The Restless Spirit's Father

Right now, he was being subjected to it again. Unlike other disciples, he didn"t fear it. The more he went under the talons of the Purification Hall, the more he felt less and less burdened by his family name. Then again, he didn"t want to go under it for the wrong reasons.

In a side hall, he had to strip and put on a ceremonial robe for the purification. Even if the whip wouldn"t rip the fabric apart, it would still leave marks on his back. During purification, the sinners were whipped until they confessed their crimes. The more they deny it, the stronger the pain would radiate in their bodies.

Li Feng didn"t know why she said he had gone to the forbidden shrine. What was it after all? It was the shrine where Mian Tianyu sealed a rather violent and ominous demon. He couldn"t kill it even with the help of his sister"s tricks; however, he had sealed it. Its power had also dissipated after the years had gone by. Although the demon couldn"t be felt anymore, the miasma it left was still concentrated.

Mian Tianni waited for him to stand in the middle and kneel in the foot-deep water. She was now in her ceremonial outfit to perform purification. Even if Mian Bingbing begged to have someone else do it, Mian Tianni didn"t agree. Li Feng only saw his mother standing as the a.s.sistant next to everyone"s master. His head was lowered again, hiding his confused face from the household members that came to witness.

"Master Tianni just returned, and she already caught someone. She"s really omnipotent!"

"Tch, this willful young master of the Li family broke a rule as big as this? Who does he think he is?"

"Young Master Feng actually went to the forbidden shrine? I thought he was staying home all this time?"

There were whispers all around him. Li Feng only sucked it up before Mian Tianni held onto the whip and asked, "Feng"er, why did you go to the forbidden shrine?"

Li Feng only bit on his lip. "I didn"t go, Master."

Whip! "Feng"er, you do realize that the miasma of the demon could corrupt anyone easily. Why did you go?"

"I didn"t go."

Whip! "Feng"er, do you think you"re skilled enough to purify such a place? Aren"t you getting too confident in your mediocre skills? Why did you go?"

"I didn"t go... why won"t you believe me?"

Whip! Whip! Whip!

Li Feng had received a lot of hit from Mian Tianni before, but the ones today were stronger than her normal hits. He suddenly crashed to the water before kneeling again. His eyes were starting to glare at his reflection as he started thinking of the reasons why he was suddenly singled out by Mian Tianni. He didn"t go to that place! Why wouldn"t she listen?!

"Poor Feng, he must be in so much pain..."

"Serves him right. Everyone knows we couldn"t go there!"

More and more whispers broke through his earshot, and he clenched his teeth. His eyes were growing red in rage as he didn"t even bother answering Mian Tianni anymore. It continued for half an hour until Mian Tianni stopped. Li Feng seemed to be awakened by the lack of pain, and his vision cleared. It"s just that when he opened his eyes, he saw the black mist that was faintly coating his body.

Li Feng then gasped as he noticed how his reflection had three lines of red across his face. His hands were bound so he couldn"t touch his own face. It was by then that he noticed how a drop of blood blotted in the water. He was bleeding? His face was bleeding? Wait... these scratches...

Mian Tianni scowled at the young man who was finally giving off the miasma. She handed the whip to Mian Bingbing and stepped into the water slowly. Her hand then reached out towards Li Feng. "Feng"er, lift your head." The man did what he was told, shocking the people by the cuts on his face. The old woman hovered her hand over his head before she struck at his back.

Intense pain jolted Li Feng before he fell to the water again. He loudly gasped as his face stung because of the cuts. The black mist cleared, and the old woman spoke again, "Feng"er, tell me again that you didn"t go to—"

"Grandfather!" Li Feng cried as he escaped from Mian Tianni"s reach. He crawled to the dais where the old woman once stood. He cried in front of his grandfather who doted on him. "I touched him! The mogui! In the hospital! I clawed his face just like this!"

"What?" Mian Tianyu was shocked. Let alone Li Feng ignoring their matriarch, he even begged at him like a child. Moreover, he said he touched the mogui? So he saw it? He even clawed at its face? His expression then grew grave. He turned to his sister who was being a.s.sisted to climb the dais again. "Big Sister, I don"t think Feng"er—"

"What mogui? That"s obviously miasma from the forbidden shrine." Mian Tianni was furious. However, she suddenly twitched as if taking steps back. She then walked slowly to her brother. "Tianyu, have you checked on the forbidden shrine again? And what is this mogui Feng"er is talking about?"

Li Yunru, who couldn"t bear the pain Li Feng was facing, rushed to the side and spoke as if she was crying as well. "Master Granny! Some guy from school was being tailed by a thirty-year-old mogui! He was in the hospital when he visited him! The mogui showed up and admitted killing Li Feng"s friend. I was there when Li Feng hit it!"

Mian Tianyu mumbled as he recounted the events. However, Mian Tianni scowled at him. "That demon"s miasma cannot be replicated by anyone. Tianyu, take a look at the forbidden shrine. Make sure the demon is still there. Bingbing, take your son and dress him. Treat his wound. Yun"er, bring me to this man in the hospital. I want to see him... and know why you haven"t exorcised the mogui yet."

...

In the hospital, Liu Xiaodan was reading a book on cinematography. He was missing a lot of cla.s.ses now, but it didn"t even matter since his grade was already floor-low. Chuan Nayi was perusing another book before she noticed how Liu Xiaodan was so absorbed in what he was reading. They had been next to each other for three days, and yet they hadn"t spoken among themselves.

She then closed her book and hummed. "Are you going to ignore me, Xiaodan? Just because I"m ignoring you, you"re ignoring me as well?"

Liu Xiaodan then turned to her. "I just thought you don"t want to even hear my voice. You were upset, and I can understand. It was not easy dealing with this—"

"Easy dealing with this?" Chuan Nayi sniffed as she remembered the pain she went through because of Liu Guangru. She then flung her gaze at the man. "We"re talking about a killer ghost child who had been haunting me. Not easy dealing with this—can you not talk like we"re just missing tapes for film cla.s.s?"

"I... I"m sorry." Liu Xiaodan closed the book and lowered his head. "If I was awake at that time, nothing like this would have happened. I was supposed to be there when you needed me. Guangru didn"t have to step in and take you away..."

"Why are you standing up for that child? Xiaodan, that"s a monster! Why are you keeping him behind you like he won"t kill you when he has a chance?"

"If he wants to kill me, he has wasted a thousand opportunities." Liu Xiaodan made a bitter smile. He then turned to Chuan Nayi. "This is all my fault, Nayi. Li Feng was right; I was wrong to bring him with me. I was wrong to protect him when Li Feng tried his best to chase him away. I was wrong when I told him I... I love you enough to make me want to marry you in the future..."

Chuan Nayi wasn"t fazed by his words about love and marriage. "What does it have to do with that? What does he want from you?" Why wouldn"t she when she was being called "Mama" by the child already?

The man kept his silence before he turned to her, his hand reaching out to hold hers. "He wants to be born."

Shock pulled her eyelids apart as if her eyes were about to pop out. She then pulled her hand back from Liu Xiaodan"s hold. Her words got caught in her throat before she gritted her teeth. She wanted to complain, but what could she do? What could she say? Liu Xiaodan seemed to be too invested in that child, and he even wanted to wager their firstborn to be that child"s body?

"Please don"t say that." Chuan Nayi managed to make a noise. She then moved to lie down on her bed. "Xiaodan, I want to be transferred to another room. It feels like you would never give up on that child... but I can give up on you. When we both get out of this hospital...

"Don"t talk to me ever again."

"Na..." Liu Xiaodan could only stare at the woman who closed her eyes and coldly stuck to her resolve. His mouth then ran dry, and he lowered his head. His mother was right; Chuan Nayi would never walk the path he chose. Even if he felt like crying, he just opened his book again and continued reading. However, he just stared at the words in the book without understanding them.

Somehow, soon enough, his lips curled to a smile. He then reached out to caress Chuan Nayi"s head. The woman felt his hand, but she didn"t flinch. Liu Xiaodan then smiled as he whispered, "Okay, Nayi. I won"t talk to you again after this. You can also act like we were never friends. However... please don"t forget that I really did love you."

Chuan Nayi felt him retract his hand, but she didn"t react at all. Soon enough, she heard footsteps coming from outside. Great, they had visitors again. The door slid open, and Li Yunru"s voice echoed. "Huh? I thought he couldn"t be discharged yet..."

Discharge? Chuan Nayi tore her eyes open and gasped... Liu Xiaodan had vanished.