Explosions Are Art

The Ghost Bride's laughter echoed around them as her chains lashed out, like death whispering. A bone-deep chill seeped through every sound and pierced the soul, making people's scalps tingle.

"Mom, there's a ghost!"

A little child clung to an adult's leg, fear on their face as their small body trembled nonstop.

"I'm done watching, I'm done! I just wanted to see what was going on. How did it get so scary?"

Watching the Ghost Bride drift about and let out strange laughter now and then, those afraid of ghosts couldn't bring themselves to stay.

Only the bold found it fascinating. "Is that the kid's Martial Soul? She's still got it!"

"Ah, damn it!"

The chains bound Yan tightly, and the Qingming flames on them burned him so badly that he couldn't help groaning in pain.

"You... are you human or a ghost?"

Yan was flung to the ground, bound hand and foot.

He endured the pain, but looking at the Ghost Bride still made his heart pound with dread.

If she was human, how could she make such a maddening laugh?

"Hongdou!"

Su Wen held out his hand. The Ghost Bride immediately turned into a cloud of red mist and drifted back into the red Oil-paper Umbrella.

The Red Umbrella landed in his palm, then vanished.

"You can't even beat my attendant... ahem, my little sidekick. Go back and get some more practice!"

Su Wen noticed the crowd growing around them. Worried that they'd draw attention, he didn't say much more. He tossed out a casual remark and turned to leave.

But he was still astonished. So Hongdou could laugh.

Though it was a little...

It was also Su Wen's first time seeing Hongdou's fighting strength.

Her first Spirit Skill was Entanglement, but she'd practically turned those chains into an art form.

She could shape them into whatever she wanted.

"Yan, are you all right?"

Xie Yue breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Yan had been released.

But seeing his tattered clothes and skin scorched all over left him stunned.

Yan had the Flame Lord Martial Soul. In theory, he should have some resistance to heat and shouldn't have been so easily burned.

Yan was just as shocked. He'd never seen Su Wen's Martial Soul before.

There was an umbrella, and a woman dressed in red.

Which one was his Martial Soul?

"Senior Brother, Hongdou is amazing."

"Senior Brother is even more amazing!"

Hu Liena followed beside him, her eyes shining as she looked at Su Wen.

Yan had awakened his Martial Soul a whole year before they had.

He was about to reach the second rank, yet Senior Brother had beaten him despite the level gap... No, Senior Brother hadn't even done anything. Yan had already lost.

"I hope what happened today doesn't get around, and that it doesn't reach Spirit Hall."

Unlike Hu Liena, Su Wen was a little worried.

"Why?" Hu Liena blinked in confusion.

"If word gets around Spirit City that I have an improper relationship with a ghost, then the rumors at Spirit Hall will be confirmed!"

"Hehe!"

"Come on. Let's buy a few things first. When we get back, I still have to burn them over to those two."

"Burn them over? Who are you sending things to, Senior Brother? Teacher?"

"To the ones below."

Hu Liena instinctively glanced at the ground, but saw nothing. The confusion in her eyes only deepened.

Su Wen didn't reply. He was wondering too: did Spirit City have a paper offerings shop?

Explosion Is Art

Su Wen took Hu Liena around Spirit City.

They couldn't find a paper offerings shop.

But they did manage to buy two wooden combs and some flower seeds.

Su Wen planned to see if he could burn them over to the women that night.

"Do you have Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue?"

Su Wen led Hu Liena into the biggest shop in Spirit City.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue can make a person burst..."

The shop assistant glanced at Su Wen, but before he could finish, Su Wen tossed him a bag of gold coins.

"Can you get it or not?"

Seeing the little fellow spend so generously, the assistant's eyes brightened. "Of course. The Sea Spirit Masters in Vast Sea City hunt countless Sea Spirit Beasts every year to get Spirit Rings. Whale Rubber is the last thing they're short of. It's just that we don't have the connections here..."

"Little brother, I'm warning you: Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue will make you burst, and I mean that kind of burst. Are you sure you still want it?"

Su Wen nodded firmly. After settling the details with the man, he left with Hu Liena.

"Senior Brother, can eating whale glue really make someone burst? What kind of burst did he mean?"

Once they were out of the shop, Hu Liena couldn't help asking, curious about the assistant's warning.

"Nana, ask me again when you're older. For now, just remember: explosions are art. If you haven't burst yet, keep eating."

Su Wen felt he'd finished everything he needed to do, so he took Hu Liena to buy gifts.

He also bought Bibi Dong a little purple-red bracelet. It didn't matter whether she wanted it; buying it was what counted.

On the way back, Su Wen looked at his empty purse and sighed to himself. Beside him, Hu Liena was practically beaming; they made quite a contrast.

"Senior Brother, when I'm older, I'll earn money to spend on you too."

Hu Liena hugged the pile of things her senior brother had bought for her and suddenly spoke in a small voice.

"Hmm?"

Su Wen glanced at her.

Hu Liena lowered her head, her face faintly flushed.

"Okay!"

Su Wen raised a hand and ruffled her hair.

Hu Liena's face burned. She fought the urge to rub her head against his hand.

A happy, satisfied smile appeared on her little face.

After parting with Hu Liena,

Su Wen returned to the courtyard and rubbed his hands together.

He took two wooden combs and a bag of flower seeds out of his Soul Tool.

Then he fetched a kettle from the house and set everything together on the ground.

"Buzz!"

Su Wen summoned his Spirit Rings. The moment they flashed,

two figures flew out.

Ah Yin and Ah Rou stood before him.

They looked at Su Wen.

Almost simultaneously, they spoke.

"Dear?"

"Master?"

"Ah Rou, from now on, call me what Ah Yin does!"

"Understood, dear!"

"Can I just burn these things for you?"

Su Wen pointed to the items on the ground. He hadn't found a paper offerings shop, so he'd have to burn what he had.

They nodded lightly. Su Wen said nothing more and found something to light the offerings with.

As the flames burned and the items turned to ash, a gust of yin wind swept into the courtyard. A Ghost Hand suddenly reached up from the ground.

Su Wen jumped in fright as the Ghost Hand dragged all the ashes underground.

"Dear!"

"Master!"

"We've received them!"

A year and more later.

In a quiet courtyard,

Bibi Dong wore a tight-fitting purple dress patterned with gold...