"You have a husband?"
I looked at Rachel in surprise. She smiled gently, nodded, and then looked at me.
"Disappointed? Heh, if you were with me, you'd be an instant father. My son is already five years old."
I looked at Rachel awkwardly and forced a smile, but my expression soon darkened. I suddenly remembered that someone had once said, regarding the cannibalistic Lost Village Incident, that a person from the Nether Syndicate had returned and claimed those people weren't actually dead.
"It was Old Eccentric who completely changed the Ghost Burial Squad. He could accept everyone, no matter their past, whether it was sorrow or anger. After joining, as time went on, everyone came to see the Ghost Burial Squad as their own family. That's what Old Eccentric always did."
I nodded. Indeed, everyone in the Ghost Burial Squad, though they joked around and seemed carefree most of the time, worked together seamlessly when it mattered. Each person was also quite unique in their own way.
In the squad, aside from Old Eccentric, everyone basically only listened to Hugh Thompson. It was the two of them who, over the years, gradually built everything the Ghost Burial Squad has become.
They connected one person after another, all of whom had ties to ghosts, forming bonds and relationships.
I looked outside. There was nothing left on this vast land. A wave of bitterness welled up inside me. What surprised me most was that the Ghost Burial Squad was actually founded by people from the Immortality Society.
"So what was the Immortality Society's purpose in creating the Ghost Burial Squad?" Ethan Zhang asked.
I asked, and Rachel shook her head.
"Tianshuo didn't mention that, but I think he probably has some ideas. Qingyuan, you just said the Ghost Burial Squad hasn't disappeared—what's going on? If there's a way, please find them quickly. I'm really worried about everyone."
I nodded, then got out of the car. The three of us started walking around. It was already midday, and none of us had eaten yet. Rachel said she'd go buy some food for us, while William Wu and I continued investigating.
Both of us were getting hungry. Many of the people still here began to leave, and some who stayed brought food and started eating on the spot.
All sorts of rumors about this area were spreading. I checked my phone—every news outlet had its own version of the story. The most convincing explanation was that, due to the area's unique geography, it's a large basin and might have been swept up by some unknown magnetic airflow.
I had no idea what Lao Chongyuan was talking about and just watched him warily. William Wu seemed to realize something and quietly walked away. Lao Chongyuan made a gesture inviting me over, but I didn't understand his intent.
Suddenly, I stopped. I felt like someone was watching me. I looked around, and all at once, I saw a very tall man in the crowd—about 1.9 meters, with a gentle smile and a mustache at the corner of his mouth. He looked kind and approachable.
The middle-aged man appeared elegant and exuded an air of nobility. I looked at him, puzzled, as he walked toward me. He wore a black suit, shiny leather boots, his left hand tucked into his belt, and his right hand swinging casually as he strode straight toward me.
His hair on the right side was a bit long, almost covering his eyes, and the way he stared at me was as if he was looking at something interesting.
"Hello, Zhang Qingyuan. Nice to meet you. My name is Lao Chongyuan."
Looking at this tall man in front of me, who reached out his hand kindly, I had no choice but to shake it. I wondered how he knew my name.
"You are..."
"I've been watching you for a long time, Zhang Qingyuan. You're quite interesting—like a collection of eternal contradictions, yet you manage to coexist in every aspect. Your instinct is called coexistence."
In that instant, I clenched my fists, and flames slowly began to ignite.
"Let me tell you a bit, Ethan Zhang. Back then, there were thirteen of us, plus two thousand three hundred and forty-two soldiers, and three thousand boys and girls, all sent to seek the elixir of life for Qin Shi Huang. In the end, only the thirteen of us survived."
I had no idea what Lao Chongyuan was talking about and just watched him warily. Wu Hang seemed to realize something and quietly walked away. Lao Chongyuan made a gesture inviting me over, but I didn't understand his intent.
"Let's have a meal together, Zhang Qingyuan. Let's talk for a bit."
"Heh, Ethan Zhang, it's strange. The thirteen of us could be called sacrifices—addicted to this dream called immortality, we are its victims."
An elderly man dressed as a waiter had a towel draped over his arm. All around, sixteen men in matching black suits and sunglasses stood guard. When they saw Lao Chongyuan, they all moved far away.
A large sunshade stood in front of the luxury car, with a small table and two stools underneath. There were some sandwiches on the table. Lao Chongyuan gestured for me to sit, so I did. He clearly wasn't an ordinary person, and I felt a vague sense of unease.
This guy was most likely from the Immortality Society—and not just any member. After I sat down, my stomach growling, I didn't hesitate to start eating.
"Just now you said you came to see what you created with your own hands. What do you mean by that?"
Lao Chongyuan sat down, smiled, and nodded.
"The Ghost Burial Squad was founded by me over 300 years ago. You could say I was its very first director. My feelings now are a bit complicated, since the squad has completely changed. The fledgling has grown its wings."
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For a moment, I stared at Lao Chongyuan in shock, my fists clenched, glaring at him in anger.
"You're from the Immortality Society?"
Lao Chongyuan nodded and smiled. I was extremely tense inside—he was definitely not an ordinary figure, far above the Blue-faced Man.
"As I said, there's no need to be so tense, Zhang Qingyuan. It's just that this time, those guys below have gone too far. After discussion among the thirteen of us, I, as the first director, had to step in. If things keep escalating, it won't end well. It's not like ancient times anymore—back then, with information so isolated, even if you caused a huge stir, as long as witnesses kept quiet, you could cover everything up."
"Isn't it still like that now?"
My voice was tinged with anger as I glared at Lao Chongyuan.
"Things will be contained quickly. This incident happened without any knowledge from our upper ranks. These little ghosts really know how to stir up trouble. Us old bones have had a hard time."
I continued to watch Lao Chongyuan cautiously. He kept smiling, looking extremely kind, but I was sure now—he was an enemy. The moment I met him, I felt hostility rise within me.
"I'm your enemy, so you don't need to be overly cautious. After all, if you want to fight me, it's still a bit too early."
Lao Chongyuan smiled again. My nerves eased a little, and I asked once more.
"Did you create the Ghost Burial Squad for some kind of experiment?"
Lao Chongyuan rested his chin on one hand and laughed.
"Not at all. Back then, things were fairly peaceful, and I was bored, so I founded the Ghost Burial Squad. It wasn't even called that at the time—it was outside the Three Departments, called the Sacrifice Division, which basically handled ghost-related affairs. But it was much smaller, just twenty or thirty people, more like a royal special guard."
My heart skipped a beat as I looked at Lao Chongyuan.
"What is it that you really want?"
Money and power mean nothing to us now. Only immortality matters. For over two thousand years, we've been chasing it, but so far, we've only achieved a kind of half-immortality.
Hearing this, I stood up in shock and stared at Lao Chongyuan, completely unable to believe what he was saying. How could someone live for over two thousand years? That's impossible—he's not a ghost.
"Tell me, have you ever heard of Xu Fu?"
I let out a sound of surprise and stared blankly at Lao Chongyuan. I remembered learning in history class that Xu Fu was a court sorcerer under Qin Shi Huang, sent overseas to seek immortality, but never returned.
"Let me tell you a bit, Zhang Qingyuan. Back then, there were thirteen of us, plus two thousand three hundred and forty-two soldiers, and three thousand boys and girls, all sent to seek the elixir of life for Qin Shi Huang. In the end, only the thirteen of us survived."
Listening to all this, I couldn't believe a word of it. Everything coming out of Lao Chongyuan's mouth sounded utterly impossible to me.
Yet, it was true. The Immortality Society had long been deeply rooted in this country. Their presence only became known to the world of magic and ghosts after the great purge of the Ghost Path.
"Heh, Zhang Qingyuan, it's strange. The thirteen of us could be called sacrifices—addicted to this dream called immortality, we are its victims."
I said nothing and simply watched Lao Chongyuan. He raised his teacup, took a sip of black tea, and gestured for me to join him.
"This tea is really good."