Lin Feng leaned heavily against the cracked stone wall, using his planted sword like a walking stick just to stay upright.
Blood dripped steadily from the shallow cuts on his forearm and shoulder, slow, lazy drops that looked almost black against the pale floor. His breathing was still ragged, each inhale pulling at torn muscle.
The east wing chamber had gone unnaturally quiet.
The last wisps of black yin mist drifted upward and dissolved like dying smoke. What remained was only cold, thick, clinging cold that made his sweat feel like ice water on his skin.
Across from him, the girl sat with her knees drawn up again.
But she wasn't hiding anymore.
Her long hair hung in messy strands, no longer a complete curtain. She looked straight at him, eyes still mostly milky white, but now a thin silver ring circled the faint pupils. Like moonlight trapped inside fog.
Lin Feng met that gaze.
Held it for one long, uncomfortable second.
Then looked away first.
"…You didn't run," he muttered. "Most people would have."
Her voice came back very soft, almost lost in the silence.
"Nowhere… left to run."
He let out a tired huff that might have been a laugh if he had the energy.
...
Eventually he slid the rest of the way down the wall until he was sitting properly.
Winced when his wounds protested the movement.
Pulled up the system interface with a thought.
The [Provisional Disciple Contract] option glowed faintly, like it was waiting for him to stop being stupid.
He read the terms out loud, half to her, half convincing himself this wasn't insane.
"Mutual consent required. One shared resource or bond must be established. Disciple receives basic protection and qi-sharing access. Sect Master receives loyalty percentage and contribution point trickle. Contract can be revoked by either party…" He paused. "…with heavy penalties."
He glanced at her.
"This thing says I can make you a provisional disciple. You'd get some of my qi to stabilize yourself. I'd get… whatever this glowing nuisance thinks you're worth."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You would… feed me? Every day?"
Lin Feng rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly very aware of how awkward his own voice sounded.
"Not like, not weird feeding. Just… yang qi. Or actual food if I can figure out what a half-ghost can even eat. Look, I'm bad at this. I've never had a disciple before. I barely know how to keep myself fed."
A tiny, almost inaudible sound escaped her.
Not quite a laugh.
But close to it atleast.
"Old man… scared of a little girl... hehe"
He snorted despite himself.
"Yeah. Terrified."
...
He realized something important.
"I still don't know what to call you. Can't keep thinking of you as 'ghost girl' in my head."
She looked down at her own translucent hands.
Fingers slowly becoming more solid, but still faintly see-through at the edges.
"I… forgot." Her voice cracked on the word. "They burned my name tablet. Long time ago."
Lin Feng stayed quiet for a moment.
Then spoke carefully.
"Then we pick a new one. Something simple. Something that isn't tied to whatever happened here."
She was silent for so long he thought she wouldn't answer.
Then, in the smallest whisper:
"…Yue. Like the moon. Cold… but always there."
He nodded once.
"Yue. Alright. Lin Yue from today."
She repeated it quietly, tasting the syllables like they might disappear if spoken too loudly.
"Lin… Yue…"
...
He took a slow breath.
Activated the contract option.
The system responded immediately.
[Provisional Disciple Contract initiated]
[Please establish a bond token]
[Options: Blood oath / Name inscription / Shared qi imprint / Dual cultivation mark (not recommended at current compatibility)]
Lin Feng's eyes flicked to the last option.
Muttered instantly:
"Hell no."
He selected Shared qi imprint.
Extended his right palm.
A thin thread of pure yang qi rose from his dantian, warm, orange, alive.
Yue hesitated.
Then slowly lifted her own cold hand.
The moment their palms met... steam.
Actual steam rose between their skin like hot metal touching snow.
Both of them flinched.
Neither pulled away.
His yang qi flowed toward her in a careful stream.
Her yin qi answered, icy silver threads curling around the warmth like vines reaching for sunlight.
A small rune formed in the space between their palms.
Half flame and half crescent moon.
Simple and balanced.
The system chimed.
[Contract accepted]
[Disciple #1: Lin Yue (Provisional)]
[Loyalty: 18% → 34% (sharp increase)]
[Main mission complete!]
[Reward distributed:]
[→ Basic Sect Management Interface unlocked]
[→ 300 Sect Contribution Points]
[→ Random Starter Disciple Attraction Array (Lv1) – auto-installed on manor grounds]
[Bonus: First Disciple Achievement – +100 Sect Contribution Points + Minor Yin-Yang Harmony Seed (dormant)]
Yue gasped softly.
Color flooded back into her cheeks, still pale, but no longer corpse-like.
Her outline sharpened, became more present in the world.
She looked at him with something very close to wonder.
"…warm."
Lin Feng didn't know what to say to that.
So he didn't say anything.
Just let the qi flow until the steam stopped rising.
...
The manor gave a sudden, very light tremble.
Like the ground itself had taken a small breath.
Outside the broken window, a faint golden pulse flickered from the direction of the front gate.
New notification appeared.
[Starter Disciple Attraction Array (Lv1) activated]
[Effect: Passersby with latent potential or strong karma ties will feel subtle pull toward the manor]
[Current range: 50 li]
[Warning: Attraction is indiscriminate. Quality of incoming individuals cannot be guaranteed.]
Lin Feng looked at Yue.
"You feel that?"
She nodded slowly.
"Someone… is already coming. Fast."
He strained his ears.
There it was, distant, but getting louder every second.
Faint footsteps.
Rustling leaves.
The sound of someone moving with purpose.
Lin Feng let his head tip back against the wall.
Exhausted, bleeding, and hungry.
And, for the first time in twenty years, feeling something dangerously close to responsibility settling on his shoulders like wet cloth.
He looked at the small, newly-named girl sitting across from him.
Then at the doorway where the footsteps were growing louder.
A crooked, tired smile pulled at one corner of his mouth.
"Day two and I already have one ghost daughter and another stray inbound. Retirement my ass."