Ghost Bridegroom

Chapter 16 Part 2: “Wife, you smiled!”

Perhaps Ling Sui Daoren’s expression had looked too helpless. The moment Mo Pan saw him, he immediately carried over a plate filled with a black, unknown substance before comforting, “Master, don’t worry. We still have peanuts!”

Lifting his head to look at Mo Pan, Ling Sui Daoren immediately felt his hair whiten a bit more. 

This disciple of his ah, he really went and stir-fried ten plates of peanuts. Mo Pan, did you forget your Master has already fasted for a hundred years already……?

Sigh, he even fried everything into charcoal……

It seemed like the future of their Sky Master Mansion was also quite worrisome.

On one side, Ling Sui Daoren was lamenting his disciple’s ability (or lack thereof) to read the atmosphere. But as Mo Pan watched Bi Qianren leave, his expression turned a bit confused.

In his understanding, demonic cultivators were existences that endangered the common people. Thus, their key task as righteous cultivators should be to protect the world from demonic cultivators.

Just like how flowers were flowers and grass was grass, demonic cultivators were demonic cultivators. Everything ought to have their own, never-changing place in the world, like a constant.

But this Major Protector of the demonic way was very different from what was written in the books. Although he was a bit strange, it seemed as if he couldn’t be considered as some kind of evil person.

This was a matter that challenged the still-young teenager’s understanding of the world. Mo Pan could only ask his elder for advice, “Master, the Major Protector of the demonic way doesn’t seem to be as scary as the rumors say.”

Not expecting his disciple to say something like this, Ling Sui Daoren rubbed the horsetail whisk between his arms. Only now, did he suddenly realize that in what seemed to be the blink of an eye for him, his little disciple has already reached the age where he should go travel the jianghu for experience.

With a light sigh, Ling Sui Daoren replied, “One’s enemies might not necessarily be bad people. The people of our righteous way might not be good people either. Black and white being too distinct may not be a good thing. Once you truly understand these principles, you will be close to forming your Nascent Soul.”

The youth’s expression looked as if he had only half understood, but Ling Sui Daoren hadn’t been hoping Mo Pan would suddenly achieve enlightenment. He merely continued casually, “But for now, finish eating all ten plates of these peanuts, and then return to your seclusion for curfew.”

What was right, what was wrong⁠—these were things Mo Pan was still confused about. But this didn’t affect the way he stared at those ten plates of charred peanuts, crying without tears.

He immediately wailed, “Master, I’m wrong! I’ll never sneak out during curfew again! Please, can I not eat these peanuts?”

Of course, what Mo Pan harvested was only his Master’s loving words, “Of course—not. This master is just teaching you an important lesson: the disasters you create must be fixed by yourself. Don’t always hope for your elders to help you.”

On one side, a pair of master and disciple were discussing life in a harmonious manner. Zhuge Qingtian, who had returned to their room, was also energetically filling a table with many dishes.

Immediately after he was done, the ghost stared at Bi Qianren with expectation. “Wife, quickly come and try my craftsmanship!”

Perhaps it was because he finally visited the kitchen—a place filled with life—after so long, it seemed as if Zhuge Qingtian felt a bit like he was actually living. Right now, he looked distinctly more spirited than before. 

Glancing at him, Bi Qianren’s expression didn’t change. He merely patted the chair beside him before casually saying, “Sit here.”

Although he didn’t know what Qianren wanted to do, Zhuge Qingtian still sat down obediently. Then, he watched the demonic cultivator fish out a yellow Spirit Communication Seal before sticking it on him.

As a ghost, Zhuge Qingtian was always on guard against seals and charms like this. He subconsciously became a bit nervous, but he still controlled his resentment and made sure to not resist.

The ghost was just about to ask what the seal was for when he saw Bi Qianren clip a bite of vegetables with his chopsticks and eat it.

Immediately after, the fragrance of cabbage appeared in Zhuge Qingtian’s own mouth. This was the flavour of food, something he hadn’t experienced ever since he had died.

“This……this is……why would I……”

Zhuge Qingtian had already died for too long. His memories of the taste of food had long become fuzzy and indistinct. Now that he was suddenly able to experience it again, he didn’t know what he could say. The ghost could only stare at Bi Qianren with shock.

Since the Sky Master Mansion was responsible for restraining ghosts, they naturally had ways to communicate with them. Originally, Bi Qianren only remembered that they had Spirit Communication Seals which would allow ghosts to share the user’s senses, so he casually asked Ling Sui Daoren for a few to use. He hadn’t expected Zhuge Qingtian’s reaction to be this big. 

For the moment, he could only reply calmly, “A seal the Sky Master Mansion uses to communicate with spirits. The old Daoist forcibly stuffed me with some.”

Bi Qianren didn’t know how desolate the world would become after a person—who was trying their best to live—dies. 

For Zhuge Qingtian, his memories of happiness were very simple. It was enough for him to have simple meals and a warm quilt at night.

But after he died, he lost all his senses toward the world. Even this kind of happiness, as normal as grass, was something he could never experience again.

As a ghost, Zhuge Qingtian couldn’t smell anything. And even if he clutched something tightly, he wouldn’t be able to feel it. 

It was like the entire world was telling him——you have already died, so it is time for you to leave.

But Zhuge Qingtian was just incapable of entering the cycle of reincarnation. Thus, from beginning to end, he could only stay in the burial mounds by himself, watching living people from distant lands walk past him with envy.

These people had a bright future, something he had long lost.

Now, he finally recovered some feelings he had while he was still alive. But he wasn’t only happy because of the taste in his mouth. In fact, he was happier because there was finally someone who was able to see him, who would do something for him. 

From the moment Zhuge Qingtian opened his eyes and met the gaze of this black-clothed man, he was no longer a lonely ghost guarding the burial mounds.

Even though Zhuge Qingtian wasn’t a reserved person, at this moment, he actually didn’t know what to say to express his happiness. Just like before, he could only say to the demonic cultivator with excitement, “Wife, I want to marry you! Right now! Immediately!”

The ghost kept blathering about the wedding ceremony everyday. But in reality, he had never thought Bi Qianren would agree.

But today, for unknown reasons, Zhuge Qingtian suddenly had a vague thought—

Even if he couldn’t enter the cycle of reincarnation, staying together with the person in front of him forever didn’t seem to be that bad either.

However, before he had the time to carefully ponder what this thought meant, Qianren already shot him an expressionless look. Following that, Zhuge Qingtian only felt his mouth numb. He immediately had no time to care about anything else.

Covering his mouth, Zhuge Qingtian cried, “Numb! So numb! Wife, are you really human? You can actually eat Sichuan peppers without any reaction!”

With satisfaction, Bi Qianren watched the ghost quickly carry over a cup of tea before anxiously waiting for him to drink it. Successfully making Zhuge Qingtian shut up for the first time immediately made Qianren’s mood extremely good. 

With the corner of his mouth unconsciously rising, the demonic cultivator drank the tea. In his heart, he secretly thought, “This seal is pretty good. He should bring a few along.”

Bi Qianren’s fortitude had always been good. Even though Zhuge Qingtian had been shocked by the sheer spiciness and could only stick out his tongue, Qianren looked as if nothing had happened. The ghost could only give the demonic cultivator a look like he was seeing a revered god. 

But this single glance of his was just in time for Zhuge Qingtian to see Bi Qianren’s fleeting smile.

The slight smile of this cold person—who appeared as if he had no emotions at all—felt like the second month’s spring breeze as it swept over the newly grown greenery. 

Within the slight coolness was a soft warmth. In this split second, Zhuge Qingtian only knew—

From that vague smile, he saw the endless drizzle of rain and the unfolding clouds that faced the wind. In addition, there was the melting ice and snow, and the resulting babble of spring water that flowed out of the depths of one’s soul.　　

Staring blankly at Bi Qianren, Zhuge Qingtian subconsciously opened his mouth to say, “Wife, you……you smiled!”

“Your vision must have blurred.”

The moment he said this, Bi Qianren immediately restored his former icy expression. Shooting the ghost a glance, his chopsticks began reaching toward the spicy dish again. 

This scared Zhuge Qingtian into quickly hugging his arm, immediately begging for forgiveness, “No, no, I was wrong! Put down the Sichuan pepper! As long as you don’t eat the pepper, anything can be negotiated!”

With lingering fears, the ghost finally saw Bi Qianren abandon the idea of mutual destruction via Sichuan pepper to subdue him. Only then did Zhuge Qingtian let out a sigh of relief.

However, he secretly shot the black-clothed man’s icy face a look. In his heart, Zhuge Qingtian couldn’t help but think—

Although this person doesn’t have many expressions, when he truly smiled, he made people feel unexpected tenderness ah.