Feng Jiu wiped the Blue Edge Sword she held in her hand clean, and slid it back into its scabbard with a swish. She then went walking forward and emptied out all of the priest's possessions on his body, not even sparing the whisk, because that was a magical artifact and even if she had no use for it, she could sell it for money.
"Many thanks to the Young Master, many thanks to the Young Master!"
Voices raised in gratitude sounded out from behind her, that made Feng Jiu turned her head around, only to see four spirits kneeling upon the ground with their faces looking highly emotional.
"Stand up on your feet! I have some questions for you." She flicked a ball of flames out from within her hand and burnt up the priest's body.
"What does the Young Master want to ask us about?" They supported each other as they climbed to their feet, their ghostly bodies slightly translucent, their spirit souls seemingly a little unstable.
Feng Jiu cast a glance at them and said: "Ghosts are just ghosts. What I want to know is how were all of you able to keep your spirit souls from scattering and dispersing? It could be explained if it was just one of you who was able to congeal into a spirit ghost, but the four of you are one family aren't you? For all of you to be able to preserve your souls, how is that achieved?"
"Will the Young Master please come with us." The four of them said, leading Feng Jiu to the back of the other house, and then digging out block of reddish brown wood.
"To be honest with the Young Master, the fact that we were able to congeal our souls and not scatter and disperse is because of an encounter two years ago when a Great Master came here to ask for a cup of water to drink. We prepared a vegetarian meal for him and he said that our hearts did not contain evil but kindness. Seeing that my grandson Sunny was still in his infancy, he gave us this block of God Soul Wood that allowed us to remain here and it preserves our spirit souls. He reminded us repeatedly that we must not harm any humans and throughout the past two years, we kept those words in mind and did not dare to harbour evil in our hearts. Unexpectedly, we caught the attention of that priest and if not for Young Master here tonight, we would not even be able to be ghosts anymore."
Hearing those words, she then looked at the God Soul Wood before she realized that such a thing could actually happen.
However, she then continued to ask: "Since that Great Master was kind and you are all ghosts, why didn't you hand Sunny over to him?"
"We did."
The one that spoke this time was the younger man. He looked at Feng Jiu and then said: "We had pleaded with the Great Master to take Sunny along with him, as afterall, with all of us being ghosts, our bodies are tainted with Yin energy, and we fear that it would not be good for the child to remain with us. But the Great Master had refused and just said that when the time is ripe, a benefactor would come. It's only after tonight, that we came to realize that the benefactor the Great Master mentioned is actually the Young Master, you."
Feng Jiu rubbed her chin, and thought silently to herself: [Reclusive Masters who are able to foretell the future actually exists in this world?]
"That priest is now dead, so what are your intentions from now on?" Feng Jiu looked at them to ask.
"We beg for Young Master to take Sunny away from here! We….. We are ghosts, and we cannot remain together with him." The woman wept softly. No matter how much her heart could not bear to, there was no other way to it.
"I beg for the Young Master to bring our grandson to leave! With the great benevolence the Young Master has shown to us, we can only repay you in our next life." The old man and old woman then prostrated themselves before Feng Jiu.
The younger man was embracing the woman as he said: "As long as Sunny can live, that is more important than anything else. Young Master, we will leave our Sunny in your hands. We do not have anything much to present to the Young Master but the God Soul Wood is a superior spirit artifact. Will the Young Master please take it with you as well!"
Hearing that, Feng Jiu raised up an eyebrow as she glanced at them. The God Soul Wood was indeed a good item. It's celestial wood of the Ancients. The Great Master that had left it behind had been rather generous to have given them the block of God Soul Wood.
But, she was a person of principle, and she was not a person who accepted anything, nor did it mean she wanted everything.
"Even ghosts are able to cultivate themselves into devilry cultivators. I have here a book that would teach you how to cultivate, are all of you willing to come along with me?"