Yuna Ji wore her hair in a butterfly bun, her long locks trailing behind her. She looked petite and charming, barely seventeen or eighteen years old. With reserved, gentle steps, she walked behind Luna Quay, appearing dignified and graceful, like a jewel hidden in a small family, delicate and refined.
Dressed in a loose, spotless white gown, Yuna Ji made a striking pair with Luna Quay’s black attire. My eyes widened, completely drawn to Yuna Ji. Her transformation sent a chill down my spine—I couldn’t recognize her at all.
“What’s wrong, Yuna? This isn’t like you.” Luna Quay turned her head, her gaze gentle as she looked at Yuna Ji.
My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I shouldn’t meddle in this bond—they looked like a perfect match, made for each other. Those words echoed in my mind, unbidden.
Yuna Ji let out a giggle, clutching her stomach, then plopped down beside Luna Quay, curling her legs beneath her. She shot me a look of disdain, and I glared back at her.
“Alright, Yuna. This gentleman, Ethan Zhang, is your friend, isn’t he? How could you be so mischievous, teasing him like that?”
“Luna, could you go back for a bit? I need to talk to Ethan Zhang in private.”
Luna Quay smiled warmly and, with a sudden whoosh, rose into the air. Yuna Ji floated up after her. Surrounded by a cascade of silver leaves, the two exchanged a deeply affectionate gaze. The scene was hauntingly beautiful—I couldn’t help but marvel at it.
“No eavesdropping or peeking, Luna.”
“Alright, Yuna. Catch up with your friend. Soon, you… will become my wife.”
With gentle care, Luna Quay reached out, brushing a fallen leaf from Yuna Ji’s hair, then slowly drifted toward the round, three-story building across the courtyard.
Yuna Ji landed before me, took my wine cup, poured herself a glass of Morning Dew Wine, and drank, her expression clouded and sullen as she looked at me.
“Ethan, has John Chou ever told you anything?”
I let out a startled sound and shook my head. Suddenly, Yuna Ji placed her hand on my shoulder and leaned in close.
“What are you doing?” I tensed up immediately, pushing her away.
“Your husband…”
“Shut up, Ethan.” Yuna Ji, annoyed, grabbed the entire pot of Morning Dew Wine from the table and started drinking. I blinked and hurriedly shouted.
“Save some for me! I’ve only had one cup.”
But the Morning Dew Wine was already gone. Yuna Ji set the pot down, pouting as she looked at me.
“I don’t want to get married. Help me think of a way out—quick.”
"Why?" I stared at the spot where Luna Quay had disappeared. Thinking back on everything, he was striking and noble—even though he was a zombie, there was a righteous air about him. He didn't seem evil at all.
"He's a breathtaking man—sure, he's a zombie, but honestly, you two would make a great couple."
Suddenly, Yuna Ji reached out and pinched my lips.
"If you want to get married, you marry him! I’m not doing it, and I have zero interest in him."
I pried Yuna Ji’s hand away.
"What did you promise him, anyway? He wouldn’t want to marry you for no reason. Besides..."
"Enough, Ethan! Are you my mother or something? Stop nagging and help me think of a plan—cause a huge scene at the wedding tomorrow, or something!"
I swallowed hard. Causing a scene would take guts. Tomorrow, all three clan leaders will be there—if I stir up trouble, I’m basically asking to be killed.
"I don’t care, Ethan. Figure out a way to ruin the wedding tomorrow, or else..." Yuna Ji flashed a mysterious smile and leaned closer.
"What are you doing?" I reached out to block her, but with a sudden swoop, she slipped behind me, both hands gripping my shoulders as if giving me a massage.
"If you don’t wreck the wedding tomorrow, I’ll tell everyone I’ve already been yours."
I gasped, my mind spinning. Suddenly, I shot to my feet and shoved Yuna Ji away.
"Knock it off! Don’t dump that kind of crap on me. Besides..."
"I don’t care. Hurry up and think of something! Remember, you survived those zombies without getting corpse poison because of me. I hate you, Ethan!"
With a childish huff, Yuna Ji vanished in a blur, as if she were pouting and throwing a tantrum.
Thinking it through, I realized that every time I survived a zombie attack—even when I fought Zhu Zigui and endured his toxic mist—it had to be because of that strange potion Yuna Ji gave me. It must’ve changed my constitution.
I couldn’t be bothered to think anymore. The table was covered with food, and I hadn’t even touched my chopsticks. I started eating—devouring everything. It tasted surprisingly good.
After I finished eating, a long time passed. Not a single zombie appeared.
Just as I was starting to wonder, a faint, ghostly fragrance drifted by. I looked up and saw Luna Quay returning, descending slowly with another pot of Morning Dew Wine in hand. I couldn’t help but smile.
I drank with Luna Quay again. He didn’t ask about Yuna Ji—he asked about John Chou instead.
"Master Ethan, how is John Chou these days? Is the Sanzu Force still pressing down on him?"
I nodded. Luna Quay sighed and shook his head.
"After all these years, I never thought John Chou would stay the same."
"You and John Chou have known each other a long time, haven’t you?"
Luna Quay nodded, then lifted his head, his expression distant and full of emotion.
"I’ve known John Chou for over a thousand years."
I drained my cup of Morning Dew Wine, eager to know more about his relationship with John Chou. Luna Quay caught my curiosity and smiled.
"It was in a teahouse, I think. I remember—it was a gloomy day. Back then, John Chou was just a wandering ghost, a prankster at heart. He had an old servant with him, someone named Uncle Zhuang. You know him, right?"
I nodded, listening intently.
At that time, Luna Quay was already the leader of the Moonlight Clan. She wandered the living world out of boredom, and one rainy day, passed by a teahouse. There, she saw a ghost playing tricks on several officials.
Those officials were talking about some scandalous affair, and John Chou was nearby, causing trouble. Under his illusion, the two officials made fools of themselves—embracing and kissing in front of everyone.
At first, Luna Quay found it amusing. But soon, she realized John Chou had gone too far. The officials died, their souls forced from their bodies, and John Chou kept tormenting them. He had Uncle Zhuang prepare a ritual jar—a Taoist tool for catching ghosts—to further torture their spirits.
Unable to stand by any longer, Luna Quay intervened. Her power far surpassed John Chou’s—she easily broke the jar trapping the officials’ souls and defeated him.
I couldn’t help but smile. I never imagined John Chou could end up like that.
"To be honest, Master Ethan, back then I wanted to kill that wandering ghost—I had a murderous urge toward John Chou."
"Why?"
I was stunned and blurted out the question.
"I thought the only way to deal with that ghost was right then—otherwise, I’d never have another chance. But even though I knew he was no match for me, John Chou still faced me, as if we were equals. That kind of reckless courage… it moved me, so I let him go."
Luna Quay spoke, and sure enough, just as his unease had predicted, John Chou became a terrifying ghost. Not just humans, but ghosts and even members of the zombie clans fell at his hands.
"Within just a few decades of our first meeting, John Chou’s name was enough to strike fear into countless ghosts. I even heard that the Underworld itself took notice of him."
To confirm it, Luna Quay went searching for John Chou, but he was nowhere to be found.
"It wasn’t until the third time I saw him that John Chou was already seated high in the Hall of Bloodbane, commanding legions as the supreme Ghost Sovereign."
Even then, Luna Quay sensed John Chou hadn’t changed. She decided to challenge him again, but he refused.
"Why?" I asked again. Luna Quay just smiled.
"That time, I brought many of my clan to visit John Chou. I knew if I really fought him, I… would die."
I stared at Luna Quay in shock. As leader of the Moonlight Clan, I thought he’d be at least as strong as John Chou.
"Master Ethan, do you know what Bloodbane Power is?"
I shook my head. I’d heard about John Chou’s Bloodbane Power—everyone in the ghost world seemed to fear it. Luna Quay smiled, stood, and gazed up at the falling silver leaves.
"It’s just as well you don’t. Looks like John Chou isn’t ready to tell you, and it’s not my place to interfere. Back then, in the living world, the only ones who could survive John Chou’s hand were the seven Ghost Sovereigns and the Sunlight Clan’s leader. I was never his equal."
I stared at Luna Quay in disbelief. He spoke of all this with a broad, easy smile.
"Back then, there was even a joke going around—people said John Chou was afraid to fight me. My clan believed it too. But from that moment on, I admired him even more. A duel between us wouldn’t be a contest—it would be a slaughter, ending only when one of us was dead. There’s no stopping it."