All around was wilderness, the sky pitch black. Brother Owen and I walked along the road, gazing at the boundless open land. I’d never considered before just how vast the world of ghosts had become.
"Over there is Fangyuan City. There’s a really formidable Blue Wraith inside!"
Brother Owen said this as I continued to look westward.
"Ambushing at Starvation Ridge is a good plan. The Blue Wraith in town is strong, but there’s no way it can get here quickly. As long as we move fast, we’ll be fine."
I nodded and looked at Brother Owen. Ever since Redmane appeared, I’d felt something was off—especially after he said he sensed the evil thoughts in Brother Owen. I still don’t know what that fire of malice really is, but I noticed just now: after absorbing Owen’s evil intent, that black flame grew as large as a fifty-inch television.
I had to be careful. Muttering this to myself, we walked a while longer and then sat down by the roadside to eat.
But right now, Brother Owen looked deeply troubled.
I watched for a while. Even after finishing his food and getting back on the road, Brother Owen’s face was still clouded with worry.
"Master, is something bothering you?"
Brother Owen slapped his forehead, sighed, and let out a wry laugh.
"Sigh, to tell you the truth, Ethan, I was just thinking about what that Redmane Sovereign said. The more I think about it, the more I realize—what he mentioned offhand could bring massive disaster to the living world!"
I let out a sound of surprise, staring blankly at Brother Owen.
"The Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts—what exactly is it?"
I’d heard about the Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts many times before. I always thought it was just a simple gathering, like a birthday or wedding banquet. But seeing Brother Owen’s expression, it was clear this feast was anything but simple.
"When ghosts hold banquets, it’s usually to show off their power, solidify their territory, and boost their own strength. But those only go up to the Feast of a Thousand Ghosts—many Blue Wraiths do it. But when a Sovereign hosts the Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts, it’s a whole different scale."
I looked at Brother Owen, even more confused.
"So far, only six ghosts have ever hosted the Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts. They’re six of the Sevenfold Ghost Sovereigns. This time is the seventh. The so-called Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts is basically putting themselves on par with the Ten Judges."
"Doesn’t that make them Judges themselves?"
Brother Owen shook his head.
"It’s not the same. The Ten Judges rule the underworld, but the Sovereigns are different. To put it bluntly, they’re like an armed rebel group—an anarchic organization. This is a serious situation. Back then, of the seven Sovereigns, only one never hosted the Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts. The other six did, and at that time, the entire supernatural world was on edge. Even the underworld couldn’t intervene. The only good thing was, those seven ended up fighting among themselves for certain reasons."
After Master Zhou finished speaking, I fell into deep thought.
Thinking about Redmane—he wants to host the Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts, and at a time like this. As for what exactly he’s after, I have no idea.
"And another thing, Ethan—if the Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts really happens in the living world, all that concentrated ghostly power could have a huge impact."
I nodded. Master Zhou also said he didn’t know much more. I decided I’d ask John Chou when I got back.
"Ethan, we’re almost there. Get ready."
I nodded. In the distance, I could already see a vast stretch of rolling mountains, getting closer and closer.
Master Zhou and I slowed our pace. After about half an hour, we reached the foot of the mountain. Looking up, the slopes were covered with ancient trees, and only one path led upward, shrouded in mist.
"Up there is Starvation Ridge. Plenty of fierce ghosts guard the place. We have to wait here for the prison wagon. Once we rescue that ghost woman, we’ll head into the woods, avoid the fierce ghosts, cross the wilderness, and return to Midway Town."
I nodded. I’d previously suggested charging straight up and dealing with the fierce ghosts myself, but Master Zhou said it was far too dangerous. Apparently, some of those ghosts are nearly as strong as Blue Wraiths, and there are a lot of them, guarding this crucial route.
At this moment, we sat at the foot of the mountain. From time to time, ghosts passed by us, heading up the slope.
Brother Owen and I hid behind a large tree at the foot of the mountain. The view here was clear—we could easily spot which wagon Snowy was in.
We waited a long time. On the distant road, aside from a few passing ghosts, there was no sign of the prison wagon.
"Sigh, what now? We spent too much in town—don’t have enough for gifts anymore."
Where we were hiding, there were two ghosts—Yellow Ghosts—both looking worried and miserable.
One had just spoken when the other started cursing loudly.
"It’s all your fault! I told you not to mess around with women. We were hoping to land a position under Lord Wraith, but now it’s all ruined. Sigh."
"How about this? Let’s wander around the outskirts of Starvation Ridge. Maybe we’ll run into some starving ghosts. If they’re weak, we can rob them—should be able to get some cash that way."
"No way. If we run into someone tough, we’re finished."
"We’re broke. Crossing Starvation Ridge costs a lot, and once we reach Lord Wraith’s territory, we can’t get into the banquet without money."
After a long silence, the two Yellow Ghosts walked into the mist. I saw them heading into the woods to the west.
I felt a bit puzzled.
"Those starving ghosts—if they’re so hungry, why don’t they come over here?"
Brother Owen shot me a look.
"There are a lot of them, but most are just Yellow Ghosts or Pale Ghosts—very few fierce ghosts. Of course they won’t come over here. They just wander around, eating whatever they can find in the woods. The bolder ones might even eat other starving ghosts."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, feeling anxious inside. We waited for the prison convoy to arrive. After about half a day, my stomach started growling again.
After eating, I finally saw the prison wagons coming down the road. Each wagon had a triangular flag with the character for 'horse.' The wagons were pulled by horses, and the escorting ghosts looked formidable.
Brother Owen took off the prayer beads from his neck and watched quietly. I started to emit Deathbane Aura.
"Those wooden cages—your Deathbane Aura should easily break them. Ethan, once you spot which wagon the ghost woman is in, I’ll distract the fierce ghosts. You rescue her. Remember, in the ghost realm, fierce ghosts can float."
I nodded, and Master Zhou and I watched the prison wagons intently as they drew nearer.
Just then, I spotted a familiar figure—Louis Lee—walking beside one of the rear wagons. My heart instantly burned with anger.
However, we ran into a problem. The ghost women in the prison wagons were huddled together in fear, crying with their heads down. How was I supposed to tell which wagon Snowy was in?
The convoy was getting closer and closer. My mind raced with questions. Master Zhou realized it too, and we were both at a loss for what to do.
Suddenly, I remembered what Redmane told me—this time, I couldn’t act recklessly.
"What’s the relationship between the Blue Wraith and Lord Wraith?" I blurted out.
"Why are you asking that?"
At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind. Years ago, my cousin took me out to play and we got into trouble with a gang. We were almost beaten up, but my cousin stood his ground, shouting back at the gang.
He made up a story about knowing a powerful gangster, and his act was so convincing that, even though the gang was angry, they didn’t dare lay a finger on us. In the end, my cousin bought them some drinks, and nothing happened.
"Just tell me, Master Owen."
"Their relationship is so-so. The Blue Wraith wants to use this chance to get in good with Lord Wraith. He’s been negotiating and working with Lord Wraith’s subordinates for months now."
I nodded, smiled, and stood up. Deathbane Aura poured out of me, growing thicker and soon covering my whole face, though it was a bit exhausting.
"Master, if I spot which wagon Snowy is in, I’ll raise my right hand. That’s your cue."
Master Zhou nodded, not quite understanding. I added another line.
"Master, do I look like a ghost now?"
"Pretty much. It’s hard to tell you’re human. After all, you’ve eaten a lot of ghost food. It took me real effort to sense your life force."
I nodded. As the convoy started up the mountain, I suddenly leapt out and stood in front of them. The lead ghost had a pale face, red lips, and long hair. Suddenly, he drew his sword and pointed it at me.
"Who goes there?"
"Lord Wraith sent me. I need to inspect the ghost women you’re delivering—gotta check the quality before you cross Starvation Ridge. Any that don’t meet the standard go back."
I spoke with a tough attitude. The lead ghost immediately smiled, dismounted, and sheathed his sword.
"Brother, so you’re one of Lord Wraith’s men! No wonder there’s someone with such strong Deathbane Aura in these wild mountains. My apologies for the earlier offense."
My heart was pounding. Through the mask, my eyes stared hard at the ghost in front of me—he kept his head bowed.
Looking again, all the escorting ghosts at the back of the convoy dismounted and stood respectfully. Louis Lee also kept his head down. I deliberately lowered my voice, afraid he’d recognize me.
"Let me inspect the quality now. Once we’re up there, we can cross right away—save the trouble. I know a bit about Lord Wraith’s tastes."