Chapter 142: In the Unmarked Cemetery
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Shangguan Lingxiu’s face was pale was fright but she was adamant on seeing this through.
Compared to her six nephews, her fear of this unmarked cemetery was even more intense.
No matter how much of a heroic bearing she had or how much tougher she was, Shangguan Lingxiu was still a girl. Facing the bellowing autumn wind around her and the mice that scampered from the bushes, any slight movement was enough to make her shake. As a girl, no matter how much of a tough front she had put up, her timid nature could never be changed.
Yet humans were odd like this; the more timid one was, the more one would not close their eyes and the more they would take note of any movement around them, frightening themselves even more.
Rustling noises drifted over as Shangguan Lingxiu"s eyes widened in fear, watching as a tiny round thing stalked towards her from the bush while her body remained frozen.
Her small mouth was agape, her delicate face drained of color.
The dark shape was approaching; her breath quickened while her hands clung to the material on her chest in a tight grip as she came close to fainting.
Finally… a porcupine emerged from the bushes.
Shangguan Lingxiu heaved in relief, patting her chest; the porcupine before her eyes was so much more adorable in comparison to the mice.
It was at about this point that she clearly heard a long sigh come from her side.
Gooseb.u.mps erupted through her entire body, she knew that she had not heard it wrongly.
There was indeed… something… that had sighed beside her ear.
This was an unmarked cemetery, who else could be sighing here in the dead of the night?
Shangguan Lingxiu was terribly close to breaking down in hysteria.
She stood up nervously and felt herself drenched in cold sweat yet she was determined to check on her six nephews. Certain that her nephews were safe upon hearing their punches, she felt more a.s.sured, the fear diminis.h.i.+ng at once.
However, another sigh rang beside her ear.
The nightmare was here once more as Shangguan Lingxiu gave a gasp of surprise and jumped up high, feeling herself melting into a puddle. "You… w – who a – are… a – are you…?"
Her teeth were clattering, her speech incoherent.
She then heard an unhurried voice mutter behind her, "What is this for?"
It spoke!
The ghost had spoken!
There was really a ghost!
Shangguan Lingxiu jumped some eighty feet into the air and turned around to see a black shadow standing at the tombstone where she had hidden herself.
The black shadow looked foggy and intangible as if the body was continuously morphing into new shapes under the dark nightfall.
"Ghost… Ghost… There’s r – really a ghost…" Shangguan Lingxiu was still hanging in midair, forgetting to guide her mystical Qi in panic and was falling down like a weight from the air.
She was some eighty feet high though. If she were to fall, she would definitely bear some serious injuries!
The silhouette by the tombstone sighed. It s.h.i.+fted and caught Shangguan Lingxiu accurately in its embrace.
If the silhouette had not caught her, this hero of the Shangguan Family of Generals could have been critically injured, if she did not die outright.
Not many people would forget to direct their flow of mystical Qi while hanging so high in midair.
"Let me go!" Shangguan Lingxiu screamed instinctively. Terrified, she used the hidden skill of a female without hesitation.
"Calm down, it"s just me." Yun Yang rubbed his nose helplessly.
With just this little bit of bravery and she could actually bring six children to train in the unmarked cemetery.
He was absolutely speechless.
The six children were not even that frightened yet the one bringing them here was traumatized through and through.
"It’s…" Shangguan Lingxiu kicked about in Yun Yang’s arms with her eyes tightly shut before opening them upon realizing that the voice was familiar. What greeted her eyes was an exasperated handsome face whose hair she had pulled into an unkempt mess, wearing a helpless expression and staring back at her.
Who else could it be if it was not Yun Yang in front of her!
"It’s you!" Shangguan Lingxiu felt her spirits coming back at once as blood returned to her face. Replacing the fear was an icy coldness. "Put me down at once!"
Yun Yang dropped the woman without a word.
Shangguan Lingxiu picked herself up and dusted herself off with a fl.u.s.tered face but asked in a hard voice, "Why are you here?"
"I had no choice…" Yun Yang shrugged. "I was going home after drinking and saw you bringing six children here. I was that bit curious and wanted to see what you were up to… It"s hard to imagine that you actually brought me right into an unmarked cemetery."
"Furthermore, you’re not leaving after entering the cemetery, you wanted to stay the night here." Yun Yang patted his chest. "I, for one, am truly frightened."
Shangguan Lingxiu wore a flushed face. "You’ve been watching us all this while?"
"I was curious." Yun Yang replied, "Sister Lingxiu is really the hero among women who are no less superior to men. Young brother is utterly and whole-heartedly impressed with your courage. Sister Lingxiu is utterly deserving of my admiration!"
Shangguan Lingxiu flushed red hot and suddenly unsheathed her sword with a ‘zing’. She shouted furiously in embarra.s.sment, "Yun Yang, I have long heard that your mystical skill is amazing and famous across Yutang. Come, come, let us have a friendly match."
The corners of Yun Yang’s lips twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt. Since when have you heard that my mystical skill is amazing? Famous across Yutang at that too… why didn’t I know I enjoyed such fame?
You’re obviously angry and embarra.s.sed that I’ve witnessed you being a coward and just wish to vent your frustration.
Although Yun Yang felt sympathetic, he had no intention of being a punching bag right now.
"Hold on, I know you’ve gone to great lengths, Sister Lingxiu." Yun Yang said, "But I see this as destructive enthusiasm, your impatience won"t do us any good."
Shangguan Lingxiu sighed softly. "How could I not know that haste makes waste? But it’s better than not doing anything. Urging their growth could at least make them grow the tiniest amount, their enemy might not give them time to even mature."
Yun Yang was stunned, the cogs turning in his head. He suddenly realized that Shangguan Lingxiu’s words made great sense.
The six children had heard of the commotion by now and had run over to see what was transpiring.
Seeing that there was another silhouette standing beside their aunt, six tiny bodies charged over with a shout and formed a short human wall in front of Shangguan Lingxiu; six pairs of eyes glared at Yun Yang as they said simultaneously, "Don’t bully my aunt!"
"Bad man!"
Yun Yang’s interest was piqued. "Your aunt has brought you all here to intentionally torture you. Why are you all protecting her?"
The eldest of the bunch raised his chin high in reply, "Aunty is training us, her intention is to drill us and give us more abilities to win on the battlefield. This is the Shangguan Family of Generals’ business, what does it have to do with you? We’re the Shangguan Family of Generals’ men, it is our responsibility to protect girls! Bad man, you better leave quickly and we’ll forgive you. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise? What would you dare to do?" Yun Yang was amused and continued to bait the child.
Shangguan Lingxiu felt her eyes sting, the surging warmth in her heart almost breaking her barrier; she pressed it down and said with a straight face, "What do you six rascals know? This is your Uncle Yun, he is aunty’s friend. Go, quickly practice your skills."
The children were surprised.
The eldest of the children said naively, "Uncle Yun? I’ve never heard of him, is he going to be aunty’s husband?"
Shangguan Lingxiu was enraged, "If you children don’t go back to practice, I’ll…"
Before she could finish her words, the six children had disappeared into thin air.
Looking at Shangguan Lingxiu’s abashed state, Yun Yang felt genuinely amused as he said, "Children"s words carry no harm. Sister Lingxiu, you need not worry about it."
Shangguan Lingxiu scoffed and said, "You still haven’t told me what were you doing, following me around like that."
Yun Yang replied, "I didn’t follow you. Today’s meeting was really just a coincidence."
Seeing that Shangguan Lingxiu was about to explode, with her eyebrows turning up, Yun Yang laughed and said, "Actually, I just didn’t have the heart to watch. Perhaps there is still some benefit to training them like this in the short term but in longer terms, you might destroy the cultivation journeys of these martial geniuses. Such unsophisticated training is never the way to go, definitely not the path of a cultivator!"
Shangguan Lingxiu looked at him quietly without speaking.
Yun Yang continued, "Before Ling Xiaozui left, he gave me a mystical Qi cultivation manual called the Triple Threat Cultivation Skill. After studying it, I realized that it’s not suitable for my physique despite the exceptional information contained within."
Shangguan Lingxiu’s gaze radiated heat.
A mystical skill left by Ling Xiaozui! Just this one was enough, more than enough.
Of course, Yun Yang did not have anything left by Ling Xiaozui. What he had was sixth brother Supreme Thunder’s commonplace cultivation skill other than his Thunder Crash Spell.
Yun Yang was not simply being courteous. The cultivation skill was indeed not suited for him. Besides, thinking of Supreme Thunder saying that the Bound of Universe where he came from seemed to be extraordinary, this Triple Threat Cultivation Skill should have its own charm, despite its common-sounding name.
In addition, he had been moved by the Shangguan Family of Generals.
Yun Yang took out the Triple Threat Cultivation Manual and pa.s.sed it over to Shangguan Lingxiu, yet the lady took a step back and glanced at it nervously. She rubbed her hands together excitedly and said, "Is… is this acceptable? This was given to you by Master Ling. Is it really alright that you just give it away like this?"
Yun Yang was certainly amused. This girl before him obviously wanted the manual in his hand very much. If he really took it back, she might just rush forward and s.n.a.t.c.h it from him yet she was being impeccably courteous. It was, somehow, adorable. He could not help smiling and said, "It’s alright, I can guarantee it. Besides, Ling Xiaozui knows that my physique is not suited for this, but still left this cultivation skill to me. He obviously knew what he was doing."
Shangguan Lingxiu hummed and carefully reached for the Triple Threat Cultivation Skill.
She then flipped the pages and started to read.
As she advanced further into the manual, she grew increasingly delighted and shocked, all at once!