Jin Ling glared back at him. Knowing that he was making fun of them on purpose, Jin Ling grit his teeth, “… Yes…”
With a change of heart, he straightened up and casually replied, “It’s so-so at best. Only barely worthy of a look!”
After the comment, he moved aside, waiting for the next person to be fooled. Their deceiving words roused the rest of the group’s level of curiosity to a peak. Lan SiZhui couldn’t hold himself from staying still and walked to the same spot. Just as his eyes approached the slit, he bursted out with an “ah!”, but in all honesty, unlike the previous two. With a face full of panic, he jumped backward from the shock. He only found Wei WuXian after dizzily spinning around a few times, then complained, “Senior Mo! There is a… a…”
Wei WuXian responded in absolute awareness, “There’s a that, right? No need to say it out loud, else it’d no longer be a pleasant surprise. Let everyone go see for himself.”
It was impossible for the others to still dare go over after they saw Lan SiZhui’s terrified reaction. A pleasant surprise? More like a nasty fright. All of them waved their hands in refusal, “No thanks. No thanks.”
Jin Ling spat, “The situation’s already like this and you’re still playing tricks. Just what in the world were you thinking?”
Wei WuXian, “You joined me as well, didn’t you? Don’t imitate your uncle’s tone. SiZhui, was it scary?”
Lan SiZhui obediently nodded, “Yes.”
Wei WuXian, “That’s good. This is an excellent opportunity for your cultivation. Why do ghosts scare people? It’s because when people are scared, their consciousness fades while their spirit surges, which make the easiest moments to suck out their yang energy. This is why ghosts are the most afraid of those who are fearless, who aren’t scared of them. There are no opportunities to seize, so there isn’t anything that ghosts can do to them. Thus, as disciples of cultivation, your number one goals are to become braver!”
Glad that he didn’t take a curious look due to his inability to move, Lan JingYi muttered, “Braveness is determined at birth. What can you possibly do if you were born a coward?”
Wei WuXian, “Were you born knowing how to fly on swords? People only know how to do it after practicing and practicing. Similarly, people can get used to things after being scared. Does the outhouse reek? Is it disgusting? Trust me, if you live in an outhouse for a month, you’ll even be able to eat your meals in there.”
The boys were absolutely terrified. They dismissed the claim in unison, “No you cannot!!! That is impossible!!!”
Wei WuXian, “It’s only an example. Okay, I admit that I haven’t lived in an outhouse before. I don’t know if you can actually eat in there. I have no evidence. However, you must try the one outside the door. You must not only look at it but, moreover, look carefully. Watch for the details. From the details, find any hidden weaknesses in the shortest time possible. You must take the situation calmly and search for chances to counter-attack. Alright, have I said enough for you to understand? Most people wouldn’t have the opportunity for my guidance. Make use of it. Nobody move any further away. A single-file line, please. Look one at a time.”
“… Do we really have to?”
Wei WuXian, “Of course. I never joke around. I never fool people, either. Let’s start with JingYi. Both Jin Ling and SiZhui have looked already.”
Lan JingYi, “What? I would not have to look, would I? People under corpse poisoning cannot move. You said so yourself.”
Wei WuXian, “Let me see your tongue. Ah.”
Lan JingYi, “Ah.”
Wei WuXian, “Congratulations. You have been cured. Bravely make your first step forward. Come on!”
Lan JingYi, “I have been cured already?! You are kidding, right?!”
With his protests denied, he could only toughen up and walk toward the window. He looked once, then looked away. He looked once more, then looked away again. Wei WuXian knocked on the board, “What are you scared of? I’m standing here. It won’t break through the board, much less eat your eyeballs or anything.”
Lan JingYi jumped away, “I’m finished looking!”
And then, whenever someone’s turn came, there’d be sharp gasps of fright. After everyone went, Wei WuXian spoke again, “Finished looking? Then, everyone, tell the group what details you’ve picked up. Let’s summarize.”
Jin Ling fought to speak first, “White eyes. Female. Short and skinny. Fine looks. Holding a bamboo pole.”
Lan SiZhui thought for a moment, “The girl’s height reaches my chest. She is only wearing rags and does not look too clean, dressed like a beggar roaming the streets. The bamboo pole appears to be a white cane. It is possible that her white eyes were not formed after death, but instead because she had been blind before she passed away.”
Wei WuXian commented, “Jin Ling had greater quantity, while SiZhui had higher quality.”
Jin Ling’s lips twitched in dissatisfaction.
One boy spoke up, “The girl is only around fifteen or sixteen. She has an oval face, with a lively air about her delicate features. She fastened her long hair with a wooden hairpin, which had a small fox head carved onto the end. She’s not only small—her figure is slender as well. Although she’s not that tidy, she’s not grimy either. After some grooming, she’s bound to be a lovely girl.”
Hearing this, Wei WuXian immediately felt that this boy would have a very promising future. He vigorously praised, “Well done, well done. The observations are both detailed and unique. Child, you’ll definitely be the sentimental type after you grow up.”
The boy blushed and turned to face the wall, ignoring his peers’ laughter. Another boy spoke, “It looks like that the sounds of a bamboo pole knocking on the ground were from when she was walking. If she had been blind before she passed away, she would not have been able to see even after she became a ghost, so she could only rely on the white cane.”
Another one of the boys argued, “But how would that be possible? You have all seen blind people, have you not? Because they cannot use their eyes, they move and walk slowly, in case they bump into anything. However, the ghost outside the door has swift movements. I have never seen such a nimble blind person before.”
Wei WuXian smiled, “Good job. Props to you for thinking about this. This is exactly how you should analyze. Don’t dismiss any points of suspicion. Now, let’s invite her inside to get some answers.”
As soon as he finished his sentence, he immediately took off one of the boards. Not only the boys inside, even the ghost outside the window jumped from his sudden movement, warily raising her bamboo pole.
Wei WuXian first greeted the ghost, then asked, “Maiden, do you have any business here, having followed them all this way?”
The girl widened her eyes. If she were a living person, she must have looked as adorable as can be. However, with no pupils and only two streaks of blood pouring from her eyes, it only made her look scarier than ever. Some more people in the back had gasped. Wei WuXian comforted them, “What are you scared of? You’re gonna get used to seeing people bleeding from the seven qiao in the future. It’s only two of the seven that are currently bleeding, and you can’t handle it? This is why I tell you to experience more things and toughen up.”