Tomorrow is the important day of Victor Wu's handover. Soren and I were assigned to the same room, but we didn't need any rest at all. Yet, thinking about what Soren just said sent a chill down my spine. I looked at him in confusion—he had just said that John Chou wasn't his type.
"What's wrong? Ethan Zhang, come have a drink!"
Soren sat by the table and waved at me. Embarrassed, I muttered an "Oh" and walked over to sit across from him. He looked at me with a big smile.
"What's wrong? Why so uptight?"
I smiled awkwardly. This kind of thing was hard to bring up, let alone ask directly. Soren glanced at me and smiled, as if he knew what I was thinking, then spoke bluntly.
"I'm not like other men. I like men—it's nothing new, right? In modern society, that's pretty common, isn't it?"
My eyes widened. Then I let out a surprised "Ah," coughing a few times. I never expected Soren to say something like that. And suddenly, I thought of Mason Yu.
"Don't tell me... Mason Yu..."
Soren nodded.
"That kid just doesn't understand himself yet. I just helped him realize it—otherwise, do you think I'd go to so much trouble to save some ordinary person? Am I crazy?"
I let out an "Oh," cold sweat breaking out down my back. But then I remembered—didn't Mason Yu used to really like Rachel Lan?
"Alright, Ethan Zhang, this isn't anything strange. Now that you know, let's drop the topic. I just like someone like Mason Yu. As for your type—no offense, but I don't think any man would be interested."
I let out another "Oh," but immediately glared at Soren. Like I could even think about something like that!
"Alright, no more jokes, Ethan Zhang. Let me tell you more about John Chou. I bet you want to know, right?"
I nodded, looking at Soren as he continued.
"You don't really understand the Ghost Sovereigns, do you?"
I thought about it carefully. It was true—I knew very little about the Seven Ghost Sovereigns.
Soren explained that each of the Seven Ghost Sovereigns had their own retinue of a hundred ghosts, except for Yuna Ji. She was special—she didn't have her own hundred ghosts, only endless dry bones to command. She was also the only one among the Seven Ghost Sovereigns without a ghost domain.
"What about Netherhell? I heard before that it's a real place in this world."
Soren nodded and told me that Netherhell was at a fork where the River of Forgetfulness kept flowing. Many who couldn't reincarnate would go there and become its residents. All of this, he said, was caused by Yuna Ji.
Originally, the Netherworld Hell and the River of Forgetfulness had nothing to do with each other. But at some point, Yuna Ji used her connection to the zombies to carve out a river that linked to the River of Forgetfulness. All Yuna Ji wanted were the souls of those who died in battle—she didn't care about the others.
At first, the Underworld Court knew nothing about it. By the time they found out, Yuna Ji had already become a Ghost Sovereign. They sent their armies several times, but none succeeded. That place had become Yuna Ji's empire. She was the emperor, ruling over Netherworld Hell. All those bone monsters and residents were her subjects—undying, eternal, serving her forever.
My heart skipped a beat and I swallowed hard. I remembered that after we defeated the Ghost Rakshasa, one of the Yama Kings had come and said that Yuna Ji had the lives of hundreds of millions in her hands. I think I finally understood.
"Among the Seven Ghost Sovereigns, only a small fraction of Yuna Ji's power can manifest in the human world. After all, she doesn't have a ghost domain, and even if she did, she couldn't fit her army of billions of undead inside it. So she summons her army through special connections."
"Doesn't that make her even stronger than John Chou?"
Soren smiled.
"You can't measure pure combat power that way. Remember this, Ethan Zhang—John Chou is called the Bloodbane, the strongest blade among the Seven Ghost Sovereigns, for a reason. I can't say more, but you'll understand in time."
"Always 'in time.'" I couldn't help but mutter.
Still, I listened carefully. I really knew too little about the Seven Ghost Sovereigns.
"There are some things you need to know, Ethan Zhang. Yun Mei—you've met her. Her ability is truly unique in this world. As for her strength, I can't say. Only I and a few core Specter Greens like Uncle Zhuang know that secret."
Thinking about it, Yun Mei's ability must be healing. She could cure many illnesses. The first time I returned from the Forest of Desire, my leg had turned to stone, and it was Yun Mei who healed me.
"But as for Redhair's power, I can tell you a bit. I don't like that arrogant, self-important guy."
I couldn't help but snort with laughter.
"Ethan Zhang, people are complicated. And the reason they're complicated is because of the development of information. People receive all kinds of new things, so they become more complex."
I had no idea what Soren was trying to say. Then he smiled and told me a story. Tens of thousands of years ago, people were united. To survive in harsh environments, they helped and relied on each other. Only when it came to females did conflicts arise.
But in modern times, as eras changed, people gained access to information faster and more easily, and they became more complex. All kinds of thoughts emerged. In the past, people did everything they could to survive. But now, people don't worry about food or sleep, so they think about how to live better. For their own interests, they might harm or deceive others. That's how these evil thoughts are born.
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I still didn't understand what Soren meant.
"Let me put it this way. In ancient times, no matter what, most small places had simple, kind people. They didn't have fast ways to get information, so they were isolated, preserving a lot of genuine goodness and beauty. Their lives were mostly unchanged, and that stability made their hearts content, with little conflict."
Soren raised his glass and toasted with me.
"But now, things are different. People don't live fixed, stable lives anymore. Often, money makes them restless. No matter what, there's always a sense of emptiness, so all kinds of evil thoughts about getting rich quick and making money are born. In modern society, these things are massive and endless."
I seemed to gradually understand what Soren was trying to tell me.
"So Redhair's power is the embodiment of all the evil thoughts produced by modern society?"
Soren nodded happily.
"This power can easily manipulate anyone with evil thoughts—really suits that guy's image. Heh, as long as there's a thought, it can become Redhair's power. Those sinister, miserable, resentful, or sorrowful thoughts—they all count. In other words, Redhair's power is the most formidable type of curse-killing. He can kill his target without any ritual at all."
Earlier, during that incident with Bo Ziran, those guys from the Ghost Mound were just watching quietly at first, but then they suddenly started killing each other. That was probably Redhair's power at work.
"Wait, you just said no ritual was needed? Can ghosts use spellcraft too?"
Soren smiled and nodded.
"Ghosts come from humans, so of course, if humans can use spellcraft, why can't ghosts? Among a ghost's powers, ghost arrays and curse-killing both require a foundation in spellcraft. The former appears later, while the latter is innate and has to do with how one died."
I nodded. Now I basically understood Redhair's power.
"So in such a complicated society, these evil thoughts will keep gathering, helping Redhair grow stronger. That's why he's now the most formidable among the Seven Ghost Sovereigns."
"After the great battle of the Seven Ghost Sovereigns, Redhair was in a bad spot. Back then, his power was only above Yun Mei's among the Seven Ghost Sovereigns. But he had two very capable lieutenants—Purple Maple and Nameless. These two Specter Greens made up for a lot of trouble Redhair caused due to his impulsiveness. If they worked together, even Uncle Zhuang would have a hard time dealing with them."
Purple Maple and Nameless really did stick close to Redhair, almost never leaving his side.
"How do you know so much?"
I couldn't help but ask. Suddenly, I became interested in everything about Soren. When he met John Chou, he was already a high-level Specter Green, but why did he follow John Chou?
"After all, I was John Chou's first of the Hundred Ghosts. My power can't compare to Uncle Zhuang, Xiao Rong, or Miss Yi Xuehan. I might not even be as strong as the Ten Evil Ghosts under John Chou."
I let out an "Ah," staring at Soren in shock. Suddenly I remembered—someone once said that John Chou's Hundred Ghosts were all traitors to him.
"Back then, the Hall of Blood Fiend was the strongest fighting group, and there were lots of fanatics. Every so often, they'd kill people from the Underworld Court or other rebellious factions. That's why, in the end, the Underworld Court compromised. Countless ghost officers and spellcasters died at the hands of the Hall of Blood Fiend."