Chapter 599: Learning a New Spell
“Daoist priest...”
“What do you wish to ask of me, Lady Calico?”
“Why did that rat ask whether it looked more like a rat, a human, or an immortal?”
“That comes from a folk legend.”
“A legend?”
“Yes. That is, some demos, when they’re just about to take human form and attain the Dao, find themselves falling just a little short. They don’t know what they’re missing, and in their anxiety, they want to find out what they’re lacking. So they come down from the mountains to seek out humans, since humans are said to be the most intelligent of all beings. Some demons ask people what they should do. Others ask directly what they look like, hoping to get an answer from a human.”
As Song You walked through the dark alleyway, he explained while walking, “In the legends, if a person says the demon looks like a human, then the demon can successfully take human form. If not, it must return to cultivate further.”
“Is that true?”
“There are cases where it’s happened,” Song You explained patiently. “When something works often enough and the stories spread long enough, not just humans believe it, even demons come to believe it too.”
The guide behind them listened with wide eyes. Then, Lady Calico immediately followed up with another question, “Then what if someone says the monster looks like an immortal?”
“Perhaps the result might be even better.”
“Then why didn’t that rat turn into a human or an immortal?”