I nodded, my gaze lingering intensely on Zachary Justice before me. With solemn reverence, I bowed deeply, the silence thick with unspoken dread.
Thank you, Taoist Priest. And for everything before, including the matter with Zhang Qingyuan...
Zachary Justice smiled and nodded, then raised a single finger, pointing at the ruined house behind me. In that instant, shards of radiant light spiraled upward, weaving through the darkness as the entire rooftop was eerily restored to its original state.
I had heard much about Zachary Justice from Zhang Qingyuan, but even Qingyuan had never met him. Yet, this Taoist named Zachary Justice had deeply influenced him.
"Miss Roxie, I know you have many questions. Did you come here alone?"
Zachary Justice asked, and I shook my head, recounting how Black Moon had led me here. His eyes flickered with confusion and a shadow of unease, his face troubled. Only after a long, tense silence did he finally speak.
"This Taoist can sense only you here, Miss Roxie. Even when you entered, you were utterly alone. The Black Moon you speak of? Who—or what—exactly is that..."
"He used to belong to the Nether Syndicate, and he brought the Celestial Hound with him."
As I spoke, I told Taoist Priest Zachary Justice some things about Black Moon, but he simply smiled and shook his head.
"In my lifetime, I've encountered many of the Nether Syndicate, even their first grandmaster. Yet never have I heard of any arcane art from them that could breach the boundaries of this world."
I looked at Zachary Justice, confusion tightening my chest. He began to walk, and I followed, footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. He explained that entering this world demands impossibly harsh conditions. Here, time does not exist, yet it is entwined with all places. Escape or entry is nearly impossible—the Mirror World exists only to cast back the spectral shadows of other realms.
These so-called shadows are the intangible truths of the Yin-Yang Realm—real, yet without substance. What exists is called 'real,' yet reality needs the 'unreal' as its foil—its phantom form. The Mirror World reflects only what is real, but ghosts bear no shadow. In truth, it's not that ghosts lack shadows; rather, when a person dies, their shadow—an unreal thing—vanishes. Those lost shadows drift into this Mirror World, haunting its depths.
"Miss Roxie, when you look into the mirror now, do you see your own reflection staring back—or only the void?"
I shook my head, and Zachary Justice spoke.
"Your ability to enter the Mirror World is half due to your Coexistence Instinct, and half due to the sorcery unleashed by the one who brought you here. You are now neither human nor ghost. He has utterly transformed the very fabric of your being."
I looked at Zachary Justice in surprise, but he simply smiled.
"I should take you to see Zhang Qingyuan."
The moment Zachary Justice finished speaking, I exclaimed in surprise.
Taoist Priest, have you met Zhang Qingyuan?
Zachary Justice nodded.
Taoist Priest, where exactly is Zhang Qingyuan?
I asked anxiously. Zachary Justice smiled and replied.
"Miss Roxie, don't worry. The reason I appeared is to take you to Zhang Qingyuan. He's been waiting for you, but it's inconvenient for him to come here right now, so I must act as his proxy. Originally, he should have come to meet you himself."
I shook my head, feeling a mix of shock and joy. Just knowing Zhang Qingyuan is here is enough—nothing else about this world matters anymore.
"Miss Roxie, although you're happy after learning some things, this Taoist must remind you—your fate with him has ended."
I stopped, silently gazing at Zachary Justice, momentarily at a loss. Then I shook my head and smiled.
"Our fate has ended? Is that what you think, Taoist Priest?"
I retorted, and Zachary Justice smiled, then shook his head.
"It seems, Miss Roxie, that you are much smarter than me or Zhang Qingyuan."
I smiled with delight.
"Thank you, Taoist Priest. I've considered the worst outcome countless times, but no matter how much I think, I can't let go. Or maybe, deep down, I never truly gave up. No matter what happens between me and Zhang Qingyuan—even if we one day stand on opposite sides—I will do everything I can to save him."
Zachary Justice nodded and smiled.
"Perhaps it's your determination that kept Qingyuan from disappearing completely."
Just then, I felt a surge of intense Yin energy behind us, mixed with a chilling power. As I turned, Zachary Justice was already floating in the darkness ahead, smiling quietly.
Right before our eyes, Jade Zeng—who had previously been reduced to ashes—was resurrected in a grotesque spectacle. Her body reformed piece by piece, and the Hell Imprint on her flesh burned a sinister dark red. She let out a bone-chilling roar, the sound echoing with pure, unrestrained torment.
"I never imagined she could become this powerful. The Hell Imprint is truly extraordinary."
I drew Belle, the sentient blade thrumming with supernatural energy in my grasp. But Zachary Justice merely smiled and shook his head, undisturbed by its presence.
"Miss Roxie, just stand aside and watch."
A faint, unsettling smile remained on Zachary Justice's face as he slowly raised both hands. Twin streams of black and white energy spiraled around him, warping the air with a palpable sense of dread. I stared, awestruck; such power was beyond anything I had ever witnessed.
With a deafening crash, Jade Zeng lunged at Zachary Justice, wielding a sword woven from writhing vines. The supernatural force she unleashed was far more overwhelming than before, pressing down on me like a suffocating weight.
With a violent bang, I raised my hands, feeling the slicing force tear past me, instantly rending the building apart. Jade Zeng howled in wild fury, her voice trembling with rage, disbelief, and a sorrow so deep it chilled the air.
What stunned me was how Zachary Justice simply raised two fingers and blocked Jade Zeng's assault. Her body was now fully reformed, her red-black eyes burning with murderous intent. A cold shiver crept over my skin, but I felt no fear—no matter how powerful Jade Zeng became, she was no match for Zachary Justice.
I had sensed this from the moment I first encountered Zachary Justice. As expected, Jade Zeng's strength began to ebb away; she could not advance even a fraction. Zachary Justice raised his right hand, two fingers pressed together, effortlessly repelling her immense, despair-inducing force.
"Miss Roxie, perhaps you've already noticed—the essence of this power is the force of Hell."
As Zachary Justice spoke, he unleashed a sudden surge of power. Jade Zeng whimpered as her body burst apart in a spray of gore, yet the dark red Hell Imprint forcibly stitched her shattered form back together in a grotesque display.
With another thunderous crash, Jade Zeng launched a series of relentless attacks at Zachary Justice. He neutralized them all with two fingers. Her power couldn't harm him in the slightest. I realized she could persist only because of the Hell Imprint.
"Miss, I told you long ago—even if you resent and rage, nothing will change."
As Zachary Justice spoke, he parried Jade Zeng's sword again. She crashed into the invisible black wall behind her, and I saw the mirror surface revealed beyond it. Zachary Justice sighed and shook his head.
"Feeding on hatred always has an end, Jade Zeng. Think carefully—who are you, really?"
As Zachary Justice spoke, he suddenly retreated to the rooftop, crouching down and chanting. Suddenly, a massive Yin-Yang Mark appeared beneath his feet. Smiling, he pressed his palms together, forming a seal I'd never seen before.
"To suppress this force of Hell, only human strength can do it, Miss Roxie."
I stared wide-eyed as Jade Zeng once again lunged at Zachary Justice with her sword. He remained crouched and motionless, hands raised. I saw the slowly spinning black-and-white Yin-Yang Mark on the ground vanish, and Zachary Justice's eyes became Yin-Yang Marks themselves.
With a thunderous explosion, the ground beneath me vanished in an instant. As I instinctively prepared to unfurl my wings, the earth abruptly returned. Jade Zeng's howls echoed, raw and feral, but Zachary Justice continued to block her attacks with unwavering calm, two fingers raised like a seal against the darkness.
This time, Jade Zeng was reduced to ashes, her form obliterated. Not even the Hell Imprint could stem her annihilation. Gradually, the sky was left with only labyrinthine patterns of Hell Imprint, glowing dark red and shifting endlessly. Soon, we were encircled by these luminous, maze-like lines, their oppressive presence suffocating. Zachary Justice landed before me, his smile tinged with melancholy as he sighed.
"I made it clear long ago: if you truly intend to threaten the Yin-Yang Realm, no matter where I am or what I become, this Taoist will stop you. The Infernal Power..."
Zachary Justice crouched on the ground. Streams of red light shot toward us. I felt the nature of the force of Hell change again. Zachary Justice watched everything in silence, smiling helplessly.
"It seems you really do want to eradicate us. After all, we are your greatest threat."
The moment Zachary Justice finished speaking, red beams wrapped around both of us. He smiled calmly, but I sensed danger—the force binding us was slowly devouring my body. I began to resist with my power.
"It's useless, Miss Roxie. The force of Hell can't be dispelled by ordinary power."
"Then what should I do?"
I cried out in alarm, but Zachary Justice only shook his head.
"Just wait, Miss Roxie. Weren't you here to find someone?"
Skeptical, I nodded and stopped resisting. Just then, a brilliant white light pierced through the dark wall in the distance, and the force of Hell binding us began to loosen.