The Desire Ghost was still flitting through the woods nearby, giggling and chattering, clearly in a good mood. I sat quietly on the ground, confused, still mulling over what the Desire Ghost had just said. Heavenly Soul had spoken similar words before—The Wraithlord wants to use me.
But soon I found myself laughing. Used or not, it doesn’t matter anymore. All I crave now is power. Even if I’m just a pawn for the Wraithlord, it’s my choice. There’s no other way left for me—I must become stronger.
Even if the Wraithlord is trying to use me, deliberately tempting me with that blank Desire Tome, I’ve decided—I will understand every word written in that book.
With a sudden whoosh, the Desire Ghost appeared before me.
“That’s a dangerous way of thinking. Following the Wraithlord will never end well. He’s hiding much more than you think. Earthly Soul, I advise you to return to the mortal realm and focus on honing your own strength.”
I snorted coldly.
“I told you, mind your own business. I’ll handle my own affairs.”
I snapped, anger flaring. The Desire Ghost made a face at me but didn’t leave. Instead, she sat right in front of me, waved her hand, and a deck of cards appeared.
“Play with me.”
“Get lost.”
I had neither the time nor the patience to bother with the Desire Ghost. My mind was set on finding a way to break the seal that Heavenly Soul had placed on me. Since the Desire Ghost said there was a way, I was determined to find it.
“You’ll never find a way. But if you play with me—if you make me happy—I might just tell you.”
I stared quietly at the Desire Ghost. She looked delighted, probably because it was no longer as lively here as before. Now, she was alone. Back when she inhabited Zhang Qingyuan or my body, she could play endlessly with the other ghost souls.
“You said it yourself.”
The Desire Ghost nodded happily, grinning as she removed the Joker cards from the deck. Then she asked me which two suits I wanted.
I chose clubs and diamonds. The Desire Ghost picked hearts and spades. We played a simple game called 'High Card.' We’d keep playing, tallying the wins, and whoever won more rounds would be the victor.
This time, the Desire Ghost picked up the Joker cards. The two Jokers spun rapidly in the air before coming to a stop.
“Which one do you want?”
I glanced left and right, then chose the one on the right—it was the Big Joker. I grinned. The Desire Ghost, annoyed, looked at her Little Joker. We laid our cards out and started deciding the order of play.
This was a game that really tested memory. There was always a chance of a tie. Whether you played your highest or lowest card first mattered. I’d seen them play many times, but neither the Desire Ghost nor the Grief Ghost had ever won.
The Spirit Snake won the most, followed by the Curse Ghost.
Watching the Desire Ghost shuffle her cards again and again, I started rearranging mine. Two was the lowest card. After thinking it over, I decided to play my two twos first. That way, three would be my lowest remaining card. Even if I lost the first two rounds, as long as the Desire Ghost played cards higher than two, she’d waste two of her good cards, and I might win up to four rounds.
I played my first two without hesitation, and the Desire Ghost played a two as well. I looked at her in surprise; she just giggled.
“You’re clever, but I’ve played this game a lot. Let’s keep going.”
As she spoke, the Desire Ghost drew the first stroke in the tally between us, marking a tie.
I started thinking hard. Should I play my second two? While I hesitated, the Desire Ghost had already played her card. I didn’t know what it was, but I played my two anyway.
When the cards were revealed, my eyes widened in shock—the Desire Ghost had played a three. I lost. She marked a stroke on her side of the tally. Now I was behind by one. If I couldn’t turn things around, I’d lose for sure.
I thought carefully. For now, I needed to win a round. To be safe, I played an Ace.
But as soon as the cards were revealed, my eyes widened again—the Desire Ghost played the Little Joker. She giggled.
“You really think you can beat me, Earthly Soul? I’ve lost this game tens of thousands of times.”
I glared at the Desire Ghost, frustrated. It was as if she could see right through me. I started seriously thinking about the cards in my hand and hers.
Next, I decided to play my low cards first. I had two threes left, so I played one decisively. The Desire Ghost grinned again, playing her last three. Another tie. Panic started to set in—it looked like I was doomed to lose.
“You’re not... cheating, are you?”
“Isn’t a game supposed to be fair? You think I’m reading your mind? I wouldn’t do something that low, Earthly Soul. Maybe you’re underestimating me.”
I started paying close attention. At this point, I had one three left, and Earthly Soul had a two and a three. I needed to wait for her to play her two and use my three to win a round. But if the Desire Ghost played a four, I’d lose again.
I hesitated, but the Desire Ghost looked completely confident. Suddenly, I remembered playing an Ace earlier—she’d probably play an Ace now to secure another win. I thought it over and smiled, pulling out the Big Joker.
But in an instant, I was furious—the Desire Ghost didn’t play an Ace, but her lowest two. She giggled, looking at me.
“Haven’t you ever heard the story of Tian Ji’s horse race?”
I stared at the Desire Ghost, grinding my teeth. The next round began. I closed my eyes, trying to guess what Earthly Soul would play. Unsure, I played a ten—I had to win this one.
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But the result made me furious—the Desire Ghost played a Jack, just barely beating my ten. Next, I played a King, but she played an Ace. In an instant, I had lost. No matter how I played my remaining cards, I couldn’t beat her. I let go of my hand.
“Again.”
The Desire Ghost burst out laughing.
“I’m a master at this game now. Earthly Soul, if you can win a single round against me, I’ll tell you the method.”
My eyes widened with excitement as I got my cards again. This time, I drew the Little Joker, and the Desire Ghost immediately flashed a smug grin.
This time, I didn’t hesitate—I played a ten. The Desire Ghost played a ten too. It was uncanny, almost as if she was testing me.
In the second round, I threw out another ten. The Desire Ghost did the same.
“You seem to know exactly what I’m going to play.”
I muttered coldly. The Desire Ghost giggled and said:
“You ever think about how long we’ve lived inside your body? I probably know you better than you know yourself. You’re way too competitive—always wanting to measure yourself against others. But inside, you’re actually pretty weak.”
I glared at the Desire Ghost again as she kept playing. This time I played a two, and she played a two as well. Second round, I played another two—she matched me. I sneered quietly. Third round, I played a Jack, and she played a Queen. I lost again.
I knew that in this game, losing once usually sealed your fate. Whoever held the Big Joker or Little Joker would decide the outcome in the end.
“You lost the second round, Earthly Soul. Do you know why?”
I sneered.
“I don’t need you to teach me.”
The Desire Ghost shook her head.
“I’m not teaching you, just telling you—if you keep being so impatient, you’ll get nothing. Your power is scattered, just like you are. You only care about winning, rushing through everything, but in the end, you’ll lose badly.”
I threw down my cards and sneered. The third game began. Without thinking, I played my Ace as soon as I got the Big Joker. But it was as if the Desire Ghost knew my moves—she kept matching my plays. In the final round, I had the Big Joker, she had the Little Joker. I won.
“You finally figured it out, Earthly Soul. Fine, as promised, I’ll tell you the method. Normally, you’re supposed to remove the Jokers from the deck—if you keep them in, whoever gets the Big Joker wins for sure. Just play your highest cards one by one. But without the Jokers, it’s different. Ties are boring, so you play for wins only, not ties. With 26 cards, you play 26 rounds to decide the winner. The same card can’t appear more than three times in a row. That’s the rule.”
I sneered and stood up. The Desire Ghost gathered her cards and slowly floated up. I followed her to a massive tree at the center. She crouched at its roots and pointed.
“It’s just like the game we played. Actually, I’ve already told you the method. Think it over—if you understand, you can break the seal. If not, you’ll have to go back. I’m going to rest.”
With that, the Desire Ghost vanished before my eyes. I stared, wide-eyed.
“Didn’t you promise to tell me the method if I won?”
I gazed quietly at the giant white tree before me, deep in thought. It seemed the Desire Ghost had tried to tell me something. I felt like I’d grasped something, but for the moment, I sat there, annoyed.