Chapter 28: The Patriarch’s Oddness

“Dispel the blood-soaked resentment?”

Ye Yuan swept his eyes up and down Bai Yu, face full of You really came to bother me with this trivial thing?

“P-Patriarch…” Bai Yu swallowed hard and forced himself to explain.

“That female ghost, Su Niang, still has a shred of reason left — she’s just consumed by hatred and can’t enter the underworld. If we can purge the blood-miasma, she’ll regain clarity. Her grudge against me and the girl will fade, and she can find the Yellow Springs on her own. No need to open the underworld gate again.”

It was a neat plan — but someone refused to cooperate.

“No.”

Ye Yuan rejected him flatly.

“Eh? Why not?” Bai Yu gaped. The Patriarch had given talismans so readily before!

Ye Yuan’s brows tightened, clearly annoyed by such stupidity. After a long beat he said only,

“She’s a female ghost.”

“…So…?” Bai Yu blinked. What was special about female ghosts?

Ye Yuan’s frown deepened. A flash of irritation passed through his eyes.

“Utterly foolish! Clear Sun disciples grow weaker every generation.”

His look scolded not only Bai Yu but a hundred generations of useless successors.

“…” Bai Yu stood dumbfounded. What did I do this time? Patriarch, speak plainly!

“Patriarch—” Bai Yu tried again, but Yun Jiao quickly tugged him aside.

She stepped forward — and the mighty, disdainful Patriarch suddenly stiffened and shuffled back, like he might dive straight back into his spirit tablet for safety.

“…”

Yun Jiao had to halt mid-stride. Keeping her tone serious, she reasoned,

“Patriarch, this ghost hates us deeply. She’d just taken revenge when she became tainted by blood resentment, and we happened to cross her path then. The hatred magnified until it became absolute.”

“That’s why she’s been hunting us nonstop. We didn’t have some ancient feud — we just met at the worst moment. A tiny grudge, under blood miasma, turned into a hundredfold vendetta.”

“If we don’t ferry her soon, it’s dangerous. Yes, with you here we’re safe. But we can’t stay in the temple forever. For example, this morning we only meant to go buy food… to make some chicken soup.”

Chicken soup.

(⊙▽⊙)

Ye Yuan paused; his eyes lit up. His expression wavered — but he quickly looked away, face set in solemn You can’t bribe me with broth resolve.

“Nonsense. These are the sect rules. I said no, so no.”

He was definitely not giving in for soup.

“Tomorrow’s soup too,” Yun Jiao added.

The Patriarch’s fingers twitched; his frown deepened. Still he kept a cold face.

“Your talk is useless. Withdraw.”

“Day after tomorrow as well.”

“…” Hold it together!

“A full week. Seven days straight. Or never mind.”

Swish! Ye Yuan’s head snapped around, eyes locking on Bai Yu with righteous solemnity.

“Where is the ghost?”

Bai Yu: “…”

Yun Jiao: “…”

When they didn’t answer fast enough, Ye Yuan moved himself. With one flick, the soul-seal talisman floated from Bai Yu’s robes. A moment later, Su Niang’s spirit stood before them again — red dress, terrifying visage, struggling against the seal’s hold.

Ye Yuan merely lifted a finger to her forehead. In an instant the blood-soaked miasma shredded and vanished. Her horrific form peeled away like cracked paint: ruined flesh smoothed, gore-stained red turned to simple white robes embroidered with tiny flowers. A gentle, pretty young woman of about twenty stood blinking, dazed and harmless.

Her mind cleared; she touched her head in confusion.

“I… where am I…?”

“The blood miasma’s really gone!” Bai Yu blurted, then hurried to flatter.

“As expected of the Patriarch — effortless!”

“Blood miasma…” Su Niang murmured, still lost. Hearing Bai Yu’s voice, she instinctively looked forward — and met Ye Yuan’s face.

She jolted as if thunderstruck. Eyes widened; that fragile clarity wavered into infatuation. A faint blush crept over her pallid cheeks. Her lips trembled; when she spoke her voice was gentle and sweet enough to drip water.

“Sir, you saved—”

“You may leave.”

Ye Yuan’s brow furrowed; irritation flashed. Before she could finish, he flicked his sleeve and instantly summoned the underworld gate.

“No! Sir, I haven’t—”

Her face went white with fear and despair. “No, I don’t want to reincarnate—!”

She reached toward him, but the black void swallowed her whole. She barely managed, “Please, I’m will—” before the gate snapped shut. Gone.

Ye Yuan’s movements were lightning-fast. In less than half a minute he had purged the miasma and personally tossed her into the afterlife. Job done, no fuss. He even scowled at the spot where she’d stood, stepped back in distaste, then traced a water-cleansing sigil to wash the floor — disgust obvious, as if she’d been some contagious plague.

Before the stunned pair could react, Ye Yuan looked up and solemnly instructed,

“You may descend the mountain.”

(And don’t forget the promised chicken soup!)

o(︶︿︶)o

Then he swept his sleeve and shooed them out of the tower.

Yun Jiao & Bai Yu: “…”

Staring at the firmly closed door, Yun Jiao’s earlier suspicion crept back. Remembering his blatant aversion to the female ghost — and how he’d been skittish around her these days — and that Bai Yu had once mentioned the sect had no female disciples for a hundred generations…

Could their Patriarch… actually be gay?!

(⊙_⊙)

---

Achoo!

High atop the tower, the man who hadn’t caught a cold in ten thousand years suddenly sneezed.

…What was that?

Hmm. Must be that female ghost trying to hex him.

See — the idiot disciples are right: women really are terrifying, impossible to guard against!

But…

This little new disciple… seems a bit different.

(End of this chapter)