"Quentin Yin..." I was about to call his name, but remembering Rachel Lan and the three members of the Ghost Burial Squad were still present, I quickly shut my mouth and leaned against the ground.
"Even wild ghosts dare to barge into my domain? You’ve got some nerve."
Elias the Elder spoke, releasing a green rope that bound my hands and feet. He stood up and suddenly soared into the air, with Agatha the Crone right behind him.
"This place—is not somewhere you can just come up to."
John Chou said dismissively.
The two ghosts started laughing, seemingly ready to attack John Chou. But then, something strange happened—when they reached his feet, it was as if they’d hit an invisible wall, clutching their heads in confusion.
Then the two ghosts reached up, feeling around for the transparent barrier above their heads.
"This is odd, old man."
Agatha the Crone said, looking up.
The two ghosts then dropped down a little.
"That's more like it!"
Quentin Yin rested his chin on his hand, watching the two ghosts with a knowing glint in his eyes.
Suddenly, Elias the Elder flared with green light and charged upward. With a thud, he seemed to hit the wall again, clutching his head.
Both ghosts froze, staring at John Chou.
Both ghosts froze, staring at Quentin Yin.
"Well, you two should find somewhere else as your new haunt. The Nether Syndicate will come sooner or later. As for those on the ground—just let them go!"
"Hmph, where do these people come from? Unless the leader of the Nether Syndicate shows up, do you really think I’d be afraid of any of their disciples, no matter how many?"
"Heh, old man, I’d advise you to leave quickly, or else..." Suddenly, John Chou's expression darkened.
"None of you are getting out of here."
"You think you can stop me?" Elias the Elder sneered, his body swelling several times its size. With a heavy fist, he struck out, and I saw cracks spider across the space beneath John Chou in the sky.
Elias the Elder floated in front of Quentin Yin, struggling as if weighed down by something. On the ground, the three wounded people kept their eyes shut, crying out in pain, while Rachel Lan clutched her head, writhing in agony.
Once he was up there, Elias the Elder froze. Everyone present lifted their heads, staring at the sky.
The moonlit sky was suddenly pierced by a massive vortex, and above it, an apartment building appeared. Looking closely, I realized—it was my own building.
The black vortex rotated slowly, and each of us felt an overwhelming pressure descending from the sky.
Elias the Elder floated in front of John Chou, struggling as if weighed down by something. On the ground, the three wounded people kept their eyes shut, crying out in pain, while Rachel Lan clutched her head, writhing in agony.
Agatha the Crone had already descended, staring blankly at the giant black vortex in the sky.
At that moment, I saw several figures inside the apartment building in the sky. One was Yuna Ji—I recognized her instantly. The other two were Tina Yu and the little girl ghost.
John Chou raised his hand and pressed downward. Instantly, Elias the Elder plummeted back to the ground.
At that moment, I saw several figures inside the apartment building in the sky. One was Yuna Ji—I recognized her instantly. The other two were Tina Yu and the little girl ghost.
Then John Chou waved his hand. With a screeching sound, something beneath his feet began to piece itself together, and soon, the ordinary moonlit night returned.
Quentin Yin slowly descended, landing beside me. He gave me a sly smile and whispered.
"Watch closely, brother. This is how you use Deathbane Aura."
Then Quentin Yin kicked me, sending me stumbling right in front of the two ghosts.
I cursed under my breath, annoyed.
"So? Ready to leave yet?" John Chou asked with a smile. The two ghosts didn’t seem ready to give up.
Quentin Yin then walked over to Rachel Lan, who looked at him with a flicker of fear in her eyes.
"Get out of the way." He hooked his foot around Rachel Lan and shoved her next to me.
For a moment, I wanted to curse him out, but I held back. I couldn't shake the feeling that John Chou harbored a deep hostility toward women.
For a moment, I wanted to curse him out, but I bit my tongue. I couldn't shake the feeling that Quentin Yin harbored a deep hostility toward women.
"Mind telling me your name, friend?"
"Let me ask you one more time—are you leaving, or not?"
Quentin Yin demanded, his tone unyielding.
"Heh, we can leave if you want, and you can let the others go too. But that boy behind you—we’re taking him with us."
Suddenly, John Chou burst into laughter, raising his hand.
With a deafening rumble, the air shook. Elias the Elder rushed forward, glowing with green light, reaching out to grab John Chou.
Just as Elias the Elder was about to reach John Chou, four streams of black mist shot up from the ground, wrapping tightly around him.
"Turn to fertilizer."
No sooner had John Chou finished speaking than dozens of tiny mouths, bristling with sharp teeth, sprouted from the black mist and devoured Elias the Elder in seconds—without even a scream.
Then John Chou turned to Agatha the Crone.
"Are you leaving, or not?"
"Old man..." Agatha the Crone whimpered, then vanished into the air.
Then Quentin Yin began walking toward me, step by step.
"Looks like tonight is going to be trouble."
Just as Rachel Lan and I stared in confusion, there was a loud bang—the door was kicked open.
Suddenly, the door crashed open just as Rachel Lan and I stared in confusion.
A familiar voice. I turned—Damian Chen of the Nether Syndicate had entered, muttering as he pulled off his gloves. I glimpsed countless blades spinning around him.
"We've met before. I didn't finish you last time. This time, you'll die."
Suddenly, Damian Chen raised his hand, unleashing a barrage of blades at Quentin Yin, riddling his body with holes in an instant.
Two figures dressed alike darted through the door, moving to encircle us, a rope stretched taut between their hands.
"Guided by thread, metal, wood, water, fire, earth—three lives, no escape..." a man's voice intoned.
"Zi, Chen, Shen—join with the water seal..."
It was a woman chanting. Suddenly, I saw the rope the two had stretched, forming a circle around Quentin Yin. Inside the circle was a five-pointed star, each tip marked with gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.
I was stunned. Rachel Lan grabbed me and dragged me toward the courtyard wall.
With a gurgling sound, bubbles appeared out of thin air. John Chou smiled as his riddled body slowly began to heal.
With a gurgling sound, bubbles appeared out of thin air. Quentin Yin smiled as his riddled body slowly began to heal.
"Ajun, get the tools ready."
The man shouted. Damian Chen immediately crouched down, and only then did I notice the large bag on his back.
"Freeze the water into ice," the woman called, shaking the rope slightly. With a creaking sound, the water surrounding John Chou slowly solidified into ice.
Damian Chen pulled out a small iron awl from his bag, red and covered in a string of talismanic runes.
"Soul travels, spirit awakens, open the mark—square earth, round sky, splitting saw, Ren-Geng, star year, titanium weak, Ghost-Piercing Awl—awaken!"