Later after so many sighs that he himself could not count even by using the stars in the sky, he couldn't help but telling them with a good face if all the praises could continue next time, hopefully, without making his real intention obvious.
then he was brought back to reality with him still in his former position with his hands on the drum. ' So this is reality?'
He felt something gently pulling on his sleeves like it was seeking his attention, his whole body froze with his hair standing upright on his skin just until a sweet little giggle was heard followed by a "Dada" His body relaxed a little bit with him releasing his breath he never knew he had been holding.
' Ah-Xiang Ah-Xiang! Don't scare me like that again' He took in the little attention seeker into his arms with a smile " Ah-Xiang you scared dada, you know?"
Little Ah-Xiang just giggled in response " Dada"
He nuzzled his little ghostly nose while Wei xiang nuzzled up against him with a smile on his face, making his tired face appear bright as ever " My little Ah-Xiang is cute"
"Ahem!" A distant low cough made him at alert that he wasn't the only one inside.
' When? Who are they?'
He squinted his eyes in suspension " Yes?" He looked at the people standing in front of him, three men dressed in grey hemp with different farm tools in their hands.
" Ehm...Ahem..." one was finding it so difficult to speak as his eyes were all over the place with sweat on his forehead. Well not only him along with the others, they all gave him this weird funny look as if he is the one not with a working brain.
' Hope he's ok'
' What's with this funny look?' He stared at them with the same look on his face.
One cleared his throat and spoke up plainly in an obvious sarcasm " Monk, Lady Ding wants to see you" No one knows who he was mocking but his voice so unfiltered.
"Mn" Without a second thought he got up to follow them but with his sleeves held tightly by Wei xiang made it almost impossible to get up " Ah-Xiang, dada has to go hmm" He whispered hoping the little ghost will let him go but ended up being held more tightly " Ahhh! My Ah-Xiang dada want to meet the landlady..... the person that gave dada a house hmm... please" With a pleading look and an hopeful lips, he stared at the ghost baby who still tightened his grip.
' I think....'
He turned towards them to find them staring at him weird, which isn't no surprise " Tell her I will be there soon"
" Yes" They gave him one last look before they salute and left.
He held the baby in his arms like his life depends on it but, Wei xiang grip never loosened it just went tighter and tighter with every pleading the warm arms lets out " Wei xiang I will be quick, hmmm? Dada promises baby to be quick" With that, the tightened grip loosened with a little giggling " Thank you ah-Xiang" He kissed the baby on its forehead before letting the baby go and planned to leave. On getting to the exit, it was indeed proved right, when a geese takes a small step or two, it glances back out of affection at it's little gosling before continuing on its journey breathing out a breath of relief and a little smile on its face.
' He'll be alright alone, right?'
A young boy squatted with a hand supporting his chin and the other holding an almost dead branch using it to write whatever on the ground, as soon as he heard footsteps his hands stopped midway of whatever he was writing and looked up with a blank face, just staring at the man that was in front of him blankly before springing to his feet dusting away the almost invisible dust from his hands and continued staring at him with a cold look.
' Who is he?' Shenzhufu felt an invisible force surrounding his whole being forcefully subduing his being as a pair of cold eyes which perfectly reflected the setting sun staring blankly at him, like they would like bore a deep hole deep inside him.
Illuminated under the sun, the young boy's face looked like a perfect piece of white jade , his eyes reflecting the sun, his eyebrows shaped like a willow leave; in between those willow leaves shone a great fire shining with the intensity of the dazzling sun as if a tiny bit of the sun fell in between them but never touched them. His jet black hair tinted with spring, partially plaited on every edges of his head beautifully adorned with silver beads glowed with heat, on his earlobes, two dangling earrings shaped like a ring; a very large ring encircled with little silver bells that gave off soft jingles along with the gentle wind, producing a rhythmic and ethereal sound.
His dressing, was very different from the others with a great touch of complexity, probably the craftsman is one hard stone to ground, hiding his true intentions deep in the night and the silver moon up in the sky.
'From his dressing, he must be a royal childe since it's far more different from others.
" Wh- eh!! wait!! where are you going?"
The strange little boy turned around to leave totally interrupting him.
Shenzhufu eyes and mouth went wide as he was taken aback by the little child's unacceptable behavior ' rude! ill-mannered!! how dare he!!!' His face beet red with rage " Hey you, get back here this instant!!" he demanded in a shrill voice.
The boy who had gone a few distance stopped in his tracks without looking back at the one who made him to; With his back faced to him, he could see how well structured and broad it was for a young boy and from a distance, he looked taller than when he was closer.
" Now I'm going..." Teach you how to be filial. Those words were never said as slightly muffled chimes like it was being violated by an heavy storm,could be heard from the other side.
' Huh? What happened?'
His head swirled from hearing it, from feeling it and from seeing it.
Two pair of blank orbs stared at him with an indecipherable emotions carefully hidden by the glaring sunlight before it became the solemn song the gentle breeze sings.
Not caring about how his head is swirling around, he managed to get inside his personal lodge where the source of the violent chimes could be traced; the drum.
The bells around shook with great strength with no one touching them contrasting the soft little giggles from a baby sitting beside a skeleton playfully clapping it's little hands.
He ran towards the violated drum without his feet touching the ground. As soon as he got near, he took his position and began beating the drum in rhythm to the chills the bells are giving out and... something he himself would never be able to describe.
Later the rhythm the drum produces was like that of a waterfall during the spring time, solemn and soft. Only then could his qi become normal, slightly out of breath to show for it. And only then could he cocooned Wei xiang in his arms with a clumsy smile on his face.