The convoy slowly pulled away, leaving behind a large, black van—old and battered, the kind that had seen years of service. It was the Ghost Burial Squad's vehicle. Hugh Thompson was already inside; Lan Yin and I climbed in after him.
The moment I stepped inside, a familiar sense of nostalgia surged within me.
"Whenever I head out, I take this van."
Hugh Thompson gave a faint, knowing smile. I nodded.
We waited for Howard Zhang to call, but hours passed without a word. His phone was off.
A heaviness settled over me. Howard clearly had a lot on his mind, yet he kept it all to himself.
"Qingyuan."
Hugh Thompson adjusted his glasses and looked at me. I nodded in response.
Two years ago, Howard Zhang hadn’t gotten involved because of his connection to Universal Temple. After he came down from the mountain, he learned about my situation from Hugh Thompson and Lan Yin.
Back then, Howard broke down in tears, drinking heavily in his misery. For days, he drowned himself in alcohol—just like Lan Yin. In the end, Master Richard Ming personally came down the mountain and spent days talking to Howard, finally bringing him to Universal Temple.
"I know Howard Zhang carries a lot of guilt over what happened to me, but Hugh, I really hope he'll open up about whatever trouble he's in. I can't afford to lose anyone else now."
I clenched my fists, meeting Hugh Thompson's gaze with determination. He nodded.
"Let's go, Qingyuan. I'll have Redmond's men keep watch on Howard Zhang. If anything comes up, I'll let you know immediately."
I hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
The van started up slowly. My feelings were a tangled mess. The area around Dragon Plaza was deserted, like an empty city.
As we reached an intersection, someone stood in the middle of the road—Samuel Young. He smiled, waving both hands. Hugh Thompson brought the van to a stop.
"There's a bar not far from here. The atmosphere's decent."
Samuel Young said, then got in. The four of us drove east under his direction. After crossing the police barricade, we traveled for over twenty minutes before spotting a small, three-story building with three large characters on it: Tranquil Residence.
The first floor was a small courtyard, surrounded by a fence overgrown with greenery. The wooden house looked especially peaceful and quiet.
"Please, come in. This is my home."
I glanced at Samuel Young in surprise as he pushed open the bamboo gate. Inside, to the left was a flower bed bursting with blooms; to the right, a small vegetable patch.
There was no one else inside. We stepped onto the first floor, which was open with no walls. In the center stood a low table surrounded by four soft cushions, set with a tea service. Nearby, a stove held a large, blackened teapot.
White gauze curtains fluttered in the breeze. I couldn't help but marvel—right in the heart of the city, here was a place so secluded, it felt worlds apart. Every so often, I saw people stop to look and snap photos.
"Please, wait here for a moment."
With that, Samuel Young went to brew tea. I was amazed he lived here, so untouched by the city's noise. The strangest thing was, we couldn't hear a single sound from outside—not even motorcycles passing by.
Soon, Samuel Young brought out four steaming bowls of tea and set them before us. I took a sip—the tea was excellent.
"Heh. I, Samuel Young, won't stand on ceremony."
Samuel Young said, his white robe billowing as he sat down and started talking. It was just this morning, around five or six, that he began to feel uneasy.
About an hour before the Celestial Soul-Calming Bell was stolen, Samuel Young sensed the formation at his mountain gate had been broken, and the bell taken. He didn't alert the Nine Dao Gate Elders, but waited for things to unfold. When it happened, the other Seven Dao Gate Elders panicked, rushing to intercept the thief on the road.
"I realized then—if someone could break the formation and take the ritual instrument, they could easily slip away. So I chose to stay behind, at least to give those attending the meeting an explanation."
"Aren't you worried?"
Hugh Thompson asked tentatively. Samuel Young just smiled.
"Worrying is pointless. Those ritual instruments are useless in the hands of ghosts. Besides, they're just tools. What I really want is to make a deal—with you."
Samuel Young spoke bluntly. I nodded.
"Tell us, what do we need to do to get the intel about the Immortality Society's stronghold from you?"
"Here, about three hundred kilometers north through the forest, there's an Immortality Society stronghold. But with your current abilities, Ethan Zhang, you can't break in directly."
My heart skipped a beat as I looked at Samuel Young. He'd revealed the intel first.
"So what's the catch? What do we need to..."
"No need for now. When the time comes, I'll collect on this deal myself."
"Aren't you afraid we'll go back on our word?"
Hugh Thompson probed again, and Samuel Young laughed.
"Afraid? Of course I'm afraid. But Ethan Zhang, are you someone who goes back on your word?"
I shook my head. Samuel Young nodded in satisfaction. Inside, I was excited—I wanted to go right away, but Hugh Thompson shook his head.
"Let's hold off for now, Ethan. This time, we can't rush in recklessly."
Hugh Thompson spoke, glancing at Samuel Young in confusion. That's when I realized the intel might be wrong.
I knew this well. Last time, Samuel Young tricked me—I won't trust him so easily again.
"Doubting me? Heh."
Samuel Young smiled, made a gesture to suit himself, and went upstairs with his folding fan, leaving just the three of us.
"I'll go take a look."
Lan Yin said, standing up. At that moment, I shook my head.
"I'll handle the Immortality Society myself. Lan Yin, you can't leave Hades Village right now because of the Yellow Springs issue. Go talk to them again, no matter how many times it takes."
I said seriously, and Lan Yin finally nodded.
"Ethan, you'd better keep an eye on Louis Ox. His memories have been tampered with—maybe there's a clue there. But you know how the Immortality Society operates."
I nodded, and we got up. Hugh Thompson planned to personally take Lan Yin back to Hades Village, then meet with the other Soul Collectors for a proper talk.
After we parted, I immediately flew northwest, heading for where Louis Ox was.
Around 2 p.m., I arrived. Sonny Four was still in the jar and hadn't come out, and Louis Ox was the same as before—no changes.
I sat on the roof. Sonny Four seemed to sense I was here and wanted to come out, but I told him to wait until evening.
I released six wraiths to scout the area, but found nothing unusual.
I started thinking—what does the Immortality Society want from me? Maybe that's important. I'm getting better at thinking now, not as dull as before.
I haven't even scratched the surface of the Immortality Society. All I can do is let them lead me by the nose.