There is no night here, only the radiant colors like a fairyland, drifting clouds, flocks of white cranes soaring by, and rainbow halos everywhere. The white and golden clouds intertwine, forming vast seas of cloud.
"It must be nighttime outside by now, right?"
Rachel Lan sat beside me, her eyes shining with excitement, as if the sight of this fairyland had brought all her inner joy to her face. No matter how many times you see such a scene, it never fails to intoxicate.
"Yes, it should be night already. Aren't you tired, Rachel?"
Rachel Lan shook her head and quietly leaned over. I wrapped my arm around her waist. We had been apart for too long. Everything these past few days felt like a dream, yet it was vividly real. From the very beginning, Rachel and I have walked this path together in perfect harmony—never a quarrel, not even the slightest friction.
Not even a hint of discord between us; it all seemed destined. Especially when I first rescued Rachel Lan, competing with Fang Datong and Yu Mingxuan for the right to marry her in a ghost wedding. In the end, I was the most suitable. Rachel never said anything about it afterward, but I knew in my heart that this quiet, unspoken affection had grown until, before I knew it, she was gone.
"What's wrong, Ethan? Did something come to mind?"
Feeling the pressure of my hand, Rachel Lan turned her head to me. I nodded.
"I wonder how everyone in the Ghost Burial Squad is doing."
This was another worry weighing on my heart. Where had the Immortality Society and the Ghost Syndicate taken them? Rachel Lan lowered her head in silence, looking helpless.
"Where's little Vivian?"
Rachel Lan asked softly, and immediately I thought of Vivian Ouyang. Turning my head, I spoke.
"Do you want to hear about her?"
Rachel Lan nodded gently, so I began to recount the story—what happened to Vivian Ouyang, and how the Ouyang family had been connected to the Immortality Society long ago.
After a long time, I finished speaking. Rachel Lan lowered her head in silence. That was her first friend, but everything about Vivian Ouyang was cruel. Even though I had erased her memories, one day those things would resurface, no matter which side, it would always be Vivian Ouyang.
From a young age, she received two kinds of education. After one ended, she would use the power of the Heavenly Hound to swallow it up, then proceed to the other. This way, she balanced both surface and depth, making her the most suited for infiltration work.
"Did I mess up, Rachel?"
I asked, and Rachel Lan gently shook her head, her eyes moist, sobbing softly.
"Why can those families in Qingyuan do such cruel and inhuman things without a shred of guilt?"
I raised my head and lightly patted Rachel Lan's spine.
"I don't know either. Last night, the Wraithlord told me: when you lower your head, you can see the ground; when you lift it, you can't see the sky."
"I want to go back soon."
Rachel Lan leaned into my arms. She was already crying, silently. After hearing all this, I had originally planned to tell her after we returned, but sooner or later, she had to know.
"It's fine. When we get back, there will be many things waiting for us. Little Vivian will be very happy to see you."
I held Rachel Lan as she quietly lay on the drifting golden cloud beside me. She had already fallen asleep, but I couldn't sleep at all.
At this moment, I sniffed the faint breeze and caught a trace of familiar fragrance. I looked over—it was Sylvia Blue. That familiar scent, her expression was solemn as she waved to me.
I gently got up, and under Sylvia Blue's guidance, my body slowly floated to the cloud where she was. Then Sylvia led me away.
"What's wrong, Sylvia? You look so serious."
I asked, and Sylvia Blue sat down.
"What are you planning to do?"
Clearing my mind, I returned to where Rachel Lan was, gently lay down, and watched her sleeping profile. She looked so peaceful.
"Good night, Rachel."
In my sleep, I once again woke up in my dreamscape. The Wraithlord had been waiting for me for a while.
"Is there something urgent?"
I asked, and the Wraithlord quietly gazed at me, then smiled.
"How far have things progressed, brother? Tell me clearly. I have something urgent I need you to return to the living world and help me with."
I nodded and told the Wraithlord about the curse power chasing us. He sat in front of me, holding his chin as he thought.
"Then there's only one place left to stand—the Forest of Devouring."
"Sylvia just left and said the same thing."
The Wraithlord's thoughts coincided with Sylvia's, and he continued speaking.
"Since that's the center of this world, only by reaching it can you think about finding a way out. Maybe something is hidden in that forest. Tomorrow you should go—arrive early, brother."
I nodded and looked around. Tonight, the Ghost Ancestor didn't appear, still dormant inside me, without the slightest movement.
"Also, brother, don't rely too much on the power of Vermilion Bird. With your abilities now, you should be able to use the power of the other Three Saints. Although their power isn't as strong as Vermilion Bird's, it's less of a burden on your body. In fact, they're willing to lend you their strength."
I nodded, blinking as I looked at the Wraithlord.
"How do I do that?"
"Ask Rachel Lan for specifics."
I nodded again. The Wraithlord looked a little anxious today.
"Is something wrong with the Dark Banquet?"
I immediately asked. The Wraithlord nodded.
"Sort of, but it's nothing serious."
Suddenly, the Wraithlord froze. He quickly turned and, with a smile, bowed low.
"Ah, isn't this Lord Chimei Wangliang? What brings you here?"
My heart skipped a beat. I could tell the Wraithlord was tense, all his usual ease gone.
"Who were you just talking to?"
That familiar voice came through—it was indeed Chimei Wangliang. I swallowed, worried for the Wraithlord.
"No one, I was just talking to myself, haha."
"That's for the best."
The sound of footsteps echoed clearly. I listened as they faded away, but the Wraithlord still didn't relax.
"By the way, I'm here tonight to put something away. You guard this place every night—it's hard work."
The Wraithlord started walking, and I grew more anxious. It looked like he was heading downstairs. After a while, I heard a creak—it sounded like a wooden door opening.
"Whose eyes are these?"
The Wraithlord asked, and a laugh from Chimei Wangliang echoed.
"They're the eyes of a girl named Yixue Han. You must guard them well—no one is allowed to take them without my command."
The Wraithlord nodded immediately. Then there was a bang, as if the door had closed. He watched Chimei Wangliang leave, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
In the world of shadows, Chimei Wangliang had indeed taken Yixue Han's eyes, leaving her completely blind and unable to see anything.
"Heh, that meticulous guy probably already sensed I'm not dead and is planning to set me up."
The Wraithlord muttered with a smile, then looked at me.
"Remember, brother, when you get back, tell Bo Ziran that his daughter, Jing Le, is also on the list. He'd better be prepared."
I swallowed hard.
"Jing Le?"
This news shocked me to the core. The superstar Jing Le, who has nothing to do with the ghostly arts—though she was Bo Ziran's daughter in her past life, in this life she no longer is. Even so, Bo Ziran still protects her, but this is a big deal, and it could be disastrous.
"Is there anything else you need me to pass on?"
The Wraithlord pondered for a while, then smiled.
"That's all for now. The others should already be preparing for the Dark Banquet. As for you and Rachel Lan, brother, you have at most three months left. Get ready. This banquet will be the grandest in thousands of years—even those who were invited but didn't attend before will come. That's all I have to say. Find the exit and return to the living world as soon as you can. I won't be able to enter your dreamscape for a while."
I nodded. The Wraithlord vanished before me, turning into a spray of blood-red particles.
"Sylvia, where are you?"
A breeze woke me. Rachel Lan stood on a nearby cloud, calling out. I told her Sylvia had left last night, and that we had to set out soon. Rachel looked better and better—her soul and body were almost perfectly in sync.
After 004 pointed us the way, we returned to the foot of the snowy mountain, heading toward the Forest of Devouring. According to 004, we would arrive at dusk. I glanced at the approaching black clouds and hurried through the snow.