A cracking sound echoed as the emerald green layer on Walter Cao’s face gradually faded, peeling away like fractured stone. My sword was already tightly gripped by Walter Cao, still some distance from that fiery red object within his body.
Walter Cao’s entire face was revealed, as expressionless as ever. I stared at him in shock, tightening my grip on the sword.
"Why? Why did you willingly abandon everything—your kindness, your heart? Answer me, Walter Cao."
I roared, the force of mingled water and smoke bursting out around me. I clenched my sword and thrust it at the glowing, fiery red spot on Walter Cao’s chest.
"No reason, Ethan Zhang."
Walter Cao replied blandly, then began to pull my sword away from his body, inch by inch, while gripping it tightly.
Suddenly, Walter Cao swung a hand at my cheek. With a loud bang, he struck me, forcing my head back. But I didn’t fly off; I anchored myself with Deathbane Aura, digging into the ground to withstand the blow.
"Answer me, Walter Cao! Why? Why bow to evil when you know exactly what you’re doing—why help them?"
Walter Cao burst into wild laughter, his whole face twitching as he laughed uncontrollably.
I knew it—years ago, Walter Cao helped me, for no reason, letting me live a normal life. I didn’t have to worry about the overflow of Yin Energy causing harm to those around me.
"Gentleness..."
Walter Cao stopped laughing and uttered two words. I stared at him in a daze.
"Gentleness can’t protect kindness. Kindness, in the face of absolute evil, is an illusion. There is no absolute good, so you can’t fight absolute evil. Remember this, Ethan Zhang: in this world, there is only hypocrisy. Wherever there are people, there is hypocrisy—self-proclaimed kindness, self-righteousness, but it’s all empty. Hypocrisy only breeds even greater darkness."
I stared blankly at Walter Cao. Suddenly, he kicked me hard, sending me flying backward and crashing to the ground, water splashing everywhere. My body, now fused with Yin Energy and Deathbane Aura, couldn’t hold out much longer—collapse was imminent. I had to finish this.
"It’s not hypocrisy. What you did—for Grace Hu, for your apprentices, and for me—Walter Cao, stop lying to yourself. What is truly in your heart?"
I roared, charging at Walter Cao again. The emerald green layer on his body was crumbling. He pulled a needle from his back and gripped it in his hand.
"It’s useless."
I closed in, swinging my sword—like a ribbon dancing in the air, yet solid—severing the spike in Walter Cao’s hand. He gripped my sword tightly, and the mixture of water and smoke began peeling away the skin on his hand.
"For over two hundred years, I’ve absorbed people’s lifespans and committed countless evil acts. But my heart feels nothing—no pain, no sense of wrong. Without a heart, there’s no suffering, no despair. Even death holds no fear, Ethan Zhang."
Walter Cao gripped my sword with all his might. I quickly let go, and the blade, formed of Deathbane Aura and Yin Energy, instantly dissipated into water and air. I raised my fist, but at that moment, five emerald green needles shot from Walter Cao’s hand, piercing my chest.
Then, with my fist, water and air swirling and spinning, I struck Walter Cao head-on. At that moment, I saw a smile appear at the corner of his mouth.
Who exactly are you...?
With a bang, my punch landed squarely on Walter Cao, sending him flying toward the photo studio. He crashed through the studio door with a loud smash. I spat out a mouthful of black blood, and my body began to swell.
With another bang, the fusion of Deathbane Aura and Yin Energy reached its limit. Black droplets and air kept spraying from around my body. After a long moment, my form finally returned to normal.
The Resentful Ghost and Tong Ghost quickly flew back and entered my body. I slowly stood up, stumbling toward Walter Cao’s photo studio.
Arriving at the photo studio, its door smashed open, I stared blankly at Walter Cao, who sat in the wooden wheelchair, his body already beginning to blur.
At this moment, the darkness around us was shrinking—the ghost domain was collapsing. I looked around the photo studio; every detail was a memory for Walter Cao. His gaze was hazy, his breath weak, and the ghostly aura on his body was fading. He no longer had the strength to stand.
Then I noticed a photograph lying on the ground—a picture of Grace Hu. Walter Cao sat quietly in his wooden wheelchair, his gaze dazed as he looked at the photo on the floor.
I walked over, squatted down, and picked up the photo. Walter Cao reached out his hand; I handed the photo to him. He took it with his left hand and gently touched the picture. For the first time, I saw an expression of pure joy on Walter Cao’s face, as if he had found something long lost.
Gradually, the look of happiness on Walter Cao’s face transformed into a warm smile. He began to laugh joyfully.
This is an old photo I lost. I’ve found it now.
I nodded and stood in front of Walter Cao, quietly watching him. His face showed a trace of sadness.
Do you remember now? All of this. I quietly watched Walter Cao. Everything he had suffered—he called for help, but no one answered. No one came to help him.
But I’m different. I have many friends, and I’ve survived death time and again.
Do it, Ethan Zhang. It’s meaningless now. To die by your hand—I’m happy. Finally, it can end.
Walter Cao spoke weakly. His form was already beginning to dissipate. Even if I didn’t act, he would soon vanish completely.
At that moment, I heard footsteps behind me. Turning around, I saw Claire Zhang—she had returned to herself, staring at me in a daze.
Why did you...?
There’s no reason, Sunny. I promised your father.
I said nothing more. Claire Zhang just stood quietly behind me, silently watching everything. I looked at Walter Cao and slowly raised my Deathbane Aura Blade, aiming at his chest.
Hurry up, Ethan Zhang. I’m about to disappear. Just stab me, and I’ll be gone for good—there’ll be no trace of me left in this world.
I raised the Deathbane Aura Blade and stabbed at Walter Cao, but in an instant, Claire Zhang suddenly grabbed my hand.
Don’t you hate him, Sunny?
Claire Zhang shook her head.
That’s enough, Qingyuan. He’s not a bad person—I can see that clearly. A bad person couldn’t take such beautiful photos. I finally understand what my father always told me: never hold resentment against others.
Claire Zhang spoke, tears streaming down her face. I took a deep breath and shouted loudly.
Grace Hu, I’m about to kill Walter Cao. If you’re still here, come out! Come out and protect him, stay with him like before! Grace Hu, hurry and come out!
I kept shouting, but there was no response. I knew Grace Hu was here—my instincts told me so. In this ghost domain, even though Grace Hu and Walter Cao hadn’t seen each other for over two hundred years, they’d always been together, never apart.
Ever since the Fake Taoist, Huang Mingfa, used lies to lock Walter Cao away in that small room, Walter met Grace Hu—and they’ve never been apart since.
It’s useless, Ethan Zhang. Grace is already dead. After people die, maybe they become ghosts. But when ghosts die, what then? Nothing remains.
I slowly raised the Deathbane Aura Blade, looked at Claire Zhang, and nodded. She moved aside as I aimed at Walter Cao’s chest. He slowly closed his eyes.
Goodbye, Walter Cao.
As I spoke, I drove the Deathbane Aura Blade toward Walter Cao’s chest. The photo he held slipped from his hand, floating gently. Suddenly, the photo glowed faintly. My blade did not stop, continuing toward Walter Cao.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from the photo, grabbing my Deathbane Aura Blade. A hoarse female voice followed, and a glowing figure emerged from the photo. But I did not stop—my blade pierced both the figure and Walter Cao.
Grace...
Walter Cao called out softly, then looked at me in surprise. He said nothing, just stared blankly.
Why, Ethan Zhang?
As soon as Walter Cao finished speaking, his body began to recover. Waves of green light flickered—it was my Deathbane Aura continually flowing into him. He could no longer maintain his ghostly form, but my aura began to restore him, bit by bit.
At that moment, the glowing Grace Hu smiled at me, then retreated into the photo, which quietly fell to the floor.
After a long while, I collapsed to the ground. Walter Cao had recovered considerably, but I was completely exhausted.