Chapter 33: Reality: Spirit Binding

Chapter 33: Reality: Spirit Bond

In the light of intoxication, many unspoken words spill out like a flood, ceaselessly pouring forth.

After settling the details of their journey to the next Realm of No Return together, Chi Zihe eagerly downed the last of his golden liquor and, with his left hand raised, began to ramble.

"This is an engagement ring, do you see it? Three years already!"

He then lifted his right hand.

"And this is our child, two of them!"

With both hands suddenly before them, he exclaimed in despair,

"Lingshuang still hasn't married me! How can I convince her to marry... Why is it so difficult for me to get a marriage certificate? Our children now have to write 'parents divorced' on school forms. She's so heartless!"

Ming Yiyang, however, was focused on another point:

"Does an unmarried mother also fill in 'parents divorced'? I thought it would be 'illegitimate child'."

His words evidently struck a nerve with the grieving, drunk Taoist, who buried his face in the table and sobbed.

"How tragic, both my child and I are so miserable. Just last month, I came home a little late, and she said I might as well not come back at all, do you think she still loves me? Is she with someone else?"

Yan Qiling tried to soothe him gently.

"It's alright. With the quality of puppets she makes, she wouldn't be interested in anyone else outside."

Chi Zihe got up, staring blankly at the empty cup.

"You make a valid point... Ah, I did want to be single before, but that doesn't mean I'm irresponsible. When she was pregnant, I asked my master to write our marriage contract. It was all ready, but she said she didn't plan on having a wedding or getting a marriage certificate..."

He slumped back onto the table, weeping again.

"I really wanted a wedding, I've saved up for it. I wanted to have it at the temple, my senior brother would definitely help out. I had everything prepared, but she just wouldn't allow it! Why... How can she be so whimsical and free-spirited like that..."

Ming Yiyang's mind was buzzing.

"Is it really that difficult for you to go back to Mount Sanqing and talk to her face-to-face? What good does it do telling us this?"

"I dare not... What if she loses the ring and asks for a divorce..."

The young man bared his teeth in a chilling smile, revealing his white teeth as he said, "You haven't even gotten your marriage certificate, so how can there be a divorce?"

Upon hearing this, Chi Zihe's emotions crumbled, rendering him unable to speak coherently.

Yan Qiling looked at him with a gentle smile, his expression resembling that of a compassionate Guanyin statue, "Karma will come, only when the time is right... He's drunk, and the guest room is on the first floor. You should take him there."

Ming Yiyang carried the drunkard into the guest room. When he came out, Yan Qiling was still sitting by the sofa, sipping his drink.

Chi Zihe was a poor drinker yet loved alcohol. He was completely flushed from being drunk. Ming Yiyang considered himself quite capable of holding his liquor, but even he had a slight flush on his face now.

Yet, that person was outlined by the window's light. Despite his pale skin, not a hint of red touched his eyelids or brows. His composure was eerie.

Of course, Ming Yiyang wasn't afraid; he was merely curious.

The lights in the living room were turned off, leaving only the dim wall lamp on the balcony casting its glow through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors, creating a chiaroscuro of the man and objects, their shadows intertwining into a scene.

" Aren't you sleeping?"

The young man's voice, roughened by alcohol, carried a hint of warmth amidst the deep night.

Yan Qiling's dark eyes held an enigmatic gleam:

"I'll drink a little more for now, I'm not ready to sleep."

Ming Yiyang approached him.

This time, they were exceptionally close.

His fibula brushed against the man's knee, making him pause.

For the first time, he dismissed all external distractions,

[End of excerpt due to the abrupt termination of the text.]

From an objective standpoint, being this close to the person was an intimate experience.

Due to their proximity, the other party had to tilt their head upward to meet his gaze directly.

Eyes shimmering with luminance were diffused with a hazy glow from the outdoor lighting.

Ming Yiyang reached out with both hands to cradle the person's face.

His thumbs gently landed on the cool corners of the other's eyes, unconsciously caressing the almost unreal smoothness of the skin.

It was a soft sensation.

The temperature wasn't scorching but not too cold either, mirroring the subtle blend of gentleness and unobtrusive aloofness that this person exhibited outwardly.

As if they didn't need the warmth or concern of others, capable of living their life in solitude without difficulty.

Yan Qiling remained still, simply observing the person before him silently.

Both of them had suppressed their usual expressions, leaving only a composed calm tinged with the influence of alcohol.

As he observed Yan Qiling, Yan Qiling was observing him in return.

The flush of alcohol-induced red had faded from the young man's cheeks.

With a slightly dazed expression, his lowered eyes shone surprisingly bright, shimmering with tiny, glittering ripples as they moved.

If he hadn't known the young man's temperament a little, at this proximity, Yan Qiling might have almost believed that this person was about to embrace him.

Ming Yiyang bent down deeply, his gaze slowly traversing the man's face, examining it attentively.

After a long while, he asked,

"Where are your cat's eyes?"

He referred to the heterochromatic irises, which were commonly called "cat's eyes" in some places due to their resemblance to felines' eyes.

Throughout this, Yan Qiling hadn't blinked once. It was only then that he seemed to realize, fluttering his eyelashes lightly, and replied,

"They're not here."

What does that mean?

A hint of suspicion arose in Ming Yiyang's heart, but he didn't dwell on it.

He intuitively felt that Yan Qiling had another matter to discuss with him.

So, with a composed and authoritative tone, he whispered,

"Is there something you need to talk to me about?"

"Are you sure we're going to have this conversation like this?"

Yan Qiling replied gently and sincerely,

"My neck is sore."

The young man chuckled softly, his warm breath lightly grazing the nearby skin, blending into the not-so-cold air and transforming into a subtle oak wine aroma.

He said,

"Well then, beg me, Professor Yan."

Pulling slightly away from the man, Ming Yiyang peered through the dense night, attempting to discern more emotions hidden behind the mask:

"If I were to ask, what would you do?"

Yan Qiling smiled, uttering a statement that contradicted his serene and elegant demeanor:

"I'd kiss you."

The young man froze, opening his mouth as if to protest, only to hear the other add:

"The kind where we tongue-kiss."

Ming Yiyang promptly released his grip and stepped back.

For some reason, he felt that Yan Qiling was capable of such an act.

Seeing the alarmed manner in which Ming Yiyang tried to avoid him, Yan Qiling finally removed his mask and laughed genuinely, with heartfelt warmth.

"Ming Yiyang, aren't you quite fond of joking around? How do you find my little joke? Was it amusing?"

The young man belatedly realized that he had been teased by this person.

After a few moments of silence, Ming Yiyang sat down beside the sofa, twisted off the cap of the bottle, and poured himself a shallow glass of the amber-colored wine, casually changing the subject:

"By the way, your Spirit Binding Rope seems a bit unusual."

"Hmm, it's quite attached to you."

The man chuckled softly in the shadows, his tone carrying a relaxed openness.

Sure enough, the silver rope slithered out of the man's sleeve like a snake, affectionately nudging its "head" against the slender fingers of the man, before swiftly coiling around the young man's wrist, tightly entwining it.

The young man, in the middle of drinking, had to set down his glass and gently poked at the rope.

Yan Qiling gazed at the rope, a rare hint of melancholy flickering in his eyes.

Or perhaps it wasn't melancholy, but rather a reminiscence of days gone by:

"It's not mine; it was a gift from a friend. I'm more or less... keeping it safe for them."

Ming Yiyang toyed with the nimble Spirit Binding Rope, asking nonchalantly,

"Is your friend related to me?"

Yan Qiling had no intention of hiding anything and nodded in admission.

"He also bears the surname Ming."

The young man's expression darkened as if he recalled something.

"Do you know my mother?"

Yan Qiling chuckled, his voice delightfully melodious, like pearls bouncing off a white jade plate.

"My friend is male, and he's been deceased for several decades."

Ming Yiyang studied his face intently.

"A friend across generations?"

Yan Qiling didn't elaborate on the topic. He leaned comfortably on the sofa, his previously obscured face now bathed in the warm light, with his hands crossed on his lap.

"It has a connection with you. You should keep it."

"But it's useless to me."

The young man picked up the wine glass again, swiveling it to observe how the light fell on his fingertips from different angles.

"I have no idea how to activate it. It's just trash in my hands."

Yan Qiling rose and clinked glasses with him.

Amidst the crisp sound of their glasses meeting, the man said with a smile, "I'll teach you. Come on."

Ming Yiyang was open to learning new skills, so he downed the rest of his drink.

-

The backyard of the old house had a well-maintained locust tree.

Yan Qiling pulled out a hair tie from somewhere and, with a toss and a catch, tied it to the branch of the locust tree.

"That's the target."

He said, then pushed up the sleeve of the young man's wrist, revealing the quiet and coiled Spirit Binding Rope:

"It has its own spirit, so there's no need for incantations to activate it. The key is communication. Once you build a rapport, there are countless tricks you can play with it. I'll start by teaching you the basics—how to make it bind something."

The man's pale fingers brushed against the silver rope:

"Copy my movements, gently."

Ming Yiyang also placed his fingers on the silver rope, slowly caressing it with the pads of his fingers.

"Hold your breath and calm your mind. Feel its presence."

Following the guidance of this voice, Ming Yiyang silently recited a meditation mantra to clear his thoughts.

In that instant, an innumerable torrent surged through his chest, shattering the silent barrier in an instant. A mysterious bond formed like a bridge, allowing him to sense a connection with the Spirit Binding Rope as if their minds were synchronized.

This sensation had appeared several times before in the depths of the void, but due to the speed being too swift, he hadn't had time to feel it before the Spirit Binding Rope moved according to his will, thus causing him to overlook it.

The silver rope shot upward, accurately binding the branch where the ribbon was entwined. However, that wasn't all.

The youth instinctively extended the Spirit Binding Rope mid-air, making it climb higher. When it reached the second branch, he bound both branches together and tried his best to bring them closer!

The branches creaked under the immense weight.

Yan Qiling snapped his fingers.

An inexplicable force swiftly untangled the Spirit Binding Rope, which whooshed back into Ming Yiyang's wrist, losing its intimidating aura and becoming as quiet as a chicken.

Ming Yiyang, who had established a connection with the Spirit Binding Rope, unexpectedly sensed its... fear.

Was it afraid of Yan Qiling's power?

While Ming Yiyang was still pondering, the man turned his head.

His face wore an enigmatic smile, yet his voice remained gentle:

"You can give it a try, but don't damage my tree. Technically speaking, it belongs to the public, and I'd have to compensate if it gets ruined."

Ming Yiyang: "Oh... I see."

For a moment, he was at a loss for words. After some thought, he said,

"This item is very valuable. Since you're giving it to me, I should give you something in return."

"No need," Yan Qiling replied. "Just consider it returning the item to its rightful owner."

"I'm not the rightful owner."

The young man sounded slightly displeased. His silver eyebrows furrowed slightly in the shadows.

"Moreover, I just happen to share the same surname as your friend. Didn't you investigate properly before casually giving away your friend's belongings? Wouldn't he be so angry that he'd rise from the grave to find you?"

Yan Qiling's smile took on a subtle nuance.

He didn't respond, instead, he plucked his hair tie from the branch and entered the house first.

Something seemed to have crossed his mind, causing him to pause in his steps. Through the half-open glass door, he turned his head to gaze into the distance:

"If he can lift the coffin lid."

"That would be for the best."