Chapter 43

As precaution Feng Delun had casted an array formation that would block the little ghost from entering the living room where they were currently huddling in. Also a privacy array, just in case the little ghost was listening in on them.

They couldn't dilly dally and write the most pristine and tightly binding contract in one day. So Jin Liwei proposed, "The boy could sign the contract once we've finished writing it up. For now we'll make an outline of what must be in the contract. Huifang, you should tell the child that he'll need to sign a contract."

"I will." Luo Huifang nodded.

Li Jiayi began writing some lines on the parchment. Outlines of many clauses began forming. On the privileges given to a disciple. The protection they were granted. Their objective while being a disciple of their sect. The expectations the Shifu will have on the disciple. "Any of you wish to contribute their ideas?" Li Jiayi asked when his mind ran dry of things to write.

All of them were impressed by what Li Jiayi had come up with in such a short notice. Lan Jianhong had to sorely admit that Li Jiayi was quite capable. "Aren't you a little too good at this?" Of course there was no way he'd praise the other man directly, not after what happened to the two of them recently. It was all Wu Jinjing's fault.

Li Jiayi gave a snarky reply, "Maybe if you read as many books as I do, you will be capable of doing what I'm doing."

Lan Jianhong's temper began to boil.

Then Jin Liwei remarked, "Impossible, even if the day the hell and heavens crash together came, he still wouldn't be able to write a comprehensive letter."

It fanned the flames in Lan Jianhong, add in what Jiang Xiaotong said next, "His head is made out of bricks, do you even think he has a brain."

A vein burst on Lan Jianhong's forehead, the corners of his eyes and lips were twitching, like he was electrocuted and had no control over his facial muscles. Standing beside the Ming Yongnian, Kaijun watched the three men's interaction and couldn't help but lean closer into Ming Yongnian's ears and whispered, "Nian, these little brothers you picked up really love to antagonize each other. All of them are like oil and water. How are they still alive and not fighting to death?"

Ming Yongnian whispered back. "I think they're very adorable."

The heavens and hell must have crashed against each other, because they were hearing Ming Yongnian, the I'm-always-cold-and-wears-a-bitch-resting-face Ming Yongnian whispering to someone! Lan Jianhong's raging flames — the person who had wanted to pick a fight — was doused with the Immortal simple act of whispering to another.

Seeing they were all staring at him, Ming Yongnian reminded them, "Since you have time to stare, why not write more clauses."

Like they were ducks stuck in a rotisserie, all of them were quick to return to their task. Jiang Xiaotong began spouting some ridiculous scenarios, "How about we add a clause where if that little ghost is plotting something that may offend some strong masters out there, that he must make it clear that it has nothing to do with our sect!"

"That's like indirectly telling the little ghost 'if you poke a sleeping dragon, or touch a dragon's reverse scale, we'll ditch you'." Wu Jinjing said.

"Because that's exactly the point! Look, that kid isn't giving me the vibes of someone who'll be the puppet master of a puppet master, but only a puppet master! Someone would definitely figure out that he's doing some shit stuff behind the scenes." Jiang Xiaotong shared his wild thoughts.

The one who was rarely agitated finally groaned, Jie Qiqiang covered his face with his palm. "Xiaotong, you're making no sense. It sounded like you wanted Luo Huifang's disciple to learn how to be a bigger mastermind than a 'mastermind'."

Jiang Xiaotong had opened his mouth to argue some more, but no voice came out of his mouth. His eyes widened as he glared at Feng Delun, who did not look amused. Jiang Xiaotong could only stay silent until his acute sense picked up that the little ghost's presence was approaching the room. Obviously if Jiang Xiaotong felt the little ghost then all of the cultivators within the room too felt the little ghost.

Feng Delun dispelled his array. Li Jiayi swiftly hid the parchment. The rest took their position and dispersed into different corners of the room, pretending they were not having discussions about contracts or signing a piece of paper.

***

Tian Mengshen had obediently made his way to the kitchen. He need not guess that they would be discussing things regarding him. As he had learned from the other cultivators' reaction that his new Shifu had picked him up with no notice beforehand. He really hoped they were not a gathering group of "irresponsible" cultivators, who would throw him, "a child" out.

His legs stalled, Tian Mengshen was expecting a kitchen to look like a kitchen. But this kitchen looked nothing like the kitchen he knew or had seen in his life.

After all, a kitchen would not have so many arrays formations. Tian Mengshen warrily scanned the room. What on the living realm could compel these cultivators to riddle their kitchen with so many arrays? Did someone try to poison them for them to take such extreme measures? Or were they just paranoid?

An array on the sink. An array for every single cupboard. An array on the stove — also, what an odd looking stove, there was a rectangular structure attached to the back and connected to the ceiling (a chimney).

His eyes lowered to the floor. Was he standing above an array? With the entire kitchen in such a state, he could not deny the possibility that he was standing on one.

He took a calming breath. If his Shifu had wanted to kill him he would have been dead a long time ago. The array within the kitchen was not designed to harm a ghost, he will feel it if it was.

Closing his eyes, Tian Mengshen searched where the food was kept, his nose caught the smell of milk coming from one of the cupboards. When he opened the cupboard a cold air drifted out of it.

An ice, preservation, and space array formation, a crease appeared on his forehead. The creator deliberately made the ice array weak, not enough to freeze, just enough to leave whatever items may be inside to remain cold. The preservation array will keep the food from spoiling. As for the space array, it was a type of space array that expands the space inside of the cupboards, no wonder he did not sense food coming from the other cupboards, they kept all of their food in this one place. He began arranging the food he had brought in the pouch into the cupboard.

The pouch itself was spelled to preserve anything inside it. Was it not a safer and practical choice to keep the food inside of the pouch instead of the kitchen? His Shifu and her friends had a very questionable decision making. This house could be destroyed at any time. But there was also a strong protective array on the cupboards, it would protect the cupboards from being destroyed. Just not when a Nascent Soul cultivator tries to destroy it.

He took his time arranging the food. His Shifu was probably assuring her friends to allow him to remain. It's best to give her as much time as possible.

No matter how slow Tian Mengshen wanted to be, he couldn't be too slow or else. It was a good thing that they bought out the entire store. Giving him enough time.

Stepping back Tian Mengshen admired his work. The fruits were piled together in one section. Below the fruits were where he stored the vegetables. At the very bottom were the meats. He had placed the milk he brought with the rest that was already inside of the cupboard. The snacks were at the top section, lotus seeds, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds, nuts, etc.

His Shifu seemed to have a fascination over seeds and nuts, she had bought so many. And a general fascination over eating snacks. She did mention something about her friends stealing each other's snacks.

…They sounded like a group of mortal children.

Washing his hands, and drying them, Tian Mengshen judged that he had given his Shifu enough time. Before stepping out of the kitchen and returning to his Shifu, Tian Mengshen gave the kitchen one last look.

This kitchen it's like the one in dad's realm.

His lips thinned, head ever so slightly tilted downwards. With a shake of his head he dispelled any thoughts and focused on the present. This was not the time and place for reminiscing old memories.

It did not escape his senses that the privacy array was only dissolved when he was approaching the cultivators. He thought he was slow enough, looks like he should've been slower. They had yet to finish their discussion. Hopefully they have agreed to allow him to remain.