Yellow Springs Inn (Zhang Xiao Qi) Chapter 3

T/N: It's kind of hard to convey Xiao Qi's personality the way the author did through dialogue in this chapter since English doesn't have the same sentence structure as Chinese does, so I'll try to describe it: she's very bold and brash in a tomboy-ish way, which you might have been able to tell from her raising Luo Qian Qi's chin so much and provoking him all the time. She's also sort of comically arrogant, and really does not take Luo Qian Qi seriously at all.

Also, there were a lot of Luo Qian Qis in the original work where I think there should have been Luo Qian Pings, so I'm just going to a.s.sume they were typos and replace them as I see fit. If you think I put a Luo Qian Qi where there should be a Luo Qian Ping and vice versa, just tell me. Really, it's too easy to confuse them.

Luo Qian Qi looked at me for a moment, then threw an ATM card at me, "There’s some money in here, use this first, the rest I'll give back later, the PIN is 999999!"

Saying this, Luo Qian Qi walked towards a bookshelf on the side. I picked up the ATM card and inspected it carefully, feeling that this and the nether world's cards are very similar!

I laid down on the bed feeling bored, so I just continually fiddled with the bank card, while as Luo Qian Qi very generously let me use his bed, he sat near the bookshelf reading books.

I rolled off the bed and stood, then walked next to Luo Qian Qi's bookshelf.

I used both hands to brace myself against Luo Qian Qi's bookshelf, my back facing him as I laughed, "Luo Qian Qi, you don't have anything to play with here? So boring!"

Luo Qian Qi raised his head and looked at me, then handed over his phone to me.

I happily took his phone, then sat on his bookshelf and played Anipop1, while Luo Qian Qi continued to read his book.

I opened Anipop and when it loaded, I saw that he was on level one.

I stared at him questioningly at Luo Qian Qi, "Luo Qian Qi, you don't play video games at all, how come you still download them to your phone, wouldn't it take up a lot of RAM?"

Luo Qian Qi raised his head and looked at me, "You understand phones so well, could it be that your nether world also has habits of playing with phones?"

I looked up at Luo Qian Qi, grinning, "Hong Yan often goes out to the mortal world and when she comes back she brings a lot of fun things to play with from the mortal world!"

I raised the phone in my hand, "Including phones!"

Luo Qian Qi put down the book in his hand. He looked at me and said, "Why didn't you go reincarnate?"

My line of vision didn't leave the phone, and with a bland tone said, "You aren't my mom, why should you care?"

Luo Qian Qi harrumphed coldly, then picked up the book on the table again.

"Ha, I cleared a level again!" I yelled in glee.

Luo Qian Qi shot me a glance from the corner of his eyes, then ignored me.

I saw Luo Qian Qi's look and sounded a “tch” before continuing to play.

"Knock knock knock!" Outside came the noise of raps on the door, following which was a male voice, "Hall Master, are you there? It's Qian Ping."

Luo Qian Qi raised his head and glanced at the direction of the door, his voice level, "Come in!"

I looked out the window and saw that it was already day. Golden rays of suns.h.i.+ne streamed in through the window into the room.

Perhaps I was too engrossed in my game; I didn’t even notice when the sky lightened up.

In the moment that I saw the sun I was exceptionally happy. It had already been a very long time since I saw such beautiful sun-rays.

I threw the phone to Luo Qian Qi, then ran elatedly towards the door. Upon opening the door I saw Qian Ping standing outside the entrance.

Luo Qian Ping scratched the back of his head, his face full of bewilderment, "That's strange, I didn't even open the door yet, how did the door open by itself?"

Luo Qian Ping couldn't see me, so of course he didn't know that it was I who opened the door.

I just pretended I didn't see him and phased through Luo Qian Ping, who stood at the doorway.

When my body touched the rays of the sun the feeling was not warm, on the contrary it was a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't anything terrible enough to stop me.

Seeing that Luo Qian Ping was still standing there, frozen, Luo Qian Qi said, "Qian Ping, what are you doing just standing there?"

Hearing Luo Qian Qi call for him, Luo Qian Ping broke out of his reverie and his soul returned to his body.

"Oh!" Luo Qian Ping answered quickly before walking into the room.

The feeling of being under the sun wasn't that great, so I quickly returned to the room.

Luo Qian Qi looked at Luo Qian Ping and asked, "Qian Ping, is there a matter that you need me for?"

Luo Qian Ping was shocked as he stared at Luo Qian Qi, "Hall Master, did you forget? Today is the day of sacrifice2 !"

Luo Qian Qi rubbed his temples and said languidly, "These past few days have been a little busy, for a moment I didn't remember this, the time has nearly arrived, let us go!"

Finis.h.i.+ng, Luo Qian Qi stood up from his chair and with Luo Qian Ping walked out the door.

Seeing the situation, I hurriedly called after Luo Qian Qi, "Hey, Luo Qian Qi, where are you going, bring me along too!"

Luo Qian Qi ignored me, and without stopping left the room.

I looked at Luo Qian Qi's leaving figure and snorted in disdain, then possessed Luo Qian Ping's body.

I was only attaching myself to Luo Qian Ping's body, not controlling his thoughts, so it would not influence Luo Qian Ping too much.

I provoked Luo Qian Qi by pulling a face. Luo Qian Qi looked at me and didn't say anything.

I kept myself attached to Luo Qian Ping, and after following them and crossing a few alleyways, I felt that the room's interior was very comfortable, like I had come here before, but could not pinpoint the memory.

Luo Qian Qi and Luo Qian Ping arrived at their ancestral hall. When they arrived, the ancestral hall was already packed with people.

Luo Qian Qi only just walked in when a very pretty girl came to welcome him.

This girl was called Li Yan Xin, and was Luo Qian Qi's biao shu's3 daughter, and was temporarily living in Thousand Jade Hall.

Once Li Yan Xin approached us she pulled at Luo Qian Qi's hand, saying affectionately, "Brother Qian Qi, you finally came, I remember that before you were never late to the sacrifice, could it be that you feel uncomfortable today?"

Luo Qian Qi looked at Li Yan Xin and said indifferently, "I'm fine!"

Saying this, Luo Qian Qi pushed away Li Yan Xin who was pulling his hand, leaving to walk towards the ancestral hall.

Being pushed away by Luo Qian Qi, Li Yan Xin nearly stamped her feet in anger, then immediately pretended that nothing happened, following Luo Qian Qi inside the ancestral hall.

After walking into the ancestral hall, I didn't have to possess Luo Qian Ping anymore and went to sit on the ancestral hall's offering table.

The ancestral hall did not have memorial tablets, only having a stone statue of a formidable senior. I felt like this stone statue seemed really familiar.

Luo Qian Qi saw me sitting on the offering table and was a little displeased, saying icily, "Come down!"

Everyone saw Luo Qian Qi talking to the offering table and adopted faces full of befuddlement. Amongst the crowd was a forty years old middle aged man and said to Luo Qian Qi, "Hall Master, who are you talking to?"

This middle aged man was Luo Qian Qi's second paternal uncle Luo Cheng Guang, and in Thousand Jade Hall also had absolute authority, but for some reason to this day he was still a bachelor.

I looked at Luo Qian Qi and laughed, "I'm just resting a bit, ok, do you have to be so stingy?"

Finis.h.i.+ng, I grabbed casually grabbed an apple off the offering table and prepared to stuff it in my mouth.

Seeing this, Luo Qian Qi's eyebrows furrowed even more, scaring me to the point of jumping. I was only preparing to eat an apple, why did he need to go so far as to make such a face?

"Fine, I won't eat!" I grumbled to Luo Qian Qi, then threw the apple into the bowl.

Luo Cheng Guang reminded Luo Qian Qi, "Hall Master, the time is ripe, we should start the sacrifice!”

Luo Qian Qi glanced at me, who was still sitting on the offering table, and ordered, "Come down!"

I looked at Luo Qian Qi and snorted, "Luo Qian Qi, in any case I am still a ghost who has lived for thousands of years, it's possible that the senior of the stone statue that you all are paying respect to is younger than me! It wouldn't be bad if you paid respects to me, do you have to be so stingy?"

"Come down!" Luo Qian Qi did not listen to me, his voice with the same amount of iciness as before.

At this point, the people inside the ancestral hall all knew, this ancestral hall might have someone they can't see, that someone was me!

Luo Cheng Guang said to Luo Qian Qi, "Hall Master, you've been saying all this but we haven't heard a reply, is it possible that there is someone in the ancestral hall that we can't see?"

Luo Qian Qi did not reply, so Li Yan Xin ran up to Luo Qian Qi and pulled his hand with a frightened face, "Brother Qian Qi, ancestral hall really has someone else in it? I'm so scared!"

I looked at Li Yan Xin and "che"-ed disdainfully. Her pretty voice was one that I really could not stand anymore!

"Afraid my a.s.s, aren't there the founding fathers to bless and protect you, don't say such unlucky things," a boorish man scolded.

This man was Li Yan Xin's father Li s.h.i.+, him berating Li Yan Xin was due to his fear of holding up the sacrifice as well as his fear of damaging Luo Qian Qi's mood.

Every single family around knew that Thousand Jade Hall's Hall Master Luo Qian Qi's temper was not good, and even more it was unpredictable, a minute ago he might have been fine, but a minute later he might be incensed!

After being scolded by Li s.h.i.+, Li Yan Xin obediently retreated to Li s.h.i.+'s side.

Luo Qian Qi ignored Li Yan Xin and the others, and instead turned to look at Luo Cheng Guang, "Second uncle, could you add a table and a chair to the side, then put some food on the table, the ancestral hall has a starving ghost!"

Luo Qian Qi especially emphasized "starving ghost."

Luo Cheng Guang heard Luo Qian Qi's words and froze, then immediately instructed people to get to work.

Listening to Luo Qian Qi, I was instantly incensed. With a "whoosh" I jumped off the offering table.

I walked up to Luo Qian Qi and said angrily, "Luo Qian Qi, who did you say was a starving ghost, let me tell you, this missy here is the great Yellow Springs Inn's Shopkeeper, even Yama has to respect me to some degree, do believe that I could kill you instantly!"

Luo Qian Qi glanced at me without even the slightest trace of fear.

At this time, someone outside brought a stool and a chair in, following him was someone carrying food.

Luo Qian Qi looked at me indifferently, "If you're hungry eat a little first!"

Saying this he walked to the offering table, bringing three incense sticks up to the statue, totally ignoring me!

I harrumphed, walking to the chair that was prepared and sat down, eating the food in the bowl, quietly watching Luo Qian Qi and the others' sacrificial day.

The thing they called sacrifice was only having everyone walk up to the stone statue with three sticks of incense and that was it. I hadn't even finished my food and their day of sacrifice was already finished.

As Luo Qian Qi was leaving the ancestral hall, he glanced at me, "Are you leaving or not?"

Just then I was eating a wedge of orange and I looked at Luo Qian Qi, saying unhappily, "Not leaving!"

Luo Qian Qi looked at me and snorted coldly before leaving the ancestral hall, following this the people in the ancestral hall all looked at where I sat before leaving gradually.

They all couldn't see me, of course except for Luo Qian Qi, since his left eye was abnormal!

"He really left just like that, he really has no kindness!" I muttered as I watched Luo Qian Qi's leaving figure.

Following this I also thought to myself, it seemed that he and I had no friends.h.i.+p whatsoever!

The morning sunlight made me feel a little uncomfortable, but the noon sun hung high up in the sky; I felt like my soul was going to fly away and scatter in pieces!

I walked in the courtyard of Thousand with slow steps, in any case other than Luo Qian Qi no one else can see me, so there was nothing for me to fear. Of course, we also have to add the sun to that list.

Looking at the building here, I truly felt comfortable. Could it be that this is my home?

I immediately shook my head, rejecting this hypothesis. This definitely is not my home. Then what is this place? I thought till my head was going to explode!

"Bang!" I forcefully opened the door to Luo Qian Qi's room. At this moment Luo Qian Qi was sitting near the desk, next to two people, one was his second uncle Luo Cheng Guang, the other was Li s.h.i.+.

Luo Qian Qi's face showed no change as he looked at me; perhaps my arrival was one of the things that he had already antic.i.p.ated.

I harrumphed coldly and walked to the bed, laying down on it, while Luo Cheng Guang and Li s.h.i.+ wore astonished faces as they stared at the room door that opened without the least bit of warning.

Luo Qian Qi coughed twice, "Perhaps the wind is a little strong and managed to blow the door open!"

Luo Cheng Guang and Li s.h.i.+ both looked out the window. Outside, it was clearly filled with bright and beautiful suns.h.i.+ne, where did the wind come from?

Luo Cheng Guang and Li s.h.i.+ laughed perfunctorily and did not pursue the matter any further.

1. Anipop, aka Kai Xin Xiao Xiao Le (开心消消乐): a very popular phone game in China. You could probably find it on your own app store and play it along with Xiao Qi