I had lost track of how much time had passed. Powerless, I sat on the ground in the Instinctive Space. Of all my Ghost Souls, the only one I could mimic almost perfectly was Deathbane Ghost, followed by the Spirit Snake and Zhu Tang.
Curse Ghost, Grudge Ghost, and Lament Ghost I could only partially mimic. As for Desire Ghost and Yin Ghost, I was completely lost. The powers of Deathbane Ghost and Spirit Snake, and Zhu Tang's flames, were ones I'd used for a long time, so I could manage them. The rest—Curse Ghost, Grudge Ghost, and Lament Ghost—I'd only encountered briefly before.
"This won't work, Ethan Zhang. That guy's Specter Web is much stronger than yours. He can sense your presence in an instant, and if he catches even the slightest anomaly, he'll grab you right away. If you get caught, we'll all be subdued in a flash."
Deathbane Ghost looked at me anxiously. I squatted on the ground, unable to come up with a solution. Just then, laughter echoed from the sky—I immediately sensed it was Thought Ghost. A black-and-red chain descended from above, and the long-absent Thought Ghost landed before us with a wicked grin.
"A wise decision. If you want to deceive others, my power is the most practical. Where Ethan Zhang falls short, I can make up for it. In just an instant, I can twist that bull's thoughts, and once his mind is altered, his perception will follow. He won't be able to tell which Ethan Zhang is real."
I watched Deathbane Ghost's grave expression. The other Ghost Souls glared at Thought Ghost with utter loathing. This guy once tried to seize everything from me, altering the minds of my Ghost Souls. If Zhu Tang hadn't arrived in time, I'd have been finished.
"This guy can't be trusted. If he finds another chance to exploit the chaos, we'll end up right back where we started."
Deathbane Ghost spoke up immediately. Zhu Tang and Desire Ghost nodded in agreement, but Yin Ghost shook his head.
"You'd better behave yourself when you get back, Ethan Zhang. The root cause of the chaos in the Three Paths is definitely John Chou—there's no doubt about it. Before he tried to destroy the Three Paths with Bloodbane Power, he was already in contact with the Animal Realm and the Hell Realm. Through that old servant who possessed Asura Power, we've warned him more than once, but he still did things in secret that caused the Three Paths to fall into chaos."
I sat in silence as the Ghost Souls began to argue. Thought Ghost burst into laughter.
"The final decision rests with Ethan Zhang. It's none of your business, isn't it? Ethan Zhang, if you really want to escape this city smoothly, you'd better cooperate with me. There's no other way."
I stared quietly at Thought Ghost. He was the same as ever, but now his face looked even more sinister than before—clearly influenced by ghostly power.
"If you betray me again..."
"Don't be so harsh, Ethan Zhang. The reason I betrayed you before was because you hesitated, unable to choose between being human and ghost. Your human strength couldn't grow any further—your body was ruined, yet you kept clinging to that useless human power. I couldn't stand it. Now, things feel much better. As a ghost, you're much stronger than you ever were as a human."
As Thought Ghost spoke, the red segments of the chain around him faded away. He looked at Curse Ghost and smiled with satisfaction.
"Such a petty trick won't fool me, Ethan Zhang."
I nodded slightly. Deathbane Ghost sighed and finally unlocked the black chain from Thought Ghost.
Once we finalized the plan, I recalled from memory that Bull City had a straight, downward passage. That route was for Deathbane Ghost, while I would head south.
"Remember this, brother: this plan might put you at odds with the Underworld Court. Think it through."
From the mighty Infernal Judges to the ordinary gray-clad ghosts, they're all the same.
"Looks like you've all accepted it. All right, Ethan Zhang, I'll help you properly from here on out."
Thought Ghost's mouth stretched wide as he spoke, his smile twisted and chilling to the bone.
"Brother, it's almost time."
I saw the forest and immediately dropped into it. The Bullhorn King had already caught Deathbane Ghost, and the other Ghost Souls were still fleeing into the distance. I ran frantically through the woods, searching for the place with the densest ghost energy. Soon, I noticed a cave to my left, filled with chaotic ghost energy. As soon as I entered, I opened my Ghost Domain and flew inside.
"There was a minor issue, but the basic plan is set."
When I couldn't perfectly mimic the aura of the Ghost Souls, Thought Ghost would immediately use his power to twist the Bullhorn King's thoughts, making him believe I was one of the other Ghost Souls. I'd already discussed it with Yin Ghost—she and I would swap places. In the instant we split, I'd become Yin Ghost and she'd become me. All my Ghost Souls could flawlessly become me; I'd noticed this during the Black Banquet. But for me to become one of them and match their power attributes exactly—that was impossible.
To make the deception more convincing, when Deathbane Ghost escaped, he'd deliberately slip up and release a bit of ghost energy.
Once we finalized the plan, I recalled from memory that Bull City had a straight, downward passage. That route was for Deathbane Ghost, while I would head south.
"Remember this, brother: this plan might put you at odds with the Underworld Court. Think it through."
John Chou said, and I smiled.
"I've never liked these people from the start. Enough about them, John Chou—I'll come back as fast as I can, and I'll find a way to rescue you."
Two hours later, I heard the sound of running water. The Bullhorn King, tall and imposing, walked in from around the corner.
"Have you made up your mind, Ethan Zhang?"
I nodded.
"Take me back immediately. I need to confront the Infernal Judges and tell the other Ghost Sovereigns what happened here."
The Bullhorn King looked at me in surprise. After a moment, he raised a hand, and in an instant I was outside the cell, still unable to move. He held me aloft, his power binding my Ghost Souls. As he floated me away, I glanced back at John Chou, who waved a claw. I nodded, and the Bullhorn King carried me out of the cave.
Dazed, I found myself back in the tent. The Bullhorn King released me, and I had no idea how I'd gotten out. Thinking back, the sensation was strange—like being pulled through a massive supernatural space. For a split second, I glimpsed rocks outside, but I couldn't be sure.
Thought Ghost's voice echoed in my mind. I shut my eyes and charged straight through the green barrier. At that moment, I sensed the Bullhorn King hesitating behind me. The ghostly barrier was likely the beginning of some supernatural technique, but that brief hesitation allowed us to transform into streaks of green light and scatter throughout the city.
"What the hell is going on?"
The Bullhorn King muttered to himself. He'd already caught Grudge Ghost and pinned him to the ground, but with a snap, Grudge Ghost turned into black resentment and drifted away. I could feel Grudge Ghost returning to my body.
"Don't think you can fool me."
A flash of memory appeared in my mind: Deathbane Ghost fleeing north. The Bullhorn King took the bait and chased after him, while I had already flown out of the city, heading for the ground.
I saw the forest and dropped into it in an instant. Deathbane Ghost had already been caught by the Bullhorn King, while the other Ghost Souls were still escaping into the distance. I sprinted through the woods, searching for the place with the densest ghost energy. Soon, I noticed a cave to my left, filled with chaotic ghost energy. As soon as I entered, I opened my Ghost Domain and flew inside.
Back in the courtyard in front of the apartment building, I gasped for breath as the Ghost Souls lined up before me one by one.
"That went pretty well. Thank you."
I looked up. Thought Ghost had already chained up Yin Ghost and Deathbane Ghost.