👻 Haunted House

Yan Feng Gu has traveled a long way just to visit this infamous haunted house that is feared by poor and noble men alike.

It's been a long road since his last stop and he decided to pay a visit to a noble house in hope to get food in exchange for some entertainment that he could provide with the skills he possessed.

Only two young men of noble ranks lived in that house and for a moment Feng Gu felt embarassed by how beautiful and well groomed those two hosts looked. He almost forgot that he himself had the most handsome face and only remembered that once the nobles happily welcomed him inside.

After bringing some food they started inquiring about his travels and Feng Gu answered truthfully. But in every single village, the closer he got to his destination, the more tense people were about it!

"Don't go there, boy! There are evil spirits that live there, they will break every bone in your body and then tug you into a knot like a mere piece of cloth!"

"Most intriguing!" Young Feng Gu smiled wide and his eyes shone bright. "That's exactly what I've heard of the place and that's why I took many days to cover this long path here."

"What! Are you soft in the head, young man?" The nobles looked disarmed by Feng Gu's sudden revelation.

"Not in the head but in my body, yes. See, good sirs, I am on the path of mastery of Soft Bone Wushu. I may look young but I've used most of my years to practice. My joints can bend like they're made of cartilage. Please allow me to demonstrate my skills for your entertainment!"

After saying that, Feng Gu leaned softly against the table and went on top of it without using his feet at all but only his hands and the strength of his muscles. Standing on his hands instead of feet, he did a series of postures where he bent his body in every direction and as much as he wanted without breaking. And just as softly he landed back on his seat to look back in the eyes of the amazed nobles.

"We have never seen such flexibility from a teen boy who seems to have every bone broken but smiles as if that pleases him!"

"Unfortunately, noble sirs, no teacher seems capable of making my body any more flexible, even if they stretch me from dusk til dawn every single day."

"Perhaps there are true masters of this art that you should look for? But we've never even seen anybody as flexible as you, let alone someone who can teach you how to improve that even further."

"I've tried everything, I've tried strong teachers and I've tried wise ones who can invent sophisticated devices using water buckets and ropes. I went from one teacher to another but I haven't felt any progress for several months now."

"You've grown too big for your old dress and surely your mission to get a new one is understandable..."

"Yes, and luckily, one of my teachers then told me about this particular haunted house, where I am hoping to get a major boost to my skills."

"But going into that house surely will be the end of you!"

"Is that so? I wouldn't go so far in conclusions. For now let's say it will surely be the Bend of me, and I'm hoping to not lose that B- over night."

After saying that, Yan Feng Gu noticed that his bowl of delicious soup was finished and he was now ready to continue his journey.

"But such a charming and talented young man, you have a whole life to live!" One of the nobles hanged so close he was face to face with Feng Gu, staring him in the eyes. "What you can do is quite entertaining and can easily amuse. If you don't go to that house and stay in our house instead, we can offer you a job of being this unique performer. You will live a life of luxury and we will send our men to look all over the kingdom for the best teachers for you!"

"You are extremely kind and I will certainly consider that offer, but only after I'm done with my mission. I may have a bendable body but there is also unbending will, as I never change my plans once I set my mind on something."

And while saying that, Yan Feng Gu couldn't help but noticed the edge of a wooden wall behind the noble went straight across his face as if he was there and not there at the same time and you could easily see through him.

At the same time the boy felt his shoulders grabbed by the second noble from behind, whose fingers grew inhumanly long and never in his life had Feng Gu had such strong hands grabbing him.

Only for a second Feng Gu panicked, thinking that the nobles are planning to abuse him, but after seeing the other noble starting to glow with purple light, Feng Gu smiled and relaxed, letting the noble behind him press his shoulders all the way down.

"We will not let you go until we break every single bone in your body, even if it's going to be a real challenge!"

His torso was forced to arch so much that it literally folded in half backwards and his shoulder blades were pressed against his own butt cheeks.

"Oh, noble sirs, if I could only ask for one last favor, that would be about losing my shirt. The fabric is quite thick and doesn't let my back fold completely in half."

"Good idea! That will only let us see your ribs as they pop out of your chest!" Whispered the evil spirit, releasing Feng Gu for a moment.

The boy pulled off his shirt and smiled charmingly. "Now, fold my body as tight as you can!"

In the not so early morning, Yan Feng Gu sat to share a cup of tea with his two noble hosts.

"How was your sleep? Was the bed soft enough?" One of the nobles poured herbal tea in the boy's cup.

"Never sleep so deep before! Having my folded body crushed between two giant stone plates certainly helped!" Yan Feng Gu smiled as if he just told them a pleasant and slightly embarassing dream.

"We thought the guest deserves the best. Have you perhaps considered our offer?"

"Oh yes, last night's events assured me it's the best possible option. Thank you so much for having me as your new employee! I am sure you will try thousands of techniques as you attempt to break my bones."

"Yes, yes, we have a plenty of ideas. Unfortunately we may only be of assistance during certain hours, I'm afraid. In daytime please feel free to do anything you like, including, hopefully, entertaining us with your talents."

Feng Gu nodded respectfully. "I most certainly will, good sirs, once I finished my cup. The last night's experience gave me a plenty of ideas for new postures that I intend to demonstrate in a couple of minutes."

"Perfect! And if you feel that your dress ever gets in the way of your abilities, please do not feel ashamed to get rid of that obstacle. Especially that there is barely a part of your body we haven't seen or touched last night."

"Indeed, I will most certainly not need any such obstacles," Feng Gu nodded, "I am definitely willing to demonstrate my art in its purest and direct form."

After saying those wise words, Yan Feng Gu finished his cup of tea, stood up and bowed to his hosts before proceeding to entertain his hosts with wondrous postures impossible to do for any normal human being.

Since then Yan Feng Gu settled for many long years in the house of the two noble men, who both developed a great liking for his talents. He continued to make beautiful performances to please their eyes during daytime and was trained mercilessly when they happened to assume their ghost forms at night.

Because of being constantly in contact with paranormal activities, Feng Gu's body remained in its original youthful shape for over a hundred years, and all those years he kept progressing to become even more flexible and attractive.

Only after this extremely prolonged youth did he start to show the signs of maturing and then he decided to use all his experience to teach other boys. He had many pupils over the next two centuries of his life but his most favorite and talented pupil will always be his own grandson Yasha, who reminded Feng Gu of his own teenage years.

Like Feng Gu in his teens, Yasha was a beauty worth of fashion magazine covers and the noblest company, but much like Feng Gu's, his heart was set to develop an unbreakable body. Seeing his grandson's dedication, Yan Feng Gu shared with him all the tips and secrets he could think of, before nothing remained that even the great master Yan Feng Gu could teach him.

THE (B)END.