Ye Tong stepped forward at once to grab Xiang Tianya’s arm, bowing repeatedly in apology. “Please forgive a child’s indiscretion and don’t hold it against him—surely you won’t stoop to quarrel with a mere child!”
Xiang Tianya forced a faint smile and replied calmly, “It’s quite all right. As I said, I have a good temper. No harm done. Your son is—hmm—remarkably forthright. I rather like it! Now that the scolding is done, have you decided whether he’ll apprentice under me?”
On the surface, Xiang Tianya remained composed. But Ye Yu could clearly see the number 1,370 hovering above his head—points of negative emotion! Wow, a peak Heaven-Ghost Realm powerhouse indeed: just two lines of insults generated so much negativity. If Ye Yu had delivered a multi-stage verbal barrage, the total would have been even higher!
He inhaled deeply and drew those 1,370 points of negativity into himself. To avoid arousing Xiang Tianya’s suspicion, he stored it for later, planning to convert it into strength in secret.
Seeing Ye Yu still silent, Ye Tong winked urgently. “He didn’t hear the sect leader’s question—answer him now!”
Ye Tong’s meaning was clear: he hoped Ye Yu would refuse. A father knows his son best! From Ye Tong’s daily battering by Ye Yu’s words, no one in the Netherworld could withstand his son’s verbal assaults. If they weren’t his own child, Father was certain he’d be torn apart three hundred times over in a single day!
Thus Ye Tong thought keeping his son by his side was safest—if only his son would cooperate. But Ye Yu, a rebellious ten-year-old ghost, thrived on vexing others. “Father, pipe down! Can’t you see I’m thinking? What’s your hurry?”
Xiang Tianya raised an eyebrow and smiled—his composure regained. If Ye Yu dared roast his own father, what chance did a stranger have? Equity for all, after all.
But the next second, Xiang Tianya’s smile vanished.
“Smile, smile—old mutt, do you think you look good when you smile?”
In his head, Xiang Tianya had only one thought: Not smiling! “Boy, if you weren’t so useful to me, I’d tear you to shreds this moment! But the mission isn’t complete yet—I must remain calm, remain calm!”
Despite his efforts, the number 1,180 appeared above his head—another wave of negative emotion—much to Ye Yu’s delight. He felt he’d found the perfect way to leverage his Dreamrealm talent: it wasn’t about quantity but about high-precision targets. Clearly, this temperate sect leader was his ultimate whetstone!
“I...” Xiang Tianya began, but Ye Yu raised a hand to cut him off. “Actually, becoming your disciple isn’t out of the question. However, I’m not good with words—my speech can be harsh. You’ll have to put up with it. So—will you treat me as well as my father does?”
Hearing this, Xiang Tianya’s heart leapt. Children and promises—never reliable tests! “If you want it, I’ll give it at any time!” He recomposed his expression and spoke earnestly: “Master (shīfù) and Teacher-Father (shīfu) are not the same. A technical master teaches technique only, with no personal bond. But a Teacher-Father follows ‘once a teacher, always a father.’ I will share all my cultivation methods with you and regard you as my own son. You may call me Father.”
Ye Tong, standing nearby, was moved. My son’s luck is unbelievable—to encounter such a kind, devoted teacher! Unlike me, drifting through the ghost realm, never finding a worthy master...
Both Ye Tong and Xiang Tianya believed that now, no matter how unruly Ye Yu was, he would perform the formal disciple’s bow. Yet they could not predict his next move. Ye Yu shook his head and said discontentedly, “My father never treats me like a son. He /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ venerates me like an ancestor, calling me ‘little ancestor’ every day. Why don’t you call me ‘little ancestor’ and see how that feels?”
Above Ye Tong’s head flickered 38 points of negativity; above Xiang Tianya’s, 1,800 points!
Damn it! Xiang Tianya thought. In more than fifty thousand years in the Netherworld, I’ve never wanted to kill a ghost so much. Yet he maintained his calm, for the mission demanded it.
“You’re truly remarkable,” he managed, his tone strained.
Half an hour later, Ye Yu at last consented to apprentice under Xiang Tianya—though not without some more “cordial” exchanges. Xiang Tianya proved himself a true sect leader, never once losing his temper. This reassured Ye Tong, who agreed to let his son follow Xiang Tianya to the No-Trace Ghost Abode for cultivation.
But as he watched Ye Yu step out of Dragon-Snake Alley, tears involuntarily welled in his eyes. I really can’t bear to let him go...
His sorrow lasted only moments before he began shouting: “Neighbors! My son Ye Yu is departing for cultivation. To celebrate, I will host a three-day banquet—no one goes home sober!”
At this, the ghostly neighbors peered out in surprise. “What? That little brat is leaving?” Then they erupted in cheers. Honestly, who among Dragon-Snake Alley’s old residents hadn’t been on the receiving end of Ye Yu’s barbs? If it weren’t for the Ye family’s three Core Formation cultivators, that kid would have been long gone! Now that he was leaving, the world felt a bit quieter. Some kind ghost must have taken him as a disciple—hopefully they can handle him and keep him away for years!
On the road, Xiang Tianya sneezed heavily. “Hm, odd...” he murmured. A Heaven-Ghost Realm master still sneezing? He glanced back at Ye Yu, who was flying atop his ghost gourd. He’s weird, too—so wild at home, yet so quiet now. Must be the change of environment. But Xiang Tianya didn’t dwell on it. To him, it didn’t matter: when the time was right, all would return to nothingness.
