"Ouch..." I cried out in pain. Just as I tried to get off the bed, a sharp pain shot through my foot and I nearly collapsed. Thankfully, Rachel Lan caught me in time. She rolled up my pant leg, revealing my entire limb mottled with bruises—blue and purple patches everywhere. Only now did the pain spread throughout my body.
I lay back down on the bed.
"Kid, you're pretty badly hurt. Don't move! I'll go get some bruise medicine," said Mr. Cooper.
Strips of dark purple bruises covered my body, all from the Deathbane Aura that had wrapped around me and squeezed them out.
I began recounting everything I had hacked at in the dream to everyone. After Rachel Lan finished listening, she hurriedly pulled out her phone.
"Xiaowei's phone is turned off."
She suddenly said.
I froze, wanting to get up, but instantly cried out in pain.
Mr. Cooper rubbed bruise medicine all over me, then, together with Rachel Lan, moved me to the living room and laid me flat on a mat. Next, Mr. Cooper took out silver needles and a fire cupping jar.
"Hang in there, kid. With injuries like yours, you might not be able to walk for a month or two if things go wrong."
I closed my eyes and felt something cold, yet slightly warm, press against my back. Suddenly, my skin twisted tightly together, and stabbing pain shot through my thighs and calves.
"Relax a bit." Smack! Mr. Cooper slapped my butt, and Rachel Lan quickly held me down as I reflexively tried to get up.
A wave of soreness swept through my body, making me almost struggle to get up.
"Ethan, go soak in the herbal bath in the yard later. My wife has already prepared it for you."
Afterward, I called Hugh Thompson, but he had no idea where Vivian Ouyang had gone. Rachel Lan decided to go directly to her house to look for her.
After soaking in the herbal bath, I felt much better. Now, I lay on the rocking chair beneath a huge banyan tree, mottled sunlight filtering through the leaves and sprinkling over me. It was peaceful. I set my phone aside, waiting for Rachel Lan to call me.
Suddenly, my throat felt uncomfortable. I coughed, and a ball of black flame drifted out of my mouth.
"Ethan Zhang, are you still clueless that disaster is coming for you?"
I blinked. The flame grew larger—it was Redmane, looking impatient.
"You again? Enjoying your time as king in there?"
I replied with a smile.
"Ethan Zhang, I'm not here to waste words with you. The Fire of Malice I left inside you has sensed a strong surge of hatred toward you. And that person... is not easy to deal with."
Instantly, I tensed up.
"So what should I do?"
"How about this—let Yuna Ji in, let us out, and I'll help you solve the problem. Deal?"
After thinking it over, I said.
"No."
Redmane's mouth dropped open, staring at me in disbelief.
"Ethan Zhang, you're really something, aren't you? Don't you get it? My Fire of Malice can sense any ill intent. Because I felt such deep hatred toward you, I was kind enough to warn you."
I yawned and closed my eyes. As for Redmane, I neither wanted to owe him nor get too involved with him. For some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to like him.
As I spoke, I raised my hand, trying to snuff out that ball of black flame—just like I saw John Chou do last time.
"Wait, wait, Ethan Zhang, listen to me!"
"Spit it out. If you've got something to say, say it."
"John Chou aside, just think about it—Yuna Ji is vicious. She just can't recover her strength right now, you know? She brought you to Shadowbane Mountain, claiming she's looking for medicine for you, but that's just an excuse. What she really wants is the Ghostroot Blossom, which only blooms once every hundred years. She's already taken it. Once she regains her power, you..."
Before Redmane could finish, I pinched my fingers together and the black flame vanished.
"Ethan, who are you talking to?" Mrs. Blake, supported by Mr. Cooper, walked into the yard.
"Grandma, I was just talking to a rather annoying guy!"
"Ethan, I heard that young man named Damian Chen—is he the current Dragon Zodiac among the Zodiac Twelve?"
I nodded.
"Not bad, old lady. So young and already able to inherit the Dragon Zodiac." Mr. Cooper laughed.
"By the way, Grandma, are the Zodiac Twelve of the Nether Syndicate really that powerful?"
"Of course they're powerful, kid. You know the twelve zodiac animals, right?"
I nodded.
"Last time, I heard that the Nether Syndicate fought that nasty thing in your building—and lost. If the three Zodiac Twelve members hadn't had conflicting attributes, even John Chou wouldn't have been able to handle it."
I looked at Mr. Cooper, half believing, half doubting.
"It's like me and my wife—I'm the Dragon, she's the Rooster. That nasty thing was tough, but after it got hit with the Nether Trifold Binding, it could still stand. Later, though, it was wounded in its ghost soul. So when your soul was taken by the Ghost Syndicate, it couldn't fight them head-on."
I let out an 'oh,' still not quite convinced.
"Alright, Ethan, you'll understand in time. Just remember: the Zodiac Twelve and the Ten Celestial Stems make up twenty-two people—the backbone of the Nether Syndicate. With the Five Elements supporting them, they're the most formidable force against ghosts in the occult world today."
By 3 p.m., after some rest and food, I called Rachel Lan. She still hadn't found Vivian Ouyang.
Then Rachel Lan said she'd come pick me up. I got up and left the shop, planning to wait for her at the street corner.
"Ethan..." Suddenly, a familiar voice—Yuna Ji. She looked fresh and lively, wearing hot pants, sneakers, red sunglasses, and a white hat.
"What are you doing?"
Since there was still plenty of time—Rachel Lan would need at least half an hour to arrive—we left Fortune-Telling Street and found a place to sit and have a drink.
"Ethan, you'd better stay out of Vivian Ouyang's business."
I let out a sound of surprise and looked at Yuna Ji.
"You know her?" I asked, puzzled, recalling that last time, when we were dealing with the hair zombie, Yuna Ji talked to Vivian Ouyang, who was frozen in fear.
As for Vivian Ouyang, even the Black and White Envoys said she was born dead. Last time, they couldn't even find Rachel Lan's soul at first. Someone out there was interfering, but eventually, the Black and White Envoys managed to bring Rachel Lan's soul over.
Just thinking about last night—entering that dream, Vivian Ouyang's head rolled to my feet, and that person's voice...
Yuna Ji shook her head, then nodded.
"Ethan, she should have died long ago, but she's still alive," Yuna Ji said, standing up.
"Ethan, if you insist on going, remember—no matter what happens, don't get involved with Vivian Ouyang. She can't die."
With that, Yuna Ji left the shop and disappeared into the crowd. At 4:30, Rachel Lan arrived by car, looking gloomy.
"Any luck?"
"No luck. Xiao Wei's phone is off. I checked her house and went to the hospital to see her parents. No one knows where she is."
Then Rachel Lan and I headed straight to Nanping Road to wait, because that's where the incident in my nightmare took place. Sure enough, when we reached the middle section, I saw a big sign on the left for Tianhui Foods Co., Ltd.
Rachel Lan drove into an underground parking lot. Suddenly, I noticed several black vans—Ghost Burial Squad vehicles. Hugh Thompson and his team were beside one, using a suitcase and a board to set up a makeshift mahjong table. Four of them sat on stools, playing mahjong.
"Why are they here?"
"I just told Officer Shi about your dream. He immediately mobilized people from thirteen teams to set up a perimeter nearby."
"They believe it?"
Rachel Lan nodded.
"The police special criminal department is taking this matter very seriously. Officer Shi said that it would be best if the man in the iron mask could be captured alive."
Soon, the other cars in the underground parking lot left as their owners returned, and the entire garage was temporarily requisitioned by the police.
But now, the empty parking garage was filled with the clattering sound of mahjong tiles—six tables of mahjong, and three tables of card games.
I blinked. What kind of scene is this?
"You get used to it after a while. In Qingyuan, no one knows when it started, but every member of the Ghost Burial Squad takes the chance to play mahjong or cards whenever they're on a mission and get a break."
"Doesn't that mean they can't get any work done?"
Rachel Lan smiled and shook her head.
"Not really. No one knows if, after dealing with ghosts, they'll ever come back. So they treat it like a game—even if they die, they want to have their fun first. That's what Xiao Wei told me."
I shook my head helplessly. It’s true—no matter what, this group always seems carefree and unserious.
"Damn, kid, what kind of luck do you have tonight? You keep getting winning hands! When we go for barbecue later, it’s on you." Hu Tianshuo pointed at a teammate who was grinning from ear to ear.
"Alright, alright, I get it. What do you guys want to eat?"
Soon, people in the empty parking lot started calling out for drinks.
"What about you two? What do you want to eat?"
The man was short, dressed in a black uniform, and walked over to ask.
"Get me some grilled beef," Rachel Lan said bluntly.
"Same for me," I said, a bit embarrassed as I looked at the short man.
Night had fallen completely. Members of the Ghost Burial Squad kept playing mahjong as they worked, contacting patrols outside while they played.
After eating, I lay back in Rachel Lan’s car and closed my eyes to rest.
"This is Team 11, inside the hardware building. Requesting backup!" A frantic shout cut through the air, and the sound of mahjong stopped instantly. Every member of the Ghost Burial Squad stood up. I hurriedly opened the car door and rushed out with them.
"Looks like the bait’s been taken. Shi, seal off the area—lock down that hardware building."
Hu Tianshuo immediately grabbed the walkie-talkie and started shouting orders.