I stared silently at the television, flipping through channels. A whole day had passed, but there was no news about Hongmao. The kidnapping case had vanished without a trace.
Jerry Li was still playing around. I put down the remote and slumped into the sofa.
Thinking back, it was listening to Scarlet that got me into this mess. There’s no other way back to the Living World; at least on Mount Shade I had some freedom. Here, I feel trapped—Lan Ruoxi’s memory keeps bursting into my mind every day.
Jerry Li seemed worn out from playing. He walked over to me, grinning happily.
"Don’t worry. There’s always a way out," he chuckled.
I just grunted. No matter how I tried to think of a solution, there wasn’t one. I’m no match for King Hollowbelly, and being trapped is my biggest problem. But thinking gets me nowhere. I turned to Jerry Li and asked:
"Do you know anything about the ghost domain?"
"Why bring that up now? Even if you enter your own ghost domain, you still won’t be able to leave."
Just then, I saw a black rift open in the courtyard. A cart rolled out, pushed by a man and a woman in staff uniforms, loaded with food. Behind them, a group of newly arrived female ghosts chattered noisily.
Jerry Li rubbed his hands together, looking eager.
"Not bad, especially the one at the end. She’s quite pretty," he said.
I looked over and saw a beautiful woman with purple hair, dressed in a tight outfit. Her face was cold and distant.
"Women with that kind of cold exterior... You never know, maybe there’s another side to her under those clothes," he said.
Something about her reminded me of someone I’d seen before. I stood up, and Jerry Li immediately hopped down.
"Fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat," the staff member pushing the cart announced.
One of the ghostly staff pushing the cart said this, then smiled at me.
I stared at the ghostly staff member, puzzled. There was a familiar look in his eyes, but I couldn’t recall where I’d seen him before.
Jerry Li, acting like a restless monkey, immediately walked up to the purple-haired woman and started flirting, his hand reaching for her back.
With a smack, the purple-haired woman suddenly blocked Jerry Li’s hand and glared at him.
"Zhang Qingyuan, come upstairs," she said.
I responded with a sound of surprise. The ghostly staff member who had pushed the cart also smiled and walked over, patting my shoulder as he passed.
"Let’s talk upstairs first," he said.
I looked at them, confused. It was as if they treated this place like their own home. Once upstairs, the ghostly staff member immediately grabbed the wine and food from the table and started eating and drinking. Jerry Li, looking excited, stood behind the purple-haired woman, reaching out his hand.
"Jerry Li, if you move even a finger, I’ll cut off what’s below," the woman threatened.
Jerry Li immediately raised his hands to his mouth and retreated several steps.
I stared in shock.
"Zi Feng, Lin Rui, is that you?" I asked.
"Qingyuan, you’re still the same as ever. Just a little thought and you figured it out," Lin Rui said.
The ghostly staff member’s face briefly flashed green, then returned to normal. It really was Lin Rui, the driver. I let out a sigh of relief. The purple-haired woman also slowly shed her cold exterior, revealing her tight outfit and a purple mask covering her face.
"I’m surprised to see you here, Jerry Li. What brings you to this place?"
Lin Rui muttered something under his breath. Jerry Li burst out laughing, immediately ordering more wine and food to be brought up.
Zi Feng glared at Jerry Li with disgust, while Jerry Li could only force a stiff smile.
"How did you get in here?"
I asked, confused. Jerry Li had already told me about the sponge theory yesterday.
"Getting in is easy. Getting out is the hard part."
Lin Rui muttered, while Zi Feng remained silent and walked to the window to observe the outside.
"Honestly, your boss is loaded—he threw out a hundred billion like it was nothing. Was it really necessary for you to sneak in?"
After sitting down, Jerry Li muttered this, and Zi Feng shot him a cold look.
"Do you think we run a bank?"
Lin Rui laughed, stood up, and pointed outside.
"Qingyuan, this place looks pretty good," he said.
"I have to get back to the Living World as soon as possible," I said.
I said, and Lin Rui nodded.
"Don’t worry, the other Zhang Qingyuan has already found the marker."
I made a sound of acknowledgment. Zi Feng was still gazing outside, lost in thought, then turned to me with a faint smile in her eyes.
"There’s a way, but it’ll be difficult for you," she said.
I let out a sound of surprise, and Lin Rui looked helpless.
All afternoon, Zi Feng explained the ghost array and everything we needed to do next. After listening for hours, I realized much of it was impossible—the plan had to be put on hold for now.
If I want to leave this place, I have to pass through the ghost array set by King Hollowbelly. The changes in this formation follow the number nine—complicated like squares and cubes in mathematics. Every step must be perfect. Lin Rui and Jerry Li were both shocked. They said even handling a few changes in the array was nearly impossible, let alone the cubic complexity.
"Only Miss Zi Feng is skilled enough for something like this. Let’s just enjoy ourselves for a few days and wait for Hollowbelly to show up. When he does, it’s best to negotiate honestly with him."
"Sorry," I said.
As I spoke, Lin Rui shook his head and looked at Jerry Li.
"Aren’t you planning to do something?"
"Doesn’t concern me, does it?"
Jerry Li said this, grinning at Lin Rui. Zi Feng glared at him before saying:
"Take out Hollowbelly."
I let out a sound of surprise. Jerry Li stared at Zi Feng in shock.
"Hey, Miss Zi Feng, you’re not serious, are you? If you take out that guy, the big boss next door will come for us. We won’t stand a chance."
Jerry Li continued,
"Besides, Hollowbelly isn’t some weakling. Even if you get a chance to take him out, the fight will go on forever."
What Jerry Li said was a real problem. If a fight broke out, the whole underworld would know in an instant. Forget escaping—Zi Feng and Lin Rui would be in danger too.
The City of Wrongful Death is so close—if a fight starts, King Bian will come at any moment. I know how terrifying the Yama Kings are. Even though they’re ghosts, they’re nothing like the top-tier Ghost Sovereigns or Ghost Lords. In the underworld, no one can stand against the Yama Kings.
"Qingyuan, how did you end up here?"
Lin Rui looked at me, puzzled. I told him about my experiences coming here with Lord Shen Yan. Zi Feng listened quietly, while Jerry Li smiled at us.
"Looks like you got played," Jerry Li said.
I nodded. That’s all I could think—Scarlet Ghost had set me up.
"Not necessarily, Jerry Li. In this situation, the only way to the Living World is through here. Crossing Hell to the surrounding areas or Ghost Gate isn’t realistic. The underworld is on full lockdown. Enough talk—let’s eat and drink for now. Everything’s free anyway."
Lin Rui said this, and he and Jerry Li went downstairs. Zi Feng was still gazing outside, puzzled. Suddenly, she drew a short blade as long as her arm and slashed.
A spray of white liquid burst into the air with a sizzling sound. Zi Feng dodged, and the liquid dripped to the floor—sticky, but I had no idea what it was. I stared in confusion.
"What’s going on, Miss Zi Feng?"
I stared at Zi Feng’s slash. It was so fast, I hadn’t seen it clearly.
"Not sure yet. Let’s go, Zhang Qingyuan. Head downstairs first," Zi Feng said.
By the pool, the barbecue grill was set up. Lin Rui and Jerry Li, wearing swim trunks, were playing with the female ghosts in the water, laughing and having fun.
Zi Feng held a glass of juice, lost in thought. I didn’t disturb her. This time, they’d blended in with the staff of the ghost company to get inside.
"Lin Rui, can’t your Shadow Realm help here?"
I suddenly asked, and Lin Rui shook his head.
"If we were on Mount Shade or elsewhere in the underworld, I could get you out. But here, in the heart of the underworld, there’s nothing I can do."
I left the poolside and sat down by a tree. Suddenly, I jumped up, feeling a wet heat on my backside—a sticky, watery substance. I wiped it off on the grass, but the ground was covered in this transparent, viscous liquid. It was disgusting.
Lin Rui climbed out of the pool, noticed my situation, and walked over.
"Qingyuan, what’s—"
In an instant, Lin Rui’s expression changed. A surge of ghost energy erupted, green light flashing. He grabbed my collar and dragged me toward the pool.
I was about to ask what was happening when, with a boom, something crashed down where I’d just been.
"Is the Hall of Malice really going to ignore me like this?"
My eyes widened—it was King Hollowbelly. Instantly, the female ghosts and staff panicked, fleeing into a black corridor. Within moments, only the four of us remained by the pool. King Hollowbelly’s face twisted with rage, a wild, hysterical fury.
"What do you want, Hollowbelly?"
With a whoosh, Zi Feng flashed in front of me, gripping her short blade in reverse. Hollowbelly grinned, squinting—his smile was chilling.
With a boom, I stared wide-eyed as Hollowbelly’s massive hand smashed down at Zi Feng.
A powerful gust slammed into us. Lin Rui and I both raised our hands, but our bodies were flung into the air. When I came to, we were outside the villa, on a deserted street surrounded by piles of building materials.
"Impressive," Zi Feng said.
Zi Feng hadn’t moved an inch. She raised her short blade, blocking Hollowbelly’s arm.
King Hollowbelly’s eyes snapped open, his smile growing stiff.