Dawn crept in, pale and cold. Rachel Lan, still lost in sleep, shifted faintly on the sofa—the fragile sound slicing through the silence and jolting Susan Li awake across from her.
"Ethan Zhang."
As soon as Susan Li opened her eyes, she called out. I shook my head at her and turned to Ethan Zhang, petrified where he sat, the golden Buddhist Script writhing ceaselessly across his skin. For hours now, he had remained unchanged—a living statue. Four hours had passed since those runes slithered out from the book and claimed his body.
"Rachel Lan, you should rest a little longer."
"Sorry."
I muttered an apology. Susan Li held up a finger, signaling me to be quiet, and tiptoed toward the kitchen. Soon, the scent of tea drifted over to me.
A steaming cup of tea was set before me. I took a small sip. Eating and drinking had become hollow rituals, their meaning lost to me. Yet I clung to these remnants of humanity—at mealtimes, I still forced myself to eat, though every bite was tasteless.
"Ethan Zhang should be fine, right?"
I gave a noncommittal hum, uncertain what had truly transpired. Ethan Zhang's body seemed intact. Earlier, I'd attempted to probe him with my Specter Web, only to be repelled by the Buddhist power coiled around him. My Specter Web was swiftly purified, rendered powerless before that force.
Susan Li and I stepped out onto the small terrace that connected the courtyard to the living room, careful not to wake Rachel Lan, who was still sound asleep inside.
"It's really incredible, Ethan. You, me, and Miss Rachel Lan met a long time ago, back in that hospital. You both helped me a lot back then—otherwise, I might've been killed by that vengeful ghost."
I smiled knowingly and nodded. My interactions with Susan Li were limited after that, but it felt like this bond had been destined from the very beginning.
Susan Li checked the time and stood up.
"Ethan, please keep an eye on Howard for me. I have to head to the office."
I gave a quiet response. After Susan Li went back inside and changed into her business suit, she drove off. These days, Susan Li managed most of the company affairs herself. Because of her connection with Redmond, my cousin's company had partnered with Redmane Entertainment Company many times. The business kept growing, and my uncle was very pleased.
As sunlight spilled into the courtyard, Rachel Lan puffed her cheeks and looked a bit disheveled, her hair messy and her expression annoyed as she tapped on the glass window.
"Why didn't you wake me up, Ethan?"
I reached out and gently wiped the corners of Rachel Lan's eyes, smiling as I spoke.
"Go wash your face."
After a long while, Rachel Lan quietly prepared breakfast for both of us. But after all that tea, I found myself unable to eat. In the end, she finished both portions—her silent presence filling the room with an uneasy calm.
A dull thudding echoed through the house. I startled, rising abruptly from my seat.
"Rachel Lan, what are you doing?"
Rachel Lan struck Ethan Zhang's head several times, each blow heavy and deliberate.
"I'm just seeing if Ethan Zhang will react."
Yet as the seconds crawled by, Ethan Zhang showed no sign of recovery. By ten o'clock, dread had settled over us.
All day, Ethan Zhang remained lost to the world—his eyes vacant, mouth slightly agape. Breath still moved in his chest, but his consciousness was utterly absent.
When Susan Li returned home after a day of frantic work, anxiety was etched deep in her face. We placed Ethan Zhang on the sofa, his arm raised in a grotesque rigidity. No matter how many times Susan Li tried, she could not force it down.
I had pored over the book again and again, searching for any hint of anomaly. But it was powerless now. Once, it brimmed with Buddhist Script—but now, save for the four characters 'fated encounter,' nothing remained but blankness.
The golden Buddhist Script writhed ceaselessly across Ethan Zhang's skin, and I was powerless to intervene. Any forceful attempt might destroy him. Rachel Lan, too, was helpless—her Instinct lay dormant, unreachable.
"Let's ask someone to go to Universal Temple and invite Master Jianyun to take a look."
Susan Li picked up the phone as she spoke, but I shook my head. She looked at me in confusion. Even if it was just a faint sensation, I could feel the presence of my cousin—the one who appeared at Jialan Mountain, strange and evil, as if he didn't recognize me. I recalled the shattered Buddha statues I saw in his dreamscape, and the statue that attacked me.
"Move Howard outside."
I stood up immediately. It was already late at night. Susan Li and Rachel Lan quickly began moving. I sensed a wisp of black energy slowly seeping from above Howard's head.
Things were turning grim. Out in the courtyard, they laid Howard on a recliner. I reached out my right hand and summoned Belle, while the Spectral Shotgun appeared on my back. Rachel Lan looked at me in surprise, then noticed the blade in my hand.
"What a beautiful blade."
"It's called Belle."
I muttered. Rachel Lan leaned in, and I quickly pushed her away.
"Rachel, take Susan and get out of here."
With a whoosh, black energy suddenly burst from above Howard's head, gradually forming into a human shape—a monk in robes, holding a long staff. He looked exactly like my cousin as I'd seen him before: standing on one leg, left arm cradling the staff, right hand making a Buddhist gesture, a string of Dark Prayer Beads hanging on his chest.
Without a word of warning, the monk swung his staff at me. There was a metallic clang, and a powerful force sent me sliding backward.
Two whooshes—two bright green lights floated over. They were Redmond's subordinates: Monkey and a female Specter. With two loud thuds, the monk spun in midair and landed behind Howard. He looked identical to my cousin, but his eyes were unnatural—cold, murderous, and filled with malice.
"Who are you, really?"
The figure before me didn't answer. With a rush of black energy, he came straight at me.
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"Leave Zhang Qingyuan to us."
I immediately landed in front of Monkey and the female Specter, holding Belle horizontally to shield them.
"This is a family matter. You two should wait nearby."
With a crack, the space before me split open as the monk charged in. In an instant, both of us entered the Ghost Domain. His staff jabbed at my chest, sending me flying backward, while he kept thrusting it toward me.
A whole swath of cherry trees in the apartment complex toppled, petals swirling through the air. I retreated to the building's entrance. Suddenly, I angled Belle upward—there was a metallic clang, and the staff's attack trajectory shifted. Dodging aside, I grabbed the staff with one hand.