Not just Young Master Pei was shocked.

Li Buyan’s eyeballs nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Ding Yi’s breathing stopped, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit an egg.

Huang Qi’s legs were shaking terribly—he needed to urinate.

Only Zhu Qing stared fixedly at his master, his eyes suddenly becoming profound.

At this moment, Young Master Pei raised his head, his teeth chattering, asking shakily: “Xie, Xie Fifty, are you, are you, are you human or ghost?”

Xie Zhifei opened his eyes and looked at him.

Their four eyes met.

Pei Xiao suddenly remembered how when the old monk saw Xie Fifty, he said he had more than one name, and also said that the blessings accumulated by Shen Duruo had already extended to him.

So it turned out…

This person was also a ghost.

And a ghost who feared neither the Diamond Sutra nor the high monk’s talismans.

Good heavens!

I’ve been best brothers with a ghost for nearly twenty years?

Pei Xiao’s eyes went dark and he fell straight down.

The old monk stood up from his cushion, half-dragging and half-pulling the frightened and unconscious Pei Xiao back to the cushion, pressing a finger to his brow.

Pei Xiao’s whole body shuddered and he slowly came to. Just as he was about to open his mouth, a large hand covered it.

“I remember very clearly—the first time you made it rain crabapple flowers on me was when you were four years old. That spring, you began learning to read with Father.”

Xie Zhifei’s gaze toward Pei Xiao was empty.

He remained completely immersed in his own world.

“You learned to read so quickly even Father was amazed. I muttered to you—we’re both born from the same mother’s belly, so why did she give birth to you so smart and me so stupid? Heaven is truly unfair.

You pouted and retorted: We’re both born from the same mother’s belly, so why is Brother’s body so robust while I’m always sickly?

Hmm, it must be because I’m too smart. Heaven was afraid my brother would be jealous, so it made me fall over in a breeze.”

Xie Zhifei suddenly laughed.

“Zheng Huaiyou, that’s just how you were. You were always like this—the things you said made people both angry and amused.

When I was angry, I wanted to stuff you back into Mother’s belly. When I was amused, I was willing to present all my good food and fun things to you.

In Haitang Courtyard there were four people. Father doted on you most, Mother doted on me most.

When you were four, Father would still hold you in his arms to coax you to sleep. Later as you grew older, coaxing you to sleep became my job.

How could I have any patience? I only had one trick—scaring you.

Going to sleep or not? If not, the wild cats will snatch you away!

Going to sleep or not? If not, I won’t play with you tomorrow!

You were very obedient. You’d close your eyes when I scared you, but you always liked to hold onto one section of my finger. I was never one to sit still, so I came up with a trick—rolling up a handkerchief and stuffing it into your hand.

Gradually, holding the handkerchief, you could fall asleep.

But when you really fell asleep, I found it boring.

Practicing martial arts alone was boring—no one to call out praise.

Eating alone was boring—no one to fight with me over it.

Playing alone was boring too—who would I tease with the little ants and earthworms I caught?

The next day, I’d think of ways to wake you up early.

When you didn’t sleep well and woke up, you’d have a temper. You’d whine that this wasn’t right, that wasn’t right—always fussing with me for a while.

I’d call you little ancestor, scold you as a nuisance. When I was most annoyed, I even wanted to strangle you.

But you’d stare at me with those big watery eyes and call me ‘Brother,’ and I’d lose all my temper. Seeing my expression soften, you’d push your luck even more. The next day I’d eagerly coax you to sleep again, then meanly wake you up. I had the memory of a dog.

That afternoon, the two of us played hide and seek in the little garden. I hid in the tree.

You searched over and over, searching until the sky was nearly dark. You got so anxious you squatted on the ground and bawled. I climbed down from the tree and called you. You rushed over and hugged my arm tightly.

Brother, where did you go?

Brother, I was so scared when I couldn’t find you.

Brother, I never want to play hide and seek again.

At that moment, I suddenly felt having a little sister was wonderful. Look—she cares so much about me, can’t bear to part with me. She calls ‘Brother, Brother, Brother’ hundreds of times a day…”

Xie Zhifei crouched down, looking at Yan Sanhe’s deathly pale face.

“From that day on, you pestered me to learn tree climbing. I said climbing trees requires arm strength—your arms are so thin, can you develop it?

You said you could.

I said once you learn to climb trees, your fair and tender little hands will be gone. They’ll definitely be like mine—all calluses.

You said you still had to learn. If one day Brother hid and couldn’t be found again, you could climb up the tree to look.

During that time you practiced morning and evening. At night I’d dream with my heart clenched tight, just terrified you’d fall from the tree.

Sure enough, one day you fell. I was scared out of my wits.

You patted your bottom, smiled at me and said it was nothing. But at night you came crying to my room, saying, ‘Brother, my bottom hurts. Touch it and see if my bone is broken.’

I said Zheng Huaiyou, are you stupid? Where are there bones in your bottom?

You pulled down your pants to expose half your bottom. I looked and my soul fled in fear again—half your bottom was one big bruise.

I scolded you heartbrokenly: Are you an idiot? Why only say it hurts now?

You said with tears in your eyes: If I said it hurt during the day, you’d get beaten, Brother. If I say it hurts at night, Father and Mother are asleep and no one will know. Brother, seeing how good I am to you, you have to work like an ox and horse for me from now on, understand?”

Speaking to this point, Xie Zhifei couldn’t help but laugh softly himself.

For a very long time as Third Master Xie, he could never recall Huaiyou’s face. When he thought of her, his mind was completely blank.

Later, somehow he heard someone say “work like an ox and horse,” and in that moment, Huaiyou’s face suddenly appeared before his eyes—so righteous, so eloquent.

He remembered it all.

“You were one way in front of me, and another way in front of Father. Father always praised you as obedient and lovable, this good and that good.

Yet no matter how much Father praised you, in front of him you always put on a serious, little adult appearance. I even secretly asked you—why do you act so stiff in front of Father?

You were stunned for quite a while, then said Father had things weighing on his heart. You acted like a little adult to make Father feel at ease.

I asked, how can you tell Father has things on his mind?

You said Father was always frowning, always pressing his lips together, often spacing out alone in his study, often spacing out while looking at his large sword, and sometimes spacing out while looking at us siblings.

I laughed in exasperation. Zheng Huaiyou, you really make mountains out of molehills. What do you mean Father has things on his mind? Isn’t it just because we siblings are ghost children and Father worries about us?

You shook your head and said: Brother, believe me or not—Father’s heart holds something even bigger than us being ghost children.”

Xie Zhifei got tired of crouching and simply laid half his body on the edge of the coffin.

“Yan Sanhe, do you know? From childhood you had an exquisitely perceptive heart. You observed everyone closely, were sensitive to everyone, as if naturally gifted with spiritual insight.

While from childhood I was careless, couldn’t read anyone’s expressions, didn’t understand any subtext.

When you told me ‘Brother, Mother doesn’t like me,’ I scolded you for being paranoid, called you an ungrateful wretch, scolded you for making trouble when you’re well-fed.

You pursed your little mouth in grievance and said something that made me laugh and cry—

You said: Brother, let’s switch. I’ll be the older brother, you be the little sister. That way, Mother will love me more.”

—

*Author’s Note: Yesterday I didn’t update because I really couldn’t find the point of entry from Third Master’s perspective. I made several detailed outlines but wasn’t satisfied with any. It’s getting harder and harder to write!*