Suddenly, a pale-faced ghost radiating a green glow appeared before me. He wore a light blue denim outfit, had a buzz cut, and his features were sharp and proper. He was grinning at me.
"That's enough, Blaze. If that sword had struck you, you'd be hurting for days."
"Brother, you should stop too."
I looked at the ghost before me—he was no ordinary spirit. The fingers I'd chopped off earlier had already been reattached.
"That really hurts."
In an instant, every ghost in the cemetery respectfully retreated and vanished.
"Are you the boss here?" I asked.
"Kid, you don't even know Brother Fei?"
"Blaze, shut up!" the pale-faced ghost barked.
"My name is Frank Wu. What's yours, brother?"
"Ethan Zhang."
Suddenly, both ghosts looked at me in shock, scanning me from head to toe.
"Oh, Brother Zhang, I'm sorry for earlier. Please don't take it to heart." The ghost called Blaze instantly broke into a smile, his flames extinguishing and his body shrinking to half its size, making him half a head shorter than me.
"Brother Zhang, what brings you to our humble place?"
I blinked in surprise. Why had the attitude of these ghosts suddenly done a complete 180?
Suddenly, I remembered what Old Moe had said and looked at the two ghosts.
"Sorry about today," I quickly said.
After we explained our purpose for coming, Blaze grabbed a shovel and hoe and started digging for us.
After obtaining corpse oil and fresh rotten flesh, we prepared to leave.
"Brother Zhang, if you ever have time, I, Frank Wu, would like to visit you personally."
I gave a casual reply, but then decided to ask about the current situation in the ghost realm.
"Oh, it seems Brother Zhang isn't aware yet. Although I've never met any of the Ghost Sovereigns, the ghost realm has already started dividing its power in the living world. Ghosts like us either pledge allegiance to one side, or we wait to die. So..."
I responded, then headed down the mountain with Rachel Lan. I remembered what Samantha Simons once told me: back then, even Blue Wraith-level ghosts had to choose a side, or they'd be eliminated.
"Ethan, you need to be careful."
I looked at Rachel Lan and nodded. The car moved on through the night while I stared out the window, lost in thought.
John Chou had personally destroyed his own hundred ghosts—Samantha Simons had mentioned this before. The memory made my heart feel heavy.
"Ethan, once this is all over, let me take you somewhere to relax."
I made a surprised sound and looked at Rachel Lan.
"No, no, it's fine. Since I chose to trust John Chou, I won't look back. It just seems like he's spent all these years alone, with no friends. But now, I'm his friend."
At 3 a.m., we returned to the apartment building. John Chou was waiting for us with a big smile.
"Oh, brother, you're pretty quick. That's almost everything. Once you gather these three items, I'll teach you how to break the formation. All you have to do is get into the Ghost Burial Squad headquarters and destroy the array."
Rachel Lan listened carefully as John Chou explained. I just felt tired and wanted a shower and some sleep, so I went back to my room.
Half an hour later, I stepped out into the rain. Suddenly, I was startled—John Chou was sitting in the living room, drinking tea, just like the first time I met him.
"Brother, what's wrong? Something on your mind?"
"Did you really kill your own hundred ghosts?"
I asked. John Chou smiled, then looked at me with a blank expression.
"It's true."
My heart skipped a beat as I looked at him. I didn't think he'd do such a thing, but the truth hit me hard.
"Why?"
"No reason. Get some sleep, brother. You'll find out what you need to know in time."
After John Chou left, I drifted off to sleep.
Two days passed, and we finished all our preparations. After a phone call with Detective Stone, Rachel Lan said she wanted to look up some information, and he gave her permission.
We were successfully invited to the Ghost Burial Squad headquarters, which was near the eastern agricultural district. Still, I felt guilty about it.
"Will destroying the array really not cause any problems?"
Rachel Lan shook her head.
"I'm not sure, but in all these years, no ghosts have ever invaded the Ghost Burial Squad. It's all thanks to that array."
Around 3 p.m., endless fields appeared before us, along with rows of greenhouses. In the distance, we could see orchards stretching out in every direction.
The car drove along a narrow country road, getting closer and closer. We saw a sprawling complex, and atop the main building was a huge emblem—a ghost character split down the middle.
Tall iron fences surrounded the area. Inside the yard were all kinds of training facilities. Some newcomers were drilling in perfect order.
Our car pulled into a large open lot next to the main building, where several black vans were parked.
"Brother Zhang, Rachel, you've arrived. Haha."
Detective Stone was already waiting for us. We entered the main building—a spacious, clean lobby that didn't seem particularly special.
There was only one large elevator. The door to the right was secured with two heavy locks, and a bagua was drawn on it, surrounded by densely written talismanic characters.
"Where's Ironmask?" Rachel Lan asked.
"In the basement freezer!"
I made a surprised sound, then Detective Stone led us by elevator to the basement.
As soon as we stepped out, I was amazed. The vast underground space was filled with cylindrical, capsule-like transparent cabinets—some held zombies, others were empty.
"Brother Zhang probably hasn't seen this before. Rachel's been here quite a few times."
"Special talisman water is used to seal ghosts inside and freeze them." I nodded. Sure enough, in one cabinet, I saw Ironmask—his body and head separated, frozen and pressed against the capsule wall.
"By the way, Rachel, the records are down here. What exactly do you want to look up?"
"Many years ago, the previous Ghost Burial Squad—the elite members—vanished mysteriously."
Detective Stone glanced at her thoughtfully, took out a key, and opened the elevator. We arrived at the second basement level, where rows of bookshelves were packed with file folders.
Some people were sorting through files. Rachel Lan explained our purpose, and someone led us to a shelf with the number 0015.
"These are from fifteen years ago. Take your time searching."
Rachel Lan began searching seriously.
Detective Stone watched for a while, then left. There weren't many people around. I checked the shelves—there were at least hundreds, and the highest number I saw was 0473. Just then, I noticed an old, leather file marked 'Top Secret,' with a large 'Chou' character on it.
I rushed over, but at that moment, a staff member came to stop me.
"Sorry, Mr. Zhang. These files require approval from above before you can access them."
I nodded, dazed, then returned to Rachel Lan, who was still reading through the files.
I leaned in, and at that moment, Rachel Lan glanced around and whispered to me.
"Basement level five—the core of the Grand Celestial Annihilation Array. We need to find a way to get the key."
Feeling helpless, I looked around, still wanting to see the contents of that old leather file. Instead, I went to the shelf labeled 0007.
Each number represents how many years ago the case occurred. Every year, the numbers shift down because the tags are movable.
I randomly picked up a leather file and checked inside. It was a case file stamped with two big red characters: 'Unsolved.'
The case recorded a photo studio whose lifelike photos were very popular. But over time, people who had their pictures taken began to lose their spirits, fall ill, and eventually die. It was said the photos would change as well.
At the end of the file was a thick stack of photos. I looked and was startled—many of the people in the photos looked like walking corpses, with sunken eyes and yellowed skin.
I quickly put the file away and found another unsolved case: the Lake Pond Drowned Corpses case at Wild Duck Lake. Twelve people died over twelve months, and no ghost was ever found. The attached photos showed drowned victims, each with a bright red lip mark on their neck.
Unnoticed, afternoon arrived and it was time to eat. Detective Stone called us back upstairs. Rachel Lan kept glancing at Detective Stone, watching the elevator key in his hand.
"Ethan, later, try to get Detective Stone drunk."
I made a surprised sound. Sure enough, at dinner, Hu Tianshuo and several other Ghost Burial Squad members joined us at the table.
We were eating in a large cafeteria, and the dishes were surprisingly good.
"Ethan, let's have a good drink today."
Hu Tianshuo called out, grabbing a disposable cup and filling it to the brim for me.
I took a sip and blinked. Rachel Lan gave me a look, then sat next to Detective Stone, chatting with him before suddenly raising her glass.
"Detective Stone, I toast to you." With that, she downed a cup of white liquor in one go, making my heart skip a beat.
"Rachel, you never drink, usually. Well, alright." Detective Stone raised his glass and drank.
I saw Rachel Lan looking uncomfortable, while the other Ghost Burial Squad members began to egg us on.
Rachel Lan kept signaling to me with her eyes. She looked a little wobbly.
Bracing myself, I picked up my glass and walked over.
"You two planned to get me drunk, huh?" Detective Stone got into the spirit, filled his cup and drank it down. I stared at the white liquor in my glass, sweat breaking out on my forehead.