A Flower Of Youth

Chapter 10

IM NOT DEAD Y'ALL ANYWAYS, HERE IS THE NEW CHAPTER

"A case of restless ghosts in Yiling. Jingyi, Sizhui, Xiying will come with me," the leading senior disciple, Lan Ping instructs. "The rest will go with Lan Hai."

The disciples follow their respective leaders and split off into two separate groups.

"Isn't Yiling where the Yiling Patriarch lived?" Xiying whispers loudly.

"Gee, I wonder where he got that title from," Jingyi replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes but he looks away when Lan Ping glares behind him.

"A-are we going anywhere near the Burial Mounds?" Sizhui asks.

"No, of course not," Lan Ping says curtly. "We're forbidden from going near there. The former Chief Cultivator has put out that order for many years and the current one has continued it. The only people who are allowed are the sect leaders because they check to make sure the arrays are reinforced."

"And to check if the Yiling Patriarch is really dead?" Jingyi adds. Sizhui winces silently, remembering what Hanguang-jun had told him.

"They never found his body. None of the sects did," Lan Ping replies. "He may or may not be dead but if he isn't and he does return, the whole cultivation will be thrown into chaos again."

"I still think it'd be cool to meet him!"

"Doesn't he capture naughty children and eat them?" A disciple calls out.

"Eat them?" Jingyi sputters. "But he's a human being!"

"No, he's a demon!"

"Have you ever seen what he looks like? How would you know?"

"He was Sect leader Jiang's former shixiong. The Jiang Sect raised him. He is human," Sizhui says calmly.

"No bickering," Lan Ping says sternly. "As I've said, we won't be going anywhere near the Burial Mounds. Not even for studying purposes. It's much too dangerous for inexperienced juniors such as yourselves. Even I wouldn't go near it. Let's just keep moving."

It doesn't take long before they arrive at the village. Whoever these ghosts were, they were extremely hostile. Sizhui frowns deeply at the smell of thick blood in the air. Nobody had come to greet them. The streets were empty and the doors of every house were shut tight. The only movement that implies there are any signs of life here is the swift peeking of heads of curtains from the houses.

"People are afraid," Sizhui murmurs half to himself. "Just how malevolent are these ghosts?"

"The village just got built recently...and it's near Qiongqi Path. Maybe that is related to it,"Jingyi suggests.

"Maybe..."

"This is a good time to test out your Inquiry skills." Lan Ping tells them. "Make sure you have a partner with you. Since there are three of you, there should be no problem."

"Which one of us should play?"

"Sizhui can do it. He's the oldest here," Jingyi says.

"Okay," Sizhui agrees. They find a quiet place near the village and sit down. Sizhui takes out his guqin and starts playing the notes to Inquiry, trying his best to get in contact with the spirits nearby. After a few minutes more of concentration, something responds to him.

"What is your name?"

"Li Yushen."

"How did you die?"