Ball of Black Mist

YuHan Pov:

The walk was long before we found a ghost town. I entered an old house, dusted off the dirt on a chair, and sat on it. "Are you sure you want us to stay here? This place looks haunted."

"Scared?"

"Me? I have lived my life till now. I, Yin ZiNuo, do not know what being scared feels like."

"Get a chair and sit down. We will take turns guarding and resting. I'm going to get some rest now."

"Aren't you scared I'll do something to you?"

"Since you insisted on that idea of yours." I created a mini barrier that surrounds me.

"Not that again." ZiNuo sighed as he sat down on a chair.

"Take a steamed bun," I grabbed a steamed bun from my bag.

"This stuff is so bland, but it's not going to take too long before we get to the town of the Su sect." He grabbed the steamed bun from my hands and took a bite out of it.

"I'll sleep now. Wake me up after 3 hours."

"Take your time with your beauty sleep, Bai gongzi." I closed my eyes, and my body slowly slipped into slumber.

"Xiao Han," a familiar voice called for my name. I observed my setting. This place was the waterfall of the Bai Sect. I turned around to see my mother in front of me.

"Mother!" I shouted.

"Xiao Han, I'm here. Why did you run off when father was trying to reason with you."

"He always talks about the same thing over and over again." She kneeled to look me in the eyes.

"It's because you keep making the same mistake. All you have to do is fix that mistake, and he will stop picking on you about it."

"But I love eating mother's egg tarts, and father never eats them. He always sets them aside, and they go cold. Food tastes bad when it goes cold."

"But you have to understand stealing is unacceptable behavior. If you want to eat egg tarts, come to me, and I'll make them right away."

"I understand now, mother." She patted my head.

"As long as you stay here, I will make you all the egg tarts you want."

"Stay?"

"YuHan! Wake up! I sense some bad energy around here." I felt my body shaking. I opened my eyes and looked at ZiNuo.

"What's wrong?"

"This energy is extremely fierce. Oh, my heavenly lords, it's getting colder than before. I thought it was the weather. But it seems like it's some demon or ghost's doing." I stood up and walked out of the house, and a ball of black mist flew across.

"It's a ghost, a vengeful ghost."

"Follow it!" ZiNuo shouted as he ran out of the door, and I followed. "Where did it go?" he asked with a breathy voice. Lifeless trees surrounded us, and the only sound I could hear was the sound of kraa from crows.

"Let's head back." I grabbed ZiNuo's hand. After minutes of us trying to find a way back, we figured out that we were lost. "I swear we came from that way."

"YuHan, sometimes you have to accept that you're wrong, and you can never fully remember from your memories."

"Shhh.." The wind lifted the leaves. "I left marks on the trees when we headed in here. We have been walking in circles. It's an illusion." A strong gush of wind headed our way. "Watch out!" Both of us fell to the ground.

"Have a sweet dream," a voice spoke softly before I could unsheath my sword.

"Where are we?" ZiNuo asked as he dusted off the dirt on his pants. Peach trees surrounded us. A white ball of smoke traveled in a circle above us. Then it started to lead us to a lively town. It brought us to a shop, "Hello!" ZiNuo waved at the shop owner. The shop owner didn't respond but started to talk to a young lady wearing red clothes.

"ZiNuo, I think they can't see or hear us."

"Oh."

"Miss Zhi is here again," the old man smiled.

"Here to buy my groceries from you again," the girl said as she looked at the vegetables.

"Miss Zhi is always here to support my farming hobby."

"Your vegetables are always so fresh, and there's always a tint of sweetness with the cabbage you grow."

"Thank you for the compliments."

"I want this cabbage and some carrots," she handed the old man the vegetables she handpicked.

"Just the usual amount of silvers." She handed the old man a couple of silvers and placed the vegetables into her basket.

"Thank you!" She walked away, walking towards the butcher shop.

"Li Brother!" she shouted with a smile on her face.

"Oh, it's Miss Zhi! Here to buy some pork or beef today?"

"I'll have some ham today!"

"Right away!" The butcher proceeded to cut the meat off of the pig. The butcher handed the ham to Miss Zhi, and Miss Zhi placed a few bits of silver on the counter. She walked away, and ZiNuo and I were following her. We ended up at her house.

"Grandmother, FenZhi, is back!" she shouted as she placed her groceries in the kitchen.

"My granddaughter is finally back!" An old woman walked with a cane in her hands.

"Grandmother, you can watch me cook in the kitchen. Please sit down." Miss Zhi guided her grandmother to a nearby chair.

"My granddaughter is so nice and would be such a good wife."

"Stop complimenting me. It's making me flustered." Miss Zhi washed her hands.

"Xiao Cheng, that young man is so lucky to have you. I can't wait to see you get married someday. Your mother would be so happy if she was here."

"Xiao Cheng, he told me he's planning to go to the Su sect and become a cultivator. He said when he comes back, he will host our wedding."

"Zhi Er, being a cultivator will take a lot of time. Are you sure that you're willing to wait for that long?"

"I assure you, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes."