Finally, it was time to finish work. I had eaten a lot of bugs, and now my stomach felt full. The remaining bugs were already placed by John Chou into a bamboo cage. Afterwards, we went to a small river to wash ourselves. In the water, I saw many red-eyed Ghostfish, which I had seen before.
"These fish aren't good to eat, brother. No matter how you cook them, there's always a sour taste—just like that old man's smell."
My heart skipped a beat, but John Chou just smiled.
"I'll take you to eat something good later."
John Chou carried the bamboo cage and passed through several places. Many people greeted him along the way, which surprised me. He had only been here a short time, yet he already blended in with the locals. No wonder he was Victor Fan's top disciple, born into a family of spies.
The street was bustling with activity. I followed John Chou onto the city street—a wide avenue leading straight to the mountaintop. I caught whiffs of delicious scents as John Chou brought me to a barbecue shop and set down the bamboo cage. The owner was a ghost with a wolf's head and a human body. After John Chou poured the black bugs into a large basin, the ghost immediately handed him a few Spirit Notes. Satisfied with the money, John Chou took me to continue exploring.
"Pretty unbelievable, isn't it, brother? The ghosts here."
I nodded. Looking closely, it really was unbelievable. The ghost society here was strange, with farming techniques and a complete industry, plus a fully developed marketplace.
It was very similar to human society, but lacked anything from the modern world. Most of the odd things here had never even appeared in ancient times.
Finally, John Chou stopped and led me into an alley, then found a large courtyard already packed with all sorts of ghosts, all eating away.
Once inside, John Chou greeted the owner and ordered six dishes and some wine. We found a small table in the corner and sat down.
"Life here is pretty carefree. After work every day, you can come for a drink. Heh, and there are plenty of places to have fun at night."
"It's already come to this, and you're still not worried? The war is about to start."
I muttered quietly, and John Chou shook his head.
"Maybe that's true for the Underworld Court, but for these peaceful folks, it's too far away. If war does break out, everything here will be destroyed."
I nodded, watching the faces of the ghosts, all beaming with happiness as they shared stories of their day.
It reminded me of the Dark Place—life there was just as carefree.
"The founding of the Six Paths."
John Chou took a sip of wine and spoke. I stared at him seriously, took a sip myself, and immediately looked at the wine in delight. It was gentle, cool going down, but warm in the stomach, with a pleasant sweetness and an unfamiliar mellow fragrance.
"Good wine."
"Brother, do you really think the Six Paths just appeared out of thin air? That old Ksitigarbha just waved his hand and created them?"
I looked at John Chou in confusion. He smiled and then spoke.
"The Six Paths were split off from the Ghostrealm. That's all I know for now."
I stared at John Chou in disbelief. He smiled and continued.
"You should know why I brought you here this time, right?"
I nodded and replied.
"To help you reclaim the Bloodbane Power."
John Chou blinked, then smiled and sighed helplessly.
"Brother, have I ever asked you to help me reclaim the Bloodbane Power before?"
I let out a sound, glanced around, took a sip of wine, and immediately felt a sense of comfort. This wine really made me want to just lie down and relax.
But then I shook my head and thought carefully. It seemed John Chou never actually asked me to help him reclaim the Bloodbane Power. He only said he wanted my help, but never specified for what.
"Bloodbane Power was just bait I put out. You'll understand someday, brother."
"Always 'someday.' You really are..."
I couldn't find words to describe John Chou. Then he started speaking seriously.
After long investigation and now being here in person, he finally figured it out: the Six Paths weren't created by Ksitigarbha and the Ten Judges working together. Instead, they selected suitable land from the Ghostrealm around Hell, split it off, and forcibly twisted it into vessels for reincarnation.
"So what exactly do you want me to help you with?"
"You'll know when we get there, brother. We're about to enter the Animal Realm, and only this place connects to it. Those big spheres you saw in the Sanzu Force were the Animal Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm, and Hell Realm. But you can't enter from there—I've tried. My Bloodbane Power went in ahead of time."
I blinked and looked at John Chou with even more confusion.
"Didn't you lose your Bloodbane Power because you messed with the Sanzu Force, and the Divine Law punished you, suppressing it?"
"Brother, what do you think 'hearsay' means? Or how would you explain 'everyone says so'?"
I seemed to understand.
Damn, so you've been lying to me all along.
John Chou shook his head.
It's not quite like that. I did mess with the Power of the Sanzu Force, but from the outsiders' perspective, it looked like I angered the Divine Law and lost all my power. The Bloodbane Power was taken by the Sanzu Force. But what if I told you it was intentional?
You even managed to trick the Divine Law?
John Chou raised his glass, smiled slightly, then threw his head back and laughed.
You could say that, brother. For now, I have the upper hand, and the Divine Law did exactly as I expected. As a result, my Bloodbane Power is affecting the cycle of reincarnation and can't be removed. After the Divine Law made a wrong decision, it's now in a dilemma—not wanting to return my Bloodbane Power, but also not wanting the cycle to collapse. So what do you think the Divine Law will do?
I shook my head, having no idea what John Chou was thinking. Throughout history, many people must have fallen for his tricks—Xu Fu is the most typical example. He's still trapped in the Duality Seal, probably discussing life with the Wraithlord right now.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. John Chou shook his head helplessly.
The Divine Law made an exception, something that had never happened since the formation of the Six Paths. It allowed something to happen that was supposed to be impossible, yet it really did. As for what it is...
I'll know in the future, right?
I grumbled in dissatisfaction, and John Chou nodded. Then, raising our glasses, we drank together and burst into hearty laughter.
So, tell me, what exactly do you want me to do?
It's simple, brother. Just follow my instructions step by step. We'll open the way to the Animal Realm and retrieve something. Of course, I'll also reclaim one third of my Bloodbane Power. After that, we'll figure out how to enter the Hungry Ghost Realm and finally Hell. Once that's done, we're almost finished.
I nodded, but then had second thoughts.
John Chou, can this really be done?
Directly entering the three evil realms of the Six Paths seems unbelievable. It should be extremely difficult.
It's difficult, but remember the mutated Flower of Rebirth I cultivated in your Ghost Domain?
I immediately nodded.
As long as we have that, getting in will be a piece of cake.
John Chou sounded relaxed, but I was sure the process would be anything but easy—and very dangerous.
That Pig-headed Ghost with Blue Wraith-level power had only passed by me, but my years of combat experience told me these guys weren't simple. He had mid-level Blue Wraith skills. If I fought him, the outcome would be uncertain.
Besides, brother, there are benefits to sticking with me. I can teach you ghost combat. You couldn't do much before, but now that you're a Blue Wraith, you definitely can. My foolish sister doesn't have time to teach you, so I'll have to do it. Two birds with one stone—where else can you find such a good deal?
I nodded, but then felt something was off.
Be honest with me—what's really going on?
Just then, the dishes arrived. I caught a whiff of their aroma—six colorful plates, looking and smelling delicious. I couldn't help but dig in, and my eyes widened in surprise.
How could it taste so good?
Right, brother. Eat and drink your fill. Afterward, I'll take you out for some fun.
I nodded. John Chou and I downed several glasses. We drank heartily, and soon I felt a bit drunk, though something important lingered in my mind.
What's wrong, brother?
Right, what were we just talking about?
John Chou raised his glass and laughed.
Weren't we talking about the wine?
I nodded, raised my glass, and laughed as I drank with John Chou. Soon, my mind began to blur, and John Chou helped me up and led me away.
Everything in front of me started to blur, my mind grew hazy, and John Chou supported me, then led me into a small building.
So slow, John Chou. What use is such a weak guy?
In my drunken haze, I saw a burly man sitting at the table, drinking, but soon I passed out. In my confusion, I heard John Chou speak.
He's weak, but he's different. Give it some time, and you'll see.