Big Eye Ghost King

I pointed to the jars and cans outside and asked Martial Uncle, "What are you going to do with these jars and cans? Have they been arranged?"

Martial Uncle snapped back to attention and said they had been arranged, and someone would come to take them away in a few days.

He told me not to worry about it and to focus on recovering from my injuries. I agreed.

The days passed one by one, and I was already able to walk around. I figured I'd be completely healed before long.

One day, just as we were finishing our meal, an old man in a Zhongshan suit appeared outside.

He had a few wisps of hair on his head that rustled like a "mao jidan" (a type of fluffy chick), and he wore a pair of old-fashioned "Jiefang" shoes.

What was particularly strange was that one of his eyes was terrifyingly large, like an egg, while the other was the normal size of a person's.

Seeing his appearance, I almost burst out laughing.

Qianqian pinched my leg and told me to respect others. I winced in pain.

In the end, I couldn't hold it in anymore, and the porridge in my mouth sprayed out with a "poof."

Qianqian also burst into giggles, then wiped the rice grains from the corners of my mouth while telling me to stop laughing.

Nangong Yiyi's beautiful brows furrowed.

"Ghost King."

After saying this, Nangong Yiyi stood up and looked at the rather unremarkable old man.

I was startled, my eyes widening like dinner plates. I looked at Nangong Yiyi in disbelief and asked, "He's the 'Ghost King'?"

Nangong Yiyi nodded, her brows still furrowed. Then she stepped forward, cupped her fists, and said, "May I ask what great lord you are, and what brings you here?"

"I'm looking for Li Xuanqing."

At this moment, Martial Uncle came out of the house and shouted, "Ah, Big Eye Ghost, you've finally arrived."

The old man also shouted back, "Brother Xuanqing, ah, long time no see, long time no see."

"You know each other?" Nangong Yiyi asked Martial Uncle.

Martial Uncle said, "Yes, I've known him for nearly twenty years." Only then did Nangong Yiyi retract her imposing aura.

Then, with a "pfft," she let out a laugh, which quickly turned into hearty laughter.

Pointing at the old man with one finger and slapping her thigh with the other, she laughed, "Big... Big Eye Ghost, hahahaha..."

Qianqian and I also started laughing, while Martial Uncle's mouth twitched.

It seemed Martial Uncle also wanted to laugh but was forcefully holding it back, his face turning beet red.

Then Martial Uncle shouted, "All of you, shut up!" Only then did we gradually stop laughing.

"Alas... my appearance is a gift from my parents, there's nothing I can do about it," the old man said.

Nangong Yiyi added, "When your mother gave birth to you, did she use random mode?"

Our suppressed laughter erupted again. This time, Martial Uncle also laughed.

After laughing, he patted the old man's shoulder and said, "Sorry, sorry."

Lately, Nangong Yiyi had been using my phone to listen to music, and she always liked to use random mode. It seemed she had learned quite a few new phrases.

"Alright, no disrespect. This is an old friend of mine.

He's here today to help deal with these jars and cans. A Tong, Qianqian, come pay your respects."

Qianqian and I went forward, bowed to the old man, and said in unison, "Greetings, elder."

"Hey, why call him elder? Call him Uncle Big Eye," Martial Uncle interrupted us.

Qianqian and I bowed again and said, "Greetings, Uncle Big Eye."

"Hahaha... Li Xuande's grandson, and a Lightning Attribute user at that. You'll surely achieve great things in the future," the old man said with a smile.

"Alright, alright, no need for such formality.

I'm here today to discuss with your Martial Uncle about the whereabouts of these things in the courtyard."

The old man pointed to the jars and cans in the courtyard.

"Fine, let's go inside and discuss further." The old man nodded with a smile and entered the small wooden house with Martial Uncle. Martial Uncle didn't allow us to go in.

However, speaking of which, this old man's composure was truly remarkable. We laughed at him so rudely, but he didn't get angry at all. He just smiled, as if none of it concerned him.

When I came to my senses, I remembered he was the 'Ghost King.' A chill ran down my spine. This was someone with true power.

If you don't believe me, recall the last time Martial Uncle and Nangong Yiyi exchanged a palm strike. I was sent flying by the residual force and almost lost my life.

I looked at their retreating figures and asked Nangong Yiyi, "Sister, was that person very strong? How does he compare to you?"

"Very strong. If we were to spar individually, I'd say it's a fifty-fifty chance. If we were fighting to the death, it's hard to say."

"That powerful," I exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course, Ghost Kings can rule a region. Do you think Ghost Kings are pushovers, someone anyone can just crush?"

I had to admit, he was right. Having been surrounded by these powerful figures lately, I'd started to underestimate the heroes of the world.

It wasn't until I was utterly defeated by a few Fierce Ghosts that I realized how foolish I'd been. But that's a story for another time.

Before long, the old man and Martial Uncle emerged. They walked up to the jar with the red seal and stared at it intently.

The old man looked at the jar before him and said, "Strange. This Ghost Cultivator in front of me is only at the 'Ghost Spirit' level, so why do I feel such a sense of dread looking at it?"

Martial Uncle nodded beside him and replied, "Precisely. That's why I asked you to come in person. To tell you the truth, this was left by my Master from a long time ago and has been kept until now."

The old man circled the jar, looking surprised. "I can see the materials used for this jar are extraordinary. It must have been made by a master craftsman."

Then, Martial Uncle recounted the jar's origin, including the ghost inside and its time at Maoshan. It had caused chaos at Maoshan, forcing the Sect Master to use a specially made jar to seal it.

The old man nodded slightly, but the confusion on his face remained. After hearing Martial Uncle's words, his confusion deepened.

"No, that's not right. By all accounts, with my cultivation level, I should be able to see more. I can only clearly identify it as a 'Ghost Spirit' level. I have no idea about its other cultivation paths or 'ghost patterns'," the old man said.

He then turned to Martial Uncle and Nangong Yiyi and asked, "You two have cultivation levels similar to mine. Can you tell anything?"

Martial Uncle and Nangong Yiyi both shook their heads.

I didn't understand. When they talked about cultivation paths, they must have meant techniques or something similar. But what was this 'ghost pattern'? I voiced my confusion.

Martial Uncle said to me, "The so-called 'ghost pattern' refers to the cultivation years of a 'Ghost Cultivator.' Once they reach a certain cultivation level, or are of the same level, you can see rings of ripples around the ghost. To give you an example, it's like an old tree, tens or hundreds of years old, that has been cut down. On the cut surface, you'll see circular patterns spreading outwards. We call these patterns 'annual rings.' The difference is that a tree's 'annual rings' can be seen and touched. However, a Ghost Cultivator's 'ghost pattern' can be seen but not touched. Furthermore, you need a certain cultivation level, or to be at the same level as them, to see it."

After hearing Martial Uncle's explanation, I suddenly understood. So there's this much to it, I thought.

Just then, a yawn, as if from someone just waking up, came from inside the jar. Then, in a sleepy voice, it said, "So noisy, can't a person sleep?" It then spoke with surprise, "Ah! Why does this brother's appearance look so strange?"

The old man, who was the Big Eye Ghost King, stepped forward, cupped his fist in a salute, and was about to speak when the voice from the jar suddenly said, "Alright, alright, you don't need to speak. Your 'magnificent' appearance is simply too blinding for my eyes. Seeing your visage, I truly cannot converse with you."