The truth, spoken from Samuel Young's own lips, sent a cold fury surging through me. Yet beneath the anger, our suspicions crystallized into certainty—a revelation that seemed to darken the air itself.
"Where are they?"
I asked, my voice taut with tension. Samuel Young only smiled, shaking his head. Around us, the park seemed to sink into shadow—every Ghost Burial Squad member was faceless, the sky shrouded in gloom.
"Now, it's my turn to ask, Brother Zhang."
It was always a transaction between Samuel Young and me. He'd had me gather the Ghost Sovereigns, surely knowing the Nine Dao Gate Elders would come with courtesy first, then violence. They would force Victor Wu's soul to transcribe the Seven Techniques of Yin Talisman—they would stop at nothing. He handed me a talisman, a gesture of diplomacy, but never revealed I possessed the Daoist soul. Our exchange was complete, but beneath the surface, something darker simmered—there would be no true peace.
"Go ahead and ask."
Samuel Young looked at me and smiled.
Suddenly, golden light erupted around us, insidious and blinding. A circle took shape, its edges flickering with lines of golden Daoist script—symbols that pulsed with an otherworldly menace, as if warning away intruders.
A low chuckle escaped Samuel Young. "Someone tried to listen in on us. They're gone now." The words lingered, but a chill crept up my spine—a presence had come and gone, and I hadn't sensed a thing.
A jolt ran through me as I realized something fundamental: as a ghost, perhaps I would never sleep again—never dream. The thought gnawed at me, a cold emptiness spreading through my chest, darker than the void itself.
"Ethan, if sleep is what you seek, I possess a way for ghosts to rest. But dreams... only those within the Dream Realm are real. Otherwise, when a ghost succumbs to sleep, all that awaits is a void—endless, black, and absolute. I can..."
I let out a sound, then shook my head.
"I don't know." The words came out hollow, swallowed by the park's oppressive silence. Shadows drifted—Ghost Burial Squad members, their faces devoured by the void. Overhead, the sky had surrendered its light, now brooding and suffocating.
Samuel Young's gaze lingered on me for a few seconds before he nodded.
"Where are the Immortality Society people?" I couldn't help but glance back. The ground split and crumbled, faceless figures fading into the darkness. The trees twisted and withered, collapsing in slow agony.
Mona Ouyang swept me up, and together we soared toward the ruins of a city, its bones shattered and dissolving into oblivion. The devastation pressed down on me, suffocating.
"This round of questions and answers ends here, Brother Zhang. Since you don't know, I can't tell you either."
Mona Ouyang urged me onward. Then, with a sudden roar, the distant sky tore open—a gaping wound spilling a torrent of shifting, spectral colors. She pulled me into the dream passage. One last look back revealed Vivian Ouyang's inner world: a landscape of apocalypse.
After returning to John Chou's side, I found Hu Tianshu already asleep. All I could do was wait until morning to discuss things with him. I wanted to ask John Chou what he intended to trade with the Dao Gate people, but remembering who he was, I decided against it. Resolute, I chose to eat something instead—since I couldn't sleep, I could only wait.
It dawned on me—maybe as a ghost, I would never sleep again, nor ever dream. An endless, restless wakefulness, forever cut off from the world of dreams.
"Brother, what's wrong? Is there something you want to ask?"
John Chou walked over with a cheerful grin and patted my shoulder.
"Would you really tell me?"
I asked, a bit excited. John Chou just smiled.
"What exactly is it?"
"What do you want to trade with the Dao Gate?"
"You'll know in a few days, brother."
I muttered, feeling a bit resentful as I looked at John Chou.
"Again with the 'in a few days'?"
At that moment, Mona Ouyang leaned in. She seemed to know exactly what I was thinking.
"Ethan, if you want to sleep, I do have a way. I can help a ghost fall asleep. As for dreaming, only in the Dream Realm can that happen. Otherwise, when a ghost sleeps, all they see is endless darkness—nothing at all. I can..."
I shook my head.
"No need, Mona Ouyang. I don't think it's necessary. When I have time, I'll go with you into the Dream Realm and see everyone. That'll be enough."
Mona Ouyang then explained that ghosts can't dream. Dreams are where human consciousness rests—inside the dreamscape. But ghosts are different; they've lost their physical bodies. So even if their consciousness fades, all that's left is endless darkness.
Then I remembered—can't ghosts send dreams to the living? I thought about my cousin's recent demeanor. He hadn't said much, but I sensed he was troubled. The most difficult part was, whenever I got close to him, I felt a burning pain. The Buddha's image inside him was repelling ghostly power.
Naturally, I couldn't use the Specter Web to investigate any of this.
"By the way, do you know how to send dreams to someone else?"
Mona Ouyang looked at me and nodded.
"For a ghost to send dreams to the living, that's basic stuff—easy to do. But it has to be a blood relative."
I stared at Mona Ouyang in surprise. My cousin and I aren't actually blood relatives; after all, I'm the one Jack Zhang brought home.
"Is there any way for me to enter my cousin's dream?"
I was really worried about my cousin—he must have something weighing on his mind. That's why he mentioned the stress of marriage. His relationship with Susan Li is strong; I can see how devoted she is, always by his side, supporting him.
My cousin is still young, just in his thirties, full of energy. There's no way he would be so affected by that issue unless something else was going on—he's definitely hiding something from me.
"Whose dream do you want to enter?"
"My cousin's."
I answered. Mona Ouyang nodded and led me to the door of my cousin and Susan Li's room.
"Zhang Hao has the Buddha's image protecting him now, so entering his dream is even harder. Normally, to send a dream, you have to be a blood relative or have a deep grudge. If you're unrelated, a ghost can't send a dream to that person—the rules of dreams won't allow it. Even I can't break that. But I do have another way, though with the Buddha's image, it's tricky."
I nodded seriously. Mona Ouyang waved her hand and produced the multicolored Nightmare Stone.
"Ethan, connect your Specter Web. I'll take you into Zhang Hao's dream."
I nodded and linked my Specter Web to the Nightmare Stone. Soon, a wave of drowsiness washed over me.
"I'll go with you into Vivian Ouyang's Heart Dream first, then we'll find Zhang Hao's dream."
Gradually, my consciousness blurred. I sat down and slowly closed my eyes. When I came to, I saw a park—the same one Mona Ouyang, Rachel Lan, and the other Ghost Burial Squad members used to visit. Afterwards, they wrote proof of friendship with Vivian Ouyang there.
I watched quietly. In the park were many Ghost Burial Squad members, but none had faces. The sky was no longer bright; it was gloomy and overcast.
"Come with me. Don't look, Ethan Zhang. This girl's heart is riddled with holes—right now, we're powerless to help." Mona Ouyang's words cut through the gloom, the hopelessness settling over us like a shroud.
I couldn't help but look back. The ground ruptured beneath my feet, the faceless Ghost Burial Squad members dissolving into the darkness. The trees withered and splintered, their agony echoing in the silence.
Mona Ouyang took me flying toward the ruined, collapsing city in the distance. Seeing everything here made me feel heavy inside.
"Don't look, Ethan Zhang."
Mona Ouyang reminded me again. Suddenly, with a whoosh, the sky split open far away, revealing a multicolored dream passage. Mona Ouyang led me inside. Looking back, Vivian Ouyang's inner world was like the end of the world.
Inside the passage, it took me a while to recover. Mona Ouyang kept leading me downward.
"Nightmares are down below. Good dreams are up above. Let's go."
I followed, shadows swirling at the edge of my vision. Slowly, a rift appeared before us, haloed in gold—a threshold pulsing with light. This, surely, was the entrance to my cousin's dream. Mona Ouyang halted, gaze fixed on the glowing maw.
As we drew near, the golden light flared, bristling with resistance. Mona Ouyang inched forward, hand reaching into the radiance. A surge of violet burst from her palm—then, with a violent crack, she was hurled back. I caught her, heart pounding.
The third method was far more dangerous. One wrong move, and my cousin's soul could shatter. Mona Ouyang didn't elaborate—he'd once used this to kill his enemies, and the result was always fatal. Anyone who entered such a dream never came back.
A chill swept over me, and I didn't dare ask further. The oppressive dread lingered, thick in the air.
"Long time no see, Ethan Zhang. Surprised?" Her voice slithered through the gloom. Mona Ouyang had vanished, leaving me waiting—hoping for her to forge my cousin's double dream. But unease gnawed at me, the shadows thickening around us.
"Didn't Mona Ouyang say—unless you're kin or an enemy, you can't enter another's dream? How is he..." My voice trailed off, uncertainty coiling in my gut.
"Hey, Ethan Zhang, don't underestimate him. He was once one of the Seven Ghost Sovereigns—a legend among ghosts. Maybe you're forgetting just how formidable he is."
"It's begun, Ethan Zhang. Steady your mind—there's only one chance. Take this: the Dream Sphere. If all else fails, shatter it."
I started in surprise. Behind me, the sinister Vivian Ouyang produced a violet sphere and pressed it into my hand.