"Alas..."
The old Swallow Immortal let out a long sigh. He raised his cup to drink, then set it back down and said to him, "Though I borrowed a sliver of heavenly insight from Fellow Daoist Heavenly Calculation and brought blessings to this region, I am, in the end, an outsider kind, feared by the Heavenly Palace. Taking grain from official granaries and opening them for relief also earned the displeasure of this world's court..."
There was an unavoidable note of desolation in his voice.
"My kind were originally house swallows. Since ancient times, we have lived alongside humans and been close to them. How could we be like those other transformed demons, doing things harmful to the human way?"
Song You thought, Just as expected.
But he gave nothing away. Still perfectly respectful, he merely asked, "Swallow Immortal, you preserved the winds and rains of an entire region back then, already bringing blessings to countless living beings. Why take the risk of obtaining grain from official granaries elsewhere? You must know that if the Son of Heaven on the throne then had possessed a temperament like the current Son of Heaven's, he would likely never have let you off easily."
"How could I not know?"
The Swallow Immortal sighed again. "But Fellow Daoist Heavenly Calculation and I had agreed beforehand that I would do everything in my power not to let a single person in this region starve to death. I am not human, and humans already fear me. If I were also faithless and dishonorable, how could I have found my footing in this world for these past nine hundred years?"
"Swallow Immortal, your righteousness is great."
Song You spoke with complete sincerity.
Such character, whether in a human, a demon, or a ghost, was worthy of respect.