Ling Shan Jun - 5.1

In the travel book, the human world and the ghost path were separated by a field of reeds. After death, the human soul would pass through the reeds and turn into a firefly. The field of reeds would be dappled in tiny starry lights, just like a vast sky full of stars.

Qing Shi Jiu climbed down from the back of the red-crowned crane and removed the head-covering that protected his face from the wind. The sky was pitch black and underneath his feet were a patch of soft grass. Looking further ahead, he could only see a huge endless darkness. As the night breeze brushed past, the dark shadows stirred and revealed the luminous starlight within.

The red-crowned crane chirped and unfurled its wings to leave like a cloud that had merged into the night.

Qing Shi Jiu suppressed the enthusiasm in his heart and turned back to gaze at Ling Shan Jun.

Before Ling Shan Jun left, he had changed into a long watercolor robe with wide sleeves made of mermaid’s silk and had swiftly tied his black hair up with several strands of hair scattered on his forehead. In this moment, the night breeze was teasing his hair until it reached behind his cheek.

“Can’t see anything from the outside, so I’ll take you inside.” Ling Shan Jun extended his hand and held onto Qing Shi Jiu’s.

“We can go in?”

Ling Shan Jun showed a crafty smile: “Of course.”

Qing Shi Jiu only felt a great force from the hand that Ling Shan Jun had grasped. Ling Shan Jun had pulled Qing Shi Jiu’s entire person forward in a sprint and within a few steps they had stormed into the field of reeds.

The souls residing in the reeds were alarmed and soared away as light as a feather

As Qing Shi Jiu’s heart gave birth to a child-like courage and excitement, he silently dashed forward for a spell. When he stopped, he only saw the luminous twinkling in the field of reeds that made it truly look like a starry realm.

He turned around in a circle and saw that Ling Shan Jun was not by his side, but he did not panic. His heart was filled with enthusiastic excitement. As a soul passed by him, he spread both of his arms out in pursuit like a small child.

Standing outside the field of reeds, Ling Shan Jun crossed his arms. As the reeds in front of him swayed one by one and the luminous lights fluttered in midair, it was possible to see that a certain child was playing very happily.

“My lord, long time no see.”

The sound of rustling footsteps approached, Ling Shan Jun nodded his head at the newcomer: “Sorry to disturb you, Witch.”

The witch appeared to be super old because her back was hunched, so it made her exceptionally short and small. She pulled herself up with her staff and raised her head to look at Ling Shan Jun with her unexpectedly-all-white eyes: “Being able to see you again, my lord, this witch is satisfied.”

“The east has constantly been in an uproar, is my lord still not planning to return?”

Ling Shan Jun said: “Not in a hurry.”

As the two people stood silently for a while, the luminous light in the field of reeds began to flutter outward.

The witch covered her mouth, coughed for a while, and then slowly said: “This witch will withdraw.”

With a few rustled steps, she walked away, but suddenly stopped once again: “This witch just saw Madam’s divinatory diagram.”

Ling Shan Jun just tilted his head.

The witch burst into a smile, her wrinkles appeared, which made her look benevolent and kind: “The divinatory diagram shows a new life. This witch congratulates my lord in advance.”

A figure rushed out of the field of reeds, looked all around, and ran towards this side.

Ling Shan Jun caught Qing Shi Jiu who rushed over and removed a piece of reed from his hair: “Are you happy?”

“Yes.” Qing Shi Jiu saw the back of the slowly departing witch and was a little curious, “Is that your friend?”

“She’s a guide. She leads the souls onto the ghost path.”

Qing Shi Jiu gasped in admiration: “It sounds so awesome.”

Ling Shan Jun said: “You praise everyone is awesome, you praise me the same, too.”

Qing Shi Jiu thought for a moment: “You are unique and unmatched, incomparably awesome in the entire world.”

“Mhm, the newly learned words were used very properly, you are also awesome.” Ling Shan Jun laughed, “Let’s go. Since we’re out, I’m not in a hurry to go back. I’ll take you for a walk around the human world.”

……

The sky was glimmering at dawn, there was no one on the limestone road and only the sound of dogs and chickens could be heard once in a while.

Ling Shan Jun knocked on the door of a house. Since Qing Shi Jiu had walked the entire night, he became so sleepy that glimmering tears rolled down his eyes. As he hugged Ling Shan Jun’s arm, he yawned softly.

The door opened quickly and the familiar voices of clay figures were heard: “Ling Shan Jun and his wife are here.”

Qing Shi Jiu lowered his eyes to take a look. Through the crack in the door, there were two crouching clay figures, but it was not the two from Ling Shan Residence because the pattern on their bodies were different.

The duo entered through the door. Once through the door, it was a small courtyard; on the patio there was a large vat and inside the vat were a handful of lotus flowers and several koi fish.