Chapter Twenty-Two: Lingyao

Page 1/3

Just moments before, the maple tree had stood bare, but now a magpie perched proudly atop it, as if it had been there all along without question. Its long tail feathers hung beneath the branches, a single shade of red that shimmered with countless dazzling variations.

Xiao Xiao slowly approached the maple tree.

He stopped at a respectful distance of three paces.

Looking up at the magpie, Xiao Xiao found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

Only now did he realize that although he had eagerly wanted to see the magpie, it was ultimately just a curiosity about a talking supernatural creature.

So, what was he supposed to say now?

Xiao Xiao froze. Was he really going to say, “Hello, nice to meet you, my name is Xiao Xiao”?

Just the thought made him cringe with awkwardness.

He chuckled to himself—never before had he imagined that one day he would be so troubled over how to interact with a spirit.

...

This corner of the maple grove was not entirely secluded; occasionally tourists passed by, some alone, others in small groups of three or five, walking past Xiao Xiao’s side.

Lively chatter hovered nearby but also seemed distant, as if carried on the wind.

Passersby barely glanced at the young man standing alone beneath the maple tree.

Even if his expression, staring blankly up at the tree, seemed a little odd, they might only remark, “It’s rare to see someone so fond of maples.”

Because he knew what others thought, Xiao Xiao dared to boldly and openly gaze at the magpie.

He remained lost in thought.

Mulling over how to initiate a friendly and warm conversation with a spirit.

...

Perhaps the magpie had finally grown tired of Xiao Xiao’s foolish behavior and, with a hint of condescension, spoke down: “Human, you seek me—what is your intention?”

Xiao Xiao, surprised by the magpie’s sudden speech, was instantly dumbfounded.

“Idiot,” the magpie said with disdain.

Huh? Xiao Xiao snapped back to reality and began recalling his first conversation with a spirit—back then, the spirit had spoken in plain language.

So, was this spirit mocking him now?

He couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

But his nervous embarrassment did ease somewhat.

...

“Humans are as foolish as ever,” the magpie said lazily. If it weren’t for the fact that it hadn’t encountered a human who could see it in a very long time, it wouldn’t bother with this one.

Xiao Xiao remained silent.

“Hello, my name is Xiao Xiao.”

Yes, after much pondering and hesitation, foolish human Xiao Xiao decided to start with an introduction.

Page 2/3

Yet the magpie only flicked its beautiful tail, a splendid glow flashing before Xiao Xiao’s eyes, but it made no response to his words.

An unmistakable look of disdain.

Uh, Xiao Xiao felt the sting.

But it didn’t disappear; the magpie stayed visible before him.

That must mean it was willing to continue talking?

...

As Xiao Xiao wracked his brain for the next topic, suddenly his head felt heavy and he stumbled, nearly falling.

Seeing the familiar tail feathers before him, he immediately understood what had hit him.

Xiao Xiao twitched his brows, “Hmm?” He faltered, unsure how to address the spirit. Judging by the voice, it sounded like an adult male, so he tried, “...Spirit, uh, Mr. Magpie, you...”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted.

“You know I am the Magpie?” The usually disdainful spirit flew back to the maple branch. Its dark eyes clouded with a mix of surprise, suspicion, and caution—an emotional shift Xiao Xiao had never seen before.

It was rare these days for humans to see spirits, though not unheard of. Yet this human had called out its identity so plainly—that was unusual.

...

As mentioned before, with the passage of time, fewer and fewer humans could see spirits.

In the past, though not many, the magpie would occasionally encounter one or two.

But now, nearly a century had passed without meeting any.

That was why it found this human so intriguing.

Why it appeared again and again before him.

Otherwise, how could such a clumsy human have found it?

But now it seemed this human might not be as simple as he appeared.

His identity was something not easily known.

Had it misjudged him?

The magpie carefully sensed Xiao Xiao’s aura. There was no trace of spiritual power—just an ordinary human.

The centuries-old spirit was surprisingly perplexed.

...

Xiao Xiao, of course, was unaware of the magpie’s complex thoughts.

But he understood the sudden change in its gaze.

Still, he had no idea how to explain himself.

The ability to discern spirits was naturally not something one could openly declare.

He had a feeling it might become his greatest asset.

Page 3/3

Therefore, under the intense, imposing stare cast by the magpie, Xiao Xiao could only grit his teeth, cold sweat trickling down, wearing a look of innocent bewilderment.

“I read about this in books.”

“Because I suddenly gained the ability to see spirits, I’ve been reading many books about them lately.”

“So...,”

Xiao Xiao shrugged, “Looks like reading really does help.”

Of course, the magpie would not so easily believe his explanation, but it was no fledgling spirit to demand answers relentlessly.

As a refined and dignified spirit, it respected others’ privacy.

It only needed to know that this human was not as ordinary as he seemed.

So, aside from a slight snort, the magpie said no more.

Xiao Xiao, however, was somewhat offbeat. His first reaction was astonishment that a spirit could express such a subtle “snort” of disdain. Only then did he realize the spirit was moving on from the topic, and he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Perhaps he was overthinking, but a wary heart was always necessary—especially when dealing with spirits.

It wasn’t prejudice, just an old saying held some truth: “Those not of our kind harbor different hearts.”

Better to be cautious than regretful.

...

The atmosphere suddenly lightened.

Spirits respected the strong, and since the magpie knew Xiao Xiao was no ordinary human, it would no longer act aloof. Though it could not yet consider him an equal, it would no longer ignore him.

Conversing with a spirit was a novel experience.

A spirit centuries old possessed knowledge and wisdom beyond ordinary human comprehension.

And knowing Xiao Xiao had only recently gained the sight of spirits, the magpie offered a few hints, giving him a rough understanding of spirits.

To Xiao Xiao, despite the inherent uncertainty and danger of spirits, the magpie’s beautiful appearance made it easier to let down his guard. Moreover, though it spoke little, it shared much that he had never known before—things he might eventually learn on his own, but only after great time and effort. He was grateful for the magpie’s generosity in imparting knowledge.

Regardless of the magpie’s motives, he accepted this kindness.

The only slight regret was that the magpie could not provide a clear answer to how he had suddenly gained the ability to see spirits, advising him instead to let things unfold naturally.

As for that question’s answer, Xiao Xiao was not overly concerned. After all, whatever the cause, the fact remained: he could see spirits.

That was what mattered most.

Rather than obsess over how he saw spirits, he’d better spend more time figuring out how to handle a life that had slowly drifted from normalcy since gaining this sight.

That was the issue he should focus on now.