"What is this?"
My eyes widened. The hand gripping the butcher's knife was suddenly bound by a white hemp rope—I couldn't move. All at once, I felt a force pulling me upward, and before I knew it, I was hanging in midair.
"Gen Kui Liang, earth generates metal..." Mason Yu was about to act when a white rope dropped down from above, instantly binding him tightly and lifting him into the air.
Miles Mao couldn't escape either—he was grabbed by the white rope and hauled into the air. Now, all three of us were restrained.
Mr. White, calm and composed, reattached the four fingers I had just chopped off.
"Little monk, let go. I'm the Drowned Ghost—my body carries heavy dampness and yin energy. A mortal like you can't withstand it."
Dalton Fang was still struggling, but then he smiled.
"I can't do it anymore. I can't hold on."
Mr. Black reached out, broke free from the Spirit Binding Line, and Dalton Fang collapsed, his body radiating cold.
"Bi'an, I'm going in now to bring Rachel Lan out. Put away the hundred ropes—don't hurt them."
Mr. Black raised his hand, and with a creak, Miles Mao's door swung open. Yellow light flashed around us as he floated over, reaching out—instantly, the Taoist talismans dissolved.
I craned my neck and suddenly spotted a figure—it seemed to be Vivian Ouyang. I stared in disbelief; she was on the balcony, then vanished. When I looked again, Vivian Ouyang's soul was standing nearby.
Could I have been mistaken?
Just as I hit rock bottom, Mr. Black appeared.
"What's wrong, Brother Wujio?"
Mr. Black shook his head.
"That's odd. Why can't I sense it?"
I looked up in astonishment. Although I only caught a glimpse, I was sure the person on the balcony was Vivian Ouyang.
But now, clearly, Vivian Ouyang's soul is here. How could she move?
"There's a strange aura here—very familiar," Mr. Black said, raising his head and looking at us.
I struggled a bit, but the more I fought, the tighter the rope around my hand became.
Miles Mao and Mason Yu cried out in pain.
"Don't waste your energy—the Soulbinding Rope only gets tighter the more you struggle. With your level of cultivation, you can't break free."
Mr. White raised his hand and let the three of us down.
"Tell me, where is Rachel Lan's soul?"
The three of us stared at Mr. Black and Mr. White. We truly didn't know, but this was a good thing—it's probably past 2 a.m. now. If we can stall until 4 a.m., maybe things will turn around.
Ghosts are creatures of yin. No matter how powerful, after the rooster crows, their strength drops significantly.
"Looks like they really don't know," Mr. Black said. Mr. White nodded in agreement.
"But the rooster will crow soon, and it's inconvenient for us to act in the living world. Bi'an, put them in the Shadow Realm for now. The Judge instructed us to be quick."
My eyes widened—one thought filled my mind: We're doomed. Usually, ghosts can move freely in the daytime thanks to the Shadow Realm. If we're dragged into it, we'll have no chance.