Chapter 14: A Fairy Tale
After finishing his bath, he lit some incense.
Ji Xun went to the window and glanced across the street; Fu Shuxing hadn’t returned yet.
Good.
Fu Shuxing could have his own affairs; Ji Xun could attend to his.
Everyone had a bright future ahead!
Ji Xun drew the curtains and lay down on the bed.
Empty his mind, empty his mind...
He closed his eyes and tried hard to clear his thoughts, but instead, his mind became even more focused.
At a certain point, he suddenly felt an unexpected lightness!
Ji Xun felt as if he had turned into a delicate wisp, gently detached from his body.
All around was darkness.
Yet Ji Xun felt no fear. He couldn’t control his direction but sensed himself drifting, and then he saw a faint light. It seemed he was approaching it, closer and closer.
Before he could see it clearly, he was drawn into the light.
When the dazzling brightness faded, Ji Xun opened his eyes and immediately realized he had accidentally entered some kind of space.
And this space happened to be the one he knew best—
His bedroom.
Could this be his spirit realm?
Had he actually entered his own spirit realm?!
Ji Xun was astonished!
Was this the true effect of bathing, burning incense, and meditating?
The author really knows their stuff!
Ji Xun carefully ran his fingers over the desk; the texture was vivid, the surface warm from the sunlight.
The knowledge he had learned told him that the appearance of a spirit form didn’t depend on the strength of one’s spiritual power, but the construction of the spirit realm was deeply connected to it.
The weaker the spiritual power, the rougher and more incomplete the objects in the spirit realm.
Yet every detail in this bedroom was perfectly recreated, almost unbelievably precise.
Like… like a photograph!
But far more vivid than a photograph.
On the desk was a fresh fruit plate, several transparent fruit picks, a brightly colored picture book under the sun, a small butterfly fluttering its wings as it rested on the window. On the cabinet in the corner were neatly arranged toys, with a model fighter jet placed in the center. The right wing of the fighter had a broken part, but Fu Shuxing had carefully glued it back together...
So real.
If he could construct something to this degree, didn’t that prove his spiritual power wasn’t low at all, just undeveloped?
So he was a latent powerhouse?!
Ji Xun looked toward his bed.
The sheets and duvet cover were patterned with blue bubbles and little whales, and a pair of shoes with Velcro straps sat neatly in front of the bed.
Wait—shoes?
Ji Xun’s dull senses caught this detail, and then he realized that the bedroom’s layout and furnishings reflected how he looked when he was very young.
Now, the books in his cabinet were no longer fairy tale picture books but books about guides and spirit forms he had “borrowed” from his father’s study.
The fighter jet model, a gift from Fu Shuxing that he had accidentally broken and Fu Shuxing had repaired, was now carefully placed under a transparent cover and stored on the top shelf of his cabinet.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
The knocking came abruptly.
Surprisingly, Ji Xun wasn’t startled.
The spirit realm was bright and sunny.
He turned his head and saw the bed, which had been empty moments before, now occupied by a four- or five-year-old version of himself.
Little Ji Xun sat on the soft big bed wearing a white cartoon T-shirt and denim shorts, holding a picture book. Hearing the knock, he happily slid off the bed and ran to the door, shouting, “Brother Xingxing! I’m here!”
Little Ji Xun stood on tiptoe and opened the door.
Outside stood a similarly aged little Fu Shuxing.
Little Fu Shuxing’s outfit looked cool and trendy: a cobalt blue printed short-sleeve shirt, light denim shorts, white white-noise protective headphones, and two black children’s spiritual barrier bracelets on his right wrist.
Little Fu Shuxing said, “This is for you.”
It was a shiny hard candy wrapped in glittering sugar paper.
Little Ji Xun gasped, reaching out his tiny fingers to take it. He observed it for a couple of seconds, then popped it in his mouth. Before he could swallow it all, Fu Shuxing quickly reached in and pulled it out.
Little Fu Shuxing said, “You have to take off the wrapper first.”
Ji Xun watched this scene silently.
Was he really that clueless as a child?
Little Fu Shuxing peeled off the saliva-moistened wrapper and fed the tiny candy, about the size of a grain of rice, into little Ji Xun’s mouth, then asked, “What are you looking at?”
Little Ji Xun clearly loved the sweet candy; his dimples deepened as he smiled and held up the picture book. “Mom just bought me this storybook!”
He pulled little Fu Shuxing’s hand into the bedroom. “Brother Xingxing, come tell me a story.”
“That’s an old fairy tale about Cinderella and the prince,” little Fu Shuxing said.
“Who are they?”
“A poor girl who was often bullied and a very rich prince who would inherit the throne.”
“Did they get married in the end?”
“Yes.”
“But how can a poor person marry a rich person?”
“Because they liked each other.”
“Is just liking enough?”
“Yes.”
“Then I like Brother Xingxing, so I want to marry him too!”
“I thought I was too short and Brother Xingxing too tall, so we couldn't get married.”
Little Fu Shuxing said, “Little Xun, it’s not like that.”
“Then we can’t get married?”
“...”
“Brother Xingxing?”
“...We can.”
Seeing little Ji Xun happily hug little Fu Shuxing’s neck after hearing this answer, Ji Xun sighed with complicated emotions.
Sigh.
He turned away, unwilling to watch further.
But this distraction made Ji Xun notice that black smoke had seeped in through the door crack from outside the bedroom.
It seemed almost conscious as it spread and invaded.
Quietly, it had already settled in a thick layer on the floor.
It was unsettling to look at.
Ji Xun frowned and tried to open the door, but outside was pitch black.
Startled, he quickly shut the door again.
It seemed the black smoke came from outside.
He raised his hand and fanned the air.
The black smoke scattered in all directions.
Seeing it worked, Ji Xun grabbed the large picture book from the desk, opened the window, and vigorously fanned away the black smoke.
One fan, two fans.
The smoke collided and dissipated.
The bedroom soon returned to its original state.
Now that’s more pleasing to the eye.
Feeling much more at ease, Ji Xun moved a chair to the desk and leaned back, basking in the warm sunlight.
Above him was the cozy sunshine, and in front of him were the childhood innocence of little Ji Xun and little Fu Shuxing.
Ji Xun thought.
If only people never grew up...
Then maybe Fu Shuxing would always care for him, always spoil him.
But unfortunately, people always grow up.
Ji Xun closed his eyes and fell asleep.
—
“Ji Xun!! Ji! Xun!! Ji Xun Xun~!”
Ji Xun slowly opened his eyes, hearing someone calling him. He raised a hand to rub his eyes but stopped mid-motion. Half a second later, he suddenly sat upright!
He turned toward the window.
It was already dawn!!
Looking at the incense burner beside the bed, the incense had burned out long ago!!
Ji Xun: “...”
Damn it.
He got up, opened the window, and saw Zhao Zhanlei standing at the foot of their building.
Ji Xun: “Stone! What are you doing!”
Zhao Zhanlei grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth, and shouted, “Here to take you to school!”
Ji’s mother came to open the door, smiling: “Little Lei came looking for Xunxun? Come in quickly, he’s not up yet.”
“Xunxun, from now on I’m your flower guardian, so give me some face and stop calling me Stone.”
“What should I call you then? Brother Stone?”
Zhao Zhanlei: “...”
Ji Xun had fallen asleep during his “meditation” last night and forgot to recite the incantation, which annoyed him to no end. Sitting on the flying device, he had eaten four or five dumplings without dipping them in sauce.
When he tried to pick up another, he found he couldn’t eat any more.
He passed the dumplings to Zhao Zhanlei and said, “Stone, I think I entered my own spirit realm last night.”
Zhao Zhanlei ate dumplings and, surprised, praised, “Wow? That’s awesome!”
Ji Xun asked, “Is that even possible?”
Zhao Zhanlei: “Huh? I don’t know, I’m not a guide.”
“You’ve never entered your own spirit realm?”
“Nope.” Zhao Zhanlei said, “I don’t even know what mine looks like. My mom, though, has been in hers many times. When I asked, she said it’s like a doghouse.”
Ji Xun: “...”
Zhao Zhanlei added, “Wanna check out my spirit realm?”
Ji Xun instinctively shook his head, “No, I don’t have that ability yet.”
“Ah.” Zhao Zhanlei patted his shoulder comfortingly. “It’s okay, Xunxun, you’re still young. In a couple of years, your spiritual power will definitely grow stronger.”
Ji Xun didn’t tell Zhao Zhanlei that, judging from last night’s experience, he might actually be a hidden super strong guide.
He couldn’t reveal it.
He had to hide his brilliance.
Only by accumulating strength quietly could he one day astonish the world!
He mustn’t forget to recite the incantation tonight.
Ji Xun got off the flying device and wondered, what about that black smoke?
What was it?
Taking a few steps, he realized he was still holding the dumpling box.
He turned to give it to Zhao Zhanlei but saw Xu Yuan Gui stepping down from a flying device not far away.
Xu Yuan Gui looked up at him but quickly averted his gaze.
Ji Xun was puzzled.
Then two adults got off the flying device and, along with Xu Yuan Gui, entered the sanctuary through the west gate.
Zhao Zhanlei slung an arm over Ji Xun’s shoulder. “What are you looking at?”
Ji Xun, not wanting Zhao Zhanlei to hold a grudge against Xu Yuan Gui, quickly said, “Nothing.”
“Are you full? Want more dumplings?”
“Yes, of course.” Zhao Zhanlei was full but took some anyway, thinking, “You don’t know how exhausting the classes on the Sentinel are. You get hungry easily. Bring me more tomorrow.”
Ji Xun asked, “Why don’t you bring your own?”
“Not the same.” Zhao Zhanlei said dramatically, “Only food made with Xunxun’s love can fill me up.”
Ji Xun replied coolly, “Then starve. These dumplings come from Xunxun’s mom’s love.”
Zhao Zhanlei laughed heartily, tousled Ji Xun’s hair, and then took off running.
Ji Xun, annoyed, immediately chased after him!
A few female guides in the distance saw them.
“Look, it’s Ji Xun and Zhao Zhanlei!”
“They’re really close, aren’t they?”