Meng Huaize, having taken care of a major concern, felt significantly more relaxed on the way back, while Wu Yue’s mood wasn’t quite as high. This haughty, always domineering spirit might have felt embarrassed by the evening’s events. As Meng Huaize found the situation amusing, a strange feeling crept in—he didn’t quite like seeing Wu Yue downcast.
“Tomorrow,” Meng Huaize began, trying to sound casual, “How about I buy you a chicken at the market?”
Wu Yue, still irritated, replied, “I’m done with chicken.”
“Really?” Meng Huaize teased, drawing out his words. “If you don’t eat now, who knows when you’ll get to have it again.”
The spirit next to him fell silent for a moment before grumbling, “Make sure it’s a fat one!”
Meng Huaize couldn’t help but laugh. “Deal.”
Beneath the night sky, the silhouette of Chuanki Mountain stood still and dark in the distance. Closer, the village lay silent, covered in a soft layer of moonlight. A warm, tranquil breeze rustled through the treetops, bringing with it a peaceful stillness.
As Meng Huaize strolled along, a calm sense of contentment filled his heart. In the past, when he’d been called out for a midnight house call, the urgency usually helped him avoid thinking about his fear of walking alone in the dark. But after finishing the diagnosis and heading home, the pitch-black surroundings often unsettled him. He would keep his eyes on the path ahead, rush back to his courtyard, and only feel relieved once he was safely inside. Tonight, though, walking in the stillness of the empty night, he felt no fear at all.
He turned to glance at Wu Yue beside him, but the spirit seemed distracted, his head tilted slightly to the side as if annoyed. “Watch the road and stop bumping into things,” Wu Yue muttered.
Meng Huaize’s smile froze. “Who are you talking to?”
“Just some little things,” Wu Yue replied offhandedly.
Meng Huaize looked around at the empty night and felt a sudden chill run down his spine. “What kind of…things?” His voice trembled as he instinctively moved closer to Wu Yue. “Are you saying there’s something around us?”
Wu Yue, noticing his nervousness, suddenly felt his irritation lift. He answered slowly, “Oh, yeah, there’s plenty.”
Meng Huaize pressed even closer to Wu Yue, his eyes darting around anxiously. “W-where exactly?” he stammered.
Wu Yue casually lifted his hand and gestured, “Right here.”
Meng Huaize’s gaze was fixed on Wu Yue’s raised hand, and as it moved, his eyes followed until they landed on his own shoulder.
Wu Yue lightly brushed his hand near Meng Huaize’s ear, and his cool voice followed, “One just floated right past you.” Get faster updates on g.com.
Meng Huaize felt his mind explode in panic.
“Run! We should run now!” he stammered, clutching Wu Yue, but his legs were rooted to the ground as if they had taken root.
Seeing his terrified state, Wu Yue couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Meng Huaize stared at Wu Yue, who was grinning triumphantly, and it took him a moment to realize what had happened. His face flushed with anger. “You were teasing me?”
The overwhelming fear still caused his nose to sting with a trace of lingering emotion. Now that the tension had eased, that sensation spread, almost bringing tears to his eyes from frustration.
Wu Yue, completely unconcerned with Meng Huaize’s anger, lazily stretched under the moonlight. He then lowered his gaze and smiled slightly, saying, “Want to see?”
“See what?” Meng Huaize was startled and, still doubtful, asked, “Are you trying to trick me again?”
Golden light appeared in Wu Yue’s palm, and Meng Huaize instinctively took a step back, shaking his head vigorously in refusal. “No, no, no, I don’t want to see!”
“They’re just some weak spirits. They’re probably more scared of you,” Wu Yue said, ignoring Meng Huaize’s protests. He grabbed Meng Huaize, forcefully covering his eyes with his glowing hand, and then stepped back, folding his arms with a satisfied look.
Meng Huaize was furious, keeping his eyes tightly shut as he gritted his teeth and cursed, “You jerk!”
But there was no response.
“Wu Yue?” Meng Huaize called out, growing more anxious by the second. What if that sly wolf had just left him here alone?
Cautiously, he opened his eyes just a little, and the first thing he saw was a soft light. The light fragmented into countless white points, floating toward him. Meng Huaize opened his eyes fully, and there, on the once dark and empty road, were countless tiny, glowing creatures. They emitted a silvery white light, gently drifting through the air and moving past them, forming a long river of light stretching along the path.
For a moment, Meng Huaize forgot to blink and even to breathe. He had never seen anything so marvelous, like something straight out of a dream.
“What are they?” Meng Huaize asked in a hushed voice, as though afraid to disturb the magical scene before him.
“Spirits. They have no physical form and won’t harm people,” Wu Yue explained.
The white spirits seemed to move in an orderly fashion, with many already floating past them while others trailed behind, continuing to drift by. However, the area around Wu Yue remained conspicuously clear. The spirits seemed to instinctively avoid him, keeping a wide berth. Still, a few confused ones occasionally missed their mark, bumping into Wu Yue’s shoulder, causing a brief scattering of white light. They wobbled in disarray before hurriedly floating away in panic.
Wu Yue reached out and grabbed one of the lost spirits that had tangled in his clothing. The small spirit flickered between bright and dim as if terrified. Wu Yue tossed it away disdainfully, and the spirit wobbled off, quickly rejoining the river of light. This story is hosted at novelping.com.
“They’re weak,” Wu Yue remarked. “And terribly clumsy. So stupid.”
Meng Huaize’s gaze shifted from Wu Yue’s hand, where he had just held the spirit, back to the glowing points drifting toward them. Unlike Wu Yue, Meng Huaize didn’t seem to emit any oppressive aura, so the spirits didn’t keep much distance from him. In fact, a few of the bolder ones floated closer to inspect him, their blue eyes pure and innocent.
Tentatively, Meng Huaize reached out his hand. One particularly curious spirit landed on his fingertip, gently hovering for a moment. Meng Huaize noticed two delicate horns atop its head. The little spirit soon floated away, leaving a faint white shimmer on his finger that flickered a few times before disappearing completely.
Meng Huaize lowered his hand, gazing at the wondrous scene before him, his lips curling into a small smile. The light reflected in his eyes, making them appear bright and gentle. He turned to look at Wu Yue, who was busy plucking the stray spirits that had accidentally bumped into him and tossing them back into the glowing river of light. Despite the impatient expression on his face, his movements weren’t rough; they were surprisingly gentle, almost at odds with his usual demeanor.
These spirits were fragile, instinctively afraid of a powerful being like Wu Yue. The more frightened they were, the more confused they seemed to become. If Wu Yue’s actions were any harsher, their delicate lives could easily be snuffed out.
When the last spirit floated past them, heading toward the glowing river, Meng Huaize turned around, still a bit reluctant to leave the enchanting scene behind. He watched the light fade into the night and asked Wu Yue, “Where are they going?”
“Spirits have no fixed destination,” Wu Yue replied, walking ahead. “They wander through mountains, lakes, and seas with no clear goal.”
Meng Huaize followed, his steps quickening as he voiced his concern, “They seem so weak. What if they encounter a malicious spirit or creature? Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
Wu Yue shot him a sidelong glance. “Weak? Weren’t you the one who was too scared to even look at them a moment ago?”
Meng Huaize blushed, but his embarrassment was soon overshadowed by a renewed sense of joy. He smiled at Wu Yue and said, “Thank you. Is that better?”
Wu Yue, clearly pleased but playing along, responded with mock arrogance, “You called me a jerk.”
“I was wrong. I’m the jerk,” Meng Huaize laughed. “You’re a good spirit.”
His straightforward praise made Wu Yue cough in slight embarrassment. “They’re too weak to pose any threat or be of any use to anyone. No creature would go out of their way to harm them.”
With the spirits gone, the quiet night resumed its peaceful stillness, and the moonlight once again shone brightly around them.
As they reached the courtyard, Meng Huaize moved to push the gate open, but Wu Yue seemed to remember something and stopped him. “By the way, there’s one in your courtyard too.”