The car stopped more than a hundred meters away from the Ghost Burial Squad headquarters. Suddenly, I saw a transparent, dome-like halo shimmering over the headquarters. I stared in surprise, while Ray Lin smiled.
"Oh, Ethan Zhang, you should go by yourself. As a minor ghost, I don't dare get any closer. I'm scared."
I responded and got out of the car. After thanking Ray Lin, I walked toward the main entrance of the Ghost Burial Squad. Inside, the place was brightly lit and bustling. Then I turned around, waved goodbye to Ray Lin, and made sure to save his number.
It was winter, and the night was especially cold. Beep beep beep—I'd only walked a few steps when my phone rang. It was Hugh Thompson calling.
"Ethan, hurry over! We've detected an abnormal ghost force here and already activated the Voidlock Barrier..."
I gasped, staring blankly at the glowing halo over the Ghost Burial Squad headquarters. Alarmed, I rushed forward.
"Wait, Ethan, that ghost force has vanished."
I replied, telling Hugh Thompson that I was already outside the Ghost Burial Squad headquarters.
When I reached the entrance of the Ghost Burial Squad Headquarters, the halo had disappeared. Hugh Thompson was leaning against the open gate, waiting for me.
"Ethan, you're here."
I nodded, noticing something odd in Hugh Thompson's gaze. He was looking behind me.
"Why did you come alone? She..."
Suddenly, Hugh Thompson clutched his head, his brow furrowing tightly.
"What's wrong, Hugh?"
"It's nothing, probably just my imagination. Heh, come on, Ethan."
After that, Hugh Thompson remained silent the whole way, seemingly deep in thought. As we arrived, a group of girls started shouting and looking at me. I muttered under my breath.
"What's up with them?"
"Heh, Ethan, everyone in the Ghost Burial Squad knows about your exploits."
I let out a sound of surprise. Suddenly, twenty or thirty girls rushed over, crowding around me, wanting to shake my hand and bombarding me with questions.
"Alright, alright, girls, go get something to eat."
Chief Stone came over and coaxed the girls from the academy away. I looked at them awkwardly.
"We're definitely missing something, Ethan Zhang." Hugh Thompson lit a cigarette, then fiddled with some mahjong tiles.
Hugh Thompson adjusted his glasses, glanced at Chief Stone, then led me to the front of the cafeteria. The aroma of barbecue wafted over. Apparently, the Ghost Burial Squad was throwing a three-day, three-night feast to celebrate the victory.
I quickly blended into their lively atmosphere. Luckily, when it came to beer, I could handle quite a bit—thanks to my cousin.
"Vivian, please don't cry."
The sound of crying came from nearby. I saw four members of Ghost Burial Squad Team 17 sitting at a table. Miles Mao and Dalton Fang were comforting the still-crying Vivian Ouyang, while Mason Yu looked on awkwardly.
"What's going on?"
I walked over and asked.
"Ethan, I don't know what's wrong. Sob... I just feel so upset, so upset..." Vivian Ouyang kept crying.
None of us knew the reason either. Then Chief Stone walked over and placed a hand on her head.
"Vivian, it's alright. Just tell everyone, what exactly is going on?"
Vivian Ouyang shook her head.
"I feel like I've forgotten something, something very important, but I just can't remember. Whenever I try, I feel sad."
"It must be something important. It's alright—even if we forget for a while, the most important things don't disappear. We'll remember them eventually."
Vivian Ouyang wiped her tears and nodded.
Chief Stone's words struck a chord with me. Like Vivian Ouyang, whenever I tried to recall something, my heart ached, but I couldn't remember what it was.
All of us gathered together and drank quite a lot. Many members and trainees of the Ghost Burial Squad got drunk and had to be carried back to the dorms.
"By the way, Ethan, I've been forgetful lately. I remember there used to be someone who always caused trouble for the Ghost Burial Squad, but I just can't recall who."
Chief Stone said this, and Hugh Thompson responded seriously.
"There really was someone like that. Whenever I think of them, I feel a bit of disgust."
After hearing them say that, I also felt like there really was someone, but I just couldn't remember who.
"A sense of discord... I've felt this way since I woke up this morning."
Hugh Thompson spoke while Dalton Fang and Miles Mao looked at us, both appearing downcast.
Then I asked about what happened in the Ghostrealm. It turned out that after we split up, Miles Mao and Dalton Fang originally planned to meet up with us, but Miles Mao sensed something strange—a lot of resentment was gathering at the Wailing Maiden's Den.
After investigating, Dalton Fang and Miles Mao returned to the Wailing Maiden's Den to inspect the huge black heart. It wasn't formed by resentment. After questioning the female ghost, they confirmed the heart was connected to Ghost Rakshasa.
They tried to destroy the heart but couldn't harm it. In the end, Dalton Fang spent days in the cave chanting and copying Buddhist scriptures, while Miles Mao used every trick he knew. Together, they finally severed the heart's link to Ghost Rakshasa.
"Wait, did we really go to the Ghostrealm just to get rid of Ghost Rakshasa?" Mason Yu suddenly asked.
Suddenly, everyone at the table looked confused.
But even after discussing until four in the morning, none of us could remember anything.
Huang Jun invited me to his dorm, so I went. Inside, Huang Jun lay on his custom-made bed, over two meters long.
"Go to sleep, Ethan. We'll continue tomorrow."
My head was spinning as I lay down. Soon, I fell asleep.
"Is it you?"
I stared in astonishment at the woman whose face radiated a seductive malice. She wore a tight black outfit, parts of her pale skin exposed. She just smiled, watching me.
I glanced around and was stunned to find myself in Vivian Ouyang's room. She approached with feline grace, one hand lifting my chin.
"Ethan, have you forgotten something?"
I brushed her hand aside, and she giggled.
"What exactly do you want?"
As I spoke, I suddenly widened my eyes, staring at the bed—another Vivian Ouyang was lying there, breathing evenly.
"Stop staring, Ethan. Let's do something fun." Vivian Ouyang, her face radiating seductive malice, suddenly wrapped her arm around my shoulder. Her fragrance was intoxicating, and her gaze was mesmerizing. I looked at her awkwardly.
"Who are you, really?"
Suddenly, Vivian Ouyang pressed herself against me, grabbing my hands, her chest pressed to mine.
"I'm Vivian Ouyang, of course. What, Ethan, don't you remember?"
A burst of giggling—suddenly, the Vivian Ouyang lying on the bed started laughing. The one holding me turned her head, the seductive look vanishing, replaced by anger.
"Hmph, wretch, how dare you come out on your own." A strange, mocking voice echoed, sounding both male and female—it was that Ghost Sovereign, Ouyang Meng.
I turned in shock, looking around. Suddenly, translucent gray monsters seeped out from the walls.
"What did you do to Uncle Mo?" I clenched my fists in anger and demanded.
"So you can come out, but I can't? Dead freak, you'd better sleep well in your dreamland."
With a whoosh, Vivian Ouyang flew up, a sphere glowing with purple light appearing in her hand. Instantly, Ouyang Meng, who had been lying on the bed, shot upright.
"So you've started cultivating your own dream? If you want to fight me, you're courting death..."
Even though I was still wary of the seductive Vivian Ouyang before me, the Ghost Sovereign Ouyang Meng on the bed was my true enemy. Without hesitation, I rushed at him, swinging my fists.
Purple light instantly filled the room, and the gray monsters vanished. Then, the seductive Vivian Ouyang pressed the purple sphere into Ouyang Meng's head, making him howl in a strange, twisted voice.
"Don't think you're safe. And you, Ethan, your time is almost up. Soon, you'll die in the dream I've woven for you. Hahaha..."
With a start, I leapt up from the bed, looking around in terror.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Huang Jun was so startled he fell off the bed. I, drenched in sweat, looked around.
Looks like I'll have to be careful when I sleep from now on.
It was already past 2 a.m. We went to the cafeteria to eat. Many people looked unwell. Beer was stacked high, and there were several huge vats of baijiu.
After eating, Hugh Thompson called me over. We went to a large area with sun umbrellas, rows of mahjong tables, and power cords everywhere. Many people were playing enthusiastically.
"I don't know how to play," I said, looking at the mahjong table in front of me.
"We're definitely missing something, Ethan." Hugh Thompson lit a cigarette, then fiddled with some mahjong tiles.
"Ethan, in a hand of mahjong, you can't win if you're missing even a single tile. Our situation is just like that—it's as if we're missing a crucial mahjong tile." As he spoke, Hugh Thompson picked up a tile—a little bird.
"I suspect our memories have been tampered with."
I let out a sound of surprise, staring blankly at Hugh Thompson.
"How could that be—our memories?"
"Humans can't do it, of course. But ghosts... ghosts might really have the power to alter our memories."
My heart skipped a beat as I looked at Hugh Thompson.
"Come on, Ethan. I'll take you to the underground archive—there's something interesting there."
I responded and got up, following Hugh Thompson.