"At that time, it was John Chou who reacted first—he exposed everything. His face changed instantly. I originally had an agreement with Quentin Kue: after the Netherhell situation was resolved, I would release them. I didn’t expect those six guys to start planning their escape on the very first day they went in."
Yuna Ji descended from the balcony and walked toward me.
"Ethan, you have to believe me—I didn’t do it on purpose. I really didn’t mean to set up those six guys. I apologized to them right away."
I responded with an "Oh," glanced at Yuna Ji, and smiled. Then Yuna Ji put away her smile and grew serious.
"I just said, maybe I did trick John Chou once—and only once. But that guy did it on purpose. He knew I was setting them up, but said nothing, and went down into Abyssal Hell with us. Then, during our argument, he ran off. By then, Underworld Court agents were already closing in."
As Yuna Ji spoke, her gaze fixed on the distance.
"The six of us became his bait, endlessly chased by the Underworld Court, while he alone vanished for decades."
I stared in shock, mouth agape, unable to utter a word.
"I asked John Chou about it. His Rage Blood was finally reforged in Abyssal Hell."
My mind flooded with words: deceit, double-cross, layered schemes, one trap after another.
"So, John Chou knew all along that I was in league with the Underworld Court. It was me who leaked their situation. I only figured all this out after spending over a hundred years in the Brahma Tower. It was John Chou who took me to meet the other five, and told me about their affairs. After all, I’d helped him plenty—I thought he really saw me as a friend, so he confided in me. I thought I’d tricked him, but in reality, he tricked me. Decades later, when John Chou returned to the living world, he claimed supremacy and bared his fangs."
Then Yuna Ji released strands of black-green Specter Webs. She nodded, and I released my own, linking them together.
"Back then, at the Bridge of Remorse, the seven of us parted ways. Decades later, those seven evil ghosts came to be known collectively as the Sevenfold Ghost Sovereigns."
I looked at Yuna Ji seriously and nodded. My consciousness began to blur, fading away.
They say the onlooker sees clearly while the one involved is lost. I could glimpse some of John Chou's tracks again, and my heart couldn't help but race with excitement.
The sound of running water. I regained consciousness. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw seven Ghost Sovereigns standing on the Bridge of Remorse, watching. Their gaze fixed just ahead—where Lady Meng’s dwelling stood, and the path to reincarnation began.
"Nathan Chung, that old guy, is truly formidable. If it weren’t for Yvonne May, none of us would be standing on this bridge, admiring the beauty of the petals dancing in the sunset."
Bertram said this, standing next to Yvonne May, gazing at the quietly flowing Sanzu River.
"So what if he’s strong? Didn’t he still get knocked down? Ha—feels good, that’s all that matters."
Redmond said this, then sprawled out on the Bridge of Remorse, arms and legs spread wide in a star shape, grinning with satisfaction.
John Chou leaned against the railing, gazing at the river. He reached out and picked a petal from a Red Spider Lily, bringing it to his nose for a sniff.
Lord Shenyan stood motionless behind John Chou.
"I mean, we’re already out—so why the gloomy faces? Yuna Ji, are you hiding something from us all?"
John Chou said this quietly, and Yuna Ji responded with an awkward laugh.
"Happy? Of course I’m happy! Heh, alright, let’s watch a little longer, then we should go, right, Little Mona?"
Yuna Ji said this, draping herself over Mona Ouyang, arms around him. At this moment, Mona Ouyang looked as youthful as ever, just as I’d seen before—a shy, awkward teenager.
"Move over, Yuna Ji."
Mona Ouyang brusquely pushed the giggling Yuna Ji aside, gripping the railing with both hands. But at barely over a meter tall, he squatted like a child, peering through the gaps at the beautiful view. Then Lord Shenyan walked over—towering at more than two meters, he easily hoisted Mona Ouyang onto his shoulder.
"The seven of us..."
John Chou smiled gently, then his face suddenly darkened. With a whoosh, a gust of wind swept over, scattering Red Spider Lily petals on both sides of the Sanzu River. The petals danced in the wind, drifting toward the seven figures, who all looked up, gazing into the distance—at the everlasting dusk and the sky filled with swirling Red Spider Lily petals.
"Someday, we might have a fierce fight—until one of us emerges victorious."
John Chou said this, his smile returning. All the Ghost Sovereigns nodded in agreement.
"Hmph, anyway, I’ll be the one standing at the top in the end. Sure, I can’t beat a few of you now, but once I’m back in the living world, there’ll be plenty of delicious Malice Wraiths waiting for me."
Redmond said this, licking his lips.
At that moment, the faces of the seven Ghost Sovereigns changed. Yvonne May raised her hand, and a gray, hazy object appeared, which she quickly drew back into her palm.
"They’re almost here—the Underworld Court’s pursuers. They must have already seen everything in Abyssal Hell."
All seven Ghost Sovereigns looked up at the Bridge of Remorse.
"We’re about to part ways. But there are some things I think the seven of us should know—clearly."
John Chou said this, then turned to look at Yuna Ji.
"What’s up, John Chou? Why are you staring at me?"
"Yuna Ji, we were cast into Abyssal Hell—surely you know why? What’s the real reason?"
John Chou’s voice was sharp, almost accusatory. Yuna Ji panicked instantly.
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"Huh? Wasn’t it just that the Underworld Court didn’t like us, and we did evil, so they caught us?"
"That’s not it, is it?"
No sooner had John Chou spoken than Yvonne May turned her head.
"Stop beating around the bush, John Chou. If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out. What I hate most is your kind of dithering."
"Confession earns leniency, Yuna Ji."
John Chou smirked again, but Yuna Ji just played dumb, shaking her head repeatedly.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Brother Chou, what’s really going on?"
Bertram asked, and John Chou burst out laughing. Then he began to explain why the seven evil ghosts ended up in Abyssal Hell. The cause and effect were basically exactly as Yuna Ji had told me.
"You bitch, Yuna Ji."
After speaking, Bertram suddenly cursed out loud. The six other Ghost Sovereigns glared furiously at Yuna Ji, who backed up to the edge of the bridge, awkwardly forcing a smile.
"I didn’t..."
But facing six pairs of angry eyes, Yuna Ji lowered her head, then forced a relaxed smile.
"Alright, alright, we’re out now, so just forgive me, okay?"
Not a single Ghost Sovereign gave Yuna Ji a friendly look.
Just then, all seven Ghost Sovereigns looked up at the Bridge of Remorse. Redmond was still lying on the bridge, pounding it with his fists.
"Damn it, Yuna Ji, you bitch! I knew you were acquainted with that old bastard Quentin Kue. So it was you, it was you..."
But at that moment, John Chou was the first to start running.
"If you guys don’t run, you’ll end up back in Abyssal Hell again."
John Chou said this, a wicked grin at the corner of his mouth. He ran toward Lady Meng’s dwelling. I’d already noticed his gaze lingering there.
The other six Ghost Sovereigns also started to flee. Yuna Ji leapt into the Sanzu River with a splash and swam away quickly.
"Just you wait, Yuna Ji."
Redmond got up, cursing loudly. Soon, I saw the other five Ghost Sovereigns heading toward the Yellow Springs Road.
The vision cut off completely at this point, and I regained consciousness. Yuna Ji clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
"Heh, that John Chou, honestly..."
I sighed. I really didn’t know what to say about everything that had happened to them. Even though the others blamed Yuna Ji, by now, that resentment must have faded.
Those six—no, five—must know full well that after vanishing for decades, they could immediately dominate the ghost path and become Ghost Sovereigns. The years spent in Abyssal Hell were far from wasted.