Immortals Right Before Him, Yet He Knew Them Not

The few of them looked toward one person in unison.

Jiang She set down his food and looked up. He saw a young man dressed in a moon-white robe, a jade pendant at his waist. His gaze was clear and open as he stepped down from an exquisitely carved carriage. He looked about the same age as Li Bai.

His speech was courteous; he was likely from a distinguished family.

Jiang She said, "We haven't heard of any immortals around here."

The newcomer sighed. "Did I miss them again?"

"Are you seeking the path to immortality?"

"I am," the newcomer said. "I heard there were tales of immortals in Xiangyang, so I hurried here. Unfortunately, I didn't make it in time. The immortal has already left."

Li Bai found that rather amusing.

The man had come looking for his teacher, unaware that an immortal stood right before him.

He nudged Yuan Danqiu with his elbow.

Yuan Danqiu glared at him, then asked, "You look like you come from an illustrious background, sir. May I ask who you are? Are you also interested in tales of immortals?"

Wang Wei had no intention of lingering in the countryside. He had merely seen people resting here and thought they might have heard some rumors. If an immortal had passed by, they might know a thing or two.

He had forgotten that Xiangyang was so far from Ru Prefecture.

Six or seven hundred li, across vast plains and the southern foothills of Funiu Mountain.

Many people went their whole lives without traveling so far. These people looked like ordinary wealthy households, out enjoying the spring. Even if they carried themselves with distinction, how could they know of an immortal's passing hundreds of li away?

He had asked too much of them.

Wang Wei said, "I'm from Hedong, and my ancestral home is in Taiyuan. Forgive me for intruding on your meal. Since there's nothing to be found here, I'll take my leave. Thank you."

As he spoke, his tone grew a little cooler.

Li Bai heard him and scoffed inwardly.

He asked, "You're from Hedong, with your ancestral home in Taiyuan. Might your surname be Wang?"

"Yes."

Wang Wei had no wish to spend more time with these people. Even the man in a Daoist robe among them seemed no more than an ordinary mortal to him, nothing like the true ranks of immortals.

A Yuefu poem went:

"An immortal rides a white deer, with short hair and long ears. He leads me up Mount Taihua, where I gather zhi and find a crimson banner."

Such carefree freedom was what he truly yearned for.

Wang Wei turned and started back to his carriage, ready to hurry on to Luoyang and see if the immortal might be somewhere ahead.

Li Bai lowered his voice and said to the others,

"He came looking for our teacher."

"That man looks a little familiar."

Yuan Danqiu said, "He should be from a branch of the Taiyuan Wang Clan, one of the great aristocratic clans under heaven."

Seeing Li Bai looking eager to act, Jiang She smiled.

"He already has immortals on his mind. Why reveal ourselves to him?"

Old Deer Mountain God stroked his beard and looked in the direction the carriage had gone, smiling too.

Watching the mortal, he sighed,

"An immortal stood right before him, yet he knew him not."

Li Bai didn't care for the man. He had never liked the haughty air of aristocratic nobles. He said nothing and poured himself another cup of wine.

He drained it in one gulp.

The group chatted quietly for a while, talking about the swindler's master, whom they had set out to find, and Daoist Mirror Dust, who likened himself to Luan Da.

Since he had some ability, he was probably in a major city like Luoyang.

Coming and going from the homes of nobles, consorting with powerful clans and aristocratic houses.

After a while, Jiang She noticed that the child was still hiding behind a tree. He had a large head and a thin, scrawny body, and looked as though he had rolled around in the mud. The child stared at them, peeking over timidly.

He picked up a steamed bun and beckoned.

"Come here."

The child hesitated, staring at the white-flour bun in the man's hand, then walked over.

The fragrant smell of the bun made his feet feel rooted to the spot.

He swallowed hard, his stomach ravenous. Hearing the man speak in an easygoing tone, the child said, "I'll ask you something. In return, you can have this bun."

The child nodded eagerly.

"If I know the answer, I'll tell you everything."

Jiang She asked, "What gods do the families in your village worship? Or do they worship clay statues of Daoists?"

The child swallowed, his mouth watering.

Afraid he'd lose his chance to eat if he answered too slowly, he hurried to reply, "Everyone in our village goes to the temple on the mountain to worship the gods. Sometimes, when there's a market, my mother goes to the county too. There's a City God there who can keep us safe."

"Have you ever heard of any famous Daoists?"

"They're all Daoists from the temple. The most famous is the abbot. He's so greedy—every time my mother goes, he takes money from her. Five coins! If she doesn't have any, he takes eggs instead. The worst!"

The group couldn't help laughing.

Jiang She asked, "Why does your mother keep going to the temple to worship? Is something troubling her?"

The child lowered his head.

He muttered, "My little sister was weak from the day she was born. The doctor said she needed goat's milk, or some honey water, and that we couldn't feed her rice gruel all the time... But how could my family afford to buy goat's milk and honey every day?"

"My mother was afraid she wouldn't survive, so she liked going to the temple to worship the Heavenly Worthy, hoping my little sister would get better soon. She spent all her money on the Daoists."

"There are two nanny goats at the temple... That Daoist isn't all bad, I guess. He said he could give us some goat's milk to take home. My mother got some a few times, and she even told me not to say bad things about the Daoist masters..."

The child rambled on, his words tumbling out in fits and starts.

Jiang She listened to the child's complaints about the Daoists and couldn't help smiling.

It seemed the child had a real grudge against them.

"And there's more!"

The child thought for a moment, then said, "I heard there's also a Fourth Young Master Temple. My mother's never been there. They charge a lot, and my family can't afford it. But lots of people who've worshipped there got rich..."

Envy crept into his face.

"My father told my mother to save up some money so she can worship there one day too. I wonder how high the threshold of that temple is..."

Jiang She nodded and handed him the bun.

"I understand."

The next moment, under the child's delighted gaze,

Jiang She rose to his feet and brushed the creases from his clothes.

He gave a slight bow.

"Where is the City God of this land? I, Jiang She, would ask him to come and meet me."

A middle-aged man in a red robe and jade belt suddenly appeared, his form slightly insubstantial. He looked around, a brush still clutched in his hand.

The City God couldn't make sense of the situation.

He had just heard someone summon him. The voice had reached his ears, so the speaker was likely an enlightened master. He had decided to appear and pay his respects.

He hadn't expected the place to be so far away, out in the wilderness, nowhere near the City God Temple.

How profound must this man's Daoist arts be?

He dared not take him lightly.

The City God looked around, then turned to the speaker.

His tone grew even more respectful.

"Greetings, Immortal Master!"

"You're too courteous, City God."

The City God felt himself lifted by a force. Unease filled his heart. He was an Orthodox God appointed by the authorities and had served for decades, yet he had never encountered anything like this. He carefully sensed the power being used. It was not any technique familiar to the City God; it was the verdant qi and vitality of heaven and earth.

Who exactly was this person before him?

And how could he wield such extravagant power?

Jiang She carefully explained that there was a band of swindlers in Xiang Prefecture, then described their master and asked, "Have you heard of Daoist Mirror Dust?"

"I believe he once came to Ru Prefecture. The swindler once said that Daoist Mirror Dust had a fourth disciple, who was from Ru Prefecture."

The City God had nearly thought the Immortal Master had come to punish him.

The hairs on his body stood on end.

Only after listening a little longer did he realize the man was asking about someone. His heart pounded with fright.

The City God pressed a hand to his chest and carefully searched his memory, making sure he had no knowledge of the matter.

He didn't dare deny it outright, afraid that if something really had happened, he would be held responsible.

"This humble god has never heard of him. I'll investigate thoroughly once I return."

Jiang She raised a hand to stop him from swearing an oath.

"I heard there's also a Fourth Young Master Temple nearby? Many people worship there, and it receives substantial donations. What is the situation?"

He had just mentioned a fourth disciple, and now there was a Fourth Young Master Temple.

And it was in the City God's own jurisdiction.

Sweat broke out on the City God's back. He hurriedly said,

"I'll investigate at once. If anyone is pretending to be a god and causing trouble in my jurisdiction to extort money or even take lives... As the City God, I certainly won't let them get away with it!"

The City God's face turned solemn.

"I'll see them brought to justice!"

Jiang She cupped his hands. "Then I thank you, City God."

After the City God took his leave and headed back to investigate, the smoke of his manifested form dispersed.

The child clutched the white-flour bun and stared blankly for a long time, unable to utter a word.

After a moment, he cried out,

"A-Immortal!"

Li Bai felt thoroughly refreshed.

He raised his eyes and looked toward the main road. The aristocrat's carriage was already out of sight.

In the end, he had missed his chance.