We had just reached the seventh floor. Strangely, aside from the staircase behind us leading upward, everything else was walled off. I glanced around nervously.
"Let's go, Howard Zhang. It's fine. Sophie Sun probably just wants to catch up with me."
We kept climbing, floor after floor—four or five in total—and each time, there was only the staircase going up. I kept counting silently in my head. Eventually, we reached the thirteenth floor, where there was just one room: 1301. A female ghost stood at the door, smiling sweetly. It was Sophie Sun.
I walked over to Howard Zhang. He was sitting in his underwear, utterly dejected, as if life had lost all meaning. His eyes were hollow, staring blankly at the floor.
"Ah, it's been so long! You've gotten even prettier."
Sophie Sun giggled, tracing a finger teasingly across Howard Zhang’s chest.
"You're so bad. You never stay to keep me company. I've been so lonely these past few months."
It was raw, naked desire. I saw it blazing in Howard Zhang’s eyes.
"Strike while the iron's hot, right? Heh, come on, let's go inside and catch up." With that, Howard Zhang wrapped his arm around Sophie Sun and headed into the room.
"Howard Zhang, are you out of your mind? Damn it!" I shouted, rushing over.
Sophie Sun turned her head, giving me a contemptuous look. She said:
"CherryBoy."
"By the way, Miss Sun, there should be a Ghost Sovereign here, right? Do you know anything about that?"
My face fell instantly. I stood awkwardly at the door, burning with anger inside.
"At least I... at least I..."
Just thinking of Lily Wu made my chest tighten painfully. When things were good between us, we'd been together quite a few times, though my technique was never any good.
Staring at the door, I was seething. When it came to women, Howard Zhang was practically Lord Wraith—I remembered that nickname. In some ways, he was a lot like those Blue Wraiths.
But Lord Wraith is a real pervert, going after both men and women. Howard Zhang, on the other hand, is extremely popular with women, and all the women who stick with him are always happy. At least, I've seen it many times—never have I seen a woman cry in front of him.
After waiting a long time—maybe half an hour—I was about to press my ear to the door when it suddenly swung open.
As soon as the door opened, I saw Sophie Sun standing there, looking utterly disgusted.
"Pah, trash. I've been waiting for this day, you bastard. Are you even a man?"
As Sophie Sun spat on the floor, she turned her head, glaring at my cousin with disdain.
I hurried inside. On the lavish bed, the covers were a mix of red, black, and blue with floral patterns. Outside, I could see a garden—arched bridges, flowing water, artificial hills. Even though it was night, the place looked beautiful under the lights.
I walked over to Howard Zhang. He was sitting in his underwear, utterly dejected, as if life had lost all meaning. His eyes were hollow, staring blankly at the floor.
"You can doubt me about anything else, but never about whether I'm a man."
Howard Zhang looked up. He was crying—a single tear slid down his cheek.
"Ahahaha!"
Sophie Sun closed the door and walked in, her high heels clacking on the floor.
"If you're a man, prove it to me! Howard Zhang can't even get it up, and you call yourself strong? Pah."
"You..." Howard Zhang started, glaring at Sophie Sun, then lowered his head and sighed.
"Sorry, Ethan Zhang, that move is just for listening to scriptures. At best, I can help you find her location. The rest is up to you."
"Damn it, Howard Zhang, you useless idiot."
Instead, Sophie Sun put a hand on my shoulder, smiled sweetly, and leaned her head against my chest.
"Can we talk about something else? I shouldn't have called you that earlier, it was wrong of me. Forgive me, okay?" Sophie Sun's voice was syrupy sweet, her big, watery eyes gazing at me. She leaned closer, her chest pressing against my hand.
I hurriedly pushed her away.
"Ow!" With a thud, Sophie Sun fell to the floor.
"Don't be so rough. Come on, help me up."
Sophie Sun reached out a hand, but I had no intention of helping her. I just stepped back a few paces.
"Will you help me up? If you do, I'll tell you."
Reluctantly, I stepped forward, grabbed Sophie Sun's hand, and pulled her up. Suddenly, she crashed into me, knocking me onto the bed. She was on top of me.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, you don't like being on the bottom? Should I be on top, or do you want to be behind? You tell me."
"Damn." I cursed, feeling my body react just a little.
I immediately started struggling, while Howard Zhang just stood off to the side, eyes still empty.
"Miss Sun, please move aside..."
"Oh, I'm not moving. What's wrong? You don't want this? You've been holding back for so long—let me help you. It'll be quick, you'll feel better soon."
As Sophie Sun spoke, she pressed down on me, pinning my hands, her face close to mine, her mouth brushing against my neck. My whole body tingled.
Suddenly, Rachel Lan flashed through my mind—pale-faced, brows furrowed, lying on a bed.
I shouted, my whole body erupting with Deathbane Aura.
With a whoosh, Sophie Sun floated above me.
"No? If you refuse a toast, you'll have to drink the penalty. Ethan Zhang!"
A shrill, lingering note—Sophie Sun's face began to change, her skin collapsing, revealing patches of raw flesh all over her body. She screamed, lunging at me.
Without hesitation, I channeled Deathbane Aura, forming it into a sword, and stabbed at Sophie Sun.
With a squeal, I stabbed Sophie Sun, but it felt soft—her body was pierced, yet she kept smiling.
Suddenly, Sophie Sun's body split open in all directions, gaping wounds revealing bloody flesh. White maggots spilled out. I cried out in horror.
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"Howard Zhang, hurry up and help!"
But Howard Zhang just turned to look at me blankly, muttering to himself.
"Ethan, my whole life is ruined... ruined..."
I quickly let go, rolling to the side, my skin crawling. I could feel maggots crawling on my face.
"Damn it, Howard Zhang, what happened to backup?"
I rolled backward, landing on the wooden floor, then dashed out toward the garden. If a fight broke out inside, and Howard Zhang got hurt, it would be a huge problem.
Once I reached the garden, I realized Sophie Sun was gone. I immediately summoned Deathbane Aura—black streams flowed from beneath my feet. I kept scanning my surroundings, touching an artificial hill nearby. It was solid.
But I couldn’t be sure I hadn’t been bewitched by a ghost.
"That cheap trick isn’t my style, Ethan Zhang."
It was behind me—Sophie Sun’s voice came from behind. I heard the flutter of wings. Turning, I saw a swarm of moths, their bodies as thick as a hand, huge wings and red eyes, flying straight at me.
Suddenly, the Deathbane Aura beneath my feet shot up, forming black spikes. Green and yellow fluids splattered toward me.
I raised my hands to shield myself.
"Hmph. If Howard Zhang could get it up, you’d be out of the picture. The stuff inside his body is valuable, you know. I’m about to become a Blue Wraith, all thanks to what was inside Howard Zhang. But since he can’t, I’ll just amuse myself with you for now. Don’t worry, Ethan Zhang, I won’t kill you—but if you want to keep going, you’ll end up dead."
"Damn you!" I snarled, twisting two curved blades from my Deathbane Aura and charging toward the sound.
The cobblestones underfoot were uneven. I almost tripped, but then I saw something on the ground that stunned me—a rotting corpse, oozing pus and reeking of decay.
I jumped in fright.
"Can you stop being so disgusting?" I shouted.
"It’s not my corpse—it’s the corpse of one of my ghost slaves."
I looked in the direction of the voice. It was the female ghost who’d called Howard Zhang for help—she was crying, standing beside Sophie Sun.
"You..."
"Heh, I had this girl call Howard Zhang for me—she’s been trying for ages, but she just won’t give in. So I told her, if she doesn’t call Howard Zhang, I’ll burn her corpse to ashes. Her brother will never find her remains. Heh."
I shouted, sending Deathbane Aura from the ground toward Sophie Sun. With a hiss, the aura pierced her body, riddling it with holes.
"Too bad, Ethan Zhang."
Sophie Sun’s voice echoed from the little bridge behind me. I glared over angrily.
"Howard Zhang, what the hell are you here for? You heard all that, right? Weren’t you supposed to save that girl? Damn it."
I shouted. Suddenly, Howard Zhang’s eyes glowed with Buddhist light. He leaped out, pulling out a small bundle and shaking it out—a yellow kasaya draped over his shoulders.
"Buddha says: All is emptiness... Open! Buddha's words, Buddha's heart, Buddha's speech, Buddha's eyes..."
Howard Zhang chanted and charged forward.
"Ethan, she's behind you."
I spun around, slashing my twin curved blades at the empty air.
With a shriek, Sophie Sun appeared, two dark wounds on her body. She glared at us with hatred.
"Howard Zhang, Ethan Zhang, tonight I’ll eat you both. No one escapes me."
As she spoke, a faint green light flashed over Sophie Sun’s body. I was startled and quickly retreated.
"Howard Zhang, that was awesome. Your move should work, right?"
"Sorry, little brother, that move is just for listening to scriptures. At best, I can help you find her location. The rest is up to you, Ethan."
"Damn it, Howard Zhang, you useless idiot."