Chapter 44: Why the Obsession

"Asshole! Lunatic! Brat! Unacceptable!"

That night, Feng Xue, who had clearly fallen asleep, heard continuous curses beside his ear, yet all memories seemed tied to some noble lady; her vocabulary was indeed limited, but paired with her soft, lilting Wu dialect, it somehow sounded pleasant.

Unlike previous times, Feng Xue woke instantly from the ghost's dream intrusion—not because he'd developed resistance or quick reflexes, but simply because the Spirit-Binding Spell's pact forbade harming the master.

Entering dreams was allowed, but memory suppression was impossible.

He stretched vigorously, pushing himself up from the still chilly ground, and saw Mo Ying still seated atop a large rock in that glitch-like posture, pointing at him and screaming insults.

Feng Xue grinned and suddenly stood up.

As if startled by the motion, Mo Ying—who had already been severely tormented outside (referring to Spirit-Binding)—tumbled off the rock, then seemed to remember something, scrambling to her feet while stammering:

"D-don't come closer! This is a dream—I'm in charge here! Even if you're my pact master, you can't control me! Watch out—I'll make you have nightmares!"

Hearing Mo Ying's utterly powerless threat, Feng Xue couldn't help laughing. He tried activating the Spirit-Binding Spell, but found his weak soul couldn't channel magical energy in sleep—he didn't care, instead stepping forward two more steps with a smile:

"You went to all this trouble pulling me in… just to give me nightmares?"

"W-who pulled you in? You came in yourself! Yes, you came in—this time, last time, all of them! I didn't even want to!"

Mo Ying retreated while weakly explaining; Feng Xue looked unconvinced:

"I have the ability to enter your dreams on my own?"

"It's because you're leaking too much primordial energy! Your energy seeped in by itself, dragging your spirit along! I didn't want this! I've been trying hard not to absorb it, but it just keeps coming in! What can I do? Why don't you just stay farther away before sleeping next time?"

Mo Ying was nearly crying—she'd been peacefully inside the painting, how did she end up with someone like this?!

"Spontaneous?" Feng Xue recalled the Spirit-Binding Spell's text and didn't doubt it; according to the manual, spirit ghosts gradually attune to their master's will while absorbing his magical energy and primordial qi. Ordinary Xuan cultivators who raise spirits feed them slowly with incense offerings—his own two days of supply might already match what others took years or decades to achieve.

"So I really am a Spirit-Body for Nurturing Ghosts Innately?" Feng Xue chuckled bitterly, but seeing the spirit's wary expression, he sighed—though the Spirit-Binding Spell could force control regardless of the ghost's will, the manual said a cooperative ghost was always better than an uncooperative one.

Understanding that even ghosts needed a balance of kindness and authority, he finally dropped his unsettling grin, his expression turning serious. This sudden shift startled Mo Ying, who then heard Feng Xue say:

"Whether you like it or not, you're my pact ghost now. You must serve me when I need you. In return, I'll provide you with primordial energy and magical power so you can grow faster…"

"I don't want your magical power or primordial energy!" Mo Ying immediately shook her head. Feng Xue raised an eyebrow:

"You're getting cheeky when I'm being nice?"

"N-no! That's not it!" Mo Ying shrank back as Feng Xue's expression darkened, hastily adding:

"I just… I don't want to leave. Helping you with illusions is still fine!"

"?" Feng Xue felt a flicker of doubt, recalling the owner of Mo Yu Xuan's description of this spirit. According to him, after the original owner shed her obsession and reincarnated, this spirit had lingered for a century without any worship—meaning it surpassed even "wish-power," sustaining itself solely on inherited obsession.

Thinking this through, she likely didn't crave primordial energy or cultivation the way ordinary spirits did. If so, he'd have to target her obsession directly.

But what was her obsession? Not wanting to leave? A shut-in?

Feng Xue recalled every detail since acquiring Mo Ying, remembering how a single remark had made her cry. A sudden idea struck him—he put on a mischievous, teasing expression:

"Illusions? Your glitchy nonsense? What help could that possibly be?"

"Y-you don't underestimate me!" Mo Ying glared, her voice rising to a volume she'd never used even when Feng Xue had been advancing on her.

Feng Xue internally chuckled "Bitten!"—his expression grew even more dismissive:

"Underestimate? I ignore you! You can't even blend into your environment, and you call that illusion? Anyone can spot you at a glance! Trash! Trash!"

Before Feng Xue had even settled into his rhythm, Mo Ying suddenly shuddered—her tear ducts burst open:

"Waaah! I want to blend in too! But I just can't! I can't even draw! Bai Li's an idiot and a half-baked artist too—her methods are impossible to learn! Waaah!"

Tears poured profusely against the ink-wash landscape, as if everything were dissolving into ink—the hard wind-sheltering rock beneath her seemed to sprout moss, the elegant river behind her instantly filled with duckweed, and even her delicate face appeared smeared with ink. Feng Xue stared, dumbfounded.

"So fragile?"

The thought barely formed when Feng Xue realized—this was likely the very obsession binding the spirit.

Though obsession is the foundation of a spirit's existence, once the Spirit-Binding Spell is complete, the spirit is bound to its master; the original obsession may fade—and indeed, only when it fades does the spirit lose its weakness, since that obsession was inherited from its former self.

"Is her obsession… learning to paint?"

Feng Xue recalled the owner's mention of the spirit's original form—a noble daughter of a former dynasty's prime minister. From countless melodramas he'd seen before his reincarnation, perhaps her true obsession was "freedom"…

Wait…

The spirit was bound to an imperfect landscape painting?

Did that noble lady truly love this painting so much?

But she shed her obsession and reincarnated within months! It's this spirit that clings to becoming a visible ink dot…

So when she said "I want to blend in," it wasn't just complaining—it was her obsession?

Did that noble lady wish to enter the world depicted in the painting—the outside world?

In other words…

This spirit's obsession might be inherited: to enter the fantasy world within the painting… or simply to merge into the painting itself?

Thoughts swirled in Feng Xue's mind. He frowned slightly. Though possibilities were many, all could be addressed with the same approach—

"Fine. I'll find you painting textbooks. You help me with tasks?"

"Gah!" Her sobs cut off abruptly, producing a strange sound. Mo Ying stopped rubbing her eyes, peering through her fingers with her beautiful gaze, weakly asking across the rock:

"Really?"

(End of Chapter)