The sound of a guzheng in the dead of night carries a special flavor—its gentle, slightly sorrowful tone and brisk tempo gradually become more intense, the rhythm quickening. I sit quietly outside the third-floor balcony, nodding along to the music.
Thinking about it, it seems that quite a few people in the Hall of Bloodbane can play musical instruments, especially that Violet Swallow girl, and her brother Derek White.
The music grows more and more intense, with heavy notes following one after another. The melody starts to turn wild. I watch John Chou play with force, but it still sounds quite good.
With a twang, a guzheng string snaps, making a soft, springy sound unique to it. I glance over, and John Chou lifts his head and laughs.
"As expected, it's inferior quality. Both the tone and the feel of playing it are terrible."
"I never thought you could play this. I always assumed everyone in the Hall of Bloodbane were just a bunch of savage, bloodthirsty fiends!"
John Chou laughs, then floats over to a lounge chair in the back and leans back.
"What's wrong with you? Sure, the Hall of Bloodbane was indeed warlike back then, but it wasn't like we fought every single day. When things got dull, we'd often gather together, drinking and holding music recitals. But if anyone messed up, they'd have to face punishment."
I leaned in, intrigued.
"What kind of punishment?"
"For example, a man has to become a woman, or a woman has to become a man, and within a day, you have to seduce someone—without using any ghost powers."
I burst out laughing, slapping my thigh.
"Did you ever try it yourself?"
I asked, and John Chou shook his head.
"Mr. Brown actually turned into a young woman and went to seduce someone."
I couldn't help but shudder, then shook my head.
Then John Chou started explaining. After he was suppressed by the Sanzu Force, his powers quickly faded, and the seal was placed in that desolate burial ground.
Mr. Brown found John Chou immediately and, following his instructions, brought John Chou's essence back to the Henderson Manor for safekeeping. This was to prevent excessive loss of power and damage to his essence, and he also entrusted Mr. Brown with a few tasks.
Returning the essence here was extremely difficult. From the day Bloodbane vanished, the fiends of the Hall of Bloodbane began searching day and night for Bloodbane's whereabouts. Eventually, someone provided a clue, and the Hall's fiends came here. More and more Blue Wraiths gathered nearby, staking out the Henderson Manor, waiting, because they all knew this place was crucial to John Chou.
Sure enough, when Mr. Brown arrived, the entire Hall of Bloodbane erupted into violent conflict. Mr. Brown never mentioned John Chou's whereabouts, only saying that John Chou was gone, dead in the Sanzu Force. But not a single Blue Wraith believed it.
The chaos eventually escalated into a massive battle. People started fighting for no apparent reason, and even Mr. Brown couldn't stop it. The fighting raged on within one Shadow Realm after another.
In the end, with no other option, Mr. Brown had to trick everyone, saying that John Chou wanted them to disperse and wait for the right moment, telling them to strengthen themselves and that when the time came, it would be their chance to seize the world.
All the Blue Wraiths believed him and left one by one. Eventually, only Ronan Wu remained. After Mr. Brown explained a bit, Ronan Wu understood. Once the essence was set aside, Ronan Wu went with Mr. Brown to find John Chou. For years after that, everything John Chou needed done was entrusted to these two right-hand men, since he himself couldn't leave the formation.
At that moment, something occurred to me.
"Why did you want to train the three of us back then? It wasn't just a whim, was it?"
I smiled and asked.
"It really was just a whim."
"You're lying."
John Chou laughed.
"Then why do you think I went to such lengths to teach the three of you?"
"Of course, it was to break your seal."
But soon John Chou gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"The Sanzu Force seal only appears when my power flares up, locking my abilities. But when I'm weak, the seal is basically useless to me. Do you remember when Ethan Zhang and I entered Madam Violet's ghost domain?"
I nodded immediately. That was indeed the first time John Chou used his power.
"Didn't you come out fine after your big fight with Xu Fu?"
"Lady Meng and Ksitigarbha helped me out for Ethan Zhang's sake."
I stared in surprise, eyes wide.
"What was going on?"
"It's like those two have known Ethan Zhang for ages. But more importantly, their attitude toward him is a mix of anticipation and fear."
"Is it because of Ethan Zhang's future?"
John Chou nodded.
"Maybe so. Or maybe, in the world of the past, there was an Ethan Zhang completely opposite to his future self! Of course, that's just my theory. Anyway, come on—I'll take you to get some good wine."
I let out a sound and followed John Chou. He led me to Mr. Brown's place, a rather grand courtyard. John Chou pointed to a spot on the ground and told me to dig.
"Wine that's been here for so many years must have gone bad, right?"
"Dig it up and see."
I started digging with ghost energy. Soon, I found several pitch-black jars, tightly sealed. I hefted one—it sloshed with liquid inside. I tried opening a jar, and instantly the fragrance of wine filled the air. I couldn't help but stare at the yellowish, slightly viscous liquid inside. John Chou scooped some up with the lid and drank.
"Good wine."
I tried a sip myself. It really was delicious, with an indescribable richness. Right away, I could sense ghost energy mixed in.
"This is Mr. Brown's private stash. He buried it centuries ago, before I was sealed. Ghost energy was added—it's wine for ghosts, and it can get you drunk."
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I swallowed a mouthful, and sure enough, I immediately felt a surge of ghost energy flowing through me—pure, powerful ghost energy. My body warmed up right away. This incredible sensation only ever comes when using immense power.
We soon finished the whole jar. Just then, I sensed something unusual and looked over, alert. It was an old man with one blind eye, hunched over and leaning on a cane—just an ordinary old man.
"You're back, Young Master Chou."
I stared in surprise—the old man could actually see us. John Chou stood up, face flushed, and walked over slowly, handing him a lidful of wine. The old man took it and drank.
"Who is this old man?"
"Thank you for your hard work."
John Chou said respectfully. The old man nodded, then turned and walked away slowly.
"Don't drink too much. If Mr. Brown comes back and finds out, he'll be angry."
John Chou waved at the old man.
"What exactly does that old man do? He seems to know a bit of magic—I sensed a faint trace of spell energy."
"Brother, do you know why such a huge manor, with so many valuables inside, has remained perfectly intact for over 2,000 years?"
I widened my eyes. Now that I think about it, even buildings a few hundred years old are rare. I finally understood why this place was so popular with tourists—tens of thousands of people came to visit today alone, from morning till night.
Then John Chou told me that the old man was the Gravekeeper of the Henderson Family. Long ago, the Hendersons had shown great kindness to his ancestors, and John Chou had also saved their family for certain reasons. Later, when a major event struck the Hendersons, John Chou and the old man's son became friends—all because of a joke.
"Back then, I said that if I ever died and returned home with nothing, it would be miserable. Why don't you help me guard my grave? This place is basically the Hendersons' tomb anyway."
I stared in astonishment.
"I never thought he'd actually do it. He was such a simple guy. For over 2,000 years, his family—twenty-nine generations—have served as the Hendersons' Gravekeepers, keeping the manor safe. To deal with tomb robbers and bandits, they've learned some basic scare tactics and magic."
John Chou lowered his head as he spoke, then after a long silence, smiled.
"I really should be charging the scenic area an entrance fee, shouldn't I?"
I nodded and smiled.
"Of course—this is your home."
Just then, I sensed something strange coming from the room where John Chou's mother stayed. We flew over quickly. Two lights quietly appeared in the courtyard—one red, one green.
"Is this Ms. Yi's essence?"
I pointed at the red light, but John Chou walked over to it and stretched out his hand. Immediately, the red glow turned blood-red.
"Haven't you heard? Red for men, green for women."
John Chou dropped his joking demeanor and became serious.
"So many years have passed, but neither humans nor ghosts have learned their lesson. It's always the same, no matter the era! Right?"
I had no idea who John Chou was talking to. I just silently watched as the red light slowly merged into his body. After a while, it disappeared. Then he walked to the green light, pressed his hand to it, and pushed it into the ground.
"Is it done?"
John Chou nodded, his eyes suddenly sharp. I swallowed hard as he raised his hand. Blood-red particles floated above it—Bloodbane Power. I stared at him in surprise.
"I can use a little now. The Underworld Court really helped me out, letting me slip past the Sanzu Force's surveillance. Let's go, brother, we have to stop Lord Shenyan."
I stared wide-eyed.
"Are you really going to try to stop this war?"
I looked at John Chou in disbelief. He nodded, then smiled.
"That guy is probably boiling over by now. After all, the situation is the same for him. To prevent this massive war, his way has always been to fight war with war."