Chapter 3
The Origin of the Female Ghost, The Road to Civil and Martial Arts
There was a resurrection point setting inside. After clicking on it, a black and white dot of light appeared and he could choose the location he wished.
He walked around the room and finally set the resurrection point under his bed.
This was a place he was familiar with and was also relatively hidden. He could use it for a while.
“In the future, even if I die outside, I’ll revive here. It should be relatively safer.”
Song Shi clapped his hands. Upon relaxing, a wave of fatigue washed over him and he fell asleep.
This time, he was not afraid of anything. In any case, he would not die. He slept soundly and sweetly.
The rooster crowed as the sun rose.
Song Shi was woken up by the sound of a dog barking.
In between the jade pillow, Song Shi opened his sleepy eyes and looked at the embroidered bed drapes. His focus was not on the carps, but on the system interface.
“The system is really a good thing. Not only did it give me something to work for, but I am also starting to have the ambition to cultivate.”
Song Shi smiled, “I have the Fire Spirit Root, but I don’t have a cultivation technique or anyone to guide me. I won’t be able to achieve it in a short time.”
When he returned to reality, he realized that he was dirty.
“Big Smart, get Xiao Mei to prepare a bucket of hot water for me!”
Song Shi stood up and shouted towards the window.
Big Smart was his personal guard. He would rest at night like him and would work for him during the day.
This guy was tall and strong, but he was a little stupid. He had caused Song Shi’s visits to the brothel to be exposed several times.
Due to his lack of wits, Song Shi gave this guy a clever nickname.
“Alright, Seventh Young Master.”
Amidst his footsteps, Big Smart went to call for help.
Soon, an old maid came in with a large wooden bucket. Six servants followed with hot water, and the maid, Xiao Mei, followed behind with rose petals, soap and other toiletries.
“Seventh Young Master!”
The eight of them bowed respectfully.
“Yes, go out when the water is poured. I’ll wash myself.”
This time, he did not let the maid, Xiao Mei, help him to take a shower and change his clothes. The main reason was because he had many wounds on his body. If he was discovered, he would inevitably be in trouble.
“Yes!”
The servants left after preparing everything. They did not think too much about it because they knew that this young master was more amiable and would wash up on his own, unlike the other young masters and young ladies who were more pampered.
After taking a shower, Song Shi looked completely different.
He looked at the dirty water in the wooden bucket and thought of the Red-Dressed female ghost who killed him last night. He frowned and said, “There are indeed ghosts in this world. From the looks of it, the rumors I usually hear aren’t exaggerated. It’s just that I was born into a wealthy family and rarely encounter them.”
“Big Smart, have any women in the Song family thrown themselves into the water and died in recent years?”
Song Shi walked out of the door and asked on the way. He knew that unless Big Smart went to p.o.o.p, eat or sleep, he would usually wait outside the door during the day.
“Yes, there are hundreds of female servants in the Song family. Every year, one or two of them either fall into the water by accident or die by suicide.”
Big Smart replied in a deep and steady voice.
“Did anyone jump into the water in red clothes?”
Song Shi opened the door and added a condition to his previous question.
Big Smart, who was outside the door, stood up straight and bowed. At the same time, he whispered, “Young Master, if you are asking about a girl who deliberately wore red to commit suicide, I only know that there’s one from the main house who’s related to Third Young Master. This matter happened two years ago and was suppressed at that time.”
“What exactly happened?”
Song Shi’s interest was piqued. The third son, Song Hu, was the only person in the family who had achieved commendable merits. He had always been aloof and arrogant. Usually, he would not even look at him when he met him. Yet he was actually having an affair with a woman outside, wasn’t he afraid of affecting his career?
“Ahem, actually I, Old Liu, am not sure about the details. I only heard that the woman came to look for him after becoming pregnant. Then, for some reason, she threw herself into the well and committed suicide.”
Big Smart’s real name was Liu Li. He usually liked to call himself Old Liu.
“So you don’t know?”
Song Shi was speechless.
“Young Master, you are of a n.o.ble status. There’s no need for you to know such disgraceful things.”
Big Smart chuckled. Actually, he also understood that Song Shi was not well-liked in this family. His mother was only a concubine and had died of illness early. Usually, he was only accompanied by the servants who served him.
If he hadn’t heard others mentioning it, how would he have known about this matter?
He guessed that his young master had heard about it when he was drinking with others at the New Moon Brothel.
“Looks like I was bullied by that female ghost. Did she want to use me to terrorize Third Brother, or was it because she was unable to get close to Third Brother?”
Song Shi frowned and looked outside.
The autumn air was refreshing and the sun was shining brightly.
He took a deep breath and suppressed these guesses as his heart completely calmed down.
“No matter how many demons and ghosts there are in this world, I won’t die. So what’s there to be afraid of?”
He muttered in his heart, “Since there are ghosts, it means that there are also cultivators that I will have to come into contact with. I want to cultivate. I’m not interested in competing with the others for family a.s.sets!”
“Seventh Young Master!”
A burly man with a fierce face and red skin walked over.
Compared to the elegant Song Shi, who was 1.76 meters tall, this guy was more than two meters tall. He looked fierce and even gave off an oppressive aura when he walked over.
“What’s the matter, Dai Dou?”
Song Shi was expressionless. This person was a guard of the main branch. Usually, he relied on his master’s power and was not polite to Song Shi. Naturally, Song Shi did not like him.
Dai Dou squinted his eyes and said casually,
“An old gatekeeper died unexplained last night. Master felt that the house was dirty and is preparing to invite The Mage of Jinyuan Temple to perform a ritual.”
“The time is set for three quarters past noon. Master said to inform you that all the males at home must arrive on time. Don’t go to the New Moon Brothel and stay out all night again.”
“The gatekeeper is dead?”
Song Shi’s expression changed. He wondered if the female ghost had already killed somebody else before she attacked him.
“That’s all. Do as you see fit.”
Dai Dou could not be bothered to waste his breath on this concubine’s son. He turned around and left with his head held high.
“d.a.m.n it, what’s with the arrogance!”
Big Smart cursed under his breath, “Aren’t you just relying on the fact that you’re from the main branch? My strength is definitely not inferior to yours.”
“Big Smart, are you first-rate, second-rate, or third-rate now?”
Song Shi teased.
He knew that martial arts pract.i.tioners like Big Smart were divided into first-rate and second-rate pract.i.tioners. Unfortunately, he did not practice martial arts because his family did not allow it. They had arranged for him to take the imperial examination path. As such he did not interact with martial arts much and was not very clear.
“Of course I’m first-rate. If it weren’t for my bad eyesight, hmph, I wouldn’t even be afraid of the top rated pract.i.tioners.”
Big Smart squeezed his cross-eyed eyes. His skin was dark, and there was a dent in his forehead. His cheekbones were very high, making him look rather comical.
“Why don’t you tell me about the cla.s.sification of martial arts pract.i.tioners?”
Song Shi was curious.
“Young Master, Old Master has ordered that you are not allowed to practice martial arts in case you are distracted from the imperial examination.”
Big Smart rejected him seriously.
The disciples of the Song family had been divided according to their talents since they were young. The Seventh Young Master was a scholar and was not allowed to practice martial arts. If others knew that he had revealed information about the martial arts world to Song Shi, he would be punished.
“You’ve said that many times, but what if I want to know today?”
Song Shi said coldly. There was a blazing light in his eyes, and he actually emitted a dignified aura.
Big Smart was surprised and felt that this profligate young master was a little different today.
…