As they spoke, Yu Sheng stopped at the entrance of the treehouse. Under the extended eaves was a platform for cooling off and enjoying the scenery, and straight ahead were the spiral stairs leading down.
Wen Jiu walked behind Yu Sheng, his gaze lowered as he noticed the shadow that fell at the entrance.
It was his master's shadow, which had inexplicably shrunk into a small bundle, resembling a two- or three-year-old child, with two short arms raised, clutching a heavy head.
Feeling a stir in his heart, he saw another shadow surge forward, as if stimulated by something, exuberantly surrounding his master's shadow, kissing and hugging it, wrapping it up in an unrestrained embrace. Wen Jiu recognized that it was his own shadow and quietly shifted his gaze, feeling a hint of embarrassment as he glanced back at his master, who was out of sight. Though he tried hard to divert his attention, he couldn't help but sneak peeks at his master standing at the entrance.
Why had his master suddenly stopped? No, maybe this was better; he could use this time to think of a way to stop him and not get involved in other people's affairs... The shadows started to move.
But even so, his master seemed very determined, not the type to change his mind. In that case, it would be better if... the shadow kissed his lips.
Wen Jiu exerted tremendous willpower to close his eyes, lightly tapping the ground with his toes, attempting to control the shadow that wouldn’t listen in the spirit realm.
He belonged here, after all, as the most powerful spiritual entity, and controlling these shadows should have been easier... His master's shadow was still a child; it couldn’t continue moving like that.
Wen Jiu’s gaze became complicated. He took a deep breath, striving to maintain a calm demeanor, took a few steps forward, and reached the platform outside the door. His voice wavered as he began, “Master, you…”
Then his words and actions suddenly froze.
Yu Sheng stood there, seemingly lost in thought, his head slightly lowered, one hand pinching the ear of a small white creature. The ear was tiny, resembling that of a hamster, usually hidden within thick fur.
What stood out was his complexion, and the ear—it seemed a little warm?
Ordinary illusions could deceive the naked eye, but they couldn’t fool Wen Jiu’s spiritual sight. Even the slightest change in temperature became exceptionally vivid in his eyes; even if Yu Sheng’s appearance transformed from a youth to an old man, there wouldn’t be much difference to him.
No, besides feeling a bit warm, there was something else… hmm.
Could it be that his master had sensed the actions of his shadow!?
Wen Jiu felt a wave of guilt and panic, forgetting what he wanted to say. By the time he reacted, Yu Sheng had already quietly uttered “Let’s go” and flew off.
What had just happened? Neither his naked eye nor his spiritual sight could distinguish it clearly anymore.
In the sky of the spirit realm, it seemed there were many flying spiritual entities. If one had to say, there were more than the birds and butterflies of the human realm. They had not flown long when they accidentally entered a flock of spiritual entities. These spirits were not exclusionary; they flew together in the air, big and small, resembling sentient kites, forming irregular diamond shapes.
To conserve spiritual energy, Yu Sheng didn’t directly ride the clouds but sat on the slightly enlarged handle of his dust brush, flying toward the sky that continuously emitted dangerous sounds while curiously observing the spiritual beings passing by.
To save spiritual energy, he sat cross-legged, managing to maintain balance in mid-air, which caused Wen Jiu, flying beside him, to glance over frequently, seemingly worried that he might accidentally fall.
Perhaps it was because he wasn’t directly sitting on the dust brush but had hidden a small stool? With this guess in mind, Wen Jiu stealthily fell back a little distance, secretly trying to peek under his master’s robe. The hanging hem blocked most of his view.
Suddenly, Yu Sheng turned around, quickly glancing at him before retracting his gaze.
Caught in the act of spying, Wen Jiu felt guilty again, hurriedly catching up and pretending nothing had happened, focused straight ahead as he continued.
That brief glance lingered in his mind, the corners of Yu Sheng's eyes slightly warm, carrying a hint of shyness and reproach, a look he couldn’t shake off.
Yu Sheng remained silent. After Wen Jiu caught up and walked beside him, he silently increased his speed, intentionally leaving Wen Jiu behind.
Wen Jiu: …?
Is he angry?
Yu Sheng’s lips were pressed into a thin line. His arms moved as if he were doing something, then he muttered ahead, “You… Is illusion magic ineffective for you?”
His voice was very soft, and Wen Jiu almost thought he wasn’t speaking to him. But considering there was no one else around,
“It can be said that way.” He replied respectfully from behind, then added thoughtfully, “Master’s illusion primarily affects sight, hearing, and touch. For me, without physical contact, the changes are indeed not obvious… However, I mainly recognize people by their voices and forms, so if no distraction is left behind, it’s really hard to recognize Master at once.”
Yu Sheng fell silent again, pondering something on his own. His emotions didn’t seem to have calmed down. After a while, he suddenly grasped the small spirit pet in both hands, lifting it to eye level, staring into its big eyes.
Wen Jiu: “What happened to this one?”
Then he saw that spirit pet struggling in mid-air, stretching its neck toward Yu Sheng, sniffing like a rabbit, and then it stuck out its tiny, damp tongue, playfully licking Yu Sheng’s nose.
Yu Sheng: “…!!”
The spirit pet was soft as if it had no bones; in other words, it was even more liquid-like than a cat. Being held in mid-air didn’t frighten it; it twisted its body and wriggled free, diving back into the warm embrace. Its small, fleshy paws pushed open Yu Sheng’s clothes, directly pressing against his chest and making his clothes bulge out into a round shape.
Yu Sheng was flustered, and his body swayed for a moment. Wen Jiu quickly moved closer, worriedly steadying him from behind. Lowering his head, he saw the white spirit pet being pulled out by Yu Sheng, its collar loosened and revealing a small patch of slightly warm skin.
Hmm… its cheeks were also slightly warm.
Wen Jiu was about to reach out, intending to take the spirit pet back on behalf of his master, when he met Yu Sheng’s gaze, filled with a mix of indignation and something strange, leaving him momentarily stunned
“Master…?”
“You…” Yu Sheng seemed to be holding back his breath, struggling to finish his sentence but ended up shaking his head and ignoring Wen Jiu. He furiously arranged his clothes. Just when Wen Jiu thought he wouldn’t speak again, Yu Sheng abruptly cursed, “Damn it!”
Wen Jiu: “…??”
What?
“Master?” Wen Jiu asked innocently and confusedly, glancing at the spirit pet that had been pulled back and then at Yu Sheng’s expression. “What’s wrong? Why…”
Why did he suddenly curse his disciple?
Wait, could it be…
Wen Jiu stiffened for a moment, staring at the suddenly obedient spirit pet in his hand. His face changed from pale to green and then to red.
“Ahem…” Wen Jiu tried to make his voice sound calm. “Did you… mistake it for a fragment of your spirit?”
Yu Sheng’s neck stiffened, turning his head slowly like a zombie, his expression twisted. “…You, said, what?”
“The disciple said this spirit pet, um, didn’t you recognize it?”
“Recognize?” A storm exploded in Yu Sheng’s heart. How could he recognize something that looked exactly the same?!
“What did you just say it was?”
“A spirit pet,” Wen Jiu replied in shock. “When my disciple fell off the cliff, three spirit pets followed me. You’ve seen them; it’s one of them… Master, what did you think it was?”
Yu Sheng stiffly turned his head back, flying faster and faster. “It’s nothing; let’s get moving.”
Wen Jiu: …
He must have mistaken it for something else, like me?
So what outrageous thing did it do just now to make someone like Master curse “Damn it”?
Wen Jiu silently lowered his head, raising his hand to cover half his face, nearly losing his balance from his own wild thoughts.
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