Half-Step Town was gradually fading behind me. I kept my head down, bracing against the wind and sand, moving quickly. The light around me was dimming.
The dark clouds began to disperse, revealing the moon. Here, the moon was always a crescent, never changing. I knew so little about everything in the Ghostrealm.
It was silent all around. Apart from the wind and the sound of sand and stones being swept up, there was nothing—unlike the world of the living, where you might still see small animals or insects in places like this.
The more I lived among ghosts, the more I realized I didn’t understand them as well as I thought. As Yin Choujian once told me, my knowledge of ghosts was far too limited.
Just then, I heard the sound of hooves. It seemed to come from ahead and to the left. I looked over, alert, and gradually saw a horse—someone was riding it.
“Ethan, is that you?” A voice called out—it was Dalton Fang. His chubby figure sat atop a horse with blood-red eyes and a gaunt frame, looking unsettling.
“What are you doing here?”
“Everyone’s fine now. So, did you find that ghost called Li Si?”
I smiled and nodded.
“What’s wrong, Ethan? Did something happen? Get on the horse first.”
I nodded, but when I looked at the horse, which barely reached my shoulder, I hesitated, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Will this thing hold up?" I asked, doubtful.
"Hey, don't worry about it. Just get on," Dalton Fang said.
I climbed onto the horse. Dalton Fang turned its head, and I noticed he was riding in circles.
"Why aren't you going straight?" I asked.
"You don't know, Ethan. This beast refuses to take a single extra step near Bitterwater Pond, no matter how much I whip it. That's why I just got here. Let's go, everyone's waiting for you."
I nodded, and the ghost horse galloped across the wasteland beneath me.
Later, I learned that after my cousin and I left, they were attacked by a group of ghosts. After dealing with a few, Hugh Thompson told everyone to stop fighting, and they were all captured when the second wave of ghosts arrived.
Everyone was taken to a cave, where they saw my cousin, tightly bound. His identity as a living person had been exposed. The ghosts planned to gut him and cook him, but after subduing them, they learned I had gone to Half-Step Town alone.
The ghosts at Trickster Ridge were basically a band of robbers. They liked to mess with passing ghosts before robbing them. Their leader was Wendy Wood, the female ghost who knocked out two of my teeth.
Thinking about it, I couldn't help but laugh. I remembered when I first crossed Qiyin Mountain, Rose Harper kept pestering me. Following what Yin Choujian had taught me, I struck her right in the face. Suddenly, my expression changed. Something felt off.
Rose Harper is a Blue Wraith. When I was on the Yellow Springs Road, she blocked my way, but I actually scared her. How did that happen? Back then, I couldn't even hurt her, and even now, I probably couldn't lay a finger on her.
But now's not the time to think about that. We need to head back, then move on to Circle City.
Two hours later, I saw Trickster Ridge. Dalton Fang rode ahead, grinning, and charged straight toward a stone wall.
Startled, I watched as we passed through the stone wall. Inside was a massive cavern, piled with all sorts of things, almost like a village. Hugh Thompson was discussing something with the others, while the ghosts—about twenty or thirty of them—stood nearby, looking nervous.
"What's wrong, beauty? Weren't you just threatening to eat me?"
After I got off the horse, I glanced over with resentment. Wendy Wood, the female ghost, was tied up with a red rope, hanging from a tree. My cousin held a piece of straw, teasing Wendy Wood's face and pinching her butt.
"Let me go, you damned monk! Why are you so perverted?"
"Come on, miss, you tied me up and threatened to kill me. I suffered serious trauma, you know. At the very least, you owe me some compensation. Haha!"
"Damn it, cousin, what the hell are you doing?"
I walked over and stopped my cousin's absurd antics. Even though she was a ghost, she was still a woman. My cousin looked lecherous, hands outstretched.
"Come on, cousin, you have no idea how they tortured me after I got caught. I deserve to have some fun to make up for it."
"Just you wait. If I survive today, I won't let any of you off the hook. Especially you—you knocked out my teeth! Look!"
Wendy Wood opened her mouth, showing white, neat teeth—except for two missing front teeth. I smiled awkwardly, while my cousin burst out laughing.
"Ethan, you're so slow. What's the situation?"
Rufina Howard came over and kicked at my cousin's butt, but this time he dodged nimbly.
"Your legs are so short, yet you always want to kick people."
"You pervert! Come here—I'm not going to beat you to death."
Rufina Howard raised her fist and chased after him.
"Are you guys here to mess around or what?"
Hugh Thompson couldn't stand it anymore. The two stopped messing around. Rufina Howard stuck out her tongue, while my cousin scratched his head awkwardly.
"Lock up these ghosts first," Hugh Thompson said.
Mason Yu spoke up. Miles Mao responded with an 'okay,' pulling out a small jar plastered with two yellow talismans. He walked over to the pile of ghosts and smiled.
"Soldiers follow the seal, by celestial decree... Rise!"
The two talismans floated up.
"Are you going in on your own, or do I have to force you?"
The ghosts lined up and entered the jar one by one.
"Filthy Taoist, how dare you..." one ghost protested.
"What? You started this, now it's your turn."
"Wait, Miles, I have some questions for her," I said.
Then I realized Wendy Wood was the highest-ranking ghost here—a Yellow Page Ghost. I was surprised. Such a small Yellow Page Ghost had played my cousin and me for fools, and even managed to capture my cousin.
I shot my cousin a resentful look.
"Damn it, you let that female ghost catch you on purpose, didn't you?"
"No, Ethan, I struggled as hard as I could. She just got lucky."
We all sat together, and I gave a quick rundown of the Li Si situation. Hugh Thompson opened the map Li Si had given me and spread it out. Black lines marked many places, with detailed notes everywhere—a complete map.
"Nice, this will make things much easier," Hugh Thompson said, smiling as he stood up and took off his glasses. He walked over to Wendy Wood, looking menacing.
"Tell me, how can you and your gang outsmart ghosts stronger than you?"
"I don't know," Wendy Wood replied.
"If you don't talk, I'll kill you," Mason Yu threatened, raising the Celestial Chord Sword and pointing it at her.
"Kill me if you want. I have nothing to lose. Since you caught me, I never expected to survive."
As she spoke, my cousin spread his arms and blocked Mason Yu.
"Hey, hey, don't do that. It's a bunch of guys bullying one woman. Let her go," he said.
Hugh Thompson pressed his palm to my cousin's forehead and pushed him aside.
"Go play somewhere else. Don't get in the way," Hugh Thompson said.
My cousin looked at Hugh Thompson with resentment, squatted on the ground, and drew circles. Rufina Howard also seemed a bit uncomfortable.
"Glasses, the pervert's got a point. Even if she's a ghost..." Rufina Howard started.
"Kids still in diapers should keep quiet," Hugh Thompson interrupted.
As Hugh Thompson spoke, Rufina Howard charged over angrily, only to be grabbed by Miles Mao.
"Alright, alright, let Hugh handle it. Let's not butt in," Miles Mao said.
"So you won't talk?" Hugh Thompson asked, smiling as he turned and called out.
"Howard Zhang, come here," Hugh Thompson called.
My cousin walked over, looking unhappy.
"Think carefully. If she doesn't talk, I'll let this monk strip her down. He loves beautiful female ghosts, and there's a little hut right over there. You decide," Hugh Thompson threatened.
As soon as Hugh Thompson finished, he stepped aside. I blinked, watching him. At first my cousin looked dazed, but then he burst out laughing.
"Go on, miss. If you don't talk, I won't be so polite," my cousin said.
"You guys..." Rufina Howard couldn't take it anymore. Suddenly, she erupted in blue light, flinging Miles Mao aside and charging, kicking at Hugh Thompson's butt.
With a bang, Hugh Thompson was kicked to the ground. I rushed over, but as soon as I tried to touch Rufina Howard, I felt a strong force around her. The moment I got close, I was bounced away.
My cousin screamed, clutching himself and squatting in pain.
"Alright, alright... I'll talk!" Wendy Wood shouted.
That's when we learned that Trickster Ridge was full of Chaoswood. It could mess with a ghost's senses, making it impossible to tell directions. When powerful ghosts showed up, Wendy Wood and her gang would let them wander in the woods until they were exhausted, then rob them.
The Chaoswood let ghosts move freely, acting like a passage for those who knew the way. Wendy Wood and her gang used it to confuse outsiders, making it impossible for us to figure things out.
Now we realized it could work on humans too.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it," Rufina Howard said apologetically to Hugh Thompson.
Hugh Thompson brushed off the dust, smiled, and patted her head.
"It's alright. Chaoswood is actually really useful for us," he said.
"Hey, you could at least apologize to me too, kid," my cousin said, still clutching himself.
Rufina Howard spat and turned away.
"No need. Your intentions were never pure anyway," she said.