I glared at John Chou in front of me, my cheeks burning hot with frustration. I just couldn't let it go, but Ethan Zhang still hadn't gotten up, his face showing hesitation. At that moment, Ethan Zhang stood up.
"I'm counting on you, John Chou. Please help guide Rachel Lan!"
Ethan Zhang lowered his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. I curled my lips.
"Brother, the war is about to start. There's no time for trivial matters anymore. Isn't she the head of the Lan Family now? Her parents should have taught her a few things."
"It's not enough. Uncle Mo and Aunt Lan are strong, but... it's just not enough. I know that very well. Ever since the threefold fusion, I've become even more aware of how cruel the world we're about to face is. To survive in such a world, strength is a must. I can't guarantee I'll always be by Rachel's side, so if anything happens..."
Ethan Zhang clenched his fists, his face pale.
"I never want to go back to how things were before, John Chou, please..."
A hand rested on Ethan Zhang's shoulder. John Chou sighed.
"Got it, brother. When this is all over, I'll teach that woman a thing or two, but only if she's willing to accept my guidance. After all..."
"She will, John Chou. Rachel may be strong-willed, but I know her. She's never wasted anyone's kindness, nor has she ever refused it. Often, she's more mature and steady than I am. Whenever I fall into despair, she's always stronger than me, so..."
John Chou's lips curled into a faint smile.
"That's enough, brother. Let's go. The battles ahead may be beyond your imagination. Nothing that happens would surprise me. Let's worry about the rest after the fight. Brother, did you see Zachary Justice's memories?"
Ethan Zhang laughed, nodded, and quickly caught up with John Chou.
"Yeah, I saw them. The strength that Master Zachary Justice cultivated—without you, it would have been impossible. Thank you, John Chou."
Everything before me slowly faded away. I raised a hand, at a loss for words. Sadness surged up inside me again, and my eyes grew wet.
"Wait... Ethan, wait..."
I whimpered as everything before me sank into darkness.
I felt a sharp gaze and turned around. John Chou stood behind me.
"Clear your head, woman. If all you want to do is keep crying, then just sit here quietly. But if you don't want to end up like this, I'm willing to teach you a thing or two. Live or die, it's up to you. That's why I hate women the most—they're always crying. My foolish little sister was the same, always crying since she was a child..."
I stared at John Chou, unconvinced, tears still streaming down my face. But I knew, just as Ethan said, I was too weak. My frailty had dragged so many people into trouble since childhood. So many times, the Ghost Burial Squad and the people from Hades had to clean up my messes.
"Why? You clearly hate me..."
John Chou let out a sound of surprise.
"It's true, you're annoying. But without you, Ethan Zhang would never truly enter the human path. The road Zachary Justice once walked... Woman, I just don't want his efforts to end in vain. I can't do it myself, because I'm a ghost... Next time, it's your turn, woman. Protect the legacy Ethan Zhang leaves behind. If you really are the one he loves, then give everything to safeguard what Ethan Zhang has left..."
My eyes widened. To my surprise, I saw a trace of sadness at the corner of John Chou's eye. I'd always thought he was cold and ruthless, a ghost sovereign, like a stone shrouded in thick fog—unseeable, icy, and hard.
"Enough, woman. Make your choice: follow me, this evil ghost, or keep wallowing in despair..."
Dazed, I opened my eyes. A gentle hand pressed down—it was my mother, Helen Lane, worry written all over her face as she wiped the tears from my cheeks. My face flushed, and I hurriedly sat up, wiping away tears. John Chou was coldly staring at me from the side.
"I'll go with you."
I stared seriously at John Chou. He nodded slightly, then floated up. A pink glow flashed in his hand—it was Belle, the sword Ethan Zhang often used before. Its graceful curve and beautiful blade looked gentle but was razor-sharp.
"Let me see what exactly you learned from the Founding Emperors!"
"Wait, John Chou, let Rachel rest..."
Before my mother could finish speaking, my father pulled her back.
"There's no time for you to rest, and no time for you to cry, Rachel Lan!"
With a whoosh, a flash of red light swept past me. My heart leapt in shock—the killing intent I felt in that instant made my heart nearly stop. A lock of hair drifted down. I turned my head; behind me, John Chou was covered in a red glow.
My father walked over and handed me a black machete and a brown bow, along with the special arrows I had crafted. These arrows, infused with yang energy, are naturally lethal to ghosts.
At that moment, both my parents stood at the edge, seemingly performing some ritual. Thunder rumbled, and in an instant, four pillars rose from the four directions. It was a Four Symbols Formation, but something was off—it looked incomplete.
"Let me see what you really learned in that darkness!"
I stared quietly at John Chou. He was completely different from before, his body exuding a sharp, overwhelming ghost aura—nothing like any ghost aura I'd seen before. I swallowed, sweat already forming on my forehead.
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"No matter what you do, give it everything you've got and attack me."
I immediately slung the bow and quiver over my shoulder—more than twenty arrows—and gripped the machete tightly in my hand.
"I'll just stand here. Go ahead and attack me."
A surge of anger welled up inside me. He was clearly looking down on me.
"I'll make you regret this."
I quickly crouched down, pulled the bow from my back, and nocked an arrow. Instantly, I began channeling a huge amount of yang energy into the arrow—deadly to ghosts.
With a swish, an arrow trailing white smoke shot toward John Chou's head. He was less than twenty meters away from me.
After firing the arrow, I sprinted forward, machete in hand. With one hand, I released Ling Sha, sending it rushing toward John Chou. He remained motionless. As the arrow was about to reach him, John Chou raised Belle and gently swept it forward.
My eyes widened—I could hardly sense any ghost aura, but my arrow was split in two. The Ling Sha I sent to John Chou's feet was completely severed; it was ghost thread. I stared in shock as a fine red ghost thread easily sliced through my Ling Sha. I'd already reached John Chou and roared as I swung my blade.
With a clang, it felt like I'd struck solid steel. Instantly, I poured more strength into my attack. As a burst of white light flashed, flame patterns appeared on the black machete.
"So that's it. Pretty good weapon—it's just a shame the wielder is you."
I looked at John Chou's contemptuous expression, but inside, I was secretly pleased. With a boom, flames erupted from the surface of the machete.
"Got you."
As I spoke, I felt the force before me weaken. These flames use the machete as a medium, converting my own yang energy into fire that can burn away ghost aura.
Suddenly, I stopped. A hand pressed down on my head, and the flames before my eyes split in two. The cold blade pressed against my neck, and I swallowed hard.
With a boom, I was sent flying, my body completely losing balance. In midair, I quickly released two strands of Ling Sha. After changing the quality of yang energy, the Ling Sha acted like two sticks, supporting my body. I panted, looking at John Chou ahead—completely unscathed, his ghost aura very faint. But what I couldn't understand was why I couldn't break through the weak ghost aura around his body no matter what I did.
"Don't forget, you're human. I'm a ghost."
John Chou spoke. Without thinking, I charged at him again, determined to break through head-on. I've heard about ghosts all my life—my annoying old man always said, to fight ghosts, you have to break the ghost aura around their bodies to truly hurt them. The power humans generate naturally restrains ghosts.
Once again, I rushed up to John Chou. This time, instead of attacking head-on, I used Ling Sha a few centimeters above the ground to move to his side like riding an elevator. Just as I was about to strike, Belle was already pointed at me. I panicked and leapt back.
But immediately, I felt a chill in the air and dove to the ground. With a swish, a stream of ghost aura swept past my head, making me break out in a cold sweat.
But that ghost aura quickly returned to John Chou. I looked at him in disbelief—he could control ghost aura so freely. I had no idea how he did it.
"Enough stalling, Rachel Lan. These things can't hurt me. Use all your strength. I'll just stand here."
John Chou still wore a contemptuous smile. After I got up, I tossed away the quiver from my back and threw the bow to the ground.
"Don't be shocked when you see this. It's what I learned in that darkness, John Chou."