their lifetimes might exhibit other supernatural abilities before reaching the Heavenly Palace.
“It’s also said that after the story from a century ago spread, immortals on their way to take up appointments via Mount Zunzhe were frequently disturbed by mortals. At best, it delayed their journey; at worst, they were persistently harassed. Because of this, many immortals now disguise themselves on their journey—dressing inconspicuously or even traveling at night to avoid being noticed.”
“Seems like you’ve done your homework,” Song You remarked with an amused expression.
“Just things I’ve heard from others,” the young official said, shaking his head sheepishly.
He added, “It’s said that in Fengzhou recently, an underground river surged, causing Yin River to temporarily stop flowing, with its waters reversing course for a day before returning to normal. Along Yin River, villages and towns suffered varying degrees of disaster, and even parts of Yaozhou were affected.
“In the aftermath of such a calamity, many virtuous individuals emerged to help. These people, remembered by the grateful populace, were honored with temples erected in their names. By this reasoning, there should be quite a number of immortals ascending to the Heavenly Palace this fifteenth day of April.”
Song You couldn’t help but laugh, finding it amusing. “With such a thorough analysis, why don’t you go and ask that old gentleman where he’s from?”
“Are you truly not an immortal, sir?”