The night was deep. I was holding a glass of wine, sitting in a small courtyard. Agent Seven sat across from me, and we drank together. That lively little girl, Isabelle Jiang, had already gone to sleep—she’d been especially excited and happy tonight.
It’s been a day since everything ended. When I found Isabelle Jiang, she threw her arms around me, almost bursting with excitement. I could feel how much she’d missed me. I used to find her clinginess annoying, but now, looking back, maybe it’s not so bad.
Isabelle Jiang’s real name is Jiang Xiaowan, and Agent Seven is David Du. I only learned their real names for the first time today—I’d never asked before. After realizing their powers couldn’t grow any further, I once considered abandoning my plan to make the Forsaken my soldiers. But now, I’ve come to understand things differently.
“That was a truly nerve-wracking fight. Zhang Qingyuan is really gone, isn’t he?”
David Du asked. I murmured an acknowledgment. He smiled faintly and raised his glass to clink with mine. I nodded. After learning all that Zhang Qingyuan had done, David Du was genuinely surprised.
“There are very few people like him in this world.”
David Du said. I nodded and stood up. I planned to leave tomorrow, bringing them both with me to the Underground Palace. Before I left the Nether Syndicate, John Chou had told me some things.
Isabelle Jiang’s powers might be able to influence the mysteries within the Underground Palace. John Chou said those changes would be fascinating. I trust his word, so I want to bring them to investigate—and to check on Vincent Swallow and the others. They might still be tracking Tammy Blade and may not know what happened here.
The affected cities were the twenty-some around Haven City, but now everything has fully recovered. No one remembers what happened; life goes on as usual. Those who had died have been given another chance to live thanks to the power of the Juchen Realm, but all the consequences have been carried away from this world by Zhang Qingyuan alone.
Before the world changed, David Du followed the Heavenly Soul’s advice to stay far from Haven City. So the two of them traveled south—three thousand kilometers away, to a small mountain town. There, they bought a three-story house with a courtyard and lived for a while. Isabelle Jiang loved it here. Those days were especially happy for her.
“I really thought you weren’t coming back.”
David Du muttered. I shook my head.
“Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t come back either. I wanted to go somewhere else, alone, to seek out greater power for myself, but...”
I don’t really want to admit it, but maybe I was influenced by Zhang Qingyuan. I lowered my head, then floated up into the air. David Du was already getting sleepy.
“We need to get up early tomorrow. Go get some sleep!”
Alone, holding a bottle of wine, I sat on the rooftop and looked out at the black mountains in the distance. My mood was light; the heaviness that had weighed on my heart before had completely faded away.
The only thing I worry about now is Rachel Lan. She’ll probably be hurting for a long time. I smiled and looked toward the courtyard. Everything is peaceful now, and maybe this peace will last a long time. But I’m not sure—who knows where the Immortality Society has gone. That’s something I need to investigate after the Underground Palace.
On the way here, I’d already mentioned it to the Arcane Society. In a few days, they’ll start investigating the Immortality Society’s whereabouts. On the battlefield in Netherhell, the Immortality Society left through a space like a Void Corpse Barrier—none of them left a body behind.
That’s the strangest part. And then, that sudden appearance—the boy in the patterned mask, Zhang Qingyuan and Rachel Lan’s future son, Zach Qiyuan. Why is he with the Immortality Society?
After a while, I left the courtyard and floated quietly in the air, raising a hand. The Instinct Endbringer’s Power inside me never responded, just as before. This instinct never truly belonged to me—it’s only residing in my body for now. Someday, it will leave again. I smiled bitterly.
I just hope nothing else goes wrong for now.
Rebuilding Hell is necessary too. Now, Isabelle Frost has become its ruler—she possesses the power of reincarnation. Long ago, Lady Meng chose her as the guide for souls. This incident has been a deep lesson for the Arcane Society; they’ll probably strengthen their cooperation from now on.
The night was deep, and I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was wait for morning.
All night, I hovered quietly above the courtyard, gazing at the distant, dark peaks. When the first ray of sunlight cut across the mountains, David Du was already up. I returned to the courtyard; he was making breakfast. Isabelle Jiang was still asleep—she always slept until ten in the morning.
I didn’t intend to wake him. Standing in the kitchen, I watched David Du cook. Just then, I heard footsteps.
“Earthly Soul, I’m awake. We’re leaving today, right? I want to see everything on the West Plateau.”
“It’s not a vacation.”
Isabelle Jiang pouted at me, dissatisfied, and I smiled.
“Let’s leave after breakfast. I’ll take you both directly.”
“No way, there’s nothing urgent right now. Let’s take the car and go slowly—we can see so many things and eat lots of delicious food along the way.”
Unable to resist Isabelle Jiang, I could only nod in agreement. After breakfast, David Du drove a jeep and we hit the road, heading west toward the plateau.
The car moved slowly along the winding road. Isabelle Jiang sat in the passenger seat, smiling happily. I sat in the back. Honestly, it would be faster to just go directly—I could get us there in just over ten minutes with my powers, which have grown noticeably stronger.
Unfortunately, no matter what we do, the powers of the two beside me can’t be enhanced. Still, Heavenly Soul will probably find a way.
“Is that sister really alright, Earthly Soul?”
Isabelle Jiang asked, and I shook my head.
“She’ll be fine.”
“Tell us about the Underground Palace?”
I nodded. Although I’d never been there, John Chou had told me the basics. Once a ghost enters, it’s hard to get out. Back then, Isabelle Frost and John Chou, as siblings, only managed to escape thanks to Isabelle’s extraordinary powers. But if we go in again, it’ll be hard to leave. To open the Underground Palace, I’ll need to visit Jinla Temple first. If they won’t tell me the method, I’ll have to go straight to Vincent Swallow.
As for why John Chou said Isabelle Jiang’s powers could change something in the Underground Palace, I’m not sure—the timing was rushed.
“How many Forsaken have you found so far?”
I asked, and David Du smiled, spreading his fingers.
Including the two of us, there are three others.
I smiled and closed my eyes. Cars coming from the opposite direction occasionally brushed past my ears. My senses were fully released, and I could clearly see everything on the road. This is the power of realm. I still don’t understand it, nor do I know its true strength.
That feeling has been gone for a long time. Ever since Endbringer left my body, I haven’t used this power again.
Maybe it’s related to my mood.
I muttered, and Isabelle Jiang turned to look at me.
“Earthly Soul, what are you talking about?”
I didn’t answer. After opening my eyes, I passed straight through the car roof and sat on top, feeling the mountain wind blowing against me. Isabelle Jiang wanted to come up too, but I stopped her.
There are no ghosts left in the Living World now, but as long as people die, ghosts will appear. What I care about now is the Guizuka Sect—they haven’t shown any signs at all, as if completely wiped out. Except for Ghost Star, I haven’t seen any Guizuka members. There used to be so many, and after such a big event, none have shown themselves. They must be up to something.
Maybe they’re afraid I’ll seek revenge. Actually, that’s true—if I run into them again, I won’t hesitate to kill them. I feel like the resurrection of Ghost Ancestor is definitely connected to them.
Leaning back, hands resting comfortably on the hood, I wondered what was happening now in that darkness. Unfortunately, we can’t go there right now.
By noon, we reached a city with an airport. It took some effort to convince Isabelle Jiang, but we decided to fly instead, since I still have a lot to deal with.
As soon as I entered the city, I sensed many Huangquan people at work. Their numbers will only grow, since the Underworld is destroyed and there’s a shortage of workers in the Netherworld. Every day, people die, and Huangquan folks can only hold the souls for now, waiting for the Netherworld to be rebuilt before sending them over.
After lunch, we bought plane tickets for a 4 PM flight. While waiting, we wandered around the streets.
I could still sense many Huangquan people around. They noticed us but only watched from a distance, never approaching. After a while, they dispersed.
“Earthly Soul, I have a feeling things will be exhausting from now on.”
David Du said. I didn’t quite understand. He pointed at Isabelle Jiang, who happily darted into shops whenever she saw something she liked, buying whatever caught her eye.
I smiled and shook my head, glancing once more in the direction of Haven City.
I probably won’t be going back anytime soon.
David Du followed behind Isabelle Jiang helplessly, carrying her bags, while I lowered my head and hurried ahead.