Chapter 361: The Fear Under Cuihua’s Dominance

“Cuihua! Don’t be disrespectful to Grandmaster!” Priest Wang, who usually doted on his granddaughter, now had a stern expression, reminding her to observe proper etiquette.

However, Ye Wenxin’s attention was not on the girl’s attitude. Upon hearing the name Cuihua, she couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing that Ye Wenxin was not offended, Priest Wang quickly stepped in to mediate and introduce them to each other.

“Grandmaster, this is my granddaughter Wang Cuihua. Cuihua, this is Grandmaster. Don’t be so impolite; come and pay your respects.” Priest Wang looked quite helpless. The girl named Wang Cuihua, however, continued to gaze at Ye Wenxin with curiosity, as if trying to discern something extraordinary from her face.

Ultimately, Cuihua said dismissively, “What’s this? She looks no different from ordinary people like us. I thought she might be more impressive.” Hearing this, Priest Wang was even more irritated. He stood up and respectfully bowed to Ye Wenxin, saying, “Grandmaster, I apologize. My granddaughter is young and inexperienced. Please forgive her.”

“It’s alright. After all, I’m just a fourteen-year-old girl,” Ye Wenxin said with a smile, not taking Wang Cuihua’s remarks to heart. If she got upset every time someone was provocative, she’d be perpetually angry.

“Grandmaster truly has a broad mind. I am deeply impressed,” Priest Wang continued to flatter. Ye Wenxin already felt a bit weary from the excessive praise. Seeing that everyone was busy outside, she decided to get up. “It’s getting dark. Let’s go for a walk.”

Priest Wang quickly intervened. “Grandmaster, please have a meal first. We’ve prepared a vegetarian feast for you.” Ye Wenxin paused. Although she didn’t feel hungry, she was curious about what kind of dishes Priest Wang had prepared, so she nodded in agreement.

As they stood up and began to move, Ye Wenxin suddenly remembered that the umbrella sword was still on the table.

“Come here,” Ye Wenxin called out to it, but it remained still. With a sigh, she changed her command to, “Dinner’s ready.” At her words, the umbrella sword immediately flew over and landed steadily on its hilt.

Two girls, around ten years old in appearance, emerged from the umbrella sword. Priest Wang and Wang Cuihua, seeing the two ghosts for the first time, looked on with curiosity.

Sword Ghost was composed, unlike Ghost Mother. As soon as the latter heard about food, she immediately wrapped her arms around Ye Wenxin’s neck, seeking Yin energy. Ye Wenxin turned her head slightly, and gently patted Ghost Mother’s ghostly horns to calm her down.

Ghost Mother softened. Ever since experiencing the sweet taste of kissing, she would cling to Ye Wenxin just like this, and feed through kisses. Ye Wenxin, who was already numb to this behavior, didn’t show any emotion. However, seeing that Priest Wang and Wang Cuihua were still watching made her ask Ghost Mother to restrain herself.

“Ahem, Grandmaster has quite the extraordinary hobby.” Priest Wang, given his age, noticed the unusual relationship Ye Wenxin had with the two ghosts. His eyes showed a trace of envy. Reflecting on the ghosts he had raised, which were all burly men, he felt that Ye Wenxin was indeed lucky.

“This is feeding, not a hobby,” Ye Wenxin said with a strained smile. She vowed to keep Ghost Mother away whenever she wrestled with other people. If Ghost Mother picked up any more unnecessary habits, she might truly become depraved.

Ghost Mother seemed to realize that the people around her could see her and, dissatisfied, dove back into the umbrella sword. Seeing this, Sword Ghost quickly followed suit.

The three continued their walk and soon came upon a table set up not far away. Hei Haowen and Gu Xiangsi were already seated, waiting for them. As they took their seats and began to enjoy a reasonably sumptuous dinner, the One Short Sect disciples were somewhat reserved, with only Wang Cuihua engaging in conversation.

Gu Xiangsi preferred to cling to Ye Wenxin, Hei Haowen was more interested in plants than in people, and Ye Wenxin was not in the mood for much conversation. Although it was not apparent, her first time using Celestial Master Zhong’s talisman had drained a considerable amount of her qi, making her somewhat drowsy.

After the meal, Priest Wang’s enthusiasm continued as he showed Ye Wenxin around. During their walk, they heard a commotion in the distance. They assumed a feishi had escaped and rushed over. However, upon arrival, they found a frail lady with a pale face, desperately trying to force her way into the city.

Upon inquiry, they learned that the lady’s son and husband were still inside the city, their fates unknown. She had been coming every day, and even members of the One Short Sect had come to recognize this anxious lady.

If the city was overrun with jiangshi, it was likely that the lady’s family had also suffered the same fate.

“My poor husband and son!” The lady’s cries were heart-wrenching, stirring empathy in everyone, though they were powerless to help. Wang Cuihua felt particularly sympathetic toward her.

Ye Wenxin learned from Priest Wang that Wang Cuihua’s parents had died when she was young. Priest Wang, a lifelong bachelor due to his devotion to the One Short Sect, had adopted Wang Cuihua.

“Why did you name her Cuihua?”

“Because it was the season when the flowers were in full bloom,” Priest Wang replied with a chuckle, a bit proud.

However, the name was one of the most cliché and overused names back on Earth. It was also the fake name Long Qingyue had used while wandering the Martial World with Ye Wenxin. Thinking of Long Qingyue, Ye Wenxin’s gaze softened, and she couldn’t help but ask, “So, given the severity of the situation, what kind of people does the Golden Age Dynasty plan to send?”

She prayed that she could meet Long Qingyue again, yet also feared that meeting.

After the secret realm incident, Long Qing’er’s attitude toward Ye Wenxin had grown increasingly strange, to the point of completely avoiding her, making Ye Wenxin feel that they were drifting apart due to Fairy Fengya. Ye Wenxin had originally taken extra care of Long Qing’er for Long Qingyue’s sake. Now that Long Qing’er was avoiding her, Ye Wenxin could no longer look after her and wouldn’t force it.

But Long Qingyue was different. Ye Wenxin had promised her that she would actively seek her out once. However, rather than a deliberate encounter, Ye Wenxin hoped to meet her by chance.

“I’m not sure, but they definitely won’t be sending any big names. The Golden Age Dynasty is quite busy these days,” Priest Wang replied, seemingly not optimistic about the external reinforcements. Ye Wenxin also calmed down, remembering that Long Qingyue was no longer the same as before.

She was no longer the Long Qingyue who would eagerly rush to where the excitement was. She was now the Golden Age Dynasty’s Eldest Prince, the ruler of the dynasty. A bitter smile appeared on Ye Wenxin’s lips as she recalled their conversation.

‘I also want to be a minor character like you and live freely, but I can’t let go of my riches and glory. I’m used to being above all, and I can’t go back to being the Cuihua from those days.’