A dozen eyes fixed on me. I forced a smile, feeling increasingly helpless inside. Lucas Lu was still talking beside me, and I had no idea what to do—especially with Jason Su staring at me, his gaze full of suspicion.
"This Miss Lan is a direct member of our Lanworths. I sent her here personally because of her exceptional talent."
At that moment, Lan Miu suddenly spoke up. My eyes widened in disbelief as I stared at him. He smiled, while Lucas Lu looked at him in confusion.
"Brother Lan, I've never heard of her before, and..."
"It's inconvenient to explain the extra details here. After all, this is a family matter for the Lanworths."
Lucas Lu seemed to understand and stopped pressing the issue, but Jason Su grew even more puzzled as he looked at Lan Miu.
After that, everything calmed down. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Jason Su didn't pursue the matter further, so I followed the people from the Hades Circle to an open area to rest. Many of them were curious about me, mostly confused, and even more so were the Lanworths—none of them had ever seen me before. But what puzzled me most was why Lan Miu would help me.
"Rachel Lan, come with me."
I jumped in surprise—Lan Miu was actually calling me. He beckoned with a smile, so I had no choice but to get up and follow, still puzzled. Suddenly, something clicked in my mind. What was really going on? It was darkness.
A moment later, I followed Lan Miu into the woods. He gave me a faint smile and looked at me.
"I already know everything."
"Did the Dark tell you?"
Lan Miu nodded, then sat down comfortably and continued speaking.
"A few days ago, on my way here, memories suddenly flooded into my mind. I understood everything. Don't worry—no one will see through you now. You can safely wait for whoever you're waiting for."
I murmured a thank you, but my confusion about Lan Miu's identity only deepened. I felt conflicted, unsure how to ask him.
"Are you..."
"I am indeed a Dark Seed."
I stared at him in shock. Lan Miu turned his head to look at me, smiling.
"The reason the Dark chose you is because you carry a trace of my bloodline. But this bloodline doesn't mean every member of the Lanworths inherits the Dark Power—only a few in each generation are born with it."
I made a sound of acknowledgment. Down the mountain, things were getting restless. I followed Lan Miu down, and when we reached the edge of the Ritual Array, sure enough, there were many people clamoring to get inside. Wraithshade kept talking, sending the best people in so as to avoid unnecessary casualties.
As everyone argued their own point, the members of the Hades Circle remained silent. Wraithshade stepped forward and continued speaking.
"The situation is unclear. If we rush in with too many people, we'll end up dragging each other down. If danger arises, those who aren't strong enough could become a burden."
The final selection was made. The Daoists sent Zane Wu in personally, able to protect himself if anything happened. The Ghost Syndicate chose Poison Dreadstar. Now it was up to the Hades Circle to decide.
"Mr. Wraithshade, our strength in the Hades Circle is limited. Even if we go in, we might end up holding everyone back, so..."
"Isn't that girl Rachel Lan pretty strong? If even the Ten Guides of the Hades Circle don't know her identity, that means she's a real exception in the Lanworths—her strength must be impressive."
I glared fiercely at Poison Dreadstar. She said it on purpose. I wanted to say something back, but thought better of it—if I kept arguing, others might start to suspect.
After a bit of preparation, the three of us set off. I quietly followed Zane Wu and Poison Dreadstar. Zane Wu looked down on Poison Dreadstar.
The moment we stepped into the Ritual Array, everything changed. Black mists drifted across the fields, which had lost all shape. I swallowed hard, staring at the crops—completely withered.
On the outskirts of the city, there were several small villages, their houses in various states of ruin. After walking for a while, we reached one of the villages. The miasma kept trying to invade our bodies. The other two used their powers to shield themselves—no problem. For me, the miasma wasn't a threat anymore. Poison Dreadstar kept grinning wickedly, glancing back at me from time to time.
"Miss, why let the Hades Circle people come in?"
We reached the center of a village. Zane Wu suddenly asked a question, looking very serious. I glanced at Poison Dreadstar in confusion. She giggled, her eyes wickedly fixed on me.
"You know perfectly well why."
"Hmph, as expected, you people from the Ghost Syndicate are nothing but heretics."
I watched the two of them about to argue, unsure what to say, so I just gave an awkward smile.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me."
But Zane Wu suddenly sneered.
"Ghosts hate people from the Hades Circle the most. I’m sure you know that, Miss Lan."
His words startled me, and I suddenly understood—Poison Dreadstar dragged me in here on purpose, and most of the Hades Circle didn't want to enter. It’s true: ghosts really do hate the Hades Circle, since most ghosts are sent to Hell by them. But this time, the ghosts here have escaped from the Underworld.
"It's alright, Daoist Wu."
I hurried to reassure him. For a while, the three of us investigated the village in peace. I looked at the distant city, now completely shrouded in black mist, with exposed areas ruined. After searching the village for a while, we found nothing but more miasma rising from underground.
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"Strange—we've already blocked the flow of the local earth veins, but the miasma keeps forming on its own."
Zane Wu crouched down to investigate. I found it odd too—miasma forms when earth energy flows into places heavy with Yin, merging and naturally generating the toxic mist. It's harmful to people and animals.
After searching carefully for a while, we reached the main road outside the village, where we saw many destroyed scarecrows—and my paper crane. As we moved forward, the Yin energy grew thicker. Sweat kept pouring from Zane Wu's forehead, while Poison Dreadstar seemed to enjoy breathing it in.
"Such pure Yin energy actually exists in this world. Looks like coming here was worth it."
"Hmph, you people are only here for..."
Before Zane Wu could finish, Poison Dreadstar interrupted him.
"We're all just taking what we need. Don't call us heretics. Are the Daoists really so pure? Some of you use ghosts for your own purposes, you just do it in secret. Plenty of Daoists steal Yin and Yang to extend their lives. You think everyone has your temperament, able to reach such cultivation and naturally draw energy from the world?"
I looked at Zane Wu in surprise, but he said nothing. We continued toward the city, wading through the vast sea of Yin energy.
We drew closer and closer, until we could see the city gates. The doors were completely destroyed. Zane Wu rushed ahead, and after a while, Poison Dreadstar and I reached the gate too. We found lots of torn clothing on the ground, but no people.
"All these dead are your Daoist people. Such a pity—if you're so weak, you shouldn't try to act tough."
Zane Wu snorted coldly and drew the sword with a Taiji symbol on his back. Its blade glowed faintly with white light.
Entering the city, we found a deserted, ruined street. Many buildings were damaged, and there was no sign of people or ghosts. I kept looking around, sensing with my powers—hoping the two Zhang Qingyuans would arrive soon.
A chill rose in my heart, filling me with fear. I'd never seen such overwhelming Yin energy—not even in Hell.
"We should go back, or maybe leave the city."
I said, seeing the two of them looking pale. I was struggling to hold on too.
The biting chill made all three of us start coughing. The Yin energy was so strong it was invading our bodies. Poison Dreadstar, who had just seemed relaxed, now turned pale.
"Let's go back. If we keep going, the Yin energy will poison us."
"You two go back. Since I'm here, I want to see this through."
Suddenly, I sensed a shadow moving toward us. Zane Wu and Poison Dreadstar reacted instantly. Zane Wu's sword flew out, and he quickly formed hand seals.
With a boom, a burst of fire appeared. I stared wide-eyed as Zane Wu's sword turned to ash. It really was the Earth Soul of the Wraithlord—a huge, pitch-black ghost flying toward us.
With a bang, a golden shield appeared before us, but it quickly cracked. Zane Wu's eyes widened.
I felt myself grabbed by someone, and when I came to, I heard the sound of sobbing. One ghost after another was dragged by the Wraithlord and stuffed into its mouth.
"Run! I bought us a little time."
Poison Dreadstar said, looking grim. Zane Wu didn't hesitate. I glanced around, and suddenly a pair of crimson wings spread open. I grabbed the two of them, and with a burst of flame, we flew to the village. Behind us, ghosts scattered in all directions, with the Wraithlord chasing after them.