Otaku Translation: The Unintentional Path to Immortality Chapter 33

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"This isn't a matter of biting or beating someone to death." Song You patted her head, her height allowing him to do it easily, "No matter how big a mistake someone makes, they should receive an appropriate punishment. You can't just beat someone to death because they stole some money from you; that's not in line with human norms."

"Oh." The young girl nodded thoughtfully.

Just as Song You thought she might have understood something, or perhaps gained some insight, she extended her hand and asked him: "Do you want immortal pills?"

"What?"

"Immortal pills."

"?" Song You was puzzled.

He lowered his head to see—

A tiny hand, with a fair palm, quite lovely, with a tiny pill lying in the center, extremely small.

The girl stared at him, her face fair, expression serious.

"What is this?"

"Immortal pill!" The girl seemed to believe in it wholeheartedly.

"Where did you get it from?"

"Found it."

"Found it from where?"

"In the nose."

"..." Song You was speechless for a moment.

Meanwhile, the girl kept urging: "Do you eat it or not?"

"No thanks."

"Why not?"

"Don't look for these kinds of immortal pills in the future."

"If you don't want to eat it, then I will."

*Smack*

"Huh? Why did you knock my immortal pill away?"

"Don't eat this in the future."

The two figures, one big and one small, gradually moved further and further away.

After searching around, they finally found the Mules and Horses Market.

As the name suggested, this place mainly traded mules, horses, and donkeys.

Upon entering, there was a strong smell of dung.

Many people were engaged in bargaining; some conducted discreet negotiations using their hands covered by a piece of cloth, while others engaged in normal conversations. Additionally, many martial artists had also come to choose a suitable mount.

Choosing the perfect horse required skill, as a great horse could make a hero shine even brighter. Finding the ideal steed was like giving a tiger wings. If a hero chose a horse, it too could share in the glory. Sadly, exceptional horses and heroes were few and far between. Yet, when an extraordinary horse met a hero, it was a match made in legend. In the future, those who chronicled tales might immortalize both in history.

Song You wasn't skilled in choosing horses, but he had his own way of choosing.

However, he hadn't planned on buying today. Nowadays, acquiring a horse was akin to purchasing a car in the modern era; even donkeys weren't significantly cheaper. Wealthy families also needed to proceed with caution, as rash decisions weren't advisable.

"Lady Calico, remember to stay close to me. There are too many people here; don't get abducted."

"Oh." Lady Calico appeared already captivated by the large horses and mules by the roadside. Whether she heard his words or not was uncertain. But Song You felt that she likely hadn't heard him, given her preoccupation, evident even in her swaying gait.

Song You could only hold her hand.

The two walked while observing.

Yidu was an important trading hub for tea and horses; most of the horses here came from the southwest, relatively short in stature. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were hardly larger than some big donkeys.

Having said that, there were no inherently bad horses in this world.

It was just that each had its own purpose.

Even the horses from the southwest, often considered inferior, were unmatched when it came to traversing mountain roads.

It was just that horses were precious, requiring meticulous feeding and grooming, leading to high maintenance costs. High-quality horses also came with a hefty price tag, with their main advantages being their agility and handsome appearance. However, during long-distance journeys where there wasn't much opportunity for sprinting, its strong burst of speed didn't seem to be very useful, thus diminishing its cost-effectiveness.

Unless one could buy a Northern Yuan horse.

Northern Yuan horses lived on the northern plateau, enduring harsh conditions, thus making them extremely resilient, able to withstand cold and heat, coarse food, and possessing strong endurance. Although these horses weren't particularly large, and their explosive power wasn't strong, they had always been the most commonly used military horses in Dayan, but they were rarely seen in the market.

Donkeys, on the other hand, were the opposite.

They could withstand coarse feed, had strong endurance, and offered significant utility value.

In recent years, it had become fashionable for literati to ride donkeys; several years ago, even a prime minister had ridden a donkey to the imperial court, to demonstrate his scholarly and refined nature. It was also popular for Daoists to ride donkeys, giving off an air of transcendence.

Mules were in between, incorporating the advantages of both.

However, mules were also divided into two types: hinnies and mules.

Compared to mules, hinnies were closer in size to donkeys, with similar strength and habits, and more resilient, but slightly smaller. Mules were closer in size to horses, tall, and even had strength comparable to horses; good mules were not much cheaper than a horse. Both types had a higher utility value than donkeys and were more durable than horses.

In this regard, it seemed that mules were a better choice.

Recently, it appeared that the emperor had plans to deploy troops to the north once again, making horses and mules crucial military assets. Prior to the temple fair, it was said that the government had already purchased a significant number of horses and mules. This led to a steep increase in prices during the fair, with a southwest horse commanding over twenty strings of copper coins easily. Additionally, the best ones had already been selected, leaving behind some less desirable ones that were now fiercely contested over by martial artists.

After browsing around, Song You hadn't found anything satisfactory.

"Are we not buying yet?"

"There's nothing suitable."

"Lady Calico has already told you to wake up earlier!"

"It's my fault."

"Everyone else is buying..." Lady Calico pointed to a person leading a mule, "that person already bought one!"

"No rush."

Song You planned to spend another two days looking around. If he couldn't find anything suitable, he would buy a small donkey and travel the world with it, which also sounded quite satisfying.

As he pondered this, a few poetic verses about riding a donkey had already popped into his mind.

By now, it was almost dusk.

After spending the whole day at the temple fair, how could they not go to the Temple of Lord Yue to offer incense? It just happened that there were fewer people at this moment.

Song You took Lady Calico and headed towards the temple.

At the entrance, there was also a pair of couplets that read:

In ethereal realms, where gods hold sway,

They're deemed all-knowing, guiding night and day.

But behold, mere clay and wood they're made,

Devoid of heart, their powers start to fade.

In temples grand, where incense swirls on high,

Offerings made, beneath the azure sky.

Yet laughter rings, for what's the worth,

In idols of mud, where souls find no berth.

According to Head Constable Luo, the original verses in the couplets were different; it was only after Lord Yue appeared in people's dreams that they were altered to the current ones. This suggested that the deity might indeed be a native of Yidu, or at least embodied the carefree spirit commonly associated with its people.

The two, one big and one small, entered the temple.

Inside was a divine figure, with a burly figure, wearing colorful divine clothes, a face full of righteousness, sitting majestically on the divine platform, staring at everyone who entered.

As Lady Calico stepped in, a gleam flashed in the eyes of the divine statue, startling her and causing her to shiver all over. She quickly halted in her tracks and turned to look at Song You, her small face revealing a faintly flustered expression.

Fortunately, the gleam disappeared in an instant, and few people noticed.

"So Lord Yue is present." Song You patted Lady Calico's head, bowed respectfully, and then proceeded to offer incense.

Visiting the temple and offering incense had become a regular habit for him, with little else to fill his time. It wasn't so much a deep reverence for the deities within, but rather a customary tradition.

His master frequently pointed out that despite his exceptional talent and significant accomplishments in cultivation, there seemed to be a notable absence of reverence for the deities, a notion that held some truth. However, she also stressed the importance of viewing the gods from a different perspective, as true practitioners of ancient traditions did. So, Song You's approach wasn't disrespectful to the deities; it simply differed from the typical reverence observed by most.

A faint smoke wafted from the burning incense, while the candle flames flickered gently.

After offering incense, Song You turned around, intending to leave, but then he stopped and looked at the divine statue in front of him. After some thought, he said, "Since Lord Yue is here, I wonder if he has seen any petty thieves outside?"

Once again, a gleam flashed in the eyes of the divine statue.

"Pardon my curiosity." Song You strode out of the door, feeling extremely pleased.

This was the happiest thing he had done recently.

With each step out of the temple, the sky grew darker.

The temple fair retained its lively atmosphere well into the night, bustling with the presence of literati and beauties alike, all adorned with lanterns as they strolled through the lantern riddles corridor. Eyes met and exchanged glances, beauties casting subtle looks towards literati who returned the gesture in kind. In this enchanting setting, fate held the promise of weaving charming tales.

Song You lingered only at the night food stalls.

A few skewers of grilled meat, a bowl of sheep meat stew, accompanied by a juicy persimmon—these Northern-style dishes, uncommon in ordinary times, boasted flavors that rivaled, if not surpassed, those of the modern counterparts. And so, this was Song You’s dinner tonight.

Song You savored this sensation, relishing the notion that life in this era wasn't significantly inferior to that of the modern era.

In fields where green grasses sway,

Lies an herb with powers to allay.

Skinny ones take a bite,

Weight gain, overnight, a delight.

Wondering how to take? I say,

With wine, with water, or dry, hooray!

A group of people were quickly drawn to the merchant, crowding around.

Song You smiled again.

That merchant was still selling his herbs.

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