Chapter 10: Suddenly I Realized My Master Is So Handsome

Huh? Shi Ran blinked her eyes! This… what kind of trouble is this? She didn't have any talisman paper on her; the situation was that urgent back then, she didn't think much, just casually drew…

"Very… very strange?"

Mei Ruoxue nodded, her eyes bright as morning stars: "Anyway, I've never seen anyone form a talisman like that! Master, have you seen it?"

Ling Xiao stopped and shook his head.

"You haven't seen it either, right?" Mei Ruoxue looked at Shi Ran: "So how did you manage it?"

Really doting on her! Even with swords drawn and bows bent, she could answer Mei Ruoxue's question calmly—Master truly lives up to being Master; even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, he wouldn't budge an inch!

But I can't do that! Shi Ran looked at the Eighteen Ghost Kings and countless little ghosts before Ghost Gate Pass, her legs began to tremble involuntarily.

"Senior Sister!" Shi Ran pointed awkwardly ahead: "Now isn't a good time to talk!"

Mei Ruoxue also poked her head out, looked, then hurriedly slid off Ling Xiao: "Then… let's go back and talk later!"

It has to be said anyway!

The leader of the Eighteen Ghost Kings is named Si Li; although he's not pleasing to the eye, he's very courteous: "I don't know where you all wish to go? Since you're already deceased, you must remain in the Underworld; in the mortal world, even if you have unfinished business, you may not leave without permission!"

Ling Xiao smiled, slowly drawing his Dragon Chant Sword: "Everyone, I'm just here to take my foolish disciple; I won't disturb you further, please grant me passage."

"Foolish disciple?" Mei Ruoxue and Shi Ran exchanged a glance; she really is quite foolish, and Master isn't wrong!

Si Li laughed twice, his ghostly voice eerie: "You're being overly arrogant; the Underworld isn't a place you can come and go as you please. Since you've come, you must leave through the Reincarnation Hall."

"Then," Ling Xiao lightly raised his Dragon Chant Sword—only to see a cold flash suddenly break, a silver light shooting out, frost condensing at the blade into a white silk, the blade's edge scraping the air and emitting a dragon's chant-like tremor: "I can only offend you!"

The Dragon Chant Sword is usable again! That is to say, as soon as Shi Ran thinks of it, the Ice Stream appears in her hand! Silver light flows, like a blizzard slanting down, bringing piercing cold sword energy that rushes toward her face.

The sword is a peerless treasure, it's just about its owner! Still needs evaluation—the original owner was a fire spiritual root, but seeing Mei Ruoxue's Ice Stream, he wickedly snatched it, regardless of suitability, and has used it ever since.

Then she made the Ice Stream angry enough—it was originally a spirit sword that could rival the Chasing Moon Sword, but she's been riding it, handling it back and forth; although… but… anyway, none of that excuses it, she truly is an unworthy master.

Shi Ran silently apologized to the Ice Stream, then, imitating Ling Xiao, stood immovable like a mountain before Mei Ruoxue: "Anyway, we must take Senior Sister away today! If you don't let us pass, Master will surely make you regret it!"

With a formidable foe before them, the atmosphere tense, Ling Xiao still found room to glare at Shi Ran, but she thought it was his praise and offered him a breathtaking smile.

Ling Xiao: …… Forget it!

Si Li narrowed his ghostly eyes: "Then let us witness your master's power!" With that, he waved his hand; all the ghosts surged up, and for a moment magical implements roared, a riot of colors—quite lively!

Shi Ran faced Liao Ai among the Eighteen Ghost Kings; she had already drawn her sword and charged, but saw Liao Ai waving his hands: "No, no, no, I don't want to fight you!"

Shi Ran could only brake urgently, face full of question marks: "Why?"

Liao Ai looked left and right at Shi Ran, recognized her: "You… you're not that……?" He pondered a while: "It's that, nice to meet you, nice to meet you!"

Upon hearing that, Shi Ran also recalled: this ghost king was the one who reached out for her when she first entered Ghost Gate Pass; she lowered her sword: "Oh, it's you!"

Liao Ai nodded. Don't let his towering ghostly stature fool you—he's a good-natured ghost at heart, his only flaw being a bit greedy: "I said that day I'd ask you for some toll, but you shook my hand instead; how is it that you humans now practice this?"

Shi Ran felt embarrassed; she said why would this ghost king single her out? Turns out he saw her as soft‑touch and tried to extort a bribe—she didn't understand ghost etiquette! She'd made a huge blunder.

"That day Master left quickly; I didn't grasp your meaning at first. This way, when I return to life, I'll definitely burn more paper money for you—to make up for that day's toll."

Liao Ai became happy, no longer fighting; he pulled Shi Ran to the edge of the battlefield, then conjured a handful of melon seeds out of thin air: "Here, let's eat and watch! Speaking of which, your master's combat power is off the charts—who's got a death wish, looking for a fight?"

Ling Xiao truly was a one‑man army holding the pass against ten thousand; even Mei Ruoxue couldn't get a word in. Shi Ran thought it over, then calmly squatted, took a melon seed, and asked: "Big Brother Ghost, why didn't you fight me just now?"

"Why ask?" Liao Ai, in a moment, cracked half a shell of melon seeds—quite mismatched with his green‑fanged, feral visage.

"I finally got a day off, yet I was dragged into fighting—what for? In the mortal world I'd catch criminals day and night until I dropped dead; now here I'm still rushed into battle, and they don't even give me extra incense money! Only a foolish ghost would fight."

Shi Ran silently wiped her face; this big‑ghost brother's resentment over being treated like a beast of burden was immense—enough to make him spit nonstop, drool landing on her face, a bit nauseating; she didn't want the melon seed either.

Liao Ai vented his frustration for a while, then turned and saw Shi Ran still holding the melon seed, staring blankly at him, a bit puzzled: "Little sis, why aren't you eating? These are Wang Po's melon seeds, famous! The only one in heaven and earth!"

Shi Ran forced a smile at the corners of her mouth: "I… I don't really want to eat!"

Liao Ai slapped his thigh: "Oh, I get it—you're not worried about your master; actually you don't need to be. Look at his strength—he's beaten my brothers into a rout…

How could he still seem so pleased? Following Liao Ai's ghostly claw, Shi Ran saw Ling Xiao already one with his sword, his robes flowing; he wore a light blue‑white robe made of cloud brocade, moving like the dawn moon emerging from clouds, radiant with myriad brilliance.

The sword moved lightly and nimbly, as if holding a stream of ever‑flowing mercury; he walked among the ghosts with his blade, like flowing light that at times gathered into a beam, at times scattered like stars—one person, one sword constantly refracting iridescent phantom light at the brink of contact.

Damn, he's so handsome!

Shi Ran couldn't help but stare, dazed.

Such an immortal‑like figure, yet in the end he went mad for love and fell into the demonic path.

The original story, just to make the male lead's hegemony, really turned everyone into cannon fodder; when she saw Ling Xiao descend into the Underworld to chase souls, she thought, where's the love in this? Clearly it's Ling Xiao's master‑disciple bond.

If it were Luo Changfeng or Xiao Muyu instead, they'd surely come to the Underworld for this too; why does it become something else when it comes to Mei Ruoxue?

Shi Ran was thinking when, from afar, a judge came running, shouting as he went: "Stop fighting, spare the ghosts beneath the sword!"

Si Li, already beaten flat on the ground: _? _! Damn! If you'd come any later, I'd have lost my soul and spirit! Sniffle…