Inside the palace, at Yuna Ji's residence, Joseph Qiao sat quietly by the door, a slender bone sword planted in front of him. The patrolling soldiers paused as they passed.
"Joseph Qiao, go get some rest. We'll handle the patrols."
One of the soldiers spoke. Joseph Qiao shook his head. After the soldiers had left, he stood up and began to move around, not knowing why he was here.
His mood was rotten all day. No snow tonight, but the air was still biting cold. A gust of wind swept through, as if it could flay the flesh from his bones.
Joseph Qiao felt a burning inside him. Just as Sebastian Zhao had said, snakes never leave their dens in winter. He had asked many old hunters, and none had ever seen snakes out and about in the freezing cold.
The layout on the left pass was filled with wooden towers. Because it was mountainous and crawling with snakes and insects, the houses were all built high off the ground with thick timber to keep the pests out.
In the bitter cold, all the venomous creatures had vanished. So where did that viper come from? After Simon Grant was bitten, Joseph Qiao cut the snake down with his sword, but the venom spread fast. It was hopeless.
"Hey, why the long face? Cheer up, it's freezing out here."
Phoenix Yu couldn't stand it anymore—Leonard Lei always looked so gloomy. Beside him, Sebastian Zhao tugged at his sleeve, telling him to keep quiet.
"Simon Grant once told me that even outsiders, as long as they can survive here in Grant City, deserve to live. Birth is not a crime."
Leonard Lei stopped, then pulled a straw horse from his clothes. It was lifelike, every detail vivid.
"I promised Simon Grant that after winter, I'd lead some people to make some large straw horses."
Phoenix Yu looked at Leonard Lei in confusion.
"What's the point of making those things?"
Leonard Lei shook his head. Sebastian Zhao stopped too. They ran into a patrol—soldiers told all three to get some rest.
"I wonder how Joseph Qiao is doing?"
Sebastian Zhao muttered. Leonard Lei looked up and forced a stiff smile.
"Let's go check on him. He should be at Yuna Ji's place."
A cold wind swept into the room. Mason Mao shivered awake. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Lily Mao and Terry Mao standing at the door—they hadn't gone to bed.
"Brother, Sis, why aren't you sleeping? I've already had a nap and woken up."
Terry Mao shook his head.
"I don't know what's wrong. I just can't sleep."
Lily Mao nodded as well.
"I never thought that little girl could look so sad."
Sis, of course. Anyone would mourn losing family. But there's nothing we can say. Come on, let's sleep—I'm freezing.
Then Terry Mao opened the half-closed door. A blast of cold wind rushed in. Mason Mao shivered and complained.
"Lily, you go to sleep. I'm heading over to check—Joseph Qiao should still be at that girl's place."
White breaths poured from Joseph Qiao's mouth. Sweat beaded on his forehead. After some exercise, his whole body felt warm.
Suddenly, a blast of icy wind hit him head-on. Joseph Qiao's eyes widened—a flash of black, a ghastly human face. His mind rang, and he collapsed.
In a daze, Joseph Qiao saw a person with half their face covered in black animal hide, only a pair of fierce eyes showing. His eyes slowly closed as his consciousness faded away.
Yusheng, I'm entrusting my little sister to you. You must teach her well. Please.
Wraithshade strode past Joseph Qiao, shot him a cold sneer, and walked on. Suddenly—swish—Wraithshade jumped aside, startled to see Joseph panting, half-kneeling with his sword, still dazed.
"How is that possible?"
Wraithshade muttered, turning to look at the ghost clinging to Joseph Qiao's back.
"Is it you!"
Joseph Qiao roared, teeth grinding, forcing himself up. The ghost on his back whimpered. With a sudden roar, Joseph stabbed at Wraithshade with his sword.
Wraithshade's eyes were full of shock. The ghost pressing down on Joseph Qiao dissolved into wisps of black smoke and returned to his own body. In the moonlight, a flash of white—Wraithshade deftly dodged aside, but the bone sword grazed his chest with a tearing sound.
"There's an enemy!"
Joseph Qiao shouted. Wraithshade grew even more curious, but the surprise in his eyes faded, replaced by a cold smile as he spoke in a chilling voice.
"No need to shout. All those soldiers are already asleep."
Gradually, Joseph Qiao's breathing slowed. He straightened and charged at Wraithshade.
"It seems ghostly hypnosis doesn't work on you. It's been a long time since I used a sword."
Wraithshade dodged Joseph Qiao's sword again and again as he spoke. Joseph stopped, not rushing in—he wasn't this man's match, and he knew it.
"Is it sorcery?"
Joseph Qiao asked coldly. Wraithshade leisurely picked up a wooden stick from the courtyard table and weighed it in his hand.
"I have no personal grudge against Simon Grant. I'm just here on someone else's behalf. As for tonight, I have only one goal."
Wraithshade pointed toward the house.
"Yuna Ji."
Joseph Qiao charged again, faster this time, slashing at Wraithshade's neck over and over with the bone sword. Clang, clang—Wraithshade blocked every blow, his eyes lit with excitement.
"If you die, you could make a decent ghost. I've decided."
As soon as Wraithshade finished speaking, he raised the wooden stick with his right hand and blocked Joseph Qiao's sword, then swept it across. For a moment, Joseph Qiao saw three Wraithshades before him. Without hesitation, he leapt backward.
[Irrelevant system message skipped]
Bang—Joseph Qiao flew backward. In a flash, the three Wraithshades merged, and the wooden stick stabbed his throat. He hit the ground, coughing hard.
"If that had been a sword, you'd already be dead. Don't get up again—otherwise, I can't promise I won't kill you right now."
Before Wraithshade could finish, Joseph Qiao was already on his feet, charging at him. He leapt high, gripping the bone blade with both hands and slashed down.
Wraithshade crouched, holding the wooden stick in both hands, a smile in his eyes.
Bang—the bone blade snapped in two. Wraithshade's stick slammed into Joseph Qiao's neck.
"A blade made of bone is fragile. If you really want to die, then I..."
Suddenly, Wraithshade's eyes went wide. Joseph Qiao was nearly unconscious, but the broken bone blade stabbed into Wraithshade's shoulder. Blood sprayed as Wraithshade grinned.
Joseph Qiao, roaring, slashed at Wraithshade's body with the remaining half of the bone blade. With a bang, Wraithshade slammed his head into him.
Joseph Qiao fell backward, hurling the bone blade at Wraithshade. With a bang, he hit the ground, and in that instant, Wraithshade was already crouched, raising his wooden stick and stabbing at Joseph Qiao's head.
A gust of wind swept by. Wraithshade stopped and quickly retreated, his hand numb from the shock. Before him stood a furious man, a head taller than him, swinging a stone hammer—Leonard Lei.
At his side, a short figure suddenly charged in. Wraithshade's eyes gleamed with delight—Sebastian Zhao had joined the fray.
The air was thick with tension. Leonard Lei and Sebastian Zhao, poised to strike, found themselves unable to move. Leonard's stone hammer stopped just centimeters from Wraithshade's forehead, and Sebastian's bone blade halted at his ribs, unable to advance.
"So it really is sorcery?"
Yu Huang lifted the battered Joseph Qiao, blood trickling from his lips. In an instant, both attackers were subdued, and he had no idea what had happened.
Ghosts clung to Leonard Lei and Sebastian Zhao, gripping their arms and winding around their bodies.
"So heavy."
Leonard Lei forced out the words through clenched teeth, while Sebastian Zhao remained calm, staring coldly at Wraithshade.
"I have to deal with you before things get complicated."
As Wraithshade spoke, the two ghosts began to grip the throats of the men before him. Instantly, their weapons fell to the ground and both clutched at their necks.
"Don't give up. Rely on your willpower. Think about it—you've crossed countless hardships to get here. That man killed Simon Grant, and now he wants to kill Yuna. We have to protect her."
Joseph Qiao roared. Suddenly, Sebastian Zhao broke free from his restraints. The ghost pressing him turned into black smoke. In an instant, Sebastian drew another dagger from his waist and stabbed at Wraithshade.
Just as Wraithshade was about to block, Sebastian Zhao deftly slipped past his stick, slashing the bone dagger toward his neck.
With a crack, Wraithshade's left hand caught Sebastian Zhao's hand. Instantly, Sebastian's eyes widened. As Wraithshade gripped his left hand, Sebastian Zhao leapt into the air, twisting, and drove his knee into Wraithshade's mouth.
Wraithshade never expected this little guy to be so agile and fast. As he regained his footing, there was a bang to his chest—he let go of Sebastian and staggered back several steps.
After Leonard Lei landed a blow with his hammer, he charged in, but Sebastian Zhao was even faster. Suddenly, Wraithshade's body split into three.
"Don't go!"
Joseph Qiao shouted. As Leonard Lei hesitated for a moment, Wraithshade's stick struck his cheek.