Chapter 41

The little ghost didn't seem guilty or shy, he instead answered bluntly, "The name 'Tian Mengshen' is rather lofty for someone of my caliber."

That was the reason he didn't tell her right away? Luo Huifang laughed, surprising the shopkeeper who was busy tallying their items. She quickly apologised, to which the shopkeeper shook their head and continued on with their counting. And she said to the little ghost, "A name is like a wish, a promise. Isn't that why Mimi named himself 'Mimi', secret? Wishing to keep as many secrets in this life as possible. Perhaps that's why he took the name 'Mimi'. I'm sure you'll grow to fit the name you've chosen."

The two disciples and Shifu stared at each other, seeming to understand one another, and yet not.

The shopkeeper broke the moment between them. Luo Huifang quickly paid the ecstatic shopkeeper for the food they've bought and stepped out of the store.

"Hold my hand." Luo Huifang held her hand out to her disciple, the little boy grasped her hand, and in a blink they were standing in a very different place, a different realm. There was only one building standing before them, a medium sized house made of wood.

Beneath the little ghost's foot was tiny newly sprouted grass seedlings. Most appalling to the little ghost was how "dry" the air around him seemed. "There's barely any spiritual energy…"

Luo Huifang patted the little ghost's back. "You'll have to grow used to it, if it feels unbearable you can step into this house." She pushed the door open. "Wow, I'm pretty late." Everyone had already returned. Her eyes landed on a man she had never met, sitting next to Ming Yongnian.

The man should be very close to Ming Yongnian, since the Immortal allowed the man to sit so close to him.

"What took you so long, Huifang?" Lan Jianhong asked, he was lounging down on a wooden divan, his arms propping his head.

Stepping to the side, Luo Huifang revealed the little ghost who was standing behind her. "I picked up my little disciple on the way."

Jiang Xiaotong frowned. He deliberately deposited himself right on top of Lan Jianhong's ribs. Lan Jianhong who was being sat on wheezed. But Jiang Xiaotong ignored him and instead shot a question to Luo Huifang, "When did you get a disciple?"

"Xiaotong, move your ass!" Lan Jianhong slapped Jiang Xiaotong in an attempt to get the man off of him, it was a useless attempt.

"It happened while we were selling our loot." Lai Meihui gave a brief explanation.

Then Wu Jinjing said, "I think it's best if we start from elder brother. Proper introduction is required." The woman had been observing the stranger, so has the others.

Lai Meihui tossed the pouch full of what she earned from selling her portion of loot to Jin Liwei. When the man in golden felt around the pouch, he felt that it was missing a few. "Huifang, where's the rest?" How Jin Liwei knew that the pouch was missing a few without prior contact was a mystery. Perhaps Jin Liwei had a sixth sense for money.

"I used it to buy some more milk for the little ancestor, also some food and snacks." Before Jin Liwei could ask, Luo Huifang pulled out a long receipt. "And this is the receipt."

"You're very thorough." Jin Liwei stepped forward and took the receipt, right away he buried himself into calculating and documenting Luo Huifang's spending.

"So, what about elder brother?" Luo Huifang finally had the chance to talk.

Clearing his throat, Feng Delun made a motion with his jaw pointing towards the little ghost following behind Luo Huifang. Luo Huifang understood what Feng Delun wanted to say. She lowered down and whispered to the little ghost, "Mengshen, Shifu needs to have a talk with your uncles. How about you head over there where the kitchen is and sort out what we've bought."

The little ghost nodded obediently and headed over to where Luo Huifang had pointed. Once the little ghost's back could no longer be seen and the kitchen door shut, Luo Huifang turned to the others in the room. "We could start now."

Feng Delun waved his finger tips, placing a privacy array to prevent unwanted ears listening into their conversation. "Shall we start?"

All of them nodded except for Lan Jianhong who was gasping, "Eldest brother help…" His face was red from being sat on.

"Xiaotong…" Came Ming Yongnian's warning. Finally Jiang Xiaotong reluctantly stood up, but then the Immortal spoke, "And Jianhong, sit up. Others wish to sit down."

Lan Jianhong did not want to get on Ming Yongnian's awful side and sat up as he was asked to. Jiang Xiaotong triumphantly took a seat beside Lan Jianhong. Much to Lan Jianhong's frustration. Jie Qiqiang also squeezed into the divan, squeezing Lan Jianhong in the middle.

"Give me some space!" Lan Jianhong complained, bumping his shoulders against the two squeezing him.

"You took the entire space to sleep on before." Jie Qiqiang defended. Pushing Lan Jianhong, and in turn he pushed Jiang Xiaotong.

And Jiang Xiaotong had to push back, "That right!"

The three of them sitting on a divan, pushing each other at every turn, like tall grass being blown by the wind.

"Boys!" Luo Huifang warned them. "Take it outside or none of you are getting any snacks!" Her threat quickly silenced the three men. They sat quietly with their shoulders squashed against one another.

Now that Feng Delun had the attention of the entire room. He began retelling what he had told Li Jiayi and Jie Qiqiang the night before. From him and Ming Yongnian impromptu visit to Dongfu, to their meeting with Kaijun, and then the Devil Venerable appearance.

Most of the room's eyes were on the Immortal, who was listening to Feng Delun while holding onto his child. Kaijun saw this and sighed. He had to do the talking. "Since most of you — well, all of you are unaware of who I am. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kaijun, this walking iceberg's older brother."

No one dared to breathe too loud. A clattering sound, sounded in the room, Jin Liwei had dropped his abacus. The man in golden robes picked it up and pretended he never dropped it in the first place. He then scanned the expression of his sworn siblings, out of the nine of them only he, Wu Jinjing, Lai Meihui, and Luo Huifang were surprised. He suspiciously narrows his eyes at the three fools sitting together. "Do the three of you know?"

The three being Jie Qiqiang, Lan Jianhong, and Jiang Xiaotong shrugged their shoulders at the same time. When Jin Liwei saw these three men, one big and muscly, the middle slim as a stick, and the last one medium-sized in body. It made him felt like watching a gorilla, a chimpanzee, and an ape sitting together and grooming each other's fleas.

Jie Qiqiang gave Jin Liwei a short answer, "No."

"Not exactly…" Lan Jianhong tipped his head.

Then Jiang Xiaotong continued, "Eldest brother only said that Kaijun is his older brother and left us hanging."

Kaijun sighed exasperatedly, and glared at Ming Yongnian. "Nian, can't you not give people half explanations? When you want to give someone an explanation you should explain it to people clearly! I can't keep on cleaning your leftovers all the time."

"Isn't that why you're here?" Ming Yongnian met Kaijun's eyes with boredom.

Kaijun's current feelings was a mix of wanting to strangle Ming Yongnian and wanting to cry. "I'm here because I'm finally retired."

Lai Meihui perked up. "Retired?" She asked with great interest.

"I used to work for the Zhen royal family as their personal head guard." Kaijun boasted.

"Are you really working for them though?" Ming Yongnian muttered to himself.

Li Jiayi asked out of nowhere. "The Zhen Empire, Zhen?"

"Jiayi where the hell did you come from, you've been silent the entire time!" Lan Jianhong cursed in his heart, he was too immersed in hearing Kaijun, he wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings. Even Li Jiayi managed to surprise him, and Lan Jianhong dared to claim himself a Nascent Soul cultivator, he felt like a knockoff.

"Yes, precisely that Zhen!"

His eyes glittering, Li Jiayi was about to ask Kaijun — but Feng Delun warning came like a bucket of cold water. "Jiayi, stop, don't ask Kaijun whether or not you can have access to the Zhen Empire collection of ancient books."

Li Jiayi wilted and returned to his seat, opening up the book he had been reading.

A drop of sweat trickled down Kaijun's temple. "Does he really love books that much?"

All of them nodded in confirmation, even Ming Yongnian nodded. Seeing that everyone was nodding their heads, the baby nodded her head too. She didn't know what was happening, but since everyone was nodding their heads, she'll also do it!

Clearing his throat, Kaijun moved along with his story. "As I have said, I have retired from my position as the Zhen family's personal head guard. I thought with emperor Zhen Lian stepping down, it is also my time to retire. My younger brother came to visit me at the right time. He asked me if I would like to join him to build a sect. And here I am."