There was originally another place I could go, not far from here and easy to reach—the Realm of Yin and Yang. The Cursed Ghost was born there, but that one's actions are far too bizarre, and she probably wouldn't see me.
I understood this clearly when I was inside Ethan Zhang's body. I need to find out what happened to the Earthly Soul. He should be in the Forest of Desire now, and if I want to go there, seeking out Lord Shenyan is the most direct way. But I really don't want to go to that place.
Although I'm not entirely sure, deep down I have a faint premonition—perhaps 'omen' is more accurate. I sense an unprecedented hostility, and I need to figure out where it's coming from. Even though I have a slight idea, I quickly dismiss it. After all, to the Earth Soul, I'm neither important nor useless.
I'm afraid that something is quietly changing, because the Ghost Spirits have left the Earth Soul. I need to get to the bottom of this.
I quietly watched the billowing mass of resentment before me. I could no longer communicate with the Vengeful Ghost. Slowly, I began to float upward and drifted toward Halfway Crossing.
Marshal Leopard quickly followed me, but I ignored him and sped up. His intentions were obvious—he wanted me to take a stand and help the Underworld Court. Right now, recruiting powerful allies is the only option left for them.
"Heaven Soul, I hope you'll give it serious thought. All of this is for the sake of both realms. If we lose the war, we..."
"Sorry, this has nothing to do with me."
My worries were unfounded. The Ghost Spirits didn't go looking for Lan Ruoxi. For those who left the Earth Soul's body, their best option was to go straight to Lan Ruoxi. After all, Lan Ruoxi now has two instincts—coexistence and rebirth—which allow them to safely reside within her. Although this would hurt Lan Ruoxi, it's only temporary. The nature of coexistence is to harmonize all kinds of powers.
I bypassed Halfway Crossing entirely, giving Marshal Leopard no chance to continue speaking. In an instant, I crossed the cave leading to the Living World. By the time I returned, night had just begun to fall. In only an hour, I was back. I planned to go directly to Ghost Fiend Star and have him take me to Ghost Tomb Mountain.
Ghost Tomb Mountain should have already been destroyed, but it's still standing. It's not a created space, but rather hidden deep in the mountains and forests. Although I know the exact location, getting there would take too long. The people of Ghost Tomb use a kind of teleportation array to instantly connect spaces and enter Ghost Tomb Mountain.
I started heading east. Ghost Fiend Star works at a supermarket in the east. I had already confirmed that after returning from the darkness, he lost Poison Dreadstar, his wealthy benefactor, and was broke, so he had to go back to working at the supermarket.
Ghost Fiend Star seemed quite content. Every day after work, he'd go home and play games, then go back to work again. It was as if he'd completely abandoned his previous life and no longer wanted to use ghosts to make money. In the ring-shaped city in the darkness, this was his daily routine.
Soon I landed outside the supermarket and looked inside. Sure enough, I saw Ghost Fiend Star at a laundry detergent display, doing a promotion. He wore a green work uniform and a hat with a detergent brand logo. He looked a bit ridiculous, energetically pitching the detergent.
I watched for a while and saw that Ghost Fiend Star was doing quite well. It was peak hour, and he kept shouting out promotional slogans for the detergent. He seemed to get along well with his coworkers.
Gradually, Ghost Fiend Star glanced over at me. He had noticed me, and I also noticed the ghostly aura swirling around me—probably ghosts released by Ghost Fiend Star. I walked straight into the supermarket and headed toward him.
"Let me say this first: don't bring me any trouble, Heaven Soul. I don't want any messes. My job's going well, and I can make over ten thousand a month now."
I looked at Ghost Fiend Star in surprise. He grinned with pride. The detergent business was going smoothly. I waited outside until his shift ended. Ghost Fiend Star turned down his coworkers' invitation to go sing karaoke and walked out, carrying a small bag—probably his late-night snack.
"I work at noon tomorrow, so tonight I need to go home and grind for gear. If you've got something to say, make it quick—I don't want to miss the dungeon opening time."
"Take me to Ghost Tomb Mountain. I need to go to Ghost Tomb Forest to find the Yin Ghost."
Ghost Fiend Star widened his eyes, looking at me with annoyance.
"So much trouble. I almost forgot how to draw that array. Whatever, I owe Ethan Zhang a lot, so I'll help you this once. After all, he's dead now. Sigh."
I sighed helplessly. Ghost Fiend Star had me follow him. After a while, it was clear we weren't going to his place but to a burger joint that was still open. Ghost Fiend Star waited with a big smile, and soon, a sweet and pretty girl in a work uniform came out.
"Xiao Gui, why are you here today..."
"Tingting, take this. Eat it if you get hungry later. I'm heading home now, so don't go out after your shift. Go home early, and I'll take you to the movies this weekend."
The girl smiled happily, hugged Ghost Fiend Star, and kissed him on the cheek. Ghost Fiend Star grinned, and the girl left. I looked at Ghost Fiend Star in surprise.
"What's wrong? Is it strange that I have a girlfriend? My name's Li Gui. That's the name our boss gave me."
It was only then that I noticed Ghost Fiend Star's name tag really did say 'Li Gui.'
I followed Ghost Fiend Star back to his place. I remembered when Ethan Zhang came here before—it was a mess, and Ghost Fiend Star lived a decadent gaming life. But now, as soon as I stepped inside, I was stunned. I felt a genuine sense of shock.
Although there wasn't much furniture, the place was tidy—especially Ghost Fiend Star's gaming room, which even had a pot of fresh flowers next to it. I was genuinely shocked; when a person undergoes a major transformation, it can be truly astonishing.
"What's wrong? I'm a grown man, you know. Heaven Soul, wait until one o'clock. I'll take you after I finish all my activities."
I could only wait quietly on the side. Ghost Fiend Star started gaming. The thing that shocked me most about his change was that he had a girlfriend now.
"Is it really so strange that I have a girlfriend? I even want to get married and have kids."
Hearing this, I was even more surprised. Ghost Fiend Star sighed and said:
"Nowadays, so many people in the spell world are obsessed with extending their lives or gaining more power. But what's the point? It's more satisfying to get a top-tier item. I grew up in Ghost Tomb, but I realized that all those years meant nothing. Now, this is my real life. That's why I gave up all that. The spell world doesn't matter to me anymore. I just want to work hard, play games, and hang out with my girlfriend."
Although Ghost Fiend Star's transformation was shocking, it was a change for the better. I waited quietly, watching him smile happily as he played his game. He had changed completely—the cold, gloomy aura was gone, and he seemed cheerful and sunny.
Finally, a little after one o'clock, Ghost Fiend Star stood up with a smile, stretched, and told me to follow him outside.
The streets were nearly empty late at night. Ghost Fiend Star led me through some alleys, telling me to keep close. Gradually, I realized he was following some sort of directional path. I kept following, and after a while, the places we'd passed started to feel unfamiliar.
The cold, gloomy aura began to leak from Ghost Fiend Star again. Eventually, we ended up in a strange alley. It was pitch black all around, and I had no idea how we got there.
"Stay close and stay focused. Don't get lost."
I responded, and faces twisted in pain began to appear in the walls around us. The walls seemed almost like mud, and gradually I smelled earth. In a daze, we were suddenly standing atop Ghost Tomb Mountain under the moonlight.
I glanced around. Ghost Tomb Mountain had been destroyed—by the Earthly Soul. All the buildings had collapsed, and there were shriveled corpses here and there. The place had suffered devastating damage; both houses and the mountainside were ruined, leaving only rubble.
Ghost Fiend Star sat helplessly on a slanted stone slab and sighed.
"For over a thousand years, we've used ghosts for business in Ghost Tomb. Honestly, even if you can control ghosts for a lifetime, it won't work. Sooner or later, there will be backlash. That's why people here have to keep getting stronger to withstand it."
I nodded and looked into the distance, where the moonlight bathed the Ghost Tomb Forest in silver. The Yin Ghost was in the old city of Ghost Tomb, and I planned to go straight there.
Ghost Fiend Star stood up, and a strong ghost appeared. He climbed onto its shoulders, and together we flew toward the abandoned Ghost Tomb City.
"By the way, I almost forgot to ask—you're here to find the Yin Ghost? Didn't she become Ethan Zhang's Ghost Soul? How did she come back?"
I sighed helplessly and smiled.
"There are all sorts of reasons."