Chapter 40

The little ghost shook his head. "No, I don't need anything. Except for substances to nourish myself."

Nodding, Luo Huifang then said, "Then we'll need to do some shopping, since we'll be staying in a realm with almost no spiritual energy."

The old ghost's eyes widened. "You're building your sect in the Barren realm?!"

The little ghost hesitated. "Shifu, why are you building a sect in that realm, there's nothing there."

Luo Huifang was greatly touched that the little ghost had begun calling her his Shifu, his master. What a good little ghost, she chuckled, maybe not too good. "There's a saying little ghost, challenges make you stronger! I didn't exactly have the final say when it came to where to build the sect, it's your Shifu's eldest brother's decision to make." She crouched down before the little ghost, meeting the little ghost's dark round orbs. "Listen carefully little ghost, when your eldest uncle has made his decision it means he has come up with the best answer."

Blinking the little ghost asked, "Then why did eldest uncle choose to build a sect in the barren realm?"

She smiled. "I don't know, hahaha!"

The little ghost and the old ghost could only stare blankly at the laughing woman.

Luo Huifang wiped a tear with her finger. "Ahh, but I have a feeling that it's because we can have our freedom there." She winked. "That's right Mimi," She stood up and headed for the counter, leaning lazily onto the wooden surface, all the while giving the old ghost her best smile.

"What is it you are asking from me this time?" The old ghost could smell that the woman was about to wring him dry of something.

"Are you selling those melons of yours?"

"Shop somewhere else!" The old ghost didn't hesitate to slap the woman with his fan, well attempted to slap the woman was the correct word.

Luo Huifang blocked the fan with her finger tips. "You're weak as usual!" The ghost pulled the fan away and tried to hit her again, but she naturally blocked it again. Like she was not being hit mere seconds ago, Luo Huifang asked, "Mimi, any place you can recommend me to go to, to shop for little ghost's needs?"

The old ghost sneered, puffing his beard. "The little Lord knows his way around the city."

"Great, lead the way, little ghost, we'll have to be quick. Your uncles and aunts are awaiting our arrival." Luo Huifang urged.

The little ghost bowed to Mimi with his hands clasped together. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Mimi repeatedly bowed. "Hahaha, it's of a little matter, as long as you visit me once in awhile I'll be very glad."

Luo Huifang blinked as she watched the old ghost bowing, what a peculiar display. Mimi was a prideful ghost, him bowing to someone younger than him was unheard of. She was right that there was something more to the little ghost.

The little ghost led her out of the tea shop through the back door and into the streets crowded with ghosts. Luo Huifang decided to not comment on the little ghost's decision to use the back door, when they can use the front, maybe the little ghost grew accustomed to leaving through the back door. It took them a few turns and navigating through a packed street to arrive at their destination.

A large building with a big sign "General Store". The front door was wide open, Luo Huifang could spot many ghosts shopping inside the building.

"It's quite big." She commented.

The little ghost nodded. "The store sells almost everything a ghost needs. That's why we only need to make this one stop. Umm, Shifu, how much food do I need to stock up?"

"As many as you can." She pulled out a medium sized pouch from her storage space. "Best that you filled this entire pouch." Then she handed it to the little ghost.

When the little ghost heard Luo Huifang's instruction he was surprised. "Shifu, if I tried to fill this medium grade storage pouch we'll have to buy all the food in this store!"

Smiling, Luo Huifang nodded. "That's pretty much the idea. It's best if you have too much rather than less. Your aunts and uncles have an awful habit of eating others' food. Even when they don't need to eat." She also loves to eat food herself.

For some reason each one of them has the habit of eating someone's food. With no exception, even Feng Delun would steal her food that she left in the cold storage! Yes, that very same cold and refined Feng Delun would steal her snacks! Ming Yongnian was the same, he'll even lie when she interrogates the Immortal. The worst food hoarders were Wu Jinjing and Jie Qiqiang. Wu Jinjing may appear like a soft squirrel, but she eats like a pig. There was also Jie Qiqiang who generally ate large portions and looked like he could eat a lot.

But as cultivators with a high cultivation base none of them needed to eat, but they do! Which was perhaps Jiang Xiaotong's fault in more ways than one, it was because of something he said a long time ago.

There was a flash of a subtle emotion in the little ghost's eyes. Luo Huifang would've thought she was imagining things if her eyes weren't so sharp. She didn't know what the little ghost was thinking, probably he was laughing inside. "Cultivators" and the word "eating" put together was rather absurd. Without questioning any further the little ghost approached the shopkeeper. And told the person that they planned to buy every food in the store. Delighted, the shopkeeper rushed to pack every food they had in stock into the pouch the little ghost had handed over.

The general store's shelves once filled with meats, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables were cleaned. Even the warehouse was cleaned. All that was left behind were things one could not consume, clothing, trinkets, and household items.

The shopkeeper aggressively calculated, using the abacus, the items they bought, noting down every single thing as Luo Huifang had ordered into a receipt. If she didn't get a receipt, she was afraid that Jin Liwei would roast her alive. Even if she used the excuse of "shopping for eldest brother's baby's needs" Jin Liwei would still insist that she give him the receipt.

Luo Huifang felt the little ghost's stare. "Is there something wrong?"

Hearing her question the little ghost looked at the receipt the shopkeeper was writing, then at her. Ah, this little ghost was worried. "Don't worry, your Shifu has a lot of money now." That seemed to calm the little ghost down.

While at it, she remembered that she didn't know the little ghost's name. "Little ghost, Mimi calls you little Lord, correct? Do you have an actual name?"

The little ghost shook his head. "I don't have a name." His voice was flat.

"Hmm," It was obvious that the child disliked the name he was given, for reasons Luo Huifang had yet to discover. "Then pick a name of your own, I can't call you little Lord." She smiled.

Calling her own disciple little Lord was like recognizing him as someone above herself. She refused to call her own disciple "Lord" if he was Ming Yongnian's child she had no qualms calling him "little Lord", alas he was not. It would be uncanny if the master calls the student little Lord. Maybe once the little ghost has graduated she'll tease him and call him little lord.

When her disciple opened his mouth she interrupted him, "Ah, I think it's best if I name you myself!" This was the little ghost that Mimi had taken a fancy of, Mimi's naming sense was questionable at best. If she lets her apprentice who had been influenced by the old ghost to name himself, she's afraid he'll name himself something nonsensical. "My dear apprentice, in the future will you defy the heavens and move the earth?" She poetically asked. Hands raised as if caressing the air itself.

Her disciple's eyes widened, the little ghost almost seemingly tiptoed around her asked, "...Shifu, why are you asking me this?"

"I thought I should name you according to your ambitions." Luo Huifang winked. "Cultivating itself is an act of defiance towards the gods, so will you?"

"Then yes." There was no hesitation in the little ghost's voice.

This was what Luo Huifang wished to hear from the little ghost. "Let's see, Shen stands for 'gods'. Ao and Kang could mean 'to defy', which one shall fit you..." She lightly tapped her chin with her finger.

"Tian Mengshen."

Luo Huifang's eyes slightly widened, did this little ghost already think of his own name from the start. "If you had a name in mind you wanted to use from the start, why not tell me?" Ah, she wanted to slap her own forehead.

Didn't she tell the little ghost she'll be naming him moments before?

Because she was afraid of his naming sense. Now she discovered her disciple has a good sense. Maybe she shouldn't judge the little ghost too fast next time. She felt like she was a two faced lady.