Selling Weapons

Late at night, the city's nightlife seemed to have just begun. Even though it was past midnight, the buildings outside remained brightly lit.

The sky was veiled in a faint gray haze, indistinguishable between clouds and smoke, hazy and indistinct.

On the street, three figures walked—or more accurately, two and a half.

One of them floated, invisible to ordinary people, dressed in loose pajamas that barely contained the faintly quivering "slime" beneath.

Though Lan Xiaoke's attire was casual, she had no need to worry about being seen.

"You don’t like staying in your room playing games? Why follow us out?"

Seeing Lan Xiaoke drifting behind them, Ye Chuan couldn’t help but ask. After all, she was a true homebody who rarely ventured outside unless necessary.

"Wow, I actually wanted to see the scenery too. It’s been so many years—I’ve forgotten a lot of things."

Lan Xiaoke looked around curiously, as if fascinated by every change outside. Tethered to Ye Chuan by an invisible chain, she had no freedom to move on her own, so this rare outing was something she intended to savor.

"Do you want to go home and see?" Hearing her words, Ye Chuan suddenly asked.

Lan Xiaoke fell silent for a moment before forcing a giggle. "Heh, no."

"I don’t want to go back. Besides, it’s been so long—they’re probably all dead by now."

"Is going home really so bad? Why curse your own family?" Bai Qianshuang frowned at Lan Xiaoke’s attitude.

Lan Xiaoke sighed wistfully. "Kids from happy families wouldn’t understand. I envy you for having parents who loved you."

Bai Qianshuang replied indifferently, "But they’re dead."

Lan Xiaoke froze, then scratched her head awkwardly. "Oops, sorry. That was insensitive."

"It’s fine." Bai Qianshuang glanced at her quietly. "You’ve had it rough too."

From Lan Xiaoke’s words, Bai Qianshuang sensed unspoken hardships.

But every family had its own struggles, and Bai Qianshuang wasn’t one to judge. Still, her perception of Lan Xiaoke shifted slightly.

Not a bad ghost, just a bit silly.

The conversation hadn’t gone smoothly, but for this immortal and ghost, opening up was the first step toward bonding.

Ye Chuan listened to their exchange, smiling faintly without comment.

Leading Bai Qianshuang and Lan Xiaoke, Ye Chuan found a decent barbecue spot near home. They avoided Luo Xi’s usual area simply because her family’s stall wasn’t open.

Thanks to the effective medicine Ye Chuan had provided, Luo's father was spending these days caring for Luo's mother, hoping to improve her health.

Luo Xi didn’t need to help at the stall every day—just on weekends or during busy periods. On holidays when crowds swelled, Ye Chuan would pitch in.

At the barbecue joint, a nearby "Snow King" shop blared a catchy jingle—"You love me, I love you"—leaving Bai Qianshuang baffled.

"What kind of song is this?" She tilted her head at the simplistic lyrics. "Is that all there is?"

"That’s an ad. A simple melody and lyrics make it stick in your brain like a spell," Ye Chuan explained.

"Want me to buy you one?"

Bai Qianshuang’s eyes brightened at the prospect of milk tea.

"Hello, welcome to Mixue Ice City. What would you like?" The cashier greeted as Bai Qianshuang entered.

"One milk tea, please," Bai Qianshuang stated.

"Any particular flavor?"

She studied the menu solemnly before declaring, "One Mixue Ice City."

Cashier: "?"

Ye Chuan quickly intervened, clearing his throat. "Just a pearl milk tea for her, and a lemon water for me."

Lan Xiaoke peeked over his shoulder. "What about me?"

This was Mixue Ice City—they didn’t serve ghostly "dead water."

With drinks in hand, Bai Qianshuang expertly unwrapped her straw and began sipping happily.

Ye Chuan could practically see her mood lifting visibly.

After all, Bai Qianshuang was just a girl of twenty—cultivation might be austere, but nothing beat the dopamine rush of milk tea.

Inside the barbecue shop, as Ye Chuan ordered, Bai Qianshuang leaned in to scan the menu.

Her delicate fragrance wafted over, and Ye Chuan noticed the soft black strands of her hair brushing against his thigh.

"What do you want?" he asked.

But Bai Qianshuang was fixated on one puzzling detail. "Why does a barbecue place sell weapons?"

Weapons?

Following her slender finger, Ye Chuan saw where it landed on the menu.

Ye Chuan glanced at the menu—

【Lamb Gun】

【Lamb Bullet】

Ye Chuan: "……"

Lan Xiaoke was also a little curious. "Huh, 'Gun and Bullet'—such a weird name. I’ve never seen it before when I had barbecue. What part is it?"

"Actually, that’s the lamb’s leg, the shortest one," Ye Chuan began explaining with a straight face. "Because the meat is tender and has great elasticity, it’s also considered a delicacy."

Bai Qianshuang suddenly understood, and it sounded delicious. "Ye Chuan, I want this."

"Uh, we’ll have a chance to try it another time." Ye Chuan was still a bit hesitant about it and could only tell Bai Qianshuang that eating this required a reservation in advance.

Hearing that she couldn’t have it now, Bai Qianshuang nodded lightly, unfazed. Instead, her beautiful eyes began scanning the menu for other seemingly delicious options.

She had completely forgotten her earlier claim about cultivators needing to fast to maintain bodily purity.

She was already shaped by modern life.

Soon, the food arrived one after another. Ye Chuan glanced at Lan Xiaoke’s side and noticed she was already drooling—literally.

Yes, drooling blood.

Her mouth hung open, a trickle of blood sliding down the corner of her lips and dripping onto the table.

"You can’t eat this, can you?"

"I cannn, I can taste the smell," Lan Xiaoke said as she floated around the table, savoring the aroma so intensely it made her scratch her head.

Ye Chuan hadn’t expected that Lan Xiaoke, as a ghost, could still enjoy barbecue. He stopped worrying about it.

Meanwhile, Bai Qianshuang was nibbling on a skewer in small, delicate bites. Her way of eating was somewhat cute, even clumsy—likely because she hadn’t eaten much growing up. She looked like a little animal.

Noticing Ye Chuan staring at her, Bai Qianshuang put down her skewer and offered it to him. "You like it? Here, have some."

"You eat it."

At his words, Bai Qianshuang’s hand quickly retracted. But she didn’t notice some cumin powder had spilled onto her chest.

Seeing this, Ye Chuan reached for a napkin.