"After all that effort, hurry up, Taoist Elder. Pull that ghost out of Ethan Zhang's body."
The Ceremonial Whisk curled around my neck. I stared blankly as Michael Chen and Principal Roy Chen collapsed together, tears streaming down their faces.
The Taoist Elder walked toward me, step by step. I couldn't move at all; that last blow had drained all my strength. Now, my limbs were completely numb.
The Taoist Elder stood right before me. I glared at him fiercely, then suddenly opened my mouth wide and bit down hard on the Ceremonial Whisk's handle.
The Taoist Elder's face showed surprise. He stared at me, wide-eyed.
All I felt was a buzzing in my head, but gradually, my strength began to return.
"Second ghost soul, awaken..."
In my mind, Helen Chen's voice echoed. The sound of grinding filled my ears as my teeth bit down on the Ceremonial Whisk's handle, producing a constant creaking noise.
"What's going on, Taoist Elder? Hurry up!" The dark-faced man urged, walking over.
"Something doesn't seem right."
Just as the Taoist Elder finished speaking, there was a sharp crack—the Ceremonial Whisk's handle snapped in my mouth. The Taoist Elder stared at me in terror, and from the corner of my eye, I saw long fangs growing from my mouth, my skin turning bluish-green.
Letting out a roar, I clenched my fists and swung at the Taoist Elder. A surge of silver light erupted, and with a splash, it was as if I struck water—silver droplets scattered everywhere.
A faint green glow shimmered over my body, and my mind was filled with murderous intent.
Slowly, as the green light spilled out, I began to float. With a rush, I shot into the air, and with a thunderous crash, stones scattered from the ground, cracks splintering across the walls and floor.
Just as I burst forward, The Masked Man was already in front of me, fist raised, striking my cheek. With a dull thud and a sharp snap, the fangs I'd just grown shattered instantly.
"Damn, what the hell is going on?"
The Masked Man cursed, while the Taoist Elder flew over, chanting incantations. The Masked Man grabbed my arms, pinning me down and holding me in a death grip.
With a gurgle, I felt something moving in my abdomen. Suddenly, a green light flashed from my belly, and with a loud cry, Helen Chen's head emerged from within me, mouth wide and full of sharp teeth, lunging for The Masked Man's neck.
The Masked Man screamed in agony as blood sprayed. I dropped to the ground, swung my fist, and aimed at the Taoist Elder who was still chanting.
The Taoist Elder cried out in alarm, grabbing a jade-green sword. Silver light burst from the blade as he thrust it toward me. With a deafening crash, my fist struck the sword.
Suddenly, my hair grew out on its own, snaking toward the Taoist Elder. This time, my hair glowed with a ghostly green light, wrapping tightly around him as I lunged, mouth wide, and bit down on his shoulder.
The Taoist Elder screamed, blood and flesh flying. With another roar, I tore a huge chunk of meat from his shoulder.
"Aren't you going to help? Damn it, Derek White!"
The Masked Man shouted, looking up. I saw Helen Chen's head, glowing green, still clamped onto The Masked Man's neck as he struggled to push her away.
"Hahaha, you two always act so pitiful and weak. See? Now you're getting what you deserve."
At the sound of his name, Derek White appeared before us. One hand gripped Helen Chen's head, the other pointed at me. With a boom, before I could react, I was sent flying.
"Egret Grove..."
Derek White spoke, and suddenly the wind howled, making it impossible to open my eyes. The scene around me shifted in an instant. When I managed to look again, I saw green mountains, clear waters, and white egrets grooming themselves in a lake surrounded by forests. Derek White floated above the lake, his whole body glowing green.
"You two really are fools. If you'd been more careful, this wouldn't have happened. That little girl just became a Blue Wraith. Heh, interesting... No trace of resentment, yet she turned into a Blue Wraith. This is the first time I've ever seen something like it."
Suddenly, as Derek White finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of green light and shot toward us. Helen Chen instantly retreated back into my body, and, surrounded by green light, I began to float again.
"Where do you think you're going?" Derek White's voice came from behind me. As I turned my head, a thunderous crash sent me hurtling to the ground, bouncing off several trees before finally stopping.
"You're just a newborn Blue Wraith—still as fragile as an infant."
Derek White's voice echoed behind me again. As I looked up, I saw him standing there, and with another explosive roar, I was sent flying toward the lake ahead.
With a scream, Helen Chen's head emerged from my back. As soon as we hit the ground, she lunged at The Masked Man, who was sitting on the lake, clutching his bleeding neck, and bit down hard.
"Don't get carried away. When you profit, you should learn to play nice."
Again, it was Derek White—one hand gripping Helen Chen's neck. I seized the moment and threw a punch, black death energy swirling around my fist as I struck at Derek White.
A feather drifted by—a white egret's feather. Just as my fist landed, a thunderous sound rang out. I stared in surprise at my hand, which seemed to bounce off something soft and springy.
Another explosive roar, and both Helen Chen and I were knocked flying, crashing into the edge of the forest.
"What the hell was that just now?"
"Derek White, hurry up and take care of that female ghost!"
The Blue Wraith named Derek White slowly descended. As he raised his hand, I saw two white egrets grow larger, flying to the Masked Man and the Taoist Elder at the lake. They opened their beaks, grabbed the two men, and soared into the sky.
[Irrelevant system message skipped.]
"Goodbye, Ethan Zhang," Derek White said, mounting one of the egrets.
"You think you can just leave after all this chaos? That's naive." A sharp crack sounded behind me. I turned to see the space behind me fracture, and John Chou, dressed in a sharp black suit, stepped through.
"Do you want to kill Ethan Zhang, woman?"
John Chou walked over and, without a word, plunged his hand into my abdomen. I screamed in agony.
"Hey, John Chou, don't be so rough."
It was Wayne Harris's voice. He suddenly appeared before me, and strands of green thread shot from my eyes, nose, and ears.
All I felt was searing, gut-wrenching pain as a green mass was yanked from my body by John Chou and flung to the ground.
With a piercing wail, the green mass shifted shape—Helen Chen appeared, her body glowing green as she shot toward Derek White in the sky, her target now the Masked Man and the Taoist Elder.