NOVEL WEB Chapter 25.5: Bonus Scene – Retrieval
The night was dark and dreary, the atmosphere in the cemetery feeling especially ominous and sinister. Wispy grey clouds drifted hazily over the moon, shading the earth underneath and deepening the eerie gloom.
In the cemetery below, tombstones thrust out of the ground like rotten teeth, blackened and crumbling. Somewhere within these cemetery grounds, sitting relaxedly on one of the headstones, was a figure clothed in a dark blue robe. Held in his fingers that were tipped with thick, sharp claws was an ivory flute, shining lightly with an unearthly sheen. This flute was made of an elusive material called bone pearl and was a one-of-a-kind treasure that was long since thought to be lost to the world.
The figure of the blue-robed man slowly lifted the instrument to his smiling lips. Holding the flute vertically, his hands were poised with grace over the finger holes as he blew a gentle breath into the mouthpiece.
A shrill tune suddenly pierced the air, then faded into an undulating rhythm. The notes flowed continuously, winding higher and higher before the sharp tune gradually sloped down into a rich melody. As the music went on, the flute song grew chaotic and sharp, and yet it held a strange melancholy sadness within, as if it were a dirge being played to mourn the loss of dearly departed loved ones.
As the fluid yet jagged notes flowed over the cemetery, the people keeping watch outside shuddered in dismay.
Oh gods, it had begun again!
As the music continued pouring forth, vague, misty shadows seemed to gather in the cemetery. The shadows all shambled towards the direction of the tune with slow and unsteady steps.
Seeing their cemetery infested with these things once again, the townspeople felt chilled in their hearts. Though these strange apparitions hadn’t caused harm yet, who knew how long that would last. Thankfully, their town chief had already called the Drifting Clouds Sect to deal with the issue. And as one of the Five Great Sects, there was no one more trustworthy or dependable than them, especially when it came to haunting music such as this that called forth ghostly specters. Now all that was left was to keep watch until the sect’s disciples arrived.
Fortunately, they weren’t kept waiting for long.
Cultivators in pure white robes soon appeared, their deportment serene and peaceful despite the eerie scene that lay before them.
But although that’s how they seemed on the outside, many of the newer disciples were already shaking with fear in their hearts. Because though the mortals only saw vague, misty shadows, what the cultivators saw was far more defined and detailed, and those details were really quite nightmare-inducing.
The shadows were in fact ghosts, all their faces stretched in a wide, happy smile.
Some staggered forward, others floated, while those without legs crawled slowly towards the music. The ones with missing limbs had their heads and other severed body parts clutched in their hands as they continued onward.
One of the ghosts’ head was hanging from his neck, barely connected to the stump by a finger’s width of tissue and flopping grotesquely every time he took a step. Another ghost held her chopped off arm in her other hand, yet another had his eyeballs dangling from his caved-in head…
In short, the disciples were completely justified in their terror.
The stream of mutilated and misshapen ghosts gradually made their way towards the blue-robed young man who was still playing his flute.
Seeing the ghosts gathering around him, the young man smiled charmingly and finally stopped playing. In a kind voice, he asked, “Did you all enjoy today’s performance?”
The ghosts all nodded, smiles still on their faces.
Not caring about their gruesome appearances, the young man clapped once happily. “That’s good then. I’ll come back a few months later and play some more for you.”
The ghosts all looked visibly more joyful, which only made them appear creepier to the watching disciples.
To show their gratitude, the cheerful group of ghosts slowly approached closer to the young man, each wanting to give him a gift.
The first was the woman with the chopped off arm. She gave him her severed appendage, and the young man solemnly accepted it while saying, “Thank you, it is much appreciated.”
The arm slowly dissolved into grey fog that was then absorbed into the young man’s body.
One by one, the other ghosts also followed suit, gifting him an eyeball here, a finger there, and all these random body parts turned to smog and disappeared into the blue-robed young man’s body.
Once all the ghosts had paid their tributes, they dispersed with pleased expressions on their faces.
It was only after this that the disciples of the Drifting Clouds Sect dared enter the cemetery, led at the front by the head disciple of the sect master, An YaLing.
An YaLing directly made for his junior brother. “Yingzi, how are you?”
Seeing his senior brother approaching with quick strides and a worried frown on his face, the dark-blue-robed young man, Li Yingzi, gracefully got down from the headstone he was using as his seat and straightened himself up.
In a low and melodious voice, he replied, “Senior Brother, I’m well. I had a good harvest of yin energy tonight, enough to last me a couple of months at least.”
Sighing, An YaLing reprimanded him softly in a pleasant and clear voice, “If you lacked yin energy, why didn’t you come to me? I would have taken you somewhere with abundant yin energy and let you absorb it to your heart’s content.”
Li Yingzi smiled brightly. “How could I trouble Senior Brother for something like this? Also, I quite enjoy playing for the unearthly ones.”
An YaLing shook his head with amusement. “Though I know you have a soft spot for ghostly spirits, I am sure that it isn’t the only reason you do this so regularly. Admit it, you also take great pleasure in frightening the poor townsfolk, don’t you?”
Not denying it, Li Yingzi laughed brashly, a wide grin settling on his handsome features. “Senior Brother knows me well.”
Moving closer, Li Yingzi brazenly wound an arm around his senior brother’s waist and settled his head on his shoulder as they began walking back to the sect, the other disciples following behind in silence. They were already used to this scene by now.
Looking at the head of disheveled hair resting on his shoulder, An YaLing scolded lightly, “Did you forget to brush your hair again? And what about your nails? Since they grow too fast, it’s better to keep them trimmed or you might hurt yourself with them.”
Li Yingzi’s eyes grew warm. “Then I will have to trouble Senior Brother as always.”
Chuckling, An YaLing shook his head helplessly. “Oh, what am I going to do with you. Alright, let’s see to it after we get back.”
Li Yingzi nodded happily, his heart full of contentment.
One day, he would completely have this person, but not yet. For now, he was satisfied with this much.
Not knowing the direction of his junior brother’s thoughts, An YaLing observed, “Oh, I just noticed, but you seem to have grown taller again. Yingzi, at this rate your height will soon surpass mine and I’ll have to be the one borrowing your shoulder to lean on then.”
Laughing, Li Yingzi spoke, “If Senior Brother wishes, I will gladly lend you anything of mine.”
“Oh, you sweet-talker.” An YaLing flicked Li Yingzi’s forehead playfully. His junior brother seemed to be getting more and more mischievous as the days passed, but An YaLing found that he quite liked it.
Cheerfully chatting in this way, the two martial brothers slowly made their way back, the rest of the disciples quietly trailing behind them.
And thus, the mission to retrieve the troublesome Second Martial Brother Li Yingzi from yet another cemetery was completed successfully.
