Realms In The Firmament

“Where do you think you can use it for?” Song Jue was disdainful. He said, “It is just a special phenomenon. It has no particular use. I think the most useful part of it is to scare oneself. It would be rather difficult to scare others. There is barely any cultivator that could be scared by this.”

Song Jue laughed. “Which cultivator doesn’t rise from mountains of dead bodies? Which cultivator hasn’t live through life and death? Who would care about such a stupid thing?”

Ye Xiao wanted to argue, but he didn’t know how to. When he saw those ghosts, he was scared for real. He knew cultivators would never believe something that they had never really seen, since they were all brave and confident. He knew the truth, but he couldn’t argue for it.

“You. You surely won’t be scared by that!” Song Jue’s eyes lit up, and suddenly, he shouted loudly, “AH…! GHOST!!”

And then his face was full of disdain. “I think this would describe how one is scared, right? Were you scared? I take it as a no?”

“AHHH…” Bing-Er exclaimed, “GHOST…!!” She trembled as her chopsticks fell to the floor. She was quivering with her face turning pale…

That shout from Song Jue was scary after all.

Even Ye Xiao had goosebumps hearing it, let alone a girl who was only mentally twelve years old. He wasn’t scared by ghost. Of course, he was scared by the shout of Song Jue itself.

That was even worse than ghosts.

Bing-Er got into Ye Xiao’s arms and she was still trembling. Ye Xiao held her trembling body and looked at Song Jue with anger. “Uncle Song, the ghost didn’t scare anybody. The way you shouted did…”

Song Jue turned a green face, “Cough… My bad. I forgot she is just a little girl. Sorry, girl. I didn’t mean to scare you…”

Bing-Er kept her head on Ye Xiao’s chest and nodded to show understanding. She didn’t let go of Ye Xiao though. She was still holding him. Apparently, she was still scared.

Song Jue seemed to be embarrassed, so he coughed. He tried to find a topic to go on, “In fact, ghosts are just some dead people. We don’t fear them when they were alive. We will chop them in pieces if they dare to mess with us. Since they are dead, what do we fear them for?”

While he was speaking, he became assured and bold like he held justice. “Girl, you have been cultivating with your Brother Xiao for some days. I heard that you improved a lot. Why are you still so timid. I truly don’t understand what you are afraid of…”

Bing-Er said, trembling with a pale face, “I… I am afraid… of ghosts the most…”

Ye Xiao felt disappointed, but he still confidently said, “Truth proves me right. It does have potentials. The way to use it should be improved. That is all. Everything is useful. We just need to find out how!”

Song Jue humphed. “Useful how? It is only allowing people to see ghosts. How is that useful? Can you capture those ghosts for further use?… Ah. Xiao Xiao, why are you asking these questions? Look how you argued for it. You don’t have such a skill, do you? Maybe, you actually are able to… see those things?”

Bing-Er exclaimed again. She looked at Ye Xiao with a scared look. She wouldn’t dare to get close to Ye Xiao if he told her that he could truly see the ghosts.

Ye Xiao was speechless. He knew if he told them the truth, they might leave him, so he said in a deep voice, “Uncle Song, you are making a nonsensical guess. How can I have that skill? Besides, you watch me grow up. How come you don’t know I have such skill if I really do? You said it only happens on kids yourself. Am I a kid to you?”

Song Jue felt relieved. “That is reasonable. I know you don’t have that sharp eyes. Maybe you could if time went back a dozen years ago…”

Bing-Er felt relieved to hear what Song Jue just said. She kept tapping her chest.

“I am saying that I feel such skill may be useful. It may not be totally useless…” Ye Xiao said. Suddenly, he was enlightened. He realized something Song Jue just said might be useful.

“What did you say, Uncle Song?” Ye Xiao hurriedly asked.

“Ah? What?” Song Jue kept his eyes opened widely.

“I said, what did you say?” Ye Xiao asked again.

“What did I say? I said I know you don’t have such sharp eyes! Is that it?” Song Jue asked. He was not sure.

“No. Before that.” Ye Xiao was anxious.

“Ah? What did I say before that? Let me see…” Song Jue was frustrated. “What did I say exactly?”

Ye Xiao stomped. He wished he could tear out Song Jue’s brain to help him think.

Bing-Er raised her head from Ye Xiao’s chest and fearfully said, “Hmmm… Uncle Song said, ‘It is only allowing people to see ghosts. How is that useful? Can you capture those ghosts for further use?’ … Is this it?”

“Correct! That is it! There it is!” Ye Xiao was delighted and he laughed. He held Bing-Er’s face and kissed on her cheek heavily. What a pretty face. He was so happy. He said, laughing, “My Bing-Er is the smart one. That is it! That is what you said!”

Bing-Er was kissed all of a sudden. She felt her heart stop beating, and she looked terribly embarrassed. She shouted gently and then hid her face on Ye Xiao’s chest.

“Obscene!” Song Jue disdainfully spoke, “You actually took advantage of her… Hmmm. Why is it so special though?”

“You actually did it in front of an old man. Men are not what they were in the times of long ago. What a moral degeneration!”

Song Jue murmured and got up in an attempt to leave. “Fine. I have had enough food for dinner. I should leave… Even if I am not full, I have had enough for such disgust. I might throw up if I stay here longer. Foods are hard-earned. I better save some…”

Then he just disappeared.

Ye Xiao twisted his lips. [Since when did Uncle Song, who has a full mouth of dirty words, tell me to behave. What is that ‘Foods are hard-earned’ stuff? What?] He wanted to explain though, but he decided not to after thinking about it.

He could never explain it well after all!

Holding Bing-Er’s soft body, Ye Xiao was thinking, [Instead of discussing with Uncle Song about such things, I should probably discuss with Bing-Er… He was acting weird, and he gave me no practical suggestions. If he tells me more about those moralistic things, I will throw up, not him…]

…