Chapter 5: 5，彪悍小娃

“I say, little Li'er, didn't Shizun teach you? You must be polite. Since your master didn't give permission, how could you barge into a man's room?” A white-bearded old man with an air of immortal elegance drifted down from the roof beams. His somewhat wrinkled hand gently pinched the little girl's noticeably chubby face as he spoke, his eyes filled with doting affection.

“Mother said Shizun doesn't count as a man; Shizun is just an old man.” Xiao Li'er slapped his hand away with a 'pa' sound, pouting dissatisfied as she looked at Yun Lingzi. When he tried to pinch her face again, she glared; she hated anyone pinching her face, except for Mother.

Yun Lingzi's mouth twitched. Was that mother of hers really educating her child that way? What was wrong with being an old man? How did being an old man mean he wasn't a man?

“Your mother really said that?” Yun Lingzi was seriously wounded. With a somewhat indignant expression, he asked. That heartless girl, Jin-ya, had raised her for five years, and it seemed it had all been in vain. Ever since she cultivated the Ghost-Crafting Fire a year ago, relying on her formidable mental strength, she had been forging every few days. Not only had she seized his proud private treasury, but now she had turned his Lingwu Mountain into a chaotic mess. Most hateful of all was her claim that he wasn't a man; this was truly intolerable.

“Come, Xiao Li, let's go find your mother.” Yun Lingzi's expression was somewhat dark. He marched out, indignantly holding Xiao Li's hand. The first rays of dawn's sunlight shone upon Lingwu Mountain, accompanied by the morning mist, making it feel as if one were in a fairyland.

“Jin-ya, what is it this time? Do you not intend to stop until you've torn my Lingwu Mountain down?” Seeing the white-clad woman standing before the dilapidated house, Yun Lingzi lost his temper. To actually tell Xiao Li that he wasn't a man—it was simply too detestable.

“Old man Yun, your temper is so high so early in the morning; be careful of dementia. Xiao Li, how did you upset your Shizun?” As the white-clad woman's dark eyes shifted, they were even more dazzling than the morning sun. Her refined makeup exuded a sense of laziness, yet her very bones radiated an aura of pride and aloofness.

“Mother, I only told Shizun that you said he wasn't a man.” Xiao Li bounded into the woman's arms, acting spoiled. A glimmer of wit shone in her dark golden eyes. Shizun was such a slowpoke; if she hadn't provoked him, how could he have accompanied her to find Mother so quickly? If Mother hadn't forbidden her from entering the forging room alone, she wouldn't have bothered looking for that old man.

Jin Se's lips twitched slightly. This girl had gone to bully Old Man Yun again. When had she ever said he wasn't a man? Why couldn't even she remember?

“Jin-ya, this is your fault. The child is so young and you aren't teaching her good things. Also, I'd like to hear it—why am I not a man?” Hearing Xiao Li'er's tender voice echoing in his ears once more, Yun Lingzi trembled all over as if injected with chicken blood. He had become dead serious; his wrinkled old face flushed red with anger, and his nose flared with every breath.

“Old man Yun, don't be angry. I'll go and properly educate Xiao Li right now.” Jin Se clearly avoided the topic, quickly leading Xiao Li'er away from the dilapidated hut. She had originally wanted to ask if there were any more treasures or anything, but seeing Old Man Yun's furious face and his shabby appearance, she didn't dare speak up. She had caused no small amount of havoc on Lingwu Mountain over these five years; now that she had a little tag-along, the old man hadn't complained about her eating and staying for free, so she had to have some self-awareness.

“Mother, I want to eat roasted squab.”

“Alright, let's go catch some pigeons right now.”

...

Watching the one large and one small figure gradually recede into the distance, Yun Lingzi stood lost in the morning breeze.