We've already left the city for nearly three hours. Endless fields and long, straight roads stretch ahead, with the faint silhouettes of small villages occasionally visible on either side. I pulled the car over—I was getting tired from driving.
"Can any of you drive?"
I glanced at Old Eccentric, Vincent Swallow, and John Chou in the back seat. All three shook their heads. I looked at Isabelle Frost beside me; she couldn't drive either.
"Should I teach you guys? It's really exhausting to drive all the way myself."
I pressed my aching forehead. Vincent Swallow kept giving me directions. Right now, Tammy Blade was still far from us. Tonight, we'd spend the night in a small county town up ahead, then continue on tomorrow. At the moment, Tammy Blade was stopped somewhere far away, deep in the western mountains. Even Vincent Swallow couldn't say exactly how far. But long ago, he used a spell to implant a special power in all five of us, so we could sense each other's distance. Even if we split up, we'd always know where the others were.
"Let me do it. I'll learn in ten minutes."
I blinked and looked at Isabelle Frost, giving her an awkward smile.
But in just ten minutes, we were back on the road. I was genuinely shocked—Isabelle Frost really took the wheel. For the first few minutes, she seemed a bit uneasy, but within a dozen minutes, the speed shot up to 120 km/h, cruising smoothly down the highway.
I swallowed hard. She really is a genius. I still remember back when I was taking driving lessons, I had a disgusting instructor who always tried to get handsy. I lost my temper and beat him up. Luckily, the Ghost Burial Squad helped me out. But after that, I spent half a year at the driving school because the instructors were all friends with the one I hit. Complaining didn't help, and I couldn't get my money back, so I just went every day, watching others practice. When it was finally my turn, the instructor picked apart everything I did, his attitude was awful. In the end, I had to slip him some cash before I finally finished my training and got my license.
A lot of people feel unfamiliar and uneasy about things like this, and that's where fear comes from. Fear ties your hands and feet. So when people try to learn something new, they start off by tying themselves up, subconsciously resisting and rejecting it. As for driving, I could get on the road right now. Maybe people are afraid of cars, but ghosts aren't. If it comes to learning, I could do it in five minutes, tops.
With a loud creak, I was startled. Not wearing my seatbelt, my forehead slammed straight toward the windshield, but several strands of crimson ghost tendrils yanked my head back. I gasped. After Isabelle Frost yanked open the car door and stepped out, Yin Qiu Jian emerged with a wide grin and took the driver’s seat. I glanced at Isabelle Frost in the back.
"If we roll over, I’ll get you out first," she said.
The old oddball and Swallowing Wine exchanged glances.
"My bones are getting old. Lord Yin Qiu Jian, please drive slower," the old man croaked.
But to my surprise, Yin Qiu Jian floored the gas pedal. The speed climbed rapidly—I felt the car lift off the uneven ground, yet it raced smoothly along the highway, the speedometer stuck at 180 kilometers per hour. Yin Qiu Jian seemed to be playing with a new toy, steering with one hand, shifting gears expertly. You’d never guess it was his first time driving.
"You must’ve learned before," I muttered in confusion. Yin Qiu Jian turned his head, making me jump.
"Eyes on the road!" I shouted.
"Looking and observing are two different things. Remember that, Rachel Lan. And observing is different from thinking in your head. You’re missing a lot. I’ve watched and driven plenty of times; everything about driving is etched in my mind. Cruising like this is actually pretty nice. Hold on—the road ahead’s a bit rough," Yin Qiu Jian said.
A loud clunk made my eyes go wide—the car lifted off the ground, then crashed back down. Yin Qiu Jian shifted gears with practiced ease and the car sped forward. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest; it was my first time in such a fast car.
I clung to the seat, knuckles white, sweat beading on my forehead. The world outside blurred past, but inside, the tension was suffocating.